Help: ARMAX cannot load newer version of ps2 programs

ntt2005 · Post by **ntt2005** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:31 am

Hi all, I have a slim PS2 and I use ARMax to load ps2dev programs. However, for some reasons, I can only load order version of the programs. For e.g., I can load PS2 Reality Media Player version 1.50 but not version PRO (2.1?), ps2link 1.22 but not 1.24 or 1.46. Does anybody here know what is wrong?

On a side note, could somebody help me with ps2link 1.22 (the version which is loadable with ARMAX) ? It requires a file mc0:/BWLINUX/IO....IRX (I don't remember the exact name). How do I copy these files to my memory card.

Thanks in advance,
T

Post by **Drakonite** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:34 am

The ARMax loader code is complete rubish, and has lots of problems with lots of things.

The reason ps2link 1.22 is dying is because it thinks it is being booted from mc and can't find it's irx files. I assume you are trying to get armax to boot it off a usb drive... the only version(s) of ps2link that would be capable of booting from a usb drive correctly would be a builtin_irx version (assuming the default IP values are correct)--and the only ps2link with this feature is 1.46. However as previously mentioned the armax loader code is complete rubish, and I believe it has problems with the code that allows ps2link to embed it's irx.

ntt2005 · Post by **ntt2005** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:41 am

Thanks for the clarification. You're right that I'm booting PS2Link 1.22 off a USB drive using ARMax. Do you happen to know a better loader than ARMax?

Thanks,

ntt2005

Post by **Drakonite** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:28 am

Just about anything

ntt2005 · Post by **ntt2005** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:42 am

Hmm, after playing around a little bit, I'm able to launch all latest ps2dev programs using ARMax, without buying a modchip or SwapMagic. The trick is to put ulaunchELF on a PS2 DVD instead of PS2 CD (search for ulaunchELF DVD iso on the web if you don't know how to make a homebrew PS2 DVD). Then, load the programs in the following order

ARMax media player -> CDLoader.elf (from USB) -> a valid PS2 game -> swap-in the ulaunchELF DVD

after that, you can load, for e.g. SMS, using the network (I upload SMS from my PC to my memory card, so that I don't have to use the network each time I use SMS).

Hope this helps someone new to homebrew PS2.

Kojima · Post by **Kojima** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:44 am

Man how can you handle jumping through so many hoops? Buy a mod chip if you can afford it, nothing beats booting from os to your game in 10 seconds.

ntt2005 · Post by **ntt2005** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 9:17 am

Hmm, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, I live in LA and it's very hard to find an installer here. I modded the older PS2 but it dies on me one year ago. I cannot solder the slim PS2 I have at the moment (a big buying mistake). So I have to content with swapping discs.

enemyboss · Post by **enemyboss** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 4:22 am

KeyLauncher will boot with AR MAX 3.36, but it requires that the KL.DAT (configuration file) file be in the BADATA-SYSTEM of memory card 1. Putting the KL.DAT in a KL folder, on the USB mass drive is supposed to work too according to the readme, but it will not work for all USB drives (it didn't work on mine). Read any tutorial on the independence exploit to learn how use Save Builder 0.8 and AR MAX to put files into the memory card's system folder (called BADATA-SYSTEM in North America).

KeyLauncher I think is a better way to boot any ELF under AR MAX because mediaplayer's elf launcher is very poor, and Keylauncher is the only updated launcher I could find that AR MAX could load from a USB pen drive. No disc swapping is necessary. This technique is still not as neat as the independence exploit, but it does work on my slimline PS2. Although I'm not sure how using a good launcher from under a bad launcher could create good and stable environment for ELFs.

Should launching Keylauncher totally replace or overwrite AR MAX's loader, or is it still lingering somewhere in memory waiting to cause problems? This is a question I'd like an expert here to answer.

I have only tested this method with snes-station, and LauncherElf, which never did load correctly under AR MAX before. Also, even though I boot Keylauncher off the USB pen drive, I load my other elfs (and their data files) from BADATA-SYSTEM on the memory card.

hitchhikr · Post by **hitchhikr** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:43 am

Latest ps2link compatible with armax, it runs directly from the usb (tested on a slim scph-75004).

http://perso.orange.fr/franck.charlet/t ... _armax.zip