Requirements

- BootMii (either installed as boot2 or as IOS)
- SD(HC) card (at least 1GB, 2GB recommended)
- USB keyboard

Preparing the SD card

You have to create 2 partitions. One little FAT16/32 for BootMii, HBC and the kernel and one big ext3 for the filesystem ("userland"). You can do this for example with gParted in Ubuntu. If you don`t have Ubuntu installed, use the latest LiveCD. For this tutorial it is important to set the descriptions of the partitions.

- Backup your current BootMii folder
- 1. partition: At least 32 MB, FAT16/32, "kernel" as description
- 2. partition: Remaining free space, EXT3, "filesystem" as description
- Copy your BootMii folder to the first partition

Installing the kernel

The mike kernel must be booted via BootMii! If you boot it with the homebrew channel, wifi and other things won`t work.

There are two ways to boot the kernel:

1.)
The first one (and also the recommended one) is to copy the kernel to the first partition of your sd card, for example to the BootMii folder. To boot the kernel you can use the sd card explorer in BootMii and select the kernel. It could happen that it doesn`t work and return to the BootMii main menu. If this happens try to update to the newest BootMii version (beta4). If it also doesn`t work with beta4 then you have to use the second way.

2.)
With the second way you will have to replace the executable of the BootMii GUI with the kernel. This should always work, but the disadvantage is that the kernel will boot immediately after launching BootMii. So you won`t see the GUI of BootMii. If you need the BootMii GUI you may use a second sd card for Linux only.

- Rename the file "ppcboot.elf" in the BootMii folder to "ppcboot.elf.backup"
- Download the latest mike kernel (mikep5) with your appropriate TV mode:

- 480i PAL: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/...480i(PAL60).elf
- 576i PAL: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/...i.576i(PAL).elf
- 480p PAL: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/...i.480p(PAL).elf
- 480i NTSC: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/....480i(NTSC).elf
- 480p NTSC: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/....480p(NTSC).elf

- Rename the kernel to ppcboot.elf and copy it to your BootMii folder
- If you have BootMii beta1 or beta2 you need to download the latest armboot.bin to prevent an error with the mike kernel: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/gc-linux/mikep1-armboot.bin. Rename it to "armboot.bin" and replace it with the one in your new BootMii folder. If you are running BootMii beta3 or later you might skip this step, because it should already include a newer version of armboot.bin

Installing the filesystem

- Download XWhiite 0.2 to your Desktop: http://hbcapps.com/debian-etch-4.0+whiite-...ite-0.2.tar.bz2
- Open a terminal and login as root (sudo su)
- Change the directory to your Desktop:

cd /home/yourusername/Desktop

- Extract the filesystem to your sd card:

tar -C /media/filesystem/ -xjvf debian-etch-4.0+whiite-0.1+xwhiite-0.2.tar.bz2

- Backup your xorg.conf:

cd /media/filesystem/etc/X11/
cp xorg.conf xorg.conf.backup

- Open your xorg.conf and set your TV mode (pal or ntsc):

gedit /media/filesystem/etc/X11/xorg.conf

- Find the Subsection "Display" in the section "Screen"
- Replace "pal_50" with "ntsc_60" if you have a NTSC TV
- If you have the problem with the "small line" try to remove the lines with "HorizSync", "VertRefresh", "Modeline "pal_50"" and "Modeline "ntsc_60"" in the section "Monitor" and the whole subsection "Display"

- Now you can try to boot your Wii with Linux.

Getting WiFi to work

- Download the necessary debian packages and put them to /media/filesystem/home/wii/:

- nano: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...ch1_powerpc.deb
- wpasupplicant: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...5-2_powerpc.deb
- wireless-tools: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...f.1_powerpc.deb
- udev: http://security.debian.org/debian-security...ch1_powerpc.deb
- libiw28: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/...f.1_powerpc.deb
- libvolume: http://security.debian.org/debian-security...ch1_powerpc.deb
- wifi firmware: http://sourceforge.net/projects/gc-linux/f...tar.gz/download

- Boot your Wii Linux
- Open a terminal and login as root (pwd is "whiite")
- Install the packages:

cd /home/wii/
dpkg -i *.deb

- Extract the wifi firmware:

cd /
tar -xzvf /home/wii/openfwwf-5.2-bin.tar.gz

- Edit the wifi settings:

nano /etc/network/interfaces

- For WPA 1/2 add this:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-ssid YOUR_SSID_GOES_HERE
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-psk YOUR_SECRET_GOES_HERE
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-key-mgmt WPA-PSK
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-pairwise TKIP CCMP
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-group TKIP CCMP
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-proto WPA RSN
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-ap-scan 1
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwpa-scan-ssid 1

- For WEP (ASCII string key) add this:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwireless-essid YOUR_SSID_GOES_HERE
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwireless-key YOUR_ASCII_SECRET_GOES_HERE

- For WEP (binary key) add this:

auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwireless-essid YOUR_SSID_GOES_HERE
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂwireless-key s:0123-4567-89

- Test your wifi connection:

ifup wlan0
ping www.google.com

- If you get responses: CONGRATULATIONS! Now your Wii will automatically connect your wifi on every boot

And what now?

- Now you can update your system (as root!):

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade

- You can also install a "normal" desktop environment like XFCE4. It`s more comfortable to use, but will use more RAM and will run slower. But it`s quite usable.

apt-get install xfce4

- Install whatever you want! Have fun!

Problems and their solutions

Problem: No sound
Solution: CODEusermod -G audio


by elmurato
revision 5


PS: If something isn`t clear feel free to ask so that I can improve this tutorial. Thanks!

Sources

http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/WL:whiite-linux
http://www.tehskeen.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9777
http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/MINI:KernelPreviewThree
http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/WL:Wifi_Configuration

 

[Littlefighter19]

Hmmm.... i think the kernel loads, but it can't go further than usb: Broadcom etc... and then it does nothing anymore

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

That's the same thing that happens when you load a MINI kernel through IOS, or an IOS kernel through Bootmii... Did you try the other kernel? (You are talking about farters kernels, right?)

 

[Littlefighter19]

Tried xwhiite 2.6.27b tried the one distributed with the bootmii replacement and tried mikep5 but loaded through HBC

 

[Coto]

Hmmm.... i think the kernel loads, but it can't go further than usb: Broadcom etc... and then it does nothing anymore

You could try unplugging, plugging they keyboard again, and the image posted was from gc-linux latest Mikep5 as bootmii (MiNI). Be sure to follow the guide and should work =)

 

[Littlefighter19]

Already tried, simply went to the previous message and stopped there
EDIT: There also says warning unable to open an initial console

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

Yeah, it stops after saying what USB devices were found. Hangs in the middle of the boot.

 

[Coto]

Ok, i did this on another wii testerday and worked fine... keep trying. Use a 2GB card to perform the install (don't USB because you need to edit the kernel's access path).

EDIT: The tarball I posted i'm talking about. It has a newer kernel anyway. And it's working (using gc-linux wxhiite installer).

Also, if Mini == Load through bootmii

if IOS == Load HBC.

SD card must have 3 partitions: 1 FAT, 1 EXT2, 1 SWAP Area- FAT has the bootmii/hbc files, ext2 has the linux fs and swap serves as caching files.

 

[Littlefighter19]

Errhh to edit the path: is there a way to mount the card at the PC?

 

[Coto]

You better perform the install process again, because seems like you did something wrong.

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

Wait, do I have Debian Lenny???

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

Hey Coto, the tarball you gave me, (http://www.mediafire.com/?qme1y93ek6ttc) what is it?

 

[Coto]

debian lenny 5 ppc (kernel 2.3.32)
the bootloader (elf) is MiNI mikep5

 

[Littlefighter19]

I have a SDHC Card (4GB) could there be a problem with the installer?

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

I don't think so. The Tarball that Coto posted with the installer I installed it on an SDHC card...

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

Oh, shoot. I installed farters mess/kernel/screen and now my wifi isn't working. I'm missing some files. ifup wlan1 says the same thing: no such device and all of that junk. iwconfig says "lo no wireless extensions". So I did modprobe b43 and it says:

WARNING: Could not open 'kernel/drivers/leds/led-class.ko': No such file or directory
WARNING: Could not open 'kernel/net/wireless/cfg80211.ko': No such file or directory
WARNING: Could not open 'kernel/net/mac80211/mac80211.ko': No such file or directory
FATAL: Could not open 'kernel/drivers/net/wireless/b43/b43.ko': No such file or directory

Heh heh, I think I might not have extracted something right here...

BTW are you still having problems with it? @Littlefighter19

 

[Coto]

You need to get

openfwwf-5.2-bin.tar.gz (Wii's internal wireless linux drivers). Install them properly (mount a USB stick, dunno), depmod -a THEN try modprobe b43

Then again, try iwconfig, it should work. It works on 2 kernels so far (tested ba myself)..

 

[-DarkAceZ-]

Oh yeah, I solved that a while ago.

 

[rp0029]

Coto maybe you can help me. I've spent a solid week trying to install whiite+xwhiite linux on my wii. I followed your instructions above - it appears to detect the card, and wlan0 is detected, but it says DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval (x)
Then it says "No DHCPOFFERS received."
Please help me! I need a christmas miracle!

 

[jeroen80]

Hello i am using wii linux but i can't use modprobe because there are no modules.
How can i get those modules?

 

[Coto]

Coto maybe you can help me. I've spent a solid week trying to install whiite+xwhiite linux on my wii. I followed your instructions above - it appears to detect the card, and wlan0 is detected, but it says DHCPDISCOVER on wlan1 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval (x)
Then it says "No DHCPOFFERS received."
Please help me! I need a christmas miracle!

Yeah that happened to me too, so sad to read this now feb 9 of 2012..

Back in the day, after hours and hours of figuring such issues, I found out that the distro version had issues with it. I can't remember if it was 5.0 (lenny) or 6.0(squeeze), AND the wireless drivers bundled with the kernel were faulty. Since I don't have my wii right now, you'll have to figure out how to re-install Wireless drivers (I believe one of the sites I posted before have a lot of info on how to reinstall wireless drivers, rebuild the kernel (5.0 was stable and faster.. ), and initialize them correctly.

you have to:

1. Get the latest wireless drivers here

2. find a way to move them inside your Wii FS (USB HDDs mounting is nice)

3. untar and install them.

4. modprobe b43 to initialize wireless

5. iwconfig to check connectivity.

6. optional: check first through OPEN security, then WEP as WEP may be tricky to work at first while you edit the LAN /etc/network/interfaces file

**OR**

It could simply be you didn't set up correctly the /etc/network/interfaces file (nano is the editor here..)

once you're done with the setup, type ifup wlanX (where X is the matching number of the detected wireless card)
--

Hello i am using wii linux but i can't use modprobe because there are no modules.
How can i get those modules?

Those are bundled, but if you don't run wiilinux from MINI wireless won't work.. you won't have access to it so modprobe will not find anything.

Try iwconfig to see if your card was already detected