Just curious - why pcsx2 need the image to not be used?

[vsub]

So why the build in image reader and Linuzappz ISO need the image to not be used by any way to load it?

It's not like they are going to modify the image,so why(ePSXe for example don't care if the image is mounted or used by some other program)

[refraction]

The plugin doesnt specify read only mode i imagine, it could probably be changed, but why you should have the image mounted if you're going to use an iso reader anyway i don't understand.

In a way for us it is kind of a fail safe as some people can be stupid and mount the iso then try and load the IOPRP271.IMG file with the iso reader, then wonder why that doesnt work.

so in effect, the way it works now is better.

[vsub]

No I don't mount the image and then try to load it using the iso reader or Linuzappz ISO.I just wanted to know why

[rama]

I's been fixed in the latest builds anyway

[nosisab Ken Keleh]

rama, that is probably one the best fixes to be expected from the 0.98 release, the end of the dreadful message telling about that dreadful "hardware having not enough resources" message.

Now the user can mess the plugins and internal ISO reader at will and the worst he/she would get is the dreadful bios image of noobness oops, I mean, now the complaints will be of the kind:

I can't understand, I mounted the Final Fantasy on daemon/alcohol and selected the correct driver on GigaHerz and still the emulator ran Xenosaga 2 I played last week, is it haunted? (the same idea apply selecting the ISO in Linuz CDVD and forgeting to change the evil "Iso" box to "Plugin"

The inverse apply too, of course.

[refraction]

Did you have xenosaga on as an ISO or in your real dvd drive? Pcsx2 can't load what isn't there

[nosisab Ken Keleh]

indeed can't, so the image must be mounted somewhere, too bad PCSX2 is not haunted it would be amazingly creepy

Let's say that Xenosaga is selected from the "Iso Selector"... now the user mounts Final Fantasy in Linuz CDVD but "forget" to enable "Plugin"... I could bet all my money in Xenosaga being the one to show up, the same for mounting the image on a virtual driver and using GigaHerz.

Before the newer SVN builds, this last situation lead to that infamous crash which fills the forum with "bug" threads... I think the issue is present in the last official release yet. Now, if nothing is on "Iso selector", the emulator just can't see a game and so, the infamous bios image of noobness

Notice how the box caption being just "Iso" might mislead the user to think it is OK, after all he is selecting an ISO on Linuz CDVD or mounting it on a virtual driver... This is the reason I have been hammering the little box caption should be something more clear, something like "Internal ISO reader", although not fool proof at least less misguiding.

PS: Seeing only "iso", there is no reason to suppose the user not interpreting it as a way to say to the emulator an ISO is being used instead the physical disc.

[refraction]

Tbh I think it would be a good idea to hide the plugin or ISO selector menus depending on which mode is chosen. That should prevent confusion

[Shadow Lady]

Now the user can mess the plugins and internal ISO reader at will and the worst he/she would get is the dreadful bios image of noobness oops, I mean, now the complaints will be of the kind:

They will still get errors if the image is in use and accessed in other than PCSX2, it's just not that often and probably won't be happening from the first time they try which is a plus

[avih]

Tbh I think it would be a good idea to hide the plugin or ISO selector menus depending on which mode is chosen. That should prevent confusion

I do agree it might be easier to comprehend, it's relatively consistent, and it's not hard to implement.

However, this will lose one function which is n00b friendly IMO: when the plugin is selected, and then you choose an ISO via the ISO selector, it automatically switches to internal ISO, with the newly selected ISO mounted. This will not be possible if one of them is always disabled, and it's an important function IMO.

Also a bit awkward usability with such function, is that if you want to choose another game with the "non current ISO reader", you first have to change to the ISO reader you need (plugin/internal), which creates a disk swap, and then you chose the actual disk you want, and it creates another disk swap. Somewhat ugly sequence..

Maybe we can do it one way only: the internal ISO submenu would always enabled (so whenever you select an ISO there, this is the ISO that gets mounted, regardless if you were using plugin or not), but the plugin submenu is only enabled if you specifically select Plugin.

This might also serve another purpose of promoting the internal ISO reader and directing the user to it, and discouraging using the plugin unless you really need it. After all, the internal ISO reader is quite robust, and can read most of the image formats you can throw at it (sans compressed images mostly).

What say you?