Dangwoots World: 11/9/08

A Guide to Installing Free McBoot 1.7

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About

Free McBoot is a method of running homebrew applications directly off a Memory Card as a stand alone loader. No boot discs or modchips are required once installed. You will however need to have a method to install FMCB to the MC. This guide assumes you have a method to install already, if not read thru the How-to guides and return when ready to install FMCB.
*NOTE* This guide is written for use with version 1.7 and should not be used for previous versions, as some things wont aply to those versions!!

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Requirements

What you need:
A Boot method for the installer { How-to Guides }
A Memory Card with minimal 2MB free
A PS2
A USB stick { optional, but highly recommended}
Free McBoot release Package
Apps/files to install {optional, as apps can be run from a USB device}

File Preparation

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Free McBoot comes only with the necessary files/folders required to run Free McBoot's launching application from the Memory Card its installed to. Many applications can be used with Free mcBoot, but none will be included with a release package.',10,430)"> More info...

Its up to YOU the user to add anything to the installer to use, so decide on what you want to do with Free McBoot once its been installed and then add the apps you want to use.
The most commonly used apps are recommended below and are linked to the developement forums they originate, so you can read about them and get the latest versions.

Recommended apps to use with installation:
uLaunchELF ........Free McBoot skin for uLE apply skin after install, ReadMe included
SMS ........Free McBoot skin for SMS apply skin after install, ReadMe included
ESR
HDLoader ........Free McBoot skin for HDL skin must be patched to HDL before installing
FMCB Configurator

You can also find most any app for the PS2 at SKSApps.com
Emulators, ps2 app skins, Tools & Utilities, Online, Converters , cheat apps, and much more can be found at SKSApps.com

Prepare files for installation:
The Free McBoot Package contains the FREE_MCBOOT.ELF and an INSTALL folder. Only files/folders contained in the INSTALL folder will be used for the installation.

You can place the following files into the INSTALL folder's root:

BOOT.ELF { uLaunchELF is the best file manager/ELF launcher available}
ESR.ELF { used to run backups without the need to swap discs, patching required }
HDLOADER.ELF { run games from an internal HDD }
SMS.ELF { best Media Player available }

These files will be copied to the MC's BOOT folder . Folders will not be copied to the BOOT folder.

Example of how the folder structure should look when properly placing the files:

Exact filenames as shown above are case sensitive with the default FREEMCB.CNF. Check that the file extension .ELF is in fact in CAPS, or it will not display.
If you use different filenames, then it wont work until you configure the FREEMCB.CNF to use those filenames. More info ...

These files will be listed and linked to run from the Sony main menu . ',10,430)"> More info...

The installer will calculate the amount of space that is to be used for your install and show the free space as well.
NOTE: It is important to watch the overall file size when adding apps to your installation folders.
Also consider skins, roms,CNF files, images, etc... will add to the size if your using them from the MC.

Each of the folders included in the install package serve a purpose and should NOT be deleted unless you understand what they are for and can judge if they are necessary or not.
APPS - ',10,430)"> Details This folder is for any additional files you wish to add to your MC .
INJECT -',10,430)"> Details Put your "DVDELF.BIN" or "EMBED.ELF" file here, they will be used for the DVDELF injection. More info...
MODULES -',10,430)"> Details This folder comes with USBD.IRX and USBHDFSD.IRX files. These are required by Free McBoot to use a USB device.
FMCB_CFG -',10,430)"> Details The FMCB_CFG.ELF is Free McBoot's Configurator (made by Suloku from psx-scene).

Installation

Free McBoot MUST be installed to a Memory Card and can not be copied off another. A copy will only work on the MC it was installed on.
Cross Region installations will not work! This means installing with a console from one region will not work on another console from a different region.

Installer Options:
X - Normal install will install the required system files for your console version..
[] - Multi-Version install will install additional files for other console versions of the same region to work with the same MC..
/\ - Power Off puts the console into Stand-by mode
O - Launches the Configurator Application
SELECT - If you dont have anything worth saving on the MC, then format the card for a better chance of a successful install.

START - If you have a previous install of the Multi-Version and wish to install without formatting, you must un-install the Multi-Version first.

The Installer will detect if you have a BOOT.ELF to install, if no BOOT.ELF is found, you are given a chance to abort the install so you can put a BOOT.ELF in the proper location, as described above and in the correct file extension of all CAPS.
Or you can continue the installation without it, but you were warned, so dont say you werent!!

A successful install should look similar to the below image:

Configuring Free McBoot

There are 2 ways you can configure Free McBoot, using the Configurator in the PS2 after the installation or manually create a CNF file on your PC and include it in the installation's FMCB_CFG folder.

Using FMCB Configurator
Once the Installer has successfully installed, you can go right to the configurator app by pressing the O button.
You will first see an option for button layout, meaning what button do you prefer to be the OK button, so press the one you would rather use.

Next the main menu appears.....

Default example:

The FREEMCB.CNF is loaded from mc0: by default , unless a FREEMCB.CNF is present on the root of an attached USB device.

Load CNF from MC0
Loads a CNF from MC slot1
Load CNF from MC1
Loads a CNF from MC slot2
Load CNF from Mass
Loads a CNF from a connected USB device

Configure E1 launch keys...
Configure E2 launch keys...
Configure E3 launch keys...

Default example:

Here you can assign apps from a path to load with a button press, Configure E1 launch keys... is the first location the launcher will look in for an app to load, if not found, it will go to the next set of paths for that button in Configure E2 launch keys... as the second location set, then on to Configure E3 launch keys.... as the third location set. If still no files are found in any of those locations for that button press, it will by default load the OSD, unless you have changed it from default.

Recommended apps are pre-configured as default settings as shown in the example image above.

This is very useful if MC space is important to save, you can assign all your apps in the Configure E1 launch keys... to mass:/ {USB stick} and then assign Configure E2 launch keys... to look on the same MC or on a second MC by using mc?:/ FOLDER/FILE.ELF.
This makes it very flexible when using a number of MCs and/or USB sticks.

Most people will only need to configure Configure E1 launch keys..., but for the advanced user this is a very useful method when using multiple sets of devices.

Configure OSDSYS Options...

OSD Settings menu:

-Hacked OSDSYS

ON - Default setting Displays list of apps in Sony main menu to be selected for booting
OFF - Disables the OSD Hack

-Configure Item 1 -100
Press left or right to select an item from 1 to 100

Here you can assign apps and give them a name that will display on the Sony main menu screen.
You can select up to 100 apps and they will be linked to the Sony menu.
The 3 sets of paths will be the search order the launcher will follow when booting the selected app from the list. The recommended apps are already pre-assigned and named.

Default example:

Configure Scrolling options
-Scroll Menu : ON Default setting turns on the scrolling effects
OFF disables scrolling effects
-Displayed Items : 7 Default setting 4 to 10 items can be selected
-Menu y : 110 Default setting - centered in the screen
The range is 0 to 220
You can adjust the entire list up { lower number } or down { higher number }.
But use caution or the top might be cut off if your Displayed Items is set to a high number, as shown in the up & down example images.

Example settings:

Menu y : 0 {too high} Menu y : 110 {centered} Menu y : 220 {too low}

You can save and go to the PS2Browser ( FMCB restart) and see the results, then return to the configurator if you need to make more changes.
-Cursor Max Velocity : 1000 Changes the distance the cursor indicator moves across the screen
-Cursor Acceleration : 100 Changes the speed the cursor indicator moves

-Left Cursor: >> 10 char. max.
-Right Cursor: << 10 char. max.
-Top Delimiter: -=<>=- 80 char. max.
-Bottom Delimiter: -=<>=- 80 char. max.

-Video Mode: AUTO, PAL, NTSC {AUTO is default setting }
-Skip MC update check:

ON -Default setting Stops PS2 OSDSYS from searching for update files on the MC
OFF - Does normal searches for updates

-Skip HDDupdate check:

ON -Default setting Stops PS2 OSDSYS from searching for update files on the HDD. {HDD doesnt power up}
OFF - Powers on HDD and searches, then powers down HDD

-Skip Disc Boot:',10,430)"> Details

ON -Default setting Prevent a disc (if inserted on power-on/reset) to boot through OSD.
OFF - disables option.

-Skip Sony Logo:
ON -Default setting Skips the "Sony Computer Entertainment"-Logo , helps speed up boot process.
OFF - Disables option

-Go to Browser:
ON - Free McBoot loads to MC browser menu
OFF - Default setting Free McBoot loads to Sony main menu

-Selected Color - changes the color of the selected item in Sony's main menu
-Unselected color - changes the color of the unselected item in Sony's main menu

-MenuX : 320 Default setting - centered in the screen
Range is 0-640.
You can adjust the entire list to the left { lower number }or the right { higher number }.
But use caution or the words might be cut off, as shown in the left & right example images. So adjust in small amounts at a time.
You can save and go to the PS2Browser ( FMCB restart) and see the results, then return to the configurator if you need to make more changes.

Example settings:

MenuX : 0 {too far left} MenuX : 320 {centered} MenuX : 640 {too far right}