Using XBMC as default dash.

XBOX, but not XBMC4XBOX related discussion
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doug
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Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by doug »

I have a hard-modded xbox with an Aladdin chip I installed. I used the Hexen 2018 disc and flashed the bios with it and installed UnleashX with XBMC as an app. I flashed it with M8+ and it's on a 1.6 xbox. LBA48 enabled for a 2tb drive. Everything is going fine but it don't have XBMC as an option under dashboards to switch to as a default dash. Do I simply copy via FTP The extracted XBMC folder into the E drive where the others are located? Or do I need to to use AID and reinstall to my E drive? I am scared to just use AID out of fear using it could in someway mess up because of my bios and how it allows partitions. Thanks in advance guys. I can install to just E without messing anything up correct?
Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

With a chip, as long as it is reliable, and you're using a good BIOS and Evox M8+ 1.6 137 (F&G) is as good as it gets IMHO there is pretty much nothing you can do to stuff up your Xbox short of reflashing the BIOS with something else or not partitioning F&G correctly.

You're not going to do the former but I'm wondering if you have done the latter. With a 2TB HDD you must split the free space equally between F&G so the is <1GiB in each. Of course it must also be set to use the correct cluster size too (64K) for >512GiB partitions. If you have not done that or you are unsure use XBPartitioner v1.3 to check.

As for XBMC as a dash option the first question is how has HeXEn 2018 set up your Xbox UnleashX dash? I do not know exactly what a chipped Xbox HeXEn UnleashX main dash install looks like but I'm not keen on its softmod dash layout so if it is anything like that..............................

TBH if it were me I'd blitz whatever is there and redo it on a clean/virgin HDD with AID v4.53 from scratch and use the One-Click (Chip) install option. You must still reformat F&G afterwards with XBPartitioner v1.3 or Chimp 261812 not AID's partitioning options. AFAIK it never had its partitioning tool updated for anything larger than 137GiB partitions and even if it did I'd still use either of those other tools to check it afterwards so you might as well use it anyway.

But I assume you do not want to do all that so it depends how HeXEn 2018 set up your main dash board and menus. If you can take some screenshots of whats on C:\, E:\, perhaps F:\ too and wherever XBMC is currently installed it would help.

The main UnleashX dash can be changed permanently to XBMC or whatever else you might want. But you can't change the main default dash via an UnleashX main menu option.

The typical way of installing XBMC, if you're happy with the existing main dash, is in "Apps" or "Applications", the name can be either depending on the dash installer. That can be located on E:\, F:\ or G:\ indeed you can even have an applications folder on all three drives and the contents of all should be displayed as one in the UnleashX dash main menu.

The Config.xml is, or should be, set up to look for that folder on all three drives, likewise Emulators.

Some dash installer will actually locate the XBMC folder on the root of the E:\drive when installed as a main dash, others will keep it in E:\Apps or wherever and use a dedicated shortcut XBE as the main dash XBE. Other installers will locate all main dash in a dedicated E:\Dash or Dashboard folder That's why it is quite important to know how HeXEn has set up the UnleashX dash.

If you have XBMC installed as an app correctly it should display in the UnleashX main menu: "Applications" or whatever HeXEn calls the applications folder. If it is not then there some set up problem.

The only easy ways to boot directly to XBMC is by changing the main dash to XBMC (ask how to do that first if that is what you want to do) or with the UnleashX dash you can put in Controller/Remote shortcuts in the System > Settings menu. You just dedicate a Controller/Remote key to launch any XBE you want.

Simply put in its path and then at boot or reboot press and hold that key and it will launch that XBE. I use the BLACK button for XBMC, the X button for the MS dash and I have others for my AID installation, HexIns, alternative UnleashX versions etc. Very useful facility and unique to UnleashX.
Last edited by Coldly-Indifferent on Sat Feb 22, 2020 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
doug
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by doug »

But I assume you do not want to do all that so it depends how HeXEn 2018 set up your main dash board and menus. If you can take some screenshots of whats on C:\, E:\, perhaps F:\ too and wherever XBMC is currently installed it would help.

I can do that. I have no system files set up on F&G at all. But oddly I got a Q drive that was allocated 5gb. I will screen shot that also and post back here. I did use the M8+ 1.6

I did partition it with XBpartitioner and set the cluster size with no errors. Unfortunately I already have about 600 FTP'd Xbox games installed
which is taking up the whole drive F and now part of G. Ugh. I'm getting no errors using it split between F&G. Part of my proccess was taking 1GB of each of the two large
partitions saving it and re-booting the box, adding the 1GB back and saving. After I rebooted again it read the size correctly and I am error free.

The only easy ways to boot directly to XBMC is by changing the main dash to XBMC (ask how to do that first if that is what you want to do) or with the UnleashX dash you can put in Controller/Remote shortcuts in the System > Settings menu.
You just dedicate a Controller/Remote key to launch any XBE you want.

I will check into this thanks for your time it means a lot.
Last edited by doug on Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by doug »

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Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

That looks very like the messy dash installation HeXEn left on my newly TSOPed Xbox except, if that is the main dash you were using for the screenshots, it is XBMC not UnleashX.

You do appear to have an UnleashX dash on C:\ (evoxdash.xbe/config.xml/item.xml) but if that is your main dash and the evoxdash.xbe is actually a renamed shortcut launching XBMC from somewhere else I can not say. I'm thinking HeXEn must shovel everything it might use onto the dash so it can be used if necessary.

What the dualboot* and Indi-BIOS are doing there on C:\ and the x2config.ini on E:\ - no idea. My one experience of using a HeXEn installed dash is post-TSOP (EvoxM8+ 137 (F&G) on a v1.4 Xbox) when I used it to clean up my original SID 5.11 softmod I'd used pre-TSOP. It left stuff like that and it may be normal, only somebody who has used it more than I have will be able to say.

The Q drive, AFAIK, only displays if you're using XBMC, Add Source, Profile Directory, Windows network (SMB) likewise. It looks like a PM3 (Project Mayhem) skin of some sort.

If you can provide a screenshot of the E:\Apps and E:\Dash folder contents it will at least tell us where your XBMC installation is located. A screenshot of your 'homepage' ie. what the Xbox actually boots to first may help confirm what your main dash is.

* Have you tried starting the Xbox from the eject button rather than the power button? There is a possibility it is set up for dual boot and they may launch different main dashboards. The Aladdin chip itself should be able to launch the original BIOS (Xbox dash) by tapping the power button rather than holding it down for a second or so to activate the chip.
doug
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by doug »

I will grab some more screenshots then. I know it's UnleashX as a main dash and XBMC as an app. It's the only option I had. I only used XBMC for screens because I'm more familiar with the navigation. The disc doesn't have the option to use XBMC as a default dash that I seen in the disc options(I did go back and double-check). I guess I should mention also that i have XBMC4gamers installed as an app also but I doubt that changes anything at all. So if yous see odd XBMC files in the Q or E it may be a partial culprit. No idea why indie bios is showing maybe M8+1.6 uses it somehow no idea. My guess is it's a setup in case i had flashed it and it being there is worthless being there in this case. Like you said like dumped files they didn't want to clean up for installation options. I will get the screens up shortly thanks. Unleash X is definitely using the same folder for apps as XBMC. XBMC4gamers shows up in apps path for Unleash's dash and XBMC's. Not sure if that's a good sign or not. Meaning it shows up in the apps path in both dash's.
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Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

The Apps folder is meant to display in the same way with both dashes - the only difference is that if you had F:\ or G:\Apps you might have to put in those locations as a new path manually when using XBMC. Your primary dash UnleashX's config.xml is usually set up to include all three locations.

What you need to do is confirm your main dash's path. Launch your main dash, UnleashX, and go to System > Settings > System (More Information sub-menu I think) and get that information.

From your screenshots that will almost certainly be the C:\evoxdash.xbe but what that UnleashX dash in the Dash folder with an accompanying config.xml is doing I have no clue. If the Dash > UnleashX folder contains an UnleashX XBE and that had been launched a default config.xml and item.xml would have been generated inside that folder not outside. You'd also expect there to be a Skins folder as well.

Do you have a "Dash" main UnleashX menu option listed?

There's a significant possibility your main dash C:\evoxdash.xbe is actually a shortcut to the E:\Dash\UnleashX\xxxxxxxx.xbe but that won't be shown in the path.

What I'm also concerned about is that the C:\drive may be a Shadow C one. HeXEn was/is designed to protect the C:\ drive from tampering so if you changed anything ie. tried to change UnleashX to a XBMC main dash it could revert on reboot. I just don't have enough experience with HeXEn installed dash to know whether it is using a Shadow C and how you'd turn off the protection if it is.

You really need some help from a bona fide HeXEn dash user.
Last edited by Coldly-Indifferent on Wed Feb 26, 2020 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
doug
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by doug »

Thanks Coldly. I think what I'll do is mod another box the same way then try the AID disc while it's a fresh install. Worst case scenario I'll hsve to run the Hexen disc again to correct it. I'll get back to you and let you know the outcome.
doug
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Re: Using XBMC as default dash.

Post by doug »

I found the option to use XBMC as a dash in Hexen tools. Thanks a bunch for your time! It didn't work in Hexen tools that I had installed in Unleash but once i put the disc in and used it instead it worked fine. So either the install was bad or the 2018 version had a glitch.
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