Open PS2 Loader with HDPro kit

[cembry]

I wanted to install internal HDD to my PStwo (SCPH 77004) and I bought HDPro kit for my 77004 about two weeks ago. It was designed for any 7xxxx PStwo. It comes with ModBo4 bundled. I have installed it into my PStwo - it's working well with bundled HDLoader. it's a little bit modified version of HDLoader and it has to be installed on the internal HDD to make it working. It uses FMCB to install (I don't want to start a fight if it's fair or unfair - I just want to use internal HDD in my PStwo ). To install the modified HDLoader in DEV2 (to be started from HDD) it has a modified ELF file that installs this HDLoader to HDD. Does anyone know how to install Open PS2 Loader in DEV2 in this case? I'd like to use OPL, it's far better than HDLoader). I suppose I need to have an installer for OPL to DEV2 in my case. I tried to use DEV2Installer but it did not helped. Thanks a lot for any ideas.

[jremos]

hdpro installer is not installed to hdd. but that bootloader installed to modchip. so there isn't a boot file on hdd. so who can solve opl can installed/run from modchip?.
and make uLaunch can read that.

[cembry]

Today I placed HDD from PS2 50004 with installed OPL on it to the PStwo 77004 with HDPro kit and it did not worked so I realized the same - it must be installed on the chip. Is there any way to install OPL to the chip?

[JNABK]

Today I placed HDD from PS2 50004 with installed OPL on it to the PStwo 77004 with HDPro kit and it did not worked so I realized the same - it must be installed on the chip. Is there any way to install OPL to the chip?

They created their own Installer (ran via FMCB) and HDLoader is embedded in that Installer program. The only way you can replace HDL with OPL in the Installer is to know how to disassemble the Installer, understand its instructions and patch it to install OPL instead.......pretty much you aint going to be able to do that. You can attach the Installer program here and maybe someone who is a developer might be able to figure out a patch to do it, if it is possible to do.


You can try this program to boot OPL from HDL's Game list:

http://sksapps.com/index.php?page=ps2load.html

That tutorial is how to boot a HDL ELF using a retail HDL disc, but will work the same way from an installed HDL. Just put OPL and any other apps you want to use, like uLaunchELF, emulators, etc. Follow the instructions to make the ISO and install it to the HDD like you would a PS2 Game.

Then when you run HDL, select Multi (or whatever you named it) and you can choose OPL from the PS2Load menu.

[GillBert]

Anyway, except the fact that they're using FMCB in a comercial product, this is interesting... I didn't know about this "HD Pro" yet.

I've seen that it does use the bios conections to make an IDE interface. How is the performance? Is this like an actual HDD/NA?

[cembry]

Running OPL from HDL - great idea! I just tried it but it did not worked . When started OPL from HDL the internal HDD became invisible to OPL (no matter to settings in OPL). It seems the patched HDL for HDPro is patched far more I thought .

The speed of HDPro is similar to ordinary HDD at Network Adapter for PS2fat (it seems to me). Game compatibility is limited because of used HDLoader. I think OPL can run more games from HDD than HDL.

I'm posting here the installer for HDPro and OPL I used in this case. I hope someone with more decompiling/programming skills than me should look at it . Thank you!

[JNABK]

Running OPL from HDL - great idea! I just tried it but it did not worked . When started OPL from HDL the internal HDD became invisible to OPL (no matter to settings in OPL). It seems the patched HDL for HDPro is patched far more I thought .

Idea 1
Its possible that the HDD is not visible in OPL if the HDPro people wrote a special HDD driver IRX to access it, but is only embedded in the HDPro software to access it. You can test that idea by adding another copy of HDL where you put the OPL in the MSYSTEM.CNF and recompile another ISO of the Multi. If that one works, then so should OPL. I would also check the HDD with uLaunchELF to see if it can access that HDD.

Also did you set "Mode 3" in the HDL Games list for the Multi-ISO? Press [SELECT] on it in the games list and set the 3rd mode, press [SELECT] again to save it.
-----------------------------------------
Idea 2
In OPL's settings, there is a setting to make it access the games list:

HDD device start mode: Auto or manual

If you set either, you should be able to run your games from HDD.

Manual - when on the HDD Games screen, you need to press X to enable the HDD and your list should appear.

Auto - will automatically enable the HDD and when you go to the HDD screen your games list should already show.

If you want the HDD list to show when OPL starts up, set the Default menu to HDD games and the HDD Games screen should automatically be the first screen you see.
-----------------------------------------
Idea 3
You could try is to see if you can by-pass the modchip by using FMCB. You should have it installed already (i think) from when you installed the HDPro software, so you can re-install FMCB with the Noobie Package instead and have the apps on your MC, bootable with FMCB. Add the OPL elf to the INSTALL folder and you can configure FMCB to boot it from a button press. Just check out the configuration guide to do that.

Now the problem with some modchips are they need to be disabled to allow FMCB to boot properly, but i found with my 'stubborn' CC 2.0 SLE it will not disable 100% and gives a blank screen if i try to run FMCB.
Good news is i found if i used a button press during boot-up, FMCB booted the app before the chip was fully enabled and ran the app just fine. So you can give this a try and see if you can get OPL to access the HDD that way too, since the chip shouldnt get the chance to load its software, just dont use its Dev2 boot button press as a button for FMCB.

Well, thats all i can think of at the moment, so good luck with it and i hope one of those ideas works out for you.

[jremos]

Idea 1
Its possible that the HDD is not visible in OPL if the HDPro people wrote a special HDD driver IRX to access it, but is only embedded in the HDPro software to access it. You can test that idea by adding another copy of HDL where you put the OPL in the MSYSTEM.CNF and recompile another ISO of the Multi. If that one works, then so should OPL. I would also check the HDD with uLaunchELF to see if it can access that HDD.

Also did you set "Mode 3" in the HDL Games list for the Multi-ISO? Press [SELECT] on it in the games list and set the 3rd mode, press [SELECT] again to save it.
-----------------------------------------
Idea 2
In OPL's settings, there is a setting to make it access the games list:

HDD device start mode: Auto or manual

If you set either, you should be able to run your games from HDD.

Manual - when on the HDD Games screen, you need to press X to enable the HDD and your list should appear.

Auto - will automatically enable the HDD and when you go to the HDD screen your games list should already show.

If you want the HDD list to show when OPL starts up, set the Default menu to HDD games and the HDD Games screen should automatically be the first screen you see.
-----------------------------------------
Idea 3
You could try is to see if you can by-pass the modchip by using FMCB. You should have it installed already (i think) from when you installed the HDPro software, so you can re-install FMCB with the Noobie Package instead and have the apps on your MC, bootable with FMCB. Add the OPL elf to the INSTALL folder and you can configure FMCB to boot it from a button press. Just check out the configuration guide to do that.

Now the problem with some modchips are they need to be disabled to allow FMCB to boot properly, but i found with my 'stubborn' CC 2.0 SLE it will not disable 100% and gives a blank screen if i try to run FMCB.
Good news is i found if i used a button press during boot-up, FMCB booted the app before the chip was fully enabled and ran the app just fine. So you can give this a try and see if you can get OPL to access the HDD that way too, since the chip shouldnt get the chance to load its software, just dont use its Dev2 boot button press as a button for FMCB.

Well, thats all i can think of at the moment, so good luck with it and i hope one of those ideas works out for you.

i has use hdpro before. so is fast from cd nd not so fast from NA/HDL. Unpacker hdproinstaller. you can get a original hdpro file. So i has see a part of file using ps2dis. If you see there's seen install bootloder to modchip modbo 4.0. just it. you can try how to input script to instal opl to modchip. cause bootloader of hdpro installed to modbo 4.0. not to HDD

[JNABK]

i has use hdpro before. so is fast from cd nd not so fast from NA/HDL. Unpacker hdproinstaller. you can get a original hdpro file. So i has see a part of file using ps2dis. If you see there's seen install bootloder to modchip modbo 4.0. just it. you can try how to input script to instal opl to modchip. cause bootloader of hdpro installed to modbo 4.0. not to HDD

Yes i know it gets installed to the Modchip, but im not skilled in PS2 software, so i cant help with that. I only offered some ideas to try as alternative ways to run OPL with HDPro.

[SP193]

I tried disassembling the HDPro installer before - but I remember getting stuck because I can't decompress/de-scramble it.

Yes, this ELF is scrambled and/or compressed in some funny way (Not with PS2-packer).

I can't proceed unless it's decompressed and/or de-scrambled.

EDIT: My bad. I kept forgetting that there was an ancient PS2 executable compressor called "sjcrunch" (So I used sjuncrunch to decompress it).