PS3 ICON_FILE

[Rissy]

Alien Isolation: Crew Expendable bonus addon, when downloaded from PSN as a package (in 2024 at least), is missing its ICON_FILE (this file is extensionless). I've tried multiple download attempts of this addon, and it's always the same.

This file seems to be the image file which shows up inside the "bubble" when you see it on the console. Without it, a default grey joypad type image is used in its place (a bit nasty).

I've tried to create one from another games ICON_FILE (basically copying that one, and making an appropriate Alien Isolation: Crew Expendable version from it using microsoft paint).
I've then dumped that into the appropriate package folder '8000###' on the console.
Unfortunately, my attempts don't seem to make any difference (even after rebuilding the database and rebooting the console), so now I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong.

I've seen in YouTube videos other people changing images for games, but not an ICON_FILE, and their changes seem to take hold immediately, not requiring a reboot or a database rebuild.

Can anyone help me? ...or does anyone else have the original file I'm missing? (Can't find much on "ICON_FILE" on the internet, never mind a game specific one!)

 

[Berion]

No one backuping bubbles, they are useless so probably You will not find it (I told You, only *.pkg is important from there, and only in assumption You want packge). Maybe it was never there, or maybe deleted on server side. It seem they not using the same databases as normal XMB icons if You replaced it and rebuild database.

 

[aldostools]

As far as I know, ICON_FILE is just an ICON0.PNG used to display it in the bubble package.

You can upload any ICON0.PNG and rename it as ICON_FILE.

If I recall correctly, the ICON_FILE is extracted from the header of the PKG file when the downloader creates the bubble.

 

[Rissy]

No one backuping bubbles, they are useless so probably You will not find it (I told You, only *.pkg is important from there, and only in assumption You want packge). Maybe it was never there, or maybe deleted on server side. It seem they not using the same databases as normal XMB icons if You replaced it and rebuild database.

You're confusing me. The bubble files ARE my downloaded packages, contained in the dev_hdd0\vsh\game_pkg folder.

Example:

\dev_hdd0\vsh\game_pkg\80000006

contents of 80000006 (This is the game "Flashback"):

• aonpmkPmHgbpaBdbcxnKyobPwXndcGKbAGiwENQnazFxsmzEfBQLyqlmPEeimLQA.pkg (2,077,639 KB)
• d0.pdb (2 KB)
• d1.pdb (2 KB)
• ICON_FILE (103 KB)

within the dev_hdd0\game folder is the following folder: NPEB01417

The contents of this folder are are only 746 KB in total. So this cannot be the whole game. I'm not sure what it is, but it can't be the game as I've not unpacked it from the package file yet.

Why would people NOT backup the package file? It's the game, but not split out into lots of folders yet.

I'm planning on porting these bubble packages over to console #2 and then unpacking them there. Is there a problem with me doing this?

As far as I know, ICON_FILE is just an ICON0.PNG used to display it in the bubble package.

You can upload any ICON0.PNG and rename it as ICON_FILE.

If I recall correctly, the ICON_FILE is extracted from the header of the PKG file when the downloader creates the bubble.

It could be, maybe for some games, and addons, but i don't think this is the case for the example i've given here as the image for ICON_FILE is a different image than the ICON0.PNG image.

Any reason why I cannot seem to be able to create my own? I've created the below myself. It's the correct number of pixels in its dimensions (using others as a point of reference), I've saved it as a .PNG file, and then removed the .PNG extension from it. This makes it look the same as all the legitimate ones from other games on my laptop, but when I upload this to the appropriate folder on the console, the bubble still shows the default joypad image instead...?

It should be this image:

ICON0.PNG is this image:

 

[aldostools]

In IRISMAN, the bubble installation are created from only a PKG.
https://github.com/aldostools/IRISMAN/blob/master/source/pkg_install.c#L456-L469

The file ICON_FILE is a copy of /dev_hdd0/game/IRISMAN00/ICON0.PNG
The PKG is provided by the user (usually downloaded from PSN).
The files d0.pdb and d1.pdb contain metadata about the package size and paths. They are generated files.
https://github.com/aldostools/IRISMAN/blob/master/source/pkg_install.c#L510-L675

ICON_FILE is only a PNG file referenced in d1.pdb. I recommend that rename that PKG and move it to /dev_hdd0/packages so you can install it with Package Manager.

 

[Rissy]

In IRISMAN, the bubble installation are created from only a PKG.
https://github.com/aldostools/IRISMAN/blob/master/source/pkg_install.c#L456-L469

The file ICON_FILE is a copy of /dev_hdd0/game/IRISMAN00/ICON0.PNG
The PKG is provided by the user (usually downloaded from PSN).
The files d0.pdb and d1.pdb contain metadata about the package size and paths. They are generated files.
https://github.com/aldostools/IRISMAN/blob/master/source/pkg_install.c#L510-L675

ICON_FILE is only a PNG file referenced in d1.pdb. I recommend that rename that PKG and move it to /dev_hdd0/packages so you can install it with Package Manager.

Why does the console put these packages in the location dev_hdd0\vsh\game_pkg? Is this a different location from where it would be on a OFW console? The location you recommend, is this the original OFW location, which then allows you to see the packages from the XMB under GAME?

If I try to install (upack) them on the console from the dev_hdd0\vsh\game_pkg folder, what will the result be compared to the result if I move them to the folder you recommend?

I had a look inside a few versions of d0.pdb and d1.pdb and right enough, there is reference to ICON_FILE within other games and patch downloads, but not Alien Isolation. So if these files are just confirmation of what has been downloaded, and by whom, then that makes sense. Otherwise, if these files are somehow read by the console, and then access the ICON_FILE present, and display the image accordingly, then again, this makes sense that despite me making one, it still doesn't get read in. However, if the console just looks for an ICON_FILE without prompt from these files, then I'm not sure why the console still doesn't read my home-made one...?

What is IRISMAN? I read the explanation in the link you gave me (although i had to go back up to the root to do this - https://github.com/aldostools/IRISMAN/tree/master) but it still doesn't make sense to me as i don't know, or have an appreciation of the history of whatever "Iris Manager" was/is. This is the big failing with all these resources. Unless you're there when these things are created and announced; then I'm not sure how someone like me (newly on the scene) is supposed to know or understand....!

So what is IRISMAN? What does it do? And how can I use it to help myself?

I'm sorry for all the questions, but if I don't ask, then I'll never know or learn.

EDIT: It's ok, I found this about IRISMAN. Watching it now (

)

All other questions still stand. (thanks)

 

[aldostools]

/dev_hdd0/vsh/game_pkg is the default path where the download_plugin stores the packages when they are downloaded.

/dev_hdd0/packages is one the paths used by Package Manager to install packages on HEN or CFW.

In case that you don't know, I'm the author of IRISMAN which is based on another backup manager name "Iris Manager" developed by the Spanish developer Estwald (aka Hermes from Wii scene).

 

[Rissy]

/dev_hdd0/vsh/game_pkg is the default path where the download_plugin stores the packages when they are downloaded.

/dev_hdd0/packages is one the paths used by Package Manager to install packages on HEN or CFW.

In case that you don't know, I'm the author of IRISMAN which is based on another backup manager name "Iris Manager" developed by the Spanish developer Estwald (aka Hermes from Wii scene).

Nice to meet you sir, job well done.

So why were my downloads moved to the vsh folder (presumably when the console got converted to CFW). Nobody seems to recognise packaged downloads being put there, but I didn't do that. Either they were downloaded to there, or they were moved there by the CFW. I did try installing one from that location using the CFW option, and it seemed to work ok. So why not just leave them there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[aldostools]

Nice to meet you sir, job well done.

So why were my downloads moved to the vsh folder (presumably when the console got converted to CFW). Nobody seems to recognise packaged downloads being put there, but I didn't do that. Either they were downloaded to there, or they were moved there by the CFW. I did try installing one from that location using the CFW option, and it seemed to work ok. So why not just leave them there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you read my post. I already explained why you got the package in "vsh" folder.

/dev_hdd0/vsh/game_pkg is the default path where the download_plugin stores the packages when they are downloaded.

 

[Rissy]

Did you read my post. I already explained why you got the package in "vsh" folder.

/dev_hdd0/vsh/game_pkg is the default path where the download_plugin stores the packages when they are downloaded.

I did read it, but I don't understand. Berion tells me that they get downloaded to either the pkg or the packages folder, not vsh. I also don't understand some of the terms you use. What is a download_plugin? Is this PS Store?

Everyone here has to remember that I'm not a software programmer. I need everything spelled out to me in the most absolute and articulate and easy to understand way. If jargon absolutely must be used, then I need it explaining to me what the jargon means, otherwise I lose all context of the attempt to answer my question. This is why I'm becoming annoying, because I ask 40 questions, and I get a convoluted partial response in broken English to maybe 2 of those. The other 38 go unanswered until I ask again, and again and again. There's still plenty of questions I've asked here over the months where I've still never received an answer.

I don't want to sound moany, but I don't know how else to explain to people what sort of level I'm in need of.

I had one shot at salvaging my PSN purchases, and I've spent days copying everything, only to then find out that it's all been for nothing. I've been thrown all sorts of software and told to use it, but apart from the most easiest of stuff there, I haven't a clue what I'm doing with most of it.

QA flags for instance. Didn't have a clue. Wanted to regress firmwares. "Use QA flags" I'm told. I then go and find this and turn QA flags OFF. Thinking this was inhibiting me from regressing. Obviously this doesn't work and I have to come back to the forum, and spend days asking questions about QA flags until I finally understand that it must be ON, not OFF, and that QA means QUALITY ASSURANCE, and allows programmers to regress firmware to test their games before release. My point is, if my initial answer from that person who said "use QA flags", had actually said "check your QA flag and make sure it's ON, and this is the reason why…", then I could have saved days and everyone's else's sanity (and my own) to boot.

I'm sure you can tell I'm very frustrated right now. Sorry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Berion]

You're confusing me. The bubble files ARE my downloaded packages, contained in the dev_hdd0\vsh\game_pkg folder.

Bubble = *.pkg + useless meta data. So bubbles aren't packages but packages with additional files which You not need for anything.

within the dev_hdd0\game folder is the following folder: NPEB01417
The contents of this folder are only 746 KB in total. So this cannot be the whole game.

Because You didn't install that game yet. Like said before: PKG is delivery format, consider it as "kind of RAR but for PS3".

Why would people NOT backup the package file? It's the game, but not split out into lots of folders yet.

They do backuping packages, they don't backuping bubbles. But backuping bubbles (and packages alone) have not much sense besides data preservation archiving for sharing with others. That's because of to install eg. game from package, You need do that from USB (which means dealing with FAT32 limitations like eg. max 3.99GiB size, very slow process due to USB 2.0) or from internal drive (which means needed twice free space than target game size). In both cases, You wasting time for transferring those packages.

The best way for making backup of digital distributed games, patches and dlc - for personal use are - as I already told You:

1. Copying "dev_hdd0/game/" to PC (so after patching and dlc installing).
2. On PC, compress each game to one archive, eg. to *.7z, using LZMA2.

In that case, restoration looks like:

1. Unpacking archive and sending game to PS3 via FTP.
2. Rebuilding database.
3. Importing licenses.

I'm planning on porting these bubble packages over to console #2 and then unpacking them there. Is there a problem with me doing this?

Have fun. Problem is in only wasting time for additional steps which are time consuming.

So why were my downloads moved to the vsh folder (presumably when the console got converted to CFW).

It wasn't moved, and not by CFW. It is where OFW storing bubbles until unpacking them. After that, this is deleting.

Nobody seems to recognise packaged downloads being put there, but I didn't do that.

Package Manager build-in Rebug CFW AFAIR listing packages there. But I never used it so I dunno, and almost no one using it.

So why not just leave them there?

Because it wasting space, console automatically trying unpacking them, and once unpacked, they are deleting.

Berion tells me that they get downloaded to either the pkg or the packages folder, not vsh

I don't said that. Similar, yet totally different. ;]

I also don't understand some of the terms you use. What is a download_plugin? Is this PS Store?

No. PS Store is shop. Packages on Sony servers can be accessed by direct links, no any security there, so anything from anywhere asking files, they will be sending. Personally, I prefer doing that on PC. The catch is: You must know that direct link. So... that's why PKGi works in the first place and that's why it needs config filies with links. That's why mentioned download plugin leading to free demos by default. And that's why plenty of pirate applications working.

Everyone here has to remember that I'm not a software programmer.

I'm not either.

because I ask 40 questions, and I get a convoluted partial response in broken English to maybe 2 of those

I responded to You and explained all acronyms/jargon, which about You asked and appeared - with my broken English on which seems You are doomed to.

only to then find out that it's all been for nothing.

Why for nothing?

QA flags for instance. Didn't have a clue. Wanted to regress firmwares. "Use QA flags" I'm told. I then go and find this and turn QA flags OFF.

It must be ON for fw downgrading on CFW. If You not planning downgrading, You can keep it in default state, which is OFF (on OFW it will not work anyway).

and that QA means QUALITY ASSURANCE, and allows programmers to regress firmware to test their games before release.

Game developers have access only for DEX (debug kits) and DECR (devkits). QA consoles (test consoles) are available only for Sony developers in theirs R&D. For now, probably all are already destroyed, at least officially.