Hacking Gecko OS and WiiWare/VC Games...

[Skeet1983]

Any way yet to get Gecko OS to load channels with cheats? I been using WiiFlow, but it takes forever to actually load program, and more time to load a game with codes. What is this USB Loader GX I have been seeing on other threads? Could I use that for channel cheats? Much help appreciated

 

[conanac]

I am trying to develop a simple alternative to GeckoOS that could be launched from HBC that has full hardware access (AHBPROT). It works so far for me when running it for Wii, but have not tested it for WiiMode in WiiU. Now it has the ability to launch channel and rebooter (for patching system menu, e.g. being able to move disc channel, and to copy protected save game files, like animal crossing or mario kart, to SD card) and disc games.

If you have installed HBC with full hardware access in your WiiU, you could try it and let me know whether it works for you or not. Here is the link to the folder: WiiLauncher

And in case you want to help debugging it, you could get/download WifiGeckoReader (PC application) from wiiflow googlecode page or here (compiled by me), and add the following lines into the meta.xml file in the wiilauncher folder (before the </app> line at the bottom):

<arguments>
<arg>-aXXX.XXX.XXX.XXX</arg>
<arg>-p4405</arg>
</arguments>

where XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX is your PC IP address where you run WifiGeckoReader.

 

[Skeet1983]

I am trying to develop a simple alternative to GeckoOS that could be launched from HBC that has full hardware access (AHBPROT). It works so far for me when running it for Wii, but have not tested it for WiiMode in WiiU. Currently it only has the ability to launch channel and rebooter (for patching system menu, e.g. being able to move disc channel, and to copy protected save game files, like animal crossing or mario kart, to SD card).

If you have installed HBC with full hardware access in your WiiU, you could try it and let me know whether it works for you or not. Here is the link: WiiBooter

And in case you want to help debugging it, you could get/download WifiGeckoReader (PC application) from wiiflow googlecode page or here (compiled by me), and add the following lines into the meta.xml file in the WiiBooter folder (before the </app> line at the bottom):

<arguments>
<arg>-aXXX.XXX.XXX.XXX</arg>
<arg>-p4405</arg>
</arguments>

where XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX is your PC IP address where you run WifiGeckoReader.

How would I know if HBC has full hardware access? I am able to read/write cheats applied through AccioHacks as well as in WiiFlow. Could I use channel cheats (WiiWare/VC Games) through your program (WiiBooter)? I would like something similar to Gecko OS since WiiFlow takes forever to load. I don't have any experience with debugging. Thanks

 

[conanac]

I think if you install HBC version for WiiU then it should have the full hardware access. Like GeckoOS, this application allows gamers to use cheat codes for game channels. You dont need to have any experience with debugging, that PC app WifiGeckoReader could save the debugging message into a file to share with me in case you have issues when using WiiBooter. Just try WiiBooter out (and no need to run that PC app if you dont want to), and let me know whether this works for you or not for WiiMode on WiiU.

 

[Skeet1983]

I think if you install HBC version for WiiU then it should have the full hardware access. Like GeckoOS, this application allows gamers to use cheat codes for game channels. You dont need to have any experience with debugging, that PC app WifiGeckoReader could save the debugging message into a file to share with me in case you have issues when using WiiBooter. Just try WiiBooter out (and no need to run that PC app if you dont want to), and let me know whether this works for you or not for WiiMode on WiiU.

Your WiiBooter works with vWii (WiiMode)! I tried cheats for several games (Both WiiWare and VC Games) and they all work great! If possible, could you make or tell me how to make a forwarder channel for it? It boots TONS faster than WiiFlow! Thanks and you did great job making this app!!

 

[conanac]

Thanks for trying it out. Good to hear that it works for you.

When I finish this project, I will try to see whether I could make a forwarder channel. As you perhaps already know, you need to be careful when installing a user-made channel. I would not recommend to install it on WiiMode of WiiU without testing it on an environment where you could easily resolve the banner or other problems with that channel. As an example, you may want to test such a channel in SNEEK (emulated NAND) on a regular Wii first.

Since my experience with making channel is very limited, I would recommend you to get or ask for tutorial from others who have much longer flying hours already. Perhaps checking this thread out could help as a starting point.

 

[ayrek]

I've never made any forwarder channels from scratch before, but I do know that you can install a system menu IOS to Dolphin emulator, and then test your channels from there. If dolphin loads with your channel installed, then it won't brick your wii.

Also, there's a thread on here about forwarders for vwii, they need a special flag or something in them to work properly.

 

[mimirmike]

Hi, I dont know if I am doing something wrong but when I use WiiLauncher on WiiMode it applies the codes and then restarts the WiiMode instead of going into the channel. I attempted this for My Life as a King. I know this topic is a few months old but was the only thread I could find in regards to using gecko codes on channels with the Wii U.

 

[conanac]

Hi, I dont know if I am doing something wrong but when I use WiiLauncher on WiiMode it applies the codes and then restarts the WiiMode instead of going into the channel. I attempted this for My Life as a King. I know this topic is a few months old but was the only thread I could find in regards to using gecko codes on channels with the Wii U.

A couple of information perhaps are needed to make the problem clearer for me:
1.Did WiiLauncher work for you when launching that specific game without turning-on the cheat code feature (set in the config menu)?
2. Did WiiLauncher work for you for launching even other channels or disc-based games with or without cheat codes feature on?
3. Do you use the latest WiiLauncher (check the googlecode download page)?

Once you could provide or share those information then we could see further what potential problem is.

 

[mimirmike]

Launching disc based games with and without cheats work no problem. When trying to launch channels with or without codes it goes to the WiiMode system menu/start. I have the version available on the wiibrew.org website. Is it supposed to launch the channel directly?

 

[conanac]

Launching disc based games with and without cheats work no problem. When trying to launch channels with or without codes it goes to the WiiMode system menu/start. I have the version available on the wiibrew.org website. Is it supposed to launch the channel directly?

What are other channel-based games that you tried?
Are you able to use WifiGeckoReader feature? This could help on collecting the log from WiiLauncher run so we
could debug it further.

 

[mimirmike]

I attempted channels: Final Fantasy IV After Years, My Life as a King, My Life as a Dark Lord, NyxQuest, Harvest Moon, Crystal Defenders R1 and R2 with no luck. The only one I wanted to use cheats with is My Life as a King. It says the Wifi Debug is on but none of my config options save even after I hit save. Is this what you mean by WifiGeckoReader?

Also, I saw that you got cheats to work with Animal Crossing. I tried to use those same cheats but couldnt get them to work. Is there a specific Hook I am supposed to use with that game?

I forgot to mention that I am using Homebrew Channel 1.1.2

 

[conanac]

I attempted channels: Final Fantasy IV After Years, My Life as a King, My Life as a Dark Lord, NyxQuest, Harvest Moon, Crystal Defenders R1 and R2 with no luck. The only one I wanted to use cheats with is My Life as a King. It says the Wifi Debug is on but none of my config options save even after I hit save. Is this what you mean by WifiGeckoReader?

Also, I saw that you got cheats to work with Animal Crossing. I tried to use those same cheats but couldnt get them to work. Is there a specific Hook I am supposed to use with that game?

I forgot to mention that I am using Homebrew Channel 1.1.2

To use wifigeckoreader feature, you need to download wifigeckoreader.zip file (from the same googlecode of WiiLauncher download page) and follow the instruction in the readme.txt file after unzip the package. If it works, then you should see the log on the window screen of your PC when WiiLauncher runs on Wii. This way, we could record the debug log messages and see what the problem is (and you could choose to save the screen output to a file when running that PC application).

It seems strange that the config option choices cannot be saved to your SD card. Can you create gct file (which should be saved to the SD card) after downloading some cheat codes through WiiLauncher menu?

I typically use the standard VBI hook for most of games (including Animal Crossing).

Let me know when you could run wifigeckoreader feature so hopefully we could understand where the problem is.

 

[mimirmike]

I just ran the wifigeckoreader and uploaded the log file for you. I figured out why it wouldnt save config options. I accidently had the sd card on lock. Thanks for all the help so far I hope we can come to a conclussion with this final piece

 

[conanac]

I just ran the wifigeckoreader and uploaded the log file for you. I figured out why it wouldnt save config options. I accidently had the sd card on lock. Thanks for all the help so far I hope we can come to a conclussion with this final piece

Alright, one problem (saving config options) was solved easily. Now for the tougher one, from what I could see in the debug log:

CONF_GetVideo() value = -24578 (equals to CONF_ENOENT = -0x6002)

This error is generated when there is a problem when executing __CONF_GetTxt (to look for an
information in the file /title/00000001/00000002/data/setting.txt).

Question #1: Did you make any change in your setting.txt (e.g. to allow for wiiconnect24)?

Another error:
ES_Identify() value = -2011

This error cannot allow the application to identify as the associated channel so it cannot launch that channel.
And I am not sure why this error happens.

Question #2: Do you mind to share what you have done/run within WiiMode on your WiiU? Like installing customIOS or other things?

Let me know the answers to those questions.

 

[mimirmike]

The answer to question 1 would be no... I just did the smash bro exploit to get homebrew installed. I think there is a sticky with install ins tructions that I followed. After installing I just played my games with gecko os to use cheats.

 

[conanac]

Ok. Attach is a version for you which will allow the error -2011 to go through and so we could see what happens.
Just unzip it, and replace the boot.dol in WiiLauncher folder (in your SD card apps folder) with this one.

Let me know the output log again and see if this somehow works for you.

 

[mimirmike]

The same thing is happening. I see -2011 still but I uploaded a new log file so you can see if anything changed at all.

 

[conanac]

Yup, somehow the run-time patched IOS 36 cannot work in your case. I could see that you have WiiFlow as well as geckoOS channels, did you do some steps to install such channels? Could you launch your WiiWare or VC game channels using WiiFlow?

 

[mimirmike]

Those are forwarding channels that were specifically made for the WiiMode. I am actually unable to see the WiiWare games with WiiFlow. I didn't know you could see them with WiiFlow. Should I remove those channels?