Zoneloader patched to load HDL, is it possible?

[Bon Scott]

Does anyone know how to make this? I don't know if it is even possible.
I've been trying to hexedit Zoneloader overwriting cdrom:/ entries to hdd0:/ ,but no success... I know that it was a desesperate blind attempt.
Could some skilled mind make the magic?
I have a ntsc console and a bunch of pal games that I can't load to hd cause Zoneloader just works with discs. My TV has just one video component entry and I use it for X360. I think that I'm not alone in this boat.
Cheers!

[Bootlegninja]

If you could edit zoneloader to boot a standalone elf instead of a disc, you would have to rebuild the image with it inside since it wouldn't be able to survive HDL's IOP reset.

[Bon Scott]

Hi Bootlegninja! I followed your tutorial to patch Codebreaker to load with HDloader : unpacking CB -> applying the patch -> repacking patched CB. And everything runs like a charm!
I think that the main request is if a coder could build a patch to Zoneloader like it was done to Codebreaker.
Your idea in changing Zoneloader to run an elf file sounds great as well. I wish I could do that. Thanks a lot for your answer!

[TnA]

I´m not sure about it, but does Zoneloader even initialize some drivers for devices such as MC, or HD?
I don´t think so...
(Surely, there is ever a way to patch an application, but without initialized drivers, it won´t be that easy. )

[Bootlegninja]

and keep in mind, I didn't create any of those patches. ffgriever did. I only wrote a tutroial for the masses to follow for less issues with it.

[NeverGoingBack]

We have discussed this before.

The idea was either shot down, or ignored.

Someone could also just write a completely new app that would allow HDL to display Pal to NTSC without having to apply any patches.

Why isnt this implemented in HDL anyway? Isnt that feature standard in Toxic OS?

[dlanor]

Why isnt this implemented in HDL anyway?
Isnt that feature standard in Toxic OS?

No. ToxicOS itself has no such implementation.

But ToxicOS is only available to users of the DMS4pro modchip, and the modchip does support forced video modes.

Best regards: dlanor

[NeverGoingBack]

http://www.sksapps.com/index.php?pag..._tutorial.html

This says it does under the bios settings....

[Bon Scott]

It seems it is not a simple task anyway...
I've been reading Zoneloader Source Program that is available at this link :
PS2_Zoneloader_SRC. And after some parsing I locate this part of bootmaster.c file routine :

// Parses system.cnf. Returns the boot elf filename on success, NULL on failure
char *parseSystemCnf()
{
char *buffer;
int fd, fdSize;
int i;

// Open SYSTEM.CNF on the cdrom, allocate memory for it, terminate the array
fd = fioOpen("cdrom0:\\SYSTEM.CNF;1", O_RDONLY);
if(fd < 0) return (char *)ERROR_SYSTEMCNF_FILEIO;

fdSize = fioLseek(fd, 0, SEEK_END);
fioLseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET);

buffer = malloc(fdSize + 1);
if(!buffer) return (char *)ERROR_SYSTEMCNF_MEMORY;

if(fioRead(fd, buffer, fdSize) != fdSize) return (char *)ERROR_SYSTEMCNF_FILEIO;
fioClose(fd);
buffer[fdSize] = '\0';

// Find boot file substring
buffer = strstr(buffer, "BOOT2");
buffer += 5;
while((*buffer == ' ') || (*buffer == '\t')) buffer++;
buffer++; // bypass '=' character
while((*buffer == ' ') || (*buffer == '\t')) buffer++;

i = 0;
while((buffer[i] != '\n') && (buffer[i] != '\r')) i++;

// Terminate string at end of boot elf filename
buffer[i] = '\0';

// Return pointer to boot elf filename string
return buffer;

The text in green explains the sequence. The other in orange shows the cdrom calling the SYSTEM.CNF file. This file calls BOOT2 inside that activates the SLXXX_XX_XX. I was thinking in changing cdrom0 for mc0 (or anything else) , place an alterated SYSTEM.CNF there with a BOOT2 that could call a wanted ELF file (like i.e. uLaunch), instead of SLXXX_XX_XX.
I wanted to test that, but I don't know how to compile the Zoneloader Source into an ELF file... Could someone head me to a link that explains that?
Thanks in advance!

[Bootlegninja]

well, hell. I didn't know we had that there. with the source, many things are possible.