Smallest Free MC Boot install on memory card

**krick** · 01-03-2010,04:47 PM

I'm new to Free MC Boot so be gentle...

From what I understand (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), FMCB must always boot from the the first memory card (mc0), however, once the initial part boots, you can have it search folders on the second memory card or on USB "thumb" drives connected to your PS2.

What is the minimum that you need to have installed on your first memory card to make this work?

I'm thinking about purchasing one of these super tiny USB thumb drives and leaving it in all the time...

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=EagleTec+nano+drive

I guess my goal here is to have as little as possible actually on my memory card so that I have maximum room for actually saving games. Plus, I think it might be handy to have all the other files on a USB drive for easy updating and modification.

**Gnom** · 01-03-2010,05:51 PM

Actually FMCB can boot from either slot.

As for your main question, the smallest possible install is 75 kb, just the exploit and the osd, all the rest you can store on a USB drive. However, it can be useful to have at least uLE on your mc since it is kind of the Swiss knife of the ps2. I think it weights about 400 kb. But if you're really short, it's not absolutely necessary.

**urbigbro** · 01-03-2010,11:19 PM

The installed size is not exactly 75kb because you should account for the icon.icn, and icon.sys files, that need to be in the 'MC?:/BOOT' folder of the MC, otherwise the FMCB save folder will show as corrupt in the PS2 Browser.
You can delete those two files if you don't mind seeing the corrupt data message in the PS2 Browser, as the FMCB save is not actually corrupt.

There is another benefit to having the files on a USB drive.
FMCB boots up to 2 seconds faster if the FREEMCB.CNF is loaded from a USB drive, and the apps load faster from USB than MC.
For more details on the speed difference check this thread.
http://psx-scene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59616 (Fastest FMCB 1.7 MC Tests)

You may also find that the super small USB drive you plan to use may not be compatible with FMCB. If it works please report that it works in the thread below, so we can all know this for the future.
http://psx-scene.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25559 (pen drive compatability list)

**djflexmaster79** · 01-13-2010,01:54 AM

Originally Posted by krick

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=EagleTec+nano+drive

I must say that tiny USB looks pretty bad ass, I don't know how I over looked this thread, but thanks...

I'm going to pick up some these, really soon...

DJ
Site Mod

**flo** · 01-13-2010,05:03 AM

Since the installation can be so small, can you put FMCB it on a PS1 memory card ,for use on PS2 ?

**Berion** · 01-13-2010,05:28 AM

Impossible. This is not only matter of size and fs.

**spiderman** · 01-16-2010,05:50 PM

I like to put FMCB on MC1 to leave room on MC0 for game saves. it also gives you more room on MC1 for hdloader, SMS, FCEUltra, and all your other elfs. for me, that's the way to do it!

**djflexmaster79** · 01-16-2010,06:15 PM

Originally Posted by spiderman

I like to put FMCB on MC1 to leave room on MC0 for game saves. it also gives you more room on MC1 for hdloader, SMS, FCEUltra, and all your other elfs. for me, that's the way to do it!

Well considering 80% of games are a default save to mc0 anyway...

You can also configure for HDL, SMS, and other homebrew to run from USB thumb drives, which gives you the option for either card...

DJ

**JoeUser38** · 01-18-2010,12:28 PM

Originally Posted by djflexmaster79

Well considering 80% of games are a default save to mc0 anyway...

You can also configure for HDL, SMS, and other homebrew to run from USB thumb drives, which gives you the option for either card...

DJ

Exactly how I do my Free MC Boot setup... I don't even put uLaunchELF on the memory card, it's on my USB drive in \BOOT along with everything else. Makes for much easier updates, just take the USB drive out, plug it into my PC, copy the updated .ELF files over, and plug it back into the PS2. The only extra file on the memory card is a second copy of the Free MC Boot config file, in case I boot up without the USB drive in for some reason. Makes the size of Free MC Boot very small, small enough that I just install it on all my memory cards so I don't have to worry if one goes bad, they are ALL backups.

I also have my Free MC Boot setup folder on that same USB drive. I archive the contents of the flash drive whenever I make changes as a backup also, and have given it to a few people. They seem to like the setup.

On one memory card I also have the SMS setup (don't use it much, so just on one). Too bad SMS can't get it's configuration from USB...

**krick** · 01-20-2010,02:11 AM

Originally Posted by spiderman

I like to put FMCB on MC1 to leave room on MC0 for game saves. it also gives you more room on MC1 for hdloader, SMS, FCEUltra, and all your other elfs. for me, that's the way to do it!

How does it boot from MC1?

Is there something in the PS2 firmware that tells it to search MC0 first, then MC1 for something to run? Can the PS2 launch FMCB completely from a USB flash drive without a memory card at all?

I guess I'm just curious about how the whole FMCB thing works (under the covers).

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