System Update documentation

System Folders

the directories where PS2 looks for updates and local settings

Region System update Data folder 1 DVD Player Update 2
Japanese BIEXEC-SYSTEM BIDATA-SYSTEM BIEXEC-DVDPLAYER
American BAEXEC-SYSTEM BADATA-SYSTEM BAEXEC-DVDPLAYER
Asian BAEXEC-SYSTEM BADATA-SYSTEM BAEXEC-DVDPLAYER
European BEEXEC-SYSTEM BEDATA-SYSTEM BEEXEC-DVDPLAYER
Chinese BCEXEC-SYSTEM BCDATA-SYSTEM BCEXEC-DVDPLAYER

System executables

The filenames of the system updates depending on the console model

Region Model Chassis ROM ELF filename
Japan SCPH-10000 A 1.00 J osdsys.elf 3
Japan SCPH-10000 A 1.01 J osd110.elf 3
Japan SCPH-15000 A 1.01 J osd110.elf 3
Japan SCPH-18000 A+/AB 1.20 J osd130.elf
America SCPH-30001 B/B' 1.10 A osd120.elf
America SCPH-30001 C/C' 1.20 A osd130.elf
Europe SCPH-30002/3/4/8 C/C' 1.20 E osd130.elf
All Most models D and newer 1.50 and newer osdXXX.elf4 or osdmain.elf (in that order)
Japan PSX (DESR) - 1.80 or 2.10 xosdmain.elf

the number is calculated by rounding the ROM version to the nearest ten. for example: if your console has ROMVER 0220 (2.20) the name of the specific update will be osd230.elf

System Update Paths to cover all models

Explanation of wich models use each of the 9(or 10) paths covered in an ‘universal' system update setup

Path Console
BIEXEC-SYSTEM/osdsys.elf SCPH-10000 (early ones)
BIEXEC-SYSTEM/osd110.elf Late SCPH-10000 & SCPH-15000
BIEXEC-SYSTEM/osd120.elf SCPH-18000
BIEXEC-SYSTEM/osdmain.elf any SCPH-xxx00 excluding the 3 previous models
BAEXEC-SYSTEM/osd120.elf Early North america release model SCPH-30001
BAEXEC-SYSTEM/osd130.elf Late North america release model SCPH-30001
BAEXEC-SYSTEM/osdmain.elf Any USA/Asian5 model excluding the previous two models
BEEXEC-SYSTEM/osd130.elf PAL Release models (Europe / Oceania / Russia / England) (SCPH-3000# #=2/3/4/8)
BEEXEC-SYSTEM/osdmain.elf Any PAL model excluding the previous one
BCEXEC-SYSTEM/osdmain.elf Any Chinese PS2 (SCPH-xxx09)
BIEXEC-SYSTEM/xosdmain.elf Any PSX-DESR

boot rom specific updates

Every PS2 model that looks for osdmain.elf will prioritize launching a special update, its name will always be osdXXX.elf

where XXX is boot rom version rounded to the next ten:

  • eg: 0220 ROMVER version will look for osd230.elf

this was inteded for updates targeting a specific group of PS2 models

Mechapwn Compatible installation

Mechapwn readme has a poorly written warning related to the DECKARD models.

Those models can change the location in wich they look for system updates if mechapwn changes their region.

to ensure total compatibility on your DECKARD PS2 (SCPH-75xxx+) you should perform the expert install and tick the following updates at least:

why we tick only those and not all available updates? because every PS2 that supports mechapwn is capable of booting the osdmain.elf (excluding the PSX DESR. but that's another story)

we ignore the chinese folder because changing a DECKARD ps2 to mainland china region will probably brick OSDSYS because only the real chinese models have rom2: for storing the chinese font

  1. Data Folder: seen on the console browser as "Your System Configuration" this folder hold the play history file (a file that holds a record of played games, used to generate the towers on the console start animation), also, TITLE.DB is held on this folder, a file used by the PS1 retrocompatibility systems on older models. ↩

  2. DVD-player update executable name is: dvdplayer.elf ↩

  3. Protokernel system update: theese files are used only by Protokernel PS2, FreeMcBoot installer pastes kernel patches that also redirect the system update into the executable used by the SCPH-18000 patching the kernel and loading FreeMcBoot at the same time. However: Only Browser 2.0 is capable of patching properly and fully this early kernel. The source code of those kernel patches can be found here ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. osdXXX.elf is a specific ROM update. The XXX represents a 3 digit number calculated based on the ROM version of your console. ↩

  5. Asian models correspond to any asian model not covered by the other regions, these are: SCPH-xxx05 for korea, SCPH-xxx06 for Hong Kong and SCPH-xxx07 for Taiwan ↩