USBadvanced direct boot.

[MioKawaii]

First of all, the tutorial section on this site is not accessable.
Secondly, I have searched the net without success for a Step-by-step tutorial for dummies
So an expert guide is in need here. what I can do now is booting USBadvanced from a CDR, then select the game that I want to play and eject the CDR so it won't keep spinning non-stop. But can someone tell me how to................
1. Run a utility that can copy/paste savegame to/from USBHdd/MemCard and launch USBadvanced without CD/DVD.

[dlanor]

First of all, the tutorial section on this site is not accessable.

I'm not even sure what you mean by that...

On this site most tutorials are available in the form of 'Sticky:' threads of the forum to which the tutorial is related. Usually the first post in such a thread is the tutorial proper, with following posts being used for questions and answers on the material covered in the tutorial. Unlike other threads these 'Sticky:' threads will always be shown at the top of thread lists in a forum, even if nothing has been posted recently (that's what the 'Sticky:' designation means here), so they are always easy to find.

But we don't necessarily have tutorials on all subjects you might like...

USBAdvance (which seems to be your main interest below) is not the best HDD solution available for the PS2, and hasn't been around for very long, so it isn't as well documented as the other variants yet.

Secondly, I have searched the net without success for a Step-by-step tutorial for dummies
So an expert guide is in need here. what I can do now is booting USBadvanced from a CDR, then select the game that I want to play and eject the CDR so it won't keep spinning non-stop. But can someone tell me how to................
1. Run a utility that can copy/paste savegame to/from USBHdd/MemCard and launch USBadvanced without CD/DVD.

It's not possible to tell you how best to do that, unless you first tell us what methods you are using to boot your PS2. Apparently you can boot CDR disks, but exactly how do you do that ?

If you do it with a mod-chip, then there are good odds that it also supports direct booting of homebrew programs from MC. Most modern mod-chips support this. But the details on how to do it varies between different chips.

If you use disk-swapping to boot CDRs, then one good way to boot stuff from MC is the MC exploit. (Search for info on it, there's plenty available.) Even so, the MC exploit itself is dependent on having a disk in tray (a PS1 disk !!!), so you still can't boot with empty tray then, though the program will be loaded from MC, not from that disk.

Also, the MC exploit doesn't work at all on the new slim PSTwo models, as Sony has changed the code that let it work on older models. With an unmodded slim PSTwo, the best way to boot homebrew stuff without using CDR is to use SwapMagic 3.6. When that disk boots up it checks for the presence of a USB stick, and if it finds one containing a properly named and stored program, then that program will be started ("/SWAPMAGIC/SWAPMAGIC.ELF")

As for the utility you need to copy stuff, and to launch programs (like USBAdvance) from any PS2 media (MC, USB, HDD, etc), I can recommend LaunchELF. It is available in the homebrew forum of this site.

Best regards: dlanor

[MioKawaii]

I'm not even sure what you mean by that...

This is what I mean. It is the same for the pass 4 days.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y20.../PS2-Scene.jpg

On this site most tutorials are available in the form of 'Sticky:' threads of the forum to which the tutorial is related. Usually the first post in such a thread is the tutorial proper, with following posts being used for questions and answers on the material covered in the tutorial. Unlike other threads these 'Sticky:' threads will always be shown at the top of thread lists in a forum, even if nothing has been posted recently (that's what the 'Sticky:' designation means here), so they are always easy to find.

Thank you for pointing me to the "correct place". I'll spend time to gather more info before I'll ask again as I do not want to waste your valueable time with some silly n00b question again.

[dlanor]

This is what I mean. It is the same for the pass 4 days.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y20.../PS2-Scene.jpg

Oh, now I do see what you mean. To be honest I've gotten so used to finding tutorials and other info in the various forum areas that I've never gotten around to trying the 'Tutorials' link on the front page. But you're right. Some file needed to display that page is definitely missing.

Hopefully some site admin will fix that ASAP.

Thank you for pointing me to the "correct place". I'll spend time to gather more info before I'll ask again as I do not want to waste your valueable time with some silly n00b question again.

Please try not to be so sensitive. I never called you 'silly' and I never called you 'n00b', so there's no reason for you to bring up such words.

Best regards: dlanor

[MioKawaii]

Please try not to be so sensitive. I never called you 'silly' and I never called you 'n00b', so there's no reason for you to bring up such words.

Hahaha, seems like I have failed. The reason why I like to use those words is because I'm trying to be humble so I won't piss you guys off! But I failed!

Ok, I have go thru "most of the topic". on this forum. I stop reading whenever it say "Put in your PS1/Boot Disk and launch app XXX to start using it", because this is not what I wanted.

If you do it with a mod-chip, then there are good odds that it also supports direct booting of homebrew programs from MC. Most modern mod-chips support this. But the details on how to do it varies between different chips.

I "think" it's because of the mod-chip I installed 2 years ago. I had also tried to gather some info on my mod-chip back then but unfortunately, the shop that sell me don't even know what's it call. So I end up googling and found one web site with a photo of it. It's call BLUECHIP which is a clone of Messiah chip. I can run burned DVD games on my PS2, that's all I know. I do not intend to run some multimedia apps or networking on my PS2. Just the ability to copy savegames to/form HDD-MC and run the games directly without CD/DVD in the tray.

As for the utility you need to copy stuff, and to launch programs (like USBAdvance) from any PS2 media (MC, USB, HDD, etc), I can recommend LaunchELF. It is available in the homebrew forum of this site.

I downloaded LaunchELF + Independance Exploit Installer + CDGENPS2. Rename LaunchELF to BOOT.ELF and burn a CDR. The CDR boot up till the word PALYSTATION SCEE and stop. So I search the forum again and found that I need a PS1 game to verified whether it's a success but I don't have a PS1 game. So I'm pretty stuck now. Please help!

[dlanor]

Hahaha, seems like I have failed. The reason why I like to use those words is because I'm trying to be humble so I won't piss you guys off! But I failed!

Ok, I see, but nobody should have to humble himself in front of anyone else here. We should all interact as equals, otherwise it just isn't worth it... (that's my opinion anyway)

Ok, I have go thru "most of the topic". on this forum. I stop reading whenever it say "Put in your PS1/Boot Disk and launch app XXX to start using it", because this is not what I wanted.

For exploit users that is necessary, because the code that allows them to start programs from MC is in fact a bugged part of the PS1 driver. That's why it can only be activated by inserting a PS1 disk.

I "think" it's because of the mod-chip I installed 2 years ago. I had also tried to gather some info on my mod-chip back then but unfortunately, the shop that sell me don't even know what's it call. So I end up googling and found one web site with a photo of it. It's call BLUECHIP which is a clone of Messiah chip. I can run burned DVD games on my PS2, that's all I know. I do not intend to run some multimedia apps or networking on my PS2. Just the ability to copy savegames to/form HDD-MC and run the games directly without CD/DVD in the tray.

With that kind of modchip I'm pretty sure there is no support for MC booting. You'll have to use a disk at least for the initial boot program, even if that then loads another program from MC or HDD.

I downloaded LaunchELF + Independance Exploit Installer + CDGENPS2. Rename LaunchELF to BOOT.ELF and burn a CDR. The CDR boot up till the word PALYSTATION SCEE and stop. So I search the forum again and found that I need a PS1 game to verified whether it's a success but I don't have a PS1 game. So I'm pretty stuck now. Please help!

Without a PS1 disk there is no way to use the exploit, as explained above. But since you can boot CDR you don't really need the exploit anyway (it is mainly intended for those who have no mod-chip at all). You can make a normal PS2 CDR disk for directly booting whatever utility program you want.

CDGENPS2 is an excellent tool for this purpose, so you're already on the right path. You can just replace that 'Independence Exploit Installer' with another program, and edit the SYSTEM.CNF to ensure that this new program is used.

Best regards: dlanor

[MioKawaii]

Just find out that both you and EP are the awesome LaunchELF coder. I tried to find some clue of my problems by reading "the unofficial Launchelf" thread but unfortunately, reading it is just like reading the sourceforge cvs. I tried to run USBadvance from usb hdd with launchelf ( on cdr) so that I can escape the non-stop cd spinning problem. It works but I can't save the setting. I tried googling for answer, place /sys-conf/ on mc not working, put a blank /sys-conf/launchelf.cnf on mc also not working. Can you provide me a sample launchelf.cnf so that I can edit it and burn it together with launchelf?

[dlanor]

Just find out that both you and EP are the awesome LaunchELF coder.

I like to be precise about such things, so here goes...:
Neither I nor 'E P' are the original authors of LaunchELF, but we are the authors of all the enhancements made from the original v3.41, which enhancements are now quite significant in our current version (v3.41k).

I tried to find some clue of my problems by reading "the unofficial Launchelf" thread but unfortunately, reading it is just like reading the sourceforge cvs.

Well, that was originally created by 'E P' for his first releases, and then turned into a technical discussion about the new stuff, mainly between 'E P' and myself (plus various suggestions and reports by others). Such a thread unavoidably gets a bit too technical for the average user.

I tried to run USBadvance from usb hdd with launchelf ( on cdr) so that I can escape the non-stop cd spinning problem. It works but I can't save the setting. I tried googling for answer, place /sys-conf/ on mc not working, put a blank /sys-conf/launchelf.cnf on mc also not working.

That is probably because the folder and file names you mention are wrong.
The correct names use only capital letters, like this:
"/SYS-CONF/LAUNCHELF.CNF"

And the correct full path (as displayed by LaunchELF on using a CNF) is thus:
"mc0:/SYS-CONF/LAUNCHELF.CNF"
Note that the device name "mc0:" does use lower case letters...

You need to remember that on PS2 media, like in Unix, but unlike Windows, the character case in names of files, folders, and devices, is ALWAYS significant. (eg: "somefile.txt" is not the same file as "SOMEFILE.txt".)

Can you provide me a sample launchelf.cnf so that I can edit it and burn it together with launchelf?

Sure, I've appended a ZIP with a two-page CNF to this post. Just copy those two CNF files to "mc0:/SYS-CONF/", and they will be used whenever you start LaunchELF from a place that does NOT contain any CNF, such as the CDR you already made.

Having two CNF pages like this allows you twice the number of shortcut buttons, one set for each page, and you can switch pages with the D-pad buttons for 'Left' and 'Right'. The number of pages can be increased even more, but most users don't need that, so you can learn how to do it later...

If you want to use other CNFs occasionally, just store those together with the copy of LaunchELF you then use. A "LAUNCHELF.CNF" in the same folder as LaunchELF itself has top priority, so it will be used instead of looking in "mc0:/SYS-CONF/".

Best regards: dlanor

[MioKawaii]

I like to be precise about such things, so here goes...:
Neither I nor 'E P' are the original authors of LaunchELF, but we are the authors of all the enhancements made from the original v3.41, which enhancements are now quite significant in our current version (v3.41k).

Hehehe, I did read the ReadMe file included and I'm 100% understand. I guess I use the wrong word to show my appreciation, sorry for my bad english.

That is probably because the folder and file names you mention are wrong.
The correct names use only capital letters, like this:
"/SYS-CONF/LAUNCHELF.CNF"

And the correct full path (as displayed by LaunchELF on using a CNF) is thus:
"mc0:/SYS-CONF/LAUNCHELF.CNF"
Note that the device name "mc0:" does use lower case letters...

You need to remember that on PS2 media, like in Unix, but unlike Windows, the character case in names of files, folders, and devices, is ALWAYS significant. (eg: "somefile.txt" is not the same file as "SOMEFILE.txt".)

Thank you for clearing things up.

Sure, I've appended a ZIP with a two-page CNF to this post. Just copy those two CNF files to "mc0:/SYS-CONF/", and they will be used whenever you start LaunchELF from a place that does NOT contain any CNF, such as the CDR you already made.

Having two CNF pages like this allows you twice the number of shortcut buttons, one set for each page, and you can switch pages with the D-pad buttons for 'Left' and 'Right'. The number of pages can be increased even more, but most users don't need that, so you can learn how to do it later...

If you want to use other CNFs occasionally, just store those together with the copy of LaunchELF you then use. A "LAUNCHELF.CNF" in the same folder as LaunchELF itself has top priority, so it will be used instead of looking in "mc0:/SYS-CONF/".

Best regards: dlanor

Thanks for the files, it's really amazing LaunchELF can be customize till that extend by looking at those files you provided.

[MioKawaii]

Another question. Is it possible to put LaunchELF entry to USBadvanced so that I can get back to LaunchELF from USBadvanced?