Hacking How does SX OS Emunand work?

[Trender]

shit I updated sysnand and now Ive lost my emunand. :/ how im supposed to update it withouth losing emunand?

 

[ilegitimado]

Good that someone made some research. Thank you!

 

[fluggy2013]

Right. . . Ive updated my emunand using choix dujour to 6.0.1. I have a separate Micro sd I was going to use with original stock firmware to play online (as when I boot original firmware with my SXOS sd, it always says it has been used by another console and has to format it). When I boot into original firmware and try to access eshop with my non sx sd card, it always says I need a system update before I can view eshop. Question is how can I play online? Do I have to restore my nand everytime I want to play online? Updating official firmware when prompted would surely burn efuses.

 

[Praxis]

So I have a Switch on 4.0.1. I have not hacked it in any way. No CFW, SX OS, Atmosphere, etc.

I want to play Smash Bros Ultimate online.

I also want to be able to back up all my games so I don't have to carry around cartridges when I travel. I don't care if there is no online option.

Does this sound like a realistic path?


1. Purchase SX Pro + SX OS. Follow installation instructions.
2. Set up EmuNAND.
3. Set up backups in EmuNAND. Set up DNS blockers, airplane mode, and remove all wifi networks in EmuNAND.
4. Update SysNAND to latest (6.0.1).
5. Play cartridge games in SysNAND online. Backups in EmuNAND.

 

[Praxis]

So I have a Switch on 4.0.1. I have not hacked it in any way. No CFW, SX OS, Atmosphere, etc.

I want to play Smash Bros Ultimate online.

I also want to be able to back up all my games so I don't have to carry around cartridges when I travel. I don't care if there is no online option.

Does this sound like a realistic path?


1. Purchase SX Pro + SX OS. Follow installation instructions.
2. Set up EmuNAND.
3. Set up backups in EmuNAND. Set up DNS blockers, airplane mode, and remove all wifi networks in EmuNAND.
4. Update SysNAND to latest (6.0.1).
5. Play cartridge games in SysNAND online. Backups in EmuNAND.

 

[Halm]

1. Purchase SX Pro + SX OS. Follow installation instructions.
2. Set up EmuNAND.
3. Set up backups in EmuNAND. Set up DNS blockers, airplane mode, and remove all wifi networks in EmuNAND.
4. Update SysNAND to latest (6.0.1).
5. Play cartridge games in SysNAND online. Backups in EmuNAND.

Careful with updating the sysnand AFTER emunand is made...
The boot to emunand files are in Boot1 and when you update sysnand, you update boot0/1 as well.

Follow the tutorial at https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-setup-emunand-keep-sysnand-online.520471/ and it should be fine...


Now for a question of my own:
-- if you installed the malware XCI/NSP on emunand, does the sysnand get fried as well?

 

[Praxis]

Careful with updating the sysnand AFTER emunand is made...
The boot to emunand files are in Boot1 and when you update sysnand, you update boot0/1 as well.

Follow the tutorial at https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-setup-emunand-keep-sysnand-online.520471/ and it should be fine...

Thank you for the tutorial! However, I'm confused about something. I've never hacked my Switch, so I'd skip step one ("Clean up sysnand"). But the next step says to update sysnand. Isn't it bad for me to update before I've hacked? My Switch is still on 4.0.1. I've been told by others that I should install AutoRCM first to not need a dongle for the future. But does AutoRCM mean I always need to plug in to a PC to start the system up?

Also, is there a place you recommend to buy SX OS from?

 

[Halm]

@Praxis

AutoRCM is an "intentional" brick --- your switch will never boot up without a dongle/PC to start it.
-- some people keep the OFW sysnand at 4.0.1 in the hope of a future crack where a dongle is no longer required.

As you had mentioned, you are planning to update the sysnand to 6.0.1 (or latest 6.1) to play online which I assume meant OFW
-- once you update the OFW sysnand, you burn fuses and can't downgrade back to 4.0.1
-- putting a CFW sysnand and an Emunand (which is by nature already CFW), is not what I am expecting you to be doing, since a CFW/emunand going online might risk a ban
-- if you update sysnand AFTER setting up emunand, you won't be able to access the emunand as the files to boot-up emunand files are in Boot1 which gets updated when sysnand is updated.

 

[Ch0c0bo]

@Halm

Hey, I want to do the exact same thing as @Praxis but I'm not sure I understand everything, sorry.

I want to keep my 2.1.0 OFW in case of untethered crack coming, but I also want to play online with latest firmware games like smash bros, is it possible with Emunand ? (Sorry if it has been said, I don't understand all the concept and what they do)

 

[DocKlokMan]

@json https://team-xecuter.com/sx-os-v2-3-beta-announcement/

Actual SD emunand now. Wanna take a peak?

 

[mike4001]

Hi

Maybe someone can help me understand. I am using SX OS 2.0.1.

1) Are installations the same on Sysnand an Emunand because both share the same "Nintendo" folder?

So if I install an nsp on Emunand will it also be installed and usable in sysnand (and vice versa)?

2) I read about Sysnand and Emunand sharing a system folder. If I update Emunand to a newer firmware, will this also affect Sysnand or are they completely decoupled?

 

[Praxis]

Careful with updating the sysnand AFTER emunand is made...
The boot to emunand files are in Boot1 and when you update sysnand, you update boot0/1 as well.

Follow the tutorial at https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-to-setup-emunand-keep-sysnand-online.520471/ and it should be fine...


Now for a question of my own:
-- if you installed the malware XCI/NSP on emunand, does the sysnand get fried as well?

Okay, so I am at this stage:


I have SX OS. My SysNAND is still on 4.0.1 and is clean (I think I launched CFW once and then immediately rebooted after doing nothing). I also have a clean backup. My EmuNAND has been updated to 6.1 via ChoiDuJour.


I know SX OS doesn't support the new 6.2, but I don't need to CFW 6.2. If I update my SysNAND to 6.2 will I still be able to get to my EmuNAND?

Do I need to back up my boot0/1 to restore after updating?

 

[Absolute_Vile]

Since everbody seems to have an idea how Emunand works by just looking at the release notes, I thought I'd try and find out myself how exactly Emunand in SX OS actually works. No bullshit claims, real facts.

So what I did was create a NAND backup without emunand, and then make another NAND backup after emunand was created.

Here's what I found out so far:

- boot0 is unmodified
- boot1 is modified with EMUNAND0 tacked at the end (some unused area)

- GPT is UNMODIFIED
- All partition locations / sizes are UNMODIFIED
- Everything is unmodified except for the USER partition, in which a few new files have been created (called NAND01.bin, NAND02.bin and so on)

That means NO resizing has taken place. Only new files have been created, like regular Nintendo OS would do.

So from what we can conclude so far: OFW mode is actually perfectly safe. Nintendo would need to actively start detecting the EMUNAND0 magic in boot1 or start to detect the new files, which would be hilarious if they would start to do so. This detectable point is actually moot, because with EmuNAND stored on the microSD, Nintendo would be able to detect it too if they actively start to do so.

The resized partition claims that everyone has been spouting are bullshit.


Ok so now lets take a look from what exactly is in these NAND bin files?

As it turns out, it mimics the layout of the Switch eMMC but inside the NAND files! It's layout it split into multiple NAND bin file parts.

Here's what I found out :
- boot0 in emunand is 100% exactly the same as the real one
- boot1 in emunand is 100% the same as the real one (without the EMUNAND0 magic)
- GPT in emunand is SAME as real one
- All partitions are the SAME except the USER partition.

So far everything is the same, and now here comes the difference: The emunand USER partition volume size is 15GB. SMALLER than the real one.
That's it. That's the only difference.

I think it is possible to have the USER partition claim it is the same size as the real USER partition, but fill up the FAT table with clusters marked as USED.
HEY TX ARE YOU LISTENING? This would make it EXACTLY the same as real USER partition from the Switch's standpoint!

But with that said, I don't see any telemetry sending the USER partition size so it does not really matter for now.
If I am mistaken on this, let me know what telemetry it is sending and I will amend it here.

The "NANDTotalSize" telemetry seems something people claim is changed but I have not checked it yet. I will do so later.

That's it for now what I managed to discover, but I think it is safe to say people are spouting bullshit so far without actual FACTS.



One more note: Since the NAND bin files are located inside the USER partition, this cannot be supported with trivial changes to the FS sysmodule.

For this to work you need to actually .. say.. EMULATE the eMMC read/write commands with patches in the FS sysmodule.

Maybe you can help me, i want to delete emunand, wich is supose to be NAN named files in user, but there is no nan files, i used sxos do you happen to know were can these files be so i can delete them and be free of that space consuming thing? im banned anyways

 

[gizmomelb]

Maybe you can help me, i want to delete emunand, wich is supose to be NAN named files in user, but there is no nan files, i used sxos do you happen to know were can these files be so i can delete them and be free of that space consuming thing? im banned anyways

you probably have hidden emuNAND in a partition if there are no files on the SD card. All you need to do is disable emuNAND in the SX OS boot menu,but if you want to reclaim the space on your SD card it would be easiest to copy all files from the SD card and back them up somewhere, then format the SD card and copy the files back. Please note you will lose any save games / accounts etc. you had in the emuNAND when you do this.

 

[Absolute_Vile]

you probably have hidden emuNAND in a partition if there are no files on the SD card. All you need to do is disable emuNAND in the SX OS boot menu,but if you want to reclaim the space on your SD card it would be easiest to copy all files from the SD card and back them up somewhere, then format the SD card and copy the files back. Please note you will lose any save games / accounts etc. you had in the emuNAND when you do this.

The thing is, the emunand is in my system menu, when using KEX it says the total partition sistem storage is 26 gigs, not 32, is it even posible to mae a partition in the system storage? i did not hack this thing a friend who moved did, would "repair gpt" in sxos fix this?

 

[gizmomelb]

The thing is, the emunand is in my system menu, when using KEX it says the total partition sistem storage is 26 gigs, not 32, is it even posible to mae a partition in the system storage? i did not hack this thing a friend who moved did, would "repair gpt" in sxos fix this?

I've never seen the repair GPT in SX OS sorry mate. What size is the SD card? If says its a 64GB card, when you put it in your PC you would most likely only see 32GB availble (as emuNAND takes up 32GB of space on the SD Card).