Issues with kernelloader1.9 on a PSTwo Slim

[penguinbassist42]

I really want to get linux running on my pstwo slim, I know this is not easy but I have a reasonable amount of knowledge about linux, and would like to use the PS2 for more than just games.

My problem is, the kernel loader won't even start! It starts to load modules, then a message comes up saying

"Error Message:
Fail--------load module
"ero--------ader.irx".

One or two modules then load, still with the error message showing, and it finally freezes on the error message.

(The dashes are there to show where that ****ing image of a floppy disk blocks out the text.)

I've tried various other versions, including the Slim-specific one from this (http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php?t=10156) thread.

BTW, I'm running it on a SCHP 75002 PSTwo Slim, from a USB, using the latest FreeMCBoot.

Thanks everyone in advance.[/url]

[Mega Man]

The eromdrvloader.irx tries to load:
1. rom1:EROMDRV

If this fails it loads:
2. rom1:EROMDRV?

Where "?" is the letter of your region.

Can you please provide your ROM version. This is stored in the file:
rom0:ROMVER

The 5th character in ROMVER is your region letter. You need to check if this file exists.

You can get the ROM by using the ROM dumping tools, which were mentioned in one of the Linux threads on this forum.

The last number "2" of SCPH-75002 tells also the region.
I know "4" is "E" for europe. "2" seems to be australia, but I don't know the region letter.

[penguinbassist42]

Sorry, very new to ps2 homebrew, but *where* do I find "rom1:/"?
Can I get to the rom using uLaunch ELF? I couldn't find the tools in the forum.
It's a separate device right? Sorry for the noobie question.
BTW, definitely Australian. ;)

[jimmikaelkael]

A bios dump would be the best way to ensure of it, but I think the MagicGate region letter for australia is "O".

There's a special case for HongKong models which holds "H" as region letter in romver file but is able to decrypt both Asian and Japanese version of EROMDRV(EROMDRVA & EROMDRVJ) from their rom1.

You can check this page for details: http://home.comcast.net/~jnabk3/1.7/inject.html

[Mega Man]

So I need to know if ROM1:EROMDRVO exists and if "O" is the letter in ROMVER.

pukko generates ROM dumps when running on PS2.

http://forums.ps2dev.org/viewtopic.php? ... &start=150

You need also the ps2bios_unpacker to extract the files.

[penguinbassist42]

The download link to rapidshare is broken on the old forum post. I've been googling around for the pukko.rom*.elf, but I can't find anything. Could you put up another link or tell me where to go? ;)

The other tools were fine, they came through, but not exactly much use without the pukko.elf...

[Mega Man]

I needed to recompile it and I don't have tested it. You will need ps2link to run it, because the file is copied to the host.

http://rapidshare.com/files/243523966/p ... 0.elf.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/243524401/p ... 1.elf.html

[wolfate]

I had the exact same problem as penguinbassist42 described, but I used kernelloader v.1.6 and it worked just fine.

[Mega Man]

kernelloader v1.6 doesn't support DVD Video discs, so this error can't happen.

[nobutyeahbutno]

hello im having the same issue failed to load module eromdrvloader.irx.

i am able to contine but after a while when im toild to press X to continue.

however i have followed instructions xecatly in the txt file for the usb installer but when it gets to extraction after resizing usb disk it seems to keep freezing and thus renders usb not working and have to format and restart all over again....

i was able to take a bios dump for you guys that do development if you need an australian bios, my model is the SCPH-77002 (220 bios if i remember) i have free mcboot working with esr and uLauunch etc, i have tried 3 usb sticks all a recognised by ps2 and they all work in sms media player great and any other sony ps2 program that requires usb

my usb keyboard seems to be ok also and works i have tried 2 others they worked also.

i just seem to have issues with the kloader and usb install for linux :)

any help would be apreciated, i do have my bios dumps in a zip file around 5MB i can email if requested :)

best regards

ricky

[dlanor]

hello im having the same issue failed to load module eromdrvloader.irx.

i am able to contine but after a while when im toild to press X to continue.

however i have followed instructions xecatly in the txt file for the usb installer but when it gets to extraction after resizing usb disk it seems to keep freezing and thus renders usb not working and have to format and restart all over again....

I'm not sure exactly which installer package you tried, but it doesn't really matter as I am not aware of any installer package that can perform a fully working install on the later slim PSTwo models. The latest model that it does work correctly on is apparently the v13. But on v14 or later models (SCPH-750xx or higher) the installation always fails.

It is possible to make an install to a USB device using an older model though, and then boot that device on a later model (tested by me with a v7 SCPH-39004 and a v15 SCPH-77004). This has allowed me to use 'Dillo' and some other tools on my v14 in a few tests. But this usage is still not problem-free (graphical glitches and instability).

i was able to take a bios dump for you guys that do development if you need an australian bios, my model is the SCPH-77002 (220 bios if i remember) i have free mcboot working with esr and uLauunch etc, i have tried 3 usb sticks all a recognised by ps2 and they all work in sms media player great and any other sony ps2 program that requires usb

my usb keyboard seems to be ok also and works i have tried 2 others they worked also.

i just seem to have issues with the kloader and usb install for linux :)

any help would be apreciated, i do have my bios dumps in a zip file around 5MB i can email if requested :)

I believe the guys working on the USB installer packages are well aware of the basic problems, and a bios dump would probably not help (plus they probably have such already).

Also, be aware that the basic ROMVER info mentioned in earlier posts can easily be checked in modern versions of uLaunchELF (aka: uLE). Just use the FileBrowser to open "MISC/Debug Info", to see a text page that includes the entire content of the rom1:ROMVER file (a short string). So for such information rom dumping is not needed.

Best regards: dlanor

[deba5er]

@nobutyeahbutno

i just seem to have issues with the kloader and usb install for linux

Yes, unfortunately I have not found a solution (with my level of knowledge being able to test loading different modules, trying various Linux changes). Not only does heavy use of USB (perhaps affects write more than read?) cause hang-ups, but also on my windows share version, heavy writes over the network also cause segmentation faults. Reads are fine. It could be anything from interrupt handling to proper buffer handling in the drivers. There are plenty more tests (unfortunately) I need to get to the bottom of this. I can test with RTE modules and the older 2.2.1 kernel to compare DMA versus PIO modes (DMA is fastest, PIO is what we use now with non-RTE modules). I realize some of this might sound like mumbo-jumbo to you right now, but is also info for others keeping an eye on progress on ps2dev.org for Mega Man's kernelloader homebrew. You might try keeping an eye on the PS2-Linux forum at psx-scene as this ps2dev.org forum is dedicated to programming (as opposed to use of) homebrew on the PS2: http://psx-scene.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=167

[Mega Man]

Now I know that the problem is caused by the file rom0:ROMVER. The content is 0220JC20060210. The "J" is used as region code, so kernelloader will only work on a Japanese console. I assume that they use the same ROM0 on all regions. Kernelloader will also use NTSC. Sony must store the region code on a different location.
Does somebody know where the PS2 configuration is stored? I never needed to use this stuff.

[dlanor]

Now I know that the problem is caused by the file rom0:ROMVER. The content is 0220JC20060210. The "J" is used as region code, so kernelloader will only work on a Japanese console. I assume that they use the same ROM0 on all regions. Kernelloader will also use NTSC. Sony must store the region code on a different location.
Does somebody know where the PS2 configuration is stored? I never needed to use this stuff.

I think you must be wrong about this. So before you head off in a possibly wrong direction with your efforts, please consider these arguments against it:

AFAIK the region info is correctly stored in the rom0:ROMVER file for slim consoles as well as for fat consoles. I can't speak for all models though, since I obviously don't have that many consoles. But it definitely remains true for the v15 SCPH-77004 console that I mentioned earlier, which fails to install the Linux packages by deba5er to a USB drive, even though it can boot a USB drive prepared by my v7 SCPH-39004 console.

That v15 console has rom0:ROMVER == "0220EC20060210" as is normal for a european console, and since its ROMVER date is the same as yours they are even of the same 'generation'. So this installation problem is not in any way related to the software 'thinking' that my console is japanese.

If your console is supposed to be a US or Euro type, but still has a japanese ROMVER file then something is definitely wrong here, and I suspect that your console may have been tampered with (refurbished?) before you got it. The odd thing is that you took it as being a different region to begin with (US or Euro ?), but I believe this could be explained by having a US or Euro mechacon in the unit, as that is what determines the bootability of DVD discs.

It would be interesting to know what your OSDSYS menu shows for the "System Configuration""Version" command. The SCPH-xxxxx number shown there is of course the one from the bios ROM, same as your ROMVER file, so I suspect that this too may indicate japanese region with the final two digits of the code being "00" rather than "01"/"12" for a US console or "03"/"04" for a Euro console.

Either way, something has definitely been tampered with if the SCPH code from the ROM does not match that on the outer cover of the PS2.

Yet another reason for possible differencies in the type code or ROMVER file is if you have a modchip that tampers with either of them for its own purposes. I've never investigated that issue though. On that note I should also add that the v15 console mentioned above is completely unmodded (unlike my v7 which does have a DMS4pro chip), so no modchip was involved in the tests of my slim console at any time.

Best regards: dlanor

[Mega Man]

Ok, I checked it and your are right.

I have a BIOS dump of a SCPH-77002 (Australian). Now I've dumped my SCPH-77004 BIOS (Europe/German). The ROM dumps are identical for both regions. When I read the file ROMVER from the ROM dump, I get 0220JC20060210 for both consoles. But when I read rom0:ROMVER using a homebrew program, I get 0220EC20060210 on my German PSTwo.

Note: The region problem is causing the eromdrvloader.irx error. I know that this doesn't cause the USB problems. I've the same USB problems on my v15, but I wasn't able to debug the error yet.

So I still need the information what ROMVER is printed on the Australian and American version if "MISC/Debug Info" is selected from the file browser in uLaunchELF.

[nobutyeahbutno]

Ok, I checked it and your are right.

I have a BIOS dump of a SCPH-77002 (Australian). Now I've dumped my SCPH-77004 BIOS (Europe/German). The ROM dumps are identical for both regions. When I read the file ROMVER from the ROM dump, I get 0220JC20060210 for both consoles. But when I read rom0:ROMVER using a homebrew program, I get 0220EC20060210 on my German PSTwo.

Note: The region problem is causing the eromdrvloader.irx error. I know that this doesn't cause the USB problems. I've the same USB problems on my v15, but I wasn't able to debug the error yet.

So I still need the information what ROMVER is printed on the Australian and American version if "MISC/Debug Info" is selected from the file browser in uLaunchELF.

i have tested the australian compiled version you sent to me and the erom error no longer appeard and i was able to browse the contents of the dvd using the kloader file menu. still unable to use the auto usb installer for linux due to usb freezing during writes not reads. same happens with uLaucnh after 1-5mins time varies on both apps.

[Mega Man]

Now I've got the information that "0220EC20060210" is the content of rom0:ROMVER on an Australian SCPH-77002. Maybe "E" only means PAL. I assume that on an American console there is a "J". So I don't know how to detect the DVD region.

[deba5er]

@nobutyeahbutno

still unable to use the auto usb installer for linux due to usb freezing during writes not reads.

This is a problem with my usb installer on all v14+ Slims. USB hangs, I theorize that bulk reads are ok, but bulk writes (to the usb device) are not. If you install a USB drive image to a 2GB or greater USB drive using an image from ps2.nuclearfall.com, you should be able to boot and run a short time, but any heavy I/O causes a hang. I have a ps2-linux smb version which also hangs under bulk writes (over 2.5MB at once), but can perform bulk reads without problem.

[dlanor]

Now I've got the information that "0220EC20060210" is the content of rom0:ROMVER on an Australian SCPH-77002. Maybe "E" only means PAL.

Yes, I think that is correct. To my knowledge all PAL regions use the letter "E" in that fifth character of ROMVER, even for non-European locations.

I assume that on an American console there is a "J". So I don't know how to detect the DVD region.

No, that is not the case. In the uLaunchELF development thread at PSX-Scene I often ask about ROMVER info for consoles with problems, and we've had reports of "A" being used there. I've also seen romdumps of a chinese SCPH-50009 console having the ROMVER string "0190CC20030623", so there is definitely a variety of letters possible for the NTSC regions.

IMO the only reliable test we can make of this letter (as is currently done by uLE) is to check whether it is "E" or not, to see if the default vmode should be PAL or NTSC.

It is unfortunate that they went this way, muddying up the ROMVER identification of the PAL consoles, as the 'true' region letter should have been the one appended to the DVDPLx filename used on newer consoles, as it is this that defines the region-specific encryption, which is NOT common to all PAL regions (different DVDPLx files). Presumably this region identity can be tested elsewhere though, and I guess the FMCB installer sources must contain the specifics on how to do it.

Best regards: dlanor