jolek
Senior Member
You've to wait for this pull request:
https://github.com/ifcaro/Open-PS2-Loader/pull/169.
To be merged.
I noticed what is causing OPL-CACHE to fail reading games.bin when IGR from certain games:
http://www.psx-place.com/threads/opl-with-prototype-game-list-cache.22036/page-3#post-152576
It seems something related to the IGR path. Maybe there's a bug (I hope solvable) that will make all the related problem to go away! (I'm a incurable optimistic
).Well... I suppose there are still multiple issues, but there might be some kind of relation for a few issues.
It would be interesting to know if it is a structural problem (implementation), or if it is such a rather small thing like the recent fix for the cdvd-emu-driver, or the other one for USBHDFSD (which have quite an influence, given the amount of changes).
Current issues:
It would be insane, if the issue '1.' is also connected to this Thread-ID-Change... (which would mean they are changed even without IGR)!
If it is, this might cause some games which are expecting some specific Thread-ID for one of those threads to have issues, for example that it can't initialize something correctly or that some threads get the wrong priority!
Some of these issues also might be related to some changes made in the mega-commits from built 727 to 733.
FMCB/FHDB MIGHT have an issue which is related to one of those or triggered via one (or a combination) of those!
@sp193: I have some questions regarding the Ferrari Challenge tests you did...
The root-cause of the Thread-ID-change certainly seems to be something important to be found (even tho' I think it is not a 'magic bullet'... It might fix one or more issues, but quite certainly not all.).
Btw.: Some time ago, I mentioned that there seems to be 'something' in OPL (or elsewhere caused/triggered), which reminds one of a 'counter' and once a specific 'number' is reached, it stops working until a proper reset/reboot/poweroff&poweron is made by the user!
Maybe it is related to this 'Thread-ID-change'!
I rather suspected a 'dangling pointer' or a 'memory-leak', but who knows.
Edit: Does anyone here still own a SwapMagic Disc?
This could be very useful to exclude FMCB/FHDB from the equation!
It would be interesting to know if it is a structural problem (implementation), or if it is such a rather small thing like the recent fix for the cdvd-emu-driver, or the other one for USBHDFSD (which have quite an influence, given the amount of changes).
Current issues:
- Something related to a possible init-issue, which can be circumvented via using the PS2Logo.
- An IGR-issue either directly related to IGR, or triggered by it, causing games to malfunction [after an IGR] (possibly due to changed thread-IDs, but that might not be the only IGR-related issue).
- A coldboot-issue, which doesn't allow some (AFAIK rather few) games to be started, if the hacked OSDSYS has been invoked.
- Possibly a threading-issue and if there is, there might be a relation to it being triggered via things like the issue connected to '2.' ('moving/changing Thread-ID')
- Threading could be affected
- Different setups require different modes sometimes.
- An issue that causes games to need specific DMA-Transfer-Modes on some setups which could be related to timing or something else. That seems sometimes similar to the IGR-Issue and if there is a threading-issue, that might be fixed via fixing the Thread-ID-issue.
- An old issue: IGR'ing directly back to OPL (via IGR-Path), causes some games to malfunction after an IGR. It could be related to some of the other issues, or be an independent one.
- Did I forget something?
It would be insane, if the issue '1.' is also connected to this Thread-ID-Change... (which would mean they are changed even without IGR)!
If it is, this might cause some games which are expecting some specific Thread-ID for one of those threads to have issues, for example that it can't initialize something correctly or that some threads get the wrong priority!
Some of these issues also might be related to some changes made in the mega-commits from built 727 to 733.
FMCB/FHDB MIGHT have an issue which is related to one of those or triggered via one (or a combination) of those!
@sp193: I have some questions regarding the Ferrari Challenge tests you did...
- Is a second IGR and 3rd game-boot possible (not sure if it freezes quite in the beginning) and are the Thread-IDs the same like after the first IGR and the 2nd game-boot?
- If NOT, does it ever show the same IDs for the 2 tests? If yes, I suppose this 'Thread-ID-change'-issue possibly is not caused by OPL.
- If it freezes too early, I'd be interested if you could try to IGR a few times out of other games and then try Ferrari Challenge again. Are the Thread-IDs like they were in your earlier test before or after the IGR or again different?
The root-cause of the Thread-ID-change certainly seems to be something important to be found (even tho' I think it is not a 'magic bullet'... It might fix one or more issues, but quite certainly not all.).
Btw.: Some time ago, I mentioned that there seems to be 'something' in OPL (or elsewhere caused/triggered), which reminds one of a 'counter' and once a specific 'number' is reached, it stops working until a proper reset/reboot/poweroff&poweron is made by the user!
Maybe it is related to this 'Thread-ID-change'!
I rather suspected a 'dangling pointer' or a 'memory-leak', but who knows.
Edit: Does anyone here still own a SwapMagic Disc?
This could be very useful to exclude FMCB/FHDB from the equation!
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It's a little boring to IGR many times cause it freezes at the second loading time, so you have to wait all the thousands of logos to appear...
This problem happens every time, doesn't natter what IGR path you use. So it's different from the games.bin problem (but the trigger could be the same)
Edit: Does anyone here still own a SwapMagic Disc?
This could be very useful to exclude FMCB/FHDB from the equation!
What test would you want precisely??
Oh! Yes, I didn't mention the cache-file-issue because it is not yet merged, but it could be related. I am also not sure if it isn't an old known issue like @Krah mentioned (but I think he is right).
Oh! But I didn't mention it on the list... Going to add it now!
Regarding your last question: I want someone to try those things (testing OPL including deactivating PS2Logo or the IGR-Tests) with SwapMagic, because FMCB/FHDB should not be invoked.
@jolek (AFAIR) also mentioned an ESR-Game which needs to be coldbooted! If someone could test this by starting ESR via SwapMagic (and neither FMCB/FHDB installed), that would be interesting as well!
Oh! I forgot to thank you for the answer regarding multiple IGR-Reboots!
Now I am truly interested in the results, if @sp193 test it.
Oh! But I didn't mention it on the list... Going to add it now!
Regarding your last question: I want someone to try those things (testing OPL including deactivating PS2Logo or the IGR-Tests) with SwapMagic, because FMCB/FHDB should not be invoked.
@jolek (AFAIR) also mentioned an ESR-Game which needs to be coldbooted! If someone could test this by starting ESR via SwapMagic (and neither FMCB/FHDB installed), that would be interesting as well!
Oh! I forgot to thank you for the answer regarding multiple IGR-Reboots!
Now I am truly interested in the results, if @sp193 test it.
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Yes, he is right, but I think it could be a good thing to look further into this problem, 'cause maybe the root is the same for many problems (or maybe not, but Worth a look I think)
I have some discs I used for swapping (backups of my games, having some elfs replaced with cogswap and Ulaunchelf). I could launch Ule, then OPL from a pendrive without involving FMCB. You think it would meet your requirements??
- A test of the game which @jolek mentioned, which needs a coldboot (not going through the 'hacked OSDSYS') even with ESR.
- Testing to reset the console from OPL via IGR back to the Browser then do a swap again to start OPL again and retry the game.
- Start OPL via this Swap-Trick directly without going through an app, but this time use the IGR-Path-Method to return to OPL!
It would be quite interesting to start those ELFs (ESR and OPL) directly, without going 'through' wLE, SwapMagic, Cogswap or any other app at all!
As for ESR... Well, that would only work with ESR GUI if you want to directly start it from disc...
Let's see if I'm understanding correctly...
Therefore:
1. I could burn a copy of 007 agent under fire, replacing the DRIVING.ELF with OPL (this elf is bigger than OPL, anyway isn't sure it will work, 'cause i.e. not all Ule versions work).
2. I'll start OPL swapping from the og 007 disc, launch Half Life, then IGR
3. after IGR it will appear the write "insert a Ps2 game", then I'll remake the swap, restart OPL, set the path to OPL and try IGResetting from Ace Combat (if the list would appear, I could try to boot Ferrari Challenge).
Therefore:
1. I could burn a copy of 007 agent under fire, replacing the DRIVING.ELF with OPL (this elf is bigger than OPL, anyway isn't sure it will work, 'cause i.e. not all Ule versions work).
2. I'll start OPL swapping from the og 007 disc, launch Half Life, then IGR
3. after IGR it will appear the write "insert a Ps2 game", then I'll remake the swap, restart OPL, set the path to OPL and try IGResetting from Ace Combat (if the list would appear, I could try to boot Ferrari Challenge).
Before you IGR on '2.' (of your post) eject the disc and insert your 007 again... Then it won't show that message on '3.' and you can directly start OPL again...
Oh! I'd be interested in the IGR-Behavior for Ferrari Challenge as well!
Regarding '3.': Well... Like I said in '2.' first test a reboot through the OSDSYS and when you 'set' the IGR-Path for '3.',it would be preferable, to turn the PS2 off after saving the IGR-Path and start it ONCE via the disc-swap, start a game and IGR back to OPL... and then test a game...
I am mostly interested in Ferrari Challenge for these tests (currently)!
I hope you can do it exactly this way (and preferably even with a video, lol), but that would be too much asked, I suppose!
Oh! I'd be interested in the IGR-Behavior for Ferrari Challenge as well!
Regarding '3.': Well... Like I said in '2.' first test a reboot through the OSDSYS and when you 'set' the IGR-Path for '3.',it would be preferable, to turn the PS2 off after saving the IGR-Path and start it ONCE via the disc-swap, start a game and IGR back to OPL... and then test a game...
I am mostly interested in Ferrari Challenge for these tests (currently)!
I hope you can do it exactly this way (and preferably even with a video, lol), but that would be too much asked, I suppose!
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Yes, this is doable replacing the boot file (game's ID) too (of my 007 backup) with OPL (hoping it will work, obviously I'll make sure about it with the Ps2 slim, before dismounting the Fat).
OPL will save the cfg to my MC, it doesn't need FMCB to create the OPL folder and cfg files, right??
For me isn't a problem to make some tests… Btw I thought about it, probably those tests are missing the real problem root (I'll make sure about it with some preliminar tests…).
I mean, is pretty simple to figure out what the general main problem is:
Difference between IGR and HW (hardware) reset.
There's no way (officially) to switch to another game without going through the HW Reset. Even with games with official HDD support (like jap versions of FFX), there's no way to exit a game without resetting the console.
Ps2 (and/or Ps2 games) does not contemplate the possibility to switch to other games without resetting the console.
Therefore, the solution would be to make the OPL IGR to wipeout the PS2 memory in a more similar way to how the HW reset works.
I don't know if it is possible, and even if were, probably the OPL IGR would become exactly like the HW restart. It would completely restart the console, (the IGR path would be useless...).
… For the test you request I'd need to start the 007 game, then start OPL (and another game from it) without resetting the Ps2 (so the memory wouldn't be wiped out). I'm afraid that this precise test would lead to nothing, I'm almost sure that FMCB has nothing to do with these problems.
Btw I can do first steps, then I can get an idea if it is worth continuing
If we would want to find out if FMCB has nothing to do with it, we need someone to do the tests EXACTLY like I said, which is why I said that a video would be preferable (so I am sure it is done the way I mean...).
Other preliminary test will probably not help at all, to exclude it from the equation...
I hope @jolek can tell us the name of the ESR-Game, which didn't work with ESR if the PS2 wasn't coldbooted.
I agree that FMCB/FHDB is very unlikely to be the cause for most issues, but that doesn't mean it is bug-free and that also doesn't mean, that it can not be the cause... Try an FMCB-Version older than 1.8 and start a Multilanguage-game with it... Due to earlier versions having a quite incomplete (or in old versions next to absent) system-init, it will start some games in the wrong language (or mark the wrong language in a selector)... That's just one very obvious example!
Btw.: Yes... I know the 'double-timeswap' you are using... @Haldrie also showed it on his YT-Channel.
Please... I do know these tricks quite well... Look in the FreeVast-continues-thread @psx-scene.com and you'll see who brought up both OLD methods (10-11 years ago in the midst of 2008) back to the general consciousness, lol...
(tl;dr) It was me... and 007 was just an example, because I knew it had a Second-Stage-ELF quite far at the end of the disc, which makes the 'stunt' a lot easier than the swap you are doing. On top, I knew the disc went for ~3€, so it barely could have gotten any cheaper.
The original method is from before the invention of the 'Independence Exploit' and when most Modchips where quite crappy like the Origa, the Neo2.2 and things like these...
Other preliminary test will probably not help at all, to exclude it from the equation...
I hope @jolek can tell us the name of the ESR-Game, which didn't work with ESR if the PS2 wasn't coldbooted.
I agree that FMCB/FHDB is very unlikely to be the cause for most issues, but that doesn't mean it is bug-free and that also doesn't mean, that it can not be the cause... Try an FMCB-Version older than 1.8 and start a Multilanguage-game with it... Due to earlier versions having a quite incomplete (or in old versions next to absent) system-init, it will start some games in the wrong language (or mark the wrong language in a selector)... That's just one very obvious example!
Btw.: Yes... I know the 'double-timeswap' you are using... @Haldrie also showed it on his YT-Channel.
Please... I do know these tricks quite well... Look in the FreeVast-continues-thread @psx-scene.com and you'll see who brought up both OLD methods (10-11 years ago in the midst of 2008) back to the general consciousness, lol...
(tl;dr) It was me... and 007 was just an example, because I knew it had a Second-Stage-ELF quite far at the end of the disc, which makes the 'stunt' a lot easier than the swap you are doing.
On top, I knew the disc went for ~3€, so it barely could have gotten any cheaper.The original method is from before the invention of the 'Independence Exploit' and when most Modchips where quite crappy like the Origa, the Neo2.2 and things like these...
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Ok, I'll wait to know this game (maybe Half Life?)
Understood, So it's Worth a try.
Btw.: Yes... I know the 'double-timeswap' you are using... @Haldrie also showed it on his YT-Channel.
Please... I do know these tricks quite well... Look in the FreeVast-continues-thread @psx-scene.com and you'll see who brought up both OLD methods (10-11 years ago in the midst of 2008) back to the general consciousness, lol...
(tl;dr) It was me... and 007 was just an example, because I knew it had a Second-Stage-ELF quite far at the end of the disc, which makes the 'stunt' a lot easier than the swap you are doing.
I bought 007 agent under fire 'cause it have a huge elf (DRIVING.ELF, +2mb) and you can directly start ULE (and other elfs too) with any Ps2.
I normally use Time Splitters for Swap, to not waste DVDs
Maybe It would be better to start OPL without starting a game before, but it's not possible to directly access OPL with a swap.
Anyway if after the test I won't notice any different behavior, then the problem is probably as i was saying.
All these games (FC, AC, SPPS, HL), work perfectly with every configuration on a cold boot (as i said cold booting is the only contemplate way of switching a game).
Some problems (i.e games.bin related to ace combat) could be solved IGResetting to any path but OPL (this let us know that OPL IGR leave something into Ps2 memory, as @Krah said), other problems instead (the ferrari challenge one) just need the Ps2 to restart (letting us knowing that something remains in memory even IGResetting to other paths) otherwise problems will occur.
About the cold booting to OPL (that solved Half Life problem for @jolek) it seems a problem related to FHDB (indeed escluding it, the problem doesn't seems to occur). I use only FMCB and for me cold booting to OPL or not never make any difference.
Yes, possibly!
THAT is absolutely NOT true!
Take a look at here:
I mentioned the double-time-swap before and thought you'd do it that way...
Actually... That post of you, where you mentioned some possible causes, still contains some misconceptions.
I had no time to quote and answer to anything, but can add it as well to a later post, if you prefer.
That is indeed an interesting find. THX for that!
It doesn't need to be directly IGR-related or has to leave some code back behind, like I already said... IGR could merely be a trigger! Please don't 'jump to conclusions' too fast... I had seen that 'somewhere' before (quite recently). ^^
This doesn't prove YET, that IGR's code itself is at fault (even tho' it might seem likely)! But obviously I made a thread to explore the VARIOUS IGR-related issues (regardless if IGR is directly at fault or just a trigger), so I think that's quite obvious that I think the IGR-Tests might help us with various issues...
No... Just no... That does NOT prove (or 'letting us know') that any of the additional code we introduce is left behind!
That solely proves that IGR could trigger the issue and in FC's case, it has a different Thread-IDs, which causes the issues (or more specifically the hard-coded Thread-IDs the developer wants to call/'speek to' from other threads are not working, because the IDs changed after an IGR...).
That does still not prove that IGR itself is directly at fault, or that it leaves some code in RAM, but the 'state' of the console certainly changes...
I wonder if the same happens, if someone starts wLE from FMCB, accesses the HDD and then starts OPL and then the game!
Then the culprit/error is most likely to be searched in OPL itself and how it handles the current 'state' the PS2 is running in.
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