How do I go about decompiling an .elf?

[<__>]

Am I right in thinking that in .elf files for use on a memory card the .irx files will be accessable if you decompile or have I been misled?

Also does anyone know how to get those damn .bin files you find on game discs open to see whats inside?

My little project I have set myself is to find out enough to get reality media player to read .avi files from the hdd,or at least to keep trying until someone else finds a way to do it lol

Any help will be appreciated

[dlanor]

Both of your questions need multiple answers:

Q1: On ELF and IRX files

On the PS2, ELF and IRX correspond to EXE and DLL on a PC.
So ELF files are the main programs, with or without internal drivers, while IRX files are drivers of various kinds, for use of programs that don't have them internally.
(NB for purists: Ok, so it's an oversimplification, but still basically true.)

As I understand it (only partially I'm afraid) the ELF format does allow you to find the sections corresponding to various IRX files (IF included in the ELF), but that doesn't necessarily mean that the whole IRX file is present. That is dependent on details of the linking loaders for PS2 that I still know nothing about.


Q2: On BIN files

Many different types of BIN files exist, as some programmers use the BIN extension for any proprietary data file which is not of a standard type. It's just a generic binary file. BIN files of that sort should normally be dealt with by hex editor, until you know enough about the contents to use something else more appropriate.

Another common use of BIN files is for CD/DVD images, though it is incorrect to have only the BIN file then. It should really be accompanied by a CUE file as well. Many programs will accept a BIN file even without a CUE file, by using default settings for what the CUE file should have contained. One of the most useful programs that can do this is "Daemon-Tools", the virtual CD/DVDROM driver, which can mount such images for use as normal CD/DVD drives in any modern Windows (95/98/NT/2K/XP). It can also mount a huge number of other CD image formats, so if you don't already have it, google for it ASAP. It's a must for anyone who experiments with CD/DVD content. And it won't drain your wallet either, since it is FREEWARE for non-commercial use.

As for your project, modifying PS2MEDIA.ELF to read data from HDD instead of CD, that should indeed be possible, although it might be redundant work. The guys who made the current version may well be working on an HDD-capable version right now. I would attempt to check that possibility out, before investing too much hard work.

But don't get me wrong now! By all means go ahead with digging into and disassembling all PS2 ELFs that strike your fancy. It can be a very good way to learn stuff that you would otherwise miss. I plan to do the same myself, at first ONLY for that opportunity of learning, since I'm still a newb at programming for the PS2.

Best regards: dlanor

[ripn]

You should be able to with IDA Pro...it works for elfs on the motorola surfboards..which is MIPS ASM...my .02

[agentboolen]

Hate to burst your bubble. Unless you know alot about assembly language i wouldnt even bother. This on top of the player would need significant code rewrites just to have hdd compatability. This has been gone over so many times in the past. Unless the actual coders add hdd support to any of their apps nobody will be able to add hdd compatability by simply hacking the ELF.

[agentboolen]

You should be able to with IDA Pro...it works for elfs on the motorola surfboards..which is MIPS ASM...my .02

hehe trust me you ain't adding this kind of data with IDA Pro buddy. hehehe

[<__>]

Thanks for the reply dlanor it cleared a few things up for me still dont know how to decompile tho lol I just wanna know how because I have a compulsion to mess with things to see how they work.

As for the reality media player if someone doesnt do it it's not gonna get done because hermes has quit the ps2 dev business due to a certain other site and this has caused the team that made reality media player to announce they will not be making a new version of it or even releasing the version they were working on at the time which was rumoured to have hdd support
So either someone steps up and has a go at it or it will never happen(especially now the pstwo has been confirmed as having no hdd bay,an anti-hdloader strategy by sony?)
As I said I'm quite happy to try what I can with it but I'm not all that experienced with it,I am a fast learner tho,so I will no doubt be asking alot of questions when I get stuck.

I know people have talked about this before but I'm not the type to give up without trying,the worst that can happen is I dont manage to get it going which I agree is highly likely,but then again I might stumble on something that helps someone with more knowledge get it working,you never know!

[eight_heads]

i'd like to know how to decompile something like this also, i've got a little assembly and various other programming experience and would like to just play around with a couple things