Hacking To any DSTwo Homebrew developer who's got the SDK

[CannonFoddr]

OK, I'm not a programmer - so don't know if such a thing is possible (I know somethng like this was made by Xenon++) - BUT someone on another post asked the following question

I wonder if it's possible to add Games to the Plugin-List while the .ini points to the rom, like

rom=fat1:/roms/game.nds

- so without copying the ROMs to _dstwoplugSo it got me thinking - Although he is talking about games (ROMS I'm guessing) & even though I've found MOST Homebrew does work when placed into the '/_dstwoplug/' folder, There are some programs that refuse to work from the plugin folder ('pokesavDS' is one in question - it HAS to have a copy of it on the root directory & it HAS to be named as 'PPSEDS.nds')

So here's my idea/request to any Developers

How about a small 'linker' *.nds file that is placed in the '/_dstwoplug/' folder instead of the actual Homebrew/Game.nds that does the following:-
1) Read the ini file of the same name of the linker '*.nds'
2) Load in the 'real' nds file that is stored in another folder

As we know the current ini file looks like this (in this example the ini would be called 'pokesavDS.ini')

[plug setting]
icon=fat1:/_dstwoplug/pokesavDS.bmp
name=PokesavDS

so how about adding a line to this ini
CODE[plug setting]
icon=fat1:/_dstwoplug/pokesavDS.bmp
name=PokesavDS
program=fat1:/PPSEDS.nds

so that the linker (renamed to 'pokesav.nds' & placed in the '/_dstwoplug/' folder) will look at this ini & then load the file called 'PPSEDS.nds' stored on the ROOT directory
[I am guessing that the DSTwo eos will 'ignore' any unrecognised lines in the ini file & the linker will 'ignore' the 'official' lines]

By having this - In theory - we could store all the homebrew/Games in any folder we like OTHER than the '/_dstwoplug/' folder, & it'll be a small 'workaround' while we wait (& see) for the Supercard team to include it

Any Comments about this ??

 

[dhjohn]

Somewhat off topic, but I can run Pokesav as a plugin. I had to run it from eos once, but after that, it worked fine.

 

[riverchen]

I want a program that links to my homebew folder.

 

[CannonFoddr]

Somewhat off topic, but I can run Pokesav as a plugin. I had to run it from eos once, but after that, it worked fine.

Hmm perhaps there was an update since I tried it... or maybe some setting files was made on first run

 

[SirCB85]

I´m not a programmer, but the idea shure sounds good.
Although my little understanding is, that the ini files are the ones that tell the EOS what nds file to use as a plugin. So the extralines in the ini wouldn´t be necessary, because after the ini told EOS what to do, it would be the linkerrom that needs to directly open up the real one and for it to do that I would immagine there should have to be a specific linker for every rom you would like to link to with it.
Or if you could use an other ini file that comes with the linker itself you would have to make specific copys of the linker with its coresponding ini telling the linker what rom it should open. So there would be the ini that tells EOS to use the linker plus the ini that tells the linker what other file it should open.

 

[CannonFoddr]

Although my little understanding is, that the ini files are the ones that tell the EOS what nds file to use as a plugin.

Well my understanding of the DSTwo plugin files is that it is only used for telling the eos what graphic and title to use to show on the plugin screen

-If you add a nds to the plugin folder WITHOUT a bmp/ini - all you get is an orange '?' icon instead, but the program will still run - meaning that the eos already knows how to start up/dldi patch homebrew programs

 

[SirCB85]

Okay, didn´t know that as my DSTwo is still in the Post ;-)
But thanks for the clarifing.

 

[spinal_cord]

in the plugins golder, you have

frodods.ini (as an example)
[plug setting]
icon=fat1:/_dstwoplug/FrodoDS.bmp
name=C64 Emulator

when you select the 'C64 Emulator' icon, the menu will launch frodods.nds or frodods.plg, which ever one it finds.
I have not tested commercial games in this menu, but there is no reason to, there is a DS_Games icon which takes you to an acekard style menu.

 

[DeltaBurnt]

Why would you need the DSTwo's SDK to make a simple linker homebrew? Just make it with libnds (or whatever you prefer using).

 

[CannonFoddr]

Why would you need the DSTwo's SDK to make a simple linker homebrew? Just make it with libnds (or whatever you prefer using).

couple of reason - the main one is

What the hell is 'libnds' and how do I 'make it' ???

Actually a quick Google tells me that 'libnds is an open source alternative to Nintendos SDK' - which to me means it's something to do with programming....

Not everyone is a programmer,so what I'm suggesting is if something could be made to allow us non-programmers an easier way to keep all our homebrew where WE want it & not forced to place where SC team wants us to have it

 

[9th_Sage]

What he's saying is that you COULD make something like that with libNDS, you wouldn't necessarily need the DSTwo SDK. Actually, you'll find most DS homebrew uses libNDS in some fashion.

You could say it's not all that different to the DSTwo SDK, just for 'regular' non DSTwo homebrew.

 

[DeltaBurnt]

The only real reason you would need the DSTwo SDK is to make homebrew that uses the DSTwo's extra power. If you just want to make a simple program that launches another program, that can quickly be made in the form of regular homebrew (in other words, not using the DSTwo SDK) because a program like that wouldn't require the DSTwo's embedded CPU.

 

[CannonFoddr]

The only real reason you would need the DSTwo SDK is to make homebrew that uses the DSTwo's extra power. If you just want to make a simple program that launches another program, that can quickly be made in the form of regular homebrew (in other words, not using the DSTwo SDK) because a program like that wouldn't require the DSTwo's embedded CPU.

Ah right... I think I understand now....

Basically SCDS2 SDK is only needed IF people want to use the Extra memory and CPU, for everything else - use standard homebrew software

So if that's the case then - I like to rephase my request from

• 'To any DSTwo Homebrew developer who's got the SDK ...a homebrew request '
  • to
  'To any Homebrew developer ... a DSTwo homebrew request'

Still whatever SDK/Developing software used - the idea is still the same

 

[DeltaBurnt]

The only real reason you would need the DSTwo SDK is to make homebrew that uses the DSTwo's extra power. If you just want to make a simple program that launches another program, that can quickly be made in the form of regular homebrew (in other words, not using the DSTwo SDK) because a program like that wouldn't require the DSTwo's embedded CPU.

Ah right... I think I understand now....

Basically SCDS2 SDK is only needed IF people want to use the Extra memory and CPU, for everything else - use standard homebrew software

So if that's the case then - I like to rephase my request from

• 'To any DSTwo Homebrew developer who's got the SDK ...a homebrew request '
  • to
  'To any Homebrew developer ... a DSTwo homebrew request'

Still whatever SDK/Developing software used - the idea is still the same

Yah, in theory the homebrew shouldn't be too hard to make. However it just depends on how easy it is to launch a game nds file from a homebrew nds file.

 

[riverchen]

Couldnt you take apart Homebrew menu and use that?

 

[Stormwave]

Since I've already got some loader code lying around somewhere, I might have a crack at this tomorrow. It shouldn't be too difficult tbh, and will be handy. I'll let you know when I finish it.

I still haven't messed around with the SDK yet, but I might try that out tomorrow aswell.