I have begun a second implementation of GCN Port: ReMined – Type A.
This implementation is targetted at hardware and software that is compatible with Nintendo Wii systems.
The method used in this implementation is to predominantly use the C programming language, devkitPPC and the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) 1.2.X API.
Problems
As is usual in my life the plan or vision I had in my head went wrong when attempting to make it a reality.
I chose a program programmed in C and using the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) 1.2.X API as my first attempt at developing the “GCN Port:” concept because I imagined it would make for a simple and straightforward process when attemping to make my first ports since C and the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) 1.2.X API are available as development methods for many systems. However, things weren’t as simple and straightforward as I thought.
I decided to perform an uninstall and fresh install of the latest versions devkitPro, devkitPPC and SDL-Wii before beginning this implementation but after uninstalling I could not get devkitPro’s ‘pacman’ package manager to download and install anything. After a number of failed attempts over multiple days and getting stressed out about it I decided to instead attempt a port to the Sega Dreamcast using KallistiOS via DreamSDK but once again I could not get the KallistiOS ‘pacman’ package manager to download and install anything.
Following this I decided go back to the Nintendo Wii port and to find and install an old version of devkitPro and devkitPPC from before devkitPro choose to use the ‘pacman’ package manager and provided offline installers. I then downloaded a version of SDL-Wii and manually installed that.
I then ran into a problem when attempting to use the version of the SDL_image extention library that I had installed when porting from implementation Imp00001 where I had used the .png image format so I ended up just sticking to the basic SDL 1.2.X API which can only handle the .bmp image format.
Another problem I encountered was that I had planned on using the Nintendo Wii emulator ‘Dolphin’ to test run version 1 of implementation Imp00002 as I was developing it so I didn’t have to keep swapping an SD card between my computer and Wii but when running the program in ‘Dolphin’ the on-screen cursor doesn’t work properly but it does on my PAL Nintendo Wii system.
Conclusion
In the end I have a released a program which seems to work on a real Nintendo Wii system which was the intention but I do not feel particularly satisfied with the results or the process. I’m sure the problems that I encountered are fixable but I know that I’m probably not intelligent enough and/or don’t have enough free time to expend attempting to fix them without getting stressed out over a feeling that I’m not moving forwards.
I may at some point in the future attempt to rectify the problems that I encountered but I’m now going to move on to something else so I don’t feel like I’m going nowhere.
SAB Online 