Hacking vWii sneek

tronsonic

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Here's a link to the google cache of your guide, which is still available:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...mpatible-version-of-SNEEK&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1

In case the cache becomes invalid, here's the page source of the cache:
https://mega.co.nz/#!aJMWGKKS!oDuhAuQ2VoReJBJYftZDMLYu70iZTVWeaDJCL3_qW2I


How much funds are needed?

The cached page isn't working anymore and the mega link is dead. Does anyone have a backup? Or is there a good up-to-date guide somewhere else on how to get Neek working on vWii?
 

godreborn

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The cached page isn't working anymore and the mega link is dead. Does anyone have a backup? Or is there a good up-to-date guide somewhere else on how to get Neek working on vWii?

the easiest way to get neek working is to put neek on the usb hdd (in a folder named sneek), go into usb loader gx to run games. first, set the custom path to the neek nand (can create nand with usb loader gx), then test if it can boot into neek (under features). you need the vwiikernel.bin, font.bin, and you have the option of the di.bin. that's pretty much all there is to it. I got neek2o from a download link that someone accidentally uploaded. it's against the rules to share it, so you'll have to make normal neek (neek2o is a leak, so I think the only way to get it is to download the full version). not sure what to do about links and stuff not working though.

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

you'll be taken to the home menu. wait 30 seconds or so, then try to use the 1 and 2 buttons over the disc channel. here's what mine looks like (should be similar). do note that the number of games you have will relate to how long it takes to load, so only use neek for games that need it. I didn't here:

20200710_001255_HDR.jpg
 

tronsonic

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the easiest way to get neek working is to put neek on the usb hdd (in a folder named sneek), go into usb loader gx to run games. first, set the custom path to the neek nand (can create nand with usb loader gx), then test if it can boot into neek (under features). you need the vwiikernel.bin, font.bin, and you have the option of the di.bin. that's pretty much all there is to it. I got neek2o from a download link that someone accidentally uploaded. it's against the rules to share it, so you'll have to make normal neek (neek2o is a leak, so I think the only way to get it is to download the full version). not sure what to do about links and stuff not working though.

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

you'll be taken to the home menu. wait 30 seconds or so, then try to use the 1 and 2 buttons over the disc channel. here's what mine looks like (should be similar). do note that the number of games you have will relate to how long it takes to load, so only use neek for games that need it. I didn't here:

View attachment 248842
I set up neek2o on my Wii some time ago so I know how all that works. The problem is for Wii U you must compile vSneek yourself. I don't know how to do that and the tutorial is down.
 

markehmus

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I set up neek2o on my Wii some time ago so I know how all that works. The problem is for Wii U you must compile vSneek yourself. I don't know how to do that and the tutorial is down.


How to build vSNEEK

Download
FS Toolbox
devkitPro
devkitARM r32
TortoiseSVN
Python 2.7


Important: Instructions are not suggestions. They are there for a reason. You can only skip a step if it is marked "Optional"

Preparation

Install devkitPro (everything but devkitPSP), devkitARM r32, TortoiseSVN (make sure you install Command Line options), and Python 2.7.X (use the latest 2.7 version, NOT 3+), which are all available in the downloads above. Restart your computer. Open C:\devkitPro\ and rename devkitARM to devkitARM_New. Extract devkitARM_r32 to C:\devkitPro\devkitARM\ so that there are a bunch of files in the directory. This is very important, you can't just skip installing DevkitARM from the installer, or skip restarting.

You will need a vWii NAND dump for this version of SNEEK. Don't even bother trying to use a real Wii NAND dump or files from NUS. They won't work. Run FSToolbox (link in the Downloads section) from the HBC on your vWii and do a full system dump. This will take awhile, but it will create a dump of your NAND in SD:\fstoolbox\. Move its contents to the root of your SD card on your computer, and keep it open. We'll need a file from it later.

Downloading SNEEK

Create a directory named C:\projects\wii\, which is where we will download the source to. Navigate to C:\projects\. Hold Shift and right-click on the "wii" folder. You should see an option to "Open Command Window Here", or something similar (depending on your Windows version). Choose that option, then copy and paste the following into the Command Prompt window that opens:

Code:
svn checkout svn://svn.code.sf.net/p/sneek/code/trunk sneek-read-only

Press Enter, and it will download the source. Open the newly created sneek-read-only folder.

Next we need some files to make sure Windows runs elfins.exe properly. Download ELFIns DLLs.zip and extract the dll files to the ELFIns folder.

Getting the IOS Module

This is the real difference between a Wii and vWii version of SNEEK. We have to manually get a piece of vIOS80 from your NAND, instead of downloading IOS70 from NUS. Copy SD:\title\00000001\00000050\content\0000000d.app to sneek-read-only and rename it 0000000e.app.

If the file doesn't exist, then it might be the method of extraction you used. Copy and rename the one that is about 165KB.

Optional: Enabling Hacks

Open up es\SMenu.h with Programmer's Notepad and scroll down to line 60. Switch any hacks you want to enable from "false" to "true" or vice versa. Some of them only work on the USA\EUR System Menus. Once you've made your changes, save and close the file.

Patches are courtesy of crediar, airline38, and conanac.

Compiling SNEEK

Here's the easy part. All you need to do is double-click build_boot2.cmd. If elfins.exe freezes, see Troubleshooting.

Setting Up SNEEK
Extract SD.zip to (you guessed it) the root of your SD card. Copy kernel_sd.bin to SD:\SNEEK and rename it kernel.bin. Run the SNEEK app from the HBC and after a few seconds, you'll reboot into an emulated NAND. Congratulations!

Optional: Installing a System Menu Theme

DO NOT TRY THIS ON A REAL vWII NAND! This will only work on SNEEK.
Download diddy81's ThemeMii Mod, as well as the MYM file you want. Make sure it matches the region of your Wii U.

Now we need to get the part of your System Menu that has the theme. The file name varies depending on the region you have. Open SD:\title\00000001\00000002\content\. Using the chart below, copy the appropriate vWii file (according to your region) to the New_Thememii_MOD folder, then rename it to match the Theme File column. You should also save a backup copy of it somewhere in case you ever want to restore the original theme.
appFiles.png

If the file doesn't exist, then it might be the method of extraction you used. Copy and rename the one that is largest (about 6-7MB). Give it the name matching the appropriate Theme File on the chart, but remember the original name, because you'll need it later.

Start up ThemeMii and select Options>Standard System Menu>4.3>the region your Wii U is. If you get a message about not having the base app, then you've either selected the wrong region, or you named the app file wrong. Do NOT choose to download the file, you need to use your vWii one. If you get no message, continue and feel good about yourself for doing things correctly. Go to File>Open and navigate to the MYM file you downloaded from diddy81's collection. At the bottom-right click Create csm. When prompted, give it the same name as the original vWii file (I hope you remembered that file name like I told you to), including the .app extension and save it. Choose not to save the MYM file and close ThemeMii.

Copy your newly-themed app file back to the content folder on your SD card, overwriting the original. Next time you start up SNEEK, you should have a custom System Menu.

Running homebrew on vSNEEK

Remember, you have NO access to your SD card when running vSNEEK, because that's essentially your NAND. As far as your vWii is concerned, there is no SD card inserted. Everything will have to be run from USB. In addition to that, the Homebrew Channel will not work, and there's nothing you can do to change that. Just like with the real NAND, all forwarder channels will need to be run through Convert2vWii.

A great alternative to the HBC is the Homebrew Filter (mirror). Download and extract it to your SD card. Run ShowMiiWads, and if it's blank, choose "Change NAND Backup Path" from the Options menu, then select your SD card.

Next drag-and-drop "Homebrew Filter v42 - THBF.wad" to the window. Do the same for any other channels you want on your emunand, then click Install on the bottom of the window. You can close ShowMiiWads when it's done installing them.

Troubleshooting

If eflins.exe freezes, there's only three things to try. It may or may not work though. Delete ELFIns\elfins and ELFIns\elfins.exe. Right-click on the ELFIns folder, choose "Revert..." from the TortoiseSVN sub-menu, and check both the listed files and redownload them. If that doesn't work, try deleting both the dll files in ELFIns. Another option is to download and install both vcredist_x64.exe and vcredist_x86.exe from here.

Credits
God for always being there
Crediar for developing SNEEK
Excelsiior for developing the Homebrew Filter (source code)
Anyone I forgot


Other links
from https://code.google.com/archive/p/sneek/source/default/source
devkitARM_r32.rar is in this :
https://storage.googleapis.com/goog...e/v2/code.google.com/sneek/source-archive.zip

https://sourceforge.net/projects/sneek/files/
 

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  • Convert2vWii v1.4.zip
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  • ELFIns DLLs.zip
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  • SD.zip
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Last edited by markehmus,
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godreborn

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my kernel.bin is named vwiikernel.bin, and it's detected through usb loader gx. @tronsonic , I have another file named reload.sys. maybe that's why it's not rebooting for you, but afaik, the system will create the file when you first load neek. is that file now present?
 

tronsonic

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my kernel.bin is named vwiikernel.bin, and it's detected through usb loader gx. @tronsonic , I have another file named reload.sys. maybe that's why it's not rebooting for you, but afaik, the system will create the file when you first load neek. is that file now present?
no I don't see a reload.sys file anywhere. i got loading wiiware with neek in usb loader gx working fine but it crashes with a black screen when I exit the game. testing with Motoheroz
 

godreborn

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I made this video a few months ago of me exiting neek (uneek2o to be exact):



it's pretty bad quality as you can see, made with my old phone. anyway, as you can see, it reverts to wii u mode after you exit a neek title. mine doesn't crash.
 

tronsonic

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isn't the reload.sys file generated by USB Loader GX? any idea why it's not generating it for me? I have Return To set to USB Loader GX in global settings and have it turned On in game settings. I'm using the latest rev1272, i have no idea why it's not working.
 

tronsonic

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I'm not so sure the reload.sys file is the cause of the issue anymore. I read somewhere in the usb loader gx github that this file is automatically deleted if the last shutdown was unclean. I think that's what is happening. I noticed I did have a reload.sys file in my sneek folder when I shut down the console instead of exiting the game. It still crashed when I tried to exit the game next time though.
 

Cyan

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The cached page isn't working anymore and the mega link is dead. Does anyone have a backup?
I do.
I didn't know hacksden was offline for so long and the guide lost.

I have a copy (from 2014, no idea if it had any changes done after that), and some of the files it linked to.
I'm uploading what I have, look at this post's joined files.

The problem is for Wii U you must compile vSneek yourself. I don't know how to do that and the tutorial is down.
You don't really need to "compile" it.

Compiling it means having an outdated devkitARM (r32) which you can't get officially anymore. there are backup of old devkitpro installs and toolchains and ARM/PPC etc. but it could be hard to setup if you are not a dev and only try to compile neek.
You do NOT need to compile neek anymore. Crediar released a Neek patcher/installer. You only need the pre-compiled clean neek file, and the required IOS70 (or 80 on vWii) .app file, click "install" to patch the files and generates the kernel.bin file.

The only difference is that Wii requires IOS70 0000000e.app, while vWii requires IOS80 title\00000001\00000050\content\0000000d.app renamed to 0000000e.app before using Crediar's Installer.



Ohh, I see @markehmus already posted a backup !
Thanks :)
Well, there will be a backup of the backup, just in case. That one will be directly on the GBAtemp's file space.
You added devkitARM r32 which I didn't linked to, but like I said, using Crediar's Neek Installer "should" do the trick, if you provide the files manually (the links are dead)

From memory (don't trust me!)
1. download crediar's neek installer 0.7a (https://code.google.com/archive/p/sneek/downloads)
2. set path to your r194 extracted files, you can get them manually (modmii, or googlecode read only !) (don't use neek2o r96... even if untested)
3. set path to replaced 0000000e.app (wii) with the one from vWii IOS80 0000000d.app (renamed)
4. select S/U/di options
5. click install


yes. all i get is a black screen.

did you, by any chance, delete any unneeded channels from your vWii NAND dump ? like the "return to wiiu" official channel ?
USBLoaderGX is returning to that official channel to get back from neek and return to WiiU.
If you deleted it, it can't launch the missing channel and freeze on black screen at game exit.

I always had the idea to make a channel which reboots into "official" unpatched vWii kernel.bin, instead of rebooting the WiiU to exit vWii neek. but I never had the chance or time to test.
If someone (@blackb0x) see this idea and want to try, just use a clean kernel.bin* as source and do the exact same boot procedure to launch neek, except you are already inside neek, rebooting the official vWii without rebooting the console.

I'm not sure it'll work, that's just an idea to get back to "clean" sysNAND instead of neek's patched one.

*I suppose clean means the original 0000000d.app ? or is neek only taking part of it ?
I don't know what the neek's kernel really is, I didn't compare (yet).
- 0000000d.app patched with some neek's bin file replacing some modules in it ? could work with loading a clean 0000000d.app and reboot.
- neek modules compiled into a kernel with only some part of the .app inside ? then it won't work as it would need a "custom clean" kernel with NO redirection, patches, features, hidden menus, etc. a reversed neek, a Keen ;)


a modded nswitch to actually load cleanKernel.bin and boot it instead of rebooting if detected being launched from emuNAND.
Rebooting the wii was probably the easiest/fastest solution back when neek was on Wii.
Exiting back to WiiU to exit vWii neek instead of returning directly to vWii sys is a little fastidious and would be better if it could be done.


So, below is the backup of the first page of the guide from Hacksden, with some linked files included.
Should I post that to first post? and maybe edit the post with the guide displayed directly.
 

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godreborn

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having the wii u not reboot when exiting neek would be awesome. I didn't think it would be possible, so I hope someone can manage it.
 

tronsonic

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did you, by any chance, delete any unneeded channels from your vWii NAND dump ? like the "return to wiiu" official channel ?
USBLoaderGX is returning to that official channel to get back from neek and return to WiiU.
If you deleted it, it can't launch the missing channel and freeze on black screen at game exit.
No, I'm using a fresh emunand made with USB Loader GX, definitely got the Wii U Menu channel in there. I just double-checked to make sure. Also if I launch Neek System Menu from USB Loader GX, then once loaded launch the Wii U Menu channel, it also crashes with a black screen.

edit: attached a screenshot of ShowMiiNand.
 

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