Is it possible to convert an .ELF file to an .ISO, please?

[RFaction27]

I use Open PS2 Loader to play games from an internal hard drive in my fat PS2. I want to add the homebrew game Geotron to the hard drive, too, but I can only find the game in .ELF format, not .ISO format.

Is it possible to convert the .ELF file to .ISO, or to download Geotron in .ISO format, or whatever?

https://www.psx-place.com/resources/geotron.414/

Thanks for any answers.

 

[Berion]

You have wrongly asked the question. You cannot convert ELF to ISO because *.elf file is executable and *.iso is disc image.

But if You asking if it is possible to build image from application, yes, that's nothing extraordinary. Write SYSTEM.CNF (take one from any game and edit; remember to stick with 8+3 naming convention) for it and build CD image with ISO9660 in mode2 or DVD image with ISO9660+UDF v1.02 in mode1. Official docs saying about putting *.cnf on specific LBA, but it doesn't really matter. Exploits needs extra steps with disc image (different for MechaPwn, FMCB and FDVDB). But anyway, there is not a single reason to put application on a disc image... :P

In revert, extracting application from disc image is not always possible. Those build with official SDK or just without build-in modules and code for support USB, MC and/or HDD will not work because they will not find their resources. Some apps also seeking resources in specific paths which also makes this task impossible without, let's say, hacking.

 

[jolek]

Rename Geotron.ELF to e.g. SLES_555.99

Create SYSTEM.CNF
Inside it:

BOOT2 = cdrom0:\SLES_555.99
VER = 1.00
VMODE = PAL

Create ISO.

However not all ELFs after "converting" to ISO are playable as @Berion mention.

Why you cannot copy Geotron.ELF to your HDD?
You can copy it from a flash-drive.
You can use wLaunch.ELF for this.

Make a shortcut to it by using FMCB Configurator.
E.g.

 

[Berion]

Name can be any, but not exceeding 8 symbols in file name, so "GEOTRON.ELF" is fine (also low case doesn't matter because in ISO9660 it will be upper case anyway).

VER and VMODE can be any because VERsion is not checking, and VideoMODE is set by application itself.

 

[jolek]

Name can be any if you want to burn an ISO to a disc.
For OPL if I remember correctly you have to use SXXX_XXX.XX format.

 

[Berion]

Or choose ELF name in config.

 

[RFaction27]

Thanks for all of the answers, everyone. In the end, I thought I'd go with Jolek's suggestion to add the game to FreeMcBoot's main menu, as that seemed like the easiest solution, so I copied Geotron to my first memory card (the one that I boot from, it doesn't matter about the space on that memory card, as I use Open PS2 Loader's virtual memory cards on my hard drive for save-game data for games that I play from the hard drive via Open PS2 Loader), added it to the FMCB main menu, and it works perfectly.

Thanks again, everyone, for all the kind help.

 

[jolek]

Additionally you can create conf_apps.cfg.
Copy it into one of these destinations (it depends which you are using):
mc0:/OPL (a memory card in the 1st slot)
mc1:/OPL (a memory card in the 2nd slot)
hdd0:/+OPL (HDD)
root of a shared folder for OPL (ETH)

Type (for a memory card in the 1st slot):

Geotron=mc0:/APPS/geotron.elf

Enable APPS in OPL's settings.
However not all ELFs will work with this method.

 

[RFaction27]

Additionally you can create conf_apps.cfg.
Copy it into one of these destinations (it depends which you are using):
mc0:/OPL (a memory card in the 1st slot)
mc1:/OPL (a memory card in the 2nd slot)
hdd0:/+OPL (HDD)
root of a shared folder for OPL (ETH)

Type (for a memory card in the 1st slot):

Geotron=mc0:/APPS/geotron.elf

Enable APPS in OPL's settings.
However not all ELFs will work with this method.

I see, thanks. That's good to know for future programs.

 

[Berion]

@jolek Actually this is obsolete now. Currently there is no need of "conf_apps.cfg" and each application should be throw into it's own dir with resources and config file tells OPL how to display it. FYI. ;]

 

[jolek]

Let's say there is a "legacy" (old) support for apps with "conf_apps.cfg".
There also an app for it (OPL conf_apps MAKER):
https://www.psx-place.com/resources/opl-conf_apps-maker-by-shaolinassassin.1109/,
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/opl-conf_apps-maker-by-shaolinassassin.32488/#post-275117.

There is also a new system with "title.cfg".
Here is an app for it:
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/title-cfg-maker.31075/.

For now OPL (even in the newest betas) supports both of these apps' systems,
so you can choose which one is for you.
Additionally from I remember you can even use both of them at the same time...

Personally I know that the new system has more "power",
but for most of my time is used the old one.
You know habits, etc...