This guide will cover the steps to install linux-wiiu on a Nintendo Wii U. It is assumed that you already have Cafe OS homebrew set up and working.
If you don’t already have homebrew, please set up Tiramisu (or Aroma) before continuing.
Choosing a storage device
You will need an SD card for Cafe OS homebrew and for the kernel files, but you have more options when it comes to the storage medium for the distro itself.
- A USB storage device (like a flash drive) is easy to set up with disk images, but since the Wii U only supports USB 2.0, the system might feel slow and unresponsive. There are also hardware compatibility concerns with USB hard drives (search for Y Cables).
- An SD card partition performs a lot better and has no compatibility issues, but can be more difficult to set up since you have to manually partition the card instead of using disk images. Make sure you have a good-quality card!
- A 2.5” SATA storage device like a hard drive or solid state drive provides the best performance the Wii U has to offer, but requires installation of a SATA adapter board and removal of the optical drive. This obviously affects Cafe OS’s function.
linux-loader
linux-loader replaces the Cafe OS IOSU and is in charge of loading and booting the Linux kernel.
- Download linux-loader. You should have a file named
fw.img. - Insert the Wii U’s SD card into your computer or connect over FTP. Using the Aroma beta’s FTP plugin, the SD card can be found at
/fs/vol/external01. - Copy
fw.img to the root of the SD card.
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is the main component of linux-wiiu, and is what contains all the drivers for the Wii U’s hardware and allows normal Linux programs to run on it.
This guide will use the most complete linux-wiiu kernel, which at the time of writing is version 4.19, but development versions should be similar.
- Download the kernel. You should have a file named
dtbImage.wiiu. - Create a folder named
linux on the root of the SD card. - Place
dtbImage.wiiu inside this folder. The final path is thus (SD root) -> linux -> dtbImage.wiiu.
At this point the kernel can be booted but will panic immediately since it can’t find a distro with programs to run.
Linux distribution
The distro is the set of programs you’ll run on your Wii U, and defines how the system looks and what it can do. Some distros have graphical desktops, while others might have a lightweight shell.
Distributions that work with linux-wiiu come in two broad flavours - flashable disk images and tarballs.
Flashable disk images
Flashable disk images will overwrite everything on a storage device and replace it with the Linux distro. Their major benefit is that you don’t have to do any extra setup to preserve your data, since they delete all the data by nature. Recommended for USB storage. Do NOT use for SD cards - the Cafe OS homebrew will be deleted!
In case that wasn’t clear, flashable images will delete everything on your storage device!
- Download and open software that can flash disk images for you. If you don’t have one, Etcher is a fine choice.
- Insert the USB drive into your PC, and copy off any data you don’t want to lose.
- In your flashing software, select the disk image and then select the USB drive to flash.
- Start the flashing process.
Tarballs
Tarballs - usually .tar.xz files - contain all the files for the Linux distro, but need to be unpacked into an appropriate filesystem before they can be used. Required for SD card partitions.
(TODO) This part of the guide is not yet written. In short:
- Partition
- Format as ext4 with
-O ^metadata_csum,^64bit (or you’ll get unsupported features when mounting) - Unpack tarball
- Possibly chroot in with qemu-binfmt to set root password. May also be possible to use
init=/bin/sh trick. - Unmount, sync, eject.
- For SD cards, set
root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 in linux-loader boot config file.
Booting
At this point, you’re ready to go!
- Reinsert your SD card to the Wii U and turn it on.
- Hold B on the Gamepad during boot. You should see a white-on-black menu. If you see the Environment Loader menu or the Tiramisu/Aroma boot menus, reboot and try again.
- Navigate to
fw_img_loader and press A. - Linux should now boot. Connect a USB keyboard and other peripherals to use it.
Have fun! Make sure to send us a picture of your working system on Matrix or Discord :)
FAQs
Usage
- Double-click the downloaded binary to launch WiiUDownloader.
- The WiiUDownloader GUI window will appear, showing a list of available Wii U titles.
- Use the search bar to filter titles by name or title ID.
- Click on the category buttons to filter titles by type (Game, Update, DLC, Demo, All).
Install Linux with Windows Subsystem for Linux
To install Linux on a Windows PC, use the install Linux command. Open PowerShell or Windows Command Prompt in administrator mode by right-clicking and selecting "Run as administrator". Enter the Linux install command: wsl --install . Restart your machine.
How to install Linux on laptop reddit? ›
You need to download an installation file for the version of Linux that you want, and create a bootable USB drive to boot it from, then boot into it and install it. Mint and Ubuntu are good choices for a beginner. Both let you try them from the USB before you install. I prefer to steam it in.
Can a Wii run Linux? ›
Many distributions of GNU/Linux are available for the Wii. All current distributions use a version of the "gc-linux" kernel, a port of the Linux kernel by the GC-Linux project. Wii-Linux may be loaded through the Homebrew Channel but is recommended to be loaded through bootmii/Mini to enable Wi-Fi and USB2. 0 support.
Are Wii U ROMs legal? ›
It is illegal to download a Nintendo ROM from the internet whether or not you own an authentic copy of that game.
Does Batocera have Wii U? ›
It includes a tablet-like controller, known as the Wii U GamePad, to provide certain additional gameplay. Notably, it can play all Wii games as well as support the Wii Remote controllers for native Wii U games.
Is Linux OS easy to use? ›
During those early years of using Linux, the command line was an absolute necessity and the GUIs weren't always intuitive or stable. Today? Not so much. In fact, Linux has become so easy and user-friendly that you can go your entire career on the desktop and never touch the terminal window.
Is Windows or Linux better? ›
Linux is faster and less resource-intensive than Windows. Linux also doesn't contain bloatware like Windows does. That means it boots up and completes tasks much faster. If you want a faster OS, or if you want to extend the life of an older PC, Linux is a great choice.
How difficult is it to use Linux? ›
How Hard Is Linux to Learn? Linux code isn't hard to learn if you have some basic tech knowledge and an understanding of operating systems. If you're an analytical and logical thinker, it will be easy to learn basic commands and syntax. Even if you're a tech newbie, you can still learn Linux.
What OS does the Wii U run? ›
The Wii U operating system also known internally as Cafe OS is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet.
Cemu - Wii U Emulator.
Can Wii U run homebrew? ›
Homebrew applications are custom, user-made software, which haven't been authorized by Nintendo. This can include save editing tools, games, emulators, and more. Homebrew can be run on your Wii U as long as you have a way to put files on an SD Card and your Wii U is updated to the latest version for your region.
How to use wup installer? ›
To install a title:
- Place the files in the /install/[name of your app] folder on the root of your storage device. ...
- Run WUP Installer GX2. ...
- Select the folder (or select multiple at once, if you want to install multiple titles) and then click "Install".
Steps
- Insert the USB drive into your Computer. ...
- Open up DumpsterU on your PC. ...
- Select your USB drive and insert your otp. ...
- Select the Game you want to extract and select a place to store it. ...
- Copy the nfs2iso2nfs.exe to the content folder of the dump.
Your Wii U console must be connected to the Internet to download games. The downloaded game can only be played on the console it is downloaded to. Due to the large data size of these games, it may take some time for the game to download.
How do you use the Wii U transfer tool? ›
Begin with the Wii U
- Insert the SD card into the Wii U console.
- On the Wii U console, start the Wii Menu application and select the Wii System Transfer tool that you previously downloaded. ...
- Follow the on-screen instructions, making sure to read carefully through each before you proceed.
