Hacking Haxchi - Boot fw.img from NAND - No SD card needed

[Ape8000]

https://github.com/Yardape8000/haxchi/releases/tag/v1.4noSD

** Be careful to follow the instructions exactly. I take no responsibility for bricked Wii U's.**
More useful for SysNAND, because for RedNAND you still need the RedNAND SD card installed.

This mod will allow you to install the custom firmware on NAND so SD will not be required. This does not replace the Wii U's firmware. This just puts fw.img on NAND so a modified Haxchi can read it.

Follow the usual method to install the Haxchi rom.zip.

While still in WUPclient, create a directory to store the firmware in.
w.mkdir("/vol/storage_mlc01/FW",644)

then copy the firmware from SD to NAND
w.cp("/vol/storage_sdcard/fw.img", "/vol/storage_mlc01/FW/fw.img")

If it does not copy from SD, you may have to mount the SD.
mount_sd()

I highly recommend you compile the latest firmware from here:
https://github.com/dimok789/iosuhax
"make cfw" or "make redNAND"

FWIW, Wile I do not recommend doing things you do not fully understand, I have created folders and files all over my sysNAND and USB have not bricked anything. That said, don't mess around and be careful.

 

[Deleted User]

Oh good !

 

[karloz25]

wow. looking forward to more simpler (script) auto installer.
Thanks!!!!

 

[subcon959]

wow. looking forward to more simpler (script) auto installer.
Thanks!!!!

It's only 2 commands

If you want you can also use dimok's ftpiiu_everywhere if you prefer using your favourite ftp client instead of command line.

 

[punkskaguy]

https://github.com/Yardape8000/haxchi/releases/tag/v1.4noSD

** Be careful to follow the instructions exactly. I take no responsibility for bricked Wii U's.**

This mod will allow you to install the custom firmware on NAND so SD will not be required.

Follow the usual method to install the Haxchi rom.zip.

While still in WUPclient, create a directory to store the firmware in.
w.mkdir("/vol/storage_mlc01/FW",644)

then copy the firmware from SD to NAND
w.cp("/vol/storage_sdcard/fw.img", "/vol/storage_mlc01/FW/fw.img")

If it does not copy from SD, you may have to mount the SD.
mount_sd()

I highly recommend you compile the latest firmware from here:
https://github.com/dimok789/iosuhax
"make cfw" or "make redNAND"

FWIW, Wile I do not recommend doing things you do not fully understand, I have created folders and files all over my sysNAND and USB have not bricked anything. That said, don't mess around and be careful.

Sounds good, very well investigated
Are there any advantages in terms of loading speed?

As fw.img is just around 20MiB unfortunately not?

 

[MeteK]

vickdu31, we are waiting for your noobs friendly script !

 

[Irastris]

This mod will allow you to install the custom firmware on NAND so SD will not be required.

Interesting mod! I'll have to see if I can make this modification to the CFWbooter app since I prefer to leave my Haxchi title exclusively as the Homebrew Launcher.

 

[Reecey]

Will this then boot into wupserver cfw img on boot up every time, instead of the original systemnand?

I'm not sure this is a great idea messing around with the actual system nand at least with an sd card if you make a mistake you can go back, with this there is no going back, after mistakes and also I would not do this if your not sure what you are doing with wupserver or commands in general! could be very costly and many brick WiiU's.

 

[Ape8000]

Are there any advantages in terms of loading speed?

As fw.img is just around 20MiB unfortunately not?

I haven't timed it, but like you say, it is a small file, so probably not.
It is just a convenience thing. You can launch the firmware and not worry if you remembered to have the SD with correct firmware installed.

More useful for SysNAND, because for RedNAND you still need the RedNAND SD card installed.

 

[C0mm4nd_]

Will this then boot into wupserver cfw img on boot up every time, instead of the original systemnand?

Nope. Just a modified version on Haxchi (click title and it will boot fw.img)

 

[Ape8000]

Will this then boot into wupserver cfw img on boot up every time, instead of the original systemnand?

I'm not sure this is a great idea messing around with the actual system nand at least with an sd card if you make a mistake you can go back, with this there is no going back, after mistakes and also I would not do this if your not sure what you are doing with wupserver or commands in general! could be very costly and many brick WiiU's.

You still need to launch Haxchi.
If using RedNAND, there is probably no reason to load custom firmware from NAND.
As for the risk, that is something each person has to access for themselves. Others are doing way more dangerous stuff, such as coldboothax.

 

[Reecey]

You still need to launch Haxchi.
If using RedNAND, there is probably no reason to load custom firmware from NAND.
As for the risk, that is something each person has to access for themselves. Others are doing way more dangerous stuff, such as coldboothax.

Don't get me wrong I think the idea of loading the cfw img without the need of the fw.img on your sd card is a really good idea, I would do it myself! but tbh I'm not sure installing the fw.img to your wiiu's nand, now that is the questionable part for me I don't think that part is a great move, not at these early stages anyway. For example, you have installed your fw.img to your nand and then Nintendo roles out an update and that somehow corrupts the wiiu's nand from updating? it might do, know one knows at this point I think its very risky. I know we have Rednand as the cfw to update but you never know in the future we might have an a9lh the same as the 3ds, where the actual system firmware will need updating? downgrading/updating etc..

 

[Ape8000]

Well, I thought this part was obvious, but maybe not.
It does not replace the Wii U's firmware.
Haxchi cfw loader needs to redirect the firmware read to somewhere. This mod makes that somewhere a folder on NAND instead of SD.

The original Wii U firmware is good to go for any future update. Nintendo will not deliberately check and brick a machine that has an errant file installed. It would just say your Wii U has been modified and can't be updated. Can't see them even bothering to check for this because you can put this folder anywhere on NAND if Haxchi is modified to suit. Even then, you would just have to delete the folder and fw.img, and update again.

But you are more then free to be careful, if you want.

 

[karloz25]

Does homebrew launcher have something similar? where we can install it on the sysnand and launch it without a sd card or internet access?

 

[yahoo]

Does homebrew launcher have something similar? where we can install it on the sysnand and launch it without a sd card or internet access?

It's possible to do, but then you would still need an SD card for all your apps, unless you also mean to move the apps folder onto NAND as well?

 

[subcon959]

Don't get me wrong I think the idea of loading the cfw img without the need of the fw.img on your sd card is a really good idea, I would do it myself! but tbh I'm not sure installing the fw.img to your wiiu's nand, now that is the questionable part for me I don't think that part is a great move, not at these early stages anyway. For example, you have installed your fw.img to your nand and then Nintendo roles out an update and that somehow corrupts the wiiu's nand from updating? it might do, know one knows at this point I think its very risky. I know we have Rednand as the cfw to update but you never know in the future we might have an a9lh the same as the 3ds, where the actual system firmware will need updating? downgrading/updating etc..

We already install gigs of games to nand so why not a tiny file like this?

 

[huma_dawii]

It's possible to do, but then you would still need an SD card for all your apps, unless you also mean to move the apps folder onto NAND as well?

That'd be great!

 

[yahoo]

That'd be great!

Not really, then any time you want to update to a newer version of any of the apps you want to use wupclient rather than just replace on the SD? Yuck!

 

[huma_dawii]

Not really, then any time you want to update to a newer version of any of the apps you want to use wupclient rather than just replace on the SD? Yuck!

Not big deal if they add some code for HBL Store so it can update the apps... straight from the servers.

 

[yahoo]

Not big deal if they add some code for HBL Store so it can update the apps... straight from the servers.

True. But it's also just best practices to minimize writing to NAND. Having an SD card in the wiiu doesn't seem like that big of a inconvenience.