Homebrew postLoader4

[daxtsu]

The best workaround is to use another homebrew to launch GC games, for now. I could upload a small homebrew that loads GC games (no backups), if you want. It has no interactive features, though. It just launches MIOS.

 

[tueidj]

There is already a program to do that: GCBooter

 

[daxtsu]

Oh. Good to know. Thanks.

You forgot to update the version number in b34, stfour.

 

[kuwanger]

Okay, I decided to work on a new theme and try to be a little more original. This is just the background, so far. What do you guys think?

A Boy and His [Wii]Blob

Spoiler

 

[MassiveRican]

Okay, I decided to work on a new theme and try to be a little more original. This is just the background, so far. What do you guys think?

A Boy and His [Wii]Blob

Spoiler

Love the game, but not quite sure how this will look? Is the whole pic in the background including the boy?

PL4 is coming out hardcore guys, so far so good. It's silky smooth, sleek and damn sexy, for a while there it was the only reliable way for me to use the emulator plugins correctly. Keep up the amazing work guys. I just started using it with no bugs to report as of yet, but I've only been messing with it for about 15 mins.

Edit: Sometimes the icons for HB apps don't load at all, I can't reproduce it consistently but it does happen every now and then. Using b33.

 

[DEFIANT]

Edit: Sometimes the icons for HB apps don't load at all, I can't reproduce it consistently but it does happen every now and then. Using b33.

I can confirm this. Also reordering doesn't work as it should and the "up to another window" isn't first in the list.

I've used your plugin structure to make my own shortcuts to the various emulators. I understand that postloader can launch individual games, but this puts you at a disadvantage if you want your emulators to be up to date. My way lets me keep them updated without having to wait for your plugins to get updated. However you loose the ability to launch individual games.

Check it out:
http://www.mediafire.../MyEmulators.7z

 

[stfour]

Yes, I've seen this... I will correct soon. Anyway appBrowser will receive an update, as I want to remove subfolder support and add a category system.

 

[MassiveRican]

Hi thanks, for confirming, also I noticed that using the config menu and changing the UNEEK NAND sometimes result in a blackscreen hang. Using Neek2o w/UNEEK+DI r88, dunno if it's something on neek2o's part or PL4's end. I can tell you that it mostly happens when switching between 2 large NANDS. Basically I split my entire wiiware collection into 2 NANDS for faster loading, but both have about 60+ titles, so don't know if it's a problem on my end either.

It's not really necessary to change NANDS much since NANDbooter will pretty much launch whatever I choose directly off the real NAND which is awesome but thought I'd mention it. Also when when switching NANDS on the fly from System Menu in Neek2o it doesn't blackscreen hang.

 

[stfour]

mmm... I need to check postloader and lastest neek2o build...

meanwhile...

postLoader 4.b38

* postLoader will now ask to dump your hbc stub. This is required one. You cannot do this in neek2o, as postloader must be executed by hbc to save the stub.
* corrected font size on some menu

postLoader 4.b37

* di, corrected a return value checking for gamecube/wii disc
* updated usbstorage to latest used in usbloaderGX/wiiflow (still postloader has problems running with ciosx v9)
* devolution has problems with FIX94 stub, like the old stub postloader was using (take from priiloader). Using the stub from hbc1.1.0 it works as should. This is a temporaly solution.
* support for gc games in /games/.iso (only in devolution mode). A game rebuild is required when changing mode. This is done automatically

postLoader 4.b36

* Adopted stub by FIX94
* Before devo is executed, stub is updated even if "Patch stub and use return to HBC method" is not active
* code clean
* Corrected online menu font size
* fixed sorting issues in homebrew browser
* di module should now support gamecube retail disk

postLoader 4.b35

* added support to Devolution. (thx to tueidj (sample loader) / fix94 (wiiflow implementation) / daxtsu-wever-gartmiusprime (testing))
> loader.bin must be copied in /ploader/plugins.
> images must be in /games//game.iso (like dml).
> postloader will check if a gc memory card is present, if no, emulated one is used.
* emu filters shown now only plugins with associated roms
* up to 16536 roms can be browsed (even if I think is a crazy number, but until ram is available....)
* adjusted roms structure (about 192Kb are saved).
* "go to page" adjusted to be able to manage all that roms (kuwanger)
* added mutex on covercache_get. This may have solved postloader random hang
* added better and faster control for missing covers, so covercache thread don't need to check for them.
* new case insensitive strstr. This give a general speedup to postloader (http://www.daniweb.c...ensitive-strstr)
* code clean

 

[turbotronic]

great improvements! thx!

edit: nvm

 

[daxtsu]

Nice new release, stfour. I can't launch Devolution anymore, however:

Retail Wii games boot fine, and GC retail games are booting fine if we have a Nintendo MIOS installed, OR Dios Mios installed. If DIOS MIOS is installed, though, it still hangs on the DM splash screen. I think it'd probably be a good idea to detect if DM/DML is installed, and load a small config struct with DML_CFG_BOOT_DISC copied to RAM if it is. Great job, though.

I'll see if I can figure out how to fix Devolution not booting. I figured out what the issue is. It's not giving Devolution the entire path to the ISO, just the folder it's in. It's not seeing the "game.iso" part.

I added a small "hack" to dml.c to fix it, which works for now, but might not be the cleanest approach:

Spoiler

Index: dml.c
===================================================================
--- dml.c	(revision 107)
+++ dml.c	(working copy)
@@ -784,9 +784,22 @@
int data_fd;
char gameID[7];

-	FILE *f = fopen(path, "rb");
+	char *game_iso = "/game.iso";
+	char *full_game_path = malloc(strlen(path) + strlen(game_iso) + 2);
+
+	if(!full_game_path)
+	{
+	Debug("Couldn't allocate memory for path.");
+	free(full_game_path);
+	return false;
+	}
+	sprintf(full_game_path, "%s%s", path, game_iso);
+	//Debug("full_game_path: %s", full_game_path);
+
+	FILE *f = fopen(full_game_path, "rb");
if (!f)
{
+		Debug("Couldn't open %s", full_game_path);
free (loader_bin);
return false;
}
@@ -796,7 +809,7 @@

memcpy (&gameID, (u8*)0x80000000, 6);

-	stat (path, &st);
+	stat (full_game_path, &st);

// fill out the Devolution config struct
memset(DEVO_CONFIG, 0, sizeof(*DEVO_CONFIG));

Another bug I found was when you try to use Postloader's wiiload server to update itself(via USBGecko, didn't try wifi), it doesn't delete the postloader.dol in /ploader/temp, so it executes the older one if there's one there. If it's not supposed to delete it, it's definitely not overwriting it properly, then. Seems like it doesn't always bug out..weird..could definitely use some investigation, though..

Devolution doesn't properly return to HBC, if Postloader's patch stub option is off. It just hangs on a black screen. So it's not getting loaded properly if the option is off? Not sure here. It does return properly when it's on. I'm having a WEIRD morning..now Devolution's not hanging with either HBC stub option. The hell..?

 

[stfour]

Nice new release, stfour. I can't launch Devolution anymore, however:

Retail Wii games boot fine, and GC retail games are booting fine if we have a Nintendo MIOS installed. If DIOS MIOS is installed, though, it still hangs on the DM splash screen. I think it'd probably be a good idea to detect if DM/DML is installed, and load a small config struct with DML_CFG_BOOT_DISC copied to RAM if it is. Great job, though.

Ok, I think also it is the time to remove dml 0.x support

When i devo mode, I'm sure I'm passing full path to iso. But a cache rebuild is needed. Can you check this ?

Also the stub loading should be foreced, even if the option is off

 

[daxtsu]

No, you're only passing it the folder source:
gamebrowser: requested dml
gamebrowser: requested dml (err = 0)
DMLRun
cfg_SetString (found) D43E01 = 000000050044343345303100000000FF0000000001000016000000000001000000000000
cfg_Store: usb://ploader/games.conf (0x814D4C68)
cfg_Store: fopen 0x81247A74
DEVO_Boot: usb://games/D43E01
DEVO_Boot: loader in memory

In browserGames.c, line 1842:
DEVO_Boot(games[gamesSelected].source);

 

[AbdallahTerro]

Nice updates, any news on "Return to Postloader" hidden channel for Wii/Wiiware?
Thanks stfour

 

[stfour]

No, you're only passing it the folder source:
gamebrowser: requested dml
gamebrowser: requested dml (err = 0)
DMLRun
cfg_SetString (found) D43E01 = 000000050044343345303100000000FF0000000001000016000000000001000000000000
cfg_Store: usb://ploader/games.conf (0x814D4C68)
cfg_Store: fopen 0x81247A74
DEVO_Boot: usb://games/D43E01
DEVO_Boot: loader in memory

In browserGames.c, line 1842:
DEVO_Boot(games[gamesSelected].source);

 

[daxtsu]

We all make mistakes.

I'm working on adding Dios Mios support to your di module(for running retail disks in DM), which is going pretty smoothly at the moment, so we should have retail disks launching from Nintendo MIOS and DIOS MIOS in a few minutes, assuming I don't run into any more errors.

 

[zfa]

Hi stfour,

So I go away for a month and have lots cool of stuff to play with when I start looking at what's changed on the Wii scene. Have to say PL is looking better than ever, then there's Dios Mios and Devolution too. Awesome stuff.

I have a couple of quick questions though:

1. I still can't get Wiiware to return to PL on exit (cIOS mode, not under NEEK where I boot back to PL anyway so there's no issue). What exactly do I need to do to force return to PL on exit? I have pl4 forwarder installed but generally launch PL initially via HBC (as my wii boots straight into HBC). Is there some setting (advance options maybe?) that I'm missing?
2. This new emulator stuff - I have the emu's .dols in the ploader/plugins folder and a plugins.conf file but I'm getting a 'no emulators found' message on the emu screen. I assume this is because I have no emulator ROMs in any of the defined paths. Is this correct? The message means it can't find emulator ROMS, not that it can't find the emulators themselves?
3. Online update seems to have stopped working, it finds the latest revision but on trying to download I get a 'file cannot be found' message. Not sure if this is something I'm doing wrong as I've had problem with these online updates before as you know.

Also on a couple of the menus there seems to be some bleed through when in the channels display of 'title cache needs rebuilding' text underneath the current pop up menu. I don't know if this is just the text not being cleared or something but the text is not present underneath the actual channel tiles. It's only visible through the menus when they pop up.

All those error message were from memory - let me know if you want the ACTUAL message text rather than my approximations!!

And once again - great work as ever.

 

[daxtsu]

Well, I figured out it was Dios Mios 2.1 that was the cause of my retail disks not booting. After updating to 2.2, They work with b38's(and b39's) default di module. I wasted an hour coding over a stupid user error. ARGH.

Also, NODISC patch should probably be renamed to force widescreen in the GUI, since it no longer functions as a diskless patch.

This is probably an error on my end, but suddenly using DM v2.X USB is showing "No Games!" even though I clearly have games(they show up under Devolution mode, though..).

Spoiler

begin GameBrowse
DML: scanning usb://ngc
DML: scanning usb://games
DML: checking usb://games/GZLE01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/G4SE01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GPOE8P/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/G8ME01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GIKE70/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GMSE01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GFZE01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GM4E01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GNDD01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GALE01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GPSE8P/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/D43E01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/D87E01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GZ2E01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GM8E01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/G2ME01/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/GQSEAF/sys/boot.bin
DML: checking usb://games/GGSEA4/game.iso
DML: checking usb://games/DEVOLUTION.BIN/sys/boot.bin
DML: checking usb://games/GAME.ISO/sys/boot.bin
WBFSSCanner: writing cache file
GameBrowse: parsing title cache buffer
> THE LEGEND OF ZELDA The Wind Wa (GZLE01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GZLE01'
> The Legend of Zelda: Four Sword (G4SE01:1:0) in 'usb://games/G4SE01'
> PHANTASY STAR ONLINE EPISODE I& (GPOE8P:1:0) in 'usb://games/GPOE8P'
> Paper Mario (G8ME01:1:0) in 'usb://games/G8ME01'
> IKARUGA (GIKE70:1:0) in 'usb://games/GIKE70'
> Super Mario Sunshine (GMSE01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GMSE01'
> F-ZERO GX (US Version) (GFZE01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GFZE01'
> Mario Kart Double Dash! (GM4E01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GM4E01'
> Princess Peach Demo (GNDD01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GNDD01'
> Super Smash Bros Melee (GALE01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GALE01'
> PSO CARD BATTLE (GPSE8P:1:0) in 'usb://games/GPSE8P'
> ZELDA OCARINA MULTI PACK (D43E01:1:0) in 'usb://games/D43E01'
> Nintendo Gamecube Preview Disc, (D87E01:1:0) in 'usb://games/D87E01'
> The Legend of Zelda Twilight Pr (GZ2E01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GZ2E01'
> Metroid Prime (GM8E01:1:0) in 'usb://games/GM8E01'
> Metroid Prime 2 Echoes (G2ME01:1:0) in 'usb://games/G2ME01'
> METAL GEAR SOLID THE TWIN SNAKE (GGSEA4:1:0) in 'usb://games/GGSEA4'
end GameBrowse
UpdateTitlesFromTxt: begin
UpdateTitlesFromTxt: end
Sort: begin
Sort: end

So it clearly sees the games, but yet it claims there are none.

BTW, you're still not passing the path right in b39:

Spoiler

cfg_Store: usb://ploader/games.conf (0x8121B1E8)
cfg_Store: fopen 0x811CE6F4
DEVO_Boot: usb://games/GPSE8P
DEVO_Boot: loader in memory

 

[stfour]

there is something odd... in devo mode full path should passed back... can you show me the log while refrashing cache in devolution mode ?

I've tested b39 and DEVO_Boot show the full path to the game....

Hey zfa, welcome back.

1) actually the only way to back to postloader is still have priiloader->priibooter_gui->postloader. This works always. But I can understand that this can't be a good setup for everyone
2) check in plugins.conf if path are the same of your roms
3) online update isn't yet active... I doesn't wont that pl3 user jump directly to pl4.

 

[zfa]

there is something odd... in devo mode full path should passed back... can you show me the log while refrashing cache in devolution mode ?

I've tested b39 and DEVO_Boot show the full path to the game....

Hey zfa, welcome back.

1) actually the only way to back to postloader is still have priiloader->priibooter_gui->postloader. This works always. But I can understand that this can't be a good setup for everyone
2) check in plugins.conf if path are the same of your roms
3) online update isn't yet active... I doesn't wont that pl3 user jump directly to pl4.

Hey stfour,

Thanks for the info. Jumping back to pl isn't important to me really - just thought from what I'd seen on the thread that it might have been possible and I couldn't for the life of me see how to set it up!! It was more just for my seeing if I could get it to work. I'll get some ROMs together and try out the emus and let you know if there are problems. Also thanks for clearing up the update issue, though I was going crazy!!

Once again, congrats on the latest devlopments.