Hacking Customized DS firmwares?

[Searinox]

To the people who already have FlashMe on their DS it's much easier to update/modify the DS firmware... is it possible to customize the original firmware using some resource editors and then flash the DS with them?

 

[Brian117]

It's not a stupid question, I was wondering the same thing...

Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Narin]

The firmware isn't that big, its just over 200 kilobytes big. Theres homebrew for the Nintendo DS that lets you dump the firmware.

 

[SkyintheSea]

PSP FTW anyone?

 

[DanTheManMS]

You'd have to find out how to uncompress and recompress the firmware in order to be able to modify it. I'm sure the info is out there somewhere (hence why FWNITRO and CreeboMe came into being), but I don't know where you'd find it.

For getting started with testing firmware modifications, it would be easier to use Loopy's "firmware.nds" file which can be freely decompiled with DSLazy, edited with a hex editor, and recompiled with DSLazy. I've dabbled in this briefly, changing some of the menu text for humor purposes, but I haven't done too much.

 

[Searinox]

Wait one moment. You said there's software that lets you dump the DS firmware? Name please!

 

[DanTheManMS]

http://nds.cmamod.com/2007/01/24/dsbf_dump...irmware-dumper/
http://www.cryptosystem.org/archives/2007/...ds-bios-dumper/

One of those two should be able to get the firmware. Note that if you get your firmware and copy it to your no$gba folder with the name "firmware.bin" then no$gba will actually use it. Load up a DS game, then in the Options set it to boot the GBA logo first, and then reset the game. You'll see your name at the top and any individual settings you made on your DS. You can also get into Pictochat and the user settings screen if you have the BIOS files in the folder as well, named BIOSNDS7.ROM and BIOSNDS9.ROM.

The firmware.nds file I referred to in my last post can be found at http://home.comcast.net/~olimar/DS/firmware.nds and will also launch just fine in no$gba.

 

[Searinox]

Question: will I be able to modify the fw to bypass slot-1? It's no good use if you boot it up from the flashcart and it goes back in.

 

[Narin]

Question: will I be able to modify the fw to bypass slot-1? It's no good use if you boot it up from the flashcart and it goes back in.

FlashMe a decent firmware mod lets you bypass the Slot 1 and boot up straight into a Slot 2 card or game as well as removing the Health and Warning screen and other stuff.

 

[Searinox]

I have FlashMe. The whole point of this is to make a modified firmware with custom background and stuff.

 

[ozzymud]

Note that if you get your firmware and copy it to your no$gba folder with the name "firmware.bin" then no$gba will actually use it.

That worked nice... pretty cool too.

Question is how to create a firmware.nds out of these 2 bin files? Aint found anything with trusty old google... any links out there discussing it?

Edit: From different programs, i have 3 files, firmware.bin (dont remember what it was before i renamed for the gba trick), BIOSNDS7.ROM, & BIOSNDS9.ROM

 

[Brian117]

So wait...If it is possible to change the text, and menu design on the DS. Why hasn't anyone made custom firmwares for it yet? I would love to have a custom background on my DS. Why doesn't anybody else? o.O

 

[FAST6191]

Flashme has a long standing good track record and still I find people incredibly hesitant to do it.
"made custom firmwares for it yet"
There are three I know of DanTheManMS already took FWNITRO and CreeboMe but there was also a minimalist firmware (as in black screen, white text) made by loopy in the early days of flashme.

Anyhow one firmware unpacker (no recompression/repacking but if you can do stuff like this (ASM hacks on an embedded firmware) then that should not be a problem):
http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=12270

 

[arctic_flame]

So wait...If it is possible to change the text, and menu design on the DS. Why hasn't anyone made custom firmwares for it yet? I would love to have a custom background on my DS. Why doesn't anybody else? o.O

If you can fit all of that into 256KB, feel free.

 

[Raestloz]

Does the firmware has to be 256KB? Can't it be bigger?

 

[pasc]

blame nintendo not use...

 

[Raestloz]

Not use.... what??

 

[Brian117]

He meant to say,

Blame Nintendo, not us*

Lolz...can someone point me in the direction of where to download and view the custom firmwares?

EDIT: Nevermind. Found it ^^

I have an old ds with a broken touch screen. I've never flashed/had a flashed DS before. So that broken DS will be a test.

 

[Isaiah]

wow i love the idea but how do we put it back into our ds???

 

[Doggy124]

Why don't we try to make custom flashcart FW instead of DS FW?
Then we don't have size limit and have full access to MicroSD memory.

I think the DS FW is fine now ,as we don't see it much. Mostly it went directly to flashcart FW.