Hacking Linux won't work on (my) Playstation 4 Pro Star Wars cuh-7115b

[irishgameman]

Hello,

Linux on Playstation 4 sounded great, so after researching and "making sure" of all the specifications were correct, I purchased my Pro.

The problem with being "sure" is, internet information is not always 100% accurate. I was hyped up and I spent time researching and I
expected positive results, in the end I got frustration and gaming communities that I queried never had a workable solution to my situation.

Should I have expected resolve to my problems following my questioning the "Internets"? Yes and No.

Why should a small margin of people who have almost insignificant problems get any answers to their questions?
How can one ask of someone a solution to an illegal manifestation in the first place?
What give us the right to illicitly exploit a product that is made with a main purpose and none other?
Is the Earth really round/flat?

Furthermore:

Why cant we get all answers to any of the questions we have? (here or elsewhere)
How can someone deny a solution to any manifestation?
What gives someone the right to decide what the purpose of a item is?
Why is the number 42 the answer but I am still lost?

If it is not obvious, I am split on the decisions that we all make in life.
Oh yeah, back to my situation and my specs. Hopefully someone has a working solution that I could put to use that would be fantastic.

Specs:
1)Sandisk 32 Gig usb 3 flash drive
2)(obviously)Playstation 4 pro Limited Edition Star Wars model cuh-7115b
3) Firmware 5.05
4)bzImage
5)initramfs.cpio.gz
6)psxitarch.tar.xz
7)Sharp Roku Tv
8) logitech wireless mouse and keyboard
9) manhattan wired keyboard(in case being wireless was a problem
10)wired hp mouse.(also in case)

Settings
1) Usb drive Format in fat 32
2)Playstation Resolution 1080p and tried 720
3) RGB Range Full
4)HDR 4 off
5) Power Save off
6)Enable HDMI Device Link Unchecked(also Checked box)
7)Enable HDCP Unchecked(also Checked box)
8)Used both Web page ithaqua. #5.05 Linux Loader and (VRAM1)
9)I tried psxita .it/ linux-loader and linux-loader-no-edid

Results
1) Playstation lost signal to tv upon execution of pressing linux loader button(s) or making a connection with the psxita website.
2)Playstation Shuts off completely
3) Playstation freezes when I start typing(blindly, I never see a signal after load web page)

Thank You for reading, please post if you may have a solution or have the same problems If I cannot fix this I may want to resell my two month old PS4 Pro(still on 5.05) and get another so if anyone knows of a PS4 Pro that will allow for Linux to run correctly let me know the model and cuh number.


Sincerely,

irishgameman

 

[KiiWii]

@irishgameman PS4 Linux doesn’t work with all models, sometimes it’s also very picky on the models it works with.

TLDR:

Make sure to MD5 the files you have.

@Leeful may be able to shed more light, he’s a very knowledgable guy

 

[Leeful]

@irishgameman
What are the MD5's of the 'bzImage' and 'initramfs.cpio.gz' you are using?
Make sure your USB is formatted with a single Fat32 Primary partition and also make sure it is MBR and NOT GTP.
Also I dont know if it makes any difference but I usually have my RGB range set to Auto.

 

[irishgameman]

@irishgameman
What are the MD5's of the 'bzImage' and 'initramfs.cpio.gz' you are using?
Make sure your USB is formatted with a single Fat32 Primary partition and also make sure it is MBR and NOT GTP.
Also I dont know if it makes any difference but I usually have my RGB range set to Auto.

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

Three files directly from source psxitarch website. Don't know how to md5 am new to the term. I know on the psxitarch website md5 was right near the file link. I do have it on fat32 but what is mbr or gtp?

 

[Leeful]

You can check the MD5 (hash) of a file using this online page. http://onlinemd5.com/
MBR or GPT basically is how the partitions are layed out on the disk. You can check how the Disk is formatted by using EaseUS Partition Master.
If the Disk is formatted using GPT it will not work, It must be MBR.

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Another way to test if your USB is compatable is to format your USB to exFAT on the PS4 itself.
This will not allow you to install the final linux distro but it will allow you to initially boot linux to test if your hardware is compatable.

If you can boot into the linux rescueshell using this method it means that your hardware is compatable. You can then move forward and set up your USB correctly and install linux to it.

 

[irishgameman]

Thanks for replying

I will try to upload screen shots Tuesday. I will show md5 results and I did try exFAT on a disk that I know can be read as I used it to play backups on original PS4 I have up to date firmware on. nothing happens but the signal gets cut off a white light gets displayed on the playstation 4 and when I type something with the keyboard (I cannot see it) the Playstation shuts off a couple of seconds later.

Thanks

 

[Leeful]

Another way to test if your PS4 is compatable with Linux is to try the NO-USB Linux loader method. This method does not use a USB drive so it takes that out of the equation when testing.
To use this you need to use my exploit host menu as it has a modified version of binloader that can handle extra large bin files, regular binloaders will not work when loading files of this size.

First download my exploit host menu from HERE and download the NO-USB_Linux file below. (you can also download the BinSender below if you do not have one already)

1.Start my Exploit Host Menu by running the Exploit Host Server on your PC and going to the IP address it tells on your PS4 browser.

2.When my Exploit Host Menu is running on your PS4 goto 'TOOLS 1' and then 'BinLoader Extended'.

3.Send the NO-USB-Linux-Loader-Original.bin to the PS4 using whatever method you usually use to send bin files to the PS4. (Or use the included Binsender program below.)

When you have sent the bin file to the PS4 the following should occur:
The TV screen will go black > The TV will loose the signal > The LED on your PS4 will start pulsating between blue and purple > The Linux RescueShell will appear on your TV.

The above sequence is also the same when the regular USB Linux loading method works correctly.

 

[ssjtroly]

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

Three files directly from source psxitarch website. Don't know how to md5 am new to the term. I know on the psxitarch website md5 was right near the file link. I do have it on fat32 but what is mbr or gtp?

what i did to make sure the usb was MBR was to format it with rufus with the freedos option then delete all the freedos files (i.e. all the files) and then copied the linux files to the drive.

 

[Disappeaer]

I am pretty much in the same situation with OP so I thought I'll just ask here before/instead of making a new thread.

*X-Project 1.5.5 is my main exploit host but I've also tried running linux loader from psxita.it and Leeful's exploit host menu. Upon launching the payloads (the recommended ones of course, as well as the others for the sake of it), most of the time, I either get the an endless "not enough memory" error message cycle or a kernel panic either right ahead or If I keep trying ignoring the "not enough memory" messages. What does the "not enough memory" error message really mean anyway?

*My flash drive is SanDisk Extreme 32 GB USB 3.0.
Since I also made sure to format it in FAT32 / MBR, I just get the impression that Psxitarch is simply picky with the flash drives it works with, something that has been reported in here before if I am not mistaken. But people in Reddit report success with the same flash drive.

*Made sure bzImage, initramfs, psxitarch files match the correct hash check.

*I don't think the problem is with my PS4 Slim model (CUH-211xx) since I've successfully installed and ran Psxitarch from a Kingston DataTraveler R3.0 USB 3.0 16GB DTR30/16GB in the past. After booting up everything was really slow though and the flash drive in question died soon afterwards, which made it look like installing Psxitarch was to blame.

*Upon trying the NO-USB Linux loader method I pretty much get the results Leeful describes (although LED colour toggles between blue and what looks like a...lighter shade of blue rather than purple exactly) and I am not sure the black screen I get after the "no signal" one is Linux Rescueshell, it's a plain black screen without any letters (tried pressing the keyboard too). It doesn't really look like a kernel panic screen too either, PS4 is definitely on and I see the LED pulsating.

Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

 

[Leeful]

@Disappeaer If you get the pulsating LED that means that the linux rescueshell has loaded. if nothing is being displayed on your TV then it means that your display is not compatable.
Another way to confirm this is to press ctrl+alt+delete on your keyboard when the LED is pulsating and the screen is black and the PS4 should reboot.

Here are a couple of things to try:

1: If you are using a PSVR, unplug it and connect your PS4 directly to the TV. (there is a workaround for PSVR but I wont go into that now)
2: Try one of the subsitute 'initramfs.cpio.gz' files below. They were made to try and fix the blackscreen issue.

 

[Disappeaer]

Thanks for your reply Leeful, greatly appreciated!

@Disappeaer If you get the pulsating LED that means that the linux rescueshell has loaded. if nothing is being displayed on your TV then it means that your display is not compatable.

But as I've said, I have successfully loaded Psxitarch on this PS4 and TV with a different usb stick before. So the TV shouldn't be the problem? I've tried changing resolution settings on PS4 and the TV, still black.

Another way to confirm this is to press ctrl+alt+delete on your keyboard when the LED is pulsating and the screen is black and the PS4 should reboot.

That works. Good that I don't have to keep the ON button pressed to escape from the rescueshell anymore. But what does it mean and where do we go from here?

If you are using a PSVR, unplug it and connect your PS4 directly to the TV. (there is a workaround for PSVR but I wont go into that now)

I got no PSVR.

Try one of the subsitute 'initramfs.cpio.gz' files below. They were made to try and fix the blackscreen issue.

I tried them but still nothing. Both with the normal payloads & the No USB loader. Remember that I only get the black screen on the second occasion though, so doesn't that mean that this fix shouldn't make a difference since the payload requires no usb stick? (i.e files there don't matter?).

Another thing I've noticed is that sometimes I get the message "loaded/now rebooting" after launching a linux payload but right after that, the persisting "not enough memory" message which means the process failed I guess. I am not sure what else I could try...

 

[Leeful]

@Disappeaer As you said, you successfully loaded Psxitarch once so the issues you are having now are most definatly with the USB drive that you are using.
The 'no display' problem that you have sometimes happens with the NO-USB version, it happend to me a couple of times when testing.

RE the linux loader:
I would suggest using the 2GB-VRAM loader from my exploit host and I would suggest always running 'hen' or the 'kernel patcher' first.
Using this method has given me the highest succesful linux boot rate.
When I have just run the Linux loader on its own directly after a fresh boot It usually fails 50% of the time.

I suggested using my exploit host because I dont get any memory errors using that. I dont know why that is the case because I use exactly the same exploit loading code in X-Project as I do in my own host. They just behave differently.

I have included below the Working set of bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz that I always use to load either psxitarch or gentoo.

One thing to try is to format your USB drive as exFAT using the PS4 itself.
On the PS4 Go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices > *your USB drive > Options > Format as exFAT.

Copy the bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz to the drive and try to boot linux using the method I mentioned above. (No need to copy 'psxitarch.tar.xz')

NOTE: Doing this will not allow you to actually install linux(because it is exFAT), but if it boots it proves that there is something wrong with the FAT32 formatting of the drive.

Good luck, Let me know how you get on.

 

[Disappeaer]

@Disappeaer As you said, you successfully loaded Psxitarch once so the issues you are having now are most definatly with the USB drive that you are using.
The 'no display' problem that you have sometimes happens with the NO-USB version, it happend to me a couple of times when testing.

RE the linux loader:
I would suggest using the 2GB-VRAM loader from my exploit host and I would suggest always running 'hen' or the 'kernel patcher' first.
Using this method has given me the highest succesful linux boot rate.
When I have just run the Linux loader on its own directly after a fresh boot It usually fails 50% of the time.

I suggested using my exploit host because I dont get any memory errors using that. I dont know why that is the case because I use exactly the same exploit loading code in X-Project as I do in my own host. They just behave differently.

I have included below the Working set of bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz that I always use to load either psxitarch or gentoo.

One thing to try is to format your USB drive as exFAT using the PS4 itself.
On the PS4 Go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices > *your USB drive > Options > Format as exFAT.

Copy the bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz to the drive and try to boot linux using the method I mentioned above. (No need to copy 'psxitarch.tar.xz')

NOTE: Doing this will not allow you to actually install linux(because it is exFAT), but if it boots it proves that there is something wrong with the FAT32 formatting of the drive.

Good luck, Let me know how you get on.

Hmm interesting... In its current state (FAT32) PS4 doesn't see the flash drive at all when I tried to format it. Led is on but It says "the usb storage device is not connected". No wonder Linux doesn't boot up lol. It doesn't make sense, Sandisk Extreme is supposed to be a good and common flash drive, my PC and TV see it fine. Seem there's something wrong with the way it's formatted, right? On several occasions, I've tried formatting the drive both on Windows AND by using two dedicated partition programs, Diskgenius and Minitool partition wizard, maybe I should try to format it in a whole different way? I tried changing the cluster size to 4 kb and make a 16 gb partition leaving the rest allocated as someone suggested on a Reddit post, no dice... I tried EXFAT, FAT32 and even messing with the parameter in the screencap (saw Linux so I figured I d just give it a try!) but all that did was making the flash drive invisible from Windows as well...

 

[Leeful]

Hmmm interesting...


Hmm interesting... In its current state (FAT32) PS4 doesn't see the flash drive at all when I tried to format it. Led is on but It says "the usb storage device is not connected". No wonder Linux doesn't boot up lol. It doesn't make sense, Sandisk Extreme is supposed to be a good and common flash drive, my PC and TV see it fine. Seem there's something wrong with the way it's formatted, right? On several occasions, I've tried formatting the drive both on Windows AND by using two dedicated partition programs, Diskgenius and Minitool partition wizard, maybe I should try to format it in a whole different way? I tried changing the cluster size to 4 kb and make a 16 gb partition leaving the rest allocated as someone suggested on a Reddit post, no dice... I tried EXFAT, FAT32 and even messing with the parameter in the screencap (saw Linux so I figured I d just give it a try!) but all that did was making the flash drive invisible from Windows as well...

At least we have found that your USB is not being seen by your PS4, Thats a good start and explains why it wont boot linux.

I personally use EaseUS Partition Master (I think there is a free version available) to format every drive that I have used for linux and they all have worked great, from a 320GB SATAIII HDD in a USB3 enclosure to a crappy 2GB unbranded microSD card in a cheap SD card reader.

Here are the setting I use:

Right-Click the correct disk and select 'Delete all partitions'.
If the disk is currenly GPT then Right-Click the disk and choose 'Initialize to MBR'.
Right-Click the unallocated space and select 'Create Partition'.
Create as: 'Primary' and 'Fat32'.
Click apply.

 

[Disappeaer]

At least we have found that your USB is not being seen by your PS4, Thats a good start and explains why it wont boot linux.

I personally use EaseUS Partition Master (I think there is a free version available) to format every drive that I have used for linux and they all have worked great, from a 320GB SATAIII HDD in a USB3 enclosure to a crappy 2GB unbranded microSD card in a cheap SD card reader.

Here are the setting I use:

Right-Click the correct disk and select 'Delete all partitions'.
If the disk is currenly GPT then Right-Click the disk and choose 'Initialize to MBR'.
Right-Click the unallocated space and select 'Create Partition'.
Create as: 'Primary' and 'Fat32'.
Click apply.

That didn't work either. Playstation just refuses to recognize the flash drive no matter what. I've tried formatting it in all kinds of obscure formats with Diskgenius but it doesn't make a difference. If there is a way to somehow make it work I guess we need a psychic. It seems I just have to accept PS4 will simply not read this drive and get another one. But then again, how can I be sure that one will work? Especially since the best possible pick (in terms of quality of performance) still seems to be a 64GB Sandisk one.

 

[Leeful]

Instead of buying a USB stick, buy a 2.5 sataIII hard drive and put in inside a USB 3.0 enclosure.
It will be a lot cheaper and you will have a lot more storage to play with.

A couple of months ago I picked up a 320GB hard drive for £10 and an enclosure for £5 on ebay.
I must have about 6 or 7 different USB3 enclosures now and all of them have worked fine on my PS4.

RE your sandisk USB: Have you made sure that you have first deleted ALL partitions that are on the disk?
I think some drives come with a hidden partition at the beginning of the drive and if that is the case that is probably why it is causing problems.

You could try deleting ALL partitions and then plugging it into your PS4 as an unformatted disk and see what it does.
I tested this out on one of my old drives and at first the PS4 said that the filesystem was unsuppoted but it still let me format it in 'Settings/Devices'.

 

[Leeful]

@Disappeaer Could you please do the following and post the results. I am curious as to what it will say.

• Insert your Sandisk USB into your PC.
• In windows either press the windows key or open a command prompt and type diskpart
• In the DISKPART window type list disk
• Find your USB drive in the list and type select disk 5 (substitute the 5 for whatever number your USB disk number is in the list)
• Now type list partition and post what it says.
  
• Now type detail disk and post what it says.

The details should show you info about the device and what volumes and partitons are on the disk.

 

[Disappeaer]

You could try deleting ALL partitions and then plugging it into your PS4 as an unformatted disk and see what it does.
I tested this out on one of my old drives and at first the PS4 said that the filesystem was unsuppoted but it still let me format it in 'Settings/Devices'.

So we had *some* progress with this. Doing that finally made PS4 see the drive but got the following message:

"Cannot format this USB storage device as extended storage. A USB storage device that meets the following conditions must be used. (CE-41902-6)
-USB 3.0 or later
-250 GB minimum, 8 TB maximum capacity
-Directly connected to Ps4

Pressing options though allowed me to format the drive as Exfat. At that point I transferred two videos (episodes from a tv show) on my flash drive and watched them on my TV. Later, when I tried to transfer the Psxitarch files, PS4 wouldn't recognize the drive AGAIN. I've tried deleting the videos, leaving only the Psxitarch files, nothing... Deleted all partitions yet again in order to repeat the same process...still nothing... I got no idea what made the PS4 to see it that one time in order to repeat it... What I found strange is that after PS4 formatting the drive, it was GPT and not MBR. Changing it back to MBR didn't make a difference.
I've uploaded a screencap with the diskpart process.

 

[Leeful]

LOL. one step forward, two steps back. But it's getting a little closer.

I edited my post earlier but I don't think I did it in time for you to see. Could you run diskpart again but this time check for partitions.

• Run diskpart
• list disk
• select disk <your disk number>
• list partitions.

I'm just curious if there are any hidden or reserved partitions on there.

Also did you try with EaseUS Partition Master like I suggested earlier?

BTW: when you format as exFAT on the PS4 it will make the drive GPT, thats normal but it should still work for our testing purposes with just the bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz files on there.(psxitarch.tar.xz is not needed)

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Have you got an old USB stick or SD card and usb reader to test with?
It only needs to be big enough to fit bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz so any thing over 10MB will do.

 

[Disappeaer]

It says no partitions. Yes, I am using EaseUS Partition Master.

Have you got an old USB drive or SD card and usb reader to test with. It only needs to be big enough to fit bzImage and initramfs.cpio.gz so any thing over 10MB will do.

Yes. Not empty though, do they need to be empty or to reformat them to fat23? Edit: Found two SD cards, 32 mb and 256 mb, there was a time those capacities were usable lol. Let's see...

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

Yeeep... 256 SD card, Ran Hen, Linux rescueshell booted WITH THE FIRST ATTEMPT with eeply payload...