15 KiB
PSP Preservation Tool
Native Linux GUI (PySide6) for preserving PSP UMD games and videos as
.iso files. It scans your discs, verifies them against the full Redump catalog
(Redump DATs), reports what's missing, and retags/renames discs to a canonical
scheme. It also fetches cover art and metadata, syncs discs and save-data with a
real PSP, can pull missing discs from your own Redump 7z archive collection, and
converts PlayStation 1 ISO/CUE/BIN rips into PSP EBOOT.PBP homebrew.
- Use default app theme for Qt.
Features
- Library — scan folders of
.isodiscs, verify against the DAT catalog, browse with cover art, search/filter, see per-game details (developer, publisher, genre, release date, synopsis, trailer), and launch discs in PPSSPP. - Store — browse and download discs from three sources: a local 7z folder, your own HTTP store server, or an archive.org item (see Store).
- Queue — background transfers with progress, cancel, per-row delete, etc.
- PSP Sync — detect a connected PSP (USB) or a mounted UMD, inventory what's installed (games / UMD videos / homebrew / PKG), copy discs to the PSP, delete from the PSP, and dump a UMD to the library.
- Saves — two-way sync of save-data between the PSP, PPSSPP, and a cloud folder.
- PS1 — scan a folder of PlayStation 1 discs (ISO/BIN/CUE), read each disc's
serial, convert to PSP
EBOOT.PBPwith a pure-Python popstation converter, and track already-converted games. - Settings — directories, cover-source API keys, store/server config, and misc options.
Requirements
- Linux + Python 3
PySide6— the only Python dependency (pip install -r requirements.txt)7z(p7zip) — used to peek/extract disc images from store archives- PPSSPP (optional) — to launch discs from the details panel
Install
python3 -m venv .venv # keep the venv on a local disk, not an SMB mount
. .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
Run the GUI
python3 -m app.main
First-time setup
-
Put your DAT files in
data/dats/:- games: Redump
Sony - PlayStation Portable(authoritative hashes) and No-IntroSony - PlayStation Portable(supplies the serials Redump lacks — keeps serial-based matching working). - videos: No-Intro
Sony - PlayStation Portable (UMD Video)(Redump has no UMD Video DAT).
- games: Redump
-
Ingest them into the local SQLite library:
python3 -m app.ingest -
Open the GUI and point Settings → General → Games/Videos directory at your disc folders (or set
PSP_GAMES_ROOTS/PSP_VIDEO_ROOTS). -
(Optional) PS1 conversion — copy any PSN PS1 classic
EBOOT.PBPtodata/base.PBP(it supplies Sony's encrypted loader). Then set the PS1 directory, PS1 output directory and PS1 base.pbp in Settings → General and use the PS1 tab (see PS1 support).
Discs that aren't in the Redump DATs can be added to data/supplement.json
(name, region, crc32, sha1, md5) so the tool still recognizes them.
Nomenclature
Title (Region) (tags) (Serial).iso — leading articles stay in front
(The Sims 2), and revision/disc tags are preserved ((v1.03), (Disc 1)).
Discs are matched by hash first (most precise), then serial, then filename.
Directory layout
data/dats/— clrmamepro DAT files (games + videos).data/supplement.json— extra discs not in Redump.data/credentials.json— cover/metadata API keys (IGDB, TheMovieDB, ScreenScraper, Google Custom Search). Environment variables take precedence.data/manual_covers/games|videos/— your own cover images.data/covers/— checked-in assets: the UMD video/game cover templates,libretro-index.json+openvgdb-index.jsoncatalogs,libretro-covers.zip+openvgdb-covers.zipoffline cover bundles, and the legacy cover cache.data/base.PBP— a PSN PS1 classic EBOOT (any game) used as the encrypted loader when converting PS1 discs toEBOOT.PBP(git-ignored, copyrighted).- State dir (
~/.local/state/psp-preserve/by default, or$XDG_STATE_HOME/psp-preserve):library.sqlite— the catalog + library database.covers/— downloaded cover cache.
SQLite is kept on a local disk because SQLite locking is unreliable over
network filesystems; the DATs, manual covers and credentials stay in data/
(which may be a network share).
Configuration
Everything is driven by environment variables, with GUI settings (stored in
QSettings under PSPPreserve) taking precedence where noted.
| Variable | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
PSP_DATA_DIR |
./data |
data root (DATs, credentials, manual covers) |
PSP_DATS_DIR |
$PSP_DATA_DIR/dats |
DAT folder |
PSP_STATE_DIR |
~/.local/state/psp-preserve |
local state root |
PSP_DB_PATH |
$PSP_STATE_DIR/library.sqlite |
SQLite library |
PSP_COVERS_DIR |
$PSP_STATE_DIR/covers |
cover cache |
PSP_GAMES_ROOTS |
/data/umd_games |
comma-separated game disc roots |
PSP_VIDEO_ROOTS |
/data/umd_videos |
comma-separated video disc roots |
PSP_PS1_ROOTS |
/data/ps1 |
comma-separated PS1 disc roots |
PSP_PS1_OUTPUT_DIR |
/data/ps1_converted |
converted EBOOT.PBP output folder |
PSP_SCAN_WORKERS |
1 |
parallel hashing workers |
PSP_STORE_DIR |
/media/downloads/Sony - PlayStation Portable |
local 7z store folder |
PSP_STORE_SERVER |
https://psp.example.com |
store server base URL |
PSP_STORE_TOKEN |
(empty) | store server bearer token |
PSP_ARCHIVE_ITEM |
psp-redump-roms321.com |
archive.org item identifier |
PSP_ARCHIVE_LOGGED_IN_SIG |
(empty) | archive.org logged-in-sig cookie |
PSP_ARCHIVE_LOGGED_IN_USER |
(empty) | archive.org logged-in-user cookie |
PSP_API_TOKEN |
(empty) | server API bearer token (unset = open) |
PSP_CREDENTIALS |
$PSP_DATA_DIR/credentials.json |
credentials file |
PSP_LIBRETRO_COVERS_URL |
(empty) | direct URL for libretro-covers.zip (else derived from store server) |
PSP_OVGDB_COVERS_URL |
(empty) | direct URL for openvgdb-covers.zip (else derived from store server) |
Cover/metadata keys can also be set as env vars: IGDB_CLIENT_ID,
IGDB_CLIENT_SECRET, TMDB_API_KEY, GOOGLE_API_KEY, GOOGLE_CX,
SCREENSCRAPER_DEVID, SCREENSCRAPER_DEVPASSWORD, SCREENSCRAPER_SSID,
SCREENSCRAPER_SSPASSWORD, SCREENSCRAPER_SOFTNAME.
Cover art
Games are resolved in this order (offline-first, then network):
- Manual covers — images you drop in
data/manual_covers/games/(fuzzy-matched; strips(Region), handlesTitle, The). - libretro-thumbnails (offline bundle) — full PSP box art from
data/covers/libretro-covers.zip. If that zip is absent, it downloads from GitHub and caches instead. - OpenVGDB (offline bundle) — full covers from
data/covers/openvgdb-covers.zip. - ScreenScraper — full box art + rich metadata; needs a free dev ID/password.
- Wikipedia — keyless fallback.
- IGDB — needs a Twitch/IGDB client ID + secret. IGDB only stores cropped
3:4 key art, so the app composites it into the PSP game cover template
(
data/covers/UMD_GAME_COVER_TEMPLATE.png) to restore the full cover.
UMD videos have no public box-art API. The manual Scrape… dialog offers
three sources: TheMovieDB posters, Wikipedia image search (keyless), and Google
Images (needs a Google API key + Search Engine ID in Settings → Cover
sources). The pick is composited into data/covers/UMD_COVER_TEMPLATE.png.
Manual covers in data/manual_covers/videos/ always win.
Offline bundles & auto-download
The two bundles (libretro-covers.zip, openvgdb-covers.zip) are shipped in
data/covers/, so a fresh install works with no internet and no API keys.
If either is missing at startup, the app downloads it from the store server's
/api/covers/<name>.zip endpoint (see Server setup).
Rebuild them yourself:
python3 -m app.libretro # libretro-thumbnails -> libretro-covers.zip
python3 -m app.openvgdb # OpenVGDB/GameFAQs -> openvgdb-covers.zip
(app.openvgdb needs curl_cffi to pass GameFAQs' Cloudflare challenge.)
PS1 support
The PS1 tab scans a folder of PlayStation 1 rips and converts them into PSP
EBOOT.PBP files with a pure-Python popstation converter (no external tools).
PS1 discs (pending) and converted EBOOTs also show up in the Library tab
(filter by PS1), where you can convert a disc or copy an EBOOT to the PSP.
- Source formats —
.iso,.img,.bin(with a matching.cuefor multi-track discs). - Serial detection — reads
SYSTEM.CNFto derive the game ID (e.g.SLUS-00001) and writes it intoPARAM.SFO+ the PSAR header. - base.pbp — conversion needs a PSN PS1 classic
EBOOT.PBP(any game) to supply Sony's encryptedDATA.PSPloader. Copy one todata/base.PBPand point Settings → General → PS1 base.pbp at it. - Output — a PSN-style folder
<out>/<Game ID>/containingEBOOT.PBP,KEYS.BINandDOCUMENT.DAT, ready to copy to<PSP>/PSP/GAME/<Game ID>/.
Configure the folders in Settings → General (or PSP_PS1_ROOTS /
PSP_PS1_OUTPUT_DIR). Current limits: single-disc games only (no multi-disc
PBP), and images are stored uncompressed (LZRC compression is on the roadmap).
Store — archive.org and local folder
The Store tab downloads missing discs from a Redump 7z archive collection
(Name (Region) (tags).7z, containing the .iso/.cso inside). It has three
sources, selectable in the tab:
1. Local folder
Point Settings → Store → Local store dir (or PSP_STORE_DIR) at a folder of
.7z/.zip archives. The app scans the folder, lists the archives, and on
download:
- reads the archive listing with
7zto find the disc image inside, - copies the archive to a temp dir and extracts the image with
7z, - moves the image into your games/videos directory.
2. Server (HTTP API)
See Server setup. The app talks to GET /api/store (list) and
GET /api/store/download/<name> (stream), using your PSP_API_TOKEN as
Authorization: Bearer <token>.
3. Archive.org
Point Settings → Store → Archive.org item (or PSP_ARCHIVE_ITEM) at an
archive.org item identifier (or a full details/download URL). The app:
- lists the item via
https://archive.org/metadata/<item>, - downloads archives from
https://archive.org/download/<item>/<file>, - extracts the disc image and moves it into your library.
If the item's files are marked private (login required), set the
logged-in-sig and logged-in-user cookies in Settings → Store (grab them
from a logged-in archive.org browser session). Without them, private files are
skipped — and you'll get a clear error if everything in the item is private.
Server setup
The catalog + store API is a single-file, stdlib-only HTTP server
(app/api.py) — no pip install needed on the server.
PSP_DATA_DIR=/data \
PSP_DATS_DIR=/data/dats \
PSP_DB_PATH=/data/library.sqlite \
PSP_COVERS_DIR=/data/covers \
PSP_GAMES_ROOTS=/data/umd_games \
PSP_VIDEO_ROOTS=/data/umd_videos \
PSP_STORE_DIR=/data/store \
PSP_API_TOKEN=<long-random-secret> \
python3 -m app.api --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000
Endpoints:
| Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|
GET /api/summary |
release counts per system |
GET /api/releases?system=&q=&limit=&offset= |
search the catalog |
GET /api/releases/<id> |
one release + its rom hashes |
GET /api/library?system=&refresh= |
your scanned library |
GET /api/cover/<id> |
cover image (fetched on demand) |
GET /api/covers/<name>.zip |
offline cover bundle (public) |
GET /api/store |
list store archives (token) |
GET /api/store/download/<name> |
stream one archive (token) |
Token protection: set PSP_API_TOKEN; the client sends
Authorization: Bearer <token>. Leave it unset to allow anonymous access
(not recommended).
Docker (Unraid)
docker-compose.yml builds the API image and attaches it to Unraid's br0
macvlan bridge so it gets its own LAN IP (e.g. 192.168.1.100, plain HTTP on 8000):
# in /path/to/psp-preserve/ — adjust the volume paths for your shares
printf 'PSP_API_TOKEN=<long-random-secret>\n' > .env
docker compose up -d --build
The compose file mounts your Unraid shares into /data/store, /data/umd_games
and /data/umd_videos (the store is mounted read-only).
TLS (optional)
Caddyfile is a ready-made reverse proxy for https://psp.example.com with
automatic Let's Encrypt certificates. To enable it, add the caddy service to
the compose file, give it its own br0 IP, point it at the API, and forward
ports 80/443 on your router to it.
Client
In the GUI: Settings → Store → enter the Server URL (e.g.
http://<server-ip>:8000 or https://psp.example.com) and the same API
token, then pick Server in the Store tab's source selector. Use
Archive.org or Local folder the same way.
PSP Sync
Connect a PSP over USB (or mount a UMD) and the PSP Sync tab detects it:
- Games / UMD Videos / Homebrew-PSN / PKG — tables of what's installed, with delete-from-PSP (checkboxes and right-click).
- UMD — reads
PARAM.SFOfrom a mounted UMD, shows the title/serial, and can dump the disc image into your library. - Sync from Library — copy discs from your library onto the PSP, optionally into a Category Lite category (set in Settings → PSP → ISO category).
Saves sync
The Saves tab shows save-data across three locations — PSP (USB), PPSSPP, and a Cloud folder — and syncs both ways. Save signatures are cached (keyed by size + mtime) so rescanning is fast, and an Auto-sync option runs the sync automatically whenever a PSP is connected.
CLI tools
# scan + report (dry-run)
python3 -m app.scan --roots /path/to/umd_games,/path/to/umd_videos
# scan + apply renames
python3 -m app.scan --roots /path/to/umd_games,/path/to/umd_videos --apply
# ingest DAT files into the library DB
python3 -m app.ingest --dats data/dats --db data/library.sqlite
# (re)build the offline cover bundles (see Cover art)
python3 -m app.libretro
python3 -m app.openvgdb
# convert one PS1 disc to EBOOT.PBP (CLI)
python3 -m app.ps1_convert --source /path/to/game.cue --title "Game" \
--game-id SLUS00001 --base-pbp data/base.PBP --out /out/Game.pbp
python3 -m app.scan --json prints machine-readable results, and --quick
skips full-file hashing (serial/title match only).

