Hacking WiiFlow - an open source GUI USB-Loader

[wiimanofthenorth]

Is anyone running the Retroarch plugins from USB. Wiiflow and Retroarch roms are both on USB.? I just get black screens when I try to start games. On the Retroarch page it looks like it only works from SD. Anyone got any info.

I can't check because yet again, the scummvm plugin has killed the chance to do any non-wii gaming in wiiflow. Wiiflow just loops when pressing B or trying to go to the non-wii gaming screen. I'm going to have to re-install Wiiflow yet again.

 

[spacepimp]

You kinda lost me there near the end
BUT
basically it works like this:
- you see one cover for every file that's the right kind to be used with that particular "source"/plugin
- When you "run" that cover there's a DOL file (the plugin) that WiiFlow runs to take care of it.
- The information that Wiiflow sends to the plugin telling it which file/cover you chose is the "argument"
- the forwarder/hidden channels basically have a DOL file in them to make them do what they do
- theoretically, you could make a mod of the DOL that's used right now in the hidden channel so it ALSO kinda does what you're looking for it to do.
- instead of putting the modded DOL file back in the hidden channel you would put it in the folder with the other plugins.
- WiiFlow is made to choose a file per cover instead of a coverflow per cover so you'd have to make a "dummy" file to represent each one.
- part of the mod made to the DOL would have to be making it recognize the different file names of the dummy files and choose which coverflow to set when it edits the WiiFlow.ini file.

Wanted to say thanks for this detailed and informative reply. You've clarified things for me. Thanks!

I have to ask another question - what is sequentially happening when wiiflow boots a title from one of your dummy files, as opposed to a 'normal' boot?

FYI - the confusing last bit - you said you weren't familiar with modifying data files? I was suggesting instead of changing the wiiflow.ini before rebooting, that if a mod of the WIIH dol could launch one specific source's coverflow, then you could have a real nand channel for each source, and so have a 'sourceflow' using wiiflow's real - nand launching - just as a workaround

 

[AbdallahTerro]

I can't check because yet again, the scummvm plugin has killed the chance to do any non-wii gaming in wiiflow. Wiiflow just loops when pressing B or trying to go to the non-wii gaming screen. I'm going to have to re-install Wiiflow yet again.

you have too many roms (some may be counted twice or thrice if all plugins are active) (more than 9000 to be exact) you need to move some inis from plugins folder to somewhere else and move back just the ones you need most keeping in mind this limit.

 

[Maxternal]

So I added the plugin to source menu (last icon on page 6)

Spoiler

but now all games are named "game" or "disc2" (given that I have a Dios Mios setup)
Is there a way to display the game names and covers without affecting DiosMios
Screenies of unselected and selected coverflows:

Spoiler

The nice thing about this mod (if the game titles and covers can be fixed) is that it won't require any copying of loader.bin or change in game boot settings and will be an option for a GC/DiosMios only setup

Thanks for the mod
Will be added to the pack next time too

Love the icon there.

As for the title issue (which would also end up being a cover issue as well) that occurred to me, too, after the fact. The idea of the Devolution plugin was ORIGINALLY for those who didn't want a separate copy as
/games/gamename.iso
and
/games/gamename/game.iso
I haven't had a good moment to go back and do any good testing but some of the workarounds that I've THOUGH of are the following (all of which have pros and cons)

1. Just change the name of the ISO file from game.iso to Mario.iso or whatever.
PROS : since WiiFlow still sees the "disc2.iso" file separately I think the NORMAL GameCube method in WiiFlow doesn't care about the exact "game.iso" filename so it should still show up and be usable from there.
CONS : I can't be sure that all OTHER loaders would still be able use the file this way. This includes the DM(L) Plugin (It would still show up in the coverflow because it's only looking at the dummy file but when the plugin actually runs I'm not sure it would find the game...I'd have to test it to be sure.)

2. Have your Devolution games in a completely different device (in my case I have my devolution games in
SD :/games/gamename.iso
and my DM(L) games in
USB1:/games/gamename/game.iso
PROS : DM(L) games work in all loaders. Devolution games also work in the sample loader.
CONS : Devolution games don't ONLY show up in the devolution plugin and the sample loader, not by any other method. You also have to have enough space on SD and USB1 for each group of files.

3. Put your Devolution games in a different folder like /devo/gamename.iso on the same device and edit the romDir= setting in the plugin INI file.
PROS : You don't have to make have space on both SD and USB1 for each group of games.
CONS : Your Devolution games ONLY show up in the Devolution plugin. They don't show up in any other loader (Not even the sample loader)

4. Put the DM(L) games in /games/blahblah/games.iso like normal and Devolution games in /games/blahblah.iso and then when some of the titles show up as "game" in the Devolution plugin coverflow, add them to the hidden category (adding one should add them all if I'm right)
PROS : Devolution games also show up in the sample loader.
CONS : Devolution games don't show up in any other loader and don't show up in the normal GameCube coverflow.

5. Edit the Devolution.ini file for the plugin and in the arguments= setting change where it says {name} to game.iso. Also in the fileTypes= setting change the .iso to something else like .gc. THEN you create a dummy file called gamename.gc next to the game.iso file so that you have both a dummy file
/games/gamename/gamename.GC
and the real ISO file
/games/gamename/game.ISO
PROS : Your Devolution games will still show up in other loaders. ONLY your Devolution games will show up in the Devolution plugin.
CONS : Your Devolution games will not show up in the sample loader.

6. Theoretically, you could use #4 or #5 in combination with tricking the filesystem into having two filenames for the same file, one in /games/blah.iso and the other in /games/blah/game.iso (I think it's called a cross linked file.)
PROS : All games show up in all loaders and only Devolution games show up in BOTH the plugin AND the sample loader.
CONS : Actually doing this would require either looking at the filesystem in a hex editor or writing a very specific program to do it for you and either way, if something's done wrong you could corrupt the disk and have to reformat. Also, if you run chkdsk on the drive it would consider it damaged and will make a copy of the file for both file names. If you delete one of them, you're really deleting the other one, too, even though it doesn't show.

7. You could use #4 and actually HAVE two copies of the devolution games, one in /games and one in /games/gamename,
PROS : They would show up in all loaders and only Devolution games show up in Devo plugin and sample loader.
CONS : It takes up more disk space.

(anyway, I guess take your pick.)

 

[wiimanofthenorth]

you have too many roms (some may be counted twice or thrice if all plugins are active) (more than 9000 to be exact) you need to move some inis from plugins folder to somewhere else and move back just the ones you need most keeping in mind this limit.

Oh right. I didn't think I had that many myself. This only happens though after scummvm bungs out. C'est la vie. Thanks for the info!

 

[AbdallahTerro]

What about requesting an option for the plugin inis: "Use Folder Names=Yes/No"
This will be very useful for many other plugins like Arcade/CPS/NeoGeo and will make the correct gamenames show without having custom titles.

 

[Maxternal]

What about requesting an option for the plugin inis: "Use Folder Names=Yes/No"
This will be very useful for many other plugins like Arcade/CPS/NeoGeo and will make the correct gamenames show without having custom titles.

I've thought about that, too. It would have been a little easier for me to make the plugins in the first place had that been the case. (might have been particularly useful for an emuNAND plugin, too.)

For now, it would basically have the same effect as #5 in my post. I think automatically making those dummy files with my plugin prep apps and adding another INI file like I did with the WiiFlow plugin (just in case someone wants to use it, ) will be something I'll have to add to my plugins pack.

Actually, having one INI for #5 and another for #4 and mixing them in the same source menu button would be a fairly good solution.

 

[Maxternal]

I don't have access to my Wii Right now so for anyone who does who's willing to do some testing, here's a modified version of CFG's Mighty Channels plugin for WiiFlow.

It's completely untested but just...
- run the plugin prep batch file from your computer
- select the WiiFlow folder
- let it create the dummy files
- choose if your emuNAND is on SD or USB and copy the right INI with the plugin DOL to your plugins folder.
- open up the INI file and near the beginning of the LONG argument= setting is a place for your emuNAND path. (it currently says "/nands/pln2o") Change it to your path and save the file.
- then test it

http://www.mediafire.com/?qehk8316bc2a398

Edit : still haven't had any good testing time but did notice a slight error in the INI files. there's supposed to be two hyphens (--) before each of the arguments and that's not the case on all of them. Also noticed that people in the CFG thread were experiencing problems with the version that I got the code for and the code for the fixed version isn't released yet.
I think this plugin will have to wait a bit.

(also, have an idea for a neek2o booting plugin and DesmumeWii seems REALLY easy to make a plugin out of ... except that I can't get it to compile ... I hope to get some good testing time this weekend FINALLY ... well, maybe.)

 

[mclow]

i just thought about a alternative menü for the coverflow..... for example: wii games looks like the source menu. (only little pictures)....

i really would like to make my channels and homebrews like this... i only want coverflow for emulators and wii\gamecube games..

 

[Etheboss]

Is anyone running the Retroarch plugins from USB. Wiiflow and Retroarch roms are both on USB.? I just get black screens when I try to start games. On the Retroarch page it looks like it only works from SD. Anyone got any info.

No problem for me here, running everything WiiFlow related (and Wiflow) from HDD, i tried a few emu's (some sega and nintendo stuff)..mind you, i got 1 big fat32 partition, maybe you got something else, if i am correct, the emu's need to run from the 1st partition which should be FAT32..but i am not sure about it, maybe some emu's work on NTSC too.

 

[ToddofWar420]

I agree with E. I got the same setup with everything on one big fat32 partition and all is currently working fine here too.

 

[WiiFreasko]

To make the long story short here's a UAE 9.1 (Amiga Emulator) Plugin for Wiiflow, uses same magic number as the one in Abz's pack.
N.B. tested with "uae" folder on SD + "uae\floppies" folder on USB
If you have an old "uae" folder, make sure you delete or rename "uaerc.saved" file or else the games won't autoboot
Might fail to autoboot sometimes, still didn't figure out why.
Thanks to Fix94 and Megazig for their precious help.

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y88ny96p3k5v8ya

Freasko

 

[pBullet]

Some drives have their own software that allows you to change things like sleep mode. You might want to check for that. Also...

I just looked up my old posts, XFlak told me about this program for sleep mode about 2 years back. It worked for me, it turned off the sleep mode on my drive! http://download.cnet.com/Ashampoo-HDD-Control/3000-2086_4-10929035.html?tag=mncol;1 It might work for you? Use at your own risk and good luck!

What did you do to disable it?

 

[AbdallahTerro]

To make the long story short here's a UAE 9.1 (Amiga Emulator) Plugin for Wiiflow, uses same magic number as the one in Abz's pack.
N.B. tested with "uae" folder on SD + "uae\floppies" folder on USB
If you have an old "uae" folder, make sure you delete or rename "uaerc.saved" file or else the games won't autoboot
Might fail to autoboot sometimes, still didn't figure out why.
Thanks to Fix94 and Megazig for their precious help.

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?y88ny96p3k5v8ya

Freasko

Thanks Freasko for this nice plugin,
I've added it to the masterpiece folder (http:// www.mediafire.com/?rh5xh6z4f5fj3 )
It'll be for sure included in my next update.
Hope to see more plugins soon

@Fix94: Any chance of updating ScummVM too, looks like the last rev has many bugfixes and better compatibility
Thanks for adding gamecount and remember last view

Abz

 

[wiimanofthenorth]

What did you do to disable it?

You gave me the idea of making a tutorial about how to do this. So here it is... Turning off sleep mode on most USB HDDs in Windows

 

[AbdallahTerro]

New pack is ready, will be up in the upcoming hours:

WiiFlow v4.1.1 Beta Mod r849 Pack - The Masterpiece PE:

New Updates Since v4.1:
* Updated WiiFlow to rev 849 (Fixed Emunand apploader & patches - Added game count - Remembers last view)
* Added Triforce/DM-Booter plugin for Mario Kart GP Games + dummy files (Thanks Maxternal for the Modded dol)
Also added Triforce icon for source menu and custom missing cover too (Thanks wiikey for the source menu icon)
And added Quadforce_v0.1.wad to the wad\IOS_DM(L) Folder
The GP games should be in SD:\Games folder and Quadforce wad installed as Mios
the Magic number used here is "444d4c62"
Added the 2 GP covers to \Wiiflow\boxcovers\Triforce Folder (size 512x340)
* Added Devolution rev169 Plugin + icon
* Added Amiga UAE rev9.1-Mod plugin (Thanks Fabio)
* Added Sinclair FBZX-wii v8 plugin (Thanks Fabio)
* Fixed Devo v160 files (old ones were not original files - Thanks ToddofWar420 for testing & reporting)
* Removed update nag screen from SNES and NES Plugins mod11 dols (Thanks Fledge68)
* Added WiiFlow Channel Installer v1.1 by Fix94
This is an alternative method to install The WiiFlow Forwarder and the Hidden Plugin Loader Channels on both Wii and WiiU/vWii
The default WiiFlow Forwader v14b by Spayrosam is installed using this method
You can replace the forwarder by the one provided in this pack (i.e. Clouds) or your favorite one using a Wad manager

P.S. The UAE plugin was specifically modded by the original author for Wiiflow it now accepts single argument only and no need to delete the saved cfg file

Sinclair plugin is the same as official v8 it autoboots snapshots (z80 or sna) files in "/fbzx-wii/snapshots" folder. tape files can't autoboot. but well z80 is enough given that there are 8000 z80 files around

Download the minipack from here: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1vvwm8qwmol086l
or in my signature
Abz

 

[WiiFreasko]

looks like the 2 new plugins (Amiga and Sinclair) work with games on SD or USB - tested and confirmed
Also the UAE save file is not making any problems now

Thanks Abz

Freasko

 

[ToddofWar420]

* Removed update nag screen from SNES and NES Plugins mod11 dols (Thanks Fledge68)
Thoses damn update nags are back.. I think I saw someone else post that too awhile back.

 

[AbdallahTerro]

* Removed update nag screen from SNES and NES Plugins mod11 dols (Thanks Fledge68)
Thoses damn update nags are back.. I think I saw someone else post that too awhile back.

Really lemme double check !x?!?X?!

Edit: Hmmm weird, no nags here. Are you sure you used the dols in my pack?

 

[ToddofWar420]

Really lemme double check !x?!?X?!

Edit: Hmmm weird, no nags here. Are you sure you used the dols in my pack?

Yes sir I did, I d'l every one you put out just to make sure I'm on top of things. At first when I was using it, it wasn't showing up, but after like 2-3 days of playing some DKC on SNES, that's when it started to show up again. But I will however replace my .dols again and see what happens.
Thanks for your time in checking them and if I see them again, I for sure will let you know