[PS2] POPS stuff & POPStarter

I'm not sure but maybe it's because the bootsector of your game is not valid (no license at all, or modified PS logo, or modified license text). Some patched/translated/hacked games come with a bad bootsector. If I'm correct, POPS cannot run such VCD with an external BIOS.BIN, while POPStarter is able to make them run by patching POPS and its built-in BIOS (POPStarter cannot patch an external BIOS.BIN).
Also, games which require the compatibility mode 0x06 cannot run if a BIOS.BIN is used, because the compatibility mode 0x06 is a patch for the built-in BIOS.

 

Did anyone ever find out the technical details as to why Final Fantasy 7 doesn't work with the pops stuff?

 

Try maybe reading the sources of other emulators how mednafen wip, psxfin or android psx emulators. there are many tips. how DMA Channels and subchannels fixes and tricks spu irq.

For example Parasite Eve 2 in many forums say the loading freeze is a problem with the video code or player problems, in medanfen wip sources coment tricks for DMA fixes in the stages with patrols and police, but all the info is very difficult for a person how me with no knowledge of programming all this is 不知道

I think the POPS Emu its a baby in diapers but krHACKen with much effort, has made to grow very much

 

I have some weird bugs to report, first of all the ulaunchelf included in the new WIP versions turns off my PS2 HDD every time I go back to the PS2 Browser... which is no good since it disables the HDD OSD. Could it be fix?

Now on to the actual problems with the emulators, I've tried launching the new versions with the ulanchelf included in the package and also with the one I had in my PS2 (ule wip7) and every time I load wip 03 or 04 with the games installed in the PS2's HDD I only get a black screen. Now here's the funny part, wip 03 works if I launch the games with a USB flashdrive in ule, but wip 04 doesn't work either through usb with ule or HDD. But if I launch wip 03 or 04 with OPL (only tested with the games in the PS2 HDD) those versions work fine. So just to sum everything up:

WIP 03 launched with ule: works with usb, doesn't work with PS2 HDD.
WIP 04 launched with ule: doesn't work with usb or PS2 HDD.

WIP 03 and 04 launched with opl: tested only with PS2 HDD and everything works fine.

I'm guessing WIP 04 will work with usb if launched with OPL although I haven't tested it yet (too lazy to change the app config lol)

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BTW which icon was removed from WIP 04? Is it the one that the HDD OSD shows in the POPS save partition? If so I think I removed it a long time ago and it defaulted back to a briefcase with the PS symbols which I think looks a lot better. So I have installed games with the old PP. method but since the icon was different I couldn't tell if there was a problem.

 

Thank you for the clarification, i not tested the new WIP 04 version but as i see
appeared problems and i wait until the fix, keep the good work.
Ah, and i have a lot of kHn files for integrate compatibility modes in the emu,
when you like i can give you them.

Best regards.

 

Download Mirror 1
Download Mirror 2

Fixes/modes I integrated to this build are :

For games that are run from a __.POPS partition, POPStarter saves a default MC icon in VMC folders. This one :

The root "POPS" folder always have the HDDOSD briefcase icon.
POPStarter had a function that was supposed to read the PP.GAME partition icon and put it as the game VMC folder icon (instead of saving the default one the above picture shows). That function never worked, and even worse, it saved a piece of garbage which made the HDDOSD display the VMC folder as "corrupted data" (as reported by cde). So I removed that function, now it always saves the default VMC folder icon of the above pic.
The user can still manually replace it by its own icon...

Thanks. For now I'm done with the kHn and TROJAN files. I've added 60+ in this build and it took me hours. Embedding that stuff in POPStarter is long, complicated and exhausting hehehe. I think I'm not gonna add more kHn files for a long time.

 

Thanks a lot for the new build and game fixes, krHACKen! we really appreciate your hard work!

Greetings.

 

Great job, krHACKen!

 

Thank you very much for fix the problems of the emu and for integrate this all 60+ files, which
sounds a long and tedious task, well then i keep the files until you like it, or if there is any way
that i can help you to integrate myself the files i have time.

Best regards.

 

Thanks for all the fixes krHACKen everything is working now. And wow awesome side effect for the PSX.

 

Novo link

Não tem nenhuma modificação na lista, é a mesma de antes. A nova versão “WIP5”, não tem nenhuma mudança na compatibilidade dos jogos.

O que eu modifiquei:
-Substitui o arquivo “POPSTARTER.ELF” do WIP2 para o WIP5, dentro do arquivo “#toolbox_Português.exe”;
-Acrescentei dois vídeos “(POPS.PAK).avi” e “(POPSTARTER.ELF).avi” na pasta “Textos_texts”, dentro da pasta “toolbox_automático_automatic”;
-Acrescentei o arquivo “No 2nd Pad in IGR\TROJAN_9.BIN”, dentro do arquivo “#toolbox_Português.exe”;
-Consertei o link do site no arquivo “Créditos_Credits.pdf”;
-Acrescentei o programa “#POPSTARTER_ELF_Substituir_Portugues.exe”;
-Agora você pode escolhe o caminho nos programas “#toolbox_Português.exe” e “#conf_apps.bat”;
-O restante dos arquivos, são os mesmos de antes.

Translated by Chrome

New link

There's no change in the list is the same as before. The new version “WIP5”, has no change in the compatibility of games.

What I modified:
-Overwrites the file “POPSTARTER.ELF” the WIP2 for WIP5, within the file “#toolbox_English (Translated by Chrome).exe”;
-I added two videos “(POPS.PAK).avi” and “(POPSTARTER.ELF).avi” in folder “Textos_texts”, inside the folder “toolbox_automático_automatic”;
-I added the file “No 2nd Pad in IGR\TROJAN_9.BIN”, within the file “#toolbox_English (Translated by Chrome).exe”;
-I fixed the website link in file “Créditos_Credits.pdf”;
-I added the program “#POPSTARTER_ELF_Replace_English (Translated by Chrome).exe”;
-Now you can choose the path in the programs “#toolbox_English (Translated by Chrome).exe” and “#conf_apps (Translated by Chrome).bat”;
-The rest of the files, are the same as before.

https://mega.co.nz/#F!jEsXnBhQ!Mq20PpEHaILrZKqM1IgxZA

 

Well, i think i'll have to change my POPStarter setup this time ! It's been a soOo long time since i've bother with POPStarter files and PS2 stuff, that i wonder if i will be able to remind all the steps.

So this is what i could sum up :

- copy/past the new POPSTARTER.ELF

- use the IGR Behavior of my choice

- i'm a bit lost in game fixes and compatibility modes, specially the automated function. The compatibility modes and LibCrypt are integrated to POPStarter, right ? Do i have to copy each PATCH_X.BIN needed in each VMC folder ? And waht about Crash Fix ? For those games, i'll have to copy the TROJAN_1.BIN in its VMC folder ?


Sorry for so noobish post, but i realized that i've got too late in POPStarter enhancements :/

Thank you !

 

Integration means that the TROJANs are embedded to POPStarter, and they're automatically activated once POPStarter has recognized your VCD.
Example : Since the Tomb Raider crash fix is now integrated, you no longer need to have its TROJAN_1.BIN file in the VMC directory, POPStarter will fix the game. If you have this TROJAN_1.BIN file in your VMC directory, it can be deleted.

Game fix files are still included in the POPStarter zip, in case POPStarter fails to recognize the VCDs and doesn't auto-activate the fixes (this may happen when a game has been ripped/hacked). In that case, the user has to copy the TROJAN files to the VMC directories.

Yes, to update POPStarter (let's say from 02 to 05 for example), just replace all your renamed POPStarter ELFs by the new POPStarter ELF.
Pick one IGR behavior modifier file, and copy it to hdd0:/__common/POPS/ or mass:/POPS/

When using uLE_kHn_20150602, just replace hdd0:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF and mass:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF so the WIP 05 is launched when you select a VCD.

 

oOokeyYy !
So the easiest way is to change uLE So no need to change the whole POPSTARTER.ELF files.
I really have to recheck all my setup, in order to clean all the un-needed files/folders.
When i changed V12 for V13, i used a new HDD and a new memcard. So i rebuild the whole setup (nad i still have one working spare).
I think i'll do the same here

 

You need to change those POPStarter.elfs files, otherwise its not updated.

 

Ya. hdd0:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF and mass:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF are fixed paths used by uLE to launch VCDs. So if you also want to launch your games by executing the renamed ELFs, then you need to change those renamed ELFs too.
Otherwise, if you want to "migrate" to the uLE method and don't want to use the renamed ELFs anymore, you can delete the renamed ELFs so versions/updates don't give you headache.
The uLE I'm talking about is the one which is bundled with POPStarter 13 WIP 05, that can launch VCDs by selecting them in the FileBrowser...

EDIT : I removed some old stuff from the first post and fixed the broken links to the useful posts.
Check out the POPS section of PS2 Home for quick-jump to the old stuff, tutorials, online ducumentation and more... Jay-Jay has been working hard in fixing the link and copying the docs so they're readable in an attractive layout.
EDIT2 : Added a link to joseri's post in the first post

 

Yeah, i wanan migrate to the simplest use.
this uLE method seems pretty useful, ne need to creat/rename all those POPSTARTER.ELF.
There are only two POPSTARTER.ELF files now. (and even one because i set all POPStater in HDD).

 

@krHACKen
The game compatibility of WIP 05 is greater then WIP 02, even games not inclued in the patch list.
As far as I tested, Shachou Eiyuu Den (Japan) would crash the POPS and freeze from time to time with POPStarter WIP 02, but it runs flawlessly with WIP 05.
What magic did you do to POPS, krHACKen?

 

@GXB
Thanks for letting me know. That's weird... because I haven't modified anything that could improve the emulator stability with the other non-listed games. Do you run Shachou Eiyuu Den from USB ? From what I know, the compatibility with USB is a tad random. I mean, some games that are known to work may crash unexpectedly when run from the USB, even if the device is not fragmented and the working game VCDs weren't moved. On a same manner, a game that was crashy before may start running correctly another day :/ .

 

Eu comparei minha lista de compatibilidade USB (NTSC-U), com a lista oficial USB (NTSC-U). Poucas diferenças, de uma para outra.

Minha lista:
--Eu fiz sozinho, tentando ser o mais correto e coerente possível. Métodos.
Primeiro: Ter o arquivo “.cue” correto do jogo, comparando-o com o site “redump.org”;
Segundo: O jogo com tela preta. Usar o truque do programa “Boot_Screen_Editor_v2.0” para tentar resolver, se não funcionar, baixar outra imagem do jogo em algum site confiável, como o “coolrom”;
Terceiro: Tentar todos os modos de compatibilidade;
Quarto: Tentar outra BIOS;
Quinto: Modificações no “POPSTARTER.ELF”, orientadas por este texto “3-ADVANCED.TXT” (Todos os meus arquivos “POPSTARTER.ELF”, estavam no PC, dentro da pasta “POPStarter” no compartilhamento SMB. Isso facilitou muito o meu trabalho, se eu queria modificar, exemplo: “XX.AMERICAN_POOL.ELF”, eu ia lá na pasta e modificava, rápido e prático);
--Todos os jogos testados no início, de 15 a 20 minutos cada jogo (Eu percebi, quando existe algum problema de emulação, ele aparece logo no início do jogo. Outros problemas que pode aparecer depois do início do jogo, são, problemas do próprio jogo ou proteção anti cópias, que pode travar o jogo em algum momento. Se eu gastasse mais tempo, eu nunca iria terminar a lista);

Lista oficial:
--Várias pessoas. Métodos.
Vários;
--Tempo de teste. Não informado.

PELO AMOR DE DEUS, eu não estou tirando mérito de ninguém, eu só estou fazendo uma pequena comparação. Se eu ofendi alguém com o que eu acabei de escrever, desde de já, eu peço MIL DESCULPAS, esta não foi minha intenção.

Translated by Chrome

I compared my Compatibility List USB (NTSC-U), with the official list USB (NTSC-U). Few differences, from one to another.

My list:
--I did alone, trying to be as accurate and consistent as possible. Methods.
First: Having the file “.cue” correct from game, comparing it to the site “redump.org”;
Second: The game with black screen. Use the trick of “Boot_Screen_Editor_v2.0” program to try to resolve, if it does not, download another image of the game in a trusted site, such as “coolrom”;
Third: Try all compatibility modes;
Fourth: Try another BIOS;
Fifth:. Changes in “POPSTARTER.ELF”, guided by this text “3-ADVANCED.TXT” (All my files “POPSTARTER.ELF” were on the PC, within the “POPStarter” folder on the SMB share. This greatly facilitated the my job, if I wanted to change, eg “XX.AMERICAN_POOL.ELF”, I went there in the folder and modified, fast and convenient);
--All games tested in early, of 15 to 20 minutes each game (I realized when there is a problem of emulation, it comes up, early in the game. Other problems that can appear after the start of the game are, the game itself problems or anti copy protection, which can freeze the game at some point. If I used more time, I would never finish the list);

Official list:
--Many people. Methods.
Several;
--Test time. Uninformed.

BY THE LOVE OF GOD, I'm not taking merit from anyone, I'm just doing a little comparison. If I offended anyone with what I just wrote, since already, I ask THOUSAND EXCUSES, this was not my intention.