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How to run PCUAE on the MD Mini2 – walkthrough
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PCUAE MD Mini 2 Edition BETA.
Everything is included now, even Ubuntu Setup, if you need it.
This only works on Ubuntu and Windows 10, NOT WINDOWS 11, you need to use Windows 10 2H22.
UPDATED 10/07/2025
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This works OK on Ubuntu Linux and Windows 10, has been tested on them.
Look for: Orange
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For Windows
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or
Look for: Yellow
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For Ubuntu
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and the steps 1. 2. 3. and so on….
So in the walkthrough, sn pick which OS you want to do it on.
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Download PCUAE MD Mini 2 Edition Beta
https://projectcarouselusb.eu/pcuae-md-mini-2-download/
If you have a problem with downloading PCUAE above please contact me, One Drive can be funny sometimes.
Make sure the USB Drive is on MBR and FAT32 before installing PCUAE to the USB Drive, it does not work on NTFS, I wish it did but it mounts the USB Drive as read only and then the PCUAE scripts do not have the right permissions to run.
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For Windows
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You will need:
Linux File System for Windows – www.paragon-software.com/home/linuxfs-windows
You need to install Linux File System for Windows, so you can see the rootfs in Windows.
A USB A to A Cable, Pic Below.
Two CP2102 Modules USB TTL Serial2USB, Pic Below.
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Once you installed PCUAE MD Mini 2 Edition Beta to a USB Drive and Installed Linux File System for Windows then do this:
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1
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1. Copy the `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2` folder to a folder on your hard drive first on Windows so the Desktop.
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For Ubuntu
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You will need:
Ubuntu, you can install it on a USB Stick using Rufus and boot into its live CD without installing it.
A USB A to A Cable, Pic Below.
Two CP2102 Modules USB TTL Serial2USB, Pic Below.
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Create a bootable USB stick with Rufus on Windows | Ubuntu on to a SD Card/USB Stick – ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows#1-overview
Once you installed PCUAE MD Mini 2 Edition Beta to a USB Drive and Setup Ubuntu then do this:
1. Copy the `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2` folder to a folder on your hard drive first on Ubuntu.
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For Ubuntu
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And
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Windows
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2
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2. You will need a USB A to A Cable plugged into Port2 on the MD Mini 2 and plugged into a USB port on your PC, its the white cable in port 2 below.
A USB A to A Cable
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For Ubuntu
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3
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Staring FEL Mode
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3. This part mounts the partitions as drives on Liniux and then you can copy the files over to the `boot` and `rootfs` drives.
Press and hold the `Red Reset` button and switch the `Red Power Switch` to `on` so switch it to the
left, then plug in a USB A to A cable in port 2 and into your PC, you should now hear a `DONK` sound and
the MD Mini 2 is connecting to the PC via FEL.
Go into the `boot` folder in `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2/MDMini2-FEL-Rescue-boot-v1`then right click on the folder and open it in a terminal and then run this line
when the MD Mini 2 is in FEL mode:
sudo ./sunxi-fel uboot ./u-boot-sunxi-with-spl-ums-mmc-1.bin
You should now see its `rootfs` drive in Linux.
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For Windows
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Staring FEL Mode
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Go into the `windows` folder in `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2/MDMini2-FEL-Rescue-boot-v1`then Open `A-FEL-Mode-USB Drives_for-MD-Mini-2.bat` when the MD Mini 2 is in FEL mode:
Press and hold the `Red Reset` button and switch the `Red Power Switch` to `on` so switch it to the left, then plug in a USB A to A cable in port 2 still holding the Reset button and, you should now hear a `DONK` sound and the MD Mini 2 is connecting to the PC via FEL.
Copying PCUAE Start-up Script into the MD Mini 2
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You can now use `Linux File System for Windows` with it so you can see the rootfs drive on Windows… a lot easier…
Open `Linux File System for Windows` and then click on `rootfs` and the 3 dots at top right and click on `Open in File Explorer`.
Copy `from – PCUAE USB Drive/PCUAE_Mode/mdmini/S98boot_pcuae.sh` to `/rootfs/etc/rcS.d/S98PCUAE-autoboot-start-up-firmware.sh`
You need to eject the rootfs drive in `Linux File System for Windows` once you copied the PCUAE script to the `/rootfs/etc/rcS.d/` then go to My PC and eject the Volumn drive after.
Now turn of the MD Mini 2 and restart it with the PCUAE Drive in it, it should boot into PCUAE now.
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For Ubuntu
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Changing PCUAE Start-up Script on Ubuntu
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To make root read write:
Mount it first by click on `rootfs` drive icon on the left bar in Ubuntu.
Then copy in terminal and make rootfs read write:sudo mount -o remount,rw /media/ubuntu/rootfs/
Deleting file you are changing first, only if your are changing it:sudo rm -vf /media/ubuntu/rootfs/etc/rcS.d/S98PCUAE-autoboot-start-up-firmware.sh
Copying PCUAE Startup Script to MD Mini 2:sudo cp -vf /media/ubuntu/1EFA-3C59/Modes/PCUAE_Mode/mdmini/S98boot_pcuae.sh /media/ubuntu/rootfs/etc/rcS.d/S98PCUAE-autoboot-start-up-firmware.sh
sync
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For Windows
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On MDMini2 itself, Changing PCUAE Start-up Script
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Make rootfs read write:mount -o remount,rw /
Deleting file you are changing first:
rm -vf /etc/rcS.d/S98PCUAE-autoboot-start-up-firmware.sh
Mount USB Drive:mount /dev/sda1 /mnt2or
mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt2
Copying PCUAE Startup Script:
cp -vf /mnt2/Modes/PCUAE_Mode/mdmini/S98boot_pcuae.sh /etc/rcS.d/S98PCUAE-autoboot-start-up-firmware.sh
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4
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4. This only needs to be done if you want access to a UART(2xCP102 TTL Modules) via Windows 10/11 so you can see PCUAE Booting via Putty on Windows.
Now open the `boot` drive icon on the left bar in Ubuntu and make sure you back up the `uImage` file first in it from the MD Mini2 s `boot` drive so to a place on your PCs hard drive for safe keeping, then copy the `uImage` file from the `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2/PCUAE MDMini2 UART ttyUSB` folder and copy it over the `uImage` on the `boot` drive that comes up in Ubuntu to enable `PCUAE UART ttyUSB`, if it says not enough space then delete `uImage` in the `boot` drive and replace it with the new one in `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2/PCUAE MDMini2 UART ttyUSB` folder.
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For Ubuntu
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Picture of `rootfs` and `boot` drive from the FEL Mode on MD Mini2 on Ubuntu
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Right Click on image and open in new window to see it bigger.
Now…
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Then replace the last line in /media/ubuntu/rootfs/etc/inittab
from:ttyS0::respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 ttyS0to:ttyUSB0::respawn:/sbin/getty -n -l /bin/sh ttyUSB0 115200 linux —————————————————————————————–
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For Windows
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Now open the `boot` drive on Windows and make sure you back up the `uImage` file first in it from the MD Mini2 s `boot` drive so to a place on your PCs hard drive for safe keeping, then copy the `uImage` file from the `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2/PCUAE MDMini2 UART ttyUSB` folder and copy it over the `uImage` on the `boot` drive that comes up in Windows to enable `PCUAE UART ttyUSB`, if it says not enough space then delete `uImage` in the `boot` drive and replace it with the new one in `START-PCUAE-ON-MDMINI2/PCUAE MDMini2 UART ttyUSB` folder.
Boot Drive in Windows 10
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If you can not see this drive in Windows then your using Windows 11, you can not see this drive in Windows 11 only on Windows 10, it not mounted correctly on Win11 so will not show the drive.
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Now… replace the last line in `/rootfs/etc/inittab`, Open `Linux File System for Windows` and then click on `rootfs` and the 3 dots at top right and click on `Open in File Explorer` and then copy `/rootfs/etc/inittab` to the PC then open it in a editor so like Notepad++ – notepad-plus-plus.org/downloads/
from:ttyS0::respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 ttyS0to:ttyUSB0::respawn:/sbin/getty -n -l /bin/sh ttyUSB0 115200 linux—————————————————————————————–
Then copy `inittab` back to `/rootfs/etc` folder but delete `inittab` file in there first then copy it and replace it.
TIP:
If you change any of the files on the MDMini2 rootfs using `Linux File System for Windows` it might need write permissions so try not to change anything on the MDMini 2 rootfs because the write permissions can only changed in Linux not Windows…
Now… eject the MMC and power the MD2 off and on so it boots normal, then you can connect 2x CP102 one plugged into the `MD Mini 2` and one plugged into a PC USB Port and able see PCUAE Booting in Putty.
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5
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5. You need the `PCUAE USB Drive` in the `MD Mini 2 Port 1` now, not in `Port 2` like the `MD Mini 1`, you can use a `4 Port USB Hub` on `USB Port 1 on the MD Mini 2` too, to add more USBs to the `MD Mini 2` if you want, it works fine with it, MD Mini 2 USBs do not have a limiter on them like the PS Classic does so you can add a `4 Port USB Hub` OK on USB Port 1, so you can plug in a serial2USB, 6 Button Controller and PCUAE USB Drive.
It works with a `CP2102 Modules USB TTL Serial2USB`, you will need 2 of them and connected to each other so it makes a Serial2USB to Serial2USB, one `CP2102` in the `MD Mini 2` port 1 and the other `CP2102` in a `PC USB Port`, Cable needs to be connect like TX to RX and RX to TX, then you will see its `ttyUSB in Putty` you can use Putty on Windows 10/11 now.
CP2102 Modules USB TTL Serial2USB Pic Below
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www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203604196200
Putty Settings
================Speed: 115200,
Connection Type: Serial,
Serial Settings
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COM Port: The port the CP2102 Modules USB TTL Serial2USB is on,
Data Bits: 8,
Stop Bit: 1,
Party: NONE
Flow control: XON/XOFF
PCUAE MD Mini 2 Edition with UART on Windows 10
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All Done.
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How to add games into PCUAE to Run On MD Mini 2
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Open the `PCUAE USB Drive` and look for the folder `MDMINI-USB-CUSTOM-GAMES`, this is where it keeps the `alldata-setx.bin` files, the ones in there are just examples so will need to make one and then adding it to `alldata-set2.bin`, `alldata-set2.bin` is not a alldata.bin file, it a txt file, its just to show you how to add them, the only one real is the first one `alldata-set1.bin` thats the bin file from the MD Mini 1.
You can add up to 10 sets of games.
To change them then use the `pcuae_md_settings.txt` file in `/.options/.pcuae_settings_folder` or in the `Sega MD Mini 2 Game SET Changer`(this needs its shortcut buttion updated so it works and uploads on the screen).
Enjoy… 🙂
Spannernick.
PCUAE Creator.
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