GeckOS explained?

[Intranquill]

Hey all, sorry to probably repost for the 1000th time a question about GeckOS, but I'd rather do a case by case basis to gets answers on MY particular issue.

Wii Specs -

Black Wii
Version 4.3
Super Smash Bros Hack

First, the most simple question.

I have my Wii softmodded. I have the GeckOS downloaded. With this OS downloaded, I am now ready to use my Wii region free, correct? More importantly, the game Xenoblade. I could care less about any other game. I'd love a definitive answer on this question.

Now, to be a little more elaborate on my recurring "issue"...BootMii

I've read the tutorials. It cleared up what it does, but it also gave me more questions than it answered.

I installed my BootMii as an IOS..or is it ISO? See..I'm confused. Anyway, whenever I try to load it up, my Wii freezes up. Screen goes black, and my disc tray blinks. Nothing else happens. What exactly am I doing wrong? Bad install?

And that leads me to my final issue...blocking updates.

I had gone in to the soft modding process under the assumption that once I had the HBC and HBB on my Wii, that I was done. No worries or anything. After some more searching (granted, I should have done that before hand) I realize I need a region free unlocker, the BootMii was preferred in the hacking community, and I need a way to block updates both online and disc based, or my Wii could get bricked. How exactly would I go about getting these?

I do Google search, but all the guides seem to be denouncing update 4.3, speak of some Tuscha bug(sp) and then others say that specific bug or whatever doesn't work anymore. I guess they're all out of date or go about different methods. I can't find an answer to my specific scenario.


I know my questions are kind of varied, and believe me, if you're confused, imagine how I feel. Not looking for elitist answers or snobby replies, just a kind, informative post on my issues, one at a time.

I wouldn't be able to thank you enough, and really do appreciate any time given to my issues.

[Deathwolf]

1. Yeah GeckoOS allows you to make your wii regionfree for every game!
2. Yes, it's called IOS. (ISO = image of a game). If I remember correctly, BootMii can be activated via the Homebrew channel? You also could try to "reinstall" bootmii... maybe something goes wrong.
3. GeckoOS allows you to skip Firmware updates too!

I think it was a good idea to install HBC via Super Smash Bros Hack. The so called Trucha bug app isn't very safety! If this app will brick your wii, you can't do anything anymore because the newest wii (like yours) doesn't support "bootmii2" which comes up after booting the wii (Bootmii2 is the same as Bootmii like yours but after a full brick you can't boot into the Wii menu anymore).

Anyway, you should know that your wii can't brick because of an update. It would just delete the homebrew channel which can be installed easily again via Super Smash Bros Hack.

I hope this helps you a little bit. (sorry for my bad english)

[Patedj]

I would be proud. You've done what you could and did it well. I would reinstall bootmii. Can you get into homebrew again?
Bootmii will allow you to get a copy of your nand. It's important incase you brick your wii. There are other ways of resetting your wii though so don't panick.

Bootmii should also be installed onto your SDcard. If it isn't your wii won't boot it (it'll boot normally).

An Iso is an original copy of a disc/game/software. Cmios is the only thing you'll change. You don't have to change your ios. If you do something devastating could happen. Don't worry you won't be able to do it easily.
Try priiloader too! That will help you with stopping updates. I see that you are already at 4.3 so I wouldn't worry about it. An update window always appears before a game loads if there is an update needed. E.G.: Donkey Kong Returns.

Good luck, and keep us informed of your situation.

[Intranquill]

Deathwolf...you are such a savior. Thank you, seriously. If you lived by me, I'd buy you a pizza. And beer.

Same to you Patedj. A lot of help. More than the unspecific guides found all over Google.

I think I'll leave my Wii alone. I some how get myself deeper and deeper in to holes with this sort of stuff (wasted 1500 on PC...a waste because it is now a giant piece of plastic and silicon. Worthless.)

So the BootMii, is preferred, but unless I'm doing a bunch of crazy stuff, I don't HAVE to have it? Or am I misunderstanding?

[Deathwolf]

If you want to do some Wii menu Hacks then you should use bootmii for an backup! Bootmii  is like a "Wii repair" tool ^^ If you just want to boot games regionfree or just hacking the game, then you don't need bootmii.

[Deathwolf]

you are right. thanks for this.

[Intranquill]

More great info. Other sites I've belonged to dealing with modding systems are filled with blatant dicks. Glad to see a more helpful community.

I don't plan on doing any modifications to my Wii outside what I've already done.

Not to overuse your good nature...but...

With having what I do installed on my Wii, it's normal that my Wii boots up to the regular channel system all Wiis have right?

also

When I load up the Browser, it does the regular IP address checks and everything, and then, what I can only describe as a video input switch (it's what it looks like, not what's happening) occurs, and then I'm on the Browser. Normal? Weird? It's done it every time, but nothing ever goes wrong before or after it happens. It's more of just a "why?" kind of thing for me.

[Deathwolf]

Yeah that's like all other Wiis

About the browser, I've really no idea what's wrong but maybe it's not because of the HBC?

[Patedj]

So you're saying that it turns from 16:4 to 4:8?? It could be a browser default. I've not tried the browser since I've sofmodded my wii. Can't help you there.

[Intranquill]

So you're saying that it turns from 16:4 to 4:8?? It could be a browser default. I've not tried the browser since I've sofmodded my wii. Can't help you there.

Hmm..that could be. The resolution of the browser is obviously not as much as a game or the Wii usually displays. Since mine is on 16:4, it could be simply switching to it's resolution when it's done loading.

[dcx2]

I have my Wii softmodded. I have the GeckOS downloaded. With this OS downloaded, I am now ready to use my Wii region free, correct?

Assuming your TV supports NTSC and PAL, then Gecko OS will play games from any region.  If you only have one or the other, you can try to force the video mode, and there's a few patches that can improve compatibility, but the best thing is to have a TV that supports any type of input.  Most modern flat-screen TVs do.

I can't say for sure about individual game compatibility - you can try doing a search in the relevant board.  Click this link to go to the right board http://wiird.l0nk.org/forum/index.php/board,5.0.html and then put your game into the search bar at the top, and it will return results that are only in that board.  The search feature is quite robust; it will search wherever you are, so you can use it to search a specific thread, board, or the whole forum.

With having what I do installed on my Wii, it's normal that my Wii boots up to the regular channel system all Wiis have right?

That's called the System Menu.  It is how you load channels.  For instance, you typically load the disc channel to play games on an unmodified Wii.  There's a Mii channel, Weather channel, virtual console games show up as channels, and the Homebrew Channel as well.

I installed my BootMii as an IOS

BootMii is most effective if it can be installed as boot2.  boot2 runs before the System Menu, so if you have BootMii as boot2 then you have significant brick protection.  Without control of boot2, if you screw the System Menu up your Wii is bricked.

..or is it ISO? See..I'm confused.

It is IOS.  There are two processors in the Wii; one of them is an IBM PowerPC, which runs the games, and the other is an ARM that handles all the peripherals (WiiMote, WiFi, encryption, etc).  IOS is the program which runs on the ARM.

And that leads me to my final issue...blocking updates.

There is a distinction to be made here.  You do not want to block all updates.  You only want to block System Menu updates.  If you block IOS updates, you will get error 002; the game will try to load the IOS on the ARM, but the IOS won't be there.

I do Google search, but all the guides seem to be denouncing update 4.3, speak of some Tuscha bug(sp) and then others say that specific bug or whatever doesn't work anymore. I guess they're all out of date or go about different methods. I can't find an answer to my specific scenario.

If you use Gecko OS to play your games, then it will automatically read IOS updates from the disc and install them, without updating the System Menu.  Therefore, there is never any need to worry about error 002, bricking, or accidentally upgrading the System Menu and losing HBC.  In general, once a new System Menu comes out, a new HBC comes out; once you update to the latest HBC, you can safely install the latest official update from Nintendo.  In contrast, the Disc Channel will attempt to update the System Menu.

Some people install cIOS, or custom IOS, to do things.  cIOS can be dangerous without BootMii/boot2.  In general, never ever ever replace an IOS with a number less than 200.

Sometimes it is useful to patch the IOS; one example is the fakesign aka trucha patch.  There are other patches, too.  Some of them are necessary for Gecko OS to load channels, so that you can cheat on VC/WiiWare games.  It used to be difficult to apply patches to IOS; you had to downgrade IOS15 and sometimes IOS41 and then upgrade when you were done.  Downgrading is obsolete; now there are patching apps that have direct access to hardware.

---

In general, I think you only need Gecko OS and HBC.  Gecko OS will play region-free games and allow you to use cheat codes.  HBC is needed to launch Gecko OS.  You may need to patch IOS36 in order to load channels.  There's a pretty thorough guide here http://wiird.l0nk.org/forum/index.php/topic,6843.0.html and if you needed channel cheats you should check out the Patching IOS36 section.

[Intranquill]

Shew, lots of info. Some of what you said makes perfect sense. But some didn't. Lucky for me, the stuff that leaves me clueless, are things I'm not interested in doing to my Wii. Can't thank everyone enough. Once I get Xenoblade I'll post on the appropriate forum how it all went, unless there's 500 other topics, which I'm sure there will be, lol.

[111]

I installed my BootMii as an IOS..or is it ISO? See..I'm confused. Anyway, whenever I try to load it up, my Wii freezes up. Screen goes black, and my disc tray blinks. Nothing else happens. What exactly am I doing wrong? Bad install?

Did you have the HackMii Installer place the necessary files onto your SD card?  Without certain files on the SD card, BootMii will not load.

Also, just to clarify something, but BootMii as IOS can be somewhat useful in recovering from a brick, although not nearly as useful as BootMii as boot2.  BootMii as IOS will also allow you to make a NAND backup with your console keys.  This can be useful in the event of a brick, as it would be possible to use an Infectus chip to flash the older NAND back onto the Wii.  Without the NAND backup or your console keys, you would not be able to recover from a brick.

There are two main types of bricks, and those are a System Menu and banner brick.  If I remember correctly, a System Menu brick can be caused by deleting your System Menu, deleting the IOS that the System Menu uses, or installing a System Menu from a different region (for example, installing a PAL System Menu on an NTSC console).  A banner brick can be caused by installing a channel that has a corrupted banner, or one that the Wii doesn't support.  It causes the System Menu to hang on a black screen, if I remember correctly.

In general, as long as you don't delete the System Menu and/or IOS files, update the System Menu to one of a different region, install unofficial or ANY out of region updates, install unofficial channels (with the exception of the Homebrew Channel, as it has never been known to cause a banner brick), or patch IOS files (with the exception of IOS36, as only a few games use it), you shouldn't have to worry about a brick.  The worst thing that you would have to worry about is a new System Menu that attempts to block the Homebrew Channel and various game exploits.  Also, IOS files are region free, so you don't have to worry about installing IOS files that might not be normally available in your region.

If you are only looking to use Gecko 1.9.3.1 and the Homebrew Channel, then the guide that dcx2 linked to should suit your needs.  In that guide, I tried to stick to the safest known methods possible to get GeckoOS and Gecko 1.9.3.1 fully functional on all Wii consoles, and do not support things such as unofficial System Menu updates, patching of all IOS files, and things like that.  I only support IOS36 patching because that is required to get channel cheats and the Rebooter function of GeckoOS to work on System Menu 3.3V2 and higher.