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'Market Research' into Users Preferred BIOSes to use.


empyreal96
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I'm currently looking into what BIOS images people prefer to use and which ones are more 'universal' than others.. 😁

Why? I want to make sure I hold the best compatibility for BIOSes built with Easy-Build..

Currently it uses the 2bl.img and remainder.img from iND BIOS 5001 (Which I use currently)

 

I need to know what Bios Revision, size of ROM and MCPX version if you know it

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EvoX M8/M8+ is the most common BIOS used for modchips, TSOP, and softmods (PBL)

iND 5003/5004 is somewhat common, usually used by people that don't want to use M8/M8+ or people that need it for it's 128MB memory support or ability to have an external config file

X2 is seldomly used aside from people that want to use it with an X2 chip or people that need it for it's 128MB memory support or ability to have an external config file

M7 and below is usually used by people that have an old chip/TSOP that they don't know how to update or care to update

X3 is used by people that have an X3 chip because of it's embedded configuration/recovery program

Debug BIOS' are generally used only by programmers, curious people, or someone using an XDK

 

When you ask for "BIOS revision" what are you referring to? If you mean a retail image then there's only 2 revisions of the bootloader(s) (1.0, 1.1-1.6) - there are variables and offsets that are changed between 1.1-1.6 models but they are more or less exactly the same and not enough is changed to be classified as their own BIOS revision - else if you're talking kernels then there are many

Size of a retail BIOS image is always 256KB and the one existing debug BIOS is 512KB. 1.0 consoles have the BIOS duplicated 4 times to fill a 1MB area

I suppose the 1.1 MCPX is more common since it was used in more revisions of the motherboard (1.1 and onward use the 1.1 MCPX), the 1.0 revision motherboard is the only revision that uses the 1.0 MCPX southbridge chip. This is more of a production quantity and sales question, not really a question anyone in the Xbox scene can answer

 

Some of the questions you ask have answers with a lot of variables to them, I don't believe anyone left in this scene could answer them all concretely. If you're researching the Xbox BIOS then XboxDevWiki is a good place to start, it offers information and references but there are many unknowns still to be researched

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On 2/3/2021 at 9:32 AM, empyreal96 said:

Currently it uses the 2bl.img and remainder.img from iND BIOS 5001 (Which I use currently)

There's a patched version of iND-BiOS 5003 that fixes a couple of bugs in it. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/14-3PLUDBRy1PWa0Q7JxYEz1kBjjpvu3u/view)

  1. Fix for power off button combo that only required 2 of the 4 buttons it was supposed to be activated with which resulted in problems getting to CoinOPS in-game menu - the console would power off instead.
  2. Fix for proper 128MB RAM initialization, and 
  3. Removes Xbox Live packet blocking so they can be sent to Insignia servers (Xbox Live clone) to be released really soon now.

Not all BIOSes work on 1.6 consoles - there are only 2 -  x2.5035.v16plus configured dot bins for LBA48 F only or F and G and M8plus_16.bin (with similar LBA48 F only or F and G partition configs with LBA48 v3 patch so it can read the partition table stored in sector 0 of the Xbox's hard drive.)

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16 hours ago, feudalnate said:

EvoX M8/M8+ is the most common BIOS used for modchips, TSOP, and softmods (PBL)

iND 5003/5004 is somewhat common, usually used by people that don't want to use M8/M8+ or people that need it for it's 128MB memory support or ability to have an external config file

X2 is seldomly used aside from people that want to use it with an X2 chip or people that need it for it's 128MB memory support or ability to have an external config file

M7 and below is usually used by people that have an old chip/TSOP that they don't know how to update or care to update

X3 is used by people that have an X3 chip because of it's embedded configuration/recovery program

Debug BIOS' are generally used only by programmers, curious people, or someone using an XDK

 

When you ask for "BIOS revision" what are you referring to? If you mean a retail image then there's only 2 revisions of the bootloader(s) (1.0, 1.1-1.6) - there are variables and offsets that are changed between 1.1-1.6 models but they are more or less exactly the same and not enough is changed to be classified as their own BIOS revision - else if you're talking kernels then there are many

Size of a retail BIOS image is always 256KB and the one existing debug BIOS is 512KB. 1.0 consoles have the BIOS duplicated 4 times to fill a 1MB area

I suppose the 1.1 MCPX is more common since it was used in more revisions of the motherboard (1.1 and onward use the 1.1 MCPX), the 1.0 revision motherboard is the only revision that uses the 1.0 MCPX southbridge chip. This is more of a production quantity and sales question, not really a question anyone in the Xbox scene can answer

 

Some of the questions you ask have answers with a lot of variables to them, I don't believe anyone left in this scene could answer them all concretely. If you're researching the Xbox BIOS then XboxDevWiki is a good place to start, it offers information and references but there are many unknowns still to be researched

Thanks for clearing a few of the bioses up for me, Its been a very long time since I was last modding an xbox, I think I may have to consider a variety of BIOSes and let the user choose the 'base's on their preference..

 

Currently the Complex Tree/Easy-Build targets XDK Signed Bioses as that is what is 'default' in the tree but unsure if Debug bioses are bootable, it also targets XM3 (Retail) though so not too much of a worry 😛

Bios size I am aware most are 256kb and what they consist, I mentioned it as some people I've spoke too over the weeks use a 512kb bios for their Retail converted to Debug Kit, though may as well ask lol

 

MCPX side of things I presumed 1.1 as the source built 4400 kernel aimed at 1.1 as far as I know.

 

Yeah sadly I already come to grips with the lack of documentation for most things like this :(, I've spoke to a few people 'in the scene' currently and that's how Easy-Build has developed the way it has.. XboxDevWili has been a great help already 😛

 

37 minutes ago, KaosEngineer said:

There's a patched version of iND-BiOS 5003 that fixes a couple of bugs in it. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/14-3PLUDBRy1PWa0Q7JxYEz1kBjjpvu3u/view)

  1. Fix for power off button combo that only required 2 of the 4 buttons it was supposed to be activated with which resulted in problems getting to CoinOPS in-game menu - the console would power off instead.
  2. Fix for proper 128MB RAM initialization, and 
  3. Removes Xbox Live packet blocking so they can be sent to Insignia servers (Xbox Live clone) to be released really soon now.

Not all BIOSes work on 1.6 consoles - there are only 2 -  x2.5035.v16plus configured dot bins for LBA48 F only or F and G and M8plus_16.bin (with similar LBA48 F only or F and G partition configs with LBA48 v3 patch so it can read the partition table stored in sector 0 of the Xbox's hard drive.)

Oh cool thanks I'll pick it apart and test, yeah I was aware the 1.6 issues sadly, I doubt I'll aim at 1.6 bioses because of the incompatiblities..

 

It's funny you mention LBA48 patches, I recently found an archive with some LBA48 patches (in asm style) and scripts to patch compiled kernels to add support.. yet to test it out fully as sidetracked 😛

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