Hacking WiiFlow - an open source GUI USB-Loader

[bostonBC]

so! r1065 couldnt boot wii games or channels anymore and I gotta say this time it was some serious problem, the memory of wiiflow itself and the external booter were overlapping BUT I actually could solve it by creating a tiny program which can be put into another memory location which basically has the purpose of copying the external booter into its right place
http://fix94.no-ip.org/wf_revs/boot_r1066.7z

Thanks!

I'm having trouble compiling r1066...

> "make"
Make WiiFlow Loader
crt0.s
make[1]: powerpc-eabi-gcc: Command not found
make[1]: *** [crt0.o] Error 127
"make": *** [all] Error 2

> Process Exit Code: 2
> Time Taken: 00:00

 

[AbdallahTerro]

add this line to \open-wiiflow-mod\resources\extldr\makefile
export PATH := $(DEVKITPPC)/bin:$(PATH)

paste it in the beginning of the file

 

[FIX94]

yea that was a little compiler issue on some systems where the path variable doesnt contain the location of the compiler itself, fixed in r1067, also r1067 should boot up homebrew applications and plugins a bit more safe.
http://fix94.no-ip.org/wf_revs/boot_r1067.7z

 

[Etheboss]

Has been corrected in 1067...

Damn, ninja'd

 

[bostonBC]

yea that was a little compiler issue on some systems where the path variable doesnt contain the location of the compiler itself, fixed in r1067, also r1067 should boot up homebrew applications and plugins a bit more safe.
http://fix94.no-ip.org/wf_revs/boot_r1067.7z

Thanks, that worked perfectly. I have some time tonight and will exercise it a bit.

Sweet... ran r1067 on my 2TB/1200 game system and it works perfectly. Loading games even feels faster.

I have to run out but will test it on my 4TB later.

edit:

Hung running the first game on my 4TB drive (2174 games). Will reboot and try again.

edit:

Tried a half dozen other games and they hang/black screen when launching with r1067 but only on my 4TB drive.

This works fine on a 2TB drive.

 

[FIX94]

Tried a half dozen other games and they hang/black screen when launching with r1067 but only on my 4TB drive.

This works fine on a 2TB drive.

If the same happens with r1068 I have another idea to may help that.

 

[bostonBC]

If the same happens with r1068 I have another idea to may help that.

Sorry for the late reply, had to go to NYC for the day.

I just compiled and tested r1068 but it is doing the exact same thing and black screening/freezing after launching a game.

Anything I can try or would logs help?

 

[FIX94]

as you know, a log file is always helpful.

 

[bostonBC]

as you know, a log file is always helpful.

This is weird. When I have the system running from the hard disk (4TB 1 fat32 partition) with the apps/wiiflow folder on the hard disk it black screens loading games.

If I put the apps/wiiflow folder on SD card (and keep it also on the hard disk) games run fine.

I get no log when I put a blank SD card into the Wii and set the config on the hard disk to write to SD. It just hangs and apparently doesn't flush any output to the SD card. Is there any way to force it to flush the log output after every write? That way you might be able to see where it is stopping.

Here is the log from the app on SD:

Welcome to WiiFlow (Beta 4.2.2-r1068)!
This is the debug output.
Real Wii
WiiFlow is in real nand mode
IOS58 v6176
patched isfs_permissions 1 times.
patched es_setuid 1 times.
patched es_identify 1 times.
patched hash_check 0 times.
patched new_hash_check 1 times.
Init ISFS
Found WiiFlow Save
FAT Partition at sd: mounted.
Changing USB port to port 0....
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* HDD Information
* Sectors: 976754644
* Size [Sector Size]: 3.888 TB [4096]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FAT Partition at usb1: mounted.
SHND: Running sound thread
Wiiflow boot.dol Location: sd:/apps/wiiflow
Wii Games Directory: %s:/wbfs
m_mios_ver = 1; m_sd_dm = 1; m_new_dml = 1; m_new_dm_cfg = 1
Loading cIOS map
Found cIOS in slot 222
Found cIOS in slot 223
Found cIOS in slot 224
Found d2x base 56 in slot 249
Found d2x base 57 in slot 250
Found d2x base 58 in slot 251
Data Directory: usb1:/wiiflow
Creating Gamelist
Games found: 2174
start
Update Play log
Launching game SAWE52
Cleanup Coverflow
SHND: Stopping sound thread
SHND: Stopped sound thread
MEM1_freesize(): 8503280
MEM2_freesize(): 32282240
Game ID# SAWE52 requested IOS 56.  User selected 0
Changed requested IOS to 249.
Reloading IOS into 249
Reloading into IOS 249 from 58...
FAT Partition at sd: unmounted.
FAT Partition at usb1: unmounted.
Deinit ISFS
AHBPROT after IOS Reload: 1
patched isfs_permissions 0 times.
Init ISFS
D2X IOS249[56] v10
FAT Partition at sd: mounted.
Changing USB port to port 0....
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* HDD Information
* Sectors: 976754644
* Size [Sector Size]: 3.888 TB [4096]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FAT Partition at usb1: mounted.
Return to channel DWFA using d2x succeeded.
 
Welcome to WiiFlow (Beta 4.2.2-r1068)!
This is the debug output.
Real Wii
WiiFlow is in real nand mode
IOS58 v6176
patched isfs_permissions 1 times.
patched es_setuid 1 times.
patched es_identify 1 times.
patched hash_check 0 times.
patched new_hash_check 1 times.
Init ISFS
Found WiiFlow Save
FAT Partition at sd: mounted.
Changing USB port to port 0....
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* HDD Information
* Sectors: 976754644
* Size [Sector Size]: 3.888 TB [4096]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FAT Partition at usb1: mounted.
SHND: Running sound thread
Wiiflow boot.dol Location: sd:/apps/wiiflow
Wii Games Directory: %s:/wbfs
m_mios_ver = 1; m_sd_dm = 1; m_new_dml = 1; m_new_dm_cfg = 1
Loading cIOS map
Found cIOS in slot 222
Found cIOS in slot 223
Found cIOS in slot 224
Found d2x base 56 in slot 249
Found d2x base 57 in slot 250
Found d2x base 58 in slot 251
Data Directory: usb1:/wiiflow
Creating Gamelist
Games found: 2174
start
Update Play log
Launching game S7DE52
Cleanup Coverflow
SHND: Stopping sound thread
SHND: Stopped sound thread
MEM1_freesize(): 8499184
MEM2_freesize(): 32282240
Game ID# S7DE52 requested IOS 56.  User selected 0
Changed requested IOS to 249.
Reloading IOS into 249
Reloading into IOS 249 from 58...
FAT Partition at sd: unmounted.
FAT Partition at usb1: unmounted.
Deinit ISFS
AHBPROT after IOS Reload: 1
patched isfs_permissions 0 times.
Init ISFS
D2X IOS249[56] v10
FAT Partition at sd: mounted.
Changing USB port to port 0....
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* HDD Information
* Sectors: 976754644
* Size [Sector Size]: 3.888 TB [4096]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FAT Partition at usb1: mounted.
Return to channel DWFA using d2x succeeded.
 
Welcome to WiiFlow (Beta 4.2.2-r1068)!
This is the debug output.
Real Wii
WiiFlow is in real nand mode
IOS58 v6176
patched isfs_permissions 1 times.
patched es_setuid 1 times.
patched es_identify 1 times.
patched hash_check 0 times.
patched new_hash_check 1 times.
Init ISFS
Found WiiFlow Save
FAT Partition at sd: mounted.
Changing USB port to port 0....
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* HDD Information
* Sectors: 976754644
* Size [Sector Size]: 3.888 TB [4096]
* * * * * * * * * * * *
FAT Partition at usb1: mounted.
SHND: Running sound thread
Wiiflow boot.dol Location: sd:/apps/wiiflow
Wii Games Directory: %s:/wbfs
m_mios_ver = 1; m_sd_dm = 1; m_new_dml = 1; m_new_dm_cfg = 1
Loading cIOS map
Found cIOS in slot 222
Found cIOS in slot 223
Found cIOS in slot 224
Found d2x base 56 in slot 249
Found d2x base 57 in slot 250
Found d2x base 58 in slot 251
Data Directory: usb1:/wiiflow
Creating Gamelist
Games found: 2174
start
Cleanup Coverflow
SHND: Stopping sound thread
SHND: Stopped sound thread
MEM1_freesize(): 9900016
MEM2_freesize(): 32390912

 

[FIX94]

If I put the apps/wiiflow folder on SD card (and keep it also on the hard disk) games run fine.

I _HIGHLY_ recommend to always keep the main files on sd card, that is just much safer and in fact faster. So I really cant do much there cause I dont support having those important files on a hard drive.

 

[halen]

Ok guys. I have a 4tb HDD with the Wiiflow. I have a Sd Card without Wiiflow. What is the best? I put the Wiiflow in both USB and SD (only the boot.dol - apps/wiiflow) or i have to put the all of wiiflow directory in SD card ? In the case to put all of files in SD CARD i wil have a big problem. I have tons of covers and the SD CARD not support.

 

[bostonBC]

I _HIGHLY_ recommend to always keep the main files on sd card, that is just much safer and in fact faster. So I really cant do much there cause I dont support having those important files on a hard drive.

I haven't needed an SD card to run any of the USB loaders in several years. And the problem is only happening on the 4TB drives in WiiFlow - CFG and USB Loader GX work fine on the 4TB 4K drives.

If that's a new requirement for WiiFlow that's fine but the Wiki should be updated so other folks don't run into trouble.

And is it a 4K sector size issue? If so smaller drives with advanced formatting are coming out so it may affect more people in the near term.

 

[bostonBC]

Just moved all but 3 games from the WBFS folder on the 4TB drive and it did the exact same thing - hung running a game so this looks more like a 4K issue than a too many game issue.

I'll test older WiiFlow versions to see where it broke.

 

[jammybudga777]

ive used two 1 TB hard drives with default kluster size 4k for a long time with no problems.
and now have been using a 1.5TB 32k and never had any problems with wii/wiiware/vc/gamecube games.im guessing wiiflow has issue's/bugs with with 4TB hard drives ive not had one too test myself

 

[bostonBC]

ive used two 1 TB hard drives with default kluster size 4k for a long time with no problems.
and now have been using a 1.5TB 32k and never had any problems with wii/wiiware/vc/gamecube games.im guessing wiiflow has issue's/bugs with with 4TB hard drives ive not had one too test myself

It isn't the high level cluster size that is the problem. New large capacity 3 and 4 TB drives have something called advanced formatting which results in low level (you can't change) 4K byte sectors instead of the more traditional 512 byte sectors. This allows more efficient use of error correcting code/overhead.

It's supposed to start appearing on smaller capacity drives which is why I'm hoping we can get WiiFlow to work nicely with it as CFG and USB Loader GX support it directly from USB without needing a bootstrap SD card.

 

[mightymuffy]

Ok guys. I have a 4tb HDD with the Wiiflow. I have a Sd Card without Wiiflow. What is the best? I put the Wiiflow in both USB and SD (only the boot.dol - apps/wiiflow) or i have to put the all of wiiflow directory in SD card ? In the case to put all of files in SD CARD i wil have a big problem. I have tons of covers and the SD CARD not support.

I'd say leave apps/wiiflow in your SD card but edit the WIIFLOW.ini in there, searching for:

dir_box_covers=sd:/wiiflow/boxcovers

change to:

dir_box_covers=usb1:/wiiflow/boxcovers

You can do the same with other things too if you like.

 

[VashTS]

I _HIGHLY_ recommend to always keep the main files on sd card, that is just much safer and in fact faster. So I really cant do much there cause I dont support having those important files on a hard drive.

I agree, always tend to see issues arise when all is on USB (I'd guess due to thrashing). Been using a 32gb sd card and games/emunand on USB for the longest. I tried switching to nand on SD but had all kinds of hiccups, maybe its time to try again

Hey Fix while i'm quoting you, have you had a chance to see the nintendont usb beta? is it possible to add that as an option to load games via wiflow?

 

[bostonBC]

I went all the way back to r1000 and it fails to run games on a 4TB drive unless the app is running from an SD card. And it's not a number of games issue as I currently only have 3 games in the wbfs folder. It appears that WiiFlow (even older versions) doesn't support advanced format drives unless the app is running from an SD card. But it can load files like images/themes etc from the advanced format USB drive with no problem.

Both CFG and USB Loader GX run the games from the advanced format drives without the need for an SD card so it's just a coding issue in WiiFlow. And since Fix says he doesn't support it without an SD card Fledge may want to update the Wiki's installation section.

 

[jammybudga777]

Hey Fix while i'm quoting you, have you had a chance to see the nintendont usb beta? is it possible to add that as an option to load games via wiflow?

you already do have an option for nintendont via wiiflow

 

[MassiveRican]

I

I went all the way back to r1000 and it fails to run games on a 4TB drive unless the app is running from an SD card. And it's not a number of games issue as I currently only have 3 games in the wbfs folder. It appears that WiiFlow (even older versions) doesn't support advanced format drives unless the app is running from an SD card. But it can load files like images/themes etc from the advanced format USB drive with no problem.

Both CFG and USB Loader GX run the games from the advanced format drives without the need for an SD card so it's just a coding issue in WiiFlow. And since Fix says he doesn't support it without an SD card Fledge may want to update the Wiki's installation section.

I have a 3TB Seagate with advanced formatting and it launches games with r1068 maybe it's a 4TB capacity issue? It's not my Wii HDD it's my all around backup drive so it's formatted NTFS I believe but I used it for a quick test and sure enough it's launching games with WiiFlow and all files on USB only.