dol2iso (GUI / standalone .exe)

A GUI .exe that builds a bootable GameCube .iso from a .dol — the same technique as cubiboot.iso, but for any .dol.

100% self-contained: the .exe needs no Docker, WSL, genisoimage, or installed Python. Everything (the Python runtime, image conversion, gbi.hdr, and the default banner) is embedded in the executable itself. The ISO is assembled in pure Python — nothing external.

Usage

Run dist\dol2iso.exe (double-click). In the window:

1. DOL file — pick the .dol.
2. Banner (optional) — any image (PNG/JPG/BMP/… any size). If left empty, the tool's default banner is used. The image is resized to 96×32 and converted to RGB5A3 automatically (check Stretch to fill without keeping aspect ratio).
3. Save .iso to — output file.
4. Title / Subtitle — BIOS intro text (optional; title defaults to the .dol name; leave a field empty to keep it blank).
5. Generate .iso.

Command-line mode (bonus)

The same .exe also accepts arguments:

dol2iso.exe input.dol output.iso [banner.png] [--title "T"] [--subtitle "S"] [--stretch]

How it works (boot)

The .iso is a GameCube disc whose apploader (embedded in gbi.hdr, from makeo/cubeboot-tools) reads and executes the .dol at boot. On the console the apploader only reads:

• sector 0 → gbi.hdr (disc header + apploader + FST)
• sector 17 → El-Torito Boot Record → boot catalog pointer
• boot catalog → load_rba (where the .dol is) and sector_count
• .dol at load_rba × 2048 → executes

So the ISO9660 filesystem itself doesn't affect booting; even so, the disc is a valid ISO9660 (BOOT.DOL + BOOT.CAT) that mounts and inspects normally.

Verified: the output was checked with isoinfo and the Boot Record (sector 17) is byte-identical to genisoimage's; a simulation of the apploader's steps confirms it reaches the .dol. Real boot on hardware/Dolphin depends on the .dol having a valid layout (that's the .dol's responsibility, not the packaging's).

Rebuilding the .exe

Requires Python + pip install pyinstaller pillow. Then:

.\build.ps1

Produces dist\dol2iso.exe.

Files

• dol2iso_gui.py — GUI (entry point) + CLI mode
• dol2iso_core.py — RGB5A3 branding + ISO9660/El-Torito writer (pure Python)
• assets/gbi.hdr — boot header/apploader (32 KB)
• assets/default_banner.png — default banner
• assets/dolphin.ico — app icon
• make_default_banner.py — regenerates the default banner
• build.ps1 — builds the .exe
• dist/dol2iso.exe — the standalone executable