GCN GameCube running home-brew?

[MetoMeto]

Hello guys!

I bought my self a virgin Nintendo GameCube, meaning, no mod-chips, nothing!

Now...i plan on building the game collection, but...i was thinking about some way of runing homebrew and game backups on it.
Can gamecube be softmodded like Wii say or WiiU?

I saw this "SD gecko" page and DIY card...is that for homebrew?

Sorry for asking so noobish questions but i god no clue how GC homebrew stuff works at all or whats new and updated info.

Basically, i want to mod my GC without loosing its original shape or functionalities, so i was thinking on making that SD geco adapred for sd cards, or buying SD2SP2 on AliExpress.


Please enlighten me on best ways of the GC modding and homebrew cause the more i read online the more im confused! At least give me the kickstart please!

 

[nitrostemp]

if you have a wii, you can make a homebrew launcher with your memory card and a few gamecube games;
https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Booting_Homebrew

 

[MetoMeto]

if you have a wii, you can make a homebrew launcher with your memory card and a few gamecube games;
https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Booting_Homebrew

I do have a Wii, but what does Wii has to do with a GameCube?

Sorry for NooB question..

 

[Deleted User]

I do have a Wii, but what does Wii has to do with a GameCube?

Sorry for NooB question..

It's easier to hack a wii so if you hack a wii you can copy a hacked save game to your gamecube memory card. That hacked save game you cna run on your gamecube after that and you can run homebrew. Of course you need a gecko SD to actually run any dol file

 

[MetoMeto]

It's easier to hack a wii so if you hack a wii you can copy a hacked save game to your gamecube memory card. That hacked save game you cna run on your gamecube after that and you can run homebrew. Of course you need a gecko SD to actually run any dol file

Ohhh i see, clever!

By gecko sd you mean this?

I want to make this thing... (i'm cheap lol..no joking, i like to make stuff)

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So the way it goes is i copy save file to memory card using wii, insert memory card in gc, use SD geco adapter to run.....what do i run actually? i mean how do i run a homebrew on a virgin GC?

Im confused....

 

[MetoMeto]

I found this video.
is this what you're saying?

Do i need modchip for this so the drive can read burned discs?

 

[nitrostemp]

youd want one of these to put apps and games on, https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Conve...e_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=yo_ii_img

but there is a new sd adaptor called serial 2 sd, this is probly faster and doesnt take up a memory card slot, https://www.retrorgb.com/gamecube-serial-port-sd-adapter-swiss-updates.html

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I found this video.
is this what you're saying?

Do i need modchip for this so the drive can read burned discs?

SWISS plays backups without mod chips, you can boot burnt discs or iso on the sd card.

 

[MetoMeto]

youd want one of these to put apps and games on, https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Conve...e_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=yo_ii_img

but there is a new sd adaptor called serial 2 sd, this is probly faster and doesnt take up a memory card slot, https://www.retrorgb.com/gamecube-serial-port-sd-adapter-swiss-updates.html

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SWISS plays backups without mod chips, you can boot burnt discs or iso on the sd card.

i see..so swiss replaces the need for chip.
I saw those adapters for port 2 on aliexpress for really cheap.
So sd to port 2 replaces the need for sd gecko...

Ok so the way i understand is this... swiss is homebrew, something like emunand on 3ds that enables runing of stuff you cant run on official system menu. swiss is kinda like custom menu. and to enter that menu/swiss....how do i run swiss?? i just put "sd to port 2 adapter" and GC boots into swiss?

Also what are bricking risks?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

i see..so swiss replaces the need for chip.
I saw those adapters for port 2 on aliexpress for really cheap.
So sd to port 2 replaces the need for sd gecko...

Ok so the way i understand is this... swiss is homebrew, something like emunand on 3ds that enables runing of stuff you cant run on official system menu. swiss is kinda like custom menu. and to enter that menu/swiss....how do i run swiss?? i just put "sd to port 2 adapter" and GC boots into swiss?

Also what are bricking risks?

You boot into Swiss by starting the game with the save exploit – this means you need a legit disc of one exploitable game. For some games you have to do certain steps (e.g F-Zero “Go to the replay menu”) to trigger the exploit.

Pretty much all methods to load Swiss are on the page you already got once:
https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Booting_Homebrew
(missing the new GCLoader optical drive replacement)

Swiss won’t brick a GameCube. The cube does not have a NAND or a “real” operating system. Everything about homebrew only exists in RAM. Turn off = it never happened.

Once Swiss is loaded it can boot commercial games and homebrew from many sources. Easiest to get are SD-Gecko, SD2SP2 and DVD-backup. Note that GCs are not good at reading burned media and the often recommended Ritek G04 are not manufactured anymore. Tweaking the potentiometer (lower resistance) might be needed in order to read backup DVDs. Try multiple brands if possible… but loading from SD works pretty good with many games (slightly slower loading and occasionally skipping cutscenes).

 

[MetoMeto]

When i asked about bricking i didn't mean SWISS bricking GC, but what CAN brick GC..what are risks..what NOT to do so i (or whoever) don't brick it.

Yes, i'm aware there are several methods posted in that website, and that's all clear. But i fail to understand is how (in simple terms) home-brew booting, hacking etc. works on GC.
I didn't saw that there, at least not satisfactory answer. Bare in mind i'm not an expert. I mean i do research, but it would be nice to have simple explanation.
For example if someone asks me: "Hey how to play backups, home-brew and such on Wii" Id say like: "Well you mush Hack the Wii first using letter-bomb exploit that you use by doing this and that and its free. After that you install home-brew channel and you don't worry about it being deleted, it will be there. After that you can use home-brew apps that you run through HBC and with them you can install, modify settings, export saves and all other stuff depending on apps. You can install channels on Wii home screen as shortcuts that will run home-brew from SD so you don't always go in home-brew channel to launch from there.... etc." I just need simple-English explanation. I honestly get confused by technical and partial information online.
Say you want to run backups/home-brew...what would be the easiest way you would do in step-by-step

But anyway, I think i'm getting a better picture now.


So correct me if i'm wrong (this is all i got so far):
-GC cant be hacked like Wii for example.
-It has no NAND so no modifications can be done to system it self so its safe from bricking (it's brick-less).
-GC can only run commercial discs, but if i want home-brew, backup of my games form DVD-R or SD or USB i need to make it run unsigned code (if that's how it's said lol).
-In order to do that i first need to install a chip or use action replay or........ actually that's all i know.
-SD2SP2 SD gecko (bought or DIY) is not used to enable unsigned code (nothing happens if i use those alone), BUT to run home-brew (ike SWISS) or backed up games, from SD, USB, DVD-R..

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Also, do i need to do every step every time i want to go to SWISS..is there some fast method.. For example on most of my consoles hack is just there, and on Wii U i just click haxchi and it can run HB.
Is GC more complicated to run HB in terms of steps in order to do so or it can be easy?

Also why is everyone recommending SWISS?

 

[KleinesSinchen]

-GC cant be hacked like Wii for example.
-It has no NAND so no modifications can be done to system it self so its safe from bricking (it's brick-less).

Correct. There is no rewriteable storage containing some big operating system. There were no updates either. Never heard of any kind of softbrick before.

-GC can only run commercial discs, but if i want home-brew, backup of my games form DVD-R or SD or USB i need to make it run unsigned code (if that's how it's said lol).

GC/Wii discs are non-standard but very similar to DVD and have structures which can’t be easily reproduced. More details if you are interested: [hackaday] How One Company Cracked The GameCube Disc Protection (has a link to a video)
Without a modchip the GC will not accept discs missing the copy protection. As far as I understand this, the disc check is done by the IPL. (See reply below – thanks for correcting @Extrems) The drive is able to read normal DVD (but not particularly good at reading burned media). If you can start your own code, you can ask the drive to read from any disc. Swiss does this.

-In order to do that i first need to install a chip or use action replay or........ actually that's all i know.

Both possibilities work but none of them is needed.

-SD2SP2 SD gecko (bought or DIY) is not used to enable unsigned code (nothing happens if i use those alone), BUT to run home-brew (ike SWISS) or backed up games, from SD, USB, DVD-R..

Correct once again. Neither SD-Gecko in the memory card slot(s) nor the SD2SP2 in serial port 2 will do anything on their own because the GameCube BIOS sadly does not simply load some .dol file from an attached storage device – only homebrew software will do this. This is a bootstrapping problem: To make use of all the possibilities we have to get code execution first – and the only code the GC will execute by default comes from a retail disc.
Here is the point is where the save exploits come in:

• Retail disc inserted → GC will boot it
• Exploit data on memory card triggers loading homebrew (mostly Swiss)
• homebrew allows basically everything

Say you want to run backups/home-brew...what would be the easiest way you would do in step-by-step

It depends on what you have or what method you want to use. (Omitting the hard to find IPL replacements and the new GCLoader drive replacement)

• XenoGC modchip + DVD-R
  • Burn DVD-R and that’s it. It won’t get any faster without replacing the IPL or the complete optical drive.
• XenoGC + DVD-R + SD-Gecko (or SD2SP2)
  • Burn swiss.iso to DVD-R
  • Boot Swiss from DVD
  • Load backups and/or homebrew from SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2
• Datel SD Media Launcher (comes with SD-Gecko)
  • Start Datel software with an SD ≤ 2GB inserted
  • Boot Swiss
  • Load backups and/or homebrew from DVD-R and/or SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2. Using SD2SP2 eliminates the need for switching the 2GB SD with a modern one each time booting
• Save exploit + DVD-R and/or SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2
  • Put the save exploit on memory card (with a Wii)
  • Boot retail disc of the exploited game while the Memory Card with the exploit is in Slot-1.
  • Go to the point where the game loads the (exploit-)save data to load Swiss
  • Load backups and/or homebrew from DVD-R and/or SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2.

Also why is everyone recommending SWISS?

Because it works and… I do not even know of anything similar on the cube. Why do people recommend using the Homebrew Channel on the Wii?

Booting into homebrew each time can be tedious – especially when testing things and turning off/on a couple of times. XenoGC clones are readily available and dirt cheap. The XenoGC simplifies the process a lot. If you decide to solder in a modchip consider replacing the clock+SRAM battery as well. They are most likely all on their last legs (still enough voltage to keep data in SRAM but the clock stands still).

 

[Extrems]

As far as I understand this, the disc check is done by the IPL. The drive is able to read normal DVD (but not particularly good at reading burned media). If you can start your own code, you can ask the drive to read from any disc. Swiss does this.

This is incorrect. Swiss, older IPL replacement modchips (in software), and the XenoGC apply temporary modifications to the running firmware on the disc drive.

 

[MetoMeto]

Correct. There is no rewriteable storage containing some big operating system. There were no updates either. Never heard of any kind of softbrick before.


GC/Wii discs are non-standard but very similar to DVD and have structures which can’t be easily reproduced. More details if you are interested: [hackaday] How One Company Cracked The GameCube Disc Protection (has a link to a video)
Without a modchip the GC will not accept discs missing the copy protection. As far as I understand this, the disc check is done by the IPL. (See reply below – thanks for correcting @Extrems) The drive is able to read normal DVD (but not particularly good at reading burned media). If you can start your own code, you can ask the drive to read from any disc. Swiss does this.


Both possibilities work but none of them is needed.


Correct once again. Neither SD-Gecko in the memory card slot(s) nor the SD2SP2 in serial port 2 will do anything on their own because the GameCube BIOS sadly does not simply load some .dol file from an attached storage device – only homebrew software will do this. This is a bootstrapping problem: To make use of all the possibilities we have to get code execution first – and the only code the GC will execute by default comes from a retail disc.
Here is the point is where the save exploits come in:

• Retail disc inserted → GC will boot it
• Exploit data on memory card triggers loading homebrew (mostly Swiss)
• homebrew allows basically everything

It depends on what you have or what method you want to use. (Omitting the hard to find IPL replacements and the new GCLoader drive replacement)

• XenoGC modchip + DVD-R
  • Burn DVD-R and that’s it. It won’t get any faster without replacing the IPL or the complete optical drive.
• XenoGC + DVD-R + SD-Gecko (or SD2SP2)
  • Burn swiss.iso to DVD-R
  • Boot Swiss from DVD
  • Load backups and/or homebrew from SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2
• Datel SD Media Launcher (comes with SD-Gecko)
  • Start Datel software with an SD ≤ 2GB inserted
  • Boot Swiss
  • Load backups and/or homebrew from DVD-R and/or SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2. Using SD2SP2 eliminates the need for switching the 2GB SD with a modern one each time booting
• Save exploit + DVD-R and/or SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2
  • Put the save exploit on memory card (with a Wii)
  • Boot retail disc of the exploited game while the Memory Card with the exploit is in Slot-1.
  • Go to the point where the game loads the (exploit-)save data to load Swiss
  • Load backups and/or homebrew from DVD-R and/or SD-Gecko and/or SD2SP2.

Because it works and… I do not even know of anything similar on the cube. Why do people recommend using the Homebrew Channel on the Wii?

Booting into homebrew each time can be tedious – especially when testing things and turning off/on a couple of times. XenoGC clones are readily available and dirt cheap. The XenoGC simplifies the process a lot. If you decide to solder in a modchip consider replacing the clock+SRAM battery as well. They are most likely all on their last legs (still enough voltage to keep data in SRAM but the clock stands still).

Wow thanks for such a good explanation and clarification. It's MUCH clearer now how stuff works and what to decide. I think i will go with datels action replay+sd media launcher seems painless for gamecube, simple elegant and least expensive.
Save exploit seems like a hussle also i don't have or cant find the game also it feel funky doing it to run homebrew every time.


"XenoGC modchip + DVD-R: Burn DVD-R and that’s it. It won’t get any faster without replacing the IPL or the complete optical drive."
>what do you mean by it wont get any faster? it's slow? i mean it reads slow like burned wii games for example in mario galaxy where cutscene drags at 10fps?

"XenoGC + DVD-R + SD-Gecko (or SD2SP2)"
>this option sounds nice but you need to tinker with the lasers potentiometer as i understood, and that can impact lasers life. i'm not sure but i believe i once played with potentiometer in Dreamcast and it burned out i had to replace it. Also as nice as this option sounds, it requires tinkering with GC hardware opening it up etc...

Also, thank you for the link "HOW ONE COMPANY CRACKED THE GAMECUBE DISC PROTECTION", it was very interestiong read and video. If you got some more don't be shy to share hehe
By the way..if i understood correctly, protection is not in gamecube it self, but on the Discs. Maybe a noob question but if one company can make bootable discs why cant i on a home burner?

Booting into homebrew each time can be tedious – especially when testing things and turning off/on a couple of times. XenoGC clones are readily available and dirt cheap. The XenoGC simplifies the process a lot. If you decide to solder in a modchip consider replacing the clock+SRAM battery as well. They are most likely all on their last legs (still enough voltage to keep data in SRAM but the clock stands still).

Action replay seems simple enough it boots the dvd like legit one without chip

Because it works and… I do not even know of anything similar on the cube. Why do people recommend using the Homebrew Channel on the Wii?

Yeah thats fair enough.. well i mean yeah, im just asking but when you put it like that it makes more sense and clarifies more.


Lastly....would you think i made a good decision choosing action replay?

Also what about read speeds, are they native, do every game works full speed and like real games from sd2sp2 / SDgecko?

the whole point in runing homebrew is that when i make collection i want to back up those games on one media in one place and to save the laser whenever i can, and to run homebrew painlessly as i can

 

[subcon959]

I think I've tried every method listed above except for savegame exploits. While it's cool to have burned discs working or iso's running from an sd card, I have to say I wasn't particularly happy with any of them.

Burning discs gives an authentic experience but requires specific media and pot tuning plus lots of cursing when you invariably get disc errors at the worst possible moment.

Playing iso's on sd card through Swiss is super convenient but ultimately not everything runs as well as you'd prefer. The interface is just too slow compared to the optical drive.

The only solution I've been satisfied with is the gc loader ode, but they are expensive and tough to get hold of at the moment.

 

[Extrems]

Playing iso's on sd card through Swiss is super convenient but ultimately not everything runs as well as you'd prefer. The interface is just too slow compared to the optical drive.

It's not that the interface is slow, it's just that CPU time has to be taken away to drive it. If 100% CPU time was allocated to it, it'd be faster than the best conditions with the optical drive. An active adapter supporting DMA would alleviate this.

Also, this all changed again with r756.

 

[subcon959]

It's not that the interface is slow, it's just that CPU time has to be taken away to drive it. If 100% CPU time was allocated to it, it'd be faster than the best conditions with the optical drive. An active adapter supporting DMA would alleviate this.

Also, this all changed again with r756.

I'm assuming that it's harder to do than an ODE? Seems like it would be a much easier way for the end user.

 

[Extrems]

I'm assuming that it's harder to do than an ODE? Seems like it would be a much easier way for the end user.

It's not harder than a ODE, but the hardware requirements get close enough to a ODE.

 

[Stwert]

I'm assuming that it's harder to do than an ODE? Seems like it would be a much easier way for the end user.

As above, not necessarily harder, just two different ways of achieving the same goal.

At the moment (or at least when you can get one) and if you’re ok with disassembly and soldering, something like the GC Loader will give you an almost indistinguishable replacement for the optical drive.

However, in recent months, Swiss has been coming along in leaps and bounds, making huge progress in it’s performance. Where once you’d experience stuttering video and so on, now these things are fewer and far between. They really are making incredible progress.

I’m running the latest Swiss with an SD2SP2 adapter, which leaves my memory card slots free. I boot with a burned Mini DVD (Xeno installed), but I‘ve also, out of curiosity, made a memory card Wind Waker hack which also works wonderfully.

I’ve never had to tweak my pots on the Gamecube, good quality discs have always just worked perfectly for me, but everyone’s different in that regard.

I have all of my Gamecube games backed up onto a 256GB Micro SD in the SD2SP2, so other than burning a new disc occasionally for Swiss, or updating the memory card hack. I never need to touch the system. And the SD2SP2 is just nearer than having a card sticking out of the second memory card slot, I do have one, but I don’t use it unless I’m updating the Wind Waker hacked card.

 

[subcon959]

I didn't realise that things had improved so much with SD loading recently, it really wasn't a great experience the last time I tried it.

It's cool that there is an inexpensive option for people with still-working drives. It's just a pity they will all eventually knacker and then your options are limited again.

 

[gamecube_fan_888]

I'm trying to get started with GC softmodding. Looking at the options available, it seems that using the Datel SD Media Launcher would be my easiest and probably cheapest method for launching Swiss. I understand that the SD Media Launcher is limited to SD cards that are 2GB only. Is this limitation still there even after you load Swiss? If I want to use an SD card bigger than 2GB, do I need to use the SD2SP2 or SD Gecko in addition to the SD Media Launcher?