Homebrew How to test quickly a HB build on the 3DS

[xem]

Hello!

I'd like to list all the ways allowing to quickly build a 3dsx file and test it in hbmenu without having to get the sd card out and in everytime.

Each way has its pros and cons, so we could discuss how to enhance them, or try to find a new solution together.

I'll update this post according to your comments.





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Use a New 3DS:

They seem to have a built-in feature allowing to transfer files between the PC and the console...
To be confirmed! Also, not sure if this is possible while hbmenu is running

ftPONY / ftBRONY

tuto

Pros:
- easy FTP access to the sd card using Filezilla / WinSCP. (read, write, create, delete, replace...)

Cons:
- bugs/freezes
- the IP often changes (is there a way to set a fixed ip?)
- we have to quit ftPONY to test the uploaded homebrew (this interrupts the ftp connection)
- we have to restart ftPONY to upload a new build


hbmenu's netcat feature

tuto

Pros:
- works directly in hbmenu

Cons:
- no FTP access / folder view
- Not permanent (uploaded files are not stored on the SD card, just playable on-the-fly)


Use a SD card containing a wi-fi chip

Has anyone tested it? Does it work? Does hbmenu refreshes its list when a new homebrew is uploaded?

Pros:
- Easily view / read / write files and folders on the SD card without quitting hbmenu

Cons:
- Price (~ 16GB = 30€)
- New 3DS only accepts microSD cards and those can't have wi-fi.


A little executable that makes, cleans and sends the project on the 3DS

See here


other solutions?

tell me





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Here's what I think would be great:


Merge hbmenu and ftPONY

hbmenu could be directly a FTP server


or


Make the 3DS appear on the local network

when hbmenu starts, it would be great to see a new device appear on our local network and access its filesystem (the sd card) directly from our computer.


or


Sync the 3DS with a computer or a cloud storage

The greatest thing would be to have hbmenu automatically syncing with a folder on my computer, or a folder in the cloud (dropbox, mega). How hard would it be to make this happen?


or

Something based on QR codes?


or


Something allowing to code & test directly on the 3DS?


or


Other ideas?

tell me



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Thanks for your answers!

 

[jamieyello]

I guess I should post my little batch file that goes in the project directory that runs make clean and make for you. Still haven't figured out how to send the file over to winscp automatically but the command is somewhere on this page

http://winscp.net/eng/docs/commandline

And there might be a better way by using synchronized directories, but last time I tried there was a problem with permissions with make not being able to run in a synchronized directory since it's open in another program or something like that.

 

[TidusWulf]

what is netcat, exactly?

 

[NCDyson]

If you're just testing out new builds of the .3dsx, I would imagine the netcat hbloader would be fine, but when you start wanting to load files off the SD card, it wouldn't be much help. In theory it shouldn't be too hard to rip out the FTP portions of ftpony/brony and implant them into the hbloader, but as I haven't seen the source to either application, I can't say for sure. Don't really have to time to do it myself either.

Before the release of ninjhax, I was gonna mod ftpony with a .cia installer, but since the hbloader can be modified to add in an ftp server, it seems kinda pointless now. maybe i'll take a look at it all this weekend.

 

[xem]

Updated OP with new tools & ideas that I received recently

 

[Zanoab]

If you know how to, you could serve the files over http locally and write a 3dsx file that would fetch a list of files and download them to the SD card. You could try a different protocol but I personally use http when testing programs on multiple computers because I can quickly hack the script to perform other stuff over http.

 

[Cyan]

Could Wii tools be used to send homebrew via wifi?
For example sendElf ?
It lets you specify the IP and port (set it to 9000) and the protocol : HBC 1.04 and less, with arguments, no file compression? or "svpe" which is probably plain file sent like netcat.


Edit:
I tested sendElf (in "TCP" protocol option) if doesn't work. It froze the HBL.



hbmenu sources include a batch for WinSCP:

Echo off
WinSCP.com /command "option batch abort" "option confirm off" "open 3ds" "put %~dp0%1.3dsx /boot.3dsx" "exit"

it opens a connection to "3ds" (it's probably the pre-defined connection name in WinSCP) and sends <foldername>.3dsx to /boot.3dsx (replacing the old hbmenu).
I guess it's used to write the new file to SD, not to launch it using the netcat feature.
I don't know if hbmenu contains a specific file receiver option to write to SD (not temporarily).

 

[The Real Jdbye]

what is netcat, exactly?

Think Telnet, but raw sockets, i.e. Telnet without control commands. There is no error/validity checking, you simply open a socket and send the file data, then the receiving side (hbmenu) decides what to do with it.

 

[xem]

Up!
Does someone own a new 3DS?
Is it true that this new console allows sending files from the PC (under windows 7/8 only) to the microSD?
And if this works when hbmenu is running?
Ty!

 

[Cyan]

"Music and picture", it will probably be a media manager integrated into the music player and picture viewer.
I don't see this as a full file manager. Nintendo allowing access to 3DS's files on SD while the console is running?

 

[xem]

Yep, well, I sgould receive my new3DS (from australia) this week. I'll keep you posted! ...

 

[ChrisRX]

I find a combination of ftpBrony to copy any SD files and netcat to automatically send and run .3dsx files after I've compiled them.

I would add netcat to the end of my makefile but I don't do it automatically to try and avoid the hbmenu crashes.

 

[Intronaut]

is the 3DS powerful enough to do a clone of a Git repository?

 

[NCDyson]

is the 3DS powerful enough to do a clone of a Git repository?

I don't see why not, but why would you want to?

 

[KazoWAR]

ftPONY / ftBRONY

tuto

Pros:
- easy FTP access to the sd card using Filezilla / WinSCP. (read, write, create, delete, replace...)

Cons:
- bugs/freezes
- the IP often changes (is there a way to set a fixed ip?)
- we have to quit ftPONY to test the uploaded homebrew (this interrupts the ftp connection)
- we have to restart ftPONY to upload a new build

Most, if not all routers have a feature where you can reserve a specific IP address for a MAC address.

 

[Cyan]

some (bad) routers don't work very well with assigning reserved IP.
You should set the IP manually in the consoles and computer's network setting too. use manual when setting the IP
IP 192.168.1.x
mask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.1 : router's IP to allow internet access or your fixed PC IP with shared internet access (useful if using a proxy to limit internet access)