Hacking RELEASE Argon-NX-SX-Mod

[mrdude]

Well after reading countless posts on what OS was better, and reading the usual flamers comments - I decided to try All the different firmware's and make my own mind up to which I preferred. To make this easy, I used a payload that let me select what firmware I wanted at boot time, ie dual/triple/quad boot etc. Argon-NX lets you do this easily, however even though it's a great bit of software I decided it needed a couple of mods added to it. See screenshot below.

Now let me explain how this software works:
When you load a modchip or dongle or push a payload to your switch the code in that payload gets executed on the switch - which mounts the micro sd card and lets you run the code in the payload, Argon-nx is designed to let you run alternative payloads and write/read from the micro sd card.
I've added a few mods to this -
1: Generate your sx os - license.dat which is embedded in the payload (so no need to ever worry about losing that if you're chipped or have this payload installed on your dongle). Also it can generate a text file with your sx os licence code.
2: Generate a sx os payload so you can run that as an autoboot.bin (default payload).

Now why:
Say you format your micro sd card/lose your licence - you can always have that stored on your chip/dongle - also you can always boot/create sx os payload on your micro sd card.

Also I added some ability to turn off/reboot/boot ofw to the menu's in Argon-NX. Also those options were added so if you boot into RCM without a micro sd card you can boot to OFW/Shutdown easily from the menu.

Payload creation is simple - replace your license.dat with the one in the payload creation folder, then if you want to add your own serial - just hex edit b.hex (see included picture on where to put it), then click on join.bat. A new payload file will be created and will be unique to your device, and always have your own license embedded. You can flash this to a modchip (trinket mo/samd21 based chip) using binConverter.py and then using arduino ide to upload. If you have a dongle based on samd21 chips - you can flash in the same way you normally flash that.

Anyway - read the readme files.

I originally wrote this readme:

Forked from here: https://github.com/Guillem96/argon-nx

Note: Icons - included is a photoshop file so you can make your own, I changed the layout to 1 line with 4 icons as I prefered that layout - if you need more - place extra payloads in a folder called payloads2.

This Argon-NX mod allows for the automatic creation of your SXOS license.dat, it also has a SXOS payload generator contained within the payload.

One the first run, the Argon-NX menu will appear - you can generate your autoboot.bin (SXOS payload) + license.dat from this menu. Also, if you installed the included SD files, you can load any of those payloads from that menu.

On the second run - if you created autoboot.bin, the switch will boot that automatically when you enter RCM mode. If you keep your finger on Volume Up - the Argon-NX menu will load instead.

The ability to boot into OFW and Shutdown the switch has also been added to the menu.

If the switch boots without a micro SD card - and you boot into RCM, you can choose to boot OFW/Shutdown or reload RCM mode.

This payload can be installed on any dongle that supports payload updates, or can be flashed onto a samd21 based modchip - please ask if you don't know how to do this.

Enjoy!

Icon size increased to 290x290 pixels - see screenshot:

EDIT: Sd card files updated with new switchboot 1.31

 

[brollikk]

Awesome thanks!

 

[masagrator]

You should add prefix WIP or Release for better visibility.

 

[wiewiec]

Will this work with reboot to payload?

 

[mrdude]

Will this work with reboot to payload?

It's a payload to launch multiple payloads - so depending on the payload you are launching from it - yes it will work.

 

[mattytrog]

Glad you got a release out!

If I can help in any way let me know!

 

[linuxares]

Oooh blue and pretty!

 

[mrdude]

First post updated:

Bug Fixes:
If a user had more than 4 payloads in the Argon payloads directory, icons would draw over each other - fixed.
Some other minor bug fixes/changes.

Extra menu added - if the user has more than 4 payloads, place extra payloads in Argon/payloads2 directory.

If you previously downloaded - download sd files again as these new graphics are included - you need default.bmp in the argon/logos folder as the payload reads the size from this file to generate icons.

NOTE: Boot to OFW does not work if you have AutoRCM enabled, it works without that enabled though - I've no idea why or how to fix it.

 

[mrdude]

Upcoming mod: Icons added instead of text, minor icon fixes - new background.

I'll release when I'm finished messing about with this, but it's getting near a finished state now :-)

 

[cots]

Upcoming mod: Icons added instead of text, minor icon fixes - new background.

I'll release when I'm finished messing about with this, but it's getting near a finished state now :-)

I like the mod. I recently switched from using SX OS to chainload payloads using my Trinket M0 injector as it now fully supports the touchscreen and custom graphics. Finally got rid of SX OS (the only thing I used it for was the GUI payload chainloading feature). I created a custom payload for the Trinket and now it's just ArgonNX. I don't think you'll be able to fix the AutoRCM + OFW thing as I've never been able to boot into OFW for a while now. I think that's a CFW issue.

The normal ArgonNX supports displaying more then 4 payloads on the main screen. Possibly you could shrink the size of the icons to accommodate that (instead of having to have a separate folder for more payloads)?

 

[mrdude]

I like the mod. I recently switched from using SX OS to chainload payloads using my Trinket M0 injector as it now fully supports the touchscreen and custom graphics. Finally got rid of SX OS (the only thing I used it for was the GUI payload chainloading feature). I created a custom payload for the Trinket and now it's just ArgonNX. I don't think you'll be able to fix the AutoRCM + OFW thing as I've never been able to boot into OFW for a while now. I think that's a CFW issue.

The normal ArgonNX supports displaying more then 4 payloads on the main screen. Possibly you could shrink the size of the icons to accommodate that (instead of having to have a separate folder for more payloads)?

I've added an extra page though - you just click on the arrow to see the extra payloads. I won't b shrinking the icons as I prefer them that size, if you need 8 icons on one page - use the argonnx from here:
https://github.com/Guillem96/argon-nx/releases

 

[WaRp211]

Will this work the XSOS 2.6.1 FW 7.1? I heard that XS 2.6 took out the feature to boot argon NX from options-payloads

 

[wurstpistole]

Will this work the XSOS 2.6.1 FW 7.1? I heard that XS 2.6 took out the feature to boot argon NX from options-payloads

I don't think this boots from SX menu, but from its own payload where your license is manually integrated/merged. I didn't fully understand the first posting, how this is supposed to work.
Also I don't think booting argon is a problem from SX. Only booting atmosphere individually or through argon, coming from SX menu, won't work.

 

[WaRp211]

I don't think this boots from SX menu, but from its own payload where your license is manually integrated/merged. I didn't fully understand the first posting, how this is supposed to work.
Also I don't think booting argon is a problem from SX. Only booting atmosphere individually or through argon, coming from SX menu, won't work.

Cool yeah I found your tutorial on how to keep SX and still have atmosphere on backup just in case you wanted to switch between the two. Thanks for the info really easy tutorial to follow. Wanted to try out the PPSSPP from retroarch doesn't really workout that great even with a full access to ram using freebird. Hopefully they can fix out the kinks and can have full emulation but at least we got something lol. I'll just keep using my PS3 or Vita to play the PSP.

 

[mrdude]

Upcoming update - just got to write a new readme file and I'll release:

Icons from left to right:

Battery - shows battery percentage, changes colours depending on charge level. Shows warning at 5%
Screenshot
Fuse - shows amount of fuses blown.
Gen SX payload as autoboot.bin if autoboot.bin doesn't exist.
Gen SX licence (if you add this yourself)
About
Launch autoboot.bin (icon doesn't show if not present).
Launch ordinary firmware.
Power off.

Top arrow - next page if payloads2 dir exists.

Also many fixes applied, and error checks added, auto centering of payload icons (if less than 4 - no longer goes to left of screen but centres properly), speed increase due to uneeded loop (thanks - JustBrandonT for fix). Auto timer shows text on screen for 5 seconds then text is removed. Updated graphics - and other stuff I probably forgot.

I'll release this week at some point.

 

[justencase6]

Where is the sx license code needed located. Is it the code you use to get the license from TX, or is it the code that's on your screen in SX OS?

Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk

 

[Joxley192]

Is there a way to load Lakka using this

 

[nikeymikey]

Where is the sx license code needed located. Is it the code you use to get the license from TX, or is it the code that's on your screen in SX OS?

Sent from my POCOPHONE F1 using Tapatalk

I dont think its either of those but i dont know where to find it either.

Also anyway to boot this from SX Pro dongle?? NO. Found the answer myself.

 

[WaRp211]

Upcoming update - just got to write a new readme file and I'll release:

Icons from left to right:

Battery - shows battery percentage, changes colours depending on charge level. Shows warning at 5%
Screenshot
Fuse - shows amount of fuses blown.
Gen SX payload as autoboot.bin if autoboot.bin doesn't exist.
Gen SX licence (if you add this yourself)
About
Launch autoboot.bin (icon doesn't show if not present).
Launch ordinary firmware.
Power off.

Top arrow - next page if payloads2 dir exists.

Also many fixes applied, and error checks added, auto centering of payload icons (if less than 4 - no longer goes to left of screen but centres properly), speed increase due to uneeded loop (thanks - JustBrandonT for fix). Auto timer shows text on screen for 5 seconds then text is removed. Updated graphics - and other stuff I probably forgot.

I'll release this week at some point.

So will this work with SX OS Pro or will we get the black screen again?

 

[mrdude]

So will this work with SX OS Pro or will we get the black screen again?

I don't have an SX OS pro, this code is only tested on Samd21 based chips, so trinkets and other Samd21 based chips + dongles. I have never tested installing via PC. I assume the SX OS pro uses a different kind of chip and probably doesn't understand the instructions, also the timing on that chip will most likely be different due to operating at a different speed. If it didn't work before, there's a very high chance it won't work now either.