3.61 Works but 4.40 will not work with Independence Exploit

[KevianAugust]

My system has been softmodded through the memory card for awhile now, but I wanted to update my programs so I grabbed ULE 4.40 and renamed it BOOT.ELF and got it all prepared to copy over using CodeBreaker.

Popped in my PS1 game and when it boots up it just goes to a Black screen and hangs there.

Confirmed file structure, etc. and it looks no different that I have had it before.

Then grabbed ISCentral's PS2 Exploit Utility 5.0 which makes the file for me, etc. and comes with ULE 3.61. Put it in, boots fine, used the file manager to go to the ELF for 4.40, boots fine.

So tried copying it over in the file manager, replacing the BOOT.ELF in PS2 Save Builder, and telling ISCentral to built it with the 4.40 .elf and same thing.

Am I doing something wrong? Do I really need to use another boot loader to get 4.40 to work when 3.61 boots by itself?

[dlanor]

My system has been softmodded through the memory card for awhile now, but I wanted to update my programs so I grabbed ULE 4.40 and renamed it BOOT.ELF and got it all prepared to copy over using CodeBreaker.

Popped in my PS1 game and when it boots up it just goes to a Black screen and hangs there.

Confirmed file structure, etc. and it looks no different that I have had it before.

Then grabbed ISCentral's PS2 Exploit Utility 5.0 which makes the file for me, etc. and comes with ULE 3.61. Put it in, boots fine, used the file manager to go to the ELF for 4.40, boots fine.

So tried copying it over in the file manager, replacing the BOOT.ELF in PS2 Save Builder, and telling ISCentral to built it with the 4.40 .elf and same thing.

Am I doing something wrong? Do I really need to use another boot loader to get 4.40 to work when 3.61 boots by itself?

The ancient "MrBrown" exploit uses a very old elf launcher which might well have a problem with some of the modified use of memory areas in the newer uLE version (changes necessary for compatibility to other important homebrews). It is also possible that it is just one of those quirks most old elf launchers for the PS2 had, so that it is not any specific usage of uLE that causes it to fail but merely some coincidental size/address alignment issue specific to the exploit. For such cases you may well have better success with a version or two earlier, like v4.38 or v4.39.

I have not myself used that exploit method in many years, as I wanted something that works on the slim models as well. So I use FMCB for all consoles except the latest model where SwapMagic is the only semi-softmod that works at all.

I really think you should replace your exploit boot system with FMCB in any case, due to its greater compatibility with all kinds of software, and for its extreme portability, allowing you to take the same memory card with you for booting on nearly all other PS2 consoles (except the very latest with bios v2.30). That in itself is a very valuable ability.

But without changing your exploit, the obvious thing to try is to test with a variety of uLE versions until you find the newest one that works for you.

That is best done by first checking a collection of old versions.
SKSApps.com has a very good selection in its download section for "PS2 Apps" / "Launchers"

Then you repeatedly try download and test the version midway between the newest old version already tested to work, and the most recently tested newer version that failed. This should quickly bring you to the specific point (if there is any) where compatibility was lost.

There is also the possibility that there is no specific point, as various coincidental effects (as mentioned before) may cause a limited elf loader to fail for some cases, without apparent causes for it. In that case it is quite possible that v4.39 would work fine, for example, even though many of the older ones might not.

Btw: This kind of uncertainty is one of the things you'd get rid of if using FMCB. Not to mention getting rid of the dependency on having a specific PS1 disc in the console for every boot. With FMCB you can boot elfs consistently and you can do it without any disc at all. (Many people with dead or dying CDVD drives are very happy about that fact.)

Best regards: dlanor

[E P]

Hum, you're apparently not alone as dstarfire has likely a similar issue. However, in my case the PS1 independence exploit still works perfectly fine on my version 4 PS2.

[dlanor]

Hum, you're apparently not alone as dstarfire has likely a similar issue. However, in my case the PS1 independence exploit still works perfectly fine on my version 4 PS2.

And I assume you are using one of the latest v4.40? versions with that exploit...?

It may seem redundant asking you of all people that question, since you are the one who made the release of v4.40g, but considering the problem raised by the original poster I think it is important to state the precise version of uLE that your exploit is booting.

Best regards: dlanor

[E P]

And I assume you are using one of the latest v4.40? versions with that exploit...?

The last version I tested was v4.40b. I linked to the thread in the hopes of giving a subtle hint to the original poster. The idea was to get some input on whether or not the MC drivers are involved by testing another version such as the v4.40c katananja special.

It may seem redundant asking you of all people that question, since you are the one who made the release of v4.40g, but considering the problem raised by the original poster I think it is important to state the precise version of uLE that your exploit is booting.

Yeah, I know. The version I used is stated just a few posts down from the thread I linked to.