What do I need to start developing?

[Lyth]

Hey guys,

Im about to purchase a Sony PS2 TOOL DTL-10000.
What do I need to start using with this system to start developing?
What software? What hardware? (The dev unit doesnt come with anything. Just the unit and whats included inside of it.)

I see theres some external hdd and PCMIA card. Do I need these to start developing games with the unit? (How else would I connect the TOOL to the PC to code a game? I saw online that you can connect through ethernet, but could I start implementing code using that method?)

[Lyth]

Bump! I need to know these things before I buy my dev kit in a day or two :$:$

[HI_Ricky]

first you need to know how to login your TOOL :P

[Lyth]

Ahah yea. But I mean the general accessories, software, hardware etc that I'll need to start developing.

[Lyth]

Bump! I need an awnser before I buy this unit today! :(

[unclejun]

If you ask yourself those questions, maybe you don't need a Tool to begin with.

Anyway, you can either use the sdk from ps2dev wich will allow you to distribute your work legally, and a retail PS2 modified to run homebrew software will most likely be enough to suit you, or if you want to use the official tools (but you won't be able to legally release your creations), you'll need the official sdk with a linux machine, if you're using windows, you'll need the sdk plus codewarrior and/or prodg for the PS2.

[H360]

It just crossed my mind, that the PS2 is STILL in production!

I forgot about that...


I hope it lasts another 2 years :Rock:

[Lyth]

Hey Haunted360, Its me. Hotdog-cart from Benheck. Muahaha. Alias's :D.

And Unclejun, thank you. I have a windows machine. How will I connect the windows machine to the ps2 TOOL? I've read about people using putty to connect to it through ethernet, is that true? Or do I need the PCMIA card?

Can I use the ps2dev SDK with the Playstation 2 TOOL?

-Josh

[unclejun]

There's an ethernet connector on the back, so use either a cross-over cable or 2 straight cables and a switch/router to your Windows machine:

The PCMCIA card is only for the PS2 side network and the external HDD.
Please look around the Sony section, you can find a lot of Tool related threads with all the info you'll need :)

[Lyth]

Thanks man. :)

[unclejun]

There are 2 models of T10000 with different SBC (Single Board Computer), one with a Pentium 233MHz and the other with a Celeron 533MHz, you can easily guess wich is wich by looking at the RJ-45 connector position on the back of the Tool :

[Lyth]

I can't really understand the two diagrams you posted (I dont have my glasses on and cant read such small print.)

Here is the back of mine:

Which model is this? (I know the back looks rusty! :( But the seller is selling it to me for $100 and assures me it works and has provided a video).

[unclejun]

It's the older Pentium233 model, you can find the pdf manual in:
http://www.assemblergames.com/forums...d.php?p=452184

[Lyth]

Is it still useful for developing? or will I be hindered by the slow clockrate?

[unclejun]

It doesn't matter as you don't compile on the PC side of the Tool, you only use it to control the behavior of the PS2 side.

[Lyth]

Awesome. Thanks a lot. :)

[Lyth]

Hey unclejun? I asked a question yesturday, and I believe you may have not awnsered it.

Can I use the ps2dev SDK with the Playstation 2 TOOL? (Like if I code on my laptop using the ps2dev SDK, will the code work on the TOOL?)

[SilverBull]

Can I use the ps2dev SDK with the Playstation 2 TOOL? (Like if I code on my laptop using the ps2dev SDK, will the code work on the TOOL?)

Generally yes, but it really depends on what you are doing and which version of the PS2 BIOS has been installed on the TOOL.

The TOOL really is expected to run the same version of IOP kernel your application has been compiled for. The BIOS images for the TOOL always install an IOP kernel matching the corresponding SDK version; the "default" kernel known from retail machines is not included. This presents a problem for the open-source ps2sdk, because its file access libraries (at least the fio* routines) were written for the default kernel and do not work with later ones.

There are other problems, but in my opinion the incompatible fio routines is the most annoying one. Here are some hints you may find useful:

• Do not use ps2-packer. It produces ELFs that cannot be interpreted by dsedb, so the run or pload commands fail. If you absolutely must use packed ELFs, write a simple loader that calls sceSifLoadElf via the host device.
• Always use at least the flags "f0000 100" when doing a (ds)reset. The "f0000" part is not strictly necessary, but disables certain debug checks in the EE kernel that may trigger for homebrew code. Retail machines ignore these as well, but they may unexpectedly halt code on the TOOL. Its still better to run without this flag and just fix the bugs, but they come in handy if you cannot or do not want to... The "100" is necessary if you are running with a different IOP kernel than expected by the installed BIOS image; if this is omitted, prepare for some bizarre crashes during IOP reboots.
• Beware of querying EE thread and/or semaphore states (sorry, don't remember which one it was) from within your program. In the open-source ps2sdk, some field definitions are missing from the corresponding data structures that the TOOL's kernel might want to fill in. This may lead to seemingly-random corruption of EE memory (whatever happens to follow the state struct in memory is just overwritten), and can be quite hard to track down (hardware data breakpoints are really helpful here).
• I once published an arcane hack to run a retail machine's default IOP kernel on the TOOL (thus allowing the fio* routines of the ps2sdk to work correctly). It involves building your own IOPRP from both a TOOL's and retail machine's BIOS images, then loading that IOPRP via sceSifRebootIop from the host file system. If you are interested, check out the installation instructions for the latest Kermit release at http://www.assemblergames.com/forums...ad.php?t=27473. Just go straight into the chapter where the romfs utility is used with the mk-tool-ioprp command; the resulting file is what you want to reboot your IOP with.

That's all I can think of for the moment. It may sound a bit tricky at first, but it is possible to get used to, and works fine. I use the open-source ps2sdk for all my code and debug on the TOOL before going onto a retail machine, and have never found any major problem after above-mentioned ones were resolved.

[Lyth]

Awesome. Thanks man.

Also, I know this is a tricky question to ask but;

Its it possible for me to aquire the official sony ps2 sdk online? Or is the ps2dev the only one availiable?

:)

[PS2Guy]

Awesome. Thanks man.

Also, I know this is a tricky question to ask but;

Its it possible for me to a quire the official sony ps2 sdk online? Or is the ps2dev the only one available?

:)

Type in PS2 Torrent into a torrent engine and do a search. That's how i found it. That'll get you prodg!!