Hacking Active IOS and Patched IOS

[climhazzard36]

Hello.

Sorry if this is a silly question but what is the difference between a patched IOS and an active IOS?
thanks.

 

[Taleweaver]

First of all, I've gotta say they're two unrelated things. So an IOS isn't either patched OR active. An IOS can be both...or neither, depending on the situation.

Patched IOS: in hacking, this is the general term for "it has the trucha bug re-added". The trucha bug was a bug in an IOS that'll allow running wads without proper signature. Nintendo has since patched that with version upgrades. However, the hacking community responded to that by allowing to "patch" clean IOS by reinstalling that trucha bug (and keep the rest of the IOS code up to date).

Active IOS: an 'IOS' is to a wii what a BIOS and an operating system are to a computer (but scaled down, obviously). It's basically the code that runs in the background. The main difference with PC's is that the wii has more than one. However, these IOS don't co-operate. It only uses one at a time, and AFAIK, all homebrew, games, channels and whatever else only uses that one. The one IOS that's used is the Active IOS.



(note @[member='otherscott22']: I'm going by hearsay and memory here. Please correct if things are inaccurate or even wrong).

 

[Hielkenator]

In terms of hacking with the help of modmii, update active ios , would mean the latest ios available from nintendo.
Example: you can have all the latest ios available on a deprecated system menu.
All active ios for 4.3 installed on a wii with system menu 4.1

This could mean you can play the lastest RETAIL games on an earlier system menu. Without having to update in order to get the game to work.
Obviousely you would have to have to have the cicumvent disc updates enabled from priiloader for retail disc also if a system menu is also available on the disc you want to play.
But for wiiware games etc it is also applicable.

 

[climhazzard36]

Thanks for the response

So a patched IOS is one that has been fakesigned so it contains the traucha bug,
and active IOS' are the most recent to date.

so a patched IOS will become a cIOS when added into a slot and active IOS' replace existing ones to newer revisions.

Am I getting that right?

 

[Hielkenator]

Thanks for the response

So a patched IOS is one that has been fakesigned so it contains the traucha bug,
YES
and active IOS' are the most recent to date.
YES, the latest version of a particular ios

so a patched IOS will become a cIOS when added into a slot and active IOS' replace existing ones to newer revisions.
Strictly speaking a patched ios is a cIOS because it's altered. so it's customized in a way hence the "c" in cIOS.
Commonly patched ios are not seen as a cIOS in a genaral way, though.

A cIOS is commonly associated with a ios slot number and the ios it is based on.
A cIOS to load backups with is not just a patched ios, it's far more than that.
Ideally it combines functions from various official ios ( wich are normally in separate slots ) to one universal cIOS, installed in it's own slot number.

A cios based on the official ios 56 is known for being able to run most games.
A few games need functions from the official ios 57 in order to work properly.
Respectlively these cios would be installed in slots 249 and 250, so your usb loader can work with them.
But other slots are also possible.
d2x cios are advised to be installed in these slots

Hermes cIOS are installed in slots 222, 223, 224 and normally would contain the functions of ios 38 in slot 222, ios 38/37 in slot 223 and ios57 in slot 224.
Cios slot 202 is used for homebrew and is commonly based on a system menu ios.

So to be clear a patched ios is an altered ios but, it's not a cIOS in the means of backuploading.
A patched system menu ios for instance can prevent overwriting your system menu ios by official nintendo updates, by maxing out it's version numbers.
A patched ios 36 installed in slot 236 is commonly used to get permissions enabled to install non nintendo stuff on your wii's nand.

Am I getting that right?