HDLoader as Applications Laucher ???

[tsutsi17]

Hi all,

Before I asked my question, i've made an unsuccessfull search.

I was wondering if it was possible to launch applications (like PS2 reality or others) directly from HDLoader like we launch games ?

I really learn a lot in this forum, thanks to all.

[espy]

Some programs can run from HDL, some can't. But to be honest it isn't an efficient way of using space, as you must allocate at least 128MB for each CD you install (the PS2 uses a partition system that requires partitions to be made in multiples of 128MB). The best way to do it is to create a partition using DMS HDDFRMT tool and then uploading files directly to it using ExecFTP. Then, you boot LaunchELF 3.02 from your memory card. It has a menu system that is configurable on the PS2 itself that will actually boot applications from the hard drive. That way, you can pile all the applications into the same user made partition (user made partitions have a + before their names). Hope this helps and good luck.

[tsutsi17]

That is why I said that this forum shot everything.
Less than 1 hour to have a detailed answer.

Thanks a lot ESPY (and everybody here), i'll try that as soon as i came back home.

[espy]

No problem. Good luck.

[dlanor]

I use exactly the same method described by espy, and it works like a charm.
LaunchELF is the only program I store on the MC, which helps preserve that
unique resource. All other APPs, including HDLoader reside on the HDD for
launching by LaunchELF. I even have DMS EXplorer there, just so I can go
to the original PS2 Browser without resetting.

But you need to remember that some apps still expect their info files in the
usual MC folders, so you need to keep those, just removing their ELFs.
Some other APPs were made for HDD, and then you can also put IRXs etc
there instead of in the MC. Just double-check their docs to make sure what
goes where.

The stuff below may already be old news to you, but I include it anyway
as I know that many people are still unaware of its full implications.

I also suggest that if you do (as you probably will) use APPs that need
stuff in the MC, then make sure that you put some valid icon file and its
matching icon.sys file into each folder at the root level of the MC drive.

I further suggest that you never use any subfolders inside those folders.

Finally, you need to avoid the faulty practice of DMS Explorer and some
other MC installers of using backslash='\' as the file path separator, rather
than the forwardslash='/' which is proper. It is the reason why the DMS
Explorer, as installed by DMS disks, shows up as 3 icons rather than 1
in the PS2 browser, and causes other problems as well. Using the proper
path separator is required in order to avoid corrupt blocks in your MC.

This way you avoid all hassles with handling all MC folders in the original
PS2 browser, which could otherwise lead to corrupted MC directory.
(It happened to me a few times before I understood this.)

Best regards: dlanor

[espy]

dlanor, does DMS Explorer work even if you don't have a DMS chip?

By the way, I suggest putting at least PS2Link 1.24 on the memory card with LaunchELF. If the hard drive ever becomes corrupted for some reason or if you want to connect a friend's PS2 to a PC, having PS2Link on the memory card would be invaluable as you can run all the other programs from the PC.

Also anything you put on the memory card try running it through PS2-Packer 0.4. The compression makes a huge difference.

But yes, the bit about the configuration files is true, but he'd notice that anyway since some automatically create them on the MC (most in the SYS-CONF directory). Many create a valid icon file and icon.sys to go with it if they have their own directory, if they don't it shows up as corrupted data.

I don't generally create subdirectories in MC directories as transfer it using nPort is buggy. But I still do it a bit for organizational purposes. But it works fine for me.

[dlanor]

espy:
DMS Explorer for MC does work without DMS chip, but the HDD explorer does not.

I see your point about PS2Link, but I prefer ExecFTPS, which is the main tool I used
to install my current setup. (Apart from HDAdvance/HDLoader that is.) As I've kept
all CD-Rs I used to get started, it would be fairly easy to get things up and running
again, either for me or for a friend. Especially since I keep a backup of my PS2 APP
partition as a normal folder on my main PC.

It also helps that I have 3 MCs (4 really, but a niece has borrowed one), so I can
make some experiments that would be out of the question with only one MC.
(Wouldn't be impossible, but extremely time consuming.)

Your point about compression is valid only for ELFs not alrady compressed. Passing
a file through packers twice doesn't gain you much, you might even lose space...
And of course, packing non-ELF files this way is also invalid (icons etc).
I realize that you already know this, and took it for granted, but others reading this
might be misled to think that it is okay to pack anything.

As for the subdirectories, they introduce two separate problems:
1: Using PS2 browser to copy a folder will not also copy the subfolders.
-- It is also unclear whether the size allocation will be correct on destination MC.
2: Using PS2 browser to erase a folder with subfolders can cause future problems
-- for that MC filesystem, as the subfolder content is not properly erased, thus
-- leading to memory leakage, as well as directorý problems.

In one case of type 2 (per above) the entire content of the MC directory became
invisible to ExecFTP, although still visible in the PS2 browser. However, after using
PS2 browser to erase all visible content several hundred KB of RAM was still not
released as should have happened. I had to use the MCKiller app to erase it, and
start over from scratch...

Best regards: dlanor

[espy]

Cool I will look into DMS explorer.

Yes, true but with PS2Link I can also run ExecFTP over it, and if I had no HDD it also saves me considerable space since I can run all ELFs from PC, especially ELFs that need a PC present anyway (like FTP). But yes, I also keep a backup of my PS2 application partition on my PC.

True, but most of the older applications are not compressed (or some are, just not very well).

Had an inkling about the problems of subdirectories but what you say makes sense. Don't want to format my MC over.

[tsutsi17]

Very interesting discussion.

Thanks to both of you !

[adam31]

Can someone put up a sharkport save of this program please