I basically want to make a PS2 dev machine... have a few questions

I've exhausted my Google skills for a good 2 hours now and I have a basic idea of what I'd like to get together to make this work.

• Original PS2
• PS2 Network adaptor
• Xploder (aka Blaze) VGA adaptor
• A 200GB Seagate IDE HDD I already have
• HDLoader
• A modchip

Ok, so I'm a late starter and don't have a PS2 (I have several PCs running *nix/Windows and a PSP).

I would like to be able to use the ps2dev toolchain to make games/demos on the PS2, display it on one of my CRT monitors (building a sync-on-green adaptor if necessary, using the composite video input on a 7800GT when the PS2 is not in VGA mode).

I'd like to run the code without messing about with swap discs and the slide card, and am competent with a soldering iron, having voltmodded graphics cards and replaced op-amps on soundcards, and built my own class-A amp, so I'm not scared about getting a modchip and soldering it in there so that I can run my code on the PS2.

Which modchip would you recommend? The Modbo and Infinity boards seem popular, but is one better than the other for me?

Am I right in thinking that PS2Link can be used make data apparent to the PS2, without having to transfer data to a PS2 memory card? So I can effectively run games from a PC's hard-drive?

So, would I even need to use HDLoader? I see some people say that you can't use the Blaze/Xploder VGA adaptors with HDLoader, and only original discs, but I'd be wanting to run my games/demos on VGA, either from a PS2 hard drive or from PC hard drive.

Ideally, I'm hoping using just the following is feasible:

• Original PS2
• PS2 Network adaptor
• Xploder (aka Blaze) VGA adaptor
• PS2Link
• A modchip
• *nix PC on same subnet
• Windows PC with 7800GT using VIVO cable for PS2 composite mode

Sorry if this all sounds like I'm a noob, I sort of am, but hopefully it shows that I've tried my hardest to understand through searching...

If there's any tutorials that cover exactly what I'm asking, please feel free to simply post the link, and the words "your Google skills are weak" :rofl: