Hacking USB Loader GX

[Metoroid0]

thanks for the screenshots.
But could you provide your GUI settings too? because you are showing results, but not properly reporting why it's like that.

do you use a scale ratio for menus? (I think in english it's still called "widescreen", but it's NOT an option to enable or disable widescreen of the display, it's an option to stretch the menus if the text doesn't fit on the button, etc.)
which ratio value ?
Do you use Overscan X and Y ?

Is your Wii video setting (on system menu, not in the loader) set to widescreen or 4:3 ?

Also note that, like I said, the wii is NOT outputing a real 16:9 ratio pixelwide. it's a faked visual and the ratio used by the loader is not exact. (0.8 instead of 0.75)


For the cover position, I agree that it's not good, but it's its position. all the covers are one above the other.
I'll see if I can put the selected cover on the foreground.

Settings are default. Only settings i changed are:

Wiimote rumble = OFF
Ocarina = ON (for Metroid: other M, and some cheats activated)
Clock = 24 Hour
Screensaver = 5 min
Music Volume = OFF

And that's All!

About the HDD free space, maybe it's an issue with the FAT table.
Try the HDD>Synch FAT32 option, it will rewrite the TOC.

About that...i didn't understood...

 

[Cyan]

thanks for the settings.
When I'll have time (I didn't work on it for 3 weeks), I'll try to set the correct aspect ratio (0.7 instead of 0.8) and see if it doesn't break too many things.


For the free space :
go to settings > HDD settings > click on "Fat32 synch" option.
I don't know if it will help, but this option is used to fix issue with freespace too slow to be detected. maybe it will fix wrong free space too.

 

[Metoroid0]

thanks for the settings.
When I'll have time (I didn't work on it for 3 weeks), I'll try to set the correct aspect ratio (0.7 instead of 0.8) and see if it doesn't break too many things.


For the free space :
go to settings > HDD settings > click on "Fat32 synch" option.
I don't know if it will help, but this option is used to fix issue with freespace too slow to be detected. maybe it will fix wrong free space too.

That fixed free space thing, i only needed to restart ULGX and voilà!

There are two more bugs (although i'm not sure this first one is a bug, but it looks unnatural...)

1. When i press "HOME" and click Wiimote, instead of getting Wiimote settings, the window closes!
2. Sometimes (don't know when) when i Eject SD card while in ULGX, to manage mu SD, and i put it back in Wii, the ULGX freezes and Wiimote vibrates continuously, and strong and only thing to fix this is to hold Power button on Wii it self for 10 sec.

 

[Cyan]

1. it's not a bug. there's no wiimote setting in the loader. it's visually working like a real Home menu, but only visually
2. NEVER eject SD card while on the loader. it's not really a bug, it's more a way that the Wii is working.
to access data on the SD card, the loader creates a "connection" at a specific address in memory. this is where the current SD card is located.
if you eject and reinsert it, the Wii is assigning a new memory address for the SD Card (because the old one is not unloaded so not free to re-use), but the loader doesn't know that the card has been replaced and try to access it with the old address.
Doing that can corrupt your data, or partition. it will not read/write at the correct location on the card and can overwrite important sectors.


There's a "Reload SD Card" button that force the loader to remount the SD at the new memory address.
it's not always working. there's a warning that the loader can freeze.
You should never eject SD (or USB ! it's the same) while it's still mounted inside the loader.

maybe I could add a "eject device" like on windows to properly unmount and eject it.
but it would require to unload everything (unload game list, cache, settings, etc.), clean up the interface like if you just boot without anything connected, because there's no check to detect if the device is present or not before writing settings or cache, etc. if it's not present and it tries to write something, the loader can crash too.

It's better to just exit the loader if you want to manage your SD card.

Exit to HBC -> load WiixPlorer -> connect with FTP client on your computer to manage the card or USB.
it will prevent ejecting/inserting the card in the slot. (it can break)

a solution would be to add ftp server inside the loader.

 

[Metoroid0]

I see... it would be neat anyway to load Wiimote settings via Home button and that unmount thing, but i guess thats not big deal
Anyway, im using ULGX channel, i don't go to HBC.. only when loading Nintendont for GBC games i go to HBC...

By the way, sorry for off-topic question but.. is there a way to install Nintendont as a channel like i have USB loader GX installed, and can you link me please?
Also, i installed Wiigator's cMIOS for GC games and now i can load GC games directly from Disc channel, but i like Nintendont better, so is there a way for me to load GC games from Disc channel and to load Nintendont from there instead of Wiigators menu?

 

[TecXero]

Cyan, should there be a section added to the EmuNAND compatiblity list for Disc Retail games, at least for ones that don't work like Metroid Prime 3?

 

[GreyWolf]

Cyan, should there be a section added to the EmuNAND compatiblity list for Disc Retail games, at least for ones that don't work like Metroid Prime 3?

MP3 should work fine. What problems are you having?

 

[tswntk]

MP3 is not compatible with partial EmuNand save mode.
But I don't understand what that has to do with the EmuNand compatibility list nor do I understand why running retail disc in full EmuNand mode.

 

[Cyan]

Cyan, should there be a section added to the EmuNAND compatiblity list for Disc Retail games, at least for ones that don't work like Metroid Prime 3?

there's already a section for disc based games with EmuNAND. (at the top)
I added zelda Skyward Sword. (it freeze randomly at map loading)
http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Wii_cIOS_EmuNAND_Compatibility_List

which game has issue with emuNAND?
Metroid prime 3, or Metroid Prime 3 inside Metroid Trilogy ? (or both)


running game disc in full emuNAND can be used to continue playing with your own savegame on another wii (going to a friend, family, etc.)
partial only save on EmuNAND but use host's wiimote
full use emuNAND wiimote synch, network settings and Miis. (unless you want to preserve your own Mii in compatible games like Wii sport, I think it's best to use partial, or be sure to "extract sysconf" first on the host's Wii to use its wiimote and access network)

I see... it would be neat anyway to load Wiimote settings via Home button and that unmount thing, but i guess thats not big deal
Anyway, im using ULGX channel, i don't go to HBC.. only when loading Nintendont for GBC games i go to HBC...

By the way, sorry for off-topic question but.. is there a way to install Nintendont as a channel like i have USB loader GX installed, and can you link me please?
Also, i installed Wiigator's cMIOS for GC games and now i can load GC games directly from Disc channel, but i like Nintendont better, so is there a way for me to load GC games from Disc channel and to load Nintendont from there instead of Wiigators menu?

Editing the Wiimote settings (or any other Wii settings) would require writing to NAND and modify important files.
I try to never write to NAND to prevent users saying the loader bricked their console.
It already happened 3 years ago, someone started a rumor that USBLoaderGX was bricking consoles and nobody wanted to use the loader anymore. It was a false accusation, as the loader never write to NAND.
the only NAND write is done in the "/tmp/" folder, to add current time and GameID if you enable "Playlog stat" option. the tmp folder is deleted at every boot, so writing in that folder is only temporary and can't brick the console. it's not writing or editing the existing folders and files.

I understand that it would be great to replace the settings, and the savegame management, and .. everything else yeah. it would not be a loader anymore but a replacement for system menu, and it already exists : Post loader.
I prefer trying to work on existing features and fixing current bugs first. I'll see later for new features. (or never, as I'm working very slowly, and I'm the only dev working on it).
Sometime users provide patches, and I'm grateful to see users are helping

There's a Nintendont forwarder channel for Wii and one for vWii.
you can find link to both channels on the first post of Nintendont thread. (easy to find, it's in WiiU > homebrew section)

 

[Metoroid0]

there's already a section for disc based games with EmuNAND. (at the top)
I added zelda Skyward Sword. (it freeze randomly at map loading)
http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Wii_cIOS_EmuNAND_Compatibility_List

which game has issue with emuNAND?
Metroid prime 3, or Metroid Prime 3 inside Metroid Trilogy ? (or both)


running game disc in full emuNAND can be used to continue playing with your own savegame on another wii (going to a friend, family, etc.)
partial only save on EmuNAND but use host's wiimote
full use emuNAND wiimote synch, network settings and Miis. (unless you want to preserve your own Mii in compatible games like Wii sport, I think it's best to use partial, or be sure to "extract sysconf" first on the host's Wii to use its wiimote and access network)


Editing the Wiimote settings (or any other Wii settings) would require writing to NAND and modify important files.
I try to never write to NAND to prevent users saying the loader bricked their console.
It already happened 3 years ago, someone started a rumor that USBLoaderGX was bricking consoles and nobody wanted to use the loader anymore. It was a false accusation, as the loader never write to NAND.
the only NAND write is done in the "/tmp/" folder, to add current time and GameID if you enable "Playlog stat" option. the tmp folder is deleted at every boot, so writing in that folder is only temporary and can't brick the console. it's not writing or editing the existing folders and files.

I understand that it would be great to replace the settings, and the savegame management, and .. everything else yeah. it would not be a loader anymore but a replacement for system menu, and it already exists : Post loader.
I prefer trying to work on existing features and fixing current bugs first. I'll see later for new features. (or never, as I'm working very slowly, and I'm the only dev working on it).
Sometime users provide patches, and I'm grateful to see users are helping

There's a Nintendont forwarder channel for Wii and one for vWii.
you can find link to both channels on the first post of Nintendont thread. (easy to find, it's in WiiU > homebrew section)

Sory, i dont posess such knowledge, othervise i would help also

Anyway, i can turn vibration in SLGX settings..maybe you can put those settings in home menu (just a idea and only way i can help, and by reporting bugs..sorry)

Hm i never noticed that..il check..by the way, what the heck is forwarder, i cant find any straight answer!?

 

[tswntk]

there's already a section for disc based games with EmuNAND. (at the top)
I added zelda Skyward Sword. (it freeze randomly at map loading)
http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Wii_cIOS_EmuNAND_Compatibility_List

which game has issue with emuNAND?
Metroid prime 3, or Metroid Prime 3 inside Metroid Trilogy ? (or both)

Both, iso loading with partial EmuNand.

About the widesceen options:
I don't know why I set [Prompts buttons] to "Widescreen Fix" but it does affect the home menu button stretching
Playing with this setting together with [Widescreen Factor] can produce interesting results.
The button text may not fit the buttons but then you can change the [Font Scale Factor] too.

 

[Cyan]

yeah, I just don't like the "widescreen fix" name, as it doesn't really "fix" a broken element.

in French translation, I replaced it with
use menu ratio: yes/no
menu ratio : xxx
text ratio : xxx

I don't know how other users feel about this, but to me it made more sense calling this "use menu ratio"


metoroid : reporting bug is already great
sorry that sometime I feel like it's best to not change things, or refuse some suggestions.


a forwarder is a homebrew which load another homebrew.
it "forward" to another one.

the homebrew which load another homebrew is injected into a channel.
you install that channel on system menu.
when launching the channel, it loads the internal/injected homebrew which its code is : Mount SD or USB:/apps/some path/boot.dol to memory and run it.

instead of injected a new version of the loader after every update into a new wad and install the channel again, you only replace the boot.dol
the installed channel never change, it only "load the dol on SD" and launch it.

The forwarder alone will have no effect and will return to system menu, you need both the channel + the dol on SD or USB in the expected path.

 

[tswntk]

yeah, I just don't like the "widescreen fix" name, as it doesn't really "fix" a broken element.

in French translation, I replaced it with
use menu ratio: yes/no
menu ratio : xxx
text ratio : xxx

I don't know how other users feel about this, but to me it made more sense calling this "use menu ratio"

I never noticed these details before and with [Prompts buttons] set to "Widescreen Fix", [Widescreen Factor] = 0.8 (which I can't even remember when I have set those settings,) the screen always look perfect to me

metoroid : reporting bug is already great
sorry that sometime I feel like it's best to not change things, or refuse some suggestions.

IIRC, MP1 and MP2 do not have problem with EmuNand save but then I never really played them for more than an hour.
My EmuNand is located in SD card; may be speed is a problem. Anyway, partial EmuNand is never meant to have good compatibilty.

An interesting one is The Last Story. Early in game, EmuNand Save works but half way through the game, it will say the save is corrupted, but If I move the save to real nand and disable EmuNand, the save still works.

 

[Cyan]

French words are bigger than words in other languages (except maybe german ?), and using shorter button (to fix the aspect ratio that metoroid notice) has bad effect, the text is going out of all buttons.
it would require using a different font ratio too.

but I feel like all defaut settings looks better.
no shorted button, default font size and every text fit inside the buttons.

 

[TecXero]

MP3 should work fine. What problems are you having?

When using EmuNAND on cIOS d2x v8 Final base 56, it will crash back to USB Loader GX randomly in game. It's normally when there's a transition, like when going to a pause menu or a scripted sequence happens.

there's already a section for disc based games with EmuNAND. (at the top)
I added zelda Skyward Sword. (it freeze randomly at map loading)
http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/Wii_cIOS_EmuNAND_Compatibility_List

which game has issue with emuNAND?
Metroid prime 3, or Metroid Prime 3 inside Metroid Trilogy ? (or both)


running game disc in full emuNAND can be used to continue playing with your own savegame on another wii (going to a friend, family, etc.)
partial only save on EmuNAND but use host's wiimote
full use emuNAND wiimote synch, network settings and Miis. (unless you want to preserve your own Mii in compatible games like Wii sport, I think it's best to use partial, or be sure to "extract sysconf" first on the host's Wii to use its wiimote and access network)

Oops, I didn't see that. I'm just running Metroid Prime 3, I don't have Trilogy. I've tried it both with Partial and Full. It still crashes on both. The only time it works properly is when I have EmuNAND disabled, running and saving to the real NAND. I am running it from an EXT2 partition currently, but I was having troubles with it back when I was using FAT32 as well.

 

[GreyWolf]

@TecXero: Ah, ok. I missed the EmuNAND part. I don't use it.

 

[Cyan]

emuNAND need fat32, and maybe even a 512bytes/sector HDD.
if your drive is a 4096bytes/sector, I'm not sure if emunand works. (I think it doesn't but need confirmation)

4k support was added with d2x but I think only for Wii games, not emunand.
someone can confirm using emuNAND with 4k?

 

[TecXero]

@TecXero: Ah, ok. I missed the EmuNAND part. I don't use it.

Ah, bummer. I thought I made that fairly clear. When I saw your post I was hoping it was just a problem on my end I could fix. Oh well, thanks anyway.

emuNAND need fat32, and maybe even a 512bytes/sector HDD.
if your drive is a 4096bytes/sector, I'm not sure if emunand works. (I think it doesn't but need confirmation)

4k support was added with d2x but I think only for Wii games, not emunand.

EmuNAND is running from a FAT32 partition. It's just the backups that are running from EXT2. My HDD does have a 512 sector size. The layout is like this:

MBR:
First Primary Partition: FAT32 32KB Cluster Size
Second Primary Partition: EXT2 version 1.0

All my games work fine like that, even with EmuNAND, save Metroid Prime 3. I run the homebrew DOLs from a 2GB SD card formatted to FAT16, the EXT2 partition only contains my Wii disc backups, and the FAT32 partition contains everything else (ROMs for emulators, GameCube ISOs, EmuNAND, save files, etc).

 

[ngs428]

I read post 1551 on categories. I just have one question, how do I assign a category to a game? Then I can try what was described in that post. Is that post still accurate?

 

[Cyan]

are you sure it's post #1551 ?

you can read this guide :
https://gbatemp.net/threads/usb-loader-gx.149922/page-778#post-4251265


but a fast tutorial to set a category to a game :
go to the game > option > category. select all the category (or create new ones) that you want this game to have.