Storage Matrix

• Per-game VCD
• Per-game renamed POPSTARTER.ELF
• POPS_IOX.PAK
• title.cfg

mass:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS/<Game>/
mass:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
mass:/APPS/<AppFolder>/<Prefix>.<Game>.ELF
mass:/APPS/<AppFolder>/title.cfg

Sample config

title=[PS1] Soul Blade
boot=XX.SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.ELF

• The renamed ELF and VCD basename must match the launch method's expectations.
• Do not store proprietary POPS files in this repository.

• POPSTARTER.ELF
• Per-game VCD
• POPS_IOX.PAK

mass:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
mass:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS/<Game>/
mass:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK

• Modern OPL fork behavior; do not present as original POPStarter core behavior.

• POPS_IOX.PAK
• POPSTARTER.ELF
• Per-game VCD
• wLE_kHn ELF

mass:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
mass:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
mass:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS/<Game>/
mass:/APPS/APP_wLE_kHn_20200810/wLE_kHn_20200810.ELF
mass:/APPS/APP_wLE_kHn_20200810/title.cfg

Sample config

title=wLE_kHn_20200810 VCD Launcher
boot=wLE_kHn_20200810.ELF

• User notes recommend omitting game IDs from VCD filenames for cleaner wLE_kHn lists.

• VCDs in mass:/POPS or mass:/POPS0 through mass:/POPS9
• POPS_IOX.PAK in main mass:/POPS

mass:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
mass:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS0/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS1/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS9/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS#/BIOS.BIN
mass:/POPS#/PATCH_#.BIN
mass:/POPS#/TROJAN_#.BIN
mass:/POPS#/<Game>/CHEATS.TXT

• POPStarter scans POPS, then POPS0 through POPS9.
• POPS_IOX.PAK and IGR TM2 textures stay in the main POPS folder.
• BIOS.BIN, PATCH_#.BIN, TROJAN_#.BIN, and VMCDIR.TXT do not propagate into POPS# folders; copy them into each split folder that needs them.

• POPSLoader ELF and POPSLDR folder
• POPSTARTER.ELF
• POPS_IOX.PAK
• Per-game VCD

mass:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
mass:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
mass:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
mass:/POPS/<Game>/
mass:/APPS/PS1_POPSLDR/POPSLOADER.ELF
mass:/APPS/PS1_POPSLDR/POPSLDR/
mass:/APPS/PS1_POPSLDR/title.cfg

Sample config

title=[PS1] !POPSLOADER
boot=POPSLOADER.ELF

• POPSLoader behavior is a modern side project, not original core POPStarter behavior.
• POPSLDR must stay next to the POPSLoader ELF according to the resource page.

• Per-game VCD
• POPS.ELF
• IOPRP252.IMG
• Per-game renamed POPSTARTER.ELF

hdd:/__.POPS/<Game>.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/<Game>/<Game>.ELF
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/<Game>/title.cfg

Sample config

title=[PS1] Soul Blade
boot=SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.ELF

• ElOtroLado warns OPL network start mode should not be Auto when launching HDD POPStarter via Apps, because black-screen hangs can occur.
• __.POPS spelling matters.

• Per-game VCD
• POPS.ELF
• IOPRP252.IMG
• POPSTARTER.ELF
• POPS_IOX.PAK

hdd:/__.POPS/<Game>.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK

• Modern OPL DB/Tenth behavior needs fork-specific verification.
• A local screenshot reports hdd0:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF worked as POPStarter path.

• wLE_kHn ELF
• Per-game VCD
• POPS.ELF
• IOPRP252.IMG
• POPSTARTER.ELF
• POPS_IOX.PAK

mc0:/BOOT/BOOT.ELF
hdd:/__.POPS/<Game>.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
hdd:/__common/POPS/<Game>/
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/wLE_kHn_20200810/wLE_kHn_20200810.ELF
hdd:/+OPL/APPS/wLE_kHn_20200810/title.cfg

Sample config

title=wLE_kHn_20200810 VCD Launcher
boot=wLE_kHn_20200810.ELF

• Use this as a launcher workflow, not as a different POPStarter storage backend.
• __.POPS remains the VCD partition/path.

• __.POPS or __.POPS0 through __.POPS9 partitions/paths
• __common/POPS with POPS.ELF and IOPRP252.IMG

hdd0:/__.POPS/<Game>.VCD
hdd0:/__.POPS0/<Game>.VCD
hdd0:/__.POPS9/<Game>.VCD
hdd0:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
hdd0:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
hdd0:/__common/POPS/<Game>/CHEATS.TXT

• Do not create +__.POPS; the leading plus is wrong for the POPStarter partition name.
• Per-game VMC/fix folders go under __common/POPS, not beside the VCDs in __.POPS.

• PP.<Game> partition
• IMAGE0.VCD
• POPSTARTER.KELF or matching launch entry

hdd0:/PP.<Game>/IMAGE0.VCD
pfs0:/IMAGE0.VCD
PP.<Game>.ELF or POPSTARTER.KELF launch entry
SYSTEM.CNF BOOT2 = pfs:/IMAGE0.VCD

Sample config

BOOT2 = pfs:/IMAGE0.VCD
VER = 1.00
VMODE = NTSC

• Every partition-installed game image is named IMAGE0.VCD; game identity comes from the partition name.
• Use PP.<name> for HDDOSD-visible installs; hidden __.<name> is a different legacy mode.

• __.<Game> hidden partition
• IMAGE0.VCD
• Matching launch ELF

hdd0:/__.<Game>/IMAGE0.VCD
pfs0:/IMAGE0.VCD
__.<Game>.ELF or matching legacy launch entry

• Hidden __.<name> partition-installed games are not the same as the modern shared __.POPS VCD folder.
• Do not rename the image away from IMAGE0.VCD inside a partition-installed game.

• App-side launcher on exFAT
• VCD and POPS files on APA/PFS

exfat:hdd:APPS/<Game>/<Game>.ELF
exfat:hdd:APPS/<Game>/title.cfg
apa:hdd:/__.POPS/<Game>.VCD
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/IOPRP252.IMG
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/POPS.ELF
apa:hdd:/__common/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF

Sample config

title=Soul Blade
boot=SLUS_002.40.Soul Blade.ELF

• POPStarter core does not support internal exFAT for VCD/POPS data; this is an app-side hybrid workflow.

• Per-game VCD
• POPS_IOX.PAK
• SB-prefixed renamed POPSTARTER.ELF
• OPL conf_apps.cfg
• MC network modules

PS2SMB:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
PS2SMB:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
PS2SMB:/POPS/<Game>/
PS2SMB:/APPS/SB.<Game>.ELF
PS2SMB:/ART/SB.<Game>.ELF_COV.jpg
mc0:/OPL/conf_apps.cfg
mc?:/POPSTARTER/IPCONFIG.DAT
mc?:/POPSTARTER/SMBCONFIG.DAT
mc?:/POPSTARTER/poweroff.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/ps2dev9.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/ps2ip.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/ps2smap.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/smbman.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/smsutils.irx

Sample config

Crash Bandicoot=smb:/APPS/SB.Crash Bandicoot.ELF
Crash Bandicoot=smb0:/APPS/SB.Crash Bandicoot.ELF

IPCONFIG.DAT:
192.168.0.13 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1

SMBCONFIG.DAT:
192.168.0.254 PS2SMB

• Some later OPL betas reportedly require smb0: instead of smb: in conf_apps.cfg.
• Use .DAT, not .DAY, for IPCONFIG.DAT and SMBCONFIG.DAT.
• Use poweroff.irx, not poweroff.irc.
• The SMB share must allow writes for VMC creation/update.
• SMB debug text is forced in SMB mode according to ElOtroLado.

• Shared POPSTARTER folder
• Per-game VCD
• POPS_IOX.PAK
• SB-prefixed renamed POPSTARTER.ELF launched from PS2 side
• MC network modules

POPSTARTER share:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
POPSTARTER share:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
POPSTARTER share:/POPS/<Game>/
<PS2-side launcher path>/SB.<Game>.ELF
mc?:/POPSTARTER/IPCONFIG.DAT
mc?:/POPSTARTER/SMBCONFIG.DAT
mc?:/POPSTARTER/poweroff.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/ps2dev9.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/ps2ip.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/ps2smap.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/smbman.irx
mc?:/POPSTARTER/smsutils.irx

Sample config

IPCONFIG.DAT:
192.168.0.13 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1

SMBCONFIG.DAT:
192.168.0.254 POPSTARTER

• Do not confuse the PC/NAS POPSTARTER share with mc?:/POPSTARTER.
• The SB. prefix selects SMB mode.
• The share must be writable for VMC files.

• POPSTARTER.ELF
• Per-game VCD
• POPS_IOX.PAK
• MC network modules

smb:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
smb:/POPS/<Game>.VCD
smb:/POPS/POPS_IOX.PAK
smb:/POPS/<Game>/
mc?:/POPSTARTER/IPCONFIG.DAT
mc?:/POPSTARTER/SMBCONFIG.DAT

• Modern OPL DB/PS1-page behavior needs fork-specific verification.
• Keep this separate from the SB-prefixed OPL Apps workflow.

• bdm_assault.irx renamed to usbd.irx
• usbd_bd_assault.irx renamed to usbhdfsd.irx

bdm_assault.irx -> mc?:/POPSTARTER/usbd.irx
usbd_bd_assault.irx -> mc?:/POPSTARTER/usbhdfsd.irx
bdm_assault.irx -> mc?:/SYS-CONF/USBD.IRX
usbd_bd_assault.irx -> mc?:/SYS-CONF/USBHDFSD.IRX

• This is USB driver substitution, not native internal exFAT support in POPStarter core.
• BDM Assault releases are external; do not vendor binaries here.

• POPSLoader app
• POPSTARTER.ELF on a supported path
• VCDs in device POPS folder or HDD __.POPS

mc0:/POPSTARTER/POPSTARTER.ELF
mass:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
mx4sio:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
mmce:/POPS/POPSTARTER.ELF
<device>:/POPS/<Title>.VCD
<device>:/POPS/<Title>.png
hdd:/__.POPS/<Title>.VCD
hdd:/__common/POPS/ART/<Title>.png

• mc0 is required for settings and BDMA in the fork.
• BDMA is required for all non-HDD devices and only one BDMA mode can be active at once.