Hacking USB Loader GX

[tonybologna]

Is the current(not work in progress) theme format gonna work with current and older versions of the loader or switching to this new format gonna be standard? Do you know why the changes after so long? I know you can do new things with the themes but curious as to why now after all this time?

 

[Madridi]

you can update the themes yourself, but it's maybe a little long (a lot of copy/past)

You can see the default.them example here
The file contains a header (you define the theme name, author name, and the image folder name), followed by the coordinates of all the objects.

Example and instructions :

Spoiler: Header example

"Project-Id-Version: FinalFantasy6 theme - v1.0\n"
"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: Cyan\n"
"POT-Creation-Date: 2010-12-27 22:39+0100\n"
"PO-Revision-Date: 2009-10-01 01:00+0200\n"
"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n"
"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
"Image-Folder: myfolder\n"
"Last-Themer: Cyan\n"
"Theme-Team: \n"

Spoiler: theme properties example

msgid "r=0 g=0 b=0 a=255 - prompt windows text color"
msgstr "r=0 g=20 b=20 a=255"

msgid "r=0 g=0 b=0 a=255 - settings text color"
msgstr ""

msgid "9 - game list browser page size"
msgstr "8"

The first line "msgid" is the original theme.
the second line "msgstr" is the one that will be used, if not empty. the "-" up to the end of the string is a comment. You don't need to write it in the second line.


About the new images, just create a sub-folder with the name of your choice (define in the header).
Put images in that folder with the same filename as the one used by the default theme. If the loader find a file with a matching filename, it will be loaded instead of the default.
the images filenames can be found here.
You can (should) add a preview.png which will be used as a theme preview when hovering the theme title in the theme list. (I don't know the needed width-height yet)

Remember that it's still a work in progress. but we would gladly use your completed theme for our test if you convert one.
Thanks for the explanation Cyan. I would like to help you guys out with the testing, but I'm confused of what I see in the theme's cfg file to what I'm supposed to convert. An example of a theme:
CODE# Theme: White II V.7
# by:Trasgu320d
#xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

covers_coords = 30, 78

gamelist_coords = 200, 63, 395, 280
gametext_color = 0, 54, 117
clock_color = 13, 184, 231
info_color = 0, 0, 0
clock_coords = -2, 365
prompttext_color = 0, 0, 0
settingstext_color = 0, 54, 117

power_coords =ÂÂ436, 399
sdcard_coords = 166, 399
show_hddinfo = 1
show_gamecount = 1


gamelist_favorite_coords = 176, 15
gamegrid_favorite_coords = 176, 15
gamecarousel_favorite_coords = 176, 15

gamelist_search_coords = 208, 15
gamegrid_search_coords = 208, 15
gamecarousel_search_coords = 208, 15

gamelist_abc_coords = 240, 15
gamegrid_abc_coords = 240, 15
gamecarousel_abc_coords = 240, 15


gamelist_count_coords = 272, 15
gamegrid_count_coords = 272, 15
gamecarousel_count_coords = 272, 15

gamelist_list_coords = 304, 15
gamegrid_list_coords = 304, 15
gamecarousel_list_coords = 304, 15

gamelist_grid_coords = 336, 15
gamegrid_grid_coords = 336, 15
gamecarousel_grid_coords = 336, 15

gamelist_carousel_coords = 368, 15
gamegrid_carousel_coords = 368, 15
gamecarousel_carousel_coords = 368, 15

gamelist_lock_coords = 400, 15
gamegrid_lock_coords = 400, 15
gamecarousel_lock_coords = 400, 15

gamelist_dvd_coords = 432, 15
gamegrid_dvd_coords = 432, 15
gamecarousel_dvd_coords = 432, 15

covers_coords = 30, 78
power_coords =ÂÂ436, 399
sdcard_coords = 166, 399
home_coords = 478, 370
homebrew_coords = 567, 399
install_coords = 27, 399
region_coords = 45, 12
id_coords = 524, 12
gamecount_coords = 270, 416
gamecount_align = left
hddinfo_coords = 220, 442
hddinfo_align =left

Let's take "hddinfo_coords" & "hddinfo_align" for example. How would that be converted to the new method?

Also, I THINK the new method has more settings than this old one (Not sure about this yet). If so, should those new ones be left empty?
Edit:
Yep, cant find "msgid "9 - game list browser page size"" for example to convert it. Should I leave it as it is?

 

[Monster212]

r1026 does it need cIOS249 rev 21 base58 or any base rev21 will work

i use cios249 rev21 base 56 and it works great

 

[cobleman]

Nope 1026 doesnt even see my WBFS HDD 1024 on the otherhand runs just fine and the new forwarder goes somewhere just not to usbloader_gx just keeps going to sytem menu

 

[tonybologna]

Nope 1026 doesnt even see my WBFS HDD 1024 on the otherhand runs just fine and the new forwarder goes somewhere just not to usbloader_gx just keeps going to sytem menu

No offense but you're sentences are running together and making it hard to understand your post. Don't take me the wrong way either. It's just harder to understand post when there is no punctuation.

You can install the new forwarder with a wad manager. Just place the forwarder on your sd card/usb device and run the wad installer. I did have trouble myself getting the new forwarder working right but I did get it working. Don't ask me how because I've been dealing with numerous problems lately on the Wii but I did somehow do it.

 

[cobleman]

Well it does not run for me.
I installed it 3 times now, and it does not forward too usbloader_gx on my sd card.
It returns to the wii menu. What folder is this new forwarder searching for?
Have you got WBFS,NTFS or Fat32 ?
1026 will not even start my usb HDD.

 

[tonybologna]

Well it does not run for me.
I installed it 3 times now, and it does not forward too usbloader_gx on my sd card.
It returns to the wii menu. What folder is this new forwarder searching for?
Have you got WBFS,NTFS or Fat32 ?
1026 will not even start my usb HDD.

I'm running rev17(IOS38-64-v3867) and r927 of the loader and it works fine now. I had to experiment with loader versions in order to find a working solution. I had a lot more issues than just the forwarder itself though.

The forwarder looks for :/apps/usbloader_gx/boot.dol. I just placed the forwarder at the root of the sd card and run wad manager and installed. Which wad manager are you using? I'm using WBFS partition.

 

[cobleman]

wow amazing job i am now using r1026 with the new forwarder and must say this works perfect all games work and load great with out any issues.. so thanks for keeping GX the best loader alive and kicking.....

thanks and happy new years to all

Hi what did you do to get it running?
Are you running WBFS,FAT32 or NTFS?
For some reason i think you might be running NTFS.

 

[tonybologna]

wow amazing job i am now using r1026 with the new forwarder and must say this works perfect all games work and load great with out any issues.. so thanks for keeping GX the best loader alive and kicking.....

thanks and happy new years to all

Hi what did you do to get it running?
Are you running WBFS,FAT32 or NTFS?
For some reason i think you might be running NTFS.

What format on HDD are you running? FAT32 will require Hermes. I went through that myself. I just switched back to WBFS partition. I like WBFS myself. I'll stick to that from now on.

 

[cobleman]

Hey? What are you talking about? I was asking Monster212 how he got 1026 and new forwarder running.

 

[tonybologna]

Hey? What are you talking about? I was asking Monster212 how he got 1026 and new forwarder running.

That's not a good way to get help dude! I was jumping in asking you a couple simple questions. Why does it matter who helps you out as long as you get the help needed. I'm far from the one you're looking for to get good help but I was trying to be polite and help you with your problem. Maybe Cyan can chime in here if Monster can't. Cyan is really good in helping with problems.

 

[doncaruana]

Well it does not run for me.
I installed it 3 times now, and it does not forward too usbloader_gx on my sd card.
It returns to the wii menu. What folder is this new forwarder searching for?
Have you got WBFS,NTFS or Fat32 ?
1026 will not even start my usb HDD.

If you are only forwarding to your sd card, you don't need the new forwarder. I've had these later versions of gx running with game partitions on fat32 and wbfs both, but with the actual app on the sd card. That worked with 249 rev 14, 249 rev 17, and with rev 21.

Might sound oversimple, but try deleting your gxglobal.cfg file (check in /config and in apps/usbloader_gx) and try it.

 

[cobleman]

I just tested another much smaller WBFS drive useing 1026 and it worked.
So with my main 1TB WBFS i tried unplugging it and plugging it back in while it was doing its countdown and it booted.
Then i thought what about cIOS222?
It went through the loading sd then loading USB then all the way through count down and finally it loaded 222 and booted the drive and all that took was only 45 seconds lmfao.
Same Seagate Expantion 1TB WBFS drive this time useing rev1024 loading through cIOS249 rev20 base 56 total load time 10 seconds.

 

[Cyan]

If you are using only SD card, then the old forwarder (from 16.06.09) is just fine.
This forwarder looks on sd:/apps/usbloader_gx/ sd:/apps/usbloadergx/ usb:/apps/usbloader_gx/ and usb:/apps/usbloadergx/
The USB is only the first found FAT32 partition.

The new forwarders (from 2010 12 29 (IOS35), and from 2010 12 30 (IOS58)) are now checking every partitions from every known type (FAT32, NTFS ... and not ext yet).
Maybe that's why it got slower for some users, as it need to mount them one by one.
:/apps/usbloader_gx/
:/apps/usbloadergx/
from SD, then usb1 to usb8

Edit :
It appears that Cobleman's error was caused by a corrupted SD card.
It's now working fine with a new SD.



About the theme template :

Spoiler: The header

"Project-Id-Version: White II V.7\n"
"Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
"POT-Creation-Date: 2010-12-27 22:39+0100\n"
"PO-Revision-Date: 2009-10-01 01:00+0200\n"
"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8\n"
"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"
"Image-Folder: White II\n"
"Last-Themer: Trasgu320d\n"
"Theme-Team: Trasgu320d\n"

To convert :

Spoiler: How to convert

covers_coords = 30, 78

look for coords in the new format, line 113/114 :
msgid "26 - cover/download btn pos x"
msgstr ""

becomes :
msgid "26 - cover/download btn pos x"
msgstr "30"

and save the file as UTF-8 without BOM.

On this part, only complete the needed field, if there's nothing to change leave empty.

Sorry that you have to convert the old themes to be able to use it.
It's now using the same parser than the languages file, it's easier to do for the developers, and maybe it will be easier for the themers too.
We asked the themers to try it and tell us if they would stick to that new format, and they agreed. (well, the few who responded).

We change it "now", because we didn't have the occasion before.
There is really no other cause. it's just like that. The loader is evolving, soon or later. Do not search any reason for that.


If I have time, I will make a correspondence table to : old value -> new value - comment (and/or line number)
And If I have even more time, I could make a website theme converter in PHP. upload old format, it fives you the .them file


temporary correspondance table :
showing the line number to fill in the .them file, the format and data to copy after the =>

covers_coords = x, yÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 114 "x", 117 "y"

gamelist_coords = x, y, width, heightÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ => 212 "height", 215 "width", 218 "x", 222 "y"
gametext_color = red, green, blueÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 30 + 33 + 36 (all dupe) "r=red g=green b=blue a=255"
clock_color = red, green, blueÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 126 "r=red g=green b=blue a=255"
info_color = red, green, blueÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 48ÂÂ"r=red g=green b=blue a=255"
clock_coords = x, yÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 135 "x", 138 "y"
prompttext_color = red, green, blueÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 21 "r=red g=green b=blue a=255"
settingstext_color = red, green, blueÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ=> 24 "r=red g=green b=blue a=255"

 

[wiistiti]

i have a drive originally formatted NTFS using Windows format utility then I reformatted as FAT32 using WiiBackupManager0.3.6-build48.

r1023 and below recognizes the drive as FAT but r1024 to r1026 sees the drive as NTFS.

anyone having the same issue?

 

[Cyan]

edit : sorry, wrong help
see Dimok message bellow.

 

[dimok]

God those stupid shitty "wii formatter tools" all suck. Don't they freaken know what a MBR is and that you have to edit it as a partition creator/editor :\.

Anyway wiistiti, could you please come to IRC for a test?

 

[wiistiti]

the exception handler for the fat32 "wii formatter tool" mbr issue introduced by dimok on r1027 has fixed my issue.

thanks dimok.

 

[cobleman]

Ditto with 1027 works great.
Thanks guys for your help.
Dimok your rite things do break i have had these 2 SD cards since i got my WII in late 2006.
I really do enjoy useing UsbloaderGX. Keep up the great work.

 

[tonybologna]

Will the themes currently hosted from here be converted over for future loader versions? In other words, will the downloadable themes be in the new format in the coming days/weeks? I don't have the time or patience to make/convert my own themes. Thanks!