While the HB launcher (original and @mashers mod) is a pretty capable tool by now, there is one thing it can't do without additional help: loading ARM9 payloads. ARM9 payloads - for those that don't know - are binary executables designed to run on the ARM9 core of your 3DS console. It is the standard format of CFWs (PastaCFW, ReiNAND, rxTools, CakesFW) and certain software, such as Decrypt9. The HB launcher can't load these payloads, so there are workarounds like my Brahma2Loader. However, it would be much better if users could create their own payload shortcuts and use them directly, same as it is done in CTR Boot Manager and BootCTR now.
Introducing my Brahma2Loader with XML support, designed to make it easy and even fun for anyone to add his own customized ARM9 payload shortcuts directly to the menu. All you need is a O3DS / N3DS on or below 9.2, plus a little time to read and understand the very short readme below.
You may download and participate in the source code on GitHub:
Just pay me a visit at https://github.com/d0k3/BrahmaLoader
Why use this when my CFW / other software already comes with a 3DSX loader?
It goes without saying that more options are always better. The loader your software comes with, are you sure this is up to date? Does it work with *hax 2.5? And how often are there failures? What if the 3DSX loader of your software stops working with a newer *hax version and the original dev has no interest in further developing it? Using this method, you can be sure to have the most recent version of Brahma 2 loading your ARM9 payload. This even includes the autobootfix by @cpasjuste to hopefully further increase the boot rate and reduce failures. Also, keep in mind this gives you freedom. You can add anything, name it anything and use the icons you prefer, all with very little work and no actual programers knowledge involved from your side.
I won't do any more XML shortcuts myself. The ReiNAND one is fully working, but also only meant as an example. If you should make more XML shortcuts / SMDH files for popular software / CFWs (Decrypt9 / rxTools / CakesFW / ReiNAND / ...), you may post them here and help out the particularily lazy among us, though.
Introducing my Brahma2Loader with XML support, designed to make it easy and even fun for anyone to add his own customized ARM9 payload shortcuts directly to the menu. All you need is a O3DS / N3DS on or below 9.2, plus a little time to read and understand the very short readme below.
HTML:
XML loader example for use with Brahma2Loader / *hax 2.5+
=========================================================
Introduced with *hax 2.5, the HB launcher can now use XML files to
load .3DSX binaries with start parameters. This folder contains one
sample XML folder (for autoloading the ReiNAND CFW via Brahma2Loader)
and another folder containing a Microsoft Windows batch script to
easily generate SMDH icon/description files yourself.
If you just want to try it :
- Make sure your *hax is up to date, see here: http://smealum.github.io/3ds/
- Have BrahmaLoader ("BrahmaLoader.3dsx"/".smdh") installed in /3DS/BrahmaLoader/
- Copy "reinand.xml" and "reinand.smdh" to /3DS/
- Also make sure you have the ReiNAND CFW installed ("reiNand.dat" in root)
- You have a new entry in your HB launcher, use it to boot ReiNAND via Brahma
If you want to make your own:
- Open reinand.xml in a text editor of your choice
- In <args>, put "[PAYLOAD_PATH] [OFFSET_HEX] [MAX_SIZE_HEX] [VOODOO]"
note (1): A maximum size of zero means that max size should not be checked
note (2): [VOODOO] is a hex value between 00 and 1F that might help increase
boot success rates, possibly good values are 00, 03, 08, 0B, 0C and 0F
note (3): [MAX_SIZE_HEX], [OFFSET_HEX] and [VOODOO] are optional, just
"/Decrypt9.bin" would be valid as well (this would load from offset 0)
- If you want a custom icon, put the path to your SMDH into <icon>
- You may put the Brahma2Loader somewhere else, just change <executable>
- It is highy recommended to rename reinand.xml to something more fitting
Creating SMDHs? It's easy... (Windows only)
- Check out the folder called "zzz_create_smdh"
- Here, replace the icon.png with a 48x48 icon of your choice
- Open the file called "create_smdh.bat" in a text editor of your choice
- Here, replace the names/descriptions/paths as you see fit, then save
- Run "create_smdh.bat" via a double click in Windows Explorer
Credits:
- To smealum for making all this possible
- To patois who originally created Brahma
- To SteveIce10 and delebile who ported it to *hax 2.x as Brahma 2
- To archshift (and originally Normmatt) who provided the project
infrastructure along with Decrypt9/bootstrap that this project is based on.
- 3DBrewYou may download and participate in the source code on GitHub:
Just pay me a visit at https://github.com/d0k3/BrahmaLoader
Why use this when my CFW / other software already comes with a 3DSX loader?
It goes without saying that more options are always better. The loader your software comes with, are you sure this is up to date? Does it work with *hax 2.5? And how often are there failures? What if the 3DSX loader of your software stops working with a newer *hax version and the original dev has no interest in further developing it? Using this method, you can be sure to have the most recent version of Brahma 2 loading your ARM9 payload. This even includes the autobootfix by @cpasjuste to hopefully further increase the boot rate and reduce failures. Also, keep in mind this gives you freedom. You can add anything, name it anything and use the icons you prefer, all with very little work and no actual programers knowledge involved from your side.
I won't do any more XML shortcuts myself. The ReiNAND one is fully working, but also only meant as an example. If you should make more XML shortcuts / SMDH files for popular software / CFWs (Decrypt9 / rxTools / CakesFW / ReiNAND / ...), you may post them here and help out the particularily lazy among us, though.
Last edited by d0k3,
