Hacking DS/DSi/3DS "hacking" F.A.Q.

Rydian

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[Truth said:
]You can not hack the DSi.
Hacking =/= Piracy, please do not spread this misbelief wider than it is already!
Bypassing previously-compulsory signature verification and gaining rights higher than you'd normally have in order to run unsigned code. That is one of the most well-known definitions of "hacking", and it is most certainly what is going on here.

And as another person mentioned...
http://hackmii.com/2009/07/dsi-mode-homebrew-anyone/ (original exploit)
http://davejmurphy.com/dsi-mode-homebrew-anyone/ (furthering original exploit)
http://hackmii.com/2011/01/sudokuhax-release/ (second exploit that lets you load homebrew)
I really think you should check your facts and definitions before trying to call somebody out next time.

Yes it's most often used for piracy, but that does not change what it is.
What sport a man plays in his off time has no bearing on his ethnicity.



If you're trying to argue semantics, please pay some attention. This is a guide for beginners, who would often not have the terms correct. I used the term they would be looking for (and I put the word "hacking" in quotations in the title because I know some people would complain).

Again, if you all are disappointed that this is not something new and I haven't decrypted the firmware or anything, why would that be in an F.A.Q. for beginners?. If this was some method on decrypting the firmware and inserting a jump past the signature checks in the bootloader's ROM to make it boot decrypted (and thus modifiable) firmware... it would not be a guide for beginners.
 
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Rydian

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GH0ST

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Very nice guide
hrth.gif


QUOTE said:
You are only allowed to back up your own games.
It is illegal in some countries too.

You could mention FlashMe for historical reason as a hacked firmware for DS/DSL that allows to start code in DS mode from a flash card in the GBA slot. Even if it is not needed anymore with modern slot1 linkers it effectively removes the health screen of the device, making it less annoying to boot.
 

Rydian

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GH0ST said:
QUOTE said:
You are only allowed to back up your own games.
It is illegal in some countries too.This site's primarily concerned with US/UK/AU law, is it the UK or AU?

GH0ST said:
You could mention FlashMe for historical reason as a hacked firmware for DS/DSL that allows to start code in DS mode from a flash card in the GBA slot. Even if it is not needed anymore with modern slot1 linkers it effectively removes the health screen of the device, making it less annoying to boot.
I'd rather not, as slot-2 cards are going out of production one by one and that's a bad method nowadays when a slot-1 card is better in all methods for the DS. Don't want to egt the readers started down an incorrect path, you know?


QUOTE(lukecop80 @ Feb 10 2011, 04:26 PM)
i didnt know rydian was in the magazine staff now, congratulations!
Heh, thanks.
 
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loco365

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Congrats on the promo.

I was curious- if the Sudokuhax filesize cap was removed, how large of a file could be loaded? And- you should mention that GBA emulation can only be done on the two special cards. It'll prevent "HOW CAN I PLAY GBA ON DSI??"
 
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GH0ST

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Rydian said:
This site's primarily concerned with US/UK/AU law, is it the UK or AU?
According to some recent High Court decision it is illegal or at least questionable in the UK since you bypass some Nintendo's security.

QUOTE said:
The high court set a new precedent by adjudging that it is illegal for the R4 card to circumvent Nintendo’s security systems in order to play content on the DS. This ruling impacts on emulator owners who have hitherto insisted that playing homebrew games on the DS is not piracy.

The high court judgement was made against Playables Limited and Wai Dat Chan. ( http://www.mcvuk.com/news/40185/R4-made-illegal-in-UK )

QUOTE said:
Playables Limited's defence counsel argued that the R4 was legal as it allowed the use of homebrew applications. However, circumnavigating Nintendo's (or any other manufacturer's) security systems is against the law in this country, and because the card needs to do so to work, it is therefore illegal. (http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/34619/uk-renders-r4-cards-illegal)

QUOTEThe chips are often advertised as 'back up' devices, as owners can also save their own DS games onto cards – although this apparently legitmate practise was always a murky and legally ambiguous justification.
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/jul/28/games-controversy )

QUOTE
Playables had hoped to use the homebrew angle to defend the sale of the backup devices, but this appeal was ulimately rejected because the devices by nature must bypass Nintendo's security.
( http://www.neoseeker.com/news/14460-ds-fla...for-sale-in-uk/ )

I believe a general warning is better for beginners.
 

CannonFoddr

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Rydian said:
GH0ST said:
QUOTE said:
You are only allowed to back up your own games.It is illegal in some countries too.This site's primarily concerned with US/UK/AU law, is it the UK or AU?According to US law (section 117) you CAN make a back up copy of a computer program provided that:
QUOTE said:
* the new copy is being made for archival (i.e., backup) purposes only;
* you are the legal owner of the copy; and
* any copy made for archival purposes is either destroyed, or transferred with the original copy, once the original copy is sold, given away, or otherwise transferred.It is worth stressing that this ONLY applies to computer software (not music, films, etc, etc.) However the page goes on to state:
QUOTE
It is also important to check the terms of sale or license agreement of the original copy of software in case any special conditions have been put in place by the copyright owner that might affect your ability or right under section 117 to make a backup copy. There is no other provision in the Copyright Act that specifically authorizes the making of backup copies of works other than computer programs even if those works are distributed as digital copies.

Unfortunately here in the UK the law is not so clear (I've yet to find anything like the US law, for the UK).. the closest I've found is this reply in a forum thread
QUOTE
Technically you may be held to be committing an offence, as you've bought the rights to one copy; while you are normally permitted to make a backup copy of what you bought, for your own purposes, it is supposed to be a copy of that one you bought, not a new download which is in effect a new copy.
Note that this also refers to SOFTWARE (such as that which comes on DVD/CD's) only, which may (or may not) include the software stored on a DS game cartridge... since to backup such software you need to bypass the existing 'security measures' of the game card - which is considered 'hacking' - & that is apparently Illegal in the UK
 
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kaputnik

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Rydian said:
There's like 452 threads about that already. I specifically made this to not mention any because every other "beginner" guide (including the currently-named sticky) barely goes into this stuff, and is just a list of flash carts. We don't need another list. We need actual info for newbies.


I realize that it wouldn't be an all too good idea to start recommending flashcarts in a newbie FAQ, considering that the flashcart market is constantly changing. What's best today isn't necessary the best tomorrow, you'd have to update it all the time. And then we have that personal taste and needs factor too.

But perhaps it's an idea to give some hints about where in the forums you can read up on what's hot in the flashcart business at the moment? Not the actual information, just some help finding the info needed to make the choice.
 

evandixon

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(Hopes this isn't considered adveratising)
You should add:
Q - I was using flashcart X, and I've moved to flashcart Y, but the save files don't seem to be compatible. I've tried making sure the file has the correct name (*.sav instead of *.nds.sav) and the correct directory, but it still doesn't work. What do I do?
A - Try converting the save file at http://saves.uniquegeeks.net/
 

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