Hacking What's exactly the case with mIOS and USB support?

[Majroa]

Hai guys,

I was looking through some threads and I was wondering about something. Why can't GC have USB support? Why can't you just write an USB loading feature to the cMIOS?

In short: How the heck does Gamecube loading work with the mios?

 

[gameking66]

BC disables all Wii hardware.

 

[Szalkow]

The MIOS locks out all hardware that isn't used with a Gamecube; it does not support these functions and there is probably no way of adding them. Adding USB support to the MIOS would be significantly more difficult than for Wii backup loading, if not impossible.

 

[FenrirWolf]

The problem is that GCN games don't proxy through IOS like Wii games do. From what I've been told, MIOS is involved with booting the game, but after that the GCN game talks directly to the disc drive and MIOS doesn't really do anything.

Since Wii games go through IOS to get to the disc drive, it's a matter of using a loader to make the games run from an IOS that redirects the disc read commands to the USB port instead of the disc drive.

 

[tj_cool]

It is indeed the MIOS that locks out the hardware, but that's not the only reason. (just look at the post above)

If you really want to play GC backups from USB, you'll have to buy a WODE.

 

[Majroa]

xD. Or we emulate GC..


Not. Bad idea. Baaaaad idea.

 

[smf]

The problem is that GCN games don't proxy through IOS like Wii games do.

Thats right, but SD-Boot & BBA streaming patch the games to point to their own loading routines.

The only real problem is someone needs to spend some time figuring out how to get access to everything in GC mode, which could be trivially easy or really difficult.

I just don't think anyone has tried at all.

 

[VashTS]

or figure out how to patch GC games to use an IOS. probably impossible.

easiest way is to intercept dvd drive, ala WODE. have the dvd drive read from usb hardware wise. I don't think its possible using software only. maybe custom firmware for wii dvd drive? i wonder if anyone has looked into it or if there is any real use for it.

it would probably be ridiculous to read/write the firmware anyway. im sure it uses proprietary hardware inputs/outputs