This thread is outdated
A lot of information in this thread is heavilly out of date.
If you have time, and have Staff permission, feel free to edit this thread and remove this statement once necessary.

Some information that needs to be addressed:

• SX OS and Atmosphere now supports proper LayeredFS, instructions for using it has changed since this tutorial was made
• Supported Firmware information is out of date
• LFSKit needs to be updated to properly support non 5.x.x firmware
• Compatability chart needs to be re-made

-PRAGMA

WARNING

• DO NOT GO ONLINE WHEN DOING THIS (YOU WILL BE BANNED)

How to use LayeredFS for Backup Loading

Firmware Supported: ONLY 5.x.x
Use the PRAGMA LFS Kit below.

PRAGMA's LFS Kit

DOWNLOAD
SOURCE

• Go from NOTHING in your SD Card to playing a game backup in a few clicks!
• Decrypt .XCI -> romfs/exefs folder with main.nmpd auto edited aswell as folder's name auto renamed to donor titleid
• Download NOTHING except LFSKit!

ENJOY!

Picking a Donor Title and getting Donor TitleIDRunning Game Backups!

1. 
   
   1. A donor title is the application we will run to open the backup.
      Pick a game you don't care about (Download a Demo or a free game from eShop, for example Octopath Demo)
      saves are something no one knows much about, we don't fully know where or how they are stored.
      They might overwrite the donor titles save, so seriously pick a game you DONT care about, not a game you rarely play.
      
      
   2. I also recommend picking a donor title/game combo that has been tested and reported working just so you know if YOU did something wrong or not.
   3. Find the TitleID of the donor title you chose from http://nswdb.com or http://switchbrew.org/index.php?title=Title_list/Games
      Region must be the same, choose the TitleID for the base-game NOT for the update title, even if your updated.
2. 
   
   1. Once again, boot into Hekate-IPL (Step 1).
   2. Enter "Launch firmware" and select "RomFS".
   3. Your now in your system's home menu.
   4. Open the Donor Title you set the TitleID of on that folder and .npmd file earlier.
   5. The game will load up flawlessly.
      If you opened the Title lets say, Fortnite, and Fortnite booted, the titleid of the folder in sd:/atmosphere/titles/{fortnitetitleid} doesnt exist, or doesnt start with 0100.
      If it gives you an error screen, either you didnt edit the main.npmd properly, or its an incompatible title/donor combo.
   To see which games work and which dont using which donor titles, look below.
   If you notice that you used a combination of Game and Donor title that isnt in the list below, post in the thread and I will add it. (look under to see what I need to add to chart).
   

Troubleshooting

• Black Screen/Infinitely Loading
  Leave it for around 5 minutes then press the home button and go back into the game without closing it. Often this can do the job.
• Freeze when Loading
  Close the game and try again, its a common occurence, you may have to try up to 4-5 times before getting it to work, sometimes you may even have to reboot between retries.

 

[PRAGMA]

Hey, just adding a few precisions there.
You don't need to use copyrighted stuff for layeredfs, you can patch your own kernel.
Here's the source code for it (the full one, credits to Scires and Reswitched for fusee-secondary): kernelpatcher.zip, you need VS2017.
Thanks again to someone for sharing the binary without my permission and not sharing the full code with it, especially on Simon's server.
The real binary: kernelpatches.exe (others may be virus'd, we never know).
Just put a 5.x kernel.bin in the directory, you can get it with hactool and your package2 (remove the leading 0s with a hex editor).

For kernal.bin, where do we get that, you say package2, so eMMC SYS in Hekate? And its then the file named "SYSTEM"?

 

[thomasnet]

For kernal.bin, where do we get that, you say package2, so eMMC SYS in Hekate? And its then the file named "SYSTEM"?

If you have a full NAND dump, use HacDiskMount to dump the first Bcpkg2 (no need to put BIS keys in).
Open up a hex editor, remove the leading 0s.
Then use the resulting bin with hactool -tpk21 --outdir DIRECTORY PACKAGE2BIN and you have your Kernel.bin.

 

[Leozairus]

Digitally Mario Tennis Aces works with a donor from Skyrim. Saving works, too.

please HOW??

 

[kirby44]

Can we inject larger "games" into smaller ones?

 

[PRAGMA]

If you have a full NAND dump, use HacDiskMount to dump the first Bcpkg2 (no need to put BIS keys in).
Open up a hex editor, remove the leading 0s.
Then use the resulting bin with hactool -tpk21 --outdir DIRECTORY PACKAGE2BIN and you have your Kernel.bin.

With CTCaers eMMC Sys it dumps only BCPKG2 files. But which one do we need exactly? 1-Normal-Main?
And do you need -k keys.x for the hactool for pkg2bin?

Nice!
I got it,

 

[KevinX8]

Can we inject larger "games" into smaller ones?

yeah size of game doesn't seem to matter or donor. however it seems save file size permitted to donor has to be > save file size required by lfs game

 

[Goro87]

The Flame in the Flood works with Kitten Squad and saves

 

[luzi51]

Lost Sphear (Jap version) work with Fortnite (dont know for save)

 

[thomasnet]

With CTCaers eMMC Sys it dumps only BCPKG2 files. But which one do we need exactly? 1-Normal-Main?
And do you need -k keys.x for the hactool for pkg2bin?

Yep, it's 1-Normal-Main. And you do need the keys, I just didn't specify the options because I put them in ~/.switch/prod.keys.

 

[Hodorian]

if someone is interested in a python script to change the title Id:
here https://pastebin.com/qpcEiBzf

and if you add

python mainRenamer.py "xciDecrypted\exefs\main.npdm" 010025400AECE000
rename xciDecrypted 010025400AECE000

to the "Decrypt-XCI-v2.1.bat", you have a full auto fortnite patch generator

 

[jakkal]

can someone link me to the hekate mod that has the romfs feature
because the latest release i found on github doesnt have that option listed

edit: figured it out

 

[Dekirai]

Update on Hyrule Warriors with Fallout


Injected Game: Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
Donor Game: Fallout Shelter
Firmware: 5.1.0
Boots: Yes > Crashes after the first campaign map, maybe includes more crashes
Saves: Yes

 

[hoangsonx]

My list: running and save OK.

Donor game first

Axiom Verge / Kirby star allies
Has-Been Heroes / Bayonetta 2
Double Dragon 4 / Ben 10
Death Squared / Fire Emblem Warriors
Stardew Valley / Battle Chasers - Nightwar

.........

 

[KevinX8]

I also have a theory on why some games work but others don't. if you looks at the exefs of a game it's identical for every game (in terms of files, not sizes) apart from the files labeled "subsdk(X)". Some games have only 1 (X=0) and others have multiple. As layered fs just replaces files (it's original purpose is modding afterall) and the donor rom has > of these files than target game they won't all be replaced and the switch will attempt to load the remaining files. This probably causes the bootloops and infinite loads. So according to my theory fortnite should be one of those games with only one of these files if it is correct, someone should dump to check

 

[Manarte]

i can't encounter the kernel-patched.bin on google please help

 

[skydancer93]

Here’s my findings as I decided to try it out:

All work on 5.1.0 except where noted

Ittle Dew 2 = Fortnite

Tiny Barbarian DX = Fallout Shelter

Wild Guns Reloaded = Pokemon Quest

Azure Striker Gunvolt Deluxe Pack = Octopath Demo(NOT WORKING)

The Longest Five Minutes = Octopath Demo

Penny Punching Princess = Pinball FX3

 

[thomasnet]

i can't encounter the kernel-patched.bin on google please help

Dump yours and patch it using the instructions I described in the last few posts I made.

 

[Manarte]

Dump yours and patch it using the instructions I described in the last few posts I made.

Thanks!

 

[runetoonxx2]

which bayonetta works with fortnite???
the jap version or us?

 

[TotalJustice]

game: megaman collection
donor: Octopath demo
boot: YES (read notes)
save: YES
note: the switch intro logo will stick, press home and to get rid of it. Also game crashes first ever time loading.

game: mk8
donor: voez demo
boot: nah
save: nada