Homebrew Browser v0.2.0b

[wraggster]

News/release from teknecal (http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_apps/Homebrew_Browser)

http://www.youtube.com/v/GomiMbDH63o


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!

Note: Not all applications/games are included yet. They will be added over time.

One click download and install for each homebrew application
One click deletion of homebrew applications
One click update for homebrew apps
Auto updating when your Homebrew Browser version is out of date
Run the included ELF with your favourite method to boot homebrew. Uses the Wiimote with IR.

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.

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.
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 If the image is out of date or missing, it downloads the image file.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 files from the server.

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.

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


Download and give feedback via comments.

[____anders____]

so this means the we can get homebrew apps that requires more than just a boot file to run?

awesome!

[iofthestorm]

Actually, it's worked for apps with more than just boot.elf for a few days now, this was just some small bug fix. But yeah, this is awesome. I just wish the font wasn't so damn tiny. Incidentally, does it look sharper on a progressive scan connection over component? I really think the buttons should be on top of the preview image and have icons that expand when you hover over them to reveal the full text. Currently those buttons are pretty hard to hit.

[slimfady]

Great job.

With the number of supported apps steadily increasing. Maybe you should consider a "What's New?" tab besides the categories.

Keep up the good work

[____anders____]

yea, a what's new tab would be good to have:)

Post #700! :D

[Drego]

Great job.

With the number of supported apps steadily increasing. Maybe you should consider a "What's New?" tab besides the categories.

Keep up the good work

Kinda does that already with the "NEW" sticker right on top of the app. I was more wondering how one would help out in that project.
For instance in creating the "meta.xml" and "icon.png" for ones that don't have them. I would love to put my foot in the door to help out.

[____anders____]

hehe we both posted on the same minute:D

[Gawker]

I'd like to have a repo on the web of the downloads available via the HBB, as for whatever reason my Wii completely blows goats when it comes to anything involving the internet. My router is sitting on top of the Wii for crying out loud...how much closer can I get it?! Anyhow I can never seem to actually download anything via the Wii so it would be nice to be able to get the packages from the web and manually add them to my SD card...just a suggestion from a frustrated but loving end user.

[TechRat]

I'd like to have a repo on the web of the downloads available via the HBB, as for whatever reason my Wii completely blows goats when it comes to anything involving the internet. My router is sitting on top of the Wii for crying out loud...how much closer can I get it?! Anyhow I can never seem to actually download anything via the Wii so it would be nice to be able to get the packages from the web and manually add them to my SD card...just a suggestion from a frustrated but loving end user.

This page keeps an updated list of all the apps added to the HBB:

http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Homebrew_apps/Homebrew_Browser

This site tracks the Wii Homebrew scene in general, so you could look at the HBB page to see which apps you want, then likely find and download them on this same site. How's that?

[Gawker]

would be nice but I'm having trouble finding the apps with the xml and icons included which is such a nice feature of the HBB. I'm not complaining about the HBB I've just never been able to tweak my Wii to function properly with the internet. For instance, if the list of applications on that page were each hlinks to the zipped version of the actual package downloadable by the HBB it'd be absolutely perfect.

[TechRat]

would be nice but I'm having trouble finding the apps with the xml and icons included which is such a nice feature of the HBB. I'm not complaining about the HBB I've just never been able to tweak my Wii to function properly with the internet. For instance, if the list of applications on that page were each hlinks to the zipped version of the actual package downloadable by the HBB it'd be absolutely perfect.

Google for "Homebrew Browser Icons". You should find a bunch.

The xml file is easy to create. Just copy an existing one from another app and edit it in notepad.

[teknecal]

You're probably after something like this: http://www.lukegrangerbrown.uni.cc/hbb/

Too bad there are no links to zips from the images.

[DaveyDucati]

I cant seem to get the app to connect to the internet. Does anyone know why this is? Is it through USB only, or will it work wifi. I got my Homebrew channel to update automatically once. I dont know why it wont work. every single time it says it cant initialize. this was with versions 0.1 to 0.2b.

[whYeNQue]

are you able to access the internet from opera browser/internet channel in your wii?
is wiiconnect24 on?
does your router work with your wii?

[DaveyDucati]

are you able to access the internet from opera browser/internet channel in your wii?
is wiiconnect24 on?
does your router work with your wii?

Yes, Opera works great, and the weather channel/wii connect 24 always works too.

I am currently using firmware 3.2 but i dont think that would have any effect on it. Maybe my routers firewall is blocking it. are there any ports a could forward. Does the app not use UPnP?