Homebrew [WIP] installMii - Graphical repository downloader

[simonepsp]

What's installMii?
installMii is an easy and fast package manager for Nintendo 2DS/3DS.
It is repository based. This means that you can set your own homebrew URL source list and installMii will download packages for you!

It currently supports .3ds/.3dsx homebrews only and .cia support is in development.

[photos are at the end of this post]

**installMii is based on "3ds Homebrew Browser", a discontinued project made by zeta013.
A big thanks to this developer. My project currently shares some code with his homebrew, mostly in the UI and the download handling.


How can I add a new repository to installMii?
installMii comes with a configuration file called "repo.list". This file contains a list of preinstalled repositories. You can change it as you like, adding or removing urls.

Here's an example of "repo.list". This file can be located in the SD card root or in the /3ds/installMii/ folder.

{
  "repos": [
  {
  "name": "REPO 1",
  "url": "http://www.example.com/repo1/"
  },
  {
  "name": "REPO 2",
  "url": "http://www.example2.com/"
  }
  ]
}

Can I host my own repository?
Absolutely yes. Just create a packages.json file (example below) in your prefered webserver folder.
Then you can share your repository url with everyone!

How to configure my repository?
There are 2 important files in every repo:

• "packages.json": this file contains informations about the repository and the packages list. It has to be placed in the root folder of the repo.
• "package.list": Every homebrew folder should have one. It contains the list of files and folders that have to be downloaded by the installMii client.

Here's an example of the "packages.json" file:

{
  "repo": {
  "name": "Example repo",
  "author": "simonepsp",
  "website": null
  },
  "packages": [
  {
  "name": "3DS Craft",
  "author": "smea",
  "short_description": "WoW! Minecraft for 3DS",
  "category": "games",
  "website:": null,
  "type": "3ds",
  "version": "1.0.1",
  "dl_path": "3ds/3dscraft/",
  "info_path": "3ds/3dscraft/3dscraft.smdh"
  }
  ]
}

A brief explanation of the parameters:

name: Package name
author: Package author
type: usually "3ds" or "cia".
version: Package version number
dl_path: path of the homebrew folder on your server. installMii will look here for a file called package.list.
info_path: path of the homebrew icon on your server


Every homebrew folder also need to have a package.list file. This file is basically a list of every file contained in the homebrew folder.
Here's an example image explaining how to create it:

___

I advice you to download this example package to better undestand how to configure your own repository:
Example repository files: DOWNLOAD

Can I use custom icons for packages?
Sure. If you have a repository you can manually specify which smdh should be used.
This can be done modifing the "info_path" parameter into the "packages.json" file.

Controls

• Touchscreen: Browse homebrews
  
• UP/Down : Browse application list
• L/R : Switch between categories
• A : Install homebrew
• Y: Change homebrew order
  
• Start: Exit
• Select: Download new package list from repos

How to install it?
just copy the "installMii" folder into /3ds/ on your SD card.
I'll also release a .cia version.

Where can I download installMii?
Latest version: 0.1c [Build 19-gen-2015]
DOWNLOAD latest installMii: HERE

Please have a look on the "How can I contribute to the project?" section. This will help me to speed up the project

What is currently working?
[√] Configuration file with user-defined repo list
[√] Repository updating
[√] Showing homebrew description, version and author
[√] Homebrew downloading
[√] UI and category switching
[√] Downloading UI
[√] SD writing and parsing
[√] Checking if an homebrew has been already installed
[√] .cia files downloading [installing coming soon]

TODO [constantly updating]
- .cia files installation
- better categories handling
- adding/removing repos from the app
- package search function

Can I see some photos of the project?
Sure

How can I contribute to the project?
As I said before, users feedback is very important. If you have an idea that could improve installMii, please tell me so.
Remember that this is just an hobby for me. I'll work on the project when I have time

Another way to contribute is offering me a coffee donating via Skrill or BTC:

My email: simonepsp[at]gmail[dot]com
BTC address: 138sK3nZ3yJDooYcFMXUHciawwSu9YUQ22

I love homebrews development and I'd like to buy a used N3DS XL. Donations would help me a lot Thanks

Can I contact you privately?
Sure, just email me or send me a PM


Hope you like this project. I'll update this post when I'll have news.
Have a nice day
Simon

 

[ShadowOne333]

Can this download updates from like RetroArch or mGBA that are usually downloaded as compressed files?

 

[Deleted User]

This is great; clearly a lot of effort has been put into this!

This has potential!

 

[simonepsp]

Can this download updates from like RetroArch or mGBA that are usually downloaded as compressed files?

Currently it only supports direct downloading of .3ds/.3dsx/.cia files from repos. I'll check if I can implement a .zip file decompression into installMii. Thanks for your advice

 

[ShadowOne333]

Currently it only supports direct downloading of .3ds/.3dsx/.cia files from repos. I'll check if I can implement a .zip file decompression into installMii. Thanks for your advice

Yay! That would be great!
Thanks!

 

[Mazamin]

Cool! Nice to see an italian dev here!

 

[BurningDesire]

poor @filfat he has been beat. This is awesome though ! Great work dude !!

 

[Deleted User]

Hopefully this one doesnt just disappear like the others because it looks good. I swear this is like the 10th attempt at one of these

 

[TheCruel]

Haha. I just started a similar project about a week ago. It fetches from a centralized github repo that auto-merges PRs by whitelisted authors. Oh well, good luck.

 

[GalladeGuy]

So it auto-installs homebrew from the internet? Is there a way to upload your own homebrew?

 

[simonepsp]

So it auto-installs homebrew from the internet? Is there a way to upload your own homebrew?

Correct. You can also host your own repository and upload on it the packages you want.

If you are familiar with linux, it's a bit like using apt-get or pacman. You define a mirrorlist (or repo list) and installMii will download the packages list from every URL you set.
Then you'll be able to browse this list and directly download the homebrews you need.

Hope I've been clear English isn't my main language.
Have a nice day.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Haha. I just started a similar project about a week ago. It fetches from a centralized github repo that auto-merges PRs by whitelisted authors. Oh well, good luck.

Nice Good luck for your project

 

[dark_samus3]

So it auto-installs homebrew from the internet? Is there a way to upload your own homebrew?

looks like it's similar to a package manager on linux, where you can host your own repository and users can add it to their local package manager config and download stuff from it... so it is possible

EDIT: ninja'd

 

[GalladeGuy]

Correct. You can also host your own repository and upload on it the packages you want.

If you are familiar with linux, it's a bit like using apt-get or pacman. You define a mirrorlist (or repo list) and installMii will download the packages list from every URL you set.
Then you'll be able to browse this list and directly download the homebrews you need.

Hope I've been clear English isn't my main language.
Have a nice day.

looks like it's similar to a package manager on linux, where you can host your own repository and users can add it to their local package manager config and download stuff from it... so it is possible

EDIT: ninja'd

Thanks guys! I will be adding my own repo for Simple-Calc and Picross3D (name isn't final) once it comes out. I can't wait!

 

[simonepsp]

Hopefully this one doesnt just disappear like the others because it looks good. I swear this is like the 10th attempt at one of these

Yes, I know that some project with similar purposes disappeared before launching, but I've worked a lot on my project and I won't leave it unfinished
Most things work and I hope I'll soon be able to publish the first build.

 

[AtlanticBit]

finally someone decided to take on a similar initiative to CTRepo. feels good to see something like this coming out. hope there aren't too many warez repos out there.

 

[BothyBhoy]

impressive....well done you...i look forward to this..... and thank you....

 

[hobbledehoy899]

Here is my icon for this:

Here is the paper master for it.

 

[Stecker8]

Great! I will made a repo

 

[Xenosaiga]

Great. I just realized that the people on here that keep trying to claim everybody else's work as theirs will make a repo hosting their "stolen work" and claim it is their work.


As such I believe we need a "verified repo" section for OP or have where anybody that wants to add a repo has to go through a "Verification stage" with @simonepsp before their repo gets added.

 

[hobbledehoy899]

I believe we need a "verified repo" section for OP or have where anybody that wants to add a repo has to go through a "Verification stage" with @simonepsp before their repo gets added.

I second this.