uLaunchELF 4.07 and ID Exploit

[J.F.]

I have a 30K1 v4 PS2 and use either the ID exploit or SwapMagic and PS2Menu to run stuff. I was wanting to replace MCLoader with uLanuchELF as the exploit code run, however, it doesn't seem to work. If I replace the BOOT.ELF in BADATA-SYSTEM with either copy of uLE from the archive, it simply hangs when I insert the PS1 CD. Trying to run uLE from either the memory card or the harddrive with PS2Menu results in the message "Not a recognized ELF."

Any suggestions?

[dlanor]

I have a 30K1 v4 PS2 and use either the ID exploit or SwapMagic and PS2Menu to run stuff. I was wanting to replace MCLoader with uLanuchELF as the exploit code run, however, it doesn't seem to work. If I replace the BOOT.ELF in BADATA-SYSTEM with either copy of uLE from the archive, it simply hangs when I insert the PS1 CD. Trying to run uLE from either the memory card or the harddrive with PS2Menu results in the message "Not a recognized ELF."

Any suggestions?

I have no idea exactly what is wrong, except that it's definitely wrong at 'your end' so to speak. uLE v4.07 has been tested with exploit booting on lots of PS2 consoles, including my own.

As for PS2Menu, while it's really too old for any serious use today, I just copied it from my backups on HDD to my MC for testing. It wasn't much of a test though, as I just used it to browse to a copy of uLE v4.07 and launch it, which appeared to work fine. I repeated this test a couple of times, alternately launching PS2Menu and uLE v4.07 without any problems.

So both launch methods that fail for you work just fine here.

Perhaps you should try installing uLE for SwapMagic booting instead, either on MC or on a USB stick. Either way should work fine with a modern version of SwapMagic (3.3-3.6). (I've tested that too on my console.)

Best regards: dlanor

[J.F.]

I've got SwapMagic 3.0. I'll try making a uLaunchELF CD (running from the CD). I've got lots of CDs floating around that just have ONE thing on them... a PS2Link CD, a PS2Menu CD, a NapLink CD, a PS2Reality Media Pro CD, an SMS CD... I just want to stick it all on the harddrive and run it from there. Is it too much to ask?

So just to be clear, the elf files in the 4.07 archive are normal PS2 elf files and should run from the CD fine? Well, I guess I'll find out.

[E P]

I've got SwapMagic 3.0. I'll try making a uLaunchELF CD (running from the CD). I've got lots of CDs floating around that just have ONE thing on them... a PS2Link CD, a PS2Menu CD, a NapLink CD, a PS2Reality Media Pro CD, an SMS CD... I just want to stick it all on the harddrive and run it from there. Is it too much to ask?

It works fine from hard drive here. I also have the same console model as you, SCPH-30001 V4 USA. All I have is an ID exploit set up to run uLaunchELF off memory card.

So just to be clear, the elf files in the 4.07 archive are normal PS2 elf files and should run from the CD fine? Well, I guess I'll find out.

Yes, just as SMS.elf and others. The standard one, BOOT.ELF, is packed with pixel?s ps2-packer and the uncompressed one is the original compiled binary.

[J.F.]

CD worked fine... so PS2Menu must have corrupted the file as it copied it. I don't think I'll be using PS2Menu any more.

Yay... yet another CD with a single program on it. At least I have it working. Now I'm off to try to use uLaunchELF to put itself on the MC so that I can just use the ID exploit.

Thanks for the help.

[dlanor]

I've got SwapMagic 3.0.

I don't think that version had all the same boot features as v3.3-v3.6, but I would expect it to have at least some of the boot modes that use a normal memory card.

The simplest way to test this is to store an ELF as "mc0:/SWAPMAGIC/SWAPMAGIC.ELF", which should cause that ELF to be launched unconditionally whenever you boot SwapMagic. But that is also a drawback, as it blocks other SwapMagic usage.

Another and better way to try is to store an ELF as "mc0:/SWAPMAGIC/SMBOOT0.ELF". The advantage of this boot method is that it doesn't launch unconditionally. Instead SwapMagic waits for user input at the normal boot screen, and will only launch the ELF if you press the correct button combo (UP + L1). Another advantage is that you can install up to four different ELFs this way, using also the names SMBOOT1.ELF through SMBOOT3.ELF, and launching those with (UP+L2), (UP+R1), (UP+R2).

At least that's how it works in later versions of SwapMagic, but I don't really know how much (if any) of this was already implemented in your version...

I'll try making a uLaunchELF CD (running from the CD). I've got lots of CDs floating around that just have ONE thing on them... a PS2Link CD, a PS2Menu CD, a NapLink CD, a PS2Reality Media Pro CD, an SMS CD... I just want to stick it all on the harddrive and run it from there. Is it too much to ask?

PS2Link will NOT run from HDD, and I don't think NapLink can do so either, but the others should be able to. However, I fail to see the need for some of those 'near duplicates':

PS2Link VS NapLink, SMS VS PS2Reality, uLE VS PS2Menu

In a transition stage you may be reluctant to abandon something you've used earlier, but eventually you'll need to choose. And when one alternative has continued support and the other does not, the outcome of that choice is given.

So just to be clear, the elf files in the 4.07 archive are normal PS2 elf files and should run from the CD fine?

Yes. I and many others have used them for boot CD's. And to clarify, it is the compressed ELF that is recommended for use. The uncompressed one is present merely for 'completeness' and for testing in case of incompatibility problems.

Well, I guess I'll find out.

Trying it yourself is always the ultimate test, as that is how it must work in the end, to be of any use to you.

Best regards: dlanor

[J.F.]

Well, I used uLaunchELF from the CD to put the compressed BOOT.ELF in the BADATA-SYSTEM directory on the memory card, and now I just boot that stupid PS1 football CD to pop into uLaunchELF. SWEET!

I set the cross button to SMS and copied a bunch of my mp3s to the harddrive... Joe Satriani's Crystal Planet is playing across the optical link.

After using it most of the evening, I have to say it's such a great program. I don't know how I got on without it.

Thanks again for the help, even if it was mostly just convincing me everything was fine and to try it off the CD.

[barf]

/me Dying to see samba implemented in uLaunch

[E P]

Thanks again for the help, even if it was mostly just convincing me everything was fine and to try it off the CD.

It?s always nice seeing someone else from over at ps2dev show up and give uLaunchELF a shot. SMS and uLaunchELF really work great together.

/me Dying to see samba implemented in uLaunch

I personally rather have a samba server but there?s no way I could implement such a monstrosity. Maybe if EEUG writes that Samba client for IOP we could at least add that to uLaunchELF. Just don?t get your hopes up as he only said he would look into to it.

Since I did happen to get myPS2?s samba client working with Linux and XP Pro, I?m more interested in it now than I ever was before. I was really saddened to see just how sorry a state the FTP server was the other day. I don?t normally use it for bulk transfers but the other day it kept dropping out. Then I had to restart uLanchELF because it some how locked me out from mounting a partition from even within uLaunchELF.

[J.F.]

It?s always nice seeing someone else from over at ps2dev show up and give uLaunchELF a shot. SMS and uLaunchELF really work great together.

Yes, I hadn't even realized what was available until I started looking around after getting ticked off at the hassle MCLoader is. Why should I make text files that describe what I want to copy or run? uLaunchELF is lightyears ahead of that.

I personally rather have a samba server but there?s no way I could implement such a monstrosity. Maybe if EEUG writes that Samba client for IOP we could at least add that to uLaunchELF. Just don?t get your hopes up as he only said he would look into to it.

Well, the NGC homebrew has TinySMB. I wonder if it might be useful here...

Since I did happen to get myPS2?s samba client working with Linux and XP Pro, I?m more interested in it now than I ever was before. I was really saddened to see just how sorry a state the FTP server was the other day. I don?t normally use it for bulk transfers but the other day it kept dropping out. Then I had to restart uLanchELF because it some how locked me out from mounting a partition from even within uLaunchELF.

Yes, sounds like Samba would be very handy for some folks.