XEB+ neutrino Launcher Plugin

This is a plugin for the Xtreme Elite Boot Plus dashboard for the PlayStation 2.
It allows XEB+ to load PlayStation 2 games from HDD, MX4SIO, USB, and UDPBD via neutrino.

Features

• Load PlayStation 2 game backups straight from the Xtreme Elite Boot Plus dashboard.
• Supports game loading from HDD, MX4SIO, USB, and UDPBD.
• Supports high capacity exFAT drives (currently tested with drives up to 4TB).
• Works with fragmented game files.
• Quick navigation functions for browsing large game lists.
• Remember last played game.
• Display game-specific artwork on the menu.
• Display metadata for each game.
• Set neutrino compatibility flags and other options on a global or per-game basis.
• Cheat support.
• Favorites list.
• Custom theme integration.

Requirements

• A PlayStation 2 console configured to run unsigned code via a custom boot loader.
  PS2BBL is the recommended option.
• A computer with a recent version of Python installed.
• All of the requirements specific to the device you want to load games from.

HDD

• A Phat PlayStation 2 console.
• A PlayStation 2 network adapter or hard drive add-on.
• A hard drive or SSD that is compatible with your Playstaion 2 network or hard drive adapter.
• A FAT32 or exFAT formatted USB drive 1GB or larger.
  This is used for XEB+ and assorted files.
• A PC hard drive dock or USB adapter (optional)

MX4SIO

• An MX4SIO adapter
• An exFAT formatted SD card no less than 4GB in size.
  32GB or larger is recommended.
• A FAT32 or exFAT formatted USB drive 1GB or larger.
  This is used for XEB+ and assorted files.
• A USB SD card reader (optional)

USB

• An exFAT formatted USB drive no less than 4GB in size.
  32GB or larger is recommended.
• A PS2 boot loader that can read exFAT drives.
  PS2BBL supports this by default. ExFAT support can be added to FreeMcBoot with BDM Assault.

UDPBD

• An OEM network adapter if using a fat PS2.
• A PC with enough free space to store game ISOs.
• A FAT32 or exFAT formatted USB drive 1GB or larger.
  This is used for XEB+ and assorted files.
• An ethernet cable to connect the PS2 to the PC.
  If your PC does not have an ethernet port available, a USB ethernet adapter will work.

Setup

Note: This setup process is for version 2 of this plugin. If you have previously installed version 1, you will need to remove the old version of neutrino Launcher from your XEB+ install before continuing.
This includes all neutrino Launcher files in the APPS, PLG, and CFG folders, as well as the CD and DVD folders on the root of your USB drive.

1. If you have not already done so, download the Xtreme Eliete Boot Plus Xmas 2021 showcase here.
2. Extract the XEBPLUS folder to the root of your USB drive, and ensure that you can load into the XEB+ dashboard on your PlayStation 2.
   Note that if you are using an exFAT formatted USB drive, you will need to use PS2BBL and this version of wLaunchELF.
3. (optional) Configure your PS2 exploit of choice to autorun XEB+ on startup.
4. Download the latest version of this plugin from the Releases section.
   Extract theXEBPLUSfolder to the root of your USB drive, merging all folders if prompted.
5. Extract the List Builder directory to a known location on your computer.
6. Complete setup by following the steps specific to the device you want to load games from.

HDD

7. Connect your hard drive or SSD to a computer, and format it as an exFAT partition.
8. Create folders named CD and DVD on the root of the hard drive.
9. Rip/copy any PlayStation 2 disc images you wish to load into the folder that corresponds with their original source media.
   All disc images must be in .iso format.
10. Run GUI.py from the included List Builder folder, and select PS2 HDD under Drive Type.
11. Click the Choose Directory button under XEBPLUS Location and navigate to the root of the USB drive containing your XEB+ install.
12. Click the Choose Directory button under Games Location and navigate to the root of your hard drive.
13. Click Build List and wait for the process to complete.
14. Eject both drives from the computer. Connect the hard drive / SSD to the PlayStation 2 via the network adapter, and plug the USB drive into either of the front USB ports.
15. Launch XEB+ on the PS2, and use neutrino Launcher (HDD) to load games from the hard drive.

Repeat steps 9-13 to add or remove games on the hard drive.

MX4SIO

7. Connect your SD card to the computer, and format it as an exFAT partition.
8. Create folders named CD and DVD on the root of the SD card.
9. Rip/copy any PlayStation 2 disc images you wish to load into the folder that corresponds with their original source media.
   All disc images must be in .iso format.
10. Run GUI.py from the included List Builder folder, and select MX4SIO under Drive Type.
11. Click the Choose Directory button under XEBPLUS Location and navigate to the root of the USB drive containing your XEB+ install.
12. Click the Choose Directory button under Games Location and navigate to the root of your SD card.
13. Click Build List and wait for the process to complete.
14. Eject both drives from the computer. Insert the SD card into an MX4SIO adapter and connect it to memory card slot 2 on the PlayStation 2. Plug the USB drive into either of the front USB ports.
15. Launch XEB+ on the PS2, and use neutrino Launcher (MX4SIO) to load games from the SD card.

Repeat steps 9-13 to add or remove games on the SD card.

USB

7. Ensure your USB drive is formatted as an exFAT partition. You will need to reformat it and repeat steps 2-4 if it is not.
8. Create folders named CD and DVD on the root of the USB drive.
9. Rip/copy any PlayStation 2 disc images you wish to load into the folder that corresponds with their original source media.
   All disc images must be in .iso format.
10. Run GUI.py from the included List Builder folder, and select USB under Drive Type.
11. Click the Choose Directory button under XEBPLUS Location and navigate to the root of your USB drive.
    The Games Location will automatically be set to the same folder.
12. Click Build List and wait for the process to complete.
13. Eject the USB drive and plug it into either of the front USB ports on the PlayStation 2.
14. Launch XEB+ on the PS2, and use neutrino Launcher (USB) to load games from the USB drive.

Repeat steps 9-12 to add or remove games on the USB drive.

UDPBD

Windows

7. Somewhere on your PC, for example Documents, create a new folder PS2.
8. Inside the PS2 folder, create CD and DVD folders.
9. Rip/copy any PlayStation 2 ISOs you wish to load into the folder that corresponds with their original source media.
10. All .bin + .cue CD games must be converted to .iso format.
    The sync app will convert them automatically if placed in the CD folder and check the Convert CD Bin to ISO box before synchronizing.
11. Extract the UDPBD-for-XEB+ Sync App folder from the plugin package to a known location on your computer.
12. Plug in the ethernet cable as shown:
    
13. For a direct connection, as seen in the previous step, set a manual IPv4 address and subnet mask.
    
    For using a router instead of a direct connection, set the PC's IP assignment to Automatic (DHCP).
    Then follow this guide for assigning a proper IP address on the PS2.
    LaunchELF defaults to 192.168.0.10 and needs to be changed manually to work on your network. 14 Run LaunchELF on the PS2 and naviage to MISC -> PS2Net
    
14. Let the PS2 idle on this screen for the next steps on the PC.
    
15. Run UDPBD-for-XEB+-GUI.exe and click connect.
    
16. Click Select Game Path then choose an ISO from the DVD folder from step 8.
17. Click Sync with PS2, upon success this message will be displayed:
    
18. Click Start Server and make sure to allow.
    
    If you miss clicked, either move the UDPBD-for-XEB+ folder inside a new folder or manually delete the inbound rules for udpbd-vexfat in Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security.
    udpbd-vexfat will open minimized.
    The server needs to be open and running for the entire play session. (Disable sleep on the PC.)
19. The PC setup is now complete, back on the PS2 run XEB+.
    It's recommended to set FreeMCBoot or PS2BBL to autorun the .ELF file.
20. Launch XEB+ on the PS2, and use neutrino Launcher (UDPBD) to load games from the network share.
    Repeat steps 14-21 of the setup process after adding or removing games.

Linux

This setup is for Ubuntu, if you are using a different distribution these steps may vary.

7. Compile the udpbd-server

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install git build-essential
git clone https://gitlab.com/ps2max/udpbd-server.git
cd udpbd-server
make

8. Install .NET 8, GParted, and exfatprogs

sudo apt install dotnet-runtime-8.0 gparted exfatprogs

9. Create a new exFAT partition in GParted and note the partition number.
   For this guide the exFAT partition is /dev/nvme0n1p6, it will most likely be slightly different on your system.
   
10. Mount it to /mnt/ps2. Your storage device /dev/nvme0n1p6 will probably be different.

sudo mkdir /mnt/ps2/
sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p6 /mnt/ps2/ -o uid=$USER

11. Create folders named CD and DVD in the exFAT partition.
    Rip/copy any PlayStation 2 disc images you wish to load into the folder that corresponds with their original source media.
    Example: /mnt/ps2/DVD/Grand Theft Auto III.iso
12. From the latest release on this page, extract the UDPBD-for-XEB+ Sync App folder.
13. Plug in the ethernet cable as shown:
    
14. For a direct connection, as seen in the previous step, set a manual IPv4 address and subnet mask.
    
    For using a router instead of a direct connection, set the PC's IP assignment to Automatic (DHCP).
    Then follow this guide for assigning a proper IP address on the PS2.
    LaunchELF defaults to 192.168.0.10 and needs to be changed manually to work on your network.
15. Hold R1 on the controller during FreeMCBoot/PS2BBL startup to open LaunchELF.
    Open MISC -> PS2Net
    
16. Let the PS2 idle on this screen for the next steps on the PC.
    
17. Run the sync app, please note that these are example parameters.

dotnet UDPBD-for-XEB+-CLI.dll -path /mnt/ps2 -ps2ip 192.168.0.10 -bin2iso

18. Unmount the exFAT partition then Start the udpbd-server.

sudo umount /mnt/ps2
sudo ./udpbd-server /dev/nvme0n1p6

The server needs to be open and running for the entire play session.
19. Launch XEB+ on the PS2, and use neutrino Launcher (UDPBD) to load games from the network share.

To add or remove games, stop the server then mount the exFAT storage device to /mnt/ps2

sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p6 /mnt/ps2/ -o uid=$USER

Then add your games and repeat steps 15-19 of the setup process.

Adding Artwork

The neutrino Launcher plugin can display game-specific artwork in the selection menu.
This feature uses the same file type and naming conventions as Open PS2 Loader, which allows the plugin to take advantage of existing PS2 artwork libraries designed for OPL.
To make use of this feature, the following additional steps are required:

1. Prepare or acquire artwork files with the same file format and naming conventions as those used by OPL.
   • Only background art (_BG) and disc icon (_ICO) files are used by this plugin.
   • Some recent versions of OPL have added support for 128x128 disc icons. These are not supported, and it is recommended to only use the older 64x64 icons.
2. Copy the artwork files you wish to use to /ART or /XEBPLUS/GME/ART on your USB drive.
   • If it exisits, the ART directory on the USB root will always take priority over /XEBPLUS/GME/ART.
3. Launch XEB+ and select one of the neutrino Launcher plugins.
4. If the plugin detects files in one of the artwork directories, it will automatically create an artwork cache in the CFG/neutrinoLauncher folder.
   • This is necessary to maintain a usable level of performance while displaying artwork in the menu.

The caching process can take a long time to complete the first time it runs, potentially over an hour if you have a very large game library.

Making any changes to any of the .list files in the CFG/neutrinoLauncher folder, or modifying the cache folder, will trigger a refresh of the artwork cache the next time the plugin is launched.
A refresh can also be triggered manually from the plugin settings.
Cache refreshes take much less time than initial creation, so long as the cache folder has not been moved or deleted.

Adding Cheats

The neutrino Launcher can be set to load Cheat Device prior to starting a game. This allows for the use of Action Replay / Gameshark style cheat codes.
To make use of this feature, the following additional steps are required.

1. Create or acquire cheat database (.cht) files in Cheat Device format.
   • Database files should only contain cheats for a single game.
   • Database files must be named by PlayStation 2 title ID using this format: SLUS_123.45.cht
2. Create a directory called CHT on the root of the USB drive containing your XEB+ install.
3. Copy your .cht files to the CHT directory.

A collection widescreen patch codes in the correct format can be found here. Other cheat codes will need to be converted from other collections or added by hand.

Controls

CROSS - confirm / launch game
CIRCLE / LEFT - cancel / close plugin
SQUARE - open context menu
TRIANGLE - show favorites / show all
DOWN - scroll down
UP - scroll up
R1 - scroll down 5 items
L1 - scroll up 5 items
R2 - scroll down 15 items
L2 - scroll up 15 items
R3 - jump to bottom of list
L3 - jump to top of list
SELECT - view control map

Basic Usage

Launch the XEB+ dashboard on your PlayStation 2 console, and select the appropriate neutrino Launcher entry from the menu.
Wait a moment for the plugin to load. If there are artwork files present, you may need to wait for the artwork cache to build or refresh.
Select a game from the list to launch it with neutrino, or press back to close the plugin.
Repeat steps 9-14 of the setup process for your drive type each time you wish to add or remove games.

Game Options

Press SQUARE while in the game selection menu, and the context menu will open.
Context menu options apply to the currently highlighted game by default, and are as follows:

• Add To Favorites - Adds the current game to the favorites list. If the current game is already in the favorites list, this option will remove it.
• Global / Per-Game Settings - This option toggles between Global and Per-Game settings modes.
  When set to Global Settings, options shown below this one will apply to all games.
  When set to Per-Game Settings, options shown below this one will apply only to the current game.
• Enable Cheat Device - When enabled, Cheat Device will be injected into the game load sequence.
  To start the selected game from within Cheat Device, press START, select Start Game, and choose the option below ==Disc==.
• Enable Boot Logo - When enabled, the PlayStation 2 logo will be shown on screen when starting a game. This setting can affect compatibly, particularly for games that do not match your console's region.
• Enable Debug Colors - When enabled, a series of colors will flash on screen when starting a game. This can be used to help diagnose games that will not start.
• Accurate Reads - When enabled, the data transfer rate for games will be limited to that of the PlayStation 2 DVD drive.
  This will increase load times if using a hard drive, but can fix compatibility issues with some titles.
• Synchronous Reads - When enabled, asynchronous (background) loading will not be used. This can affect load times, and fixes compatibility issues with some titles.
• Unhook Syscalls - When enabled, neutrino Syscalls will be removed from memory after starting a game. This fixes compatibility issues with some titles.
• Emulate DVD-DL- When enabled, neutrino will emulate the data structure of a dual-layer DVD. This option is required for DVD9 images that have been modified to fit a DVD5.
• Refresh Artwork - Immediately delete and re-copy cached artwork for the current game. This option is not affected by the current settings mode.

Closing the context menu will automatically save the currently selected options.
Refer to the compatibility list to find known-working configurations for specific games.

Favorites

Games can be added to a favorites list for easy organization and quicker access.

The favorites list is shared between all four drive types, however only titles present on the currently selected drive will be displayed.

To add a game to the favorites list, open the context menu and select "Add To Favorites", as described in the previous section. Repeat this process to remove a game from the favorites list.
When a game is in the favorites list, it's title will be flanked by "●" on either side.

To access the favorites list, press TRIANGLE while on the game selection menu. Press TRIANGLE again to show all games.
The plugin will always start up to the all games list, even if it was previously closed while viewing the favorites list.

Neutrino Launcher Settings

This package includes a secondary plugin called neutrino Launcher Settings, which is accessible from the far right column of the XEB+ dashboard.
This contains a settings menu whose options apply to the main neutrino Launcher plugins. The available options are as follows:

• Enable HDD - When enabled, neutrino Launcher (HDD) will be available on the XEB+ dashboard.*
• Enable MX4SIO - When enabled, neutrino Launcher (MX4SIO) will be available on the XEB+ dashboard.*
• Enable USB - When enabled, neutrino Launcher (USB) will be available on the XEB+ dashboard.*
• Enable UDPBD - When enabled, neutrino Launcher (UDPBD) will be available on the XEB+ dashboard.*
• Disable Artwork - When enabled, game specific artwork will not be shown on the menu. This can prevent the cache from auto-refreshing in some cases.
• Disable Status Messages - When enabled, the text that appears at the bottom of the screen to indicate loading and other behavior will not be shown.
• Disable Background Fading - When enabled, background artwork will not fade in/out when the image changes.
• Disable Icon Animation - When enabled, the disc icon for the currently highlighted game will not spin.
• Show Title ID - When enabled, each game's PlayStation 2 title ID will be shown under it's title.
• Show Media - When enabled, each game's media type will be shown under it's title.
• Refresh Artwork Cache - Sets artwork cache to refresh next time one of the neutrino Launcher plugins is loaded.
• Clean Artwork Cache - Immediately scan the artwork cache for unused files and remove them.

*An XEB+ reboot/refresh is required for changes made to this setting to take effect.

Returning to the dashboard will automatically save the currently selected options.

Integrating With Custom Themes

The four neutrino Launcher plugins and the settings plugin each use their own custom dashboard icon that is not normally present in XEB+.
Versions of these icons that are visually consistent with the default XEB+ theme are included and will be loaded by default.
Alternate icons will be used instead if icon files with the correct names are present in the current XEB+ theme folder.

The filenames each plugin looks for are as follows:

• ic_tool_neutrino_hdl.png - neutrino Luancher (HDD)
• ic_tool_neutrino_mx4.png - neutrino Luancher (MX4SIO)
• ic_tool_neutrino_usb.png - neutrino Luancher (USB)
• ic_tool_neutrino_udpbd.png - neutrino Luancher (UDPBD)
• ic_set_neutrino_cfg.png - neutrino Luancher Settings

If you wish to reference the included versions of these icons, they are located at XEBPLUS/APPS/neutrinoLauncher/image/.

Known Issues and Limitations

• Artwork cannot be refreshed from the context menu while in the favorites list.
• The plugin may crash when switching to the favorites list for some users. The cause of this issue is currently unknown.
• The plugin may need to be closed and re-opened for refreshed artwork to be shown.
• If an artwork cache build / refresh is interrupted, the system may crash the next time the plugin is loaded.
  If this happens, the behavior will persist until the cache is refreshed manually.
• The neutrino Launcher plugin can take up to 30 seconds to load, and may appear to hang if there are a large number of games present.
• If enabled, the PlayStation 2 boot logo will display incorrectly for games that do not match the console's region.
• If installed, the PlayStation 2 hard drive will spin up when loading games from MX4SIO or UDPBD.
• Repeatedly closing and re-opening the neutrino Launcher plugin can cause the system to crash.
• Scrolling through the list quickly may cause corrupted graphics to be displayed briefly.