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

[rpf16rj]

(21.02.2023 09:07)SWAT писал(а):  Someone has issues with ISO Loader app crashes at selecting image in the latest build on GCC 12?

Hi,

I don't have know if is that, but in some games, when i position the cursor above a game and i press A button, immetialy the console reboot. A example is Quake 3 Arena.

Anothers feedbaks:
I use SATA Adapter to IDE and some games only work with CDDA when disable DMA, like the case of Speed Devils.

In 4x4 Evo with CDDA ON, the game freeze when start next loop of music.

[SWAT]

(23.02.2023 16:07)rpf16rj писал(а):  

(21.02.2023 09:07)SWAT писал(а):  Someone has issues with ISO Loader app crashes at selecting image in the latest build on GCC 12?

Hi,

I don't have know if is that, but in some games, when i position the cursor above a game and i press A button, immetialy the console reboot. A example is Quake 3 Arena.

Anothers feedbaks:
I use SATA Adapter to IDE and some games only work with CDDA when disable DMA, like the case of Speed Devils.

In 4x4 Evo with CDDA ON, the game freeze when start next loop of music.

Yes it's known issues, thanks for your report.

[pcwzrd13]

@SWAT Been working hard lately I see. Seeing lots of cool stuff under the GitHub commits. :-D

[fafadou]

(01.03.2023 22:55)pcwzrd13 писал(а):  @SWAT Been working hard lately I see. Seeing lots of cool stuff under the GitHub commits. :-D

I didn't think to look there !
Can't wait but take your Time dear @Swat

---

(01.03.2023 22:55)pcwzrd13 писал(а):  @SWAT Been working hard lately I see. Seeing lots of cool stuff under the GitHub commits. :-D

I didn't think to look there !
Can't wait but take your Time dear @Swat

[SWAT]

Update: https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell/re...0.0RC5-T15

I worked a lot on stability and finally understood the reason for random crashes.
Issue is in the G1 DMA conflict with other subsystems.
Therefore, for the time being, I switched the core to PIO mode, for it this is an imperceptible transition, but there is much more stability.
And I recommend use updated bootloader if you have some undefined behavior.

I finally fixed the VMU emulation, thanks to the help of megavolt85, now it works!
You can keep the physical VMU too if you want to use the LCD screen, but data will be lost on it.
It's still experimental feature, but it should works in most KATANA and also WinCE games, need tests. Homebrew not supported yet.
To use it, make VMU dump in VMU manager app and enable this feature in ISO Loader with number of VMU dump you want to use.
Dumps can be placed in /DS/vmu and /vmu directories. Still need improve UI for selecting without typing.

While solving VMU issues, I found a way to place the heap in a new place - the buffer for the Maple bus DMA in games.
There is has a free space if there are not many connected devices. It is even enough for CDDA with IRQ enabled.
It's good for compatibility if you can't place loader at 0x8c000100 and/or uses a full loader (with screenshot and vmu features) and CDDA.

I also discovered the possibility to add support for CDDA without IRQ enabled for homebrew games, although I have not tested this, but in theory it should work.

Some minor fixes and improvements have also been made, now use experience should be better!

[megavolt85]

добавлю от себя, дамп VMU можно взять почти от любого эмулятора (кроме lxdream), если образ VMU имеет размер 131072 байт, то он подходит, просто переименуйте его в dump001.vmd и скопируйте в /DS/vmu/
для редактирования дампа VMU на ПК можно использовать VMU Explorer

I’ll add on my own, a VMU dump can be taken from almost any emulator (except lxdream), if the VMU image has a size of 131072 bytes, then it fits, just rename it to dump001.vmd and copy it to /DS/vmu/
you can use VMU Explorer to edit VMU dump on PC

[pcwzrd13]

Very cool updates! :-D

Which games did you guys test the VMU emulation with? I tried it in a few games but it just said the VMU was either corrupted or unformatted. I made a VMU dump on the IDE and the SD but same result with both. Tested with RE: Code Veronica, Sonic Adventure, and ChuChu Rocket!.

[megavolt85]

(02.03.2023 17:06)pcwzrd13 писал(а):  Which games did you guys test the VMU emulation with?

Re-Volt, 4x4 evo, 102 Dalmatins, Rayman 2

[pcwzrd13]

Hmmm, just tested Rayman 2 and it sees the VMU but says there aren't enough blocks free to save (should be 49 blocks free). Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or what.

[megavolt85]

apparently the dump is corrupted, try a clean dump

UPD: Demolition Racer test passed with VMU emulation

[pcwzrd13]

Ok, so there's something weird going on with the VMU dumper. When I dump my VMU, it puts a 128KB file in DS/vmu and a 0KB file in /vmu. If I copy the 128KB file to the /vmu directory, it works.

[fafadou]

Fabulous !!!

[megavolt85]

(02.03.2023 20:33)pcwzrd13 писал(а):  When I dump my VMU, it puts a 128KB file in DS/vmu and a 0KB file in /vmu.

can you do a test? you need to remove the dumps from both directories and dump your VMU three times and see what appeared in the /vmu and /DS/vmu folders

[pcwzrd13]

Ok, I did that and it made 3x 128KB files in /vmu. Looks like I was wrong, the VMU dumper doesn't make the 0KB file. That's created by the loader when you boot the game and it puts it in DS/vmu not in /vmu. So it looks like the loader is looking for the VMU dump in DS/vmu but it's not finding it, so it makes that 0KB file.

[megavolt85]

thanks for the test, SWAT will fix this bug tomorrow

[Falco Girgis]

You got it working?!!? Congratulations!!! Oh, man, I can't wait to easily be able to test things with it!

Don't forget, if you don't want to use Dream Explorer or can't, ElysianVMU has all of the file management within it, plus it has an emulator and debugger. It can also help troubleshoot any corruption you guys are seeing with a flash hex editor.


Here's a prerelease https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/5...elease.zip for Windows, but it supports Win, Mac, and Linux right now with iOS on its way. Let me know if there's anything I can do with tooling to help you guys debug or troubleshoot!

[SWAT]

Yes, I see a bug in VMU emulation with a zero dump (it's file creating instead of try open), I will fix it. In any case, I need to make using this feature easier than it is now, this is a temporary solution until I finalize the application.

I hate that the VMU is constantly not enough for saves, and this feature allows to have own VMU for each game that supported.

Tested on: RE:CV, Shenmue 2, Crazy Taxi 2, DOA2, Xtreme Sports, Quake 3 Arena

[segatxdc]

I come from China, there is an error, test the ISO file format is in will exit system, GDI format will not, don't know where is the problem. The king of fighters 98 background music or sound.

[SWAT]

I upload new build: https://github.com/DC-SWAT/DreamShell/re...0.0RC5-T16

- Fixes and improvements for FATFS in core/bootloader/isoldr.
- Handle G1 DMA errors correctly (sometimes happen if used CDDA).
- Fixed VMU zero dump bug.
- Fixed and improved CDDA auto selection in ISO Loader app (crash on ISO select).

There seems to be some compatibility regression after I disabled DMA in core and bootloader, I need to check which games stopped working, also CDDA.
Some games need to be launched from IP.BIN now, we need to find out which ones. I found AFO and SOF.

(03.03.2023 08:28)segatxdc писал(а):  I come from China, there is an error, test the ISO file format is in will exit system, GDI format will not, don't know where is the problem. The king of fighters 98 background music or sound.

Fixed. Thanks for report.

[fafadou]

My turn to do some tests :

Toy commander that don't run with previous version (the version before vmu emulator, I didn't have time to download the first version with vmu emulator).
And now run well, with a little crash until loop ! IRQ lower memory true dma, tmu2 for cdda

Kao the kangaroo : cdda still crash during intro and if I skip it, I'm not able to start a game. Works with beta 10 without loop adding.
Maybe a good game to test for improving cdda ?

The flinstones rock las vegas : Freeze after langage selection. Works with beta 10 without loop adding.

Spec ops II : unable to boot the game. Works with beta 10 without loop adding.

4 wheel thunder : works perfectly no distorsion in cdda and loops well

sega rally 2 : black screen run with 0.6 loader but still play the same cdda track, never boot with dreamshell RC5

skies of arcadia : freeze during intro when luna's animal is blinking like gdemu clone, was good with 0.6.11_se.

sturmwind : black screen at intro. Run until I start a game with 0.8.10 beta ; maybe the loader try to start the cdda and the game crashes ?

Revolt : runs well as always ! little distorsion until loop.

Shadow gangs : black screen, probably I didn't find the good preset.

shenmue II : just for pleasure ^^ there are two cdda tracks for yu suszuki logo and am2 on the first disc : black screen, but not a big deal if it's never play those cdda.

Else :
- Now when we select ide folder in iso loader menu, it's faster, a little "freeze" until this version.
- unable to boot any .iso "alone", only gdi optimized with
- no reboot anymore during game selection

@megavolt what's your preset for 4x4 evo ? do you have activated the cdda ?

@Swat : do you want I test some games in particular ?
Xtrem sports and quake 3 are still o with this version ? Must boot with IP.BIN.

(02.03.2023 14:01)SWAT писал(а):  I also discovered the possibility to add support for CDDA without IRQ enabled for homebrew games, although I have not tested this, but in theory it should work.

Oh thanks for all those improvements !!! Very exciting like the vmu emulation.