Tutorial  Updated

From SX OS to Atmosphere

This is outdated. It works in its basic ideas, but has no updated links whatsoever anywhere. Look - if you want to migrate from SX to Atmos and don't have Emunand, just grab Atmos files and sigpatches, and boot Atmos with fusee-primary using your favorite means of launching payloads. That's it.

If you're on SX emunand, have a look at this tutorial. That is what I used myself to migrate to Atmos and emummc, and it works just fine. Contains links to everything you need. It also covers the problem of having an SX dongle, but wanting to boot another CFW with it.


This tutorial does absolutely not cover anything Ipatched-unit, Mariko or SX Core/Lite Modchip related. Please don't ask any questions about that here. I can and will not help you with that.


How to migrate from SX OS to Atmosphere
This short guide will show the basic steps to move from SX OS to Atmosphere, or have them both next to each other. I won't boast it up with images or even videos, since it's mostly only dragging and dropping files around. It's very straightforward and should be done in maybe ten to fifteen minutes.
It is especially relevant to users who boot their console with the SX Pro Dongle, because with it come certain limitations and issues when trying to boot Atmosphere or even dual-boot. This guide also provides a solution for that.

Why would I want to switch to Atmosphere and what are the ups and downs?
Pros:
  • Most up-to-date CFW support for newer Firmwares
  • KIP Support (external modules, 'add-ons' if you want)
Cons:
  • No XCI Loading
  • No USB Loading
  • No installing games from USB media
To put it in other words: if you don't need or want
  • XCI Loading
  • USB HDD support,
then there are no sensible reasons to hold on to SX OS.

Regarding EmuNAND/EmuMMC
Given that I do not use EmuNAND/EmuMMC, I can neither tell you how to move that nor provide support for it. There is already a guide that covers this, so if you are looking to move your EmuNAND as well, take a look at this guide by thaikhoa.

Basic Atmosphere Setup for existing SX OS users
  • Get the latest Atmosphere files (zip and fusee-primary.bin), put the contents of the zip on the root of your MicroSD
  • Get Sigpatches if needed (to run unsigned code), put the contents of the zip on the root of your MicroSD
  • SX Installer does not work on Atmosphere, so get another title installer like Goldleaf, Tinfoil or Lithium and put it into your \Switch folder
  • Since 0.8.5, Atmosphere supports cheats as well and they are compatible with the format that SX uses. User KuranKu already described what you need to move to make it happen, so have a look at this guide if you need this
  • If you have any XCI files left, you will either have to install them with the latest versions of Tinfoil or Lithium or grab them again as NSPs from your most favourite source. Don't install them via the SX menu, they won't work on Atmosphere
  • If you don't have or use the SX dongle, just use whatever loader you were using before but instead of pushing the SX payload, push the Atmosphere fusee-primary.bin payload
That is basically it. Now when in Atmosphere, launching any app while holding R (standard config) will open the Homebrew menu and allow you to run Homebrew from there.

All of the below is not necessary if you use any other dongle or payload launcher besides the SX Dongles! If you have a different method of launching payloads, just push the payload of your choice to go into SX or Atmosphere!

Booting Atmosphere with the SX Pro or Gear Dongle
If you want to use your existing SX Dongle to boot Atmosphere or to have a choice between Atmosphere and SX OS, there are some additional steps needed. SX actively blocks loading fusee-primary.bin through their launcher (boot.dat) since SX OS 2.6, so you need to install a little workaround and that is Hekate. I will show you how to set this up properly for both options - either having the dongle boot Atmosphere automatically, or leaving you a choice between Atmosphere and SX OS.

Setting up HekateOptional: Autoboot into Atmosphere

  1. Setting up Hekate
    For both options, we need Hekate.
    You can optionally set Hekate up as the Payload that the Reboot to Payload Homebrew boots into. Now when you use this Homebrew or your console crashes, the console will boot into Hekate, allowing you to dump your NAND, choose between SX OS and Atmosphere (if wished) etc.
    • Get the latest Hekate files and put the contents of the zip on the root of your MicroSD
    • Rename hekate_ctcaer_*.bin on the root of your MicroSD to payload.bin
    • Optional (if you want to have your console reboot into Hekate): Make a copy of the hekate_ctcaer_*.bin Payload, rename it to reboot_payload.bin and put it into the \atmosphere folder, overwriting the existing one. If you use the Reboot to Payload Homebrew, it'll now go into Hekate
    • Optional (if you want to continue using SX): Get the SX OS Payload, put it into \bootloader\payloads
    • Put the Atmosphere Payload fusee-primary.bin into \bootloader\payloads
  2. Optional: Have Hekate autoboot into Atmosphere
    You can set up Hekate so that you do not have to navigate its menu, but boot into Atmosphere directly. To achieve this, do the following:
    • Boot up Hekate at least once, so that the file hekate_ipl.ini in the folder \bootloader is created
    • Open hekate_ipl.ini and append the following lines at the end:
    Code:
    [Atmosphere]
    payload=bootloader/payloads/fusee-primary.bin
    { }
    • Change the value autoboot=0 to autoboot=1
    • This will make Hekate show a splashscreen for some seconds, and then autoboot into Atmosphere. During the splash screen, you can press one of the volume buttons to override the autoboot process and get into Hekate's menu.
    • Optional (if you want a longer time to be able to override): Change the value bootwait=3 to another time (in seconds)
    • Save the file
    If you go into Hekate now, it will show a splashscreen for the time specified in bootwait and then boot Atmosphere.

With this done, there is now two ways to continue, depending on whether you want to move to Atmosphere completely without being able to boot SX OS anymore, or whether you want to dual-boot. Since the whole SX OS CFW is written into the boot.dat, and the SX Dongle does not allow anything but starting boot.dat, both options require slightly different setups.

Atmosphere onlyAtmosphere and SX OS

  1. Using the SX Pro or Gear Dongle to boot Atmosphere without the possibility to load SX OS
    Utilizing the SX Gear boot.dat (which is just a chainloader), you can force the dongle to boot Hekate directly. As with the SX OS boot.dat, it will not launch Atmosphere directly and just blackscreen if you try to, and you'll also have to use Hekate to achieve getting into Atmosphere.
    • Follow all the steps above to set up Hekate
    • Get the SX Gear boot.dat, put that on the root of your microSD, overwriting any existing boot.dat
    • If you use the dongle to boot your console now, it will bring you into Hekate, where you can navigate to Launch > Payloads and choose fusee-primary.bin to launch Atmosphere
  2. Using the SX Pro or Gear Dongle while being able to run both Atmosphere and SX OS
    You cannot just use another boot.dat if you want to be able to run both Atmosphere and SX OS, because the boot.dat contains the whole SX OS CFW. So in that case,
    • Follow all the steps above to set up Hekate
    • Start your SX OS as usual
    • For SX OS, just launch the CFW as usual
    • For Atmosphere, go to Options > Payloads and launch payload.bin (this will bring you into Hekate)
    • Navigate to Launch > Payloads and choose fusee-primary.bin to launch Atmosphere
 
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19dok91

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thanks for the tutorial with argon and atmosphere

It sometimes works great but most of the time, my sx pro just makes some electrical peeping and nothing happens or the light on the dongle lights green and blackscreen...

I put in the dongle and the jig -> press vol up and power -> sometimes it boots up atmosphere, most of the time nothing happens

are there any things i can try?
 

wurstpistole

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thanks for the tutorial with argon and atmosphere

It sometimes works great but most of the time, my sx pro just makes some electrical peeping and nothing happens or the light on the dongle lights green and blackscreen...

I put in the dongle and the jig -> press vol up and power -> sometimes it boots up atmosphere, most of the time nothing happens

are there any things i can try?
I experienced that as well recently. It doesn't have to do with Argon, it also happens with the SX OS boot.dat for me. But I suspect it has something to do with using Atmosphere indeed, maybe the way the console shuts down from Atmosphere. AFAIK Atmosphere can now shutdown properly when using AutoRCM so something must have changed regarding that. They way it is for me is the following: I turn the Switch off from Atmosphere and can not get SX to boot with the dongle. It lights up green for a split second and that's it, blackscreen, have to force power off the console with 12 second power button holding. I have to boot OFW, shut down from there and then the payload injection works again.
 

19dok91

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now i know it, i can handle it...
but this kind of sucks anyway

thanks for confirming that's not a problem with my setup
 

wurstpistole

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Man, they really gave me a headache with SX OS 2.6 not booting the Atmosphere payload anymore. Putting in Argon as a middle man doesn't work as well, also blackscreens.
It does with SX Gear, but that's not the CFW - only a chainloader.

That means that at this point there is no way to have a working dual boot setup when using the SX Dongle.
Since SX OS CFW depends on the SX OS boot.dat, you can't use the SX Gear boot.dat because then you won't have SX OS CFW. But with the SX OS boot.dat you can not boot Atmosphere.
That means I can absolutely not have both next to each other with the SX Dongle.
With any other dongle, where other payloads are pushed or you have a choice, or of course when pushing payloads with phone or computer, it should work fine.

Is there something I'm missing? Anyone has a suggestion that could work with the SX Dongle?
I think there's no way to get out of the dependency on SX OS boot.dat with the dongle to boot SX OS CFW but at the same time not being able to boot Atmosphere from anything SX OS related.
 
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SXAintSoBad

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If you have any xci files left, you will want to install them. Either do that on SX OS directly...
I'm unsure if you actually tested this, but none of my SX-OS installed XCIs work with sigpatched Atmosphere.
(installed with SX-OS 2.5.3 via the SX-OS menu. Work fine with SX-OS 2.5.3 and SX-OS 2.6.1 on firmware 6.0.1 and 6.2. Not yet tested with firmware 7.0.1)
(just hang my Switch with sigpatched Atmosphere 0.8.5 on 6.2 and 7.0.1)

If you did get SX-OS installed XCIs to work with Atmosphere, I would be interested in knowing which versions were involved.
 

wurstpistole

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I installed the NSMBU xci back when I was on SX os, and it ran on Atmosphere just fine. Tried on 6.2 with Atmos 0.8.5
I did not try anything else, since I only updated to 7.0.1 when SX 2.6 was out.
 
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wurstpistole

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Thanks for that - I will try that specific one and see what happens.
Just for shats and gaggles I booted up Atmosphere again (0.85 still, on FW 7.0.1 still) and tried my recently installed XCIs of Mario Party and Smash Bros (installed while on 7.0.1, while on SX OS 2.6).
Mario Party throws an "could not be started" error, Smash Bros just blackscreens and freezes the console.
Well... yeah. Might not work that well. Thanks for pointing that out, I will change that in the tutorial.
 

chr0m

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Don't install XCIs with SX OS or with Tools like ZeroTwoXCI or n1dus, chances are that they won't work properly on Atmosphere. If you want to convert your XCIs, grab 4NXCI or NSC_Builder and do it on your PC.

Today I realised this, that XCIs I'd installed using SXOS don't work in Atmosphere. So there's no fix other to convert to NSP with 4nxci and reinstall?

Switched to Atmosphere a couple of weeks ago but had only been playing games I'd installed recently, either from NSP or converting XCI to NSP.
 
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SXAintSoBad

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Just reporting back on my testing so far.

XCI: scene
SX-OS: v 2.6.1
Atmosphere 0.8.5 sigpatched


Switch Firmware: 6.2 - SOLUTION: use TinFoil v1.53 to install

Install XCI via SX-OS Album
Works in SX-OS
In Atmosphere produces "Game Cannot Be Played" error

Install XCI via TinFoil v1.53
Works in SX-OS
Works in Atmosphere


Switch Firmware: 7.0.1 - SOLUTION: use TinFoil v1.53 UNDER Atmosphere to install

Install XCI via TinFoil v1.53 under SX-OS
Works in SX-OS
Does not work in Atmosphere. Seems to be permanently mounted in Atmosphere so cannot delete it, either. The only way to delete it was to; Install again via Album in SX-OS, mount another XCI in SX-OS and then delete.

Install XCI via TinFoil v1.53 under Atmosphere
Works in Atmosphere
Works in SX-OS

 
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EatSkeetSleep

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Hello, after using your guide to run atmosphere from SX OS, my switch will only allow me to boot the EmuNand on my switch and not the regular one. Also it does not allow me to boot into the OFW from the SXOS menu. I am able to run Atmosphere via Argon. I am just unable to utilize my sxos. Normally I wouldn't care but for some reason my BOTW will not run in my emunand and only runs in the regular nand and its like one of the games I play very frequently.

I even grabbed another micro sd and formatted it and only put on my boot.dat file and the license file. it still only allows me to boot into emunand.

I am running SXOS 2.5.3

Any ideas? Maybe i'm missing something? not sure why with a whole new sd it wouldn't boot back into SXOS nand I figured maybe some of the files were clashing.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
 

wurstpistole

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I don't use Emunand, so I can't really help you with that. I don't see any reason why setting up Atmosphere next to SX would cause that, because those two don't interfere. Maybe try updating to the latest SX OS, 2.5.3 is outdated.
 

ShadoGiow

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Hi, i've followed your guide but when i launch fusee_primary.bin from heckate the spash screen of atmosphere appear but after go to the black screen. why?
 

EatSkeetSleep

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I don't use Emunand, so I can't really help you with that. I don't see any reason why setting up Atmosphere next to SX would cause that, because those two don't interfere. Maybe try updating to the latest SX OS, 2.5.3 is outdated.

Yea I tried to download the newer version of sx os but their website is down. it doesnt work.
Isn't 2.5.3 the only stable verison released? and the others are beta? like 2.6.1
thanks again for your help.

Hi, i've followed your guide but when i launch fusee_primary.bin from heckate the spash screen of atmosphere appear but after go to the black screen. why?

In the guide he stated that Hekate does not work to launch atmosphere. you have to use Argon nx and then name the atmosphere payload to just payload.bin and put it in a folder named "argon" then when you run the argon payload it will chainload atmosphere automatically. at least thats what I gathered and did.
 

wurstpistole

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Yea I tried to download the newer version of sx os but their website is down. it doesnt work.
Isn't 2.5.3 the only stable verison released? and the others are beta? like 2.6.1
thanks again for your help.

In the guide he stated that Hekate does not work to launch atmosphere. you have to use Argon nx and then name the atmosphere payload to just payload.bin and put it in a folder named "argon" then when you run the argon payload it will chainload atmosphere automatically. at least thats what I gathered and did.
1: the website is online again. Change .com to .rocks and go from there
2: launching Atmos from SX via Argon does not work anymore from SX 2.6 upwards, that's why I changed the tutorial to do it via Hekate, which indeed works fine.
Hi, i've followed your guide but when i launch fusee_primary.bin from heckate the spash screen of atmosphere appear but after go to the black screen. why?
The splash screen showing means that the payload launches fine, but the problem is somewhere else. Sure you put the files on your SD correctly?
I have exactly this setup, and can launch both SX and Atmos fine from Hekate, and also set the reboot to payload homebrew to load Hekate which allows me to reboot to either SX or Atmos, from either of those running. Which is what you will get if you follow the point in the tutorial telling you how to set it up so you can choose between SX and Atmos

Can you make a guide on how to go to SXOS from Atmosphere?
That should be nothing more than just putting the SX files on your SD and launching SX, done. It will run anything homebrew related that you had running with Atmosphere already anyway. Refer to the SX OS manual to set up SX and go from there. A tutorial in that direction doesn't really make sense.
 
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EatSkeetSleep

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okay, thanks for the .rocks thing I did not know that. I downloaded the 2.6.1 beta and swapped the boot.dat and now I am able to boot into my Nand. I think when I booted into atmosphere it updated my system software somehow to 7.0.1. this was causing my Nand to not be able to boot 2.5.3 because 7.0.1 is not compatible with it. I was still able to run my emunand because my emunand was like 6.2.1 or something like that.

How can I prevent atmosphere from allowing the update for future updates? I honestly had no clue it even updated. My switch was in sleep mode and I woke it up and it said all these applications were updated.
 

SXAintSoBad

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How can I prevent atmosphere from allowing the update for future updates? I honestly had no clue it even updated. My switch was in sleep mode and I woke it up and it said all these applications were updated.
Manually set your DNS settings to point to a publically available 90DNS server. This will block updates.
 
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