Is it too late to get into Playstation 2 Development?

Post by **Drakonite** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:57 am

I could be wrong, but I thought you couldn't go through enough of the setup to get the RTE installed if you didn't have a HDD.

Post by **ooPo** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:36 am

Start up in rescue mode and you'll get a limited bash prompt. It has network support so its possible, but a pain in the arse because you have to figure out how to install rpms with utils you need access the memory cards, and to grab whatever files you need to put on them from the network. All this on a limited memory-based root.

When I have time, I'll figure it out and maybe post a guide to getting this to work on the pstwo.

Post by **mrbrown** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:40 am

The RTE is never installed. What you would try to do on the PSX is to boot the PS2L disc with a memory card that already has what you need on it. But IIRC, I read that no Sony discs for PS2 work for PSX, so if the PS2L boot disc doesn't work, it's moot anyway. I'm 99% sure that the kernel used in the PSX is different enough that reload1 wouldn't work as is either.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:24 am

Drakonite wrote:I could be wrong, but I thought you couldn't go through enough of the setup to get the RTE installed if you didn't have a HDD.

It may be, or it could be the pain in the ass as Oopo described, but once you install a capable kernel onto a memory card, all you have to do is boot the kernel with a minimal OS installed onto the memory card. Or, you can write your own kernel. None of those situations truly requires a HDD, only a RTE disc and a memory card.

I suppose there is a point that, if one only has the new PStwo, and does not have access to an older model with a HDD, then one cannot configure a proper dev bootable memcard for use with an RTE disc. Such people will also have missed out on buying a Linux kit from Sony. In both cases, they will have to resort to the used good market to obtain what they need.

Post by **mrbrown** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:27 pm

Well ooPo just said it's possible to install PS2/Linux to the memory card if you have the new PS2 (why do people keep calling it PSTwo??). I don't think the same method would work on a PSX, because they won't boot discs that SCE created for the original PS2. Still waiting for someone with a PSX to try it out :P.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:00 pm

mrbrown wrote: I don't think the same method would work on a PSX, because they won't boot discs that SCE created for the original PS2. Still waiting for someone with a PSX to try it out :P.

Oh you were waiting ? I told everyone on #ps2dev, but guess you don't
hang out there anymore :)

Sony hard-coded the PSX bios to explicitly reject the PS2 Linux RTE disc. When
you put one in, it displays a message basically saying "sorry, give me something else". This is a completely different message from trying out-of-region discs. (yes I tried it with a JPN RTE disc)

Post by **mrbrown** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:16 pm

Those bastards! What were they thinking?!?!

Post by **pixel** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:37 pm

Maybe they were thinking about getting rid of the reloader thing :P

Or maybe they thought it could be dangerous to have the linux kit running on a machine which is maybe not designed for it (destroying the PSX harddrive's partitions is harmful maybe?)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:44 pm

The latter is my guess. Installing Linux would disrupt the functionality of the HDD for PVR purposes most likely. It might even be possible that there is data/software on the HDD that is not meant to be destroyed/overwritten that is important for proper functioning of the PVR (I am trying to confirm this).

Unfortunately, the MC exploit also does not work, so right now it is next to impossible to dev this puppy.

Post by **mrbrown** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:22 am

The Super Hyper Mega AR MAX EVO GOLD Plus Edition doesn't work with it?

Post by **ooPo** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:28 am

Version 1.0 of the gameshark won't boot on the pstwo.

Yes, the pstwo. You know, the mini ps2? That pstwo. Kinda like how they created the psone. That would be why people call it the pstwo. And stuff. :)

What is with Sony and the way they name things? Life was easier when there was only the psx. Sheesh.

Post by **mrbrown** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:39 am

Heh, this time around it's US that's making things complicated. You saying it says PSTwo on the box you bought it in? Sony was consistent this time around.

Anyway, if that's what people want to call it - it makes no difference to me.

Post by **ooPo** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 7:21 am

It came in a box?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:36 am

mrbrown wrote:The Super Hyper Mega AR MAX EVO GOLD Plus Edition doesn't work with it?

Well, I hear there is no JPN version of AR MAX EVO GOLD PLUS LUDICROUS EDITION.
I guess I can scavange some local stores to verify...

But all this about the non-working MC exploit, RTE disc, and AR MAX was
discussed in detail 3 weeks ago in this cool thread on an even cooler website,
maybe you haven't had a chance to check it out ;)

http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=663

Post by **mrbrown** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:36 pm

PERPETUATE THE THREAD AT ALL COSTS!!!

Post by **ooPo** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:13 pm

This thread came with a box?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:47 pm

Its called "THREADtwo" except that its not a lower-calorie version.

coolamn · Post by **coolamn** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 11:42 pm

We should enjoy the process for homebrew, but not for the new things!

Post by **ooPo** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:50 am

You'd think threadtwo would be smaller than the normal threads...

Post by **mrbrown** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:12 am

ooPo, if you try loading the HDD drivers onto the mini PS2, what happens? I'm curious if the IDE controller has been completely removed or if it's just "unattached".

Post by **ooPo** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:43 am

I haven't been able to get ps2link running on it yet, but any hdd software I've run (ffxi hdd util, ps2linux boot) has acted like the drive isn't there but the controller is attached. I would imagine they used the same hardware as the old network adaptor...

Lemme open it up and take a look tonight...

Post by **mrbrown** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:57 am

Loading the ps2dev HDD drivers should give you a better idea what's going on (because of the verbose output). Also, on a lower level, if the IDE controller is "attached" then there's a flag set in one of the SPEED revision registers. ps2atad.irx makes decisions off of that also. I can't remember which bit it is ATM, but it should be early in ps2atad.irx.

How did they act like the controller was attached?

Post by **mrbrown** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:01 am

Yeah, that would be line 113 of ps2atad.c, with the following code:

Code: Select all

        if &#40;!&#40;SPD_REG16&#40;SPD_R_REV_3&#41; & 0x02&#41; || !&#40;SPD_REG16&#40;SPD_R_0e&#41; & 0x02&#41;&#41; &#123;
                M_PRINTF&#40;"HDD is not connected, exiting.\n"&#41;;
                goto out;
        &#125;

So bit 1 of SPD_R_REV_3 (or SPD_R_0e) is set if the IDE controller exists. If you get that message then there's no IDE hardware whatsoever.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 9:06 pm

Food for thought,

On the network adaptor, there are two chips - I am guessing one
is the SMAP chip, and the other is the speed chip. Serial and IDE
attach directly to the speed chip. SMAP also attaches there. Oh,
and the bus connector to the PS2.

Looking at pictures of the PStwo mainboard, the SMAP chip appears
to exist, but the speed chip is no where to be seen. I am assuming
it would still appear as having green trim packaging, and the only
chip fitting that description on the PStwo is the IOP.

So that leaves only two possibilities:

The speed chip was merged into another chip - likely the SSBUS
controller.

The minimum functionality needed to masquerade as a SPEED was
merged into the SMAP chip, including the serial lines.

Ok, a third possibility - speed exists as a different type of packaging,
but seeing as I do not yet have a PStwo I can't confirm.

Is this the longest thread in ps2dev history ?

Post by **mrbrown** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 1:21 am

I don't really care about that, I just would like to know if the IDE controller exists in the mini PS2 :).

Post by **mrbrown** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 1:28 am

Another device to check for, since there's no way to confirm it exists on the PSX, is the DEV9 flash device. If you were to load extflash.irx on the mini PS2 it would tell you if the device existed or not.

Post by **ooPo** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:08 am

I don't think Sony calls it the 'mini PS2', by the way. :)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 1:22 pm

mrbrown wrote:Another device to check for, since there's no way to confirm it exists on the PSX, is the DEV9 flash device. If you were to load extflash.irx on the mini PS2 it would tell you if the device existed or not.

Using the part numbers you listed in the extflash source for the chips, I
could not locate them on the PSX when I checked awhile back. However,
they could have used parts from a different vendor ?

On the other hand... there are what appears to be many flash chips on
the PSX. I haven't looked recently, and I am by no means an electronics
expert.

(still trying to find a way to dev this thing...)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:39 pm

mrbrown wrote:Another device to check for, since there's no way to confirm it exists on the PSX, is the DEV9 flash device. If you were to load extflash.irx on the mini PS2 it would tell you if the device existed or not.

The PSX has a device called "xfrom:" where BIEXEC-SYSTEM files can
exist similar to normal memory cards.

Thats all I have been able to determine so far....

Post by **mrbrown** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 3:30 pm

xfrom sits on top of extflash, so that confirms it :).