Hacking EZ Flash IV kernel updated to 1.77

[Gafanhotz]

Hello everyone, probably a bunch of you didn't noticed this because it was released silently, so here it is:

EZ4 Kernel 1.77 DOWNLOAD
Support chinese game and saver name
improved the saver

Source: http://www.ezflash.cn/downloads/

------

Edit 1: The EZ4 Skinner R8 works fine on it. I even skinned the 1.77 kernel with Clearlooks and updated some strings of it, everything working fine, theme's on post attachments.

Edit 2: User localhorst86 pointed that the reset patch is working fine and also updated his skin to this version!

Edit 3: Do you hate the EZ Client to Patch roms? Use this alternative, the EZGBA, it's a patcher and rom utility!

Edit 4: Cracker just reposted the GBAATM latest version on a mirror (filetrip), it's been for a long time offline, so get it while it's hot!

 

[FAST6191]

Wow I missed that completely.

Skinning tools wise the tools for the newer/SDHC kernels should still work, however all the various hacks and patches that people have made for things like auto soft reset/auto hard reset will likely not work any more so it might be worth waiting a while. The updates here do not seem to be that useful for most (unlike the 256 bug from last time) so you can afford to wait.

 

[Gafanhotz]

Wow I missed that completely.

Skinning tools wise the tools for the newer/SDHC kernels should still work, however all the various hacks and patches that people have made for things like auto soft reset/auto hard reset will likely not work any more so it might be worth waiting a while. The updates here do not seem to be that useful for most (unlike the 256 bug from last time) so you can afford to wait.

I haven't used the mods for awhile, I kinda wanted to try the skinning tools just to change that ugly theme that came with it.

 

[TecXero]

I'll hold off. Everything works fine for me and I don't really want to take the chance of it breaking something when it doesn't really offer anything for me.

Thanks for the notification, though.

 

[Gafanhotz]

I built Clearlooks for this kernel update, updated some strings and tested it, everything working fine.

 

[Localhorst86]

I'll have you know that the reset patch actually still works on this kernel, the offset has not been altered. I have updated my skin accordingly, since I like to be a bleeding edge person. Emjoy.

http://gbatemp.net/threads/ez-flash-iv-skin-1-76-ez-flat-iv.389868/#post-5516791

 

[Gafanhotz]

I'll have you know that the reset patch actually still works on this kernel, the offset has not been altered. I have updated my skin accordingly, since I like to be a bleeding edge person. Emjoy.

http://gbatemp.net/threads/ez-flash-iv-skin-1-76-ez-flat-iv.389868/#post-5516791

Added your info to the OP, thanks!

 

[suloku]

I was excited to see there was a newer kernel, but these were my results with the 1.77 kernel on the ezIV lite deluxe:
- After updating my normal non sdhc sdcard wouldn't work, not even detected.
- When attempting to load a gba rom from it (using a 4GB sdhc card) a message saying that it wasn't a gba rom popped up.
- NOR couldn't be used, hanged writing at 3%
- DS mode was gone (I think they removed it, so was kinda expected)
- Can't use the cartridge as slot2 device for nds homebrew with the sdhc card (I mainly use it for nds cartridges savegame management).

And the wors: there was no way to update to a different kernel, the only way was to use the original non sdhc card formatted to FAT16 (FAT), FAT32 wouldn't work either, it said it couldn't find fla_update.bin

I'm I missing something? The downloads page states that it is compatible with the lite version

 

[FAST6191]

It should be compatible and some people have had issues with non SDHC cards not working with the new SDHC compatible kernels, it seems to be a side effect of them getting SDHC working on these devices. The not a GBA and NOR stuff is a fault though, I will have to look into it but I really like my EZ4 lite deluxes so I am a bit hesitant to play with them when the old stuff works fine for what I want.

DS mode does seem to have gone with the latest kernels and that will also mean you can not boot DS homebrew (like the ROM/save dumpers from it). I am not sure what goes with the various things you might be able to boot from the DS slot to then manage the GBA slot devices (could go either way) but for the most part. A pity this all happened as DS mode with SDHC compatible DLDI would have been nice for save and ROM dumping.

So yeah get back to an old kernel, probably best to go for the Modulo RESET hack one that everybody used for years.

 

[Localhorst86]

I noticed something weird today. I tried to load a rom into NOR to see if it hangs for me as well, but the process took way shorter than usual, it practically ran through to 128 Mbit and the game never appeared on the NOR Rom list. I went back to 1.76 to see if it happened there as well, and the same thing happened. I then tried it in my GBA SP (AGS 001), and there it worked fine. Went back to the regular non-lit GBA (AGB 001), same issue again. I couldn't even delete roms from nor or format it. Had to use the GBA SP again to do that

Does someone else have issues using NOR operations on a regular GBA?

 

[suloku]

It should be compatible and some people have had issues with non SDHC cards not working with the new SDHC compatible kernels, it seems to be a side effect of them getting SDHC working on these devices. The not a GBA and NOR stuff is a fault though, I will have to look into it but I really like my EZ4 lite deluxes so I am a bit hesitant to play with them when the old stuff works fine for what I want.

DS mode does seem to have gone with the latest kernels and that will also mean you can not boot DS homebrew (like the ROM/save dumpers from it). I am not sure what goes with the various things you might be able to boot from the DS slot to then manage the GBA slot devices (could go either way) but for the most part. A pity this all happened as DS mode with SDHC compatible DLDI would have been nice for save and ROM dumping.

So yeah get back to an old kernel, probably best to go for the Modulo RESET hack one that everybody used for years.

I'll stay on 1.72 reset, since I don't really need SDHC, if I get my hands on another sdhc card I might try again, but I don't really need that much extra space, but it bothered me why it wasn't working with my sdhc card, not even being able to downgrade from it.

The DS mode homebrew that access slot2 devices seems to be kernel independent, since it worked fine with my 512B FAT16 card when I had the 1.77 kernel. I think it only needs the correct DLDI, which for eziV only worked with FAT16 sd cards. Since now they are SDHC and FAT32 the dldi driver cant mount the card. I didn't try an SDHC with FAT16, it might work. I guess a new dldi could be made so slot 1 homebrew is compatible with the fat32 sdhc cards on the eziv with 1.75+ kernel.

 

[Gafanhotz]

I noticed something weird today. I tried to load a rom into NOR to see if it hangs for me as well, but the process took way shorter than usual, it practically ran through to 128 Mbit and the game never appeared on the NOR Rom list. I went back to 1.76 to see if it happened there as well, and the same thing happened. I then tried it in my GBA SP (AGS 001), and there it worked fine. Went back to the regular non-lit GBA (AGB 001), same issue again. I couldn't even delete roms from nor or format it. Had to use the GBA SP again to do that

Does someone else have issues using NOR operations on a regular GBA?

It happened with me when I first got my EZ Flash IV, but it's working fine now, I just cleaned up the contacts on the flashcard to solve it if I'm not mistaken. I'm currently writing Mother 3 to NOR right now.

Edit: All of this using an AGB-001.

Edit 2: Happened to me again for some reason. It got Mother 3 to as a 0KB file on NOR, but I rebooted and tried writing it again and it did it right this time. Maybe the EZ is just buggy? I also sent the rom through their client just to be sure. And now it's working again. I'm not sure about how I can delete a game from NOR.

 

[JCR1]

Hi, I have a problem, I recently put more games to my ez-flash but the problem is that I cannot exit the games with the L+A+B+UP , I marked the reset box correctly in the ez client, is problem of the ez client? I have other games that exits to the main menu at first try, passed a year ago.

Edit: Solved the problem with a older version, thanks.

 

[codezer0]

I can definitely appreciate team EZ working on the firmware rfor this thing so very long after my initial purchase.

That said, can they or we please do something about the miserable EZ Client? There has to be a better way to patch the games to get them to work on the flash cart than that miserable piece of crap. It's already a nag even in Windows 7... I can only imagine the hell I would go through trying to run it in Windows 10; there is also the annoyance of the fact that it is somethings flagged as a virus or PUP by even MSE of all things. I get that it needs to kinda work like that to patch the GBA ROMs to work on the flash cart hardware, but if it's already a nag now on Windows 7, I could only imagine the gripes that I'd go through with Windows 10 for instance.

If there was a way to send feedback about its miserable faults to Team EZ, or a chance at a new program that works better for the job, I'd jump at it.

 

[Localhorst86]

I can definitely appreciate team EZ working on the firmware rfor this thing so very long after my initial purchase.

That said, can they or we please do something about the miserable EZ Client? There has to be a better way to patch the games to get them to work on the flash cart than that miserable piece of crap. It's already a nag even in Windows 7... I can only imagine the hell I would go through trying to run it in Windows 10; there is also the annoyance of the fact that it is somethings flagged as a virus or PUP by even MSE of all things. I get that it needs to kinda work like that to patch the GBA ROMs to work on the flash cart hardware, but if it's already a nag now on Windows 7, I could only imagine the gripes that I'd go through with Windows 10 for instance.

If there was a way to send feedback about its miserable faults to Team EZ, or a chance at a new program that works better for the job, I'd jump at it.

You mean like this?


http://gbatemp.net/threads/release-ezgba-v0-1-0a-an-ez4-compatible-rom-patcher.395464/

 

[codezer0]

You mean like this?


http://gbatemp.net/threads/release-ezgba-v0-1-0a-an-ez4-compatible-rom-patcher.395464/

I had no idea this existed! Downloading now.

 

[SeongGino]

So do they still have the dreadful stock fish theme that comes with this?

That being asked, I don't think updating past, say, 1.76 is really preferable considering EZ-Team's rather flaky rep when it comes to updates for this thing. I REALLY appreciate them doing it and supporting a good product like this as best as they can, but... Iunno, it feels weird they themselves don't seem to bother bug testing the new firmwares properly.
I wonder if anyone ever thought of developing an alternative firmware... I suppose it's harder than stuff for like the R4 cards, but I guess that's just a thought.

 

[Clicador]

Need i to upgrade my old EZ FLASH IV (EZ402 2006.03) fw 1.74 with Clearlooks to the new firmware (1.77)?
If i don't, what is the best firmware ver. for my model? I need to downgrade to 1.72 RESET?

 

[FAST6191]

Need i to upgrade my old EZ FLASH IV (EZ402 2006.03) fw 1.74 with Clearlooks to the new firmware (1.77)?
If i don't, what is the best firmware ver. for my model? I need to downgrade to 1.72 RESET?

Does your NOR work with what you are on? Do you want to use SDHC memory? If your NOR works (including things like Mother 3) then you can probably stay where you are, if you want SDHC then you can update. Technically the SDHC did seem to make things a tad slower copying to PSRAM but not enough to truly trouble it.

Beyond that there are four kernels really to consider if you are on an older EZ4 model.
The pre lite deluxe kernel, it was the last not to have a bug that the RESET kernel was technically a workaround for. However it did not support the lite deluxe and missed a DS feature (DS-GBA link if memory serves) so only people that really knew what went would use this, however it allowed soft reset which some liked for various reasons.
The modulo RESET kernel that most used until the EZTeam came back to the EZ4. This is the one I bundled in the April 2009 pack that we used to link everybody and what most people used.
The later kernels that fixed NOR issues for some and allowed them to write a full 256.
The current kernels that do SDHC.

FOr the latter two there are some that people have worked out hard reset hacks for so you might go for them.

 

[Kalio]

Did anyone get sma3 working on this kernel? mine is stuck at a black screen after loading.