A Series of new updates for FMCB since June '18 by sp193
The PS2 Community is still going strong and developer @sp193 continues to make improvements across the board on the PS2, with some of the dev's latest work coming with a series of new updates to Free Memory Card Boot (FMCB), Since June of this year the dev has provided the progress and reports as seen in the thread (in the psx-place forums) and kept us informed. There has been alot of new changes since June and each of those changes can be seen in the "Recent Developments" along with some other details about the project be sure to view all links the dev has provided for additional details about this project if your a new comer to FMCB or the PS2.
What is FMCB?
Free Memory Card Boot (FMCB) is a piece of homebrew software, which is designed to setup your PlayStation 2 console and provides you with means of launching homebrew software, without the need for any extra hardware, modifications to your console or dangerous tricks like the legendary swap trick.
FMCB was originally developed by Neme and Jimmikaelkael, but they have been kind enough to provide me (sp193) with access to its source code, for me to make some improvements to it.
FMCB is installed onto your memory card. While clone/compatible memory cards may work, they are copies of a proprietary memory card, which often means that they aren't perfectly compatible. Please use clones/compatibles at your own risk.
FMCB will not allow you to boot games that you cannot already play. This means no playing of burned and imported discs.
Free Memory Card Boot (FMCB) is a piece of homebrew software, which is designed to setup your PlayStation 2 console and provides you with means of launching homebrew software, without the need for any extra hardware, modifications to your console or dangerous tricks like the legendary swap trick.
FMCB was originally developed by Neme and Jimmikaelkael, but they have been kind enough to provide me (sp193) with access to its source code, for me to make some improvements to it.
FMCB is installed onto your memory card. While clone/compatible memory cards may work, they are copies of a proprietary memory card, which often means that they aren't perfectly compatible. Please use clones/compatibles at your own risk.
FMCB will not allow you to boot games that you cannot already play. This means no playing of burned and imported discs.
What is FHDB?
Free Harddisk Drive Boot (FHDB) is basically FMCB that gets installed onto the PlayStation 2 console's HDD unit. It does everything like FMCB does, but is meant to be used with the Sony HDDOSD (Browser update v2.00). Patched/modified copies of the HDDOSD may not work, although non-Sony disks are supported by FHDB itself. ***Whether the hacked HDD OSD supports non-Sony disks or not depends on whether it was modified to support non-Sony disks.***
Modifying or getting a pre-modified copy of the HDDOSD is not under this project, which is why that topic will not be discussed here. Like with FMCB, FHDB will not allow you to boot games that you cannot already play. This means no playing of burned and imported discs.
Free Harddisk Drive Boot (FHDB) is basically FMCB that gets installed onto the PlayStation 2 console's HDD unit. It does everything like FMCB does, but is meant to be used with the Sony HDDOSD (Browser update v2.00). Patched/modified copies of the HDDOSD may not work, although non-Sony disks are supported by FHDB itself. ***Whether the hacked HDD OSD supports non-Sony disks or not depends on whether it was modified to support non-Sony disks.***
Modifying or getting a pre-modified copy of the HDDOSD is not under this project, which is why that topic will not be discussed here. Like with FMCB, FHDB will not allow you to boot games that you cannot already play. This means no playing of burned and imported discs.
NEW (re-release's) = New changes that were made since the initial releases.
FMCB v1.964: This is mainly for users of the SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000 and SCPH-18000.
FMCB+FHDB:
FMCB+FHDB:
- Replaced bad HDDLOAD.IRX (fixed booting of FHDB on SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000 & SCPH-18000).
- Increased maximum item count to 256, reduced maximum length to 128.
Changelog for installer v0.983 (2018/07/04):
- NEW - Updated LaunchELF.
- NEW - Updated USBHDFSD, to ensure that files can be written and renamed safely.
- NEW - Pressing the back button at the keep CNF screen will abort the installation.
- Fixed inability to boot the DVD player update, by re-addeding the accidentally deleted code.
- NEW - Updated USBHDFSD, to ensure that files can be written and renamed safely.
- Fixed inability to boot the DVD player update, by re-addeding the accidentally deleted code.
- Updated USBHDFSD.
- Updated LaunchELF.
I have attempted to fix the age-old flaw within USBHDFSD that might be responsible for the rare occurrance of filesystem corruption, whenever new files are added (or if files are renamed).
FMCB + FHDB v1.962 Re-released! This update is mainly to replace the previous package, which had a LaunchELF build that had issues with launching some (older) homebrew software.
The replacement LaunchELF build also has the rename operation enabled for all supported devices (memory card, USB mass storage device and the HDD unit). For those of you who have no need to install/update FMCB/FHDB, you can simply grab the new LaunchELF
FMCB/FHDB v1.962:
- Fixed inability to boot DVDs from the browser, by re-addeding the accidentally deleted cleanup code.
- Added a call to deinitialize libpad to the FMCB Configurator, for stability after exiting.
- Fixed play history being updated twice, when a DVD Video disc is played.
- NEW - Updated OSD init code (fix for the mix-up on 06/23). Might not really result in any real benefits though.
- Added option to format the HDD unit, if not formatted.
- Updated translation template.
- Rebuilt to have the fixed PFS driver.
- Updated FSCK to v0.961 - fixed checking of PFS partitions.
- Updated LaunchELF.
- Corrected logic error in UI that prevented FHDB from being installed.
- Updated FSCK, to also correct the same logic error within it.
- Updated LaunchELF, to fix the display mode setting problem and the inability to reliably boot ELFs.
- NEW - Updated LaunchELF to fix booting of old software and to enable renaming for supported devices.
- Fixed inability to boot DVDs from the browser, by re-addeding the accidentally deleted cleanup code.
- Added a call to deinitialize libpad to the FMCB Configurator, for stability after exiting.
- Fixed play history being updated twice, when a DVD Video disc is played.
Also because I must have accidentally hit the "keep both files button", the previous update did not get overwritten. So there is now probably some confusion over the version number. This shall become the new release, which will hopefully be the last one...
As for how the glitch came about: I changed the DVD Player selection code for v1.96. So while trying to get it to work, I commented out the code that deinitializes the RPC services... so libcdvd was (silently) failing because its semaphores were deleted by the EE kernel, but it couldn't be initialized because it thinks it already was initialized. So the lesson here, is as some old advice goes - there is a risk involved when we comment out code while debugging.
FMCB v1.96 Re-released!
- Updated USBHDFSD, for better USB device performance
- Updated HDD modules.
- Updated to build with the latest PS2SDK, for reliability.
- Corrected logic error in history-updating code.
- Replaced DVD player booting code, to give the Sony-like behaviour. For compatibility with all DVD players and projects.
- NEW! - Re-released with the corrected USBHDFSD and PFS modules.
- UI rework.
- Updated USBHDFSD module for performance.
- Updated translation template.
- NEW! - re-released with the corrected USBHDFSD and PFS modules.
- NEW! - Updated FSCK to v0.96.
USBHDFSD had issues with writing correctly. Since external homebrew software may use the USBHDFSD module that FMCB/FHDB provides, I have made a new package.
LaunchELF also has its own copies of USBHDFSD and PFS, which have been updated as well.
FMCB v1.96:
- Updated USBHDFSD, for better USB device performance
- Updated HDD modules.
- Updated to build with the latest PS2SDK, for reliability.
- Corrected logic error in history-updating code.
- Replaced DVD player booting code, to give the Sony-like behaviour. For compatibility with all DVD players and projects
- UI rework.
- Updated USBHDFSD module for performance.
- Updated translation template.
Note: there were a lot of changes made, code-wise. Some changes were even lost in time.
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What does FMCB v1.9 offer?
For mere humans:
- Smaller, faster and more stable.
- The HDD unit is now supported.
- The "Early Japanese"/PCMCIA units (SCPH-10000, SCPH-15000 and SCPH-18000) are fully supported.
- Includes kernel update (ExecPS2 fix) for the SCPH-10000 and SCPH-15000.
- Chinese consoles are now supported (e.g. SCPH-50009).
- Support for the PSX (DVR)
- When you leave the CD/DVD tray ejected, FMCB/FHDB will not stall.
- Your play history will now be updated (The towers in the background of the "Sony computer entertainment" screen should continue to grow taller and greater in numbers).
- Support for selected DEX console models.
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1 comments:
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