nds-bootstrap:

Thanks to the work of ahezard, Gericom, Apache, Robz8, _catcatcat, and shutterbug2000 and other contributors, we can now load NDS games from the SD card, without any flashcard/SLOT-1 card.

Don't expect high compatibility, but do expect many, many updates.

Compatibility listing:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LRTkXOUXraTMjg1eedz_f7b5jiuyMv2x6e_jY_nyHSc/edit#gid=0

The official Discord server for nds-bootstrap:
https://discordapp.com/invite/7bxTQfZ

The thread for the recommended loader (by Robz8):
https://gbatemp.net/threads/twloader-ctr-mode-nds-app.448375/

SRLoader for softmodded DSis (by Robz8):
https://gbatemp.net/threads/srloader-nds-app-for-dsi.472200/

If you're more of a forwarder person:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/nds-forwarder-cias-for-your-home-menu.426174/

Link to the releases page:
https://github.com/ahezard/nds-bootstrap/releases

Anti-Piracy patch list by Robz8
https://gbatemp.net/threads/ap-patch-preservation.477536/

Also, thank you to our testers:
Historian
JoshuaDoes
thejsa
Alerdy
PokeAcer

Spoiler: Videos

Also, a video thanks to Robz8:


And another thanks to Alerdy:

 

[FateForWindows]

How much has the speed decreased? Is it major?

 

[RocketRobz]

How much has the speed decreased? Is it major?

It hasn't been decreased.
Bigger or smaller size doesn't mean faster or slower speed, after all.

 

[FateForWindows]

It hasn't been decreased.
Bigger or smaller size doesn't mean faster or slower speed, after all.

Thank god. I thought the LRU cache increase helped increase the speed.

 

[RocketRobz]

Thank god. I thought the LRU cache increase helped increase the speed.

Well, it was slower before, due to the cache being in DSi WRAM, and the arm7/arm9 transfers.

 

[seseiSeki]

I read multiple times, that MegaMan Zero Collection is supposed to be working, but it never did for me. I already tried everything I could think of. I did multiple clean installs across different TWLoader and nds-bootstrap versions, tried every possible combination of TWL and NTR clock speed, the "Use donor rom" setting, MKDS or PvZ as donor Roms and the EUR, USA and Robz8 modified USA version of MMZ Collection. The only outcomes I had were: a weird graphic flashing on the screen for a few frames, followed by a black screen; a black screen followed by a white screen, and: weird clicking noises in combination with a black screen. Is there anything I missed or didn't try yet?

 

[Dracari]

I read multiple times, that MegaMan Zero Collection is supposed to be working, but it never did for me. I already tried everything I could think of. I did multiple clean installs across different TWLoader and nds-bootstrap versions, tried every possible combination of TWL and NTR clock speed, the "Use donor rom" setting, MKDS or PvZ as donor Roms and the EUR, USA and Robz8 modified USA version of MMZ Collection. The only outcomes I had were: a weird graphic flashing on the screen for a few frames, followed by a black screen; a black screen followed by a white screen, and: weird clicking noises in combination with a black screen. Is there anything I missed or didn't try yet?

didnt at one point early on Cluster size of teh SD Filesystem affect it just as bad as GBA VC's do? try copying everything off your SD and reformat test at 32kb and 64KB mine's formatted for 64kb an di have no problem running MMZero Collection (this used to also be a probelm for eaarly flashcards too so who knows?

 

[RocketRobz]

I read multiple times, that MegaMan Zero Collection is supposed to be working, but it never did for me. I already tried everything I could think of. I did multiple clean installs across different TWLoader and nds-bootstrap versions, tried every possible combination of TWL and NTR clock speed, the "Use donor rom" setting, MKDS or PvZ as donor Roms and the EUR, USA and Robz8 modified USA version of MMZ Collection. The only outcomes I had were: a weird graphic flashing on the screen for a few frames, followed by a black screen; a black screen followed by a white screen, and: weird clicking noises in combination with a black screen. Is there anything I missed or didn't try yet?

MMZC is broken for now.

 

[Deleted member 412537]

Omg, I finally got Animal Crossing to work after getting another US rom to try. Yaaay.

 

[Joshua Wright]

Omg, I finally got Animal Crossing to work after getting another US rom to try. Yaaay.

Trimmed Roms can cause issues so don't use them

 

[Deleted member 412537]

Trimmed Roms can cause issues so don't use them

I'll try to steer clear from those. Thanks for the response.

 

[RocketRobz]

Trimmed Roms can cause issues so don't use them

How so? They work fine for me.

 

[Joshua Wright]

How so? They work fine for me.

Really? Then I guess there are alot of bad Rom dumps out there

 

[Giodude]

Trimmed Roms can cause issues so don't use them

I use godmode9 to trim all of my roms and i haven't had issues with a single one.

 

[Joshua Wright]

I use godmode9 to trim all of my roms and i haven't had issues with a single one.

Godmode9 trims DS roms?

 

[Giodude]

Godmode9 trims DS roms?

With both godmode9 and decrypt9, when dumping a ds rom you have the option to dump either the entire rom or the trimmed rom. Trimming cannot break the game due to it just removing useless zeros due to not using the entire cartridge size.

 

[dubbz82]

With both godmode9 and decrypt9, when dumping a ds rom you have the option to dump either the entire rom or the trimmed rom. Trimming cannot break the game due to it just removing useless zeros due to not using the entire cartridge size.

Actually theoretically, it could. If there's any AP checks to look at the total cartridge size, this could become problematic...that being said, I honestly can't say for sure if any games for the DS had anything like that.

 

[Joshua Wright]

With both godmode9 and decrypt9, when dumping a ds rom you have the option to dump either the entire rom or the trimmed rom. Trimming cannot break the game due to it just removing useless zeros due to not using the entire cartridge size.

I know how trimming works but when most ds roms online were made some trimming software clipped other data too, I trimm my GC and Wii roms too.

 

[Joshua Wright]

@Robz8 I google around and seems This was how the DS handled wifi:
"This is unfortunately one of the consequences of how Nintendo did their software prior to the 3DS... the short explanation is that on the DS games basically take over the raw hardware with no operating system underneath, so the services we would normally associate with an OS -- like a wifi networking library -- have to be bundled into the game card instead.

The original DS hardware only supported WEP, and it seems that even after the DSi arrived with WPA support very few games shipped with support for it. And since the DS doesn't support soft updates for physical cards you're stuck with whatever the game shipped with."

 

[Disharmony16]

Hey, i just comeback and test the 0.5.1 version of bootstrap with megaman ZX and ZXA and they both don't freeze anymore, and with that boost of the last time is really enjoyable.
I want to say thanks a lot for this now i can play my favourite games of ds, sadly for Megaman Zero collection my objetive was start the wole saga since Megaman Zero 1.

 

[MashedPotatos]

The Compatibility spreadsheet lists New Super Mario Bros as working however it gives me a white screen, I'm using the latest version of nds-bootstrap and an SDHC card FAT32 and 64kb cluster size