PS2 + RPi3 OMV + OPL + SMB (Running Retail .isos)

[Jagosaurus]

Okay, typically the discussion for OPL (Open PS2 Loader) goes:

HDD > SMB > USB

So running retail games off the HDD is the best method, period. Well, the slim doesn't have a HDD bay so steaming over the LAN via ethernet (SMB) is the next best for that model. The USB is 1.0 speeds so expect shuttering on all models.

Well, check this out:
using a Raspberry Pi 3 + Open Media Vault + isos on USB (plugged into pi) + OPL SMB function

Essentially, streaming games directly off a Rpi3 (no router) to your PS2 via ethernet cable. While it isn't HDD loading, I think this awesome for the preservation of PS2 slims & a nice "in between" set up. I love this mix of new technology with our hobby to ensure it lives on, in this case after the disc drives begin to fail.

Videos by Project Phoenix Media (not me):
Proof of Concept:
https://youtu.be/V4kwRR8PEeQ
How to:
https://youtu.be/e0Pzp5Q3Ov4


Now can we say?
HDD > SMB via RPi3 > SMB over LAN > USB 1.0

Thought about posting this in news but because it is a new take on the existing OPL line up of methods, decided to land here.

While the original stock setups will always have a nostalgia spot for me, it is a VERY AWESOME time for our hobby between emulation, clones, flash carts, ODEs, HDD loading, and all the new mods out there.

[Ziggy]

Very cool. Can you use a USB HDD instead of a stick?

[Jagosaurus]

Very cool. Can you use a USB HDD instead of a stick?

Yeah, USB HDD would work. I'd have to rewatch to confirm but pretty sure the drive must be fat32 so you'd run into issues on the few games larger games.

Also, we're taking RPi3 but you could put open media vault (OMV) on a PC and have the games going directly from a PC to PS2 (no router involved).

[liquid]

I did some forum trawling + found someone doing it cheaper and smaller, posted 2 days after the OP on PS2-Home...

http://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1173

That thing is begging to be spraypainted black!

It says he also tried it with a smaller faster WT3020* pocket, router but accidentally damaged it. The WT3020Fdoes appear to be OpenWRT compatible and currently £10/$14 on gearbest so I have ordered one. When it arrives from China I'll have a go at it and if I can add anything useful I will.

[JoeAwesome]

Jag, there's a way to run off a USB stick directly (I have it, but can't remember how I did it). I wonder how the speeds compare.

Just remember, with a USB stick (as opposed to HDD), you have a much smaller amount of reads/writes, and since the iso isn't loaded up all at once, the USB stick will constantly be read. The stick will die much faster than if you used a HDD.

[Jagosaurus]

@ Liquid, that's a cool option. Essentially flash the router versus using the pi3. I hadn't seen that thread.

The pi is so dang cheap but this is worth trying IMO if you have a spare router lying around or one already flashed with DRT.

Jag, there's a way to run off a USB stick directly (I have it, but can't remember how I did it). I wonder how the speeds compare.

Just remember, with a USB stick (as opposed to HDD), you have a much smaller amount of reads/writes, and since the iso isn't loaded up all at once, the USB stick will constantly be read. The stick will die much faster than if you used a HDD.

I'm going right off a phat HDD on my main set up. I did get the USB loading working on my slim as well (including for PS1). This method reportedly gets a bit better transmission speeds than both USB & over the standard LAN (as the Pi is right there with no switch or router involved). Even if it is the same speeds as LAN, it allows a portable method for slims that is better than USB on compatibility. Requires some decent tinkering to set up though. The thinking seems to be:

HDD > SMB via RPi3 > SMB over LAN > USB 1.0

[liquid]

I do have a router on DD-WRT already, unfortunately I liked the features so much that it is in everyday use now. The tricky bit was getting DD-WRT on it and that's what I'm anticipating again. I keep looking in thrift stores for other compatible routers but it's tough. If the mini one works, it seems perfect.

I have an RPi3 too but it's busy as part of a BrewPi setup, currently fermenting 5 gallons of Chocolate Coffee Porter. Cannot wait for that to be ready.

[liquid]

Well, it works great on the fat PS2 using a flash drive. Still need to try a few USB HDDs where USB power may be an issue. Also need to get my slim back from my pal to test on there.

I used the aforementioned Nexx WT3020F mini router. All models look fine, except the WT3020A has half the flash storage (4Mb) so avoid that. I flashed OpenWRT (a nice linux distribution for routers) using the factory image from the link below, through the stock web interface. I can't remember the original IP address but OpenWRT defaults to 192.168.1.1. https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/nexx/wt3020

Nb. Another guide recommended changing the recovery bootloader to something called Breed before installing OpenWRT. I read it too late, oh well. http://www.homeandofficeit.com/Temp/NexxWT3020

https://frm.hackafe.org/t/mobile-internet-and-nas-in-car-using-openwrt/289
Once OpenWRT was installed I used the guide above to get Samba (SMB) installed and running. Ignore the 3G modem stuff. You can install all the required packages through the OpenWRT web interface "luci". If you feel cocky download PuTTY + do it through a command prompt over telnet as described. Set the Samba options through the web interface by installing another package luci-app-samba - editing text files in Linux is painful, we want to avoid it!

Once I had a read/write SMB share that I could access in Windows I then had to make the directories and files OPL friendly. You know the PS2 is playing nice when it creates all the OPL directories for you. I can share all my settings if needed.

CD game WinBack Covert Ops works very nicely as does DVD game PoP: Sands of Time. This will be a great option for the slim. Cheap, low power and small. I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs under heavy loads.

Edit: I used a FAT32 formatted drive so I am limited by the old 4Gb file size limits. In theory, NTFS drives should be supported by OpenWRT with one extra package and maybe some tweaking. Linux support for NTFS (a Microsoft creation) does not always go smoothly from my experience. Linux really wants an EXT2/3/4 file system which is Windows cannot natively read, for me this rules EXT out here. If Linux can just play nice with NTFS that would be the most convenient way. We are not doing anything too complex so maybe its possible.

[liquid]

I got my Slim back from my friend and bought a cheap hdd enclosure. On top of the above install I've added the Writeable NTFS package to OpenWRT and copied their hotplug script entirely. https://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/howto/writable_ntfs

My worry was that the HDD wouldn't get enough power to spin up, but so far so good! The drive is NTFS so no problems with >4Gb isos. It's early yet but no problems to report so far. If anyone can suggest a game that's known to lag over SMB, I'd like to try & see how this performs.





I love the Raspberry Pi but this thing costs like $15

[ted210]

Hi - I wrote the USB2SMB tutorial on PS2-Home. I saw your post and it reminded me to give the Nexx WT3020F another go, so I bought one and set it up. Although it’s faster and has more storage and memory than the TP Link WR703N, the performance seems identical (both perform very well). It’s nice to have the extra storage though, as it means you don’t have to build your own Openwrt image.

I would still like to tweak the boot sequence to allow OPL to start with ETH set to auto. Currently it gives an SMB 300 error, as OPL tries to access the shared folder before it’s ready. I once had it working on an older version of Openwrt, so i’m sure it’s possible to fix with a better understanding of the boot sequence of Openwrt.

I’m glad you agree that it’s a really neat solution to loading PS2 games. I love the Raspberry Pi too, but it’s overkill for this purpose (and bigger, more expensive and probably needs a separate power supply).