Hacking Create a Custom Channel?

[gudenau]

How does one go about creating a custom channel for the Wii U? I am interested in creating one for an application but I am not sure how you go about doing that.

Could you outline the steps from the sources to the installable channel? I'm sure there are some memory areas and such for the linker to have to worry about.

 

[VinsCool]

Maybe @brienj would be the suitable person to answer the question? I know they did many installable homebrews before.

 

[TheTechGenius]

Are you running CFW already?

If you are running CFW such as Haxchi, then you can install Haxchi with one of the DS Games from WiiU USB Helper, and have Haxchi load your homebrew App as default.

And if you want to create your own boot images for haxchi, you can. Check out this thread. - https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-create-edit-tga-files-for-haxchi.465027/

Also, if you use a DS Game from USB Helper to install Haxchi, you will need to be running CFW before you launch your custom haxchi channel, just like with any installable homebrew channel.


This is what my custom haxchi looks like when I edited the config and boot images to launch TCPGecko -

 

[gudenau]

Are you running CFW already?

If you are running CFW such as Haxchi, then you can install Haxchi with one of the DS Games from WiiU USB Helper, and have Haxchi load your homebrew App as default.

And if you want to create your own boot images for haxchi, you can. Check out this thread. - https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-create-edit-tga-files-for-haxchi.465027/

Also, if you use a DS Game from USB Helper to install Haxchi, you will need to be running CFW before you launch your custom haxchi channel, just like with any installable homebrew channel.


This is what my custom haxchi looks like when I edited the config and boot images to launch TCPGecko -

Yes I have a CFW, CBHC.

However that does not explain how you create a title from scratch.

 

[rw-r-r_0644]

Yes I have a CFW, CBHC.

However that does not explain how you create a title from scratch.

You create an rpx homebrew with wut, put it in a folder with wii u apps's folder layout (so a code/content/meta folder containing various files which need to be edited, you can base on this layout: https://github.com/dimok789/homebrew_launcher/tree/homebrew_launcher_rpx/channel and edit graphics/meta/rpx files containing HBL specifincs things, so title IDs, names etc.) and pack it with NUSPacker (https://gbatemp.net/threads/nuspacker-pack-files-into-installable-packages.447689/)

Most of the HBL apps still need to be ported to rpx though
Alternatively you can also create an elf loader and make a forwader though making an rpx is probably better

 

[OzKenny1983]

you can base on this layout: https://github.com/dimok789/homebrew_launcher/tree/homebrew_launcher_rpx/channel and edit graphics/meta/rpx files containing HBL specifincs things, so title IDs, names etc.)

OK so lemme get this straight: I can take those three HBL channel folders, leave the code and content folders alone, simply editing the files in the meta folder to match my app, then pack with NUSPacker and install the result with WUP Installer? That's how I read your post, but it doesn't really make sense to me that the code and content folders aren't really important :S

Also where does the RPX come into play? I don't see one in the HBL hierarchy that you linked to...

P.S. Many thanks for porting NX-Shell to WiiU-Shell! That's what I'm trying to install I'd love to pick your brain about enabling USB support in it too, if/when you have the time

EDIT: Nevermind about the RPX question; just found it on my own USB with FTPiiU-Everywhere. For anyone else who's interested, it should go into the code folder

EDIT: OK I've had a go at downloading the HBL channel code/content/meta files, changing all values in all files that made sense to change, and packed it all with NUSPacker. Everything up to that point has gone smoothly as far as I can tell, but now WTF do I do with the NUSPacker output?!?!

I put it in a folder called "WiiUShell" in sd/install, and tried to run WUP Installer but it told me "no installable content found". I remember the folders having a weird, cryptic-looking name when I recently injected some old Wii games as VC titles, so does that have something to do with it? What is the "magic" name my install subfolder should have, and why isn't that part mentioned here?!?!

EDIT: OK I give up...just tried using @TeconMoon's VC injector to create a similar package, copied the output folder name (which had the format "WUP-N-<4 letter title ID>_<Hex title ID>") and renamed my sd/install folder to that (updating the hex title ID part of course)...but to no avail! Still get "no installable content found" from WUP Installer. So I'm utterly and completely fucking lost I've already wasted ~2 hours on this fucking bullshit, so screw it!

 

[OzKenny1983]

OK first of all apologies for my grumpiness yesterday, I admit I was sleep-deprived and got way too obsessed with a simple thing lol. However, I just installed some other WUPs created with Wii U USB Helper, and with those in sd/install WUP Installer finally recognised and installed my custom channel! Hooray!

Only problem now is that the Haxchi system menu hangs when trying to load after closing said channel This requires a hard reboot of the console to get it working again, which I suppose I could deal with...but since the whole point of this endeavour was to not have to get my lazy ass up out of my chair lol, it kind of defeats the purpose

So any ideas as to what I might have done wrong? I'll upload the whole package here so somebody brilliant and helpful might investigate it for me...pleeeeeease! MTIA

 

[huma_dawii]

I want to make a forwarder for DRC Switcher, how?

 

[Yrael_The_Eighth]

This is awesome, would you be able to make one for retro launcher?
I'm trying to child proof my wii u and I don't want anyone getting into the hbl.