hdl_dump - Windows-, Unix- and Linux-based game installer for HD Loader

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hdl_dump/hdl_dumb are a set of tools to install Playstation 2 games, which are to be played using HD Loader. hdl_dump is a command-line version that is multi-platform, whereas hdl_dumb is Windows GUI based (screenshot above), but with some limitations is also WineLib compatible. Both are free and source code is released under GPL.

There are two general ways to use those tools:

• unplug Playstation 2 HDD and connect it to a PC (most external USB 2.0 boxes are compatible, Firewire boxes are reported to be compatible, also), or
• set-up a LAN between Playstation 2 and a PC, run a so-called hdl_dump server on the console, then use network connection between them.

HOWTO contains most common use-cases.

There are numerous of GUI wrappers, such as LordBoGaMi's hdl_dump GUI for Windows and PxPert's KHdlDump for X-Windows/QT/KDE.

pfsshell is a PFS client for PC a host. It looks like an command-line FTP client, except it deals with files and directories located on the PlayStation 2 HDD. pfsshell can copy movies, music, homebrew, etc. to PlayStation 2 HDD. As hdl_dump, it can use both: a locally connected HDD and a networked one.

News

• 2006-10-08: pfsshell-0.2a (source) has been released; Oooh, well... 0.2 contained a really lame bug in command parsing ;-) I guess I need some better sleep :-)
• 2006-09-01: hdl_dump/hdl_dumb 0.8.6 has been released;
• 2006-06-18: hdl_dump/hdl_dumb/server 0.8.5 has been released;
• 2006-05-22: hdl_dump/hdl_dumb/server 0.8.4 has been released;

Current versions

• CHANGELOG;
• Windows-precompiled hdl_dump and hdl_dumb 0.8.6;
• hdl_dump/hdl_dumb 0.8.6 source code;
• hdl_dump2 source and Windows binary and documentation, salvage and repair only;
• LordBoGaMi's hdl_dump GUI 2.1 - Windows GUI wrapper for hdl_dump;
• KHdlDump-1.0.13 - X-Windows/QT/KDE GUI wrapper for hdl_dump (requires Qt libraries and Gambas);

Older versions are also available for download.

Links

• HD Loader, HD Advance;
• PS2 Scene;
• WinHIIP - Windows HDL Image Installation Program;
• FAPlink - Windows-based game installer with networking support;
• DVD Decrypter.