PS1/2 PS2 softmod - what are my options?

[HashimA]

Try with this uLE image : http://aybabtu.chez.com/PS2/ule_wip7.zip

I finally realised why the ULE provided on the PSX Scene tutorial wasn't working. Even though it looked like the program had run successfully, I was getting the following output:

22/01/2018 00:49:15  
22/01/2018 00:49:15   HDD Raw Copy Tool 1.10; http://hddguru.com
22/01/2018 00:49:15  
22/01/2018 00:49:15    * * * * * IMPORTANT: DURING THE DUPLICATION PROCESS
22/01/2018 00:49:15   ALL DATA ON TARGET WILL BE IRREVERSIBLY OVERWRITTEN!
22/01/2018 00:49:15  
22/01/2018 00:49:15   Source: [0]  RAW ULE_442B_SMALL.IMG        [4942.84 KB]
22/01/2018 00:49:15   Target: [2]  Maxtor 6 L200P0    0000    [203.92 GB]
22/01/2018 00:49:19   Locking device...
22/01/2018 00:49:19   Copying...
22/01/2018 00:49:20   Write Error occurred at offset 4,915,200   (87)
22/01/2018 00:49:20   Cannot write to target, aborting...
22/01/2018 00:49:20   Average speed: 21.0 MB/s
22/01/2018 00:49:20   Operation terminated at offset 4,915,200    LBA 9600

I tried re-downloading and re-copying the image once more to rule out corruption on my side, and the HDD works fine because the version of ULE that you provided, so it just seems like something is wrong with that image.

Which part of this image should I select as a target in the HDD Raw Copy Tool? Is it the .RAW file?

I did end up selecting the RAW file, and this time the Raw Copy Tool successfully burned ULE onto the HDD and booted into it once inserted into the PS2. I stopped at that stage confused at what I was seeing, but shortly after turning my PS2 back off I realised that's the point where I copy over the Noobie Package to the USB and install its contents to the PS2. However, I've been wondering... every other guide and tutorial out there that I've seen - with the exception of those on here and PSX Scene - uses a much larger base image (7GB+) instead of ULE at the Raw Copy Tool stage. I assume this includes everything in the Noobie Package, but I'm also curious as to what else is in there that makes up the rest of the size? Is it worth me copying that image over instead, if it means circumventing the copying of the Noobie Package entirely and gaining an extra ~7GB of programs? Does anyone here know what's actually included in that image?

 

[ShaolinAssassin]

Glad it worked.

However, I've been wondering... every other guide and tutorial out there that I've seen - with the exception of those on here and PSX Scene - uses a much larger base image (7GB+) instead of ULE at the Raw Copy Tool stage. I assume this includes everything in the Noobie Package, but I'm also curious as to what else is in there that makes up the rest of the size? Is it worth me copying that image over instead, if it means circumventing the copying of the Noobie Package entirely and gaining an extra ~7GB of programs? Does anyone here know what's actually included in that image?

The 7GB image is this one : http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/unofficial-fhdb-1-93-noobie-package-obt-119562/
FHDB version on it is obsolete. It has some PS2 apps (some are obsolete versions) installed into the HDDOSD (waste of 128MB per app -_-). The newbie pack you installed has less apps - but all are up-to-date and you can easily add new if you want. I recommend you to not waste your time with the 7GB image.

 

[HashimA]

Glad it worked.

The 7GB image is this one : http://psx-scene.com/forums/f153/unofficial-fhdb-1-93-noobie-package-obt-119562/
FHDB version on it is obsolete. It has some PS2 apps (some are obsolete versions) installed into the HDDOSD (waste of 128MB per app -_-). The newbie pack you installed has less apps - but all are up-to-date and you can easily add new if you want. I recommend you to not waste your time with the 7GB image.

Ah I see, I thought it'd be something like that. I would hate to waste so much of my HDD, especially for older programs that I'll have to update individually, but it's increasingly looking like the more sane option right now seeing as I'm still having problems with the usual method.

I'm finally able to run the FMCB/FHDB installer .ELF from the Noobie Package, but after confirming that I want to install FHDB to the current HDD I get three fatal errors, one after the other:

Cleanup failed.

File not found. Please check your installation media.

Installation failed.

Pics below, sorry for the bad quality, it's late and I didn't realise they came out so badly.

https://imgur.com/Wu4jYXD

https://imgur.com/9C0Rd2h

https://imgur.com/0XmJ5h8

https://imgur.com/ndYAZXH

All 11 folders and 77 files from the Noobie Package have been copied into the USB, and they all seem to be visible from ULE, so I have no idea what's causing this.

 

[ShaolinAssassin]

Ah I see, I thought it'd be something like that. I would hate to waste so much of my HDD, especially for older programs that I'll have to update individually, but it's increasingly looking like the more sane option right now seeing as I'm still having problems with the usual method.

I'm finally able to run the FMCB/FHDB installer .ELF from the Noobie Package, but after confirming that I want to install FHDB to the current HDD I get three fatal errors, one after the other:

Cleanup failed.

File not found. Please check your installation media.

Installation failed.

Pics below, sorry for the bad quality, it's late and I didn't realise they came out so badly.

https://imgur.com/Wu4jYXD

https://imgur.com/9C0Rd2h

https://imgur.com/0XmJ5h8

https://imgur.com/ndYAZXH

All 11 folders and 77 files from the Noobie Package have been copied into the USB, and they all seem to be visible from ULE, so I have no idea what's causing this.

Did you keep intact the folder structure of the noobie package when you copy it on USB ? Just extract the archive and copy it as it is on USB.

You can also try this version of the noobie pack : http://www.mediafire.com/file/h3e8cc6y5z8oir4/FMCB1.953_NP.7z

 

[robco7]

Pretty dumb question, but I'm guessing you need an HDD to store games, and I think I heard that the Slim doesn't work with an HDD, so does that mean the Slim can't be modded?

 

[HashimA]

Sorry it's been such a while since posting this, I did actually manage to get this working not long after, I must have done something accidentally to the folder structure. I've spent the last few weeks doing a lot of research on PSX Scene and PS2 Home (terrible moderators, as it happens) and generally just fiddling around with things. I've also been noticing your name around a lot on those forums and in the documentation for many of the tools, I had no idea you were a developer and so closely involved with the scene. I appreciate your work on the homebrew, as well as all of your help in this thread, it was a nice jumping-off point to the rest of my ventures with PS2 homebrew.

I came back here because I was curious about something; I'm trying to learn as much as possible about the PS2 homebrew process, and as a result of that am trying to fill in my gaps. I keep wondering why I could only get the wip7 version of uLE working initially on my, and none of the other versions worked. I figured since you linked me to the wip7 version you might have an idea about this. I'd love to find out whether this is a bug or not, and whether it could affect others, as I'm planning to help a couple of others set up their own PS2s and I'm also curious for myself. Also, practically speaking, does it make any difference which version of uLE you initially use to run FMCB/FHDB, or does the Noobie Package completely replace that version with its own?

Again, thank you for your help.

 

[ShaolinAssassin]

I've also been noticing your name around a lot on those forums and in the documentation for many of the tools, I had no idea you were a developer and so closely involved with the scene.

I'm not a dev, just an user.


[QUOTE="HashimA, post: 7833532, member: 405274"I keep wondering why I could only get the wip7 version of uLE working initially on my, and none of the other versions worked. I figured since you linked me to the wip7 version you might have an idea about this. I'd love to find out whether this is a bug or not, and whether it could affect others, as I'm planning to help a couple of others set up their own PS2s and I'm also curious for myself.[/QUOTE]

I answered this question here : http://psx-scene.com/forums/f113/po...7-cant-write-elf-file-hdd-157741/#post1216903


[QUOTE="HashimA, post: 7833532, member: 405274"I Also, practically speaking, does it make any difference which version of uLE you initially use to run FMCB/FHDB, or does the Noobie Package completely replace that version with its own?[/QUOTE]

Nope, it does not make any differences. The uLE WIP7 image is now deleted from your setup - and the uLE version added by the newbie pack is another more recent one (the same one distributed by SP193 along with FMCB/FHDB).