Help Creating a self-bootable image

[pedro]

Hi there guys, so i a few mouths ago, helped wombat getting a Dreamkey 3.1 from a spanish website, and has a thank you, he riped me the game as im interested in seeing the changes from the regular 3.0.

So i wanted to test it out as such i need to create a self-bootable image, i have been trying to search for a tutorial that would guide me step by step on how to do it but i couldnt find any. If anyone has any good tutorial or app that would assist me i would be greatfull.

Now the files that i have are:

track01.bin
track02.raw
track03.bin
track04.raw
track05.bin

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

If you just wanna test it out in an emulator, get NullDC and load the .gdi you should have got with it (it == game dump). If you don't have a .gdi just tell me the exact size in bytes of each files and send me the first ~32kB of track03.bin and I'll make one for you.

If you wanna convert it to a cd image to burn and test on a real dreamcast, check my selfboot pack in my signature. This pack won't support the audio track you got in track04, but chances are that it's a tiny track with a "This disc is for use only on sega dreamcast" audio warning, as many beta disc have (was in default devkit project template). You'd still need a gdi or information about the tracks to use my pack though.

Cheers,

FG

[iNub]

Well... you could try DC2CD (one thread below yours), that would be the easiest option right now - but I stopped coding that and it's very buggy; it'll be some time before the follow up tool gets released.

Next are -=FamiliyGuy=-'s tools, those make it a great deal easier as well.

And if you're looking for a tutorial, TuxTheWise once wrote a series of good tuts, but I can't find them anymore... try googling.


Or, if you want, you could 7zip/rar those files up and send them over, I'd try to get it to selfboot and return to you - if it's just a DreamKey disc it shouldn't be much larger than 100MB packed.

EDIT: whoops, didn't see -=FamilyGuy=- was posting as well. But forget about the gdi if you don't have one and want to make a CD-R, it's not important.

[pedro]

iNub i will upload it and send a link to you just give me a minute.

EDIT: Link sent

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Teach a man how to fish they say... Don't give him fish they say...

A gdi would make it easy as hell to run in an emulator to check the differences... Or to turn it into a burnable image in two clicks... But do as you wish...

[iNub]

Yeah, he has a point.

Just list the track sizes please, we'll get you a .gdi ready.

Problem is: I just realized my "current" DC2CD version is so fucked up (because I was trying to partially rebuild it but stopped in the middle some time ago) that it doesn't even work anymore, so I'd have to do it by hand and I don't have the time for that right now.

I'd feel a little weird if I used -=FamilyGuy=-'s tools when he is in the thread as well ;) Better do it yourself, we'll help you.

Or, as -=FamilyGuy=- suggested, just use the .gdi we'll make for you and run it in NullDC.

-=FamilyGuy=-: Why would we need the ip.bin?

[pedro]

Teach a man how to fish they say... Don't give him fish they say...

A gdi would make it easy as hell to run in an emulator to check the differences... Or to turn it into a burnable image in two clicks... But do as you wish...

I agree familyguy but i never make rips under a normal situation, this is an special ocasion XD

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

You know how restrictive I'm with the stuff I code? Seriously do it with no shame, I've released that stuff so it's of use to others. Anyway I don't really have the time to download the stuff hack it and upload it back right now.

If you're a carpenter, knowing how to fish wouldn't hurt, but I can understand you have other priorities.

[pedro]

I have tried to download dc2cd but the link does not work, and your pack also has the link broken :S

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Get it there: http://shenmuesubs.sourceforge.net/d..._FamilyGuy.rar

The folder it's on changed a few days ago, hadn't update my signature, sorry.

[iNub]

LOL we rule xD I can't even download DC2CD (old version) myself anymore, and the current build is broken.

EDIT: -=FamilyGuy=-: He has the .gdi already, just got PMd ;)

pedro: Sorry I can't help more right now, just rename the disc.gdi.txt to disc.gdi and use NullDC

5
1 0 4 2352 track01.bin 0
2 754 0 2352 track02.raw 0
3 45000 4 2352 track03.bin 0
4 531795 0 2352 track04.raw 0
5 537820 4 2352 track05.bin 0

[pedro]

i will try to use the -=FamilyGuy=- tools see if i can do it my self i will post results soon.

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Get NullDC: http://code.google.com/p/nulldc/down...36.7z&can=2&q=
Find a dreamcast bios by dumping your own (or use google to "figure how to do it")...
Look for a folder which looks like it made to put bios files in it (iirc there's a message file in the folder like "put_bios_here").
Rename bios to dc_boot.bin and flash to dc_flash.bin.

Run NullDC, File/"Normal Boot" then browse to the gdi.

Enjoy!

[edit]

If it's a standard game, and it should, just put the files (tracks+gdi) int he root folder of the pack, run gdi2data.bat then selfboot.bat and you're done! To burn/mount the resulting "selfboot.nrg" file, I STRONGLY suggest mounting the selfboot.nrg image in daemon tools lite (http://www.daemon-tools.cc/eng/products/dtLite) and then make an image with the tool of your choice (alcohol, imgburn, nero, whatever). This is because the nrg file version it uses is older than your grandmom's grandmom and it causes "issues".

[iNub]

Turns out I still had the 0.03, 0.04 and 0.05 versions saved ;)

I'll PM you the link for the selfboot version which *might* work or not, again, that tool had so many bugs it wasn't even funny anymore.

Download the rar, burn the .cue with ImgBurn (not any other program, HAS to be ImgBurn) to a CD-R 80 and try it in your DC.


Or, if you don't feel like (possibly) wasting CD-Rs, try the NullDC variant. That's safer.

[pedro]

i already ran the gdi on nulldc it worked fine, im right now running gdi2data.bat

[pedro]

well the IP.BINHACK does not work on my OS has its x64 it gives me an error when using it.

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Should update this shit!

Download this: http://shenmuesubs.sourceforge.net/d...in32_Linux.zip
Rename binhack32.exe to binhack.exe, put it in the root folder of the pack, right-click -> properties -> tick read-only

Should do the trick!

[edit]

Alternative!

Copy the 1st_read.bin file from data folder into root folder of the pack. Put binhack32 alongside it. execute binhack32, when it asks name of binary says 1st_read.bin, name of bootsector says ip.hak and msinfo number says 45000. Then make the resulting ip.hak read-only. You can delete the lines with the text "auto.binhack" or "auto.binhack.exe" in selfboot.bat, open it with notepad and ctrl+f to find the right lines.

Note, you can discard the copied 1st_read.bin, as long as the original one is still in the data folder.

[pedro]

What is name of binnary, name of bootsector, msinfo value?

[iNub]

lol a second befor i could post the download link my connection broke, called my isp, theyre doing maintenance in the next five hours... im now here from my phone :P link coming via pm in a second, at least i had a chance to burn the disc and verify it works in the meantime lol

[-=FamilyGuy=-]

Copied from previous edit because you ninja'd me: short answer is "data\1st_read.bin" "ip.hak" and "45000".

Alternative!

Copy the 1st_read.bin file from data folder into root folder of the pack. Put binhack32 alongside it. execute binhack32, when it asks name of binary says 1st_read.bin, name of bootsector says ip.hak and msinfo number says 45000. Then make the resulting ip.hak read-only. You can delete the lines with the text "auto.binhack" or "auto.binhack.exe" in selfboot.bat, open it with notepad and ctrl+f to find the right lines.

Note, you can discard the copied 1st_read.bin, as long as the original one is still in the data folder.