Wii-Linux Wiki - User contributions [en]

ConfigMii

2026-08-03T10:44:36Z

Tech64DD: version bump and added wifi firmware settings feature

[[File:Configmii.png|thumb|Screenshot]]
ConfigMii is a simple TUI application that allows for configuration of some basic aspects of a [[Wii-Linux]] installation. It is included by default in the Wii-Linux [[ArchPOWER]] rootfs.

== Usage ==
Simply run the <code>configmii</code> command to start the program. Use the arrow keys and enter key to select and confirm respectively.

== Features ==
As of version 1.6 it supports the following features:

* Changing the Login banner with an ArchPOWER variant that includes or doesn't include the default login credentials and help text
* Various ArchPOWER package management operations
** Update the system
** Clean up orphaned packages
** Clear the cache
** Toggle the Wii-Linux 'testing' repository
** Toggle pacman download timeout
** Toggle pacman download animation
* Installing a Desktop Environment or Window Manager
* Installation of proprietary Broadcom firmware for the [[Wii Hardware/BCM4318|Wii's WiFi card]], and switching between the Broadcom firmware and OpenFWWF firmware
Features that are yet to be added include:

* Kernel command line editing

== Links ==

* https://github.com/Wii-Linux/configmii - GitHub repository

BootMii

2026-07-29T23:29:25Z

Tech64DD: improve formatting and add seealso link

{{seealso|[https://wiibrew.org/wiki/BootMii WiiBrew page about BootMii]}}

'''BootMii''' is a piece of software developed by fail0verflow, intended as a boot2 replacement.

It is often used by [[Wii-Linux]] users, as MINI is the only firmware that Linux will run under, and BootMii is the primary (but not only) way to load it.

== Boot sequence ==
The boot sequence for BootMii is as follows:

* Initialize the hardware
* Attempt to load [[MINI]] from <code>bootmii/armboot.bin</code> from a FAT partition on an SD Card
** If this step fails (no SD Card connected, no FAT, file doesn't exist, read failure, etc), it will load [[Nintendo]]'s boot2 and proceed to let the system boot normally

Hardware/BCM2045A

2026-07-29T23:07:57Z

Tech64DD: add compatibility section and add categories

The '''Broadcom BCM2045A''' is the Bluetooth card used by the [[Wii]] and [[Wii U]]. It is connected to OHCI1 port 1 on both consoles. It is a standard USB HCI device.

== Compatibility ==
It is supported by [[Wii-Linux]], [[linux-wiiu]], [[NetBSD]], and [[NPLL]].

[[Category:Wii Hardware]]
[[Category:Wii U Hardware]]
[[Category:Shared Hardware]]

Wii Hardware/NAND

2026-07-29T23:05:26Z

Tech64DD: add compatibility section

[[File:Wii-Nand-Hynix.jpg|alt=|thumb|333x333px|Hynix branded NAND on a Wii's motherboard]]
{{seealso|[https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Hardware/NAND Wiibrew page about the NAND]}}

The [[Wii]] contains a 4 Gigabit (512 Megabyte) NAND flash memory chip. The NAND is used to store, among other things, every IOS installed on the system, each stage past boot0 (which is stored in ROM) of the bootloader process as described on [[Wii Hardware/Starlet|Starlet]], your system menu and channels, and your game save files.

The NAND is accessed using using the [[Hardware/NAND Interface|NAND Interface]] of the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] SoC.

== Data Sizes ==
The NAND is split into 4096 sections referred to as "Blocks". Each block contains 64 pages, and each page contains 2048 bytes of data with 64 bytes of error correction info.

== Physical Data Layout ==
* Block 0 contains boot1, which is the encrypted second stage bootloader, loaded and decrypted by [[Wii Hardware/Starlet|Starlet]] during execution of boot0. There is currently no safe way to modify the contents of this block.
* Blocks 1-7 contain 2 copies of boot2, with blockmaps. Boot2 is stored in a modified WAD format, with a ticket encrypted and signed using [[Nintendo]]'s common key. It is recommended to only modify this area when installing [[BootMii]] as boot2, and only when you have a vulnerable version of boot1.
* Block 8 contains the start of per-console data, as well as the header metadata for the NAND filesystem (SFFS). This and the next 4087 blocks are generally safe to modify, as long as you have BootMii as boot2 and don't erase the FAT. This is the area that would be exposed with a filesystem by a driver, were one to be made.

== Compatibility ==
There is currently no way to read or write the NAND in [[Wii-Linux]] nor [[NetBSD]], though [[NPLL]] can read files from the [[SFFS]] filesystem stored on it.
[[Category:Wii Hardware]]

Wii Hardware/Drive Interface

2026-07-29T23:04:17Z

Tech64DD: merge notes and compatibility sections

The [[Wii]] contains a DVD optical disc drive. In early model Wiis (pre-2008), this drive is capable of reading burned DVD-R discs, through a hidden "DVD video" mode that the drive can be set to. Later models removed this functionality. It is interfaced with via the DI (Drive Interface) in the [[Hollywood]] chipset.

== Compatibility ==
There is a driver in [[Wii-Linux]] known as <code>rvl-di</code> (file path: <code>drivers/block/rvl-di.c</code>) for interfacing with the DVD drive. Older versions of Wii-Linux supported the DVD drive, however support has heavily deteriorated over the years:

* 3.15.10 (stable-v3.x): Full support
* 4.3.6 (experimental-v4.x): Hang trying to read data from the disc.
* 4.4.302-cip80: Can't read any drive response data (even metadata).
* 4.19 (possibly older?): can't even send basic commands to the drive, like a drive reset.
* Mainline: Full support (via new driver, ported from [[NPLL]])
[[NetBSD]] has a functional driver for the Wii's DVD drive.
[[Category:Wii Hardware]]

Category:Wii U Hardware

2026-07-29T22:52:47Z

Tech64DD: create page

Wii U

2026-07-29T22:51:34Z

Tech64DD: replace bluetooth radio link with the page on this wiki

The Wii U is a video game console that was produced by [[Nintendo]], and their final PowerPC-based device. It is '''not''' supported by the [[Wii-Linux]] project, but '''is''' supported by the similar [https://linux-wiiu.org linux-wiiu] project. It is a rather large iteration in hardware over the [[Wii]], vastly updating a lot of hardware.

== Hardware ==
* IBM PowerPC 750[''which variant?'']-based Triple-Core CPU "Espresso", 1243.125MHz
* "[[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]]" SoC, 549.999MHz
** "[https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/Starbuck Starbuck]" ARM Security co-processor
** "[[Hardware/GX|GX]]" GPU, shared with the Wii, and used for vWii backwards compatibility
** "[https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/GX2 GX2]" GPU, based on the ATI Radeon "R700" architecture
** [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/SD_Host_Controller SD Host Controller]
** [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/USB_Host_Controller USB (EHCI and OHCI) host controllers]
* 32MB of "MEM1"
* 2GB of "MEM2"
* 1GB (2x512MB) of [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/TSOP_NAND NAND storage]
* 8GB, or 32GB, of [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/EMMC_NAND eMMC storage]
* SD Card slot
* 4x USB 2.0 "EHCI" ports (2 in the front, 2 in the back), expandable using a USB hub
* [[Wii U Hardware/BCM43362|Broadcom 43362 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi]]
* [[Hardware/BCM2045A|Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth Radio]], shared by the Wii
* Blu-Ray Drive

More detailed information about the Wii U can be obtained from [https://wiiubrew.org WiiUBrew] or its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U Wikipedia article].

[[Category:Nintendo Consoles]]

Wii U Hardware/BCM43362

2026-07-29T22:50:56Z

Tech64DD: add seealso link to wiiubrew page

{{seealso|https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/802.11_Wireless WiiUBrew page about this Wi-Fi adapter}}

The [[Wii U]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 43362.

This Wi-Fi adapter is connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]] SoC. Unlike the [[Wii Hardware/BCM4318|BCM4318]] which it replaces, it's actually reasonably performant.

== Compatibility ==
[[linux-wiiu]] has preliminary buggy support for this card. [[NetBSD]] supports it well.

[[Category:Wii U Hardware]]

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:47:24Z

Tech64DD: add link to broadway page

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card, goes into great detail about the hardware and explains why it's so slow}}

The [[Wii]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] SoC. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the [[Wii Hardware/Broadway|Wii's CPU]].

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

[[Category:Wii Hardware]]

Wii

2026-07-29T22:46:49Z

Tech64DD: add bluetooth radio link

The Wii is a video game console that was produced by [[Nintendo]]. It is the primary target device of the [[Wii-Linux]] project. It is largely an iteration in hardware over the [[GameCube]], keeping a lot of the same underlying hardware, but adding new features, including a heavy focus on security.

There have been many hardware revisions of the standard Wii hardware released over time, and two different variants, the [[Wii Family Edition]] and the [[Wii Mini]].

== Hardware ==
* IBM PowerPC 750CL-based CPU "[[Wii Hardware/Broadway|Broadway]]", 729MHz
* "[[Hollywood]]" SoC, 243MHz
* 24MB of 1T-SRAM, "MEM1", shared from the GameCube
* 64MB of GDDR3, "MEM2", new to the Wii
* 512MB of [[Wii Hardware/NAND|NAND]] storage (inaccessible to Wii-Linux for now)
* SD Card slot
* [[Wii Hardware/USB|2x USB 2.0 "EHCI" ports]], expandable using a USB hub
* [[Wii Hardware/BCM4318|Broadcom 4318 Wi-Fi Radio]], connected over SDIO
* [[Hardware/BCM2045A|Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth Radio]], shared by the Wii U
* [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|DVD-ROM drive]]

More detailed information about the Wii can be obtained from its [https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wii WiiBrew article], or its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii Wikipedia article].

[[Category:Nintendo Consoles]]

Wii

2026-07-29T22:46:16Z

Tech64DD: add link to broadway page

The Wii is a video game console that was produced by [[Nintendo]]. It is the primary target device of the [[Wii-Linux]] project. It is largely an iteration in hardware over the [[GameCube]], keeping a lot of the same underlying hardware, but adding new features, including a heavy focus on security.

There have been many hardware revisions of the standard Wii hardware released over time, and two different variants, the [[Wii Family Edition]] and the [[Wii Mini]].

== Hardware ==
* IBM PowerPC 750CL-based CPU "[[Wii Hardware/Broadway|Broadway]]", 729MHz
* "[[Hollywood]]" SoC, 243MHz
* 24MB of 1T-SRAM, "MEM1", shared from the GameCube
* 64MB of GDDR3, "MEM2", new to the Wii
* 512MB of [[Wii Hardware/NAND|NAND]] storage (inaccessible to Wii-Linux for now)
* SD Card slot
* [[Wii Hardware/USB|2x USB 2.0 "EHCI" ports]], expandable using a USB hub
* [[Wii Hardware/BCM4318|Broadcom 4318 Wi-Fi Radio]], connected over SDIO
* Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth Radio, shared by the Wii U
* [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|DVD-ROM drive]]

More detailed information about the Wii can be obtained from its [https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wii WiiBrew article], or its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii Wikipedia article].

[[Category:Nintendo Consoles]]

Wii U

2026-07-29T22:43:49Z

Tech64DD: add bluetooth radio link

The Wii U is a video game console that was produced by [[Nintendo]], and their final PowerPC-based device. It is '''not''' supported by the [[Wii-Linux]] project, but '''is''' supported by the similar [https://linux-wiiu.org linux-wiiu] project. It is a rather large iteration in hardware over the [[Wii]], vastly updating a lot of hardware.

== Hardware ==
* IBM PowerPC 750[''which variant?'']-based Triple-Core CPU "Espresso", 1243.125MHz
* "[[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]]" SoC, 549.999MHz
** "[https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/Starbuck Starbuck]" ARM Security co-processor
** "[[Hardware/GX|GX]]" GPU, shared with the Wii, and used for vWii backwards compatibility
** "[https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/GX2 GX2]" GPU, based on the ATI Radeon "R700" architecture
** [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/SD_Host_Controller SD Host Controller]
** [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/USB_Host_Controller USB (EHCI and OHCI) host controllers]
* 32MB of "MEM1"
* 2GB of "MEM2"
* 1GB (2x512MB) of [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/TSOP_NAND NAND storage]
* 8GB, or 32GB, of [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/EMMC_NAND eMMC storage]
* SD Card slot
* 4x USB 2.0 "EHCI" ports (2 in the front, 2 in the back), expandable using a USB hub
* [https://wiiubrew.org/wiki/Hardware/802.11_Wireless Broadcom 43362 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi]
* [[Hardware/BCM2045A|Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth Radio]], shared by the Wii
* Blu-Ray Drive

More detailed information about the Wii U can be obtained from [https://wiiubrew.org WiiUBrew] or its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U Wikipedia article].

[[Category:Nintendo Consoles]]

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:41:19Z

Tech64DD: remove shared hardware category

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card, goes into great detail about the hardware and explains why it's so slow}}

The [[Wii]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] SoC. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

[[Category:Wii Hardware]]

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:39:10Z

Tech64DD: Tech64DD moved page Hardware/BCM4318 to Wii Hardware/BCM4318

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card, goes into great detail about the hardware and explains why it's so slow}}

The [[Wii]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] SoC. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

[[Category:Wii Hardware]]
[[Category:Shared Hardware]]

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:38:59Z

Tech64DD: remove mentions of the wii u

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card, goes into great detail about the hardware and explains why it's so slow}}

The [[Wii]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] SoC. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

[[Category:Wii Hardware]]
[[Category:Shared Hardware]]

Wii

2026-07-29T22:35:31Z

Tech64DD: fix wifi link

The Wii is a video game console that was produced by [[Nintendo]]. It is the primary target device of the [[Wii-Linux]] project. It is largely an iteration in hardware over the [[GameCube]], keeping a lot of the same underlying hardware, but adding new features, including a heavy focus on security.

There have been many hardware revisions of the standard Wii hardware released over time, and two different variants, the [[Wii Family Edition]] and the [[Wii Mini]].

== Hardware ==
* IBM PowerPC 750CL-based CPU "Broadway", 729MHz
* "[[Hollywood]]" Chipset, 243MHz
* 24MB of 1T-SRAM, "MEM1", shared from the GameCube
* 64MB of GDDR3, "MEM2", new to the Wii
* 512MB of [[Wii Hardware/NAND|NAND]] storage (inaccessible to Wii-Linux for now)
* SD Card slot
* [[Wii Hardware/USB|2x USB 2.0 "EHCI" ports]], expandable using a USB hub
* [[Hardware/BCM4318|Broadcom 4318 Wi-Fi Radio]], connected over SDIO
* Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth Radio, shared by the Wii U
* [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|DVD-ROM drive]]

More detailed information about the Wii can be obtained from its [https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wii WiiBrew article], or its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii Wikipedia article].

[[Category:Nintendo Consoles]]

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:34:57Z

Tech64DD: add categories

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card, goes into great detail about the hardware and explains why it's so slow}}

The [[Wii]] and [[Wii U]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] and [[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]] SoC. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

[[Category:Wii Hardware]]
[[Category:Wii U Hardware]]
[[Category:Shared Hardware]]

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:33:32Z

Tech64DD: Tech64DD moved page Wii Hardware/Wi-Fi to Hardware/BCM4318: replacing the bcm4318 page

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card, goes into great detail about the hardware and explains why it's so slow}}

The [[Wii]] and [[Wii U]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]] and [[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]] SoC. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:31:29Z

Tech64DD: fix seealso link

{{seealso|https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN GC-Linux wiki page about the Wii's Wi-Fi card}}

The [[Wii]] and [[Wii U]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Hollywood]]/[[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]] chipset. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:29:14Z

Tech64DD: mention netbsd and fix sdhci port

<nowiki>é{{ </nowiki>

The [[Wii]] and [[Wii U]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on SDHCI1, on the [[Hollywood]]/[[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]] chipset. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

[[NetBSD]] also includes support for this card.

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:25:00Z

Tech64DD: merge bcm4318 page with this one

The [[Wii]] and [[Wii U]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318.

This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to it's connection, it's connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO on OHCI1 port 1, on the [[Hollywood]]/[[Wii U Hardware/Latte|Latte]] chipset. The overhead of interfacing with this Wi-Fi card along with various standard network protocols are very taxing for the Wii's CPU.

== Compatibility ==
[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

Category:All pages with information that needs checking

2026-07-29T22:16:26Z

Tech64DD: create page

These pages contain information that may be inaccurate and needs to be checked.

Wii Hardware/BCM4318

2026-07-29T22:09:13Z

Tech64DD: replace check with template

The [[Wii]] features a Wi-Fi chipset from Broadcom, specifically the Broadcom 4318. This Wi-Fi adapter is unfortunately heavily constrained due to how it's connected, however. You may have noticed that the Wii's Wi-Fi speeds are quite lacking for a device released in 2006, and you would be correct. The Wi-Fi module is connected over Sonics Silicon Backplace (SSB), connected over SDIO, on the [[Hollywood]] chipset. Unfortunately, this was not designed with speed in mind. The overhead of TCP/IP, over 802.11 Wi-Fi, over Broadcom's Wi-Fi interface, over SSB, over the 1-bit SDIO protocol, is simply too much for the Wii's mediocre CPU to handle.

[[Wii-Linux]] has included support for the Wi-Fi chipset since at least MIKEp5{{check}}. [[Upstream Linux]] also has drivers for all components of the Wi-Fi stack available, although they don't seem to function on the Wii. It's unsure if this is known about by the upstream maintainers, but it seems to have been broken since at least Linux 5.0.

Template:Outdated

2026-07-29T22:05:47Z

Tech64DD: fix

:''This {{{1|article}}} '''contains outdated information'''. You can help the {{SITENAME}} by [{{fullurl:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|action=edit}} updating this {{{1|article}}}] with up-to-date information.''<includeonly>[[Category:All pages with outdated information]]</includeonly>

Template:Outdated

2026-07-29T22:05:21Z

Tech64DD: fix

SFFS

2026-07-29T21:53:46Z

Tech64DD: slightly improve page

'''SFFS''' is the name of the filesystem stored on the [[Wii Hardware/NAND|Wii's NAND]], and on both banks of the [[Wii U Hardware/NAND|Wii U's NAND]]. It has a plaintext block of metadata (a superblock), pointing to, through FAT, encrypted (via AES) clusters of data.

== Compatibility ==
While [[NPLL]] supports reading files from SFFS, neither [[Wii-Linux]], nor [[linux-wiiu]], nor [[NetBSD]] can do so.

Wii Family Edition

2026-07-29T21:47:43Z

Tech64DD: make the introduction and differences text match the wii mini page

The '''Wii Family Edition''' is a variant of the [[Wii]], released by [[Nintendo]] in 2011.

== Differences ==
The Wii Family Edition has a few differences from a standard Wii.

* Features that were removed:
** [[GameCube Controller]] and [[Memory Card]] ports
* Features that were changed:
** Button labels and logo on the front are printed in an horizontal layout rather than the usual vertical layout
** The console and bundled Wii Remote were released in different colors including the usual white

== Limitations ==

* Limitations imposed by hardware:
** No ability to read GameCube discs (no support in the [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|optical drive]])

== Linux support ==
Wii-Linux can be run on a Family Edition console with any method possible on the regular model.

Wii Family Edition

2026-07-29T21:45:11Z

Tech64DD: add linux support

The Wii Family Edition is a cost reduced Wii model with some changes from the regular model, released in 2011.

== Differences ==
Differences from the regular Wii model include

* Features that were removed:
** [[GameCube Controller]] and [[Memory Card]] ports
* Features that were changed:
** Button labels and logo on the front are printed in an horizontal layout rather than the usual vertical layout
** The console and bundled Wii Remote were released in different colors including the usual white

== Limitations ==

* Limitations imposed by hardware:
** No ability to read GameCube discs (no support in the [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|optical drive]])

== Linux support ==
Wii-Linux can be run on a Family Edition console with any method possible on the regular model.

Wii Family Edition

2026-07-29T21:42:53Z

Tech64DD: the console was released in white, oops

Wii Family Edition

2026-07-29T21:41:22Z

Tech64DD: improve page to match the wii mini page

The Wii Family Edition is a cost reduced Wii model with some changes from the regular model, released in 2011.

== Differences ==
Differences from the regular Wii model include

* Features that were removed:
** [[GameCube Controller]] and [[Memory Card]] ports
* Features that were changed:
** Button labels and logo on the front are printed in an horizontal layout rather than the usual vertical layout
** The console and bundled Wii Remote were released in different colors but not the usual white

== Limitations ==

* Limitations imposed by hardware:
** No ability to read GameCube discs (no support in the [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|optical drive]])

Wii

2026-07-29T21:27:04Z

Tech64DD: mention hardware variants and revisions

The Wii is a video game console that was produced by [[Nintendo]]. It is the primary target device of the [[Wii-Linux]] project. It is largely an iteration in hardware over the [[GameCube]], keeping a lot of the same underlying hardware, but adding new features, including a heavy focus on security.

There have been many hardware revisions of the standard Wii hardware released over time, and two different variants, the [[Wii Family Edition]] and the [[Wii Mini]].

== Hardware ==
* IBM PowerPC 750CL-based CPU "Broadway", 729MHz
* "[[Hollywood]]" Chipset, 243MHz
* 24MB of 1T-SRAM, "MEM1", shared from the GameCube
* 64MB of GDDR3, "MEM2", new to the Wii
* 512MB of [[Wii Hardware/NAND|NAND]] storage (inaccessible to Wii-Linux for now)
* SD Card slot
* [[Wii Hardware/USB|2x USB 2.0 "EHCI" ports]], expandable using a USB hub
* [[Wii Hardware/Wi-Fi|Broadcom 4318 Wi-Fi Radio]], connected over SDIO
* Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth Radio, shared by the Wii U
* [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|DVD-ROM drive]]

More detailed information about the Wii can be obtained from its [https://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wii WiiBrew article], or its [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii Wikipedia article].

[[Category:Nintendo Consoles]]

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Tech64DD: fix

[[[Template:Check|check]]]<includeonly>[[Category:All pages with information that needs checking]]</includeonly>

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2026-07-29T21:16:55Z

Tech64DD: Undid revision 368 by Tech64DD (talk)

[[[Template:Check|check]]]<includeonly>||[[Category:All pages with information that needs checking]]}}</includeonly>

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Tech64DD: more fixes

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2026-07-29T21:12:44Z

Tech64DD: attempted fix

Wii Mini

2026-07-29T21:10:00Z

Tech64DD: fix typo, specify internet access is limited only by official software

{{Distinguish|MINI}}, the [[IOS]] replacement for the [[Wii]] by fail0verflow

The '''Wii Mini''' is a variant of the [[Wii]], released by [[Nintendo]] in 2012.

== Differences ==
The Wii Mini has several differences from a standard Wii.
* Features that were removed:
** Front SD Card slot
** [[GameCube Controller]] and [[Memory Card]] ports
** [[Wii Hardware/BCM4318|Internal WiFi Card]]
** Ability to use component video
** Ability to connect to the internet
** Ability to read [[GameCube]] discs.
* Features that were changed:
** Unit is now marginally smaller
** Top-loading optical drive rather than a slot-loading one
** Only one USB port instead of 2

== Limitations ==
These limitations fall into various distinct classes.
* Limitations imposed only by official software:
** No internet connection ability (it still has a perfectly functional USB port, in which you can connect a USB Ethernet adapter)
* Limitations imposed by lack of onboard connectors:
** No front SD Slot nor WiFi board connector (though the [[Hardware/SDHCI|SDHCIs]] still exist in [[Wii Hardware/Hollywood|Hollywood]], and they can be soldered back on)
* Limitations imposed by hardware:
** No ability to output component video (I believe they changed the [[Wii Hardware/AVE-RVL|AVE-RVL]]{{check}})
** No ability to read GameCube discs (no support in the [[Wii Hardware/Drive Interface|optical drive]])

== Linux support ==
[[Wii-Linux]] can run on the Wii Mini, by loading [[NPLL]] via the Homebrew Channel from USB Mass Storage, which in turn loads the kernel from USB Mass Storage, which in turn boots the rootfs from USB Mass Storage.

Wii Family Edition

2026-07-29T21:02:36Z

Tech64DD: create page

The Wii Family Edition is a cost reduced Wii model with some changes from the regular model.

== Differences ==
Differences from the regular Wii model include

* Labels and logo on the front printed in an horizontal layout rather than the usual vertical layout
* No Gamecube controller/memory card ports

Wii Mini

2026-07-29T20:51:50Z

Tech64DD: create page

The Wii Mini is a Wii model released as a cheaper alternative to the regular Wii models.

== Features ==
To cut costs, the Wii Mini has different features compared to other Wii models such as

* Top loading DVD drive instead of a slot loading one
* No Wifi card and network support completely disabled in official software
* No Gamecube controller/memory card ports
* No SD card slot and only a single USB port compared to the usual two

Recommended Apps

2026-07-20T23:11:21Z

Tech64DD: add link to helpmii page

Here's a list of apps for [[Wii-Linux]], curated by Techflash and some others, to help you get the most out of your Linux experience.
Most of these will need additional on-disk swap space. [[HelpMii]] can instruct you how to do that fairly easily.

{| class="wikitable"
! App Type !! App Name !! [[ArchPOWER]] package name !! Notes
|-
| Xorg Window Manager || i3wm || i3 || Faster, but not very friendly to new users
|-
| Xorg Window Manager || JWM || jwm || Fast, Needs additional configuration to look good
|-
| Xorg Window Manager || IceWM || icewm || Still relatively fast, but friendlier to new users
|-
| Xorg Terminal Emulator || XTerm || xterm || Blazingly fast, but may want to do some configuration to make it look nicer
|-
| Xorg Terminal Emulator || Suckless Terminal || st || About the same as XTerm, a little bit slower
|-
| Shell || tcsh || tcsh || Starts faster than bash. Note that the tcsh syntax is different from bash/zsh/sh for advanced features and scripting.
|-
| Text Web Browser || Lynx || lynx || Probably the best performance you're going to get out of a Wii-Linux browser. Does not even attempt CSS or JavaScript.
|-
| Web Browser || NetSurf || netsurf || Not all too fast, medium compatibility, no functional JavaScript
|-
| Web Browser || ArcticFox || arcticfox || Very slow, decent compatibility, good JavaScript
|-
| Web Browser || Phantom Satellite || phantomsatellite-gtk2 || Slightly faster than ArcticFox, medium compatibility, good JavaScript
|-
|Web Browser
|Links / xlinks
|links
|Similar to Lynx, but also has a fast, quite responsive GUI mode under X with picture support
|-

| Discord Client || Abaddon || abaddon || Dreadfully slow, takes '''minutes''' to load Requires very fast swap to be remotely usable
|-
| Audio Playback || aplay || alsa-utils || Works great, but only for WAV files or raw audio
|-
| Audio Playback || Mpg123 || mpg123 || Works great, but only for MP3 Files
|-
| Audio Playback || play / sox || sox || Works great for all formats I threw at it, but you'll need to install the "optional dependencies" for most formats. pacman will list these out after the package is installed.
|}

Installation Guide

2026-07-20T23:10:23Z

Tech64DD: add links to helpmii and configmii pages

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a [[Wii-Linux]] system using the official [[ArchPOWER]] images.

== Requirements ==

* A Wii modified to run homebrew apps via BootMii ([https://wii.hacks.guide/ Wii Hacks Guide] will walk you through this process)
* An SD card of at least 2GB (unlike official Wii Software, Wii-Linux doesn't require an SDHC or smaller SD Card)
* USB storage device for the root partition ('''''optional''''')
* Access to a Linux system that can hold your root partition
** GNU tar is '''required''' to properly extract the rootfs.
** We assume this is a physical machine. Virtual machines will require special configuration to pass through the root device, which is beyond the scope of this guide
** Use of Windows Subsystem for Linux or the ChromeOS "Linux development environment" (aka Crostini) is also beyond the scope of this guide.

We also assume you are comfortable with technical tasks like partitioning media and installing packages.

== Installation process ==

# Ensure that you meet the [[#Requirements|requirements]].
# Identify which install process you would like to use, [[#PC Installer|the script-based PC Installer]], or [[#Manual Installation|Manual Installation]]
# Follow the steps shown for that process.
# Continue to [[#Booting|boot the system]] and [[#After boot|after-boot setup]] to set up anything you'd like (such as networking)
# Success!

== PC Installer ==

'''If you get any errors during this process, please ask for help via #support in [https://discord.gg/K6ea48VUXU the Wii-Linux Discord Server]'''

# Download the installer
#* <code>git clone https://github.com/Wii-Linux/pc-installer</code>
# Run the installer
#* <code>cd pc-installer; sudo ./installer.sh</code>
# Select what disk you would like to use by it's number listed in the brackets
# Pick whether or not you would like to store the root filesystem on a different device (for example, USB storage).
#* If yes, you must have followed the partitioning steps from [[#Manual Installation|the manual installation section]].
#* If yes, you will be prompted to select your root device shortly.
# If you didn't chose yes above, you'll be asked if you want to do an Automatic or Manual install.
#* Automatic will partition and format your SD Card for you
#* Manual will assume that you've partitioned your SD Card already, and will format the partitions you specify if you haven't already.
# After the card has been partitioned, the necessary files will be downloaded and installed for you.
# You will need to answer a few configuration questions.
# Success! Continue to boot your freshly prepared install!

== Manual Installation ==

# From the [https://wii-linux.org/downloads Wii Linux downloads page], download "Latest build's ArchPOWER rootfs (.tar.gz)" and "Latest build's ArchPOWER SD Card files".
# Partition the media. You will need a FAT32 partition on your SD card, and will need an ext4 partition on either the SD card or USB storage.
#* The SD card files take up around 34 megabytes of space. To ensure plenty of space for updating, we recommend at least 256MB for the FAT partition.
#** If you plan to use other Wii homebrew from your SD Card, you probably want to have more space, likely at least 1GB
#* If you are using USB storage for the root, you don't need to partition the SD card.
# Format the root partition as ext4.
#* <code>sudo mkfs.ext4 -L 'arch' /dev/[root block device here]</code>
# Extract the SD card files to the SD card's FAT32 partition.
## <code>sudo mount /dev/[SD card block device here] /mnt</code>
## <code>cd /mnt</code>
## <code>tar -xzvf [/path/to/boot_files.tgz]</code>
## <code>cd; sudo umount /mnt</code>
# Extract the rootfs.
## <code>sudo mount /dev/[root block device here] /mnt</code>
## <code>cd /mnt</code>
## <code>tar -xvP --acls --xattrs --same-owner --same-permissions --numeric-owner --sparse -f [/path/to/rootfs.tar.gz]</code>
##* You '''must''' use these flags to extract the rootfs properly
## <code>sync; cd; sudo umount /mnt</code>
# Remove the SD card (and root device if you have a dedicated one) from the Linux machine.

== Booting ==

# Insert the SD card and USB device into the Wii.
# Enter BootMii.
#* If you were able to install BootMii as boot2, your Wii will automatically enter BootMii.
#* If you followed the Wii Hacks Guide and installed Priiloader, hold Reset as you power the Wii on, then select the "BootMii IOS" option.
#* You can also open the menu from the Homebrew Channel (HOME button on a Wii Remote, START button on a GameCube controller)
# Wait for gumboot to load the kernel.
#* You can navigate the gumboot menu using the power and reset buttons on the Wii, or the D-pad on a GameCube controller, but that isn't needed for the first boot.
# At the Wii Linux boot menu, select ArchPOWER (or wait a few seconds).
# Watch the systemd boot messages and wait for the login prompt.

== After boot ==

The login prompt will have the default root password, and will instruct you to run [[HelpMii]] and [[ConfigMii]] to help set up your system. HelpMii will let you read the [https://github.com/Wii-Linux/helpmii/blob/main/getstarted.txt Getting Started Guide] on your Wii, which will show you how to do important tasks like using <code>nmtui</code> to set up your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and how to add swap space.

You may want to check the [[Recommended Apps]] list to get started.

Bootstrapping a Wii-Linux Distro

2026-07-20T23:08:57Z

Tech64DD: add links to helpmii and configmii pages

There's 4 or 5 stages to bootstrapping a [[Wii-Linux]] Distro, depending on the current state of the distro you'd like to bootstrap.

== 1. Porting the distro to 32-bit Big-Endian PowerPC 750, if required ==
This is obviously the hardest step. If the distro does not already natively support 32-bit PPC (e.g. [[Debian-Ports PPC|Debian]]), or have a community-maintained port (e.g. [[ArchPOWER]]), or perhaps doesn't support PPC750, then you will need to create the port yourself.
The difficulty of this step could range from Impossible (distro is set up in such a way to make this task 100% impossible), to very easy (most of the groundwork is already there, just needs to be compiled), to already done (such a port already exists).

Due to the incredible variety of difficulties that could be encountered in this step, accomplishing it will not be covered here, but here's some tips, if you do find yourself in this incredibly unfortunate situation:
* Work with other members of the PowerPC community. Maintainers or contributors of other projects that support 32-bit PPC (like ArchPOWER or Adélie) are often willing to help, share patches, etc.
* Establish a team of multiple people that are also interested in porting your target distro to 32-bit PPC.
* Try to get a minimum-viable-product built first, before trying to get anything more difficult. Tackle basic system utilities (coreutils, bash, util-linux), important applications (an init system), and important libraries (libc, libstdc++, readline) first, and see if you can get something booting.

== 2. Making sure that it boots correctly on the Wii ==
It's possible that the distro might not support Linux 4.5 correctly. If this is the case, and the things that are not supported are critical, then you may need to fall back to step 1, and rebuild those critical portions against older Linux headers.

It's also possible (modern versions of Debian are good examples of this) that the distro may need more than 88MB of RAM in order to boot. If this is the case, you'll need to mod the loader to enable swap before booting that distro.

It's also possible that the distro might not support PPC750, and requires PPC7400/"G4" or higher. If that's the case, you will need to rebuild the distro for PPC750 or under.

Assuming that none of those are an issue, it probably boots up mostly unscathed. Now, there's a few more things you'll want to check and/or fix:
* Are the kernel modules working?
** Do necessary ones load automatically? If not, you may need to force some on startup. '''b43''' is particular problematic for this.
* Is networking working properly?
** Does the distro have any network management out of the box? If so, you'll want to add some.
** Does the Wi-Fi card function properly?
*** If not, make sure that you added the '''openfwwf''' firmware.
*** Also, make sure that the '''b43''' kernel module is loading, it sometimes doesn't by default.

If you've gotten all of these essentials working, you're ready to move onto step 3.

== 3. Adding Wii-specific customizations ==
After you have a successfully booting distro, you'll want to customize the system to be more well-suited to the Wii. Here's some ideas:
* Include the Wi-Fi firmware by default
* Build the kernel (+ modules) and loader as packages that can be seamlessly upgraded with the rest of the system
* Add detection for your distro to the loader
* Including networking and Bluetooth configuration utilities by default
* Port Wii-Linux applications like [[ConfigMii]] and [[HelpMii]]

== 4. Automating everything so far ==
Now that you have a fully working system, you'll want to automate all of the steps to get there. This will allow for easier updates in the future.

If you need an example of how to do this, the [https://github.com/Wii-Linux/build-stack/blob/main/generate-archpower-rootfs.sh build script Wii-Linux uses to make ArchPOWER images] is on GitHub.

== 5. Publicize it! ==
The final step - get your new distro out there so people can use it! There's 2 routes you could reasonably go with this, both of them are described here.

=== Get it hosted by the Wii-Linux project ===
Feel free to reach out! If your distro port is actually good, the Wii-Linux project will gladly host images for it, and provide (limited) build infrastrcture. Talk to us via any of the standard methods (e.g. Discord), and we can discuss possibilities.

=== Hosting it yourself ===
You'll need the following:
* VPS or dedicated machine
** Ability to set up an HTTP server
** Enough disk space to hold any required files
* Decent networking
** Public, static IP address(es)
** High speed (preferablly 100mbps or higher upload speed)
** High uptime
* (optional, but highly recommended) domain name

You'll need to set up hosting for your built images, custom packages, and probably also a project homepage.

ConfigMii

2026-07-20T23:05:23Z

Tech64DD: add some links

[[File:Configmii.png|thumb|Screenshot]]
ConfigMii is a simple TUI application that allows for configuration of some basic aspects of a [[Wii-Linux]] installation. It is included by default in the Wii-Linux [[ArchPOWER]] rootfs.

== Usage ==
Simply run the <code>configmii</code> command to start the program. Use the arrow keys and enter key to select and confirm respectively.

== Features ==
As of version 1.5.2 it supports the following features:

* Changing the Login banner with an ArchPOWER variant that includes or doesn't include the default login credentials and help text
* Various ArchPOWER package management operations
** Update the system
** Clean up orphaned packages
** Clear the cache
** Toggle the Wii-Linux 'testing' repository
** Toggle pacman download timeout
** Toggle pacman download animation
* Installing a Desktop Environment or Window Manager
Features that are yet to be added include:

* Kernel command line editing

== Links ==

* https://github.com/Wii-Linux/configmii - GitHub repository

HelpMii

2026-07-20T23:04:35Z

Tech64DD: add some links

[[File:Helpmii.png|thumb|Screenshot]]
HelpMii is a simple TUI application that provides help with the usage of [[Wii-Linux]]. It is included by default in the Wii-Linux [[ArchPOWER]] rootfs.

== Usage ==
Simply run the <code>helpmii</code> command to start the program. Use the arrow keys and enter key to select and confirm respectively.

== Features ==
As of version 1.3.1 it supports the following features:

* Showing a QR code and link to join the official Wii-Linux Discord server
* Getting started guide for basic Linux tasks
* Uploading logs to get support in the Discord server

== Links ==

* https://github.com/Wii-Linux/helpmii - GitHub repository

HelpMii

2026-07-20T23:03:39Z

Tech64DD: created the page

[[File:Helpmii.png|thumb|Screenshot]]
HelpMii is a simple TUI application that provides help with the usage of Wii-Linux. It is included by default in the Wii-Linux ArchPOWER rootfs.

== Usage ==
Simply run the <code>helpmii</code> command to start the program. Use the arrow keys and enter key to select and confirm respectively.

== Features ==
As of version 1.3.1 it supports the following features:

* Showing a QR code and link to join the official Wii-Linux Discord server
* Getting started guide for basic Linux tasks
* Uploading logs to get support in the Discord server

== Links ==

* https://github.com/Wii-Linux/helpmii - GitHub repository

Troubleshooting/FAQ

2026-07-20T22:41:18Z

Tech64DD: fix rest of wording to be more wiki appropriate

This page contains some fixes for common issues and frequently asked questions with [[Wii-Linux]].

== [[Gumboot]] isn't loading! What's going on? ==
Depends on what's wrong with it.
* '''Black screen? Immediate reboot?''' Check if you have [[BootMii]] installed correctly.
* '''Blinking disk slot?''' Check if your SD Card is inserted properly, this means that BootMii can't find <code>bootmii/ppcboot.elf</code>, <code>bootmii/armboot.bin</code>, or its config.
* '''HBC / Priiloader won't load BootMii?''' Check if BootMii is installed correctly as an IOS - these can't load BootMii as boot2.

== I get an error from Gumboot trying to load the kernel! What's wrong? ==
Check that you copied all of the files properly. It's possible that the kernel was corrupted while copying it.
Try putting the SD Card in a computer, deleting wiilinux/vX_X.krn, and copying it out of the SD Files archive.

== How do I modify the kernel arguments? ==
Open the kernel binary (<code>wiilinux/vX_X.krn</code>) in a hex editor, search for the ASCII text <code>root=</code>, then user overwrite mode to modify the arguments (tip: overwrite the large chunk of padding, that's what it's there for!)

== The kernel seems to load (green bar on Gumboot), but then the screen stays on garbled colors, fully black, or black screen with the loader text! What's wrong? ==
This could be tons of things.
* '''If you're getting the garbled colors''', it means the kernel failed to initialize very early on, before initializing the [[AVE-RVL]].
* '''If you're getting a fully black screen without even the loader text at the top''', that means that it failed after initializing the AVE-RVL, gcnfb, but before displaying the loader text.
* '''If you're getting a black screen with the loader text at the top left''', it means the kernel has initialized a decent bit, but something isn't working. Try setting the kernel arguments (see the previous answer, right above this), replace the loglevel=x parameter with loglevel=7 to get full kernel logs on the screen, or check a USB gecko.
For all of these, having a [[USB Gecko]] would be very beneficial.

== I see the login screen, but I can't type on my USB keyboard, what gives? ==
Check your USB keyboard connection, is it plugged in, and plugged in all the way? (more common than you might think)
Try pressing num lock/caps lock/scroll lock, do the lights come on? If not, check if your keyboard is just dead (plug it into another device). If you've verified all of this, and it still doesn't work, ask for assistance.

== Why is my WiFi so slow? I can't even get 1MB/s! ==
That's just how it is. It's [https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN hardware limitations], that's how it is in all standard Wii software as well, the Wii's WiFi chipset is just that slow. I highly recommend using USB Ethernet, or a supported USB WiFI adapter wherever possible if you care about speed.

== Why isn't [some package name here] in the ArchPOWER repos? ==
We don't maintain the [[ArchPOWER]] repos, but Techflash does maintain a small group of extra packages for ArchPOWER in a seperate repo.
Ask Techflash, He'll check for you, and build it if possible.

== Why is logging in so slow? ==
Arch (and by extension, ArchPOWER) uses a fairly inefficient (though more secure) hashing algorithm for the password by default, that is quite slow on the Wii's mediocre CPU. If you'd like a better balance between security and speed, you can use SHA256 instead.
Simply edit <code>/etc/login.defs</code>, then replace <code>YESCRYPT</code> with <code>SHA256</code>, then regenerate the password of each user.
'''New rootfs's have this by default.'''

== Why I get out-of-memory errors despite turning on a swapfile/swap partition? ==
This is a bug in the default Wii-Linux configuration that was shipped for quite some time, but eventually fixed. 
You can either: 
A) Update your system (the latest wii-linux-meta fixes it) 
B) Delete, or fix, <code>/etc/udev/rules.d/99-zram.rules</code> to not have 100M allocated

== Can I play [insert game here] on Wii Linux? ==
Short Answer: '''No'''. Stop trying. You don't want to get it to work. 
Long answer: Well.... technically, yes.
It's very likely compiled for x86, so it'll need to be emulated. That's already unusably slow on the Wii, but let's carry on.
There's no graphics acceleration of any kind, so it'll be rendering on the emulated x86 CPU, and then drawing to the screen w/ native PPC code, but still on the CPU
So, yes, it may execute the game's code, technically, but you sure as hell won't be "playing" it.

== Why is my Wii Remote unpaired after going back to the Wii Menu? ==
The Linux kernel interacts in some weird way with the Bluetooth module causing Wii Remotes to get unpaired when rebooted into the Wii System Menu (and only the menu, other software like the Homebrew Channel works fine). The exact cause of this problem isn't known yet. You'll have to simply pair the Wii Remote(s) again with the console.

== Can I use a Wii Remote as a mouse? ==
Yes but no. The software to do this (xwiimote) has not seen any actual updates since 2013 and does not work on modern systems. You can use cwiid, which is packaged, to interact with a Wii Remote, but it does not give you mouse emulation.

== Why is pairing my Wii Remote to Linux so finnicky? ==
Linux USB support isn't perfect, and the internal Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth card in the Wii is connected over USB, so it can cause some issues. There is nothing that can currently be done to work around or fix this.

== Why do package downloads sometimes fail / "Operation too slow"? ==
The Wii's WiFi connection is ''incredibly'' slow. This leads to downloads sometimes just failing due to timeout. Newer Wii-Linux builds have <code>DisableDownloadTimeout</code> set in <code>/etc/pacman.conf</code>, so this issue should be mitigated. Existing Wii-Linux installs can set this either with [[ConfigMii]], or by manually editing the config file.

Troubleshooting/FAQ

2026-07-20T22:38:51Z

Tech64DD: fix wording to be more wiki appropriate

This page contains some fixes for common issues and frequently asked questions with [[Wii-Linux]].

== [[Gumboot]] isn't loading! What's going on? ==
Depends on what's wrong with it.
* '''Black screen? Immediate reboot?''' Check if you have [[BootMii]] installed correctly.
* '''Blinking disk slot?''' Check if your SD Card is inserted properly, this means that BootMii can't find <code>bootmii/ppcboot.elf</code>, <code>bootmii/armboot.bin</code>, or its config.
* '''HBC / Priiloader won't load BootMii?''' Check if BootMii is installed correctly as an IOS - these can't load BootMii as boot2.

== I get an error from Gumboot trying to load the kernel! What's wrong? ==
Check that you copied all of the files properly. It's possible that the kernel was corrupted while copying it.
Try putting the SD Card in a computer, deleting wiilinux/vX_X.krn, and copying it out of the SD Files archive.

== How do I modify the kernel arguments? ==
Open the kernel binary (<code>wiilinux/vX_X.krn</code>) in a hex editor, search for the ASCII text <code>root=</code>, then user overwrite mode to modify the arguments (tip: overwrite the large chunk of padding, that's what it's there for!)

== The kernel seems to load (green bar on Gumboot), but then the screen stays on garbled colors, fully black, or black screen with the loader text! What's wrong? ==
This could be tons of things.
* '''If you're getting the garbled colors''', it means the kernel failed to initialize very early on, before initializing the [[AVE-RVL]].
* '''If you're getting a fully black screen without even the loader text at the top''', that means that it failed after initializing the AVE-RVL, gcnfb, but before displaying the loader text.
* '''If you're getting a black screen with the loader text at the top left''', it means the kernel has initialized a decent bit, but something isn't working. Try setting the kernel arguments (see the previous answer, right above this), replace the loglevel=x parameter with loglevel=7 to get full kernel logs on the screen, or check a USB gecko.
For all of these, having a [[USB Gecko]] would be very beneficial.

== I see the login screen, but I can't type on my USB keyboard, what gives? ==
Check your USB keyboard connection, is it plugged in, and plugged in all the way? (more common than you might think)
Try pressing num lock/caps lock/scroll lock, do the lights come on? If not, check if your keyboard is just dead (plug it into another device). If you've verified all of this, and it still doesn't work, ask for assistance.

== Why is my WiFi so slow? I can't even get 1MB/s! ==
That's just how it is. It's [https://web.archive.org/web/20180817063137/http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Wii:WLAN hardware limitations], that's how it is in all standard Wii software as well, the Wii's WiFi chipset is just that slow. I highly recommend using USB Ethernet, or a supported USB WiFI adapter wherever possible if you care about speed.

== Why isn't [some package name here] in the ArchPOWER repos? ==
I don't maintain the [[ArchPOWER]] repos, but I do maintain a small group of extra packages for ArchPOWER in a seperate repo.
Ask Techflash, He'll check for you, and build it if possible.

== Why is logging in so slow? ==
Arch (and by extension, ArchPOWER) uses a fairly inefficient (though more secure) hashing algorithm for the password by default, that is quite slow on the Wii's mediocre CPU. If you'd like a better balance between security and speed, you can use SHA256 instead.
Simply edit <code>/etc/login.defs</code>, then replace <code>YESCRYPT</code> with <code>SHA256</code>, then regenerate the password of each user.
'''New rootfs's have this by default.'''

== Why I get out-of-memory errors despite turning on a swapfile/swap partition? ==
This is a bug in the default Wii-Linux configuration that was shipped for quite some time, but eventually fixed. 
You can either: 
A) Update your system (the latest wii-linux-meta fixes it) 
B) Delete, or fix, <code>/etc/udev/rules.d/99-zram.rules</code> to not have 100M allocated

== Can I play [insert game here] on Wii Linux? ==
Short Answer: '''No'''. Stop trying. You don't want to get it to work. 
Long answer: Well.... technically, yes.
It's very likely compiled for x86, so it'll need to be emulated. That's already unusably slow on the Wii, but let's carry on.
There's no graphics acceleration of any kind, so it'll be rendering on the emulated x86 CPU, and then drawing to the screen w/ native PPC code, but still on the CPU
So, yes, it may execute the game's code, technically, but you sure as hell won't be "playing" it.

== Why is my Wii Remote unpaired after going back to the Wii Menu? ==
The Linux kernel interacts in some weird way with the Bluetooth module causing Wii Remotes to get unpaired when rebooted into the Wii System Menu (and only the menu, other software like the Homebrew Channel works fine). The exact cause of this problem isn't known yet. You'll have to simply pair the Wii Remote(s) again with the console.

== Can I use a Wii Remote as a mouse? ==
Yes but no. The software to do this (xwiimote) has not seen any actual updates since 2013 and does not work on modern systems. You can use cwiid, which is packaged, to interact with a Wii Remote, but it does not give you mouse emulation.

== Why is pairing my Wii Remote to Linux so finnicky? ==
Linux USB support isn't perfect, and the internal Broadcom 2045A Bluetooth card in the Wii is connected over USB, so it can cause some issues. There is nothing that can currently be done to work around or fix this.

== Why do package downloads sometimes fail / "Operation too slow"? ==
The Wii's WiFi connection is ''incredibly'' slow. This leads to downloads sometimes just failing due to timeout. Newer Wii-Linux builds have <code>DisableDownloadTimeout</code> set in <code>/etc/pacman.conf</code>, so this issue should be mitigated. Existing Wii-Linux installs can set this either with [[ConfigMii]], or by manually editing the config file.

ConfigMii

2026-07-15T16:48:17Z

Tech64DD: add usage

[[File:Configmii.png|thumb|Screenshot]]
ConfigMii is a simple TUI application that allows for configuration of some basic aspects of a Wii-Linux installation. It is included by default in the Wii-Linux ArchPOWER rootfs.

== Usage ==
Simply run the <code>configmii</code> command to start the program. Use the arrow keys and enter key to select and confirm respectively.

== Features ==
As of version 1.5.2 it supports the following features:

* Changing the Login banner with an ArchPOWER variant that includes or doesn't include the default login credentials and help text
* Various ArchPOWER package management operations
** Update the system
** Clean up orphaned packages
** Clear the cache
** Toggle the Wii-Linux 'testing' repository
** Toggle pacman download timeout
** Toggle pacman download animation
* Installing a Desktop Environment or Window Manager
Features that are yet to be added include:

* Kernel command line editing

== Links ==

* https://github.com/Wii-Linux/configmii - GitHub repository

ConfigMii

2026-07-15T16:41:37Z

Tech64DD: add screenshot

[[File:Configmii.png|thumb|Screenshot]]
ConfigMii is a simple TUI application that allows for configuration of some basic aspects of a Wii-Linux installation. It is included by default in the Wii-Linux ArchPOWER rootfs.

== Features ==
As of version 1.5.2 it supports the following features:

* Changing the Login banner with an ArchPOWER variant that includes or doesn't include the default login credentials and help text
* Various ArchPOWER package management operations
** Update the system
** Clean up orphaned packages
** Clear the cache
** Toggle the Wii-Linux 'testing' repository
** Toggle pacman download timeout
** Toggle pacman download animation
* Installing a Desktop Environment or Window Manager
Features that are yet to be added include:

* Kernel command line editing

== Links ==

* https://github.com/Wii-Linux/configmii - GitHub repository

Main Page

2026-07-15T16:40:33Z

Tech64DD: group the bootloaders together

== Welcome to the Wii-Linux Wiki! ==

You've reached the wiki page of [[Wii-Linux]]. Here you may find some information related to Wii-Linux, it's development, and a bit about the [[GameCube]], [[Wii]], and [[Wii U]] hardware itself.

''' You may also want to check out a similar wiki site, '''[https://wiibrew.org WiiBrew].

== Navigation ==
{| class="wikitable"
! Hardware !! Software !! Misc
|-
| valign="top" |
* Consoles
** [[Wii U]]
** [[Wii]]
** [[GameCube]]
* Accessories
** [[EXI]] bus (incl. MemCard Slots)
*** [[SD Gecko]]
*** [[USB Gecko]]
*** [[Memory Card]]
*** [[Microphone]]
*** [[Broadband Adapter]]
*** [[Modem]]
** [[GameCube Controller]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Wii-Linux]]
* [[Wii-Linux Distros|Distros]]
** [[ArchPOWER]]
** [[Void-PPC]]
** [[Debian-Ports PPC]]
* [[Recommended Apps]]
* Bootloaders
** [[NPLL]]
** [[Gumboot]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Troubleshooting/FAQ]]
* [[Useful Development Info]]
|}

File:Helpmii.png

2026-07-15T16:37:11Z

Tech64DD: