What is cross-linking/Multi-Version Install

[PiratePanda]

I have been searching around trying to figure out exactly what cross-linking is. From the Usage.txt from MC Boot it says that cross-linking makes "your compatible with all ps2 versions." So does that mean if I have mc boot already on my memcard and I want to use it on a friends (possibly a different version) ps2 that I would need the cross-linking version as opposed to the normal version? If that assumption is wrong what is the difference between the normal and the multi-version install? Thanks in advance.

[dlanor]

I have been searching around trying to figure out exactly what cross-linking is. From the Usage.txt from MC Boot it says that cross-linking makes "your compatible with all ps2 versions."

FMCB uses an original Sony feature to boot up, and that original Sony code (which we can't tamper with directly) looks for specific filenames to launch. But the precise names it looks for differ between different PS2 consoles. The 'cross-linking' installs the same boot file as the regular install, but it also creates all the possible filenames in the FAT filesystem, and links each of those filenames to the one physical file that was installed. So any PS2/PStwo model will find the filename it looks for on that MC, and will thus launch the boot file (same physical file regardless of the name used). The same effect could be achieved simply by storing several copies of the same file using all those names, but that would consume appx 22 times as much storage space for the file data, since that is the number of filenames needed.

So does that mean if I have mc boot already on my memcard and I want to use it on a friends (possibly a different version) ps2 that I would need the cross-linking version as opposed to the normal version?

Not necessarily, as some different version PS2 consoles still look for the same boot file, while some same-version PS2 consoles still look for different boot files. This is not just about console models/versions and more about bios updates. That is why the number of filenames needed for the cross-linking is larger than the number of PS2/PStwo models that exist.

But to summarize: A multi-version install (with or without cross-linking) is the only way to be sure that your MC will work in all PS2/PStwo consoles of the same region. (All installs are region specific.)

If that assumption is wrong what is the difference between the normal and the multi-version install?

I think I already covered that in the above, but if not feel free to ask again.

Best regards: dlanor

[PiratePanda]

Thanks alot man. You explained it perfectly.