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Softmodding and Homebrew
Launching Homebrew on the Wii
SD/USB
The Homebrew Channel is the best option to load a Wii homebrew application – it’s pretty much it’s intended purpose! It will list the DOL files in the apps folder on the SD card or USB HDD (selectable via button 1) – just click on the app and load. Simple!
Wifi
The HBC also supports loading of DOL/ELF files via wifi. There are several PC applications that enable the wireless transmission of files from a PC but the preferred one is WiiLoad (supplied with the HBC). There are various ways of using WiiLoad but I recommend using one of the third-part extensions listed on the WiiLoad page to make it easier to use.
If you prefer to run the homebrew app off the SD/USB HDD, but still want the convenience of not having to cart the DOL file over to the PC, you can transfer any file wirelessly through the use of WiiXplorer, which has an ftp server built in as well as the ability to copy/move/delete/rename files amongst it’s many features. WiiXplorer itself is a Wii homebrew app so will need to be run via another method – I recommend keeping it on your SD card/USB HDD or installing the WiiXplorer Channel so it can be accessed directly from the dashboard.
Channels
Some applications are available self-contained, such as WiiXplorer mentioned above, and appear as channels on the system menu. These come in the form of a WAD file and need to be installed to the Wii’s system memory via a wad manager. Once installed, they run from the Nintedo Wii’s internal memory so do not need any files on the SD card/USB HDD.
Other applications, such as Configurable USB Loader, also make use of a forwarder which is installed the same way as a channel but only forwards the open command to the relevent DOL on the SD/USB HDD. These are smaller than normal channels as they do not contain the full application and so uses less space on the Wii’s system memory, but do require files on the external storage to work.