HOWTO blindly configure /mnt/mc00/p2lboot.opt
Lionel Lemarie - hikey@playstation2-linux.com
2002-05-22 v0.1

This document describes one way to setup the boot config file when the display is not correct, e.g. the "display" value in the file /mnt/mc00/p2lboot.opt is set to the wrong mode.


- Turn your console on, if a TV is plugged properly you should see the Playstation 2 logo.
- Wait a good minute.
- If you see the boot screen your "display" value is configured properly and there is no point reading this file.
- If you don't see anything, press the "return" key once, wait a second or two, and press the "return" key again.
- Wait.
- Be patient.
- After a while you will hear your hard drive stopping; or rather you won't hear your hard drive reading any more.
- From now on, be very careful what you type, you won't be able to see if you make mistakes.
- type "root" and press the return key.
- type the root password and the return key. Do not make mistakes.
- type "cd /mnt" and return.
- type "mount mc00" and return.
- type "cd mc00" and return.
- type "cat p2lboot.opt >saved.opt" and return.
- type "vi p2lboot.opt" and return. NOTE: there is no "s" in p2lboot.opt, I keep making the mistake.
- type "2G" exactly as is (without the quote, of course). Do NOT press return. The G is uppercase.
- Press the "$" key, press "h" twice.

If you got lost in the way, after you opened the file, you can press Esc several times, type ":q!" to quit without saving, and start again from "vi p2lboot.opt".

Now, if you have a PAL TV:
- type "Cpal", exactly as is, the C is uppercase/

If you have a NTSC TV:
- type "Cntsc", exactly as is, the C is uppercase/

If you have a VGA screen:
- type "Cvga", exactly as is, the C is uppercase/

Then
- Press Esc, several times to make you feel good.
- type ":wq" and return to save and quit.
- Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to restart.
- Wait.
- You will hear a click and your hard drive will stop.
- Press reset.
- Pray.

If it has not worked, well, try again and be more careful.
If it still does not work, mount the memory card and go in its directory and type "cat saved.opt >ps2lboot.opt" and start again.
If it still does not work, this is beyong the scope of this document.