ISO Loader 0.8.x Beta + preview of DreamShell v4.0 RC 5

[SWAT]

(23.12.2022 13:00)fafadou писал(а):  Still trying to use sd card reader, but no games start. Dreamshell is not crashed. I have a black screen with a GUI error, I can get back to isoloader pressing start and esc and run a game from ide.

Can you show me error?

[fafadou]

I'm sorry i have some boot issue...
I may figure it out, i'm waiting about my bios battery get reload.
I'll come back this evening

[fafadou]

I figure out the boot issue, but the Dreamcast Ask me two times the date... Each time i run the dreamshell cd, impossible to boot it.
Never see that...

[SWAT]

Seems you get issues with flashrom... Have you region changer mod?

[aldair]

(27.12.2022 23:47)fafadou писал(а):  I figure out the boot issue, but the Dreamcast Ask me two times the date... Each time i run the dreamshell cd, impossible to boot it.
Never see that...

This also happened to me, I just had to resolder the flash rom.

[SWAT]

I have been working hard lately on the iso loader and finally I have made progress with the work of WinCE games!
It was not easy and there is still work to be done. But nevertheless, some of the games are already working, including those with CDDA and IRQ. You should use IRQ for all WinCE CDDA games, for other it's not necessary. Also for WinCE games your disc images should be defragmented for now, but I think I can fix it later.
Now this works better than in 0.6.0! Fast loading, smooth video and so on. But compatibility still need to be improved and fixing minor bugs.
Also I completely fix loops in CDDA for one and range of tracks. Tested on Railroad, Worms and 4x4 evolution.
https://youtu.be/55rIR-MfKiI

Enjoy and happy new year everyone!
https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell/releases

[pcwzrd13]

Nice work @SWAT!

Quick question, is it better to have "low-level" on or off if a game works both ways?

Edit: Did some testing.

- 4x4 Evolution: Music plays but freezes when song ends. Also freezes when going online and trying to join a chat server. Tested with TMU1 and TMU2.

- 4 Wheel Thunder: Music doesn't play. Did you revert the fix you made for this before @SWAT?

- KAO the Kangaroo: Almost perfect! Music plays and loops fine. The music did play distorted one time but it seemed completely random. I let the music loop 6 times and I couldn't get it to happen again.

- Monaco Grand Prix Online: Same as before. Music plays but doesn't loop.

- Next Tetris: Won't boot.

- Nightmare Creatures II: Boots but freezes on first loading screen.

- POD SpeedZone: Music plays and loops fine now but music corrupts on second loop. Still disconnects after going online.

- Quake III Arena: Same as POD. Music now plays and loops fine but starts to distort after first loop. Fixes itself if you pause and unpause the game. Used settings from this post.

[MastaG]

I'll try and reserve some time to properly test the games @pcwzrd13 is testing as well.

But I notice people are using different IDE solutions.
- with or without GD-ROM drive
- with IDE2SATA adapter
- with IDE2CF adapter (my setup)
- different PSU's

This could cause difference in timings and interference.
For example if I use a long IDE cable thats not 80-conductor it will become unstable.
Because I have my CF reader builtin, I use a very short 40-conductor cable (because I cant solder 80 wires).

I'm hoping to achieve the same results as pcwzrd13 here.

Two features would be really helpful:
- A random read test application:
Which tries to read multiple files and print the md5sum, so you test whether your IDE setup is stable.

- an option in the iso-loader where you could submit your profile to some online database. And have some option to scan your library and automatically collect all of the submitted results.
(I could easily write this in Python, but not C/C++ lol)

[pcwzrd13]

A few more tests:

- Bust-A-Move 4: Won't boot.

- Q*bert: Game boots and plays music with loader memory 0x8cfe8000 but freezes at the end of the level. With default settings it makes a loud static noise when you jump on a portal. I tried various other settings but nothing improved.

- Speed Devils: Game boots with DMA disabled and music plays good but doesn't loop.

[SWAT]

(28.12.2022 18:05)pcwzrd13 писал(а):  Nice work @SWAT!

Quick question, is it better to have "low-level" on or off if a game works both ways?

Edit: Did some testing.

- 4x4 Evolution: Music plays but freezes when song ends. Also freezes when going online and trying to join a chat server. Tested with TMU1 and TMU2.

- 4 Wheel Thunder: Music doesn't play. Did you revert the fix you made for this before @SWAT?

- KAO the Kangaroo: Almost perfect! Music plays and loops fine. The music did play distorted one time but it seemed completely random. I let the music loop 6 times and I couldn't get it to happen again.

- Monaco Grand Prix Online: Same as before. Music plays but doesn't loop.

- Next Tetris: Won't boot.

- Nightmare Creatures II: Boots but freezes on first loading screen.

- POD SpeedZone: Music plays and loops fine now but music corrupts on second loop. Still disconnects after going online.

- Quake III Arena: Same as POD. Music now plays and loops fine but starts to distort after first loop. Fixes itself if you pause and unpause the game. Used settings from this post.

(29.12.2022 00:27)pcwzrd13 писал(а):  A few more tests:

- Bust-A-Move 4: Won't boot.

- Q*bert: Game boots and plays music with loader memory 0x8cfe8000 but freezes at the end of the level. With default settings it makes a loud static noise when you jump on a portal. I tried various other settings but nothing improved.

- Speed Devils: Game boots with DMA disabled and music plays good but doesn't loop.

You can use low-level for any not working game without it, but it's not support CDDA.
The results are not what I expected. Need re-check other games. Because I make a lot of changes for DMA and PIO readings to earn WinCE. Maybe I broke something.

Edit:
DMA for 4 Wheel Thunder doesn't works for me too. Speed Devils boots for me with DMA but freeze on loading level.

[fafadou]

With 0.6. loaders 4 wheel thunder run only in PIO, and WE CAN clear the game.
Si not a Big deal if some games run only in PIO for me.

[SWAT]

(29.12.2022 16:53)fafadou писал(а):  With 0.6. loaders 4 wheel thunder run only in PIO, and WE CAN clear the game.
Si not a Big deal if some games run only in PIO for me.

It just means that I did something wrong. And I don't like it

[pcwzrd13]

(29.12.2022 07:51)SWAT писал(а):  Speed Devils boots for me with DMA but freeze on loading level.

For me it will freeze at the main menu with DMA.

[Freudi93]

I use a 80 Wire Long ide Cable with a Adapter from @dragoncity. GDATA and a Samsung SSD with a cheap IDE to SATA adapter. I have sound problems with toy Commander, Re-volt , toy racer. It is playing sound but with knocking noise. Is the IDE Kabel to long?

[fafadou]

Happy New year everyone !
I wish you the best.

[rpf16rj]

Hi SWAT.
Congratulation for the work, its amazing.

I tested a lot of games with CDDA and not. The most work fine.
Some games that i tested and still now work:

Ooga Booga from Echelon hack - No boot.
Test Drive VRally / V Rally Extreme Edition - Not start the race with CDDA Emulate ON. Only boot with Heap on Loader side
Speed Devils - No play music
Sonic Adventure - The begin work better with Defaults, but after no boot, strange issue.

My setup: Sata Adapter on gd board with HDD SATA.

Other issue, when i use Dreamshell on SD with games on HDD, some games no boot.

[SWAT]

(06.01.2023 18:00)rpf16rj писал(а):  Hi SWAT.
Congratulation for the work, its amazing.

I tested a lot of games with CDDA and not. The most work fine.
Some games that i tested and still now work:

Ooga Booga from Echelon hack - No boot.
Test Drive VRally / V Rally Extreme Edition - Not start the race with CDDA Emulate ON. Only boot with Heap on Loader side
Speed Devils - No play music
Sonic Adventure - The begin work better with Defaults, but after no boot, strange issue.

My setup: Sata Adapter on gd board with HDD SATA.

Other issue, when i use Dreamshell on SD with games on HDD, some games no boot.

Test Drive VRally / V Rally Extreme Edition - perfect working for me with true DMA and IRQ with CDDA mode DMA_TMU2
Speed Devils - works for me with true DMA and IRQ with CDDA mode DMA_TMU1.
Ooga Booga - works only with low-level mode yet.

About DS from SD and games from IDE is a known issue, thanks.

[SWAT]

I have uploaded a small update: https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell/releases

- Fixed CDDA pause/resume and added support for 32MB mod to core.

Can someone with 32MB mod try to use loader at 0x8d000000 or higher?

[kof888]

(09.01.2023 13:49)SWAT писал(а):  I have uploaded a small update: https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell/releases

- Fixed CDDA pause/resume and added support for 32MB mod to core.

Can someone with 32MB mod try to use loader at 0x8d000000 or higher?

I happen to be playing DC. I tested the normal game with SD card using 0x8d000000

this is the video

[fafadou]

(09.01.2023 15:56)kof888 писал(а):  

(09.01.2023 13:49)SWAT писал(а):  I have uploaded a small update: https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell/releases

- Fixed CDDA pause/resume and added support for 32MB mod to core.

Can someone with 32MB mod try to use loader at 0x8d000000 or higher?

I happen to be playing DC. I tested the normal game with SD card using 0x8d000000

this is the video

Could you try the game Tomjam & earl 3 please ? This one is knowing for having a 16Mb issue in the last stages.