@CTCaer's Hekate mod has just reached v5.0.0, a major milestone for the homebrew Nintendo Switch bootloader & multi-tool! Aside from improvements all across the board, like much, much faster boot times and backup/restore functions (depending on your settings and microSD type, eMMC operations can take as little as 9-15 minutes!), this version also brings along two long-requested features, aka full 8.1.0 and emuMMC support!

But that's not all - another Greek goddess is ready to join the Pantheon! Nyx is here, and it's Hekate's user-friendly, touch-enabled GUI. Nyx has all your usual features and options, but it also includes some customisation options (user defined background and boot icons), a screenshot function and an emuMMC manager. Regarding that last point, thanks to it, you can now easily create both file and partition-based emuMMCs either from your console's own internal memory or a previously made backup right from Hekate! You can also migrate your already existing emuNAND made by other solutions, repair a partition-based setup and easily switch between multiple partition and file-based emuMMCs.

If you're curious, here are some screenshots:

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There are many other features and improvements too! You can read all about them in the full changelog below:

v5.0.0

• Introducing Nyx v0.8.0
  Nyx is hekate's GUI. Packs many features, like FastFS, emuMMC manage, customization, etc.
  Look below for more.
• 8.1.0 support
• emuMMC support
  It supports disabling it by boot entry (emummc_force_disable=1), stock (not all fw ver support it) and many more.
  Works with SD raw partition and SD file based. (SD file based is extremely slow. Wait for FastFS 4 emuMMC).
  This version can sanely shutdown and also supports more SD cards than before.
  Thanks to a collab with @m4xw , @SciresM, @hexkyz.
• Supercharged boot times
  Even with emuMMC or kip1 patching, it's faster than before.
• Supercharged Backup/Restore with FastFS (Nyx only)
  Backup and Restore is now orders of magnitudes faster.
  Some examples (measured on a U3 SD): No verif: 9min, Sparse: 15min, etc. Even Full with hashes is extremely faster.
• External KIP1 patching support
  Now non-important patches reside outside of hekate binary. For now this can only patch KIPs defined in hekate's code, with whatever new patches. Next versions will support other KIPs.
• Many bugfixes

Nyx v0.8.0

• Snappy and fluid GUI w/ touch support
  Yes! This runs on BPMP!
• All classic launch options are there
• emuMMC manage
  Change between raw partition emuMMCs and SD file based ones easily.
  Create file based or raw partition based from eMMC via the Create button.
  You can also restore a backup directly to sd partition via the Restore option in tools (outside of emuMMC), AFTER you turned ON SD emuMMC Raw Partition.
  Migrate other types of emunand (raw partition or sd file), repair existing raw partition configurations, or migrate a backup (outside of restore folder), to sd file based.
  Everything is currently made to protect Linux partitions.
  Additionally, the raw partition based is done in 16MB offset, so it can protected from quick formats.
• All Info and Tools are now supercharged
  Dump individual kips from eMMC, see detailed info about fuses, do backups and restores way faster, etc.
• Customization support
  Custom icons for boot entries and also a background is supported. (Check readme for how to use them).
• Many additions in automation. For example, Nyx will automatically dump pkg1/2 after a sept run.
• Screenshot support. Touch the screen with 3 fingers (no need for swipe).
• And many many more smaller and bigger features.

NOTE: The folders in emuMMC now hold nyx configurations. file_based and raw_based. The first tells it that it's a file based one and the other holds the sector of that emuMMC.
NOTE2: This changelog will be updated with missing info.

Nyx and hekate TODO
In no particular order:

• Sd raw partition backup
• Migration from raw to sd and the opposite
• Clock offset support like HOS
• Temporary emuMMC disable
• Destructive SD partitioning
• Resize based SD partitioning
• emuMMC resizing
• Sd raw emuMMC on unallocated empty space support?
• Quick launch of last chosen boot entry
• Themes support
• Joycon support

Check readme.md for more.

NOTE: You will need sept and a custom secmon and warmboot binary to boot 7.0.0-8.1.0 or stock emuMMC.

UPDATE: Hekate CTCaer v5.0.1 has been released which fixes a great number of bugs & issues, including emuMMC & GUI related ones. Additionally, the stock emuMMC option has been temporarily disabled as it was broken.

Source
GBAtemp thread

 

[NintendoHacker44]

This is awesome! It's nice to be able to manage everything with one tool.

 

[ROMANREIGNS599]

I imagine that there will eventually be an exploit or an entry point that's discovered in the future, it could be a few days, it could be a few months, hell it could be a few years.
Make sure that if you have one to keep it on a low firmware, or simply find a second hand Switch that can be used for homebrew, and play the waiting game

I can’t keep on low firmware, how can I play Fortnite without updating... is there really a way to play without updating..

 

[Vorde]

I can’t keep on low firmware, how can I play Fortnite without updating... is there really a way to play without updating..

I won't question your choices, but there are considerably better options to play Fortnite instead of Switch.
No there isn't a way, and if you plan on playing games online and never being banned, then I wouldn't even bother looking at Homebrew as there's always some kind of risk to running it

 

[Nangwan]

Hi pcwizard7, I have a emunnand created by sxos all ready so I guess I do not need to do steps 1 and 2. Sorry this questions may seem silly but how do I change the start sector to 0x2?

I managed to change start sector and shows up in Hakate but sxos can't seem to find the emunand.

 

[tabzer]

I won't question your choices, but there are considerably better options to play Fortnite instead of Switch.
No there isn't a way, and if you plan on playing games online and never being banned, then I wouldn't even bother looking at Homebrew as there's always some kind of risk to running it

Lol I won't tell you how pretentious you sound.

"No there isn't a way"

 

[Vorde]

Lol I won't tell you how pretentious you sound.

"No there isn't a way"

I thought I sounded pretentious basically saying that Fortnite was a terrible game

 

[tabzer]

I thought I sounded pretentious basically saying that Fortnite was a terrible game

I thought it was funny/ironic way to do something you said you weren't going to do. I have nothing against being pretentious. Fortnite is terrible.

 

[seall]

Can I use this as an easy way to backup SX OS Emunand? Current backup methods are far too complicated and take way too long...

 

[Meriadoc]

Try /config/sys-ftpd/

Doesn't work. Anyone else succeed to use sysftpd?

 

[Danatkin]

I think it’s finally time to ditch Sx os

 

[Vorde]

I think it’s finally time to ditch Sx os

It's been time to ditch SX OS since we figured out they stole community code, and implemented brick code as well.

 

[xtreme1]

how do you launch nyx after setting autoboot up in nyx?

 

[BaamAlex]

how do you launch nyx after setting autoboot up in nyx?

Hold the - button to boot into hekate menu

 

[xtreme1]

Hold the - button to boot into hekate menu

right that boots hekate but not nyx I thought.

 

[BaamAlex]

right that boots hekate but not nyx I thought.

Nyx is the ui.

 

[Sugs79]

right that boots hekate but not nyx I thought.

For some reason my touch screen in unresponsive at boot loader so i need to use the +/- version of Hekate. (i've searched many forums apparently it's the type of switch screen in some models does not work with any GUI bootloader, but fine on running on stock system)

So when i inject payload through TegraRcmSmash then if I hold the - key it will boot into Hekate and not Nyx? (as i can't use NYX due to the screen not responding)

I've been using v4.10.1 which only supports Switch firmware 8.0.1 & the second hand switch i have is on 9.0.0, this means whith some features i get the "did not recognise pkg1" error.

Thanks for you help

 

[BaamAlex]

4.10.1 is too old for firmware 9.0.0 i think. Update it. Touch works fine on my unit with the latest kosmos stuff and 8.1.0

 

[Sugs79]

4.10.1 is too old for firmware 9.0.0 i think. Update it. Touch works fine on my unit with the latest kosmos stuff and 8.1.0

I only used 4.01.1 because when i booted 5 it went into touch and it doesn't respond with my Switch screen (no fix found for these different screen versions).

So if i hold down Vol- when i'm booting the latest version of Hekate 5.0.2. it will stop it booting in to Nyx.

 

[swutch]

I would like to backup my "SD emuMMC Raw Partition" "Boot0&1" and "RAW GPP".
But if I set the lower option "SD emuMMC Raw Partition" to "ON", all buttons are grayed out.
why? and how can i change it?

 

[BaamAlex]

You don't need to backup your emunand. If it bricks, you create a new one. Thats all. More important is a sysnand backup.