P1POPStarter DocsRecovered preservation manual
Setup Storage Reference Archive

History and Provenance

Build-history landmarks that explain final r13 behavior, config-byte changes, IGR behavior, SMB support, and recovered wiki scope.

Why the dates matter#

POPStarter instructions drift because old WIP/Beta behavior is often repeated as if it applies to the final 2019 r13 build. This timeline keeps the major behavior changes attached to dates and build labels.

Historical layers#

H1POC2 / POPS-00001 eraEarly leak-era context, legacy HDD workflows, and why unsafe old packages are not install instructions. H2PSX-Place thread studyMaintainer posts, driver myths, dropped noise, and high-value corrections. H3Safe package inventoryNames, roles, statuses, and hashes without binary links.

Build-boundary rules#

  • Old POC2/POPS-00001 notes belong in history unless a modern final-build recipe explicitly reuses them.
  • Pre-Beta-13 config-byte meanings should not be applied to final r13 without a date/build label.
  • Final r13 Beta 2019/06/05 is the public baseline for normal documentation.
  • Fix packs and Hugopocked per-game updates that post-date final r13 are documented as external fix layers, not as part of the original ELF.
Date / labelSummaryWhy it mattersSources

WIP02		 Added the 8-slot force-compatibility table and enabled IGR skin/IRX loaders by default. Explains the $418-$41F config array and why IGR texture loading is a default r13 behavior. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki

Beta 8		 Added SMB, ps2host, and napLink backend work, and embedded the PFS wrapper. SMB is a normal POPStarter feature from this line, not proof that a special debug-only build is required. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only)

Beta 11		 Added mc1 module fallback, SMB port selection, optional IPCONFIG.DAT behavior, and fixes for POPS# folder reads. Documents why memory-card POPSTARTER folders can live on mc0 or mc1 and why POPS0..POPS9 support files matter. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only)

Beta 12		 Added $FORCEPAL, SMB authentication, and a working $SAFEMODE command. Separates PAL-region forcing, SMB username/password lines, and raw-code timing behavior from earlier broken docs. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only)

Beta 13		 Added the mc0/mc1 BOOT.ELF exit chain, fixed cheat-engine hook+8 and $C0/$USBDELAY interactions, removed the old function skipper, and removed ps2host/napLink launchers. Critical boundary for IGR exit behavior and the $412 correction: in r13, $412 is HDTVFIX, not the old function skipper. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) PSX-Place POPStarter page 15 - IGR and BOOT.ELF discussion

Beta 15		 Added CD-lid / DISCS.TXT multi-disc behavior and 480p calculations. Explains DISCS.TXT/VMCDIR.TXT-era multi-disc handling and why 480p remains a compatibility-sensitive option. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki

Beta 16		 Integrated $IGR0 through $IGR5, $NOIGR, and $D2LS as CHEATS.TXT commands; repurposed $412 as HDTVFIX; added an untested software-reset combo. Makes the CHEATS.TXT IGR commands canonical instead of requiring standalone TROJAN files for every IGR behavior. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only)

Prototype 2		 Added $42F value 0x04 as a diagnostic test mode. The test mode disables normal auto fixes and should not be recommended for normal play. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only)

r13 Beta final public build		 Final public r13 build; recovered history says $IGR5 was fixed in this last build. This is the canonical package identity to prefer over old RIP/WIP builds. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) Retro-Jogos POPStarter guide home PSX-Place POPStarter release thread

TROJAN_7.BIN r7 fix pack		 Recovered history identifies this as the last public fix-pack line. Keep TROJAN_7 as a per-game fix-pack family, separate from IGR TROJAN_0..5 and compatibility PATCH_7 discussion. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) Hugopocked fixes for POPStarter

uLE_kHn loader-address fix		 uLE_kHn moved loader.elf to 0x00092000 to avoid kernel corruption. Explains why later uLE_kHn packages are referenced in modern direct-VCD launch workflows. POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only)