PS3 sMAN 1.08n (by deank) - Adds new XMB Intergration Option, Improved ICON/SFO Scanning & more...

One of many legends in the PS3 Homebrew Community developer deank is back with a new progression of the sMAN plugin. We all know deank from projects like multiMAN, webMAN and now the sMAN plugin that has appeared to perhaps replaced (?) the original webMAN (aka webMAN Vanilla) project as now a new feature will allow you to choose between old style of "My Games" with the "XML" Mod, this option is off by default. As seen in the included pic in the release notes, the "XMB Intergration" can be toggled on/off easily in sMAN setup. The dev did not stop there with improving this PS3 Plugin in v1.08n additional details such as improved speed on scanning from external / internal hdd when extracting Game Icons / obtaining info from the PARAM.SFO can be seen with all details of this update​

sMAN v1.08n (via deank) What is sMAN Changelog History

• 
  
  sMAN 1.08n is available:​
  
  
  http://deanbg.com/sman.sprx | 404 KB (414 135 bytes) | http://deanbg.com/sMAN_1.08.zip
  

  
  
  sMAN version 1.08n Changes:
  
  • Added [x] XMB Integration option in setup for people who like the older xmb/xml style (off by default)
  • Improved scan speed from ntfs/internal hdd when extracting icons/sfo
  • sMAN resources in /dev_hdd0/tmp/wmtmp/res will not be overwritten if exist (at least until the next version)
  • Supports up to 2000 titles (even in XMB Integration mode)
  • Still uses the same amount of memory (~2300KB free while idle)
  
  
  Dean
  
• 
  
  • Developer: @deank
  • Type of Release: A PS3 Plugin for use with Custom Firmware : Such as a COBRA CFW or other CFW types such as (STANDARD) with the ability to boot plugins via external applications ..
    
  • Short Description: the sMAN plugin takes deank original webMAN plugin and adds the new slaunch feature also developed by deank and merges them into a single plugin that also gives the ability with all the original webMAN features developed by deank.
  
  
• 
  
  
  History of Changes​
  
  sMAN v1.07
  
  • It can be either 10 or 40 games per page. Both layouts can be switched with [R3].
  sMAN 1.06n
  
  • Some important parts of the plugin are rewritten and optimized to reduce stack usage
  • Returned another 112KB back to fg vsh (2316KB free - was 1920KB a month ago without ntfs so about 396KB less used)
  • Changed sman.bin to support longer game names/paths/icons - a rescan will be initiated
  • Cleaned some code (about 1000 lines gone after the optimization)
  • Loading games speed improved (at least the perceived speed)
  • sMAN will show the name of the loaded game as popup message (not the filename)
  • sMAN is now properly unloaded when requested (no zombie or dead threads should remain)
    
  • It supports up to 2000 titles (games/bd/dvd) now
  
  sMAN v1.05
  
  • Use [L2+R2] to start sMAN
  • The sprx is bigger (but actually uses less memory) because it contains some glued resources
  • It will use standard PS1/PS2/PSP/PS3/Blu-ray/DVD icons when there is no proper cover/image available
  • This version of the plugin must be named sman.sprx and loaded from (in this exact order):
    • /dev_hdd0/sman.sprx or
      /dev_hdd0/plugins/sman.sprx or
      /dev_flash/vsh/module/sman.sprx otherwise it won't work.​
  
  sMAN v1.02
  
  • Changed netiso/rawseciso implementation (external) - use plugin slot #0
  • Fixed crash when trying to load another PS1 title after one is played
  
  sMAN v1.01
  
  • Added "Setup" option in side-menu
  • Removed xml generation - no need for custom category_game.xml anymore
  • Removed xai_plugin/idle_plugin usage
  • Added x2 upscale for small images/covers (w/h < 336)
  • Added indication of current group mode (PS3 1 / xxx) under title name/path
  • Removed "My Games" entry from XMB - hold [START] to launch sMAN
  
  

Downloads:

• http://deanbg.com/sman.sprx
• http://deanbg.com/sMAN_1.08.zip

Source: PSX-Place.com​

 

JB format games have never been supported on ntfs drives. Use iso only. JB folder is a legacy format anyway & except for game modding there is no good reason to use it, especially with Cobra. On top, you cannot use psnpatch to disable the cfw with a number of JB folder games because as soon as the Cobra hooks are removed, those games won't run anymore. You will never get that kind of issue with iso.

Generally speaking fragmentation always has an impact on capacity and/or performance. However fragmentation is a broad term & I assume that you are referring in particular to file system fragmentation which is a special case of data fragmentation.
Both fat32 & ntfs file systems will produce fragmentation. Although ntfs is supposed to be better at dealing with fragmentation, in practice I never found it any different. The allocation table & general management are a lot better than in fat32 but fragmentation remains a problem. Check this out.
http://www.condusiv.com/disk-defrag/fragmentation-impact/

It's important to note that if your ntfs drive is full of large iso files, the Fragmentation should never be as bad as a fat 32 drive with thousands of files for each JB folder game.
Also when using a lot of small files (like JB folder files) the cluster size chosen during partitioning will have a direct impact on potential Fragmentation down the line.

ok so its better to use NTFS partition type and ISO ?
If yes how i convert JB into ISO ?
I need to use genPS3ISO (by aldostools) ? What is ird option ? i need to use it ?
I need to patch the iso generated by genPS3ISO with PS3 ISO Tool GUI (By AldosTools) ?

NOTE: I use Rex Rebug 4.81.2

Thanks for the help

 

ok so its better to use NTFS partition type and ISO ?
If yes how i convert JB into ISO ?
I need to use genPS3ISO (by aldostools) ? What is ird option ? i need to use it ?
I need to patch the iso generated by genPS3ISO with PS3 ISO Tool GUI (By AldosTools) ?

NOTE: I use Rex Rebug 4.81.2

Thanks for the help

Yes you should favour using iso files & the best way to store iso files is to use a ntfs drive. On fat32 you must split the isos due to the 4gb file size limitation.
Ird files are used to ensure the game's integrity. It would tell you if your game is missing a file or if a file is not an original file.
Patched eboots should not be used to create iso for instance...
You can get ird files for your games from this site.
http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/index.php

Nowadays I prefer to use Rudi's PS3 ISO Tools with makeps3iso however half of of my isos were made with Cobra's genps3iso (Aldo created a GUI, not the tool!).
For games to be mounted with Cobra/Mamba, genps3iso 2.x or makeps3iso should all work ok anyway.

 

Ird files are used to ensure the game's integrity. It would tell you if your game is missing a file or if a file is not an original file.
Patched eboots should not be used to create iso for instance...
You can get ird files for your games from this site.
http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/index.php

Nowadays I prefer to use Rudi's tool with makeps3iso however half of of my isos were made with Cobra's genps3iso (Aldo created a GUI, not the tool!).
To work with Cobra/Mamba, genps3iso 2.x or makeps3iso should all work ok.

Do you know of any other sources for IRD files?

I originally made all my isos that way thinking it must of been the best way to get an accurate image to minimise ban risk on PSN, But I've found a few from that site that must of been made from dodgy copies anyway as eboot/param won't verify even after re-ripping from the original disc, or things like thumbs.db being included in the ird... lol

Remade them when moving and rejoining my split isos to an ntfs drive using genps3iso 2.0 (just drag and drop extracted folder on exe)

Still not banned, so I guess it probably didn't matter in that regards anyway. (or I'm just lucky)

 

Do you know of any other sources for IRD files?

I originally made all my isos that way thinking it must of been the best way to get an accurate image to minimise ban risk on PSN, But I've found a few from that site that must of been made from dodgy copies anyway as eboot/param won't verify even after re-ripping from the original disc, or things like thumbs.db being included in the ird... lol

Remade them when moving and rejoining my split isos to an ntfs drive using genps3iso 2.0 (just drag and drop extracted folder on exe)

Still not banned, so I guess it probably didn't matter in that regards anyway. (or I'm just lucky)

Some of them were submitted by users who should not have used pirated games to create the file. However most of those ird files were created fine.
The original ird bank has been closed down months ago. Luckily I downloaded the full archive 2 years ago so I have it stored somewhere afaik. I never tried to compare those ird files with the ones available nowadays in this new website.

Also I don't think ird was done to ensure the integrity of a pirated game but rather to check that all the files had been extracted correctly from the disc.
If someone is using pirated games & taking risks because the ird file did not flag some modded files then it's another story altogether. However most of the time, the worst thing that happens is that the eboot was patched & therefore the iso won't get mounted. No risk of ban there.
Note that a user should normally have the original disc anyway & the ird file should not really be required. In doubt, it can also be recreated easily.

 

@deank
Is it normal that the lowest fan speed setting cannot be checked anymore in the setup page with the current build?

Externalised html interface is much funkier btw... Cool.

 

Has anyone checked if it works well with external disk in NTFS format but without splitting ISO? And apart how to uninstall webman mod completely and how to install sman cleanly so as not to create conflict or anything

 

@deank
Is it normal that the lowest fan speed setting cannot be checked anymore in the setup page with the current build?

Externalised html interface is much funkier btw... Cool.

since 1.05 i cant check it...

 

@deank
Is it normal that the lowest fan speed setting cannot be checked anymore in the setup page with the current build?

Externalised html interface is much funkier btw... Cool.

Same problem here as well

 

Has anyone checked if it works well with external disk in NTFS format but without splitting ISO? And apart how to uninstall webman mod completely and how to install sman cleanly so as not to create conflict or anything

You don't need to fully uninstall webMAN-MOD, you only need to "deactivate" it by making sure it does not load as long as you use sMan.
Therefore there should be no webftp_server.sprx or slaunch paths in /dev_hdd0/boot_plugins.txt & webman should also be disabled in Rebug Toolbox for Rebug users.

As far as ntfs iso games scanning & mounting is concerned you should not have any problems... If you do, please report...

 

You don't need to fully uninstall webMAN-MOD, you only need to "deactivate" it by making sure it does not load as long as you use sMan.
Therefore there should be no webftp_server.sprx or slaunch paths in /dev_hdd0/boot_plugins.txt & webman should also be disabled in Rebug Toolbox for Rebug users.

As far as ntfs iso games scanning & mounting is concerned you should not have any problems... If you do, please report...

When I inform the person who will put it and it works, I will let you know, thank you very much

 

Always when I put a new game and scan the HD the green led flashes in yellow is this normal?

yeah...it is it also does it if you have the box for "scan at start up" checked marked.

 

@deank thanks for doing all this! lol sorry didn't mean to make you go off your rocker with the ftp/dev blind check mark box thingy ...i know it can be mega frustrating dealing with it all but you've done an outstanding job and honestly it was ok i and others would've worked around it....this is much better tho...

and Im really excited about htm! that I can do! im gonna go crazy with this now
thanks a ton! we all appreciate you and so far sMAN has been rock solid!

 

Yes you should favour using iso files & the best way to store iso files is to use a ntfs drive. On fat32 you must split the isos due to the 4gb file size limitation.
Ird files are used to ensure the game's integrity. It would tell you if your game is missing a file or if a file is not an original file.
Patched eboots should not be used to create iso for instance...
You can get ird files for your games from this site.
http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/index.php

Nowadays I prefer to use Rudi's PS3 ISO Tools with makeps3iso however half of of my isos were made with Cobra's genps3iso (Aldo created a GUI, not the tool!).
For games to be mounted with Cobra/Mamba, genps3iso 2.x or makeps3iso should all work ok anyway.

Thanks for the answer.

My probleme is i dont know how to use ird file with rudi or genps3iso aldos and is it neccesary to use it?

secondly if i use rudi tool with option in need to check ?

Thanks for your help is the last question i have for this subject

 

You don't need the ird file if your games are already fully working as JB & eboot is unpatched.
Ird checking is not necessary. You should use it only when you are unsure about your games files...

To use Rudi's tool to create iso, you can keep all the options unchecked.
Do not patch the games unless you absolutely need, the files should all be originals & if you don't need to use your isos on lower cfw than they were created for, there is no reason to patch them.
Avoid using special characters in file names as a general rule.
Choose genps3iso or makeps3iso as you wish.

Check this information http://www.psx-place.com/resources/ps3-iso-tools.68/ & this as well http://www.psx-place.com/threads/ps3-iso-tools-by-rudi-rastelli.403/

 

Nowadays I prefer to use Rudi's PS3 ISO Tools with makeps3iso however half of of my isos were made with Cobra's genps3iso (Aldo created a GUI, not the tool!).
For games to be mounted with Cobra/Mamba, genps3iso 2.x or makeps3iso should all work ok anyway.

Thanks for the answer.

My probleme is i dont know how to use ird file with rudi or genps3iso aldos and is it neccesary to use it?

I converted all my Folders collection to .iso times ago. Unsing genps3iso
using a command line to convert.

But Crysis 2, Crysis 3 and Bayonetta will not run.

So i used PS3_ISO_TOOLS V2.2 and now this games works.

I didn't tested my 900 games .iso converted games. But found 3 that wont run converting with genps3iso so i recommend use PS3_ISO_TOOLS V2.2 with makeps3iso options to prevent this!!

 

@Reddir
Sorry but I never had this kind of issue.
I have Crysis 2.0 & 3.0 isos made with genps3iso 2.5 & ird check ages ago that work perfectly well.
Every single iso I made with genps3iso 2.0/2.1/2.5 works perfectly fine with Cobra/Mamba. That's at least 75 games tested ok...

 

@deank
Is it normal that the lowest fan speed setting cannot be checked anymore in the setup page with the current build?

This option was never clickable. The checkbox was always disabled and its "ticked" state just indicates whether the lowest speed will be applied (which happens only in "auto" mode). I added back the "tick" when in auto-mode - it is purely cosmetic checkbox just to make the options look more ordered on screen.

I updated sman.sprx. Also game listing in the web-browser on the PS3 now looks properly (game names are centered as they should be - same as on the PC).

http://deanbg.com/sman.sprx (now up to 1.09n - resource files will be updated and you'll also get a new background for sMAN GUI).

 

Background wallpaper can't be change anymore for some reason even file size smaller than current wallpaper it just display a black background.

 

There is no problem with the background. If it shows blackscreen then your image is not supported (either not 1920x1080 or not JPG or both).

 

I updated sman.sprx. Also game listing in the web-browser on the PS3 now looks properly (game names are centered as they should be - same as on the PC).

http://deanbg.com/sman.sprx (now up to 1.09n - resource files will be updated and you'll also get a new background for sMAN GUI).

You really are focused on polishing the plugin and that is appreciated.


Keep waiting for the option to keep the fan speed when unload sman xD