Homebrew Browser
| This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bdr9 (talk | contribs) at 22:04, 29 October 2008. It may differ significantly from the current revision. |
| Homebrew Browser | |
 | |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | teknecal |
| Type | Utilities |
| Version | 0.2.3b |
| Links | |
| [[Homebrew Browser v0.2.3b|Download]] | |
| [[Codemii blog|Website]] | |
| [[No (Netsend Example)|Source]] | |
| Peripherals | |
   | |
The Homebrew Browser allows you to download the latest homebrew applications and games all through your Wii. You don't need to take your SD card out. You don't even need a computer! You can also delete homebrew you no longer want.
No more dead links, no more extracting files, no more finding out that the homebrew application doesn't include an icon.png and meta.xml in the zip file!
Have a useful application that isn't in HBB? Request it be added.
Check out the up to date blog with development progress at www.codemii.com. Add hbb@codemii.com to the Wii address book to get updates sent to your Wii.
Have a look at the most popular applications downloaded with the Homebrew Browser
Features
- One click download/(un)install/update for each homebrew application
- Auto updating when your Homebrew Browser version is out of date
Usage
- If you are using the Homebrew_Channel then extract the homebrew_browser directory from the archive in your apps directory in the root of your SD card.
- Launch Homebrew Browser from Homebrew_Channel and your Wii must be connected to the Internet.
- Uses the Wiimote with IR to choose your favorite hombrew application.
- Green Tick - You have the latest version of that homebrew application installed.
- Blue Tick - You don't have the latest version of that homebrew application installed.
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
 |
Click button |
 |
Cancel download |
  |
Previous/Next category |
  |
Previous/Next 6 homebrew applications |
 |
Return to loader |
How it works
- The Homebrew Browser (HBB) contacts the main server to receive a list of current homebrew applications. The list includes the application names, image file sizes, boot file sizes and whether it is a dol or elf file, as well as the names of any other required files.
- HBB checks to see if the user has the latest image files (stored in /temp) for all homebrew listed. If the image is out of date or missing, it downloads the image file.
- Once in HBB and when selecting a game to install, it downloads the icon.png, meta.xml and boot.dol/elf, along with any other needed files from the server.
Notes for Homebrew Developers
How icons for HBB are selected
If there is no icon.png file in a homebrew application then an icon is included if one can be found.
If there is no name on the icon and if the picture doesn't represent very clearly what the application does then it is replaced with an icon that has a name.
Homebrew Application folder naming
I will stick to the folder names used when you extract each homebrew application. Folders with spaces will be replaced with underscores. If your files don't come in a folder, then a folder name will be created. If your homebrew application used a folder name before HBB and you've updated your application, the user will notice that there is an update to your application.
An example is MAsteroids. The game was developed before HBB. Lets say that the game gets updated. Since they are using a folder name, I can simple place the new boot.dol/elf on the server, change the file size and when the user loads HBB it will notice that they have an existing install of MAsteroids and then the user can update to the latest version.
To make my life easier...
- Include an icon.png and a meta.xml file with your homebrew application.
- Try to follow the meta.xml standard and test your meta.xml file in HBC.
- Include a date and version number with your homebrew release, otherwise I will use the timestamp from the boot.dol/elf file and name it v0.1.
- Put your homebrew application files into a folder and then zip up that folder. Try to keep using that folder name for the homebrew applications life.
Homebrew Apps in HBB
Chronological log below. Alphabetical list.
| Date Added | Application |
|---|---|
| 26 October 2008 | |
| 18 October 2008 | |
| 11 October 2008 |
|
| 4 October 2008 |
|
| 26 September 2008 |
|
| 21 September 2008 |
|
| 15 September 2008 |
|
| 7 September 2008 | |
| 3 September 2008 |
|
| 28 August 2008 | |
| 24 August 2008 |
|
| 22 August 2008 |
|
| 17 August 2008 |
|
| 14 August 2008 |
|
| 10 August 2008 |
|
| 07 August 2008 |
|
| 03 August 2008 |
|
| 01 August 2008 |
|
| 31 July 2008 |
|
| 29 July 2008 |
|
| 26 July 2008 |
|
| 22 July 2008 |
|
| 20 July 2008 |
|
| 19 July 2008 |
|
| 17 July 2008 |
|
| 16 July 2008 | |
| 15 July 2008 | |
| 13 July 2008 |
|
| 11 July 2008 |
|
| 10 July 2008 |
|
| 09 July 2008 | |
| 08 July 2008 |
|
| 07 July 2008 |
|
| 06 July 2008 |
|
| 05 July 2008 |
|
| 02 July 2008 |
|
| 01 July 2008 | |
| 30 June 2008 |
|
| 29 June 2008 |
|
History
26 October 2008 (v0.2.3b)
- Using dol instead of elf to work with HBC beta 9
30 September 2008 (v0.2.3a)
- Wlan adapter should now work with the HBB
- Applications should now be detected properly
- When applications are downloaded/deleted from the popular category they will now appear correctly in other categories and vice versa
29 September 2008 (v0.2.3)
- Rebuilt with latest libfat CVS to fix delete corruption bug (thanks joedj)
- Added Popular category
- Updated HBB about information
6 September 2008 (v0.2.2)
- Now downloads images in real time, no more having to wait for HBB to load
- Fixed IR cursor, no more IR cursor correction is required (thanks Wil)
- Deleting applications now deletes all files from the directories created (emulator roms/saves directories aren't deleted)
- Dpad left and right now controls the categories
- Updated HBB about image to include information about wii message notifications for HBB
3 August 2008 (v0.2.1b)
- Added the ability to cancel downloads at any time by pressing B
- Added a slight rumble when moving over any button
- Moved help and controls icon to left of banner
27 July 2008 (v0.2.1a)
- Fixed the issue when downloading most of the temporary images for the first time it caused HBB to exit
- Added text to describe what each icon does when you move the cursor over it
26 July 2008 (v0.2.1)
- Cursor now rotates and disappears when IR is not pointed to the IR sensor (thanks ebool)
- Added about and controls icon
- Added functionality to remove old files that some applications don't use when you update
- Added statistics gathering which will be displayed on a webpage
- Changed IP address from wiiregionworld.com to codemii.com
13 July 2008 (v0.2.0b)
- Increased buffer size so applications that require a lot of files will work
- Added HTTP no-cache so users behind a proxy will always retrieve the latest version of the apps list
10 July 2008 (v0.2.0a)
- Small bugfix, downloading Raytracer, Wiiwhiteboard, etc should now work
9 July 2008 (v0.2.0)
- Supports applications which load files from the SD card
- Added categorisation of homebrew applications
- Ability to install HBB via wiiload
- Updated tick icons
- Updated "Download" image to change to "Update" if you already have the application installed
- New icon displays even if you have an older version of the application
- Fixed issue when downloading 4 applications HBB would exit
- Does not download the icon.png file if you already have that application installed
4 July 2008 (v0.1.2)
- Added checks to make sure the server response is valid
- Uses new graphics made by LowLines
- New mouse pointer
- "New" icon appears depending on the time
- Uses GRRLIB 3.0.1a
- (A few hours later) Fixed images getting corrupted when loaded previous and next 6 images a few times and now downloads the icon.png and meta.xml files for the HBB if you update
30 June 2008 (v0.1.1)
- Fixed issue with requesting files from server (thanks joedj)
- Enabled auto updating (press B when asked if you don't want to update)
- New logo and HBC icon (thanks LowLines)
29 June 2008 (v0.1)
- Initial Release
To do
- Don't use a black screen when loading
- Find calm background music
- Print text on images at run time, instead of having images with text
- Allow users to change the default icon
- Prompt user if they want to keep their existing icon for a homebrew application they are updating
- Replace the little about box with an about window, so things like ratings, download statistics, a longer description and maybe a screenshot can be shown
- Use 7z files instead of downloading each individual file
- Have an update all button to update all applications
- Increase font size
- Use threading to download files so that you can do other things whilst downloading
- Add controller images to each application
Credits
- LowLines for the Homebrew Browser logo, HBC icon and all other graphics
- joedj for network code in ftpii
- NoNameNo and RedShade for GRRLIB
- Thanks to all the Wii homebrew developers and HBC icon creators
- Thanks to all the v0.1 testers
Homebrew Browser was written in C using devkitPPC (CVS 20080618) and libogc with libfat and GRRLIB.
A message from Low Lines
While designing graphics for teknecal's Homebrew Browser, I have been using a Flash-Based Demo to simulate it (makes it easier to design) and work on possible future features that may be added when teknecal feels ready. Discussion about this can be found here. I am open to ideas and suggestions, and this also provides everyone with a usable demonstration of the Browser.