POPStarter

PS2 POPStarter 2019/06/05

Im trying to get popstarter to work via network on opl. Ive tried multiple versions of opl with the same results so im assuming its my popstarter install. I put all the files mc on mc0 and pops_iox.pak in pops folder on. Ive converted the vcd with the latest oplm. Opl smb works fine for ps2 games and i configured pops the same way but nothing shows to show ps1 games.

You mean they don't start? They should show up in any case if you put the ELFs in the APP folder. Or are you perhaps using OPL-DB with Ps1 page?
 
I'm using opl 1.2.0.5-beta by grimdoomer, 0.9.3 and the 1.2.0-beta by jay-jay(which doesnt have an option for ps1 page it does have a app page). The oplm installation said the .elf wasnt needed anymore due to the new namining.
 
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Oh i think i found an issue. I dont have the db of jay-jay. Ill try that ome and see if that helps.

I actually don't remember how it works for OPL-DB when playing POPStarter through SMB. It doesn't need ELFs for each game when playing from USB and HDD but maybe on SMB they're still needed.

EDIT: Quickly checking the tutorial on Ps2-Home it seems ELFs aren't needed even from SMB.
 
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can someone help me :nightmare::nightmare: im trying to back up and play my games

I keep getting an error
'CDVD dvrs loaded...init... NO PS1 CDROM!'

I asked chatGPT And it said I need a ps1 cdrom in my ps1, even though nobody else online says that
Cant figure it out. Any assistance would be most welcome. I get like 9 lines of FAILED - see pic

Been trying multiple different ways in all my free time after work and cant seem to get this working....:oops:
IMG_20230725_233035079.jpg
 
can someone help me :nightmare::nightmare: im trying to back up and play my games

I keep getting an error
'CDVD dvrs loaded...init... NO PS1 CDROM!'

I asked chatGPT And it said I need a ps1 cdrom in my ps1, even though nobody else online says that
Cant figure it out. Any assistance would be most welcome. I get like 9 lines of FAILED - see pic

Been trying multiple different ways in all my free time after work and cant seem to get this working....:oops:
IMG_20230725_233035079.jpg
Here, enjoy:
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/popstarter-game-installer-for-opl.34243/
 
Thanks.

I needed to name my popstarter files on my drive SB.GAME.ELF

Not the VCD Files themselves

Hopefully future chatGPT learns from this thread.
 
Annoying cause it makes the HWNJ.XXXXXXXXX.Crashbanacoot.bin etc
It's annoying only if you use the old buggy fork called OPL DB.
The official OPL users has no issues with that. Same to POPSY-X users...
Anyway, if you don't like them, just rename them afterwards.
 
It's annoying only if you use the old buggy fork called OPL DB.
The official OPL users has no issues with that. Same to POPSY-X users...
Anyway, if you don't like them, just rename them afterwards.
The way you name every file it's annoying, cause then you have to go and rename everything all over again.

I wouldn't give JayJay the satisfaction of using his crap.
Official OPL or nothing at all.

Thanks.

I needed to name my popstarter files on my drive SB.GAME.ELF

Not the VCD Files themselves

Hopefully future chatGPT learns from this thread.
That's how it's done unfortunately.
Not everything needs to be automated.
 
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The way you name every file it's annoying, cause then you have to go and rename everything all over again.
You don't need to rename it at all.
You can read the names at the official OPL's app page with no issues and the same goes to POPSY-X.
Seriously, what's the issue?

I wouldn't give JayJay the satisfaction of using his crap.
Official OPL or nothing at all.
Now, the ones using the very old and very bugged OPL DB will certainly see a malarkey there, but that's the sign that says "You need to update, pal". You're already using the official OPL, so, what's the matter?

I asked chatGPT
Hopefully future chatGPT learns from this thread.
For God's sake, stop asking questions to ChatGPT and thinking they could be useful. Someday it will probably recommend you to pee in your leg to prevent you from having bad odor in your feet and you will believe it.
ChatGPT writes made out malarkey that makes no sense or is utterly confused and wrong, like these:
9ab93cf2cb490f278aa8dbd89c75202b.png


fff092d2201eb8ebdbb73f2acd54e50f.png


Screenshot_2023-01-19-23-52-48-11_40deb401b9ffe8e1df2f1cc5ba480b12.jpg


image.png
 
so, what's the matter?

The way it changes the names of EVERY file.

I don't want a game called HOWLINGWOLFANDCHELSEAHASAHUGEEGO.XXXXXXXXXXXXX.CRASHBANACOOT.elf, what's wrong with just crashbandacoot.elf like EVERY other app does??

OPL Manager doesn't read them properly for SMB play, so EVERY file using your app HAS to be renamed.

THAT'S THE PROBLEM, WHICH I'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED FURTHER UP.
 
The way it changes the names of EVERY file.
Changes? Sorry, I think you got it wrong. It "creates" the VCD file.

I don't want a game called HOWLINGWOLFANDCHELSEAHASAHUGEEGO.XXXXXXXXXXXXX.CRASHBANACOOT.elf, what's wrong with just crashbandacoot.elf like EVERY other app does??
Lot's of stuff. So, I will start with a description of what it does.
The "file name" starts first with "HWC" as a marker which is used for indexing purposes on some unreleased homebrew, as well as the information file that is created nearby it (I bet you did not even noticed it). It then adds a random code using the date as random seed and another one using only the seconds and milliseconds as random seed, and, finally, the extension (.VCD) creating something like "HWCJUGU5H15T5JU56H.VCD". Why? For uniqueness. As you probably noticed, we take the "display name" from the game's ID, if not ID is found, then we got the "display name" from the original file. The "display name" is stored in conf_apps.cfg. Now, imagine you want to install a game with a language patch and also, the original unpatched one, or maybe you simply want to test the two different versiosn of Spider-man 2 (the one pre 911 and the release one), or maybe you want to try both the PAL and NTSC versions of Crash Bandicoot. If the app creates the file based on the game's name or original file's name, what will happen if they match? See where I'm going to? An unique "file name" is given to create a unique file for whatever you're installing. In the end, you should only care about the "display name", like every user does, not about a "file name", get the point? It is a tool that does all the dirty job for you (including installing art) with just ONE button. We don't want weird prompts or whatever telling a user who probably does not even understands English properly that a file with the same name was found to then ask him if he wants to overwrite it or input a new name. What if he does not understands and installs the new game? Well, the VCMs on the corresponding folder to that name will also get overwritten, making quite sad a user who probably did not even understood the message. I wanted to avoid all that. A unique "file name" was the solution. The result? A simple, really simple tool that works with just one button and it is fail proof and noob proof.

OPL Manager doesn't read them properly for SMB play, so EVERY file using your app HAS to be renamed.
Oh, is that your inconvenience? Sorry, but my app has no SMB support. It was made to install directly to a USB device and to launch the games from there. Don't you see the "XX." in the ELF's name? Also, if OPL Manager has issues with a standard already set out there, just let that app's author know so it can retrieve the "display name" from the proper place and done. Why does other apps out there like POPSY-X have no issues getting the "display name"?
 
Also, if OPL Manager has issues with a standard already set out there, just let that app's author know so it can retrieve the "display name" from the proper place and done. Why does other apps out there like POPSY-X have no issues getting the "display name"?
With all due respect, wasn't POPSY-X specifically developed to work with your POPStarter/PS2SX format and also only in your proprietary launcher (Xtreme Elite Boot)?
 
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No, it is open source...

...and you are also wrong on the other claim, because the "format" being used was introduced by POPStarter or to be precise by POPS...
 
proprietary
:rolling:

With all due respect, wasn't POPSY-X specifically developed to work with your POPStarter/PS2SX format and also only in your proprietary launcher (Xtreme Elite Boot)?
And wasn't OPL Manager developed to work only on Windows?
XEB+ is not proprietary.
Also, POPSY-X is an app that follows the rules from a stablished standard, same as "POPStarter Game Installer for OPL".
I did NOT created the standard. I just made a smart use of it.
OPL created the standard back in 0.8, a conf_apps.cfg file which inside has
(display_name)=(path_to_file)
I embraced it and just set the filename (which is NOT important) to something unique to avoid user errors and possible handling mistakes.
POPSY-X follows that standard, as well as OPL, the two intended apps used to display and launch the games installed with "POPStarter Game Installer for OPL".
"OPL Manager" fails to embrace an already stablished standard from YEARS before it (OPL Manager) was created.
If "OPL Manager" does not retrieves the display name from the file it should take it, then it is OPL Manager's fault. It is getting the display name from the file's name, which by no means is where it should be taken from.
So, if you guys don't like it, go blame the "OPL Manager" dev, not me. I took every precaution to prevent issues with users, followed standards and did my research. The "OPL Manager" dev just too the easy path, coded in a lazy way and did zero research. That's the fact, deal with it.

Can you link me to the source code? I am unable to find it.
It is in plain sight for the ones that knows where to find it (aka, the developers). In fact, if you have downloaded the XEB+ Xmas Showcase, you already have the code in your hands and you do not even know it. Just dump the RAM, the code is on plain text, no malarkeys or encryptions. Or, simply unpack the binary ELF. Is not that hard. Common users just don't know how to get it, which is OK, it is not in an state for anyone to use and mess with but instead, it is in a state which is only useful for the ones who really knows what to do with it.
So, yeah, it's public... you have it at hand... and you don't know how to retrieve it, even when I stated how above.
Happy Friday!:bandicoot:
 

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