Hacking USB Loader GX

[fledge68]

the tabmod is different than the plugin feature.

Tab mod is only additional buttons as a shortcut to edit the game's origin. (4th icon in the menu). more like a lazy-to-open-4th-menu buttons


the plugin feature will add ability to list any other files (not only wii/gamecube/Channel), and have them launch a respective homebrew with that file passed as argument.
it could be emulators, but also videos with WiiMC.

plugins are based on Wiiflow plugin files, which I find very hard to work with
I wouldn't have coded things like that. (I mean, the .ini file content)
I could make a different format, but users would have to re-create plugin ini files, while they could just share the same plugin folder than wiiflow.

for example, it's expecting the loaded .dol to be located in the plugin folder, while I would have let the user point to the "partition:/apps/any homebrew they want to launch/boot.dol" instead. it would also have prevented specific settings (scummvm) as it would use the existing ones.
Exactly like Nintendont !!! people can run gamecube by using apps/nintendont/boot.dol, and not a "wiiflow/plugin/nintendont.dol".
Nintendont could have been a plugin. or could be converted as a plugin, but has too many options to make it simple.

updating nintendont boot.dol update both the one launched from HBC and the one launched by USBGX.
using the current wiiflow plugin system, it's using different dols (I understand they are modded version to accept arguments, but they could have been placed in the correct apps folder)
issue now is the ROM is loaded from the same partition than the dol, if you want to load it from "USB" you need to set a setting to "enable", which does NOT define which partition to load.

I would have let the user choose :
complete path to files
complete path to dol

or I can make a new format and release updated .ini files to use with the loader.
or a mixed version, compatible with wiiflow, but additional info for GX. <-- that is the best choice in my opinion.

I do believe you can specify the path to the dol in the plugin ini file, without the device partition of course. Which means it can be in an apps folder. And using full paths sounds fine for usbloadergx with a special download for the plugin ini files.

 

[Cyan]

I though I answered, but maybe I did not correctly understand what you call custom banner. This bug occurs in all display mode (as mentioned below).

(edit: don't take it bad, I'm not angry about you, just pointing that it's missing a step in the way we should report the bug)
sorry, but that's still not answering my question, which is :
is the issue happening ONLY when the "custom cover" option in the cover download menu is being checked, or the issue is "downloading covers when gamecube games are enabled in the 4th menu".
Maybe you think "custom banner" is the banner layout (where you see animated banners to select games).
I guess the loader menu's name are confusing, I might name them differently than what other users call them.

Maybe you don't make a difference, but here is the difference:
go to 4th icon, select gamecube. Now they are visible.
If you want, you can be in "banner view" mode (by selecting banner view in the top menu), but that's not necessary. I'm also calling it the "banner layout".
Open the cover download, and DO NOT check custom banners from gamecube. (custom banners are animated banners done by users, not generated on-the-fly by the loader, and stored in SD:/apps/usbloader_gx/banner_cache/)
now, with that option unchecked, is the issue still here or not?

I understand that you had the issue with all 5 checked, but you didn't tell if 4 checked had the issues too.
it will determine if the issue is either:
having gamecube listed in the loader while downloading covers (any type)
or
specifically downloading custom animated banners for gamecube (only that type)


Well, that's fine, I still haven't tried myself, but I guess I can try.
in fact, I rarely use custom banners and always used the default banner animation which is using the gamecube savegame icon as auto-generated animated banner. maybe that's why I never noticed that bug.


fledge:
maybe there's a full path without partition, but that's too bad there's no partition defined here.
You said there's an option to set "usb=1" (or something like that) so the plugin will check ROMs on USB, but which partition on USB? always the first one?
you made a global option for that, which will force all plugins to use USB, but maybe some users have some ROMs on SD and some on USB, or even on different partitions on their USB.

about the special download you mentionned, I thought I'd host all (most?) plugin ini files on sourceforge and users will be able to download a pack in zip, but I can make a loader download, something like the language files update.
For users who don't already use wiiflow plugin, as they already have everything setup correctly they could just point to wiiflow plugin path for default folder.

I guess I'd have to host modified emulators too, not all of them have argument booting enabled on their official release, and fix made mods of most emulators to accept arguments. That's also why some dols are in the plugin folder instead of using the apps folder, but why not put them in the apps folder? these emulators are still updated and released without argument support?

 

[fledge68]

the partition thing is not "usb=1". it's rompartition=usb1 or usb2 or usb3 and so on. You can set a default partition to use for most plugins but for those that are different than the default you just add that line rompartition=

but if you change it for usbloader gx to use full paths in the plugin ini file then none of that matters. which i have no problem with. just make sure you let users know they can't use wiiflow plugins - they should download and use the ones you supply.

as for the plugin dol - it doesn't have to be in the plugin folder. you can put them in their apps folder. just change the line dolfile=fceugx.dol to dolfile=apps/fecugx/fceugx.dol

EDIT: oops! I see I missed that part of wiiflow code so that the dol file doesn't have to be in the plugin folder. my bad that's easy to add.

Edit 2: will release usbloader gx plugin mod v1.2 in the morning.

 

[PagaN]

quick question
just installed usbloader gx on wiiu,
games working from USB drive ok,
there possible load wii (wbfs) games from SD card?

 

[sideskroll]

quick question
just installed usbloader gx on wiiu,
games working from USB drive ok,
there possible load wii (wbfs) games from SD card?

Yes but not with this loader. Try CFG mod if you need to launch from SD (USB is always recommended though) and I personally prefer USBGX

 

[fledge68]

USBLoader GX r1262 plugin mod v2

download - https://www.mediafire.com/?x8anxwhp6umauzn

added simple game window
added the ability to put the plugin dol file in apps folder or even root of SD or USB device
using r1262 so that means the nintendont cfg v7 and triforce arcade mode option is included

So, if you put the plugin dol file in the apps folder edit the plugin ini file by putting the full path after dolfile=
example: sd:/apps/snes9xgx/snes9xgx-mod12.dol

or if you want to use the apps boot dol
example: sd:/apps/snes9xgx/boot.dol

but not all boot.dol support args for autobooting the game - i know snes9xgx, vbagx, and fceugx don't.
EDIT: if you use the official 2019+ releases as the plugin dol they do support args and can be used as wiiflow plugins.

Also, I tried search for wii games and it works fine, plus i selected wii and gc games then downloaded covers and it showed both wii and gc covers after the download.

 

[sideskroll]

USBLoader GX r1262 plugin mod v2

download - https://www.mediafire.com/?x8anxwhp6umauzn

added simple game window
added the ability to put the plugin dol file in apps folder or even root of SD or USB device
using r1262 so that means the nintendont cfg v7 and arcade mode option is included

So, if you put the plugin dol file in the apps folder edit the plugin ini file by putting the full path after dolfile=
example: sd:/apps/snes9xgx/snes9xgx-mod12.dol

or if you want to use the apps boot dol
example: sd:/apps/snes9xgx/boot.dol

but not all boot.dol support args for autobooting the game - i know snes9xgx, vbagx, and fceugx don't.

Also, I tried search for wii games and it works fine, plus i selected wii and gc games then downloaded covers and it showed both wii and gc covers after the download.

Hi. Whats that "arcade mode" you speak of? Is it a thing with Nintendont?

 

[fledge68]

yes - triforce arcade mode for nintendont.

i'll edit my post to clarify

 

[GreyWolf]

Hi. Whats that "arcade mode" you speak of? Is it a thing with Nintendont?

FIX94 added a feature that makes Triforce arcade games have coin drop emulation.

 

[Cyan]

thank you fledge for the updated plugin mod

I might release it like that, it has what I was concerned the most : path to dol, partition to roms, and game windows.

you didn't notice any stability issues?
users reported issues with 1260+ but not everyone had it.

sideskroll :
the arcade mode just doesn't patch the "please insert coin" message, making it looks like a real arcade machine.
You have to press a button to insert coins, and have a limited time to do so.

if you don't enable "arcade mode", then the patches are applied (like with all previous nintendont version) and you have infinite time to press a button to continue.

 

[fledge68]

thank you fledge for the updated plugin mod

I might release it like that, it has what I was concerned the most : path to dol, partition to roms, and game windows.

you didn't notice any stability issues?
users reported issues with 1260+ but not everyone had it.

sideskroll :
the arcade mode just doesn't patch the "please insert coin" message, making it looks like a real arcade machine.
You have to press a button to insert coins, and have a limited time to do so.

if you don't enable "arcade mode", then the patches are applied (like with all previous nintendont version) and you have infinite time to press a button to continue.

no i didn't notice any stability issues.

 

[Zonta85]

I downloaded the "wiiflow 4.2.3 nintendont mastermod pack full 2016". I put the extracted folder of 400 mb in my usb hard drive and i selected the main folder with all the subfolder as the plugin directory in the path selection menu of usbloader gx, but when i press the button for plugins selection, noone is showed.what i'm doing wrong?

 

[Cyan]

maybe this is not the correct folder?
I think there are 2 different folders named plugins in that master pack. try the other one.
you need to point to the folder where you have a lot of .ini and .dol files.

(400MB, that's a lot! did he put all covers in it? or maybe all his custom banners)

 

[fledge68]

I downloaded the "wiiflow 4.2.3 nintendont mastermod pack full 2016". I put the extracted folder of 400 mb in my usb hard drive and i selected the main folder with all the subfolder as the plugin directory in the path selection menu of usbloader gx, but when i press the button for plugins selection, noone is showed.what i'm doing wrong?

make sure it's wiiflow/plugins not wiiflow/plugins/plugins

 

[Zonta85]

As is said i chose a different path cause usb loader gx under the menu "custom paths", option "plugins files path" allow to choose the paths, and i chose usb1:/WiiFlow_v4 (that is the name of the extracted folder). I also chose in the "loader settings menu", option "plugins default partition" the parameter usb1 instead of sd.

What i have to do?

 

[Cyan]

What i have to do?

you have to read the post above yours.
it has the path you need to use in "custom paths" menu. the one I told you "which contains all the ini and dol" files.

 

[Zonta85]

Ok fixed, thank you and esxcuse me if i annoyed you, but it was difficult to found cause this package has tons of subfolders plus another ton of subfolder under the apps folder.
Next question:is possible to choose a custom rom folder for each plugin?

 

[Cyan]

edit the .ini file used by your plugin in a text editor, there should be a path to the rom inside.

I don't know if you can specify the device and partition (for example usb3:/path/to/Snes/roms/) or if you need to set it like this :
rompartition=usb3
option for the rom path=path/to/Snes/roms/

fledge will help you here if you can't get it to work by trying.

 

[Zonta85]

Thank you for your kindness and patience. Unluckly my pc is broken so i have to edit everything trough wiixplorer or trough a tablet connectd via ftp to the wii, then sometimes i have to make more questions than is usually necessary for my skills.

 

[Cyan]

wooo, not easy without a PC.
I don't understand people who try to convince me PC are outdated, tablet and smartphones are the future!

good luck editing your files.