Hacking GBA + EZ4 + Emulators + Mac:a thrad about n00bs

[miguel503]

Hiya folks,
I'm here because I want to play video games. To make things more difficult, I also have a Mac desktop computer. I want to play NES, GB, GBC, GBA and Homebrew/hacked games on a GBA with the EZ Flash 4. This is where I am going to document how i put everything together. there are how-tos and faqs, videos and forum threads all about this, but none that walk you through how to do it with a mac (aside from the snarky "USE BOOTCAMP DUMMY" thrads).

Lets make a list of the hardware:
GBA + GB Micro
EZ Flash 4 cart
2 GB Mini SD
Mac desktop

Emulating Software:
PocketNES998
Goombacolor_ezflash4

Setup software:
EZFlash4 client
gbata7a-en
thingy

Game stuff:
blahblah roms for GBA
blahblah roms for GBC
blahblah roms for NES


im gonna update this when i get home

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

The setup software is windows only, unless you got a way of running windows software while under the MacOS, you limited to running windows in a VM or using bootcamp.

Macs add hidden files to the miniSD that will normally cause problems for flashcarts, when inserting SD cards to the Mac directly. You need to be able to identify them and remove them before using them on the flashcart.

People will tell a person to use the bootcamp to avoid this issue, when the target person doesn't know what to delete in the first place. Its the fastest way of handle roms for a flashcart when you got a mac.

 

[miguel503]

do you have a list of the files i would need to delete?
i know how that questions sounds.
are there any file names or extensions i should look for?

 

[Rydian]

The filenames start with periods which means that the folder should normally be invisible on UNIX/-like systems (like OSX/Linux), find some way to show them (sometimes called "dotfiles"), no clue myself without a google.

 

[FAST6191]

Assuming you are on a X86 mac could you try cider/wine/ http://winebottler.kronenberg.org/ (you may have to fake a D: drive or change the program internals)- people have had it working in WINE before.

 

[miguel503]

thanks for the replies, folks. i went home last night and
-check out how ignorant i am-
set up bootcamp only to find out i needed actual windows program files/discs to get it started.

So, if you have a mac and want to set up the EZF4, you need to have windows program files as well.

Anyway, moving along, I decided I would check out what this thing looks like on my antique pc laptop (it's real old). I put the flash drive with all my files that I've been dumping from the mac into and...
<quote>The filenames start with periods which means that the folder should normally be invisible on UNIX/-like systems (like OSX/Linux), find some way to show them (sometimes called "dotfiles"), no clue myself without a google.</quote>

it was like all these ghost files. files that didnt need to be there. files that came back to haunt me.

well, i have parallels on my workstation so i might try that out today. i also have a pc in the shop that i might be able to wake up.

more to be updated later

 

[miguel503]

currently trying to format a 4gb miniSD (not hc) and cant figure out how to get it to fat
i read that i need to do this in command
halp

 

[miguel503]

just got ezf4 client on there

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE EZ FLASH IV ON A MAC ALONE. YOU NEED A PC.

just making sure everyone knows about that

search terms and all

 

[miguel503]

OH! and if you get a 4gb sd card and can't get it to format in fat:
run diskmgmt.msc
right-click on the logical drive's partition and format.

 

[miguel503]

So, I got it up and running and i have a few probs:
SMA4
SMA3
Hoshi no Kirby

Gradius Adv
JL Chronicles
NinjaCop & 5-0

all look garbley

and these:
SMB Classic
Zelda Classic
Dr Mario Classic

have "error start over"

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

classic nes titles require an extra IPS patch. here: http://filetrip.net/gba-downloads/t...m-mini-fix-patches-filetrip-fixed-f26544.html

SMA3 uses EEPROM for save type, you will need to change the save type with the EZ-IV client.
SMA4 uses FLASH 1M for save type, there is a custom 1M save patcher
Hoshi no Kirby, shouldn't have had a problem. It uses SRAM for the save type for both kirby games.

Gradius Adv should have ran without issue
JL Chronicles ues EEPROM for save type, you will need to change the save type with the EZ-IV client.
Ninja Cop and Ninja Cop Five-0 use EEPROM for save type,you will need to change the save type with the EZ-IV client.




---

You should use OfflineList to lookup the savetypes of the games your trying to use.
EEPROM save types require save type changes
Flash 1M, requires a custom patcher, i don't remember it off the top of my head
Classic nes titles require a IPS patch.

OfflineList: http://offlinelist.free.fr/

I'd tell you to use the release list on the gbatemp website, but that is not available anymore.

 

[Count Duckula]

I havnt had any issues running/saving SMA1-3, make sure you name the rom and its save file to meet the 8.3 standard (maximum of 8 character file name and 3 character file extension). Mine are just SMA.gba, SMA2.gba etc. Just used the ez-flash client for patching.

 

[miguel503]

thanks guys, there are a few other issues, too. obviously this is not working as easily as i had expected (i guess i should have taken note when every review/video says 'it's not user friendly').

among other things, there are bunches of weird files in the root(?) folder when i boot up on the gb. these files are illegible characters on the first 'page' and when opened show a garbled few pixels. i think (after this forum) it has to do with the formatting of the miniSD. I have a 2gb mini, no adapter, and i think it's probably too big (TWSS).

i wish i knew how to program better, why didn't i learn this when i was in middle school :-/

 

[miguel503]

lurve gbs

 

[deshayzilla]

Macs add hidden files to the miniSD that will normally cause problems for flashcarts, when inserting SD cards to the Mac directly. You need to be able to identify them and remove them before using them on the flashcart.
.

There is a program for mac that gets rid of all those extra hidden files. It's called eject for windows. You can download it here, I use it all the time with my R4's microSD and other USB drives.

 

[miguel503]

called eject for windows

Thanks

This worked!

 

[miguel503]

But I'm experiencing problems with garbled stuff like is explained in this thread

http://gbatemp.net/threads/weird-folders-on-card-pls-help.334388/

 

[Count Duckula]

But I'm experiencing problems with garbled stuff like is explained in this thread

http://gbatemp.net/threads/weird-folders-on-card-pls-help.334388/

Have you tried just pressing 'start' when on that screen, then pressing 'A' to format the NOR flash in the cart?

• If it's still there, try flashing another ROM to NOR: Instead of pressing 'A' to load a game to RAM as normal, press select then A (It'll take a while to write).

• If it's still not fixed, copy a 32MB file of all 0s to your miniSD and flash that to NOR as you would a game, as listed in the thread you linked to.

When you first enter the file browser on the cart (top option main menu) you should see 'SD-Card' or 'EZ-Disk' (or whatever your skin calls it) which is the MiniSD, any files listed underneath this are games you have flashed to NOR ram (or in your case, garbled files on NOR being listed).


Edit:
There is a separate issue seen after you browse into 'SD Card'/'EZ-Disk' to see all your ROMs on the minSD. This is due to a limitation of the cart, it can only handle (about) 80 files in a single directory on the miniSD, otherwise the displayed file names will be blank/garbled (cant remember which it was when it happened to me) from 81 on.

As long as you split the ROMs up into folders containing 79 or less files on the miniSD everything is fine.
The one exception is the 'Saver' folder, as all saves are written to that directory you will have more than 80 files in there. Just dont browse into the directory on the GBA and you can still save/load more than 80 games at a time.

If the corruption occurs when you first enter the file browser (top option on main menu) then its definitely corruption on the NOR.

 

[miguel503]

well, it seems like i hit the spot when i needed help.
all the garbley characters disappeared when i flashed another rom.

i am still having problems with SMA3, Ninjacop/5-0, and the classic games (i just put the nes emulator on anyway...).I tried the patches supplied for the classic games but i didnt know what to do with an .ips file.

thank you folks so much for all your help.

 

[how_do_i_do_that]

you need a IPS patcher program: http://filetrip.net/search2.php?string=IPS+patcher
pick one thats you find easiest to use.

http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/utilities/download-lunar-ips-102-f23432.html
http://filetrip.net/oldies-downloads/nes/download-ipswin-20-f7705.html
http://filetrip.net/nds-downloads/utilities/download-lazy-ips-12-19-2012-f27268.html