Ncheck Tool
Description
The Ncheck tool can generate large dummy files and directories in order to create a file system user region that is nearly or completely full. The purpose of this tool is to check whether a given application program is correctly using NANDCheck[Async].
How to Use
- This tool can be controlled using the Wii Remote or a Nintendo GameCube Controller. In either case, use Controller Socket 1.
- When using the Nintendo GameCube Controller, you can use the +Control Pad, the A and B Buttons, and the L and R Buttons.
- When using the Wii Remote, you can use the +Control Pad, the A and B Buttons, and the + and - Buttons.
- The A Button confirms a selection, and the B Button cancels a selection.
- Pressing the R Button (or + Button) changes the unit for memory capacity when displaying file system information. (Each time the button is pressed, the unit cycles in the following order: FS blocks → blocks → MB → KB.) The unit used to indicate the file size to be created can also be changed on the file size specification screen.
- Pressing the L Button (or - Button) switches the information that is displayed at the top of the screen. This allows you to view Available capacity information, Secured memory information, and so on. Information about the user region is displayed in the User field.
Description of Menu Items
- Create directories
- Calculates the consumption of inodes required to create a given directory. One directory consumes one inode.
- Delete directories
- Increases the number of available inodes by deleting a directory. Only directories created with Create directories, described above, can be deleted.
- Create file
- Creates one file. The file size can be specified. Note that an inode is also used when creating a file.
- Delete file
- Deletes a file. A list of files that were created with Create file is displayed. Select the files to be deleted from this list.
- Fill user area with 1 FS block files
- Creates files with a size of one file-system (FS) block (16 KB) until the upper limit of the user region capacity (272 MB) is reached. An error message is displayed if the upper limit cannot be reached even by using all available inodes. Before you execute this option, we recommend that you reduce the available storage capacity in user memory by saving a large file.
- Fill user area with a file
- Creates a single large file that just reaches the upper limit (272 MB) of the user memory capacity.
- Semi-auto mode
- Automatically adjusts the resource consumption status of the user region based on the total number of FS blocks and inodes required by the application being checked. This enables you to generate an available area that meets your particular specifications. Note, however, that this operation does not always succeed. An error results if the resources that can be used freely by the Ncheck tool are insufficient. The first time the Ncheck tool is started, be sure to secure at least several dozen MB of available memory and several hundred available inodes in the user region. If the amount of memory in the user region is low, Semi-auto mode may terminate with an error.
- Credits
- Displays the Ncheck tool version and other information.
Check Method
This section explains how to check files using an NDEV for which the Wii system menu is not installed.
Checking ELF files
- 1. Use
ndrun to execute the ELF file that is being checked and verify that the title screen of the application is displayed.
- 2. Start the NDEV system menu. (Start the ELF file while depressing the Z Button on the Nintendo GameCube Controller connected to the NDEV.)
- 3. Select Manipulate Save Data and delete the initial code for the ELF file (the default value is 0000 and can be changed using the setinitalcode command). (Deleting this initial code deletes the file located below the home directory of the file being checked.)
- 4. Using the setinitialcode command, change the initial code assigned to the
Ncheck tool ELF file so it is different from the initial code of the ELF file being checked. Set the highest-order byte of the initial code to a nonzero value. Furthermore, we recommend that you set A into the lowest order byte. This procedure is necessary to make the home directory of the application to be checked different from the home directory of the Ncheck tool. After making this change, execute the Ncheck tool ELF file.
- 5. Once the
Ncheck tool has started, select Semi-auto mode (recommended) or Create directories or Create file and consume the available memory space and inodes until the entire user region (272 MB and 4000 inodes) is nearly used up. How much memory and how many inodes to leave depends on the amount of memory and number of inodes required by the application to be checked. Five files are temporarily created the first time the application starts. Assume the total number of FS blocks consumed by these files is 64 (= 1 MB). (Note that this includes binary files used for save data.) In cases such as this, if the amount of user region memory consumed when the application first starts exceeds 271 MB or the number of inodes consumed exceeds 3995, the application must warn the player that files cannot be created due to insufficient available resources.
- 6. Use
ndrun to execute the ELF file and check whether file creation has succeeded or failed.
Checking RVM files
- 1. Before beginning, be sure to convert
Ncheck tool for the checking of master data (RVM files). Set anything other than zero into the highest order byte of GameName in the DDF file. Furthermore, we recommend that you set A into the lowest order byte. (For details, see the Mastering Tools Quick Start Guide.) This procedure is needed to ensure that the home directory of the application to be checked is different from the home directory of the Ncheck tool.
- 2. Follow the same three steps described for checking ELF files (steps 1-3).
- 3. Execute the created RVM file as follows.
% ODEM -l -r Ncheck.rvm
- 4. Follow steps 5 and 6 described for checking ELF files.
Effective from version 0.10a, WAD files can also be checked.
- A file converted to WAD format has been included, enabling the Ncheck tool to be run as a NAND application. For more information on importing and running this WAD file, see the NAND Application Development Kit (NADK).
Notes and Supplemental Information
- Files and directories that exceed the size of the user region cannot be created.
- The
Ncheck tool creates a banner file directly under the home directory when it starts for the first time. The two directories, ~/files and ~/dirs, are also created.
- Resources in the user region are consumed and deallocated by creating files and directories under this directory.
- Both NTSC and PAL are supported. Note the program's video mode and make the appropriate setting.
Location
$REVOLUTION_SDK_ROOT/RVL/bin/tools/Ncheck.elf
$REVOLUTION_SDK_ROOT/RVL/dvddata/viewer/Ncheck.wad
Revision History
2010/06/18
- Added a method for checking ELF files.
2009/10/13
2008/11/13
Version 0.10b ：
- Changed the WAD file's game code.
2008/11/07
Version 0.10a ：
- Included a WAD file in the package.
2006/12/13
Version 0.10 ：
- Implemented the Semi-auto mode. Automatically creates dummy files and directories so that exactly the number of available FS blocks and inodes required by the application to be checked are left free.
- Organized the display items.
- Made it so that open information is displayed at the start.
- Made it so that file system information continues to be displayed at the top of the screen even on the Delete file screen.
2006/11/21
Version 0.07 ：
- Support for reset/shutdown using the RESET and Power buttons on the Wii console.
- Changed the order of display of file system information items.
- Information about the current directory is shown at the bottom of the Delete file screen.
- Added descriptions of menu items.
- Slightly increased the speed at which files are created.
- Support for control of operations using the Wii Remote.
2006/03/28
Version 0.06 ：
2006/10/10
Version 0.05 ：
CONFIDENTIAL