Stripped Down Bios Options

[alpha_prime]

Hi,

I'm currently making an arcade machine based around a xbox. I'm currently looking for another xbox but if that fails i'll use my v1.2 xbox. I would like to flash it with a custom bios. I've read that ind.5003 or x2 4981 would be my best bets. ind.5003 includes a program to customize it, but I can't find a read me on how to use it correctly. These features are needed:

-no flubber animation
-no xbox logo (or a custom .png replacing it)
-igr dissabled
-vga support
-no dvd drive check (won't be using a dvd drive)

Another requirement is that the xbox would autoload a backed up xbox game when the power button is pressed. If possible, I'd like it to load another game when the eject button is pressed. Would this be possible?

thanks for helping a noob

[Heimdall]

Don't use the iND-BIOS config program, just edit the config file directly. It's far easier, and you can easily see (or have an educated guess at) which config directives to change.

If you want VGA you will need a dedicated VGA BIOS. iND-BIOS.5001 comes in a VGA version.

It is possible to load a game instead of the dashboard, just edit the config to point to your game, or put a shortcut (the Team XBMC shortcut) in place of the dashboard. I don't think you can make a hacked BIOS boot a different game if you boot with the eject button.

[shambles1980]

In theory you could have a softmod and a chip.
wouldnt work with a tsop though.
and have the chip bios look for a diferent xbe to the softmod default boot up..
Ths configuration of this could be a huge pain in the neck though, as the softmod would want to softmod the chipped bios when the chip was running, and that dosent work.

So a tsop flash + chip with the bt wired to the eject button would probably serve just as well.
you would need to configure 1 of the bios files to search for a diferent dash 1st..
"they usualy have a list of where they search and for what. to find the dash board files"

then again you could probably achive the same thing with a dual boot softmod. where you would replace files with game files.
however i would not recommend it.

you could also get a chip with bank select and have 2 diferent bioses configured to search for a diferent xbe 1st. and use the bank select switch to chose the game,

I dont think a tsop can dual boot though.
But i supose that it could be possible to split a 1.0/1.1 tsop and have it act similar but that wouldnt work from eject. Unless of course you changed the eject button for a diferent click on click off switch. and then it wouldnt be much use as an eject button. it would just be a bank select button.

This post has been edited by shambles1980: Jul 11 2012, 01:02 AM

[steveo1978]

If you are gonna install a chip and use a softmod, it would be better to flash the TSOP and have it look to boot from say c:\default.xbe and flash the chip with a bios that looks for c:\evoxdash.xbe. Then you have the chip installed to boot when using the eject button and the tsop to boot when using power. I would not disable the logo screen but instead look into using a custom logo screen.

[alpha_prime]

Ok, thanks for all the info. I'll start with the custom bios. I'm currently modifying the config file. Do I have to edit something to disable the dvd drive check? To have it autoboot a game, should I just change the 'Dash1' directory to the game's .xbe file?

I guess I'll have to either use a multiple bank modchip or a double tsopped v1.0/1.1 xbox, as a dual softmod won't work without a dvd drive.

[Heimdall]

Yes.
Yes.

Make sure you can boot a rescue disc from DVD before you start, so you can recover if you make a mistake in the dash config.

[shambles1980]

prety sure 99.999999% sure that the ind bios dosent need any altering to run without dvd.
and im 60% sure the m8+ on hexen dvd has to be eidted to run with out dvd.
no idea about the x2 bios though. never really use them.

This post has been edited by shambles1980: Jul 11 2012, 03:18 PM

[alpha_prime]

I was able to purchase a v1.0 xbox so I'm going to use a split tsop for the dual booting. Which points do I need to solder for the split bios? All the pictures in the tutorials seem to be down.

I'm not sure how to get a custom x-logo via the config file. Do I simply move the needed picture file to the c-drive?

[Movax]

You should consider why you need dual booting and if it is important enough to split the TSOP.

Splitting the TSOP the normal way that you will find on google will work, but will result in a bus conflict, shorting some address lines to GND. This may or may not cause a problem. You should disconnect those lines from the MCPX chip and supply only Vcc or GND to a18, a19 or use a resistor appropriately.

[Thedragonfiend]

Dont quote me on this but my original xbox dash install has an option to boot an alternate dash via the eject button (it was either force it to boot with the dvd drive open or boot via eject button) now if im right then there may be a software solution... Actually on second thoughts let me rephrase that... i know im right about that part (it may be a long time since i booted it up but when you spend the better part of the night digging through config files for the hell of it you remember certain things) what i dont know is if it will work with your no dvd setup considering the natrue of the boot method

Oh and the dash im talking about is the uxe dash... of course i had one of the kernals that supported every feature first go (so long since i installed... maybe a year or two now but i remember there being restrictions on certain kernals)

another option if your ok with having to select the game from a list is to do what i did and make a copy of the custom dash and stick it in another folder... then take the original dash and the use the config file to repurpose it as a boot loader (just have an option in the config file that points to the dash copies xbe file and your good to go after that you just add any other dash's/games you want to load to the menu)... of course with waht your looking for this most likely isnt for you but meh... at least its free and 100% software which is always nice

[alpha_prime]

I've been messing around with the inf config file and most of it is working. Only 2 problems:

-disabling the igr doesn't work. I can still use igr in my (unleashx)dash.

-won't autoboot my games. I tried

DASH1=\Device\Harddisk0\f\games\loc\default.xbe
DASH2=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\UnleashX\unleashx.xbe
DASH3=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\EvolutionX\evoxdash.xbe
DEFAULTXBE=\Device\CdRom0\default.xbe

but it just boots unleashx dash.

[shambles1980]

you may have better luck if you named the default.xbe to evoxdash.xbe

im prety sure bioses like to search for that 1st and most dash installs will have you rename the new dash to that....

also its not F its partition 6 or 7 or sumthing

so try
DASH1=\Device\Harddisk0\partition7\games\loc\default.xbe

"according to xbpartitioneer F is partition 7"
although im not sure the bios actualy counts them the same way

so you may want to try. 6 5 and 4 excetera untill you get it..
also have you tried dissabeling IGR for the dash..


This post has been edited by shambles1980: Jul 14 2012, 01:01 AM

[alpha_prime]

Well, autobooting just doesn't want to work. Either it boots evox, or a black screen. I've installed the games on the E: drive.

DASH1=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Games\loc\evoxdash.xbe
DASH2=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\UnleashX\unleashx.xbe
DASH3=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\EvolutionX\evoxdash.xbe
DEFAULTXBE=\Device\CdRom0\default.xbe

I've tried altering dash3, no difference.