Hacking Yifan Lu releases usbmc (auto mounts USB) for Vita/TV

[panzerwings]

I am surprised no one has posted about this, but Yifan Lu just released today (7/30/2017) usbmc. This will work with Enso to auto mount USB storage.

Quote from Yifan Lu's email update from indiegogo:
"While the boards are being assembled, I've completed the software installer for this project: https://github.com/yifanlu/usbmc

As a bonus, it works with PSTVs as well (with standard USB storage).

The installation process from a brand new non-hacked Vita is as simple as it can be (compared to some consoles where a 45-min install process is considered simple).

Use HENkaku update server to update to 3.60.
Install HENkaku.
Install HENkaku Ensō.
Screw in psvsd and install usbmc."
https://github.com/yifanlu/usbmc/releases/tag/v4

Tested and working great on my Vita TV! Just passing along the amazing work by Yifan Lu.

Edit 07/31/2017

This version (v4) of USBMC was news to me but it seemed to have been floating around for people with access to the Enso beta. Anyway, to clarify, I think Yifan Lu developed USBMC originally for the work on psvsd (3G Vita handheld), but it also works to auto mount usb drives on Vita TV with the official Enso release. I have only tried it on my Vita TV 3.60 with Enso. It works great and Yifan Lu has a readme for it at: https://github.com/yifanlu/usbmc/blob/master/README.md

Key point seems to be for installation: Install the USBMC vpk BEFORE plugging in the USB drive

Installation instructions from the Readme.md

Spoiler: Full Readme.md

usbmc

This is VitaShell's patches for USB storage support as a standalone plugin. If loaded on startup (before SceShell), it will automatically mount the USB storage as ux0 instead of the memory card or internal memory.

Full credits to The_FloW for the patches.

Note: When using USB storage as memory, make sure all taiHEN plugins are installed to ur0: with ur0:tai/config.txt as the config file. This is because taiHEN is loaded before usbmc so you cannot use taiHEN plugins installed to USB.

Installation

1. Make sure your USB storage drive is formatted to a single FAT, FAT32, or exFAT partition using the MBR partition scheme.
2. Install the vpk
3. Run usbmc to start the installer
4. Press X to install the plugin.
5. Reboot

Now you can use the USB storage as extra storage. Continue reading if you want to use it in place of your memory card.

1. Open the usbmc installer again.
2. Press X to start the memory card installation.
3. Choose to either copy VitaShell/molecularShell to the USB storage or copy everything from your memory card to the USB storage, replacing any files already on there.
4. Once the copying is complete, press X to shut down the Vita.
5. Remove your old memory card to start using your USB storage as a memory card.

Uninstallation

1. Insert a Sony memory card or remove the USB storage if you have internal memory (PSTV and PCH-2000).
2. Install the usbmc vpk to that memory card.
3. Launch the installer and use the Triangle option to uninstall.

Note you cannot uninstall usbmc while it is in use (duh).

Memory Card Priority

1. Vita memory card will be used if inserted.
2. USB storage will be used if inserted and formatted correctly.
3. Internal memory will be used if it exists (PSTV and PCH-2000).

 

[Shadow#1]

I am surprised no one has posted about this, but Yifan Lu just released today (7/30/2017) usbmc. This will work with Enso to auto mount USB storage.

Quote from his email update from indiegogo:
"While the boards are being assembled, I've completed the software installer for this project: https://github.com/yifanlu/usbmc

As a bonus, it works with PSTVs as well (with standard USB storage).

The installation process from a brand new non-hacked Vita is as simple as it can be (compared to some consoles where a 45-min install process is considered simple).

Use HENkaku update server to update to 3.60.
Install HENkaku.
Install HENkaku Ensō.
Screw in psvsd and install usbmc."

https://github.com/yifanlu/usbmc/releases/tag/v4

Tested and working great on my Vita TV! Just passing along the amazing work by Yifan Lu.

Um what is a "psvsd" ?

 

[panzerwings]

That's a hardware usb mod for 3g vita's being developed by Yifan Lu. It replaces the 3g modem in the vita so you can use a micro sd card. Anyway, usbmc can be used with vita tv with enso to auto mount USB drives.

 

[Trumpasaurus]

No freaking way! It totally worked!! woohoo!!!
FINALLY!!!

All that disconnected and reconnecting and toggling was such a pain in the arse.

Edit:

Oh, let me tell you what I did just so others don't have to do testing with this. The instructions for this are lacking at the moment.
I had my PSTV unplugged from the USB drive.

1) I transferred the .vpk file to the 1GB system memory via FTP/VitaShell.
2) Still within VitaShell, I installed the .vpk titled "usbmc" (which installs the plugin).
3) It launches a prompt regarding the plugin. It doesn't mention whether you should have your hard drive plugged in at that point, but I went ahead and did it anyway. After plugging in my hard drive, I agreed with the prompt within the app.
4) The app reboots your Vita.
5) I opened VitaShell to double-check that it mounted. And sure enough, it did! Note: I relaunched it one more time and it still worked after the second reboot.

Suggestions: Maybe we can enhance the instructions? What if they try to install from usb hard drive? Does it make a difference where the vpk is installed from or would that cause a problem?

 

[zoogie]

...
The installation process from a brand new non-hacked Vita is as simple as it can be (compared to some consoles where a 45-min install process is considered simple).
...

That's following the guide as a new user. If you know what you are doing and pre-prepare the sd files, it takes 5 minutes to hack a virgin 3ds.
Once ntrboothax is out, < 60 secs is possible.

That being said, it is awesome the Vita scene keeps getting better. Not knocking it at all.

 

[Trumpasaurus]

That's following the guide as a new user. If you know what you are doing and pre-prepare the sd files, it takes 5 minutes to hack a virgin 3ds.
Once ntrboothax is out, < 60 secs is possible.

That being said, it is awesome the Vita scene keeps getting better. Not knocking it at all.

I remember first hacking the 3DS. Took me 6 hours. It was a DAUNTING process. There were several 30-40 minute backup periods and all of this waiting on screens and stuff. I remember it being very annoying.
But you're right... now it's super quick and easy as long as you follow every step exactly. But practice makes perfect. Once you start tinkering with stuff like this it all seems much easier. I think people can forget what it was like when you first started hacking stuff.

 

[yifan_lu]

That's following the guide as a new user. If you know what you are doing and pre-prepare the sd files, it takes 5 minutes to hack a virgin 3ds.
Once ntrboothax is out, < 60 secs is possible.

That being said, it is awesome the Vita scene keeps getting better. Not knocking it at all.

Sure, but hacking the 3DS is like a "choose your own adventure". Just reading the guide will take you half an hour. Maybe it's easier now but I remember when you have to downgrade to 9.2 then to 2.1 then do some patching and then upgrade back to 10.x. Each time requiring a full NAND restore. And tools have language full of jargon (sysnand? CIAs?) and options you have to choose. The guide would have to tell you which option to pick. Like wtf. If we made it, everything would be one click and written in english.

Meanwhile if you want to run homebrew on the Vita, anyone who knows how to visit a website can do it in 30 seconds.

If you want to pirate on the Vita though it's more complicated but that's because pirates write shit code.

 

[Trumpasaurus]

Sure, but hacking the 3DS is like a "choose your own adventure". Just reading the guide will take you half an hour. Maybe it's easier now but I remember when you have to downgrade to 9.2 then to 2.1 then do some patching and then upgrade back to 10.x. Each time requiring a full NAND restore. And tools have language full of jargon (sysnand? CIAs?) and options you have to choose. The guide would have to tell you which option to pick. Like wtf. If we made it, everything would be one click and written in english.

Meanwhile if you want to run homebrew on the Vita, anyone who knows how to visit a website can do it in 30 seconds.

If you want to pirate on the Vita though it's more complicated but that's because pirates write shit code.

Yeah, I totally agree with you. See my post above. When I first hacked my N3DS last year, it was a daunting process. I almost gave up during it. The version of the guide I read wasn't too clear in some parts of it. And if you missed one TINY little step along the way, it would derail everything. Then you had to comb through the entire guide to figure out where you messed up. The troubleshooting for one tiny file misplaced (or whatever you did wrong) would definitely add time onto your homebrew installation.

 

[yifan_lu]

Yeah, I totally agree with you. See my post above. When I first hacked my N3DS last year, it was a daunting process. I almost gave up during it. The version of the guide I read wasn't too clear in some parts of it. And if you missed one TINY little step along the way, it would derail everything. Then you had to comb through the entire guide to figure out where you messed up. The troubleshooting for one tiny file misplaced (or whatever you did wrong) would definitely add time onto your homebrew installation.

Yeah I know what you mean. The way I see it is that a couple of really smart folks wrote powerful all-purpose tools and then other people just took those tools, wrote down the right options and steps and the Guide became a bible. At the end of the day it's a bunch of humans blindly following a long list of complicated instructions written in jargon that nobody understands with tonnes of conditionals, repeating steps, etc... Basically making humans do tasks that computers are designed for.

3DS hacking has become a religion/cult because of how hard it was to install a9lh. Nobody understands the Guide but everyone preaches its truth to unenlightened folks. You're supposed to follow the instructions herein blindly and without question. Any deviance will be punished and the sinner excommunicated.

 

[Trumpasaurus]

Yeah I know what you mean. The way I see it is that a couple of really smart folks wrote powerful all-purpose tools and then other people just took those tools, wrote down the right options and steps and the Guide became a bible. At the end of the day it's a bunch of humans blindly following a long list of complicated instructions written in jargon that nobody understands with tonnes of conditionals, repeating steps, etc... Basically making humans do tasks that computers are designed for.

Totally.
You know...the ultimate thing would be to write a script that would do all of this for you. Can you imagine just plugging in the SD card, hooking it up to the computer and letting it do all the work? I know that's a fantasy, but hey - why not?

I do love that we're in the golden age though. Don't you think? 3DS is totally blasted open. Wii U is like 90% there. Vita is coming along swimmingly. The only thing left would be to open up games on firmware 3.61. That would be amazing.

 

[metroid maniac]

I'm not sure I understand what this is for. The releases page on github hints that it can be used on the LCD Vita, but I thought this was only for the 3G OLED Vita (via the psvsd mod) and the PSTV (which has native USB storage)
Is this an oversight?

 

[Flame]

If you want to pirate on the Vita though it's more complicated but that's because pirates write shit code.

maybe Sony is smarter than Nintendo and why we need a old firmware on the Vita to run homebrew....




joking i love you man. appreciate everything you done for the scene.

 

[WiiUBricker]

@yifan_lu Getting into hacking and complaining about being hackingly correct is like joining the NBA and complaining about the height of the basket.

 

[Ryccardo]

Sure, but hacking the 3DS is like a "choose your own adventure".

That's in great part because there's a real freedom of choice (which exploit, which cfw, which title manager...) (although most people blindly follow the guide instead of thinking and miss this fact), while Vita has, oversimplifying, only one entrypoint on 3.60, one and half vpk installers...

 

[Thelonewolf88]

I am surprised no one has posted about this, but Yifan Lu just released today (7/30/2017) usbmc

It's probably not mentioned before because this is not exactly new and has been available since the Enso beta and was only just updated because it had broken some stuff for PSTV recently.

 

[yifan_lu]

I'm not sure I understand what this is for. The releases page on github hints that it can be used on the LCD Vita, but I thought this was only for the 3G OLED Vita (via the psvsd mod) and the PSTV (which has native USB storage)
Is this an oversight?

I mean every vita has multiple USB ports. Some are just not activated. If you can get them to work, you can use this plugin as is.

 

[dkabot]

Yeah I know what you mean. The way I see it is that a couple of really smart folks wrote powerful all-purpose tools and then other people just took those tools, wrote down the right options and steps and the Guide became a bible. At the end of the day it's a bunch of humans blindly following a long list of complicated instructions written in jargon that nobody understands with tonnes of conditionals, repeating steps, etc... Basically making humans do tasks that computers are designed for.

3DS hacking has become a religion/cult because of how hard it was to install a9lh. Nobody understands the Guide but everyone preaches its truth to unenlightened folks. You're supposed to follow the instructions herein blindly and without question. Any deviance will be punished and the sinner excommunicated.

Almost makes me wonder what the process would look like here if the landscape was similar.
Or even more interestingly, what Enso's brick risk would be when trying to follow a bunch of manual steps.

I mean every vita has multiple USB ports. Some are just not activated. If you can get them to work, you can use this plugin as is.

1000's top port still isn't activated? I'm kinda surprised considering how much else has been broken open.
Be cool (though likely redundant for most people now) if that were to ever happpen.

 

[yifan_lu]

Almost makes me wonder what the process would look like here if the landscape was similar.
Or even more interestingly, what Enso's brick risk would be when trying to follow a bunch of manual steps.


1000's top port still isn't activated? I'm kinda surprised considering how much else has been broken open.
Be cool (though likely redundant for most people now) if that were to ever happpen.

I mean it might not be too hard to activate it but 1) nobody is looking and 2) it seems a hassle to use even if activated.

 

[Burnt Lasagna]

So, what's the difference between v3 and v4? Is v4 just the inclusion of a VPK installer?

 

[Columbo2811]

So, what's the difference between v3 and v4? Is v4 just the inclusion of a VPK installer?

Yes. It's for those that can't follow the instructions to set it up