POPSLoader - Rebased for Speed and Device Compatibility - Major Performance and Stability Update

Requirements:

• :/POPS/or hdd:/__common/POPS/ IOPRP252.IMG , POPS.ELF, POPS.PAK, POPS_IOX.PAK
• :/POPS/ or hdd:/__.POPS/<Title>.VCD - bin/cue converted for POPStarter
• PS1_POPSLOADER/ or APPS/PS1_POPSLOADER/

GOALS STILL IN PROGRESS:

• Save Settings Speed-up
• Map settings to mc0:/POPSTARTER/ instead of mc0:/POPSLOADER - to save on icon space and redundancy
• Fix DKWDRV Launching/Graceful Failure
• Fix Exit to BOOT.ELF/Graceful Failure
• Alignment Graphical Changes
• Settings Page Visual Overhaul
• Button Bar Corrections
• Embed Startup Sound for Reliability
• Unify list.icn. to save space between versions
• smbv1
• ilink bdma support
• udpbd bdma support
• cover art fix (:/POPS/.png)
• Custom POPStarter path entry
• Custom DKWDRV path entry
• Graphical fixes
• Navigation button fixes
• Settings page re-design

Video Preview Here

POPSLoader

POPSLoader is an open-source launcher for POPStarter that is scripted in Lua and built on top of the Enceladus runtime. This repository packages the launcher (POPSLOADER.ELF), runtime Lua scripts, textures, and required modules into a single, portable bundle intended for PlayStation 2 environments such as MMCE and USB mass storage.

POPSLoader was created by El_isra, and this repository is a fork of his work. Endless thanks to Isra for his contributions and open-source projects gifted to the community.

Project lineage: This project is derived from the Enceladus Lua environment and retains its GPLv3 licensing.

What's Changed

• Unify USB pages into a single bounded multi-device USB page by @NathanNeurotic in #243
• Embed UI assets; make BDMA IRX copy optional and non-fatal by @NathanNeurotic in #244
• CI: produce flat APP_POPSLOADER.zip release artifact by @NathanNeurotic in #245
• Fix embedded Lua searcher: Lua-only assets + correct module mapping by @NathanNeurotic in #246
• CI: ship final flat APP_POPSLOADER.zip contents by @NathanNeurotic in #247
• Enforce embedded-only Lua script loading by @NathanNeurotic in #248
• Finalize embedded-only Lua module boot flow by @NathanNeurotic in #249
• Debounce cover art loading to eliminate scroll lag by @NathanNeurotic in #250
• Add embed:/ embedded-asset resolver and unify embedded asset lookup by @NathanNeurotic in #253
• Add libpng interlace handling to embedded PNG decode path by @NathanNeurotic in #254
• Align splash elements and use BG.png for Credits/Settings by @NathanNeurotic in #255
• Premium eased fades for boot and runtime scene transitions by @NathanNeurotic in #256
• Adjust boot pacing: explicit splash/credits holds and premium fade timing by @NathanNeurotic in #258
• Silence Lua logging and remove launch.log writer by @NathanNeurotic in #260
• Remove unused launch.log string from elf loader by @NathanNeurotic in #261
• Add deferred BDMA mode save/apply flow in Profiles by @NathanNeurotic in #262
• Normalize APP_DIR host paths for BDMA source lookup by @NathanNeurotic in #263
• Implement MX4SIO main-menu entry with bounded init retry by @NathanNeurotic in #264
• Fix mass backend refresh, MX4SIO 2-pass init, and BDMA save hang by @NathanNeurotic in #265
• ci: package release as POPSLOADER.zip with split root folders by @NathanNeurotic in #266
• Fix MX4SIO page freeze and embed BDMA assets for USB boot by @NathanNeurotic in #267
• Harden POPSTARTER preflight with bounded backend ensure by @NathanNeurotic in #268
• Make MX4SIO detection init-first and MX4SIO IRX load idempotent by @NathanNeurotic in #272
• Exclude MX4SIO mass index from USB aggregation after MX4SIO init by @NathanNeurotic in #273
• Ensure FAT32 BDMA always removes legacy IRX files by @NathanNeurotic in #275
• Deterministic MX4SIO identity via exact "sdc" backend mapping by @NathanNeurotic in #280

Full Changelog: BETA-6...BETA-7