Hacking Luma3DS - Noob-proof 3DS Custom Firmware

[TheCyberQuake]

I'm confused, If copy to CTRNAND is it necessary to do it every time when update Luma3DS?

Yes, at least until the update programs (luma updater, star updater, etc.) properly include updating the arm9loaderhax.bin in ctrnand

 

[giglio17]

I'm having a slight issue

Ok lets say i get the .cia for smash bros 3ds from freeshop but it shows up as English Can i get a small help on what to do?

On the Pokemon Y on the wiki it says JPN JP can i get a hint on what it means like which is the console and the game loading it on?(What "JPN" mean and JP mean and to have it set on my USold3ds)

 

[FTRBND]

Whats the code.bin for luma?

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted User]

OK, so I created a post on Reddit asking for help with this, but I'm going to link to it here so that I don't have to duplicate my post. If you follow the thread, I answer the questions asked of me in follow-up posts (it is relatively brief beyond the initial post).

Assuming that I have followed the instructions correctly, what would cause my system to fail to boot (CTR or SD)? Obviously the CTR bin file is not being read, and it seems like my console is treating my sysNAND as if it were an emuNAND. I am sort of stumped right now and would appreciate any additional input anyone can give.

 

[AshleyCummings]

I am new with Luma 3DS still kinda confused by the differences but trying to figure out how would I go about installing DSI ware do I still do it the RXtools way install to system nand and emunand ?

 

[Aletron9000]

I am new with Luma 3DS still kinda confused by the differences but trying to figure out how would I go about installing DSI ware do I still do it the RXtools way install to system nand and emunand ?

if you are using a9lh, then you can install and run them from sysnand. If you are still using emunand, then yes you still need to install to sysnand for it to work in emunand

 

[AshleyCummings]

Yea I have luma Menu hax I don't have a9lh @.@ I only went to Luma cause it was easy and I didn't need to wipe my card it was drag and drop o.o but ok so install to both got it

 

[Aurora Wright]

The latest commits have a persistent error with the eshop / freeshop.

Fixed.

Yea I have luma Menu hax I don't have a9lh @.@ I only went to Luma cause it was easy and I didn't need to wipe my card it was drag and drop o.o but ok so install to both got it

Sadly this can't ever be fixed, because DSiWare games access the NAND registers directly (while 3DS ARM11 stuff doesn't know where it runs from, the ARM9 does the NAND read/writing).

 

[democracy]

Hey guys, I've been away for a while...Hello again!

I just updated to the latest Luma fork of arm9 and yes, I have that software semi-brick because I had the agb firm installed as well as the region free home menu... Can I install the origionals I have backed up to restore functionality, there from the previous firmware though.

Also, I'm coming from a previous build of arm9-luma that auto loaded from nand if payload was not on sd, I prefer not have payloads on the memory card and it seems now you can get full luma to run from ctrnand, awesome! is there a guide to setting that up?

Also, how can I get titles from other regions to display in home menu now that the previous region free home menus are no longer supported? Is this supported in luma now?

 

[Deleted User]

I just updated to the latest Luma fork of arm9 and yes, I have that software semi-brick because I had the agb firm installed as well as the region free home menu... Can I install the origionals I have backed up to restore functionality, there from the previous firmware though

First thing is first - you did not change the firmware, but the custom firmware loader. Luma patches the system's firmware during the boot/loading process and does not replace things (as far as I am aware).

To answer the question of how to solve this issue, see this part of the Luma3DS troubleshooting guide, where it talks about loading external modules.

EDIT: A question for somebody more knowledgeable than myself: is it possible to have the TWL/AGB issue during boot, but the screen fails to init? In my above posts (and reddit post), my screen doesn't turn on _at all_, just black as if it were off (e.g. not producing any light). The blue LED on my N3DS is also on. Renaming the A9LH payload with the "si" suffix doesn't help either.

 

[democracy]

First thing is first - you did not change the firmware, but the custom firmware loader. Luma patches the system's firmware during the boot/loading process and does not replace things (as far as I am aware).

To answer the question of how to solve this issue, see this part of the Luma3DS troubleshooting guide, where it talks about loading external modules.

EDIT: A question for somebody more knowledgeable than myself: is it possible to have the TWL/AGB issue during boot, but the screen fails to init? In my above posts (and reddit post), my screen doesn't turn on _at all_, just black as if it were off (e.g. not producing any light). The blue LED on my N3DS is also on. Renaming the A9LH payload with the "si" suffix doesn't help either.

Thanks: ) LOL, I have bricked twice now, on my second restore.

First time I updated with patched file, black screen, no way to use fbi as far as im aware.
2nd time, installed using fbi the original un-pacthed files for a lower firmware I had backed up for when I needed them...guess they are incompatible with newer firmware.

Update; okay I'm up and running

Can someone point me in the right direction for booting without sd?

 

[Deleted User]

First time I updated with patched file, black screen, no way to use fbi as far as im aware. 2nd time, installed using fbi the original un-pacthed files for a lower firmware I had backed up for when I needed them...guess they are incompatible with newer firmware

I had those installed on my Luma3DS 6.3.1 setup, using sysNAND 11.0.0 (US). I don't think that is necessarily the issue.

 

[Alex658]

Thanks: ) LOL, I have bricked twice now, on my second restore.

First time I updated with patched file, black screen, no way to use fbi as far as im aware.
2nd time, installed using fbi the original un-pacthed files for a lower firmware I had backed up for when I needed them...guess they are incompatible with newer firmware.

Update; okay I'm up and running

Can someone point me in the right direction for booting without sd?

https://plailect.github.io/Guide/updating-a9lh

Follow the instructions as stated there, nothing should go wrong.

 

[democracy]

So I am up and running but GBA fails to load, just goes to a black screen?

Update; Okay, it seems I need to have the payload on the sd for gba to work, is that normal? is there a patch we can apply to have it working from nand again?

Thanks guys and Thank you Aurora for the awesome firmware

 

[Vcliex]

hi, i'm using n3ds xl
ver 11.0.33 (not emunand)
do luma support n3dsxl ver 11 original from the system?
and if support, can i run ntr cfw?

thanks

 

[Aletron9000]

hi, i'm using n3ds xl
ver 11.0.33 (not emunand)
do luma support n3dsxl ver 11 original from the system?
and if support, can i run ntr cfw?

thanks

No, you have to be running luma from 9.2 or from a9lh. There are ways to downgrade from that firmware though with either a hardmod or second hacked 3ds. There is a new way that will allow you to downgrade without a hardmod or second 3ds, but it has not yet been released.

You also can't run ntr cfw without another cfw (luma)

 

[Vcliex]

No, you have to be running luma from 9.2 or from a9lh. There are ways to downgrade from that firmware though with either a hardmod or second hacked 3ds. There is a new way that will allow you to downgrade without a hardmod or second 3ds, but it has not yet been released.

You also can't run ntr cfw without another cfw (luma)

sad

thanks for your quick answer

 

[Aurora Wright]

I have a doubt about the CTRNAND stuff and the reboot patch (for GBA/DS/3DS extended memory games).
I can't tell where Luma booted from, so I need to use SD being inserted or not to determine using the /luma folder on SD or CTRNAND. This can't be changed.
But I saw people want to use arm9loaderhax.bin from CTRNAND even with the SD inserted...what could be done is making it try arm9loaderhax.bin on SD, then CTRNAND. but this also mean that if you have a /luma/path.txt on SD containing "/whatever.bin" this filename would be attempted first on SD then on CTRNAND.
Is this counter intuitive?

 

[GBHAKC75]

I have a doubt about the CTRNAND stuff and the reboot patch (for GBA/DS/3DS extended memory games).
I can't tell where Luma booted from, so I need to use SD being inserted or not to determine using the /luma folder on SD or CTRNAND. This can't be changed.
But I saw people want to use arm9loaderhax.bin from CTRNAND even with the SD inserted...what could be done is making it try arm9loaderhax.bin on SD, then CTRNAND. but this also mean that if you have a /luma/path.txt on SD containing "/whatever.bin" this filename would be attempted first on SD then on CTRNAND.
Is this counter intuitive?

I would more see it testing "/whatever.bin" on SD but regular "arm9loaderhax.bin" on CTRNAND as a fallback. Eventually you could put a "/luma/path.txt" on CTRNAND, but I don't really see the point.
That sounds more intuitive to me.

 

[Deleted User]

I have a doubt about the CTRNAND stuff and the reboot patch (for GBA/DS/3DS extended memory games).
I can't tell where Luma booted from, so I need to use SD being inserted or not to determine using the /luma folder on SD or CTRNAND. This can't be changed.
But I saw people want to use arm9loaderhax.bin from CTRNAND even with the SD inserted...what could be done is making it try arm9loaderhax.bin on SD, then CTRNAND. but this also mean that if you have a /luma/path.txt on SD containing "/whatever.bin" this filename would be attempted first on SD then on CTRNAND.
Is this counter intuitive?

Could you use the config file loading to determine whether you are CTR or SD, then display that on the configuration page when you hold select? Have an option that sets the default bootloader - if a file handle would be easier to read during boot time, you could just have that toggle create a "ctr_a9boot_default" or "sd_a9boot_default" file and have the bootloader automatically use whatever default you feel makes sense if that file is missing (e.g. - automatically use the SD seeing as that is the most noob-proof and easier to update).

EDIT: On that note, how hard is reading from CTRNAND? If you could set it up properly, you could have the a9lh always use the CTRNAND; as part of the boot process, copy the SD's a9lh boot file and payloads if they are newer, otherwise just boot normally from CTR. To the end user, it is completely transparent and if it fails and doesn't get written on the CTRNAND (due to the user powering down/etc), then they still have the SD backup.

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On a separate note, I fixed my sysNAND by loading the system menu that was "emuNAND", exporting title.db, import.db, and tickets, then restoring to a clean 9.2 backup and updating from there to 11.2.0 and re-injecting those files. TL;DR - I goof'ed in a dumb way somehow.