Hacking Question Safe way to play emulators only?

Stremon

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Hey guys,

So until now I avoided doing any custom firmware/homebrew things on my switch since I want to keep using it online.
But with the announce of SX-OS 1.6 stealth mode, I saw some people talking about the function called "creport" that report the crashed to big N and all, and how the stealth mode already exist somehow.

So is there any way right now that allows you to launch homebrews without living any trace and then not have any traces while launching normal games? Or do I have to wait for the release of Atmosphere maybe?
I specify that I'm not interested in launching Switch games backup at all, I just want to use emulators and old games programs like Scummvm.

Thanks ;)
 

FAST6191

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Properly safe.
Still just the take a NAND backup of a clean install, do offline mods, and restore the clean NAND at a later date, or take it offline until such a time as we figure out the log formats and can fix them properly.

In the future there may be emulated NAND options which can be offline or configured to not reveal keys, or out and out modes where all the checks are found and defeated. This is not today though.

If you want to be a willing participant in the "the attackers only have to be right once" (and in this case it is Nintendo attacking homebrew users) for SXOS' attempt to root out all the checks, or at least their sending of data in their mode, then feel free. If you care though then don't be first to test such things. Nintendo is playing hard and for keeps this time around and thus you want to play just as hard if you care about online.
I doubt Atmosphere will be particularly different here at first (reading all the various devs have put out there they are hardly the open source answer to SXOS, instead we have some of the common moralising bits going on. That said if just offline homebrew is your only goal then it could change things).
 

Ericthegreat

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Hey guys,

So until now I avoided doing any custom firmware/homebrew things on my switch since I want to keep using it online.
But with the announce of SX-OS 1.6 stealth mode, I saw some people talking about the function called "creport" that report the crashed to big N and all, and how the stealth mode already exist somehow.

So is there any way right now that allows you to launch homebrews without living any trace and then not have any traces while launching normal games? Or do I have to wait for the release of Atmosphere maybe?
I specify that I'm not interested in launching Switch games backup at all, I just want to use emulators and old games programs like Scummvm.

Thanks ;)
We don't know how hard Nintendo is cracking down, the only somewhat safe thing to do would be to immediately make a Nand backup, put the switch into airplane mode, then restore when your done playing. It's a bitch to do (1 hr to backup, 1 hr to restore) and I've heard it's dangerous, since it's hard on the Nand to do a full backup and restore many times. The reality is:

Would it not be nice for Nintendo to ban users that played legitimate Homebrew?

Yes, but you still circumvented their software protections, that you agreed not to, and I'm guessing most Homebrew when ran is registered in some type of a log. There are things like creport and sx os stealth mode (which I've heard is just creport and something called "pm"), but it seems no one is certain about what is sent to Nintendo. And most ppl working on it are trying to block Nintendo from seeing their pirated games, I dunno if Homebrew is registered/logged the same way....

TLDR nothing is safe except maybe to do a nand backup, and that's only a maybe if it's the first thing you do BEFORE you run anything, and DO NOT go online! And even that has it's caveats.
 
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bundat

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Use Lakka.
It doesn't even use your NAND/eMMC, nor do you have to boot into Horizon.
It runs from RCM as a payload (much like Hekate), so Horizon isn't running AT ALL.
Theoretically should leave no traces.

It's technically not a homebrew (you don't launch it from HBL as an .nro), it's basically a replacement OS.
Much like booting a Linux LiveCD on a PC, the installed Windows OS (or Horizon for the Switch) has no clue it was ran.
(AFAIK Lakka is actually a Linux distro)
 
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Stremon

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Thanks guys for your fast and precise answer, you're very helpful as always :bow:

Properly safe.
Still just the take a NAND backup of a clean install, do offline mods, and restore the clean NAND at a later date, or take it offline until such a time as we figure out the log formats and can fix them properly.

We don't know how hard Nintendo is cracking down, the only somewhat safe thing to do would be to immediately make a Nand backup, put the switch into airplane mode, then restore when your done playing. It's a bitch to do (1 hr to backup, 1 hr to restore) and I've heard it's dangerous, since it's hard on the Nand to do a full backup and restore many times.

Yeah it sounds like a pain to do the backup and restore every time, I think I will pass until there is a better and safer solution...

One thing I wondered but couldn't find the answer anywhere, when you restore a backup does your official game saves get overwritten?
For instance if I forgot to reboot in normal mode and I play a game offline before restoring the backup.
 

bundat

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One thing I wondered but couldn't find the answer anywhere, when you restore a backup does your official game saves get overwritten?

Yes, saves are in the "save" and "savemeta" folder, and the PRF2SAFE.RCV file, in the USER partition of your NAND.
I will again vouch for Lakka being as undetectable as RCM payloads like Hekate, but I'd recommend asking in their thread as well.
 
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Stremon

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Use Lakka.
It doesn't even use your NAND/eMMC, nor do you have to boot into Horizon.
It runs from RCM as a payload (much like Hekate), so Horizon isn't running AT ALL.
Theoretically should leave no traces.

It's technically not a homebrew (you don't launch it from HBL as an .nro), it's basically a replacement OS.
Much like booting a Linux LiveCD on a PC, the installed Windows OS (or Horizon for the Switch) has no clue it was ran.
(AFAIK Lakka is actually a Linux distro)
Oh very interesting, I didn't know they ported Lakka distro on the switch.
Good example, it reminds my old days playing with linux haha
So I would pretty much boot the Lakka live files from the SD card, that seems like a very good solution indeed.
I will ask them if there is no risk while launching the payload itself.
thanks again ;)

Edit: ah crap, just saw that Lakka doesn't work on ExFAT SD card, mine has already been formatted in ExFAT I think :unsure:

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Apparently the sound isn't working any way.
Well, let's wait and see, it looks promising already ^_^
 
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Reaga

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Damn, I was curious about Lakka since I kind of want to port my PSP emulators over to another system but my card is also exFAT and I don't have a bluetooth headset.
 

RHOPKINS13

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I've been using an old version of Hekate (CTCaer mod v2.3) with nx-dreport every boot for months, ever since it was released. I go online with it all the time, I don't mess with NSPs, LayeredFS, or any form of backup loading. No ban yet, but all I really use homebrew for is Checkpoint, eDuke32 for Switch, and emulators.

Basically, as long as you're not using cheats online, not installing NSPs, and not using LayeredFS, the likelihood of a ban is very small. I'm playing it a little risky, I wipe my error logs at every boot, most people here will tell you that wiping error logs can lead to a ban but I've been using this setup for months. Maybe I'll get banned later, maybe I won't. But for now it works for me, and it stops any homebrew error messages from reaching Nintendo.
 

Ashura66

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I've been using an old version of Hekate (CTCaer mod v2.3) with nx-dreport every boot for months, ever since it was released. I go online with it all the time, I don't mess with NSPs, LayeredFS, or any form of backup loading. No ban yet, but all I really use homebrew for is Checkpoint, eDuke32 for Switch, and emulators.

Basically, as long as you're not using cheats online, not installing NSPs, and not using LayeredFS, the likelihood of a ban is very small. I'm playing it a little risky, I wipe my error logs at every boot, most people here will tell you that wiping error logs can lead to a ban but I've been using this setup for months. Maybe I'll get banned later, maybe I won't. But for now it works for me, and it stops any homebrew error messages from reaching Nintendo.

Wiping error logs WILL get you flaged which will then get you banned on the next ban wave. Nintendo expects a used system to have SOME logs, having zero logs is an instant red flag for them
 

RHOPKINS13

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Wiping error logs WILL get you flaged which will then get you banned on the next ban wave. Nintendo expects a used system to have SOME logs, having zero logs is an instant red flag for them

You say that yet I've been doing this for months. So far there has only been one confirmed instance of someone being banned from clearing their logs. My idea is to continually clear the logs so that no errors ever make it to Nintendo, what they flag on is if they see error logs on a Switch one day and then see that those logs have gone missing another day.

But I'm using AutoRCM, and I have nx-dreport running every time I send the payload. Nintendo never gets a chance to see an error log.

If Nintendo is always expecting at least a certain number of error logs, other programs like creport would be useless for anyone other than devs.
 

kumikochan

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safest way would be using the webkit exploit to launch homebrew menu if you're below 4.1.0. Nobody has been banned that way plus I used to do it like that a million times and never got banned.
 

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You say that yet I've been doing this for months. So far there has only been one confirmed instance of someone being banned from clearing their logs. My idea is to continually clear the logs so that no errors ever make it to Nintendo, what they flag on is if they see error logs on a Switch one day and then see that those logs have gone missing another day.

But I'm using AutoRCM, and I have nx-dreport running every time I send the payload. Nintendo never gets a chance to see an error log.

If Nintendo is always expecting at least a certain number of error logs, other programs like creport would be useless for anyone other than devs.

If you're using creport then clearing logs is really unnecessary isn't it?
 

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I've been using Retroarch via HBL for a while now, (around two months) and I haven't gotten banned, so you should be safe as long as you don't do anything like piracy or online cheating.

Have even played online on Splatoon 2 with CFW booted, albeit without modifying the game in any way.
 
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Silent_Gunner

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Safest and most convenient way is to have a legitimate Switch and a hacked one. If one gets banned, your main account is still able to do shit on the legit Switch!

Now, if only I could get it to detect the bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini file...
 

bundat

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I wipe my error logs at every boot, most people here will tell you that wiping error logs can lead to a ban but I've been using this setup for months. Maybe I'll get banned later, maybe I won't.

Wiping error logs WILL get you flaged which will then get you banned on the next ban wave. Nintendo expects a used system to have SOME logs, having zero logs is an instant red flag for them

From what I understand, the "trap" for "catching" users who clear error logs was added in 5.x, and users at FW 4.1.0 and below SEEMINGLY can get away with clearing logs (at least, based on multiple GBATemp posts).

So I have to ask, @RHOPKINS13, what FW version are you on?
 
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RHOPKINS13

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From what I understand, the "trap" for "catching" users who clear error logs was added in 5.x, and users at FW 4.1.0 and below SEEMINGLY can get away with clearing logs (at least, based on multiple GBATemp posts).

So I have to ask, @RHOPKINS13, what FW version are you on?

You make a good point, but I've been on 5.1.0 ever since it came out.

But you do know that nx-dreport has been deprecated and replaced by creport right?
When EmuNand comes out creport will be deprecated for the average user.
 
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