WadPakk

A .NET 8 command-line utility for packaging custom Wii channels into WAD files. WadPakk simplifies the process of creating channel WADs with custom banners, icons, DOL files, and audio.

Warning

This tool modifies and builds Wii WAD files, which can be dangerous if used incorrectly.

Installing malformed or improperly built WAD files can brick your Wii console.

You are strongly advised to:

• Install Priiloader
• Keep a NAND backup
• Test carefully before installing anything on real hardware

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Disclaimer

This software is provided "as is", without any warranty.

The author is not responsible for:

• Bricked consoles
• Data loss
• Hardware damage
• Any misuse of this tool

By using this software, you agree that you are solely responsible for any consequences resulting from its use.

Features

• Easy WAD Packaging: Convert your custom content into Wii channel WAD files
• Multiple Loaders: Support for different loader types (comex, waninkoko, tinyvwii)
• Audio Conversion: Automatic audio conversion from various formats (.wav, .mp3, .ogg, .flac) to BNS format
• Custom Metadata: Set custom channel names, game IDs, and IOS versions
• Flexible Configuration: Optional arguments with sensible defaults
• Trucha Signing: Automatic fake signature application for custom channels

Requirements

• .NET 8 Runtime or later
• ffmpeg (optional, for audio format conversion)
  • Place ffmpeg.exe next to WadPakk.exe or add it to your PATH
  • Only required if you plan to convert .mp3, .ogg, or .flac files to audio

Installation

1. Download or clone the repository
2. Build with .NET 8:

   dotnet build -c Release

3. The executable will be in bin/Release/net8.0/win-x86/

Usage

Basic Command

WadPakk pack [OPTIONS] -o <output.wad>

Required Arguments

• -banner <banner.bin> - Banner file
• -icon <icon.bin> - Icon file
• -dol <app.dol> - DOL executable file
• -id <XXXX> - 4-character game ID (e.g., TEST)
• -o <output.wad> - Output WAD file path

Optional Arguments

• -base <base.wad> - Base WAD file (default: Resources/base.wad)
• -name <name> - Custom channel name
• -sound <audio> - Audio file for channel sound (supports .bns, .wav, .mp3, .ogg, .flac)
• -loader <type> - Loader type: comex, waninkoko, tinyvwii (default: comex)
• -ios <version> - IOS version (default: 58)

Examples

Basic example with defaults:

WadPakk pack -banner banner.bin -icon icon.bin -dol app.dol -id TEST -name "My Channel" -o channel.wad

With custom audio and specific loader:

WadPakk pack -banner banner.bin -icon icon.bin -dol app.dol -id TEST -name "My Channel" -sound music.mp3 -loader waninkoko -o channel.wad

With custom base WAD and IOS:

WadPakk pack -base custom_base.wad -banner banner.bin -icon icon.bin -dol app.dol -id TEST -ios 249 -o channel.wad

Supported Loaders

Loader	Platform	Requirements	Notes
comex	Wii only	Resources/comex.app	Default loader, most compatible
waninkoko	Wii only	Resources/waninkoko.app	Alternative Wii loader
tinyvwii	vWii only	Resources/tinyvwii.app	For virtual Wii on Wii U

Supported Audio Formats

• BNS (.bns) - Used directly without conversion
• WAV (.wav) - Converted to BNS using libWiiSharp
• MP3/OGG/FLAC (.mp3, .ogg, .flac) - Converted via ffmpeg to WAV, then to BNS

Audio is automatically converted to 22050Hz, mono, 16-bit format suitable for Wii channels.

File Structure

Resources/
├── base.wad          - Default base channel WAD template
├── comex.app         - Comex loader
├── waninkoko.app     - Waninkoko loader
└── tinyvwii.app      - TinyVWii loader

Output

Example output:

WadPakk v1.0

[*] Base WAD  : Resources/base.wad
[*] banner.bin: banner.bin
[*] icon.bin  : icon.bin
[*] Sound     : (no audio - keeping original)
[*] DOL       : app.dol
[*] Game ID   : TEST
[*] Name      : My Channel
[*] Loader    : comex
[*] Output    : channel.wad

[*] Loading base WAD...
    Contents: 4
[*] Preparing banner.bin and icon.bin...
[*] Replacing in BannerApp...
    banner.bin ok!
    icon.bin ok!
[*] Applying loader (comex)...
    Loader file: comex.app (1536 KB)
    Done! BootIndex=1, Contents=2
[*] Title ID: 00010001TEST
[*] Startup IOS: 58
[*] Name: My Channel
[*] Applying Trucha Sign...

[OK] WAD generated: channel.wad (2048 KB)

Dependencies

• libWiiSharp - For WAD and BNS file manipulation
• System libraries - For file I/O and process management

Error Handling

WadPakk will provide clear error messages if:

• Required files are not found
• Invalid arguments are provided
• Audio conversion fails (if ffmpeg is missing or conversion errors occur)
• Loader resolution fails
• Base WAD structure is invalid

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0).

See the LICENSE file for details or visit https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html

Summary of GPL-3.0

You are free to:

• ✅ Use this software for any purpose
• ✅ Modify and distribute modified versions
• ✅ Run the program for any purpose

Under the conditions:

• 📋 Disclose source code when distributing
• 📋 Include original license and copyright notice
• 📋 Distribute derivative works under the same license

Disclaimer

This tool is designed for educational and legitimate homebrew development purposes. Users are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary rights to the content they package and comply with all applicable laws and platform terms of service.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or issues.

Support

For issues, questions, or suggestions, please open an issue on the project repository.

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Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2026 Language: C# (.NET 8)