Hacking Configurable USB Loader

[Wiimm]

Can u do this:

LOAD:
usb:/apps/USBLoader/boot.dol
ELSE:
usb:/USBLoader/boot.dol
ELSE:
sd:/apps/USBLoader/boot.dol
ELSE:
sd:/USBLoader/boot.dol
ELSE:
(the channel built-in v40)
ELSE:
HALT! Error message for 5 seconds then back to Wii Menu.


This will be the greatest/ultimate hybrid channel for CFG USB Loader!

This is a very good idea. A forwarder dol for Preloader with the same pathes should also be included.

 

[zektor]

I probably could. I never had any use for the usb loading portion of the forwarder only because I just never load anything off of a fat usb device

If it doesn't check for a USB FAT partition after not finding an SD FAT, then it's just a "USB List Loader," since there won't be any screenshots, music, themes, cheats, alt dol settings, custom titles, password, favorites, etc., etc. Is this just for people that didn't partition their SD cards?

It checks for the SD card in place with a boot.dol in the usual places. This way you can use it as an SD forwarder and perform the online updates as you would normally. If you happen to not have the SD card in and you still want to run it and play a game, well, you can do that too as it is also a channel.

Your previous forwarder do check for USB FAT as well.
Your new hybrid forwarder only check for SD.

By "previous forwarder", I am assuming you are talking about the current forwarder by Narolez. That is not my work....

My previous release was a strict, straight up channel with no forwarding capabilities at all. The excellent forwarder from Narolez will check in four locations (two on sd, two on usb) for a boot.dol. The hybrid loads normally as the channel would, but now also allows the extra ability of forwarding to SD on top of this. So, it is now a tad bit better than the previous "channel only" release.

 

[Wiimm]

The hybrid loads normally as the channel would, but now also allows the extra ability of forwarding to SD on top of this. So, it is now a tad bit better than the previous "channel only" release.

And please make it a next bit better and implement forwarding to usb. (If I have the choice: USB loockup before SD lookup)

EDIT:
But it is not really necessary: The usb loader make only sense if the USB drive is connected. And then a "only forwarder channel" do all i want if the loader is an the usb drive too. So there is not really a need for your channel too make usb lookups.

 

[zektor]

The hybrid loads normally as the channel would, but now also allows the extra ability of forwarding to SD on top of this. So, it is now a tad bit better than the previous "channel only" release.

And please make it a next bit better and implement forwarding to usb. (If I have the choice: USB loockup before SD lookup)

"Make it better"? Wow....

It's better than the channel release previously. Much better in my opinion. If you want USB forwarding, use the forwarder by Narolez.

Edit:

I read your edit, but I just do not understand what you are trying to say...sorry!

 

[Dr. Clipper]

The hybrid loads normally as the channel would, but now also allows the extra ability of forwarding to SD on top of this. So, it is now a tad bit better than the previous "channel only" release.

And please make it a next bit better and implement forwarding to usb. (If I have the choice: USB loockup before SD lookup)

Can I please ask why you want a hybrid that forwards via USB? I can't think of any reason why it would be useful. Narolez' forwarder does that already.

As I understand it, the forwarding part of the hybrid channel allows you to have an upgradeable channel on the SD card that also has an old version installed in the NAND for when you don't have the SD card handy. That's fine, but it doesn't translate to hard drives. If you don't have your hard drive handy, then you can't play any games anyway. If you do have your hard drive handy and have a copy of the .dol on the USB FAT partition, then it will never use the installed channel version, and you would be better off installing Narolez' forwarder.

Edit: Heh, I see you beat me to it with your edit.

 

[zektor]

The hybrid loads normally as the channel would, but now also allows the extra ability of forwarding to SD on top of this. So, it is now a tad bit better than the previous "channel only" release.

And please make it a next bit better and implement forwarding to usb. (If I have the choice: USB loockup before SD lookup)

Can I please ask why you want a hybrid that forwards via USB? I can't think of any reason why it would be useful. Narolez' forwarder does that already.

As I understand it, the forwarding part of the hybrid channel allows you to have an upgradeable channel on the SD card that also has an old version installed in the NAND for when you don't have the SD card handy. That's fine, but it doesn't translate to hard drives. If you don't have your hard drive handy, then you can't play any games anyway. If you do have your hard drive handy and have a copy of the .dol on the USB FAT partition, then it will never use the installed channel version, and you would be better off installing Narolez' forwarder.

Edit: Heh, I see you beat me to it with your edit.

Couldn't have explained it better...thank you. It's been a long day with the kids and I just don't have the energy to explain things as I usually do

 

[oggzee]

I can come up with some theoretical cases where the usb forwarding could be useful for a hybrid

1. You don't want to have multiple channels installed that do the same thing, if the hybrid can load from USB you don't need the other forwarder. Although it's still true, if you remove the hdd you're left without games. But this case is not about removing hdd and still playing games, it's about having the minimum installed channels on the wii. This setup for example might be completely without an SD card.

2. Playing games from a SD card. But without a fat partition on the SD card. Instead using a USB-HDD-FAT partition for the loader. Since it is a bit hard creating multiple partitions on a SD card someone might actually have a SD card without FAT. Although why would someone with a HDD play games from SD card? Beats me, ok here's a theoretical situation, you have games on both hdd and sd and the FAT on hdd, but oops, hdd crashed leaving you with only the SD - having a hybrid saved the day

Or, another one: you have a cheapo USB thumb drive of 256mb just for FAT and a 16GB SD card just for WBFS.

3. Completeness and consistency

In the end all are weird and unlikely cases, so i guess the point of not forwarding to usb is still valid... but you can't say for 100% that usb forwarding for a hybrid is useless

 

[Dr. Clipper]

3. Completeness and consistency

Ouch, that hurt.

BTW, you missed one that is arguably useful:

4. You have two or more USB drives, one of which doesn't have a FAT partition, and you like to switch between them (and are OK with using an old version on the drive without a FAT partition).

 

[zektor]

You know oggzee, I actually thought deeply about those specific occasions prior to you mentioning them

Along with the fact that maybe somebody's SD slot breaks down the road and they would expect to use the hybrid that had been installed previously to load updated versions from a USB stick

There are so many scenarios that it'll make your head spin. Adding USB forwarding to it would make it consistent, yes. But I personally use it for one function (channel when no SD, forwarder when it is in) and I personally do not even own any USB storage devices that are formatted FAT. The only usb devices that ever plug into any one of my Wii units are formatted outright WBFS. So, I guess I am being a little selfish

I am a lightweight (newbie if you wish) when it comes to code. Truth be told, I simply adjusted certain paths in the code, added the latest boot.dol, compiled with devkitpro, and finally injected it into the channel. If someone wants to step up and help me add the USB forwarding to the code (that will compile), it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[oggzee]

I'd say don't bother. Adding usb forwarding will probably have down-sides as well, such as slower loading from SD because USB HDD init usually takes a few moments, sometimes a few seconds, depending on drive. (Unless SD was checked first and USB second.) The hybrid channel is already a great bonus as it is.

 

[Dr. Clipper]

I'd say don't bother. Adding usb forwarding will probably have down-sides as well, such as slower loading from SD because USB HDD init usually takes a few moments, sometimes a few seconds, depending on drive. (Unless SD was checked first and USB second.) The hybrid channel is already a great bonus as it is.

That's a very good point, especially seeing it would slow down all the people who just want to use the channel and not forward at all.

@zektor: Don't take any of these reasons oggzee and I gave seriously. I know I was just kidding around, and I have a very strong inkling oggzee was just taking the Mickey out of me in his post

.

 

[Pip_X]

Maybe can make few version.

One that has every option of loading the dol (usb, sd, builtin)
One that has the the builtin dol + SD support
etc
etc

 

[zektor]

Maybe can make few version.

One that has every option of loading the dol (usb, sd, builtin)
One that has the the builtin dol + SD support
etc
etc

Nah, I like it where it is. But, feel free to do it up yourself if you want!

 

[Santee]

I have a 1gb USB drive that I use for running homebrew which works fine except for configureable USB loader it dosen't seem to be able to read it is it not supported or did I do something wrong I'm using the v40 from the first post and loading from the HBC.

 

[bnm81002]

ok I'm having trouble trying to load this from USB drive instead of a SD card, how do I go about doing it please? thanks

 

[Dr. Clipper]

ok I'm having trouble trying to load this from USB drive instead of a SD card, how do I go about doing it please? thanks

What method do you use to start the loader (Homebrew Channel, forwarder, full channel etc.)? What directories do you currently have on your SD card? Specifically, where is config.txt and where is boot.dol?

 

[bnm81002]

ok I'm having trouble trying to load this from USB drive instead of a SD card, how do I go about doing it please? thanks

What method do you use to start the loader (Homebrew Channel, forwarder, full channel etc.)? What directories do you currently have on your SD card? Specifically, where is config.txt and where is boot.dol?

I usually use the forwarder but also have HBC, I copied over the USBLoader folder off the download from the 1st post that was located in the inSDRoot folder in apps folder

 

[Dr. Clipper]

I usually use the forwarder but also have HBC, I copied over the USBLoader folder off the download from the 1st post that was located in the inSDRoot folder in apps folder

You need to copy over the apps folder too.

 

[bnm81002]

I usually use the forwarder but also have HBC, I copied over the USBLoader folder off the download from the 1st post that was located in the inSDRoot folder in apps folder

You need to copy over the apps folder too.

now I'm confused, in the apps folder is the USBLoader folder and nothing else?

 

[Dochog]

I was playing around with the hide game feature and in trying to organize everything hid the majority of my games. I noticed I started getting a save error when I tried to hide the games. It looks like there is a limit since I could unhide a game and hide another but then when I tried another game the error came up. Any reason why there is a limit? Can it be increased?

I haven't tried it yet, but can I add more hides to my config file in addition to what is in the settings file?