[MRDOTB]

After a few years of opening PS3, we still doesn't have an application like uLE for PS2 or UnleashX for X360. Existing file managers still have some bugs (even critical bugs) and are lack of features. I'm a poor programmer but (i hope ^^) not so bad graphic artist and still scene enthusiast. So, i thinking about this type of application for long time and i have maked some kind of a skeleton and completely GUI project. I don't know it's even possible on PSL1GHT (especially gaussian blur), i have some knowledge about PSX, PS2, Xbox, unfortunately not PS3.

In other words: I'm looking a programmer...




Menu is similar for XMB but based on text not icons, situated on right corner of screen.

File Manager:

First screen is similar for Metro UI (i know, everyone hate it ;]). Which are displayed icons of every mount and not mounted devices with control user to manually mount or unmount it (of course with some exceptions like dev_hdd0/1, dev_flash1/2/3 etc.).

One of the flag function of this app. ;) Simple File manager, but as you can see, only with one file list window. In my opinion this looks better and we avoid long names problem (avoiding also implementation of stretching or scrolling file names). For quickly switching between two different paths i think good idea is to add an bookmarks system, defined by user. Something like in web browsers. User could be define i.e path: "dev_hdd0/some_folder/" as i.e "my hidden girlfriend photos" (;)) or used some default define by developers (everything of course editable). Switching by i.e R1/L1 (next/previous). File list scrolled by scroller (in other words using mouse cursor, keyboard arrow or L2/R2) and with bigger font for not torment our eyes.

Pressing L3/R3 context menu will show up:

• Copy - for copying selected file(s) or folder(s)
• Paste - for pasting copied/moved file(s) or folder(s)
• Move - for moving selected file(s) or folder(s)
• Delete - for deleting selected file(s) or folder(s)
• Create new folder - for making new folder and call system OSK for name it (as i.e in some games or multiMAN file manager)
• Create simlink - for creating simbolic link of selected file(s) or folder(s)
• Delete simlink - for deleting simbolic link of selected file(s) or folder(s)
• Delete all found simlinks - for deleting all simbolic links of selected file(s) or folder(s)
• Open - for opening files (if there will be some build-in viewers for some formats like i.e graphics (*.png, *.jpg etc.))
• Open as ASCII - opening files in text view, onlty ASCII characters (maybe in future some different encoding like UTF-8?)
• Open in HEX view - opening files in hexadecimal view (just like in multiMAN fm).
• Launch - for launching executable files (*.elf/*.self/*.prx/*.sprx/EBOOTs).
• Launch with arguments - same as above but with defined by user arguments/parrams.
• Unpacking using XMB - the same as i.e in multiMAN
• Mount - shortcut for mounting disc images (i know we don't know how to do it ;]) or memory card images (PSX and PS2 (ECC/non-ECC)).
• Mount as - the same as above but as specific device i.e file "example.VM1" as "dev_ps2mc4" (or something like that ;)).
• Unmount - shortcut for unmounting mounted device.
• Unmount all - shortcut for unmounting mounted all devices.
• Open bookmark menu - for opening popup menu with bookmarks collection which user can manage bookmarks (open, copy, rename, delete, add new).
• Add DIR as bookmark - shortcut for adding current DIR as bookmark, i.e if user is in "dev_hdd0/home/00000001/savedata/" and choose this option, this DIR will be saved as bookmark (named as user want).
• Add file as bookmark - as above but for file. This will be handy i.e for quickly opening some text files or quickly launch some executable files.

HDD Tools:

• VFLASH Tools -> Resize VFLASH - for changing choosed VFLASH size.
• VFLASH Tools -> Create VFLASH - for creating new VFLASH.
• VFLASH Tools -> Delete VFLASH - for deleting choosed VFLASHes.
• Format HDD - for quick formating HDD.
• Create Image - for creating HDD sector by sector image i.e on dev_usb.
• Write Image - for writing all HDD sectors from chosen image (if possible...).
• Dump Partition Table - for dumping whole partition table i.e on dev_usb.
• Write Partition Table - for writing dumped to file partition table back to HDD.
• Informations - for checking about HDD informations like model/serial number/fw version (could read from xRegistry.sys), how much space is free etc., S.M.A.R.T reading (exceptional important for end user), encryption keys (it's still unknown?).
• Turn encryption off - for turning off HDD encryption like Graf_chocolo tools do.
• Turn encryption on - for turning on HDD encryption like Graf_chocolo tools do.

System Tools:

• Backup Tools -> Backup All User Data - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/":
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/trophy/"
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata/"
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata_minis/" (? :P)
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/exdata/"
  • "dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/"
  • "dev_hdd0/photo/"
  • "dev_hdd0/music/"
  • "dev_hdd0/video/"
  • "dev_hdd0/theme/"
  • "dev_flash2/etc/xRegistry.sys"
  
  
• Backup Tools -> Backup Multimedia Data - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/":
  • "dev_hdd0/photo/"
  • "dev_hdd0/music/"
  • "dev_hdd0/video/"
  • "dev_hdd0/theme/"
  
  
• Backup Tools -> Backup Trophies - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/":
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/trophy/"
  
  
• Backup Tools -> Backup Saves - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/":
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata/"
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata_minis/" (? :P)
  • "dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/"
  
  
• Backup Tools -> Backup Only Protected Saves - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/". Application will search in savedata dirs saves with Copy Prohibited attribute in PARAM.SFO and copy these saves.
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata/"
  
  
• Backup Tools -> Backup All Licenses - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/":
  • "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/exdata/"
  
  
• Backup Tools -> Backup Settings - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/":
  • "dev_flash2/etc/xRegistry.sys"
  
  + of course options to write them back. With overwrite prompts if some DIRs already existed.
  
  
• Informations - for reading informations about this console and users like IDPS, model, users, their IDs/PSN IDs, MAC addres, ODD fw/model/serial number, eEIDn/PCKs (encrypted/unknown?), qa/retail/debug flag. With dump this info to usb option.
  
• Change MAC Address - for changing MAC Address.
  
• Rebuild Database - just like in recovery.
  
• Go to Recovery Menu - just like making power button combo.
  
• Set QA Flag - for setting up or remove QA flag.
  
• CEX2DEX - for converting retail console to debug ones (i know we still don't know how to do it :P)
  
• CEX2SEX - for converting retail console to KIOSK one.

Flash Tools:

Flash Tools -> Create Image - for creating image of whole flash bone(s).
Flash Tools -> Create Image of... - for creating image of choosed flash bank.
Flash Tools -> Write Image - for writing image back to flash bone(s).
Flash Tools -> Write Image of... - for writing image back to flash banks.

Settings - Settings menu

About - About menu.


As you can see, turn this concept into reality is a titanic work. But i think it's worth our time and effort. If you are ambitious programmer please consider this.


>> All preview images gallery <<
Author of background image is Colin Wojno.



PS: I'm tired of empty opinions people who only wanting CFW 3.60+ and their precious resigned EBOOTs. If you are one of them or don't know how such tool could be useful for you, please don't say anything. In opposite for many others, I'll try *making something* - at least in my domain.

PS2: Sorry for my broken English. ;)

[DEFAULTDNB]

Looks promising in concept, hope you can find someone to help you make it.

[xflarex]

You may rather have a team attempt this instead of one programmer, that way your not looking for a strong programmer willing to donate a large amount of time for your idea(rare), but multiple decent programmers building segments(uncommon :P). It looks like you've already compartmentalized it well enough. Have person in charge of hacking it all together and cleaning it up, while others do tasks as they please.

If you don't like the idea, no offense taken, but I think that it would be more realistic and beneficial as a form of community project. We are in desperate need of a "visible" community project.

[MRDOTB]

Don't worry, I'm not feel offended and it's clear to me that this could be hard to achieve for one person. When I've writing this i have hope for at least one programmer - but, what i also understand - chances for this is really low...

On scene we have already file manager (i.e src of Comgenie's Awesome Filemanager and multiMAN) - we could adopt it. What is missing is of course GUI and script system (missing XML and TTF parsers [?]). Could be a great idea if user could made his own menu and if he could set to it his own applications (paths for EBOOTs/SELFs or SPRXs + arguments if such app support it). This will also make this program independent (which i mean, someone could i.e take some external app, i.e EBOOT of Rebug QA and stick it to menu as "Set QA Token"). This will be sufficient for first release, not so hard to achieve and good encouragement for others.

[oPolo]

It should be capable for a single programmer to do I believe, without investing that much time However, you still need to find one that have the amount of time it would still take though :/

I believe that most of the core functionality is already implemented through already available SDKs, released tools (and perhaps syscalls)? If that is so, then it should be doable without investing that much time for a single person

Btw, " but (i hope ^^) not so bad graphic artist" .. you could have written "but a great graphic artist" instead, looking at your pictures.

[sandungas]

Originally Posted by MRDOTB System Tools:[LIST][*]Backup Tools -> Backup All User Data - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/": "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/trophy/" "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata/" "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata_minis/" (? :P) "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/exdata/" "dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/" "dev_hdd0/photo/" "dev_hdd0/music/" "dev_hdd0/video/" "dev_hdd0/theme/" "dev_flash2/etc/xRegistry.sys" [*]Backup Tools -> Backup Multimedia Data - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/": "dev_hdd0/photo/" "dev_hdd0/music/" "dev_hdd0/video/" "dev_hdd0/theme/" [*]Backup Tools -> Backup Trophies - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/": "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/trophy/" [*]Backup Tools -> Backup Saves - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/": "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata/" "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata_minis/" (? :P) "dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/" [*]Backup Tools -> Backup Only Protected Saves - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/". Application will search in savedata dirs saves with Copy Prohibited attribute in PARAM.SFO and copy these saves. "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/savedata/" [*]Backup Tools -> Backup All Licenses - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/": "dev_hdd0/home/<user number>/exdata/" [*]Backup Tools -> Backup Settings - will copy below stuff to i.e "dev_usb000/PS3/OMNIBACKUP/": "dev_flash2/etc/xRegistry.sys"

This tongue is for me ? (i was who wrote the HDD paths in the "game saves" page in ps3devwiki)... if is for me i accept it :P
You are right and ps3devwiki was wrong, minis save games are stored in the path you say, i will fix the wiki page later when the server comes back

Btw... i like this ideas i quoted... in fact, there is a way to restore this "user files" to a new generated user in the same ps3 (or even in another ps3, im not 100% sure of all the possibilities, but some restore can be done)... is a bit complicated because is tricky but all the files needed for this to work are in the paths you listed... in resume... the first step to restore a backup of "user files" is to make a copy of this files, and you pointed at them precisely

------------------------
Some suggestions:
For the first option Backup Tools -> Backup All User Data
Just copy all the contents of dev_hdd0/home/<user_id>/
There are some folders/files there not listed in your options like "dic" that is a dictionary for the common words used in your messages.. and some other things... that has no importance, but can be considered part of the "user files"... maybe somebody likes to have them backuped
Backuping the whole dev_hdd0/home/<user_id>/ seems more accurate, and probably is easyer for the program

--
Backup Tools -> Backup Only Protected Saves i think is not useful alone... actually there is no way to remove this "copy protection" flag... also this value is inside the PARAM.SFO (that is not in a static offset, it can vary)
So is need to add a SFO reader that can be adaptative... something very good for the project, and maybe needed for advanced functions (like changing PS3_SYSTEM_VER, activating psp remote play, etc...), but better think in this as something that needs to be implemented later

--
Backup Tools -> Backup Settings the xregistry.sys is the critic file that binds all the contents to the user, this option is not bad, but not usefull alone... the resting files are included in the first option (and the first option includes the xregistry.sys)
So i think the first option englobes all... the restoration cant be done without xregistry.sys... and restoring a xregistry.sys without files seems not to be something that people needs

--------------
Overall, i love your ideas, good luck with the project, we need an standalone filemanager (an with standalone i mean not multiman overloaded with functions)... even comegenie is not so awesome, it still has this bug with the file attributes in windows that appears as "hidden"
The most promising filemanager project for me is the "XMB plus"... but it has no filemanger yet (heheheh is not a nonsense, but long to explain, hehehh)
I would love to see XMB plus filemanager working and using your ideas, im sure they will like them




Edit:
---------
The "virtual memory cards" are not binded to the user, are shared between users... so better out of the "user files"
Also... multimedia files (photo, music, picture, music) are shared between users

[MRDOTB]

@oPolo
Thanks!

Originally Posted by sandungas This tongue is for me ? (i was who wrote the HDD paths in the "game saves" page in ps3devwiki)... if is for me i accept it :P You are right and ps3devwiki was wrong, minis save games are stored in the path you say, i will fix the wiki page later when the server comes back

I didn't read it (yet ;]). I have added a tongue because i guess this path. :D

Btw... i like this ideas i quoted... in fact, there is a way to restore this "user files" to a new generated user in the same ps3 (or even in another ps3, im not 100% sure of all the possibilities, but some restore can be done) (...) the xregistry.sys is the critic file that binds all the contents to the user, this option is not bad, but not usefull alone... the resting files are included in the first option (and the first option includes the xregistry.sys) So i think the first option englobes all... the restoration cant be done without xregistry.sys... and restoring a xregistry.sys without files seems not to be something that people needs

Copy alone xRegistry.sys is not so bad idea because i.e someone want restore it on another PS3, without any other files (just for preserve passwords and/or accounts).

I have successfully moved trophy from one PS3 to another, just copied restoring xRegistry.sys because i'm lazy and don't want changing IDs by hand, and because i was curious what happen (probably because different HDD model/sn/fw PS3 force me to format, but all data from user settings in xRegistry was untouched - so, she accept it and not replacing).

Problem could be with restoring Trophy from different user. Many times (before any magical apps appear) i resigned many saves without problems (of course saves without PFD protection). I believe similar system is used in Trophy system and i don't believe Sony not secure it with at least PFDs. But of course this should be tested and i always write it to my TODO.

Some suggestions: For the first option Backup Tools -> Backup All User Data Just copy all the contents of dev_hdd0/home/<user_id>/ There are some folders/files there not listed in your options like "dic" that is a dictionary for the common words used in your messages.. and some other things... that has no importance, but can be considered part of the "user files"... maybe somebody likes to have them backuped Backuping the whole dev_hdd0/home/<user_id>/ seems more accurate, and probably is easyer for the program

Copying whole home folder is in my opinion waste of space and time. I.e if someone connect to PSN on newer fw than 3.21, he has inside it PSN cache with hundreds of useless pictures taking ~250MB.

But i agree with adding some other DIRs as friendim, chat or mentioned by you dic.

Backup Tools -> Backup Only Protected Saves i think is not useful alone... actually there is no way to remove this "copy protection" flag... also this value is inside the PARAM.SFO (that is not in a static offset, it can vary)

In some saves when this flag is removed they worked. As i remember this flag is on static offset. On dynamic are PS3 ID, user number and doubled user id (npaccount).

Anyway, this option could be handy in case when user don't know which saves are Copy Prohibited and in case that he want automatically backup only this saves because i.e "normal saves" user copying from XMB (which for now is the only handy way, PS3 automatically write it to database).

So is need to add a SFO reader that can be adaptative... something very good for the project, and maybe needed for advanced functions (like changing PS3_SYSTEM_VER, activating psp remote play, etc...), but better think in this as something that needs to be implemented later

Very good idea.

Overall, i love your ideas, good luck with the project, we need an standalone filemanager (an with standalone i mean not multiman overloaded with functions)... even comegenie is not so awesome, it still has this bug with the file attributes in windows that appears as "hidden"

I have abandon Comegenie'sAFM because he once destroyed me fs table on HDD, always setting up system attribute on FAT32 on all files and there's no scrolling function (or i'am to stupid). Also i don't like a microscopic font. For me it was enough.

In multiMAN fm presenting and working more better but still this is part of this great app which always was less important thing for an author. I hope DeanK will not feel offend by my words.

Team Cobra working on mmOS and they show first preview of new, remodeled GUI of fm. But i don't think so it will be handy because this kind of interface is designed for mouse and kb, not pad.


So, my vision is making clean File Manager with modular structure. But probably this will never going to happen. I know. :P

The most promising filemanager project for me is the "XMB plus"... but it has no filemanger yet (heheheh is not a nonsense, but long to explain, hehehh) I would love to see XMB plus filemanager working and using your ideas, im sure they will like them

I don't think so it's most promising - it is limited to Sony script system, as i saw based on querry bases. If one day they figure out how to i.e copy and paste files, still there is no way to add advanced options like qa flag setting up, sector by sector media copy etc.

It's nice, i using it but i don't expect to much from it.

The "virtual memory cards" are not binded to the user, are shared between users... so better out of the "user files" Also... multimedia files (photo, music, picture, music) are shared between users

Yes, you have right but this was just only my mind shortcut. I thinking of user as by console owner, not user in *nix meaning. We can of course this this name for something more accurate.


Uff, a long post. Thank you for all suggestions and opinions.