uLaunchELF as a Multi Game Loader?

[CHRI5]

I wanted to make a multi DVD using uLaunchELF to load the game executables on the disc but I want to ask a few questions first.

1. Is it a practical idea?
2. Can I Load it (uLaunchELF) directly from a subfolder defined in the SYSTEM.CNF?
3. What are the optimal settings to be defined in the LAUNCHELF.CNF for the games to work.
4. Can I use a Skin file to list the selectable games

Thanks

[dlanor]

I wanted to make a multi DVD using uLaunchELF to load the game executables on the disc but I want to ask a few questions first.

1. Is it a practical idea?

I suppose it is 'workable' anyway, though I don't consider any disc-based booting very practical compared to more modern methods such as using OPL for LAN-based games. (Thus eliminating all movement of storage media.) That is the only method I use myself nowdays...

2. Can I Load it (uLaunchELF) directly from a subfolder defined in the SYSTEM.CNF?

I suppose so, though I'm not sure what the bios rules for parsing of SYSTEM.CNF allows.
In the bootable discs I prepared myself I always put the main boot elf in the disc root.

3. What are the optimal settings to be defined in the LAUNCHELF.CNF for the games to work.

I don't understand the question.

Most of the settings in the LAUNCHELF.CNF file should have no effect at all on the launched games (nor on any launched elf).

4. Can I use a Skin file to list the selectable games

Sure, why not ?
Having a custom picture as game list should look a lot better than the (intentionally) primitive font of uLE.

Best regards: dlanor

[CHRI5]

I suppose it is 'workable' anyway, though I don't consider any disc-based booting very practical compared to more modern methods such as using OPL for LAN-based games. (Thus eliminating all movement of storage media.) That is the only method I use myself nowdays...

Yeah OPL was my loader of choice for games over SMB but my cousin was over playing games and ruffed it up a little and now it won't connect to my PC using OPL or any other networking tools USB works but I don't have an external hardrive, only a 4gb USB and I can't use the whole thing for my games (Need it for school) so I started patching my games and booting them with ESR and performance is great. Only one of my games couldn't work (Jak and Daxter The Precursor Legacy) so I took the risk and played from the original disc

I don't understand the question.

Most of the settings in the LAUNCHELF.CNF file should have no effect at all on the launched games (nor on any launched elf).

I just wanted to know if certain settings were applied if it would hurt the chances of the game working.

[CHRI5]

Sorry for bringing back up the topic after such a long time but I've finally found time to attempt the compilation and immediately recognized a problem. When adding the LAUNCHELF.CNF to the compilation I found that Sony CDVD-ROM Generator renames the LAUNCHELF.CNF to LAUNCH~1.CNF probably due to the character limit. Possible workaround maybe? Any ideas are appreciated.

[dlanor]

Sorry for bringing back up the topic after such a long time

For a long-time moderator a span of four and a half months is not very long at all. But I do tend to protest when people revive topics that have been dead for half a decade or more (which happens more often than we like).

but I've finally found time to attempt the compilation and immediately recognized a problem. When adding the LAUNCHELF.CNF to the compilation I found that Sony CDVD-ROM Generator renames the LAUNCHELF.CNF to LAUNCH~1.CNF probably due to the character limit. Possible workaround maybe? Any ideas are appreciated.

uLaunchELF is already aware of the possible 8+3 character limit of CDVD discs, so if loading a CNF file from such a disc fails uLE will retry with an alternate form of the CNF filename which is shortened by replacing "LAUNCH" with "LNCH".

So the primary CNF filename will then be "LNCHELF.CNF", and for a multipage CNF setup the successive pages will then be "LNCHELF1.CNF", "LNCHELF2.CNF", etc. Using these shortened filenames should solve your current problem.

Best regards: dlanor

[CHRI5]

For a long-time moderator a span of four and a half months is not very long at all. But I do tend to protest when people revive topics that have been dead for half a decade or more (which happens more often than we like).

uLaunchELF is already aware of the possible 8+3 character limit of CDVD discs, so if loading a CNF file from such a disc fails uLE will retry with an alternate form of the CNF filename which is shortened by replacing "LAUNCH" with "LNCH".

So the primary CNF filename will then be "LNCHELF.CNF", and for a multipage CNF setup the successive pages will then be "LNCHELF1.CNF", "LNCHELF2.CNF", etc. Using these shortened filenames should solve your current problem.

Best regards: dlanor

Thanks very much for the info. dlanor