Hacking USB Loader GX

Cyan · May 12, 2015

So r53 is really less compatible with EmuNAND than beta52.
It's said on the d2x wiki page, but until now we didn't have proof, a lot of users have no issue with r53. I added a separate column to the compatibility list to find if it was really less compatible but no result until now.
it seems HDD are less compatible, not per-game. I suppose if r53 works, the game compatibility is the same than r52.

Yes, neek2o is partially working.

Working :
- automatic NAND path selection based on your game's location
- channel launching
- Return to NK2O channel (ON/OFF based on return to setting, even if it says "return to USBLoaderGX" it's just using it as a ON/OFF selector).

Not working yet :
- Disc launching (Wii, Gamecube)
- Selecting the channel to return to
- Cheat code

Will never work:
Other patches and options (video mode, aspect ratio, etc.)

Will work maybe later, if I feel like adding it:
set the language, region, and other neek2o setting available in the "2" neek hidden menu.

I couldn't autoboot discs with neek2o r96, but after 2 days of blind try and errors I checked neek2o sources to find the disc autoboot function is disabled when passing argument by memory....
So, I don't know if it works on other loaders, but I suppose they are using a different method to boot discs.
I'll have to create functions to overwrite config files used by neek, and probably add a neek version detection (neek or neek2o, as they are using different config format)
USBLoaderGX can boot into sneek/uneek too, you just don't have autoboot/return to feature. you end on system menu. So, I'll have to detect neek version to write proper config format or s/uneek will not work with n2o config files.

I can release a test version if someone want to try channel launching on Wii. (I didn't try on vWii yet)
Note: I encountered an issue once where emuNAND path were replaced in GXglobal.cfg. if you want to be beta tester, make sure you have backups.

sonictopfan · May 12, 2015

Cyan said:
So r53 is really less compatible with EmuNAND than beta52.
It's said on the d2x wiki page, but until now we didn't have proof, a lot of users have no issue with r53. I added a separate column to the compatibility list to find if it was really less compatible but no result until now.
it seems HDD are less compatible, not per-game. I suppose if r53 works, the game compatibility is the same than r52.

Yes, neek2o is partially working.

Working :
- automatic NAND path selection based on your game's location
- channel launching
- Return to NK2O channel (ON/OFF based on return to setting, even if it says "return to USBLoaderGX" it's just using it as a ON/OFF selector).

Not working yet :
- Disc launching (Wii, Gamecube)
- Selecting the channel to return to
- Cheat code

Will never work:
Other patches and options (video mode, aspect ratio, etc.)

Will work maybe later, if I feel like adding it:
set the language, region, and other neek2o setting available in the "2" neek hidden menu.

I couldn't autoboot discs with neek2o r96, but after 2 days of blind try and errors I checked neek2o sources to find the disc autoboot function is disabled when passing argument by memory....
So, I don't know if it works on other loaders, but I suppose they are using a different method to boot discs.
I'll have to create functions to overwrite config files used by neek, and probably add a neek version detection (neek or neek2o, as they are using different config format)
USBLoaderGX can boot into sneek/uneek too, you just don't have autoboot/return to feature. you end on system menu. So, I'll have to detect neek version to write proper config format or s/uneek will not work with n2o config files.

I can release a test version if someone want to try channel launching on Wii. (I didn't try on vWii yet)
Note: I encountered an issue once where emuNAND path were replaced in GXglobal.cfg. if you want to be beta tester, make sure you have backups.

Does this mean N2O now runs Wiiware and VC channels that didn't work on EmuNAND before like N64 and Neo Geo channels?

Cyan · May 12, 2015

that's the purpose of neek2o

awefour44 · May 12, 2015

Cyan said:
Will never work:
Other patches and options (video mode, aspect ratio, etc.)

You mentioned earlier it might be possible to force video modes by having the loader edit the sysconf. How feasible might that be?

Cyan · May 12, 2015

it's possible, just more work to edit files on NAND before boot.
I have to edit 3 files : config for games, config for channels, and sysconf if config for game is not enough to set video mode but it will not "force" the game to use that mode, he will still choose from its own main.dol

There's another possibility, but it will require more work on user's side :
- create a NAND per region and install channels matching the region (NTSC games on NTSC NAND, etc.)
- on one of the NAND (that you will select as default NAND path) install ALL channels from all regions
- for channels of the other region, edit the path setting in individual game setting to point to the correct region NAND

When you will launch PAL games, it will tell neek2o to use the PAL nand path, no need to patch games.
Post loader is already working like that, except that it probably list all games from all path directly (no need to install games twice).
PostLoader supports up to 8 NAND path?

I won't add the option to list multiple NAND, if you want to use multiple it's already possible but it's up to you to set up your games correctly.

sonictopfan · May 12, 2015

Cyan some Japanese games however need to force the language to Japanese for them to start like DDR Music Fit, it also happens to be my most played game in the series on Wii (I always play it on real NAND anyway so it doesn't matter) but would these games not work on Neek2O?

Cyan · May 12, 2015

if you setup the path for that game to a japanese EmuNAND, it will work.

awefour44 · May 13, 2015

Cyan said:
I have to edit 3 files : config for games, config for channels, and sysconf if config for game is not enough to set video mode but it will not "force" the game to use that mode, he will still choose from its own main.dol

True, "force" is no longer the proper word in this context. Among the the Wii and Wiiware games I tested that don't properly patch the video mode, all of them did natively load the desired mode after I manually changed the system configuration to the desired mode. So yes it will no longer "force" them, it merely alters their boot environment so that their DOL "freely chooses" to use the desired mode.

Cyan said:
There's another possibility, but it will require more work on user's side :
- create a NAND per region and install channels matching the region (NTSC games on NTSC NAND, etc.)
- on one of the NAND (that you will select as default NAND path) install ALL channels from all regions
- for channels of the other region, edit the path setting in individual game setting to point to the correct region NAND

When you will launch PAL games, it will tell neek2o to use the PAL nand path, no need to patch games.
Post loader is already working like that, except that it probably list all games from all path directly (no need to install games twice).
PostLoader supports up to 8 NAND path?

I won't add the option to list multiple NAND, if you want to use multiple it's already possible but it's up to you to set up your games correctly.

Sounds like a good solution in theory, looking forward to testing it. So if my default NAND is set to 480i, I would just make a secondary NAND (the video mode of which is set to 480p) and boot the non-patchable games with the 480p NAND.

lovewiibrew · May 13, 2015

Cyan can you point me to the latest revision? I'm switching from DM to Nintendon't so my revision of USBLGX is very old. I couldn't find it on the google code page. Thanks.

Edit: Ok, I found the downloads through cyan's signature. Should I use the revisions with cIOS or no?

sonictopfan · May 13, 2015

Cyan said:
if you setup the path for that game to a japanese EmuNAND, it will work.

Alright, what about a PAL game on a NTSC console/NAND would that work? I have the European version of Samba De Amigo (I own it legally btw) and I have the DLC associated with it but it's too big to be used with real NAND so I use this one Wii game with EmuNAND while I use real NAND for the others (for now anyway), would this game still work with Neek2O or do I need a European EmuNAND for it? Keep in mind I never changed the video settings for this game when launching from USB-Loader GX so I don't know for sure.

tswntk · May 13, 2015

sonictopfan said:
Alright, what about a PAL game on a NTSC console/NAND would that work? I have the European version of Samba De Amigo (I own it legally btw) and I have the DLC associated with it but it's too big to be used with real NAND so I use this one Wii game with EmuNAND while I use real NAND for the others (for now anyway), would this game still work with Neek2O or do I need a European EmuNAND for it? Keep in mind I never changed the video settings for this game when launching from USB-Loader GX so I don't know for sure.

the best way to run Emunand/Neek2o is to setup 3 clean Emunands one for each region.
Some games just won't work with any traces of softmodding

Cyan · May 13, 2015

lovewiibrew said:
Should I use the revisions with cIOS or no?

I don't understand the question.

If it's about the download without any mention of default slots, it means the default slot if 249, and the other download with the 3 slot mentionned in the filename has the default slot edited for each version.
You don't need the full download AT ALL. I still don't understand why there's the same amount of downloads for both standard and full package, when they are working the exact same way.
I could just drop making additional builds, the slot can be specified in the meta.xml now.

If it's about the IOS to use in the settings, just choose 249 or 58.
249 is the default setting and should work fine.
58 is only if you have no cIOS installed (vWii for nintendont only for example).

Acidflare · May 13, 2015

lovewiibrew said:
Cyan can you point me to the latest revision? I'm switching from DM to Nintendon't so my revision of USBLGX is very old. I couldn't find it on the google code page. Thanks.

Edit: Ok, I found the downloads through cyan's signature. Should I use the revisions with cIOS or no?

Generally people either use the 249 .dol and make changes to the config if needed like changing the boot ios to 58 and the game ios to 249.

Polygon-Man · May 13, 2015

Is neek implemented in USBGX r1246? If so, how do I enable it?

Acidflare · May 13, 2015

Polygon-Man said:
Is neek implemented in USBGX r1246? If so, how do I enable it?

Neek has been integrated with USB Loader GX for a long time it's the method that is currently used for Emulated NAND's. The talk now is about Neek2O integration it's a Neek Mod that provides further support and improvements.

Polygon-Man · May 13, 2015

Sorry, I meant neek2o.

Cyan · May 13, 2015

neek is not implemented.
cIOS NAND redirection is the current method used to launch channels from EmuNAND.

and neek2o is not in 2146 (maybe 1247).
I'm currently adding neek2o (and neek will work too, just without autoboot, it will only launches the system menu).
channels launching is working.
I'm working on adding better settings and functions.

Currently it can only boot channels.
is that good enough for a pre-release? Things might change soon so I'd prefer not release it too fast and work on it correctly.

Things that could/should be added :
- Boot selected NAND without autobooting (to do setup manually, like video mode, language etc.) : done
- Set a default NAND path : almost done. Neek2o can boot channels from different NANDs but will always exits to the default NAND. So, I wrote a function to set the launched NAND as default too. it could be an option.
- detection of current NAND mode : neek or neek2o (unfortunately, they don't use the same setup format, it needs proper detection to not mess current setup)
- update the list of game cache before launch (or else autoboot will not work!) : to be done. until then, you can just boot neek manually and force a game cache refresh. again, not using the same setup files depending on neek or neek2o
- Proper detection and warning if using wrong path : If you try to launch neek2o from second partition, or from SD. Sneek work on SD, Neek2o+di only from USB.
- Launch from SD or USB : 50% (currently, all the paths are hardcoded to load the kernel from SD ... I need to make proper path checks to allow user to boot without SD card)
- Allow different DI path : Not sure if useful. it's used to boot different version of neek. (/sneek/kernel.bin, /neek_r96/kernel.bin etc.)

Progress:
- Launching channels : 100%
- Return to : xx% seems not working with all games... I don't know if it's the normal behavior. I tested only 3 games so I can't give a percentage.
- prevent autoboot : 100% (from features menu). currently only launch default NAND.
- Launch selected NAND path : 99%
- Set a default NAND path : 99% (maybe will be forced every time when launching neek).
- neek mode detection : 0%
- game cache update : started
- proper checks and warning : 10% (partition format, partition position, hdd stealth'd, etc.)
- different DI path : working feature, but not used.

Polygon-Man · May 13, 2015

I think a pre-release would be great!

sonictopfan · May 13, 2015

Yes, pre-release for testing purposes, please!

So I have EmuNAND installed and running from USB which I only use to launch channels (plus one game, Samba De Amigo, because of the DLC) if I update will I need to delete EmuNAND and start all over or can I use the same EmuNAND to run the same installed channels with Neek2O?

Acidflare · May 14, 2015

Cyan I am currently on R1244 why doesn't the update feature work? I can update the language files and WiiTDB.xml but USB Loader GX says there's no update

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