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[FrankMorris]

I'd like to change (temporary?) my dashboard to Complex Tools v1.60, but all I get is a black screen.. In the past, I've tried to use an emulator as a dashboard similar way, and ran to same problem - black screen.

What exactly in those XBE's, which are not designated to be a dashboard, prevents me to use them as a dashboard? Is it something which can be just patched to the XBE, and it'll work?

I know this issue could probably be avoided by using XBE shortcut, but I'd prefer the BIOS to launch it directly, if possible.


Can this be done?

[fallenangle]

The simplest and only way I know for sure how to do what I think you want is using the UnleashX dash and putting in a Controller/Remote button shortcut to the Complex Tools .xbe and similarly to the emulator in question.

The UnleashX Controller/Remote shortcut does everything you want ie. loads straight into the application or emulator with a single button press during boot, an eminently practical solution I would have thought. There maybe other more sophisticated solutions but why bother?

If you're still bent on this there maybe an alternative involving a dual boot dash system where the tray out button can be set to load something other than the MS or installer dash. I'd search for threads about how to do that.  

[FrankMorris]

Thx for message.

I can think of several different methods how I could make it boot at startup. However, they're all just workarounds, and not what I'm really after.


There's also curiosity involved. I'd like to know exactly how does the dashboard XBE's differ from "normal" XBE's.

[fallenangle]

I don't think they do. But to do what I think you've been trying to get an application or emulator to boot at start up you'd need either a shortcut .xbe relacing the main dash .xbe pointing at the particular folder where it is (typically E:\Applications or E:\Emulators) or have the whole of the contents of the application/emulator's folder on the boot drive and replace the main dash .xbe with the application/emulator's  .xbe.

If you did either just how are you going to restore the main dash again? By fiddling with the main dash .xbe on your boot drive you're asking for trouble and I strongly recommend you don't.

However the fact you can set up a controller shortcut with UnleashX suggests there maybe some scripting solution that will allow you to boot to an application or emulator direct without messing up your main dash. But such things are way outside my field of knowledge.

[FrankMorris]

I've done some more testing and it seems that M8plus and X2 5035 BIOSes just can't launch Complex Tools at startup. X3 3294 can.

Next I'll try to sign the xbe with xbedump and check if M8plus or X2 5035 will then accept it..


Recovering is no problem. I can use a built-in FTP client in the X3 OS (I can access there by pressing white at startup).

[fallenangle]

You sound like you know what you're doing so good luck getting it to work.