Hacking Coding vWii 3-core support - everything you need to know.

[the_randomizer]

Aww what a shame, I just registrered here to ask if there's another spot i own 2x wii u and 1 wii
1 x wii u is on 3.0.0 and vwii hacked the other one is clear of any hacks ... wii is hacked too.

if there's any chance I'd like to participate too.

Anyway: I like Linux a lot and I wish i could help you in any way - maybe in programming some tools in linux mode later on? Altough it would be easier if I could get hands on preheaded - in the end I know the problematics with releasing it to too many testers

He might still add you if you ask via private message

 

[Coto]

remember the IP register on PPC ARM handles stuff like, *main program return pointer address* ie, before the program jumped to a function.

edit: static cache areas on arm,ppc and x86 names can really do a mess.

 

[Maxternal]

I found a reasonably good reference to what some of the HID registers' bits do
http://www.raidenii.net/files/datasheets/cpu/ppc_750cl.pdf
I need to add this to the OP ... but then again I also need to completely overhaul OP to better reflect our progress so I'll see when I get around to it

 

[Maxternal]

felt like bumping the thread with another little progress announcement

We've now got single core Linux running on either of the other 2 cores INSTEAD of the first core that it usually runs on.

That just means that now it's core1 or core2 that's doing all the work and core0 is the one that's sitting idle but it's progress, nonetheless, since this is the first time we've been knowingly getting ANY code to run on cores 1 and 2.

Now the trick is just putting all three together and having them play nice. That's the complex part.

 

[the_randomizer]

felt like bumping the thread with another little progress announcement

We've now got single core Linux running on either of the other 2 cores INSTEAD of the first core that it usually runs on.

That just means that now it's core1 or core2 that's doing all the work and core0 is the one that's sitting idle but it's progress, nonetheless, since this is the first time we've been knowingly getting ANY code to run on cores 1 and 2.

Now the trick is just putting all three together and having them play nice. That's the complex part.

That's actually a pretty awesome breakthrough, no matter how minor it may seem at the moment

 

[Crewman]

Now the trick is just putting all three together and having them play nice. That's the complex part.

Why you not letting Linux do the work for you?
Linux is a multicore system, it can handle the communication between the cores.

 

[Maxternal]

Why you not letting Linux do the work for you?
Linux is a multicore system, it can handle the communication between the cores.

That's actually what we plan to do, just that in the Linux code we have, that part's not already implements yet and it's been kinda hard to find a PowerPC version of Linux that DOES have that implemented. Even then, not all PPC procs necessarily handle multi-cores exactly the same way so there's still a little bit of work left for us.

Even then, though, we do hope that using Linux lightens the load for us a bit.

 

[Deletedmember331810]

................

 

[TheChield]

Maybe there : https://www-01.ibm.com/chips/techlib/techlib.nsf/search/$searchForm?SearchView
But you won't get specific opcodes / registers anywhere.

felt like bumping the thread with another little progress announcement

We've now got single core Linux running on either of the other 2 cores INSTEAD of the first core that it usually runs on.

That just means that now it's core1 or core2 that's doing all the work and core0 is the one that's sitting idle but it's progress, nonetheless, since this is the first time we've been knowingly getting ANY code to run on cores 1 and 2.

Now the trick is just putting all three together and having them play nice. That's the complex part.

Good news !
What about the "overclock" part of the vWii side ?

 

[Crewman]

That's actually what we plan to do, just that in the Linux code we have, that part's not already implements yet and it's been kinda hard to find a PowerPC version of Linux that DOES have that implemented. Even then, not all PPC procs necessarily handle multi-cores exactly the same way so there's still a little bit of work left for us.

Ok I see.
Is porting ARM or x86 Linux code an option you think about or is this to complicated?

 

[Maxternal]

Ok I see.
Is porting ARM or x86 Linux code an option you think about or is this to complicated?

Well, I'm still in the process of experimenting with getting the cores to each run their own code from outside of Linux to better familiarize myself with the process ATM and trying to get my head around how Linux actually is set up do deal with it. Comparing to code from other architectures might help me find hunt down and understand what code needs to be changed and how to do it, yes.

 

[Crewman]

Maybe you could take a look on PS3/x360 Linux code as well, if it has multicore support.

 

[Ray Lewis]

Well, I'm still in the process of experimenting with getting the cores to each run their own code from outside of Linux to better familiarize myself with the process ATM and trying to get my head around how Linux actually is set up do deal with it. Comparing to code from other architectures might help me find hunt down and understand what code needs to be changed and how to do it, yes.

You're awesome Max. Do you ever get tired? Great work.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

This might be a stupid question, but do you have access to more RAM in vWii mode with this hack? (Or maybe that's a goal/plan?)

I only ask because some emulation wouldn't work on the Wii simply because they ran out of RAM and games wouldn't load properly? (At least I think that's what I read at one point. If this is incorrect some one will correct me? lol)

Either way even if this is just 3 core Linux on Wii that's still awesome and fantastic work.

I have been lurking in this thread for a while watching and enjoying seeing things happen that I thought would never happen, hacking to me is like magic and the magicians are always fascinating and praise worthy.

Maxternal making the impossible happen? Well maybe impossible for us mere mortals

Fake Edit: I tried to reread the first post in this thread (trying to avoid posting a question that may have already been answered.) my brain exploded.... Some days I can read that stuff and it makes perfect sense, this is not one of those days lol

 

[Ray Lewis]

This might be a stupid question, but do you have access to more RAM in vWii mode with this hack? (Or maybe that's a goal/plan?)

I only ask because some emulation wouldn't work on the Wii simply because they ran out of RAM and games wouldn't load properly? (At least I think that's what I read at one point. If this is incorrect some one will correct me? lol)

Either way even if this is just 3 core Linux on Wii that's still awesome and fantastic work.

I have been lurking in this thread for a while watching and enjoying seeing things happen that I thought would never happen, hacking to me is like magic and the magicians are always fascinating and praise worthy.

Maxternal making the impossible happen? Well maybe impossible for us mere mortals

Fake Edit: I tried to reread the first post in this thread (trying to avoid posting a question that may have already been answered.) my brain exploded.... Some days I can read that stuff and it makes perfect sense, this is not one of those days lol

It was posted somewhere but Marcan mentioned access to more ram and possibly giving more info if tri-core is completed. Might, may, a chance, not outright promise. Guess tri-core folks will find out once they finish and Marcan is satisfied. That should relate to your question. The info is in the ,"Touch of espresso" blog on failoverflow website. Too lazy to post link.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

It was posted somewhere but Marcan mentioned access to more ram and possibly giving more info if tri-core is completed. Might, may, a chance, not outright promise. Guess tri-core folks will find out once they finish and Marcan is satisfied. That should relate to your question. The info is in the ,"Touch of espresso" blog on failoverflow website. Too lazy to post link.

Maybe is a legitimate answer, and perfectly acceptable. I like hope

 

[Maxternal]

just stumbled across this, thought it a relevant link for this thread
http://elinux.org/images/4/43/Understanding_And_Using_SMP_Multicore_Processors_Anderson.pdf

EDIT : ummm, never mind. I didn't quite realize what that was.

 

[Maxternal]

Maybe is a legitimate answer, and perfectly acceptable. I like hope

Yes, hope is good but Marcan referred to getting at more RAM through an exploit directly in Wii U mode. He has also said that it is not really possible to get more RAM in vWii mode. The closest thing that could be done would only get another 8mb and it would seriously cripple the rest of the system in the process.

 

[the_randomizer]

Even with all three cores enabled (albeit at the fixed 729 MHz) it would be a boon for emulation, notably PSX and N64, but even so, it will be quite the daunting task. Still, I can see it being pulled off.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Yes, hope is good but Marcan referred to getting at more RAM through an exploit directly in Wii U mode. He has also said that it is not really possible to get more RAM in vWii mode. The closest thing that could be done would only get another 8mb and it would seriously cripple the rest of the system in the process.

So unless you allow "everything" Wii-U mode is off limits... I understand that is why they didn't want to release the information they had discovered as it would be soft mod city all over again.