Hacking [Release] ARK-4 CFW port for PSP.

Acid_Snake · Dec 31, 2021

New release available: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r93-2
This release only changes the custom launcher and recovery menus. The core CFW hasn't been changed.

Changelog:

Added file browser to recovery menu.
Added FTP server to custom launcher.
Fixed rename operation in file browser (launcher and recovery).
Fixed some UMD games crashing in custom launcher when no PMF animation present.
Some other fixes to recovery and launcher.

Acid_Snake · Dec 31, 2021

Release 9.4 ready:
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r94

Fixes launcher (autoboot, FTP Server, UMD games) and some other issues.

Happy new year!

SacredMilkOG · Jan 4, 2022

Acid_Snake said:
Interesting. The fact that it was made for PS Vita means it lacks some essential functions that some of these tools use.
I will have to go over these tools and see what's missing.
As for CSO games, I am experiencing problems launching them with the custom launcher on latest release (but that's to be expected as it's an early beta with some new features are that not yet finished), but I am not having any issues when launched from the XMB.
Also make sure you test your stuff on official sony memory sticks, my experience with chinese sd adapters is that they tend to get corrupted and games start failing (specially with those dual sd adapters). You should make sure to have both ARK and PRO installed to be able to switch between them, it's the best way to determine if its really an issue with ARK and not corrupted files.

For sure, I have been using/have used many different custom firmwares on PSP for quite some time now. I find that it's only certain CSO games. But especially Twisted Metal Head On, ARK realllly doesn't like that game. Used the same copy on both firmwares and only PRO works. I've been launching these games from the XMB as well. I haven't tried many more just yet via the Custom Launcher/File Manager- I'll be sure to test some more out soon though.

Also, I figure I should mention too that I noticed ARK is significantly slower than PRO in terms of framerate. I was getting slowdowns in games like Liberty/Vice City Stories and Tomb Raider Anniversary uncompressed- even with no extra plugins enabled. (which would take up memory resource and usually cause some slowdowns)

I know it's all a work in progress of course. Just reports to help it along

Oh and Happy New Year as well

Acid_Snake · Jan 6, 2022

SacredMilkOG said:
For sure, I have been using/have used many different custom firmwares on PSP for quite some time now. I find that it's only certain CSO games. But especially Twisted Metal Head On, ARK realllly doesn't like that game. Used the same copy on both firmwares and only PRO works. I've been launching these games from the XMB as well. I haven't tried many more just yet via the Custom Launcher/File Manager- I'll be sure to test some more out soon though.

Also, I figure I should mention too that I noticed ARK is significantly slower than PRO in terms of framerate. I was getting slowdowns in games like Liberty/Vice City Stories and Tomb Raider Anniversary uncompressed- even with no extra plugins enabled. (which would take up memory resource and usually cause some slowdowns)

I know it's all a work in progress of course. Just reports to help it along

Oh and Happy New Year as well

I just figured out that the base Inferno driver that ARK was using was pretty old and outdated so I grabbed the latest one from PRO and enable a default cache for it (1K pages, 64 pages) and that fixed all the issues with Twisted Metal Head On and other ISO/CSO reading problems.

Anyway here's release version 9.5, containing the updated Inferno driver, with some fixes in the custom launcher and some enhancements in SystemControl that should improve homebrew compatiblity.
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r95

Known bugs and limitations for now:
- Cannot delete ISO/CSO games in XMB (gives an error).
- Cannot enter sleep mode in PS1 games (gives "memory stick cannot be accessed" error).
- Popsloader and leda still not working.

Acid_Snake · Jan 7, 2022

New release ready: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r96

This one fixes the error when deleting ISOs in XMB and improves the graphics in the custom launcher.

Acid_Snake · Jan 8, 2022

New release, version 9.7, ready: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r97
This one fixes the standby issues in PS1 games.

tunex · Jan 17, 2022

I need some help please, I'm in 6.61 pro infinity, I placed the files where the github says to, but when I try to load the launcher, a black screen with some things writen appears, it says that the flash01 was changed, but it goes back to the xmb, and still in pro infinity, I can't anything related with ark

what else I have to do?

Acid_Snake · Jan 17, 2022

If you run the launcher from PRO it will just reboot back to PRO. Run the launcher on OFW (holding home button when powering on the console), or use infinity itself to set autoboot to ARK.

SacredMilkOG · Jan 20, 2022

Acid_Snake said:
New release, version 9.7, ready: https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r97
This one fixes the standby issues in PS1 games.

I've been busy, I'll give the newest release a test again soon

Also, to the other users- I've been using ARK with no other CFW installed during my tests. I'm not sure they're meant to be ran in unison like that... maybe Snake will pop in and mention something about this.

Acid_Snake · Jan 21, 2022

SacredMilkOG said:
I've been busy, I'll give the newest release a test again soon

Also, to the other users- I've been using ARK with no other CFW installed during my tests. I'm not sure they're meant to be ran in unison like that... maybe Snake will pop in and mention something about this.

You can have all three CFW installed at the same time, but you need to use their respective loaders from OFW to change between them, or use infinity.

Nomado · Jan 22, 2022

Hi, Can you elaborate on how exactly to install this on Vita?

I installed ArkFast and opened it. Then I pressed X and it installed something and restarted. After restart, there was ARK bubble on Vita Screen. I then opened Vita Shell and deleted ARK_01234 folder from UX0, PSPemu Savedata folder and copied latest release ARK_01234 folder to savedata folder. Then I replaced FLASH0.ARK file from Release 9.7 Rev 2. But when I open it, it first shows PSP Mini logo then shows "ERROR (-1): Could not execute kernel function".

Acid_Snake · Jan 22, 2022

Nomado said:
Hi, Can you elaborate on how exactly to install this on Vita?

I installed ArkFast and opened it. Then I pressed X and it installed something and restarted. After restart, there was ARK bubble on Vita Screen. I then opened Vita Shell and deleted ARK_01234 folder from UX0, PSPemu Savedata folder and copied latest release ARK_01234 folder to savedata folder. Then I replaced FLASH0.ARK file from Release 9.7 Rev 2. But when I open it, it first shows PSP Mini logo then shows "ERROR (-1): Could not execute kernel function".

You need to also copy H.BIN and K.BIN from the VitaBubble folder into the ARK_01234 folder (those are the kernel exploit files for Vita, by default it has a dummy so that's why you get the error).

Nomado · Jan 23, 2022

Acid_Snake said:
You need to also copy H.BIN and K.BIN from the VitaBubble folder into the ARK_01234 folder (those are the kernel exploit files for Vita, by default it has a dummy so that's why you get the error).

Now it is giving me "ERROR (-1): Exploit failed"

I am following these steps to install it:

1. Install ArkFast.vpk
2. Open ArkFast and press X to install PSP Mini game and then press X to restart.
3. I opened ARK to check it working.
4. Then I open Vitashell and enable FTP.
5. I delete ARK_01234 installed by ArkFast using FTP
6. I copy ARK_01234 folder from Release 9.7
7. I copy K.BIN and H.BIN files from Vitabubble folder to ARK_01234
8. I copied and overwrite FLASH0.ARK file from Release 9.7 Rev 2

then I opened it and that error displays.
I also tried replacing PBOOT.PBP from Release 9.7 with the one from /ux0:/pspemu/PSP/GAME/NPUZ00146

JaegerFox · Jan 23, 2022

its compatible with 6.20 pro permament?

Acid_Snake · Jan 23, 2022

Nomado said:
Now it is giving me "ERROR (-1): Exploit failed"

I am following these steps to install it:

1. Install ArkFast.vpk
2. Open ArkFast and press X to install PSP Mini game and then press X to restart.
3. I opened ARK to check it working.
4. Then I open Vitashell and enable FTP.
5. I delete ARK_01234 installed by ArkFast using FTP
6. I copy ARK_01234 folder from Release 9.7
7. I copy K.BIN and H.BIN files from Vitabubble folder to ARK_01234
8. I copied and overwrite FLASH0.ARK file from Release 9.7 Rev 2

then I opened it and that error displays.
I also tried replacing PBOOT.PBP from Release 9.7 with the one from /ux0:/pspemu/PSP/GAME/NPUZ00146

Usually what I do is I leave the base instalation that arkfast creates and replace the following files: ARK4.BIN, FLASH0.ARK, MENU.PBP, RECOVERY.PBP, maybe a few others.

JaegerFox said:
its compatible with 6.20 pro permament?

No, ARK was written for Vita's ePSP, which uses a 6.60 based kernel. This allows ARK to be compatible with pretty much every device, if it's a 6.60 kernel. It may be possible to backport but I don't consider that necessary since 6.60 is superior.

Acid_Snake · Jan 23, 2022

Hey guys, I've released a new experimental version of the custom launcher that adds FTP Client to the file browser.
Now you can browse and copy entire files and folders from another PSP (running the FTP server).
You can even run the FTP client and the FTP server simultaneously, so two PSPs can browse each other files.
It is still experimental and some bugs need to be fixed but it worked well for the small amounts of tests I've done so far.

https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r97-3

Acid_Snake · Jan 24, 2022

New release with fixes to the FTP Client.
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r97-4

RealYoti · Feb 2, 2022

How to exit from default custom launcher? I'm only found an indirect way to run recovery and exit from it.

You must filter out current directory (the dot directory) entry in the Files menu. No one needs this on PSP.

Acid_Snake · Feb 3, 2022

Y

YotiReal said:
How to exit from default custom launcher? I'm only found an indirect way to run recovery and exit from it.

You must filter out current directory (the dot directory) entry in the Files menu. No one needs this on PSP.

There's no exit button in the custom launcher just like there's no exit function in the XMB (it makes no sense). But you can use ARK's builtin exit key combo (L+R+start+down).

As for the dots in file browser, they are there simply to make sure Vita IO-patches are working (Vita's IO dirent doesn't have them, CFW adds it transparently to the user code).

RealYoti · Feb 3, 2022

Acid_Snake said:
There's no exit button in the custom launcher just like there's no exit function in the XMB (it makes no sense).

So, how to open Internet Browser from the custom launcher? Or read RSS? It's missing a lot of features to not have exit button.

Hacking [Release] ARK-4 CFW port for PSP.

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