Hacking Debating about switching to CFW <-- Advise needed

[Paladiex]

Hey everyone, I am a LONG time lurker. I've never posted as usually I can find all of the info I need here in a thread. I am coming up a bit short handed this time. I have avoided CFW until now as it has seemed to be relatively useless and difficult. I purchased a gateway 3ds probably about a year ago so that me and my friends could all play together. I have about 7 3ds's I keep updated between my friends/family. As gateway users can imagine this is a bit of an annoyance. I had seen some articles referencing a pastebin CFW that can install unsigned CIA's through a program called FBI. These articles recommended that I use it to install GBA and DS games, but didn't mention 3ds games. Is there any option for me to turn the emunand's on all of my 3ds's into the CFW and not need the gateway to boot into the CFW every time I need to update/install games? Also, gateway stays on top of sys updates, do any of the CFWs?

 

[calebsw]

If you're using gateway, you already have been using CFW. You say all your 3ds are updated, but do you mean the emunand? because if you had updated the firmware on sysnand, then you wouldn't be able to use gateway any longer. And CFWs can support the same emunand versions as gateway's emunand. Anyways, if you boot into emunand, you should be able to launch a .3ds of bigbluemenu from your gateway cart, then you can install CIAs to your 3ds' internal sd card.

 

[Paladiex]

If you're using gateway, you already have been using CFW. You say all your 3ds are updated, but do you mean the emunand? because if you had updated the firmware on sysnand, then you wouldn't be able to use gateway any longer. And CFWs can support the same emunand versions as gateway's emunand. Anyways, if you boot into emunand, you should be able to launch a .3ds of bigbluemenu from your gateway cart, then you can install CIAs to your 3ds' internal sd card.

Yeah, the emunand is updated

I am wondering if I can just overwrite my sysnad with the emunand using some other CFW like rxtools so I don't have to continuously boot into emunand as it is somewhat of a hassle having my friends come over to borrow my gateway every time they turn off their DS.

 

[calebsw]

If your 3ds is turned off, you still have to boot into emunand, same as you would with gateway. CFWs don't automatically load when you turn on the system. Anyways, if you want to switch to rxtools, you can just keep using the same emunand as you have, just follow the rxtools instructions and you'll be good to go.

 

[Paladiex]

If your 3ds is turned off, you still have to boot into emunand, same as you would with gateway. CFWs don't automatically load when you turn on the system. Anyways, if you want to switch to rxtools, you can just keep using the same emunand as you have, just follow the rxtools instructions and you'll be good to go.

Would I still be required to boot into these using the gateway card? Also, would I be able to install unsigned CIA's relatively easily as I do with the gateway?

 

[usernametaken]

Would I still be required to boot into these using the gateway card? Also, would I be able to install unsigned CIA's relatively easily as I do with the gateway?

No - Gateway cart won't be used for cfw
Yes - Install a Title Manager like BigBlueMenu to your Emunand (cia) with Gateways .3ds version.

Since your Emunand(s) are already setup, all you need to do is drop the cfws files onto your 3DS(s) SD > Install the ROP for whichever cfw you choose (If you launch Emunand with profile exploit) - Otherwise launch cfw from Ninjhax 1.
Cfw cannot play games as .3ds, they'll need to be in cia format > dropped onto internal SD > Installed with Title Manager. Cia files can be deleted / removed once installed.

Edit: For O3DS rxtools - you can use you can boot using http://launch.rxtools.net/

 

[DjoeN]

It all depends on your system O3DS or N3DS

For O3DS, rxTools is great, for N3DS CakeCFW is more stable then rxTools for now
OR you could do as i and install rxTools + CakeCFW and the best part, you still can use your gateway if you ever want to do so for whatever reason.
You have the options to boot into CFW throu browser exploit, Cubic Ninja (NinjHax v1.1b) or MSET exploit and it seems with Brahma II you could boot CakeCFW or rxTools with ThemeHax

 

[Paladiex]

Does the browser exploit work without gateway? Also, does MSET work without any extra requirements?

 

[VerseHell]

If your 3ds is turned off, you still have to boot into emunand, same as you would with gateway. CFWs don't automatically load when you turn on the system. Anyways, if you want to switch to rxtools, you can just keep using the same emunand as you have, just follow the rxtools instructions and you'll be good to go.

The autoboot on start is now possible (at least on o3ds) with themehax.

 

[Just3DS]

Just to clarify OP's doubts: Most CFW uses the GW's emuNAND the same way (if I'm not wrong), so the only thing you need to change is to place the CFW's Launcher.dat (or whichever the file is) on console's SD card AND to run their initial entry point code (either using browser to open their link (for O3DS) or the MSET exploit loaded either by browser or by DS flashcart).

tldr: Your emuNAND will remain the same and same one works across several CFW solutions. GW's Launcher.dat file requires a GW red cart to boot while other CFWs don't.

 

[Paladiex]

Just to clarify OP's doubts: Most CFW uses the GW's emuNAND the same way (if I'm not wrong), so the only thing you need to change is to place the CFW's Launcher.dat (or whichever the file is) on console's SD card AND to run their initial entry point code (either using browser to open their link (for O3DS) or the MSET exploit loaded either by browser or by DS flashcart).

tldr: Your emuNAND will remain the same and same one works across several CFW solutions. GW's Launcher.dat file requires a GW red cart to boot while other CFWs don't.

Thanks so much for this. My next question is whether or not anyone has been able to run the big blue menu on CFW, I see lots of talk about FBI; but none involving cfw and big blue menu. I am fond of big blue as this is what I have used to install unsigned CIA.

 

[usernametaken]

Thanks so much for this. My next question is whether or not anyone has been able to run the big blue menu on CFW, I see lots of talk about FBI; but none involving cfw and big blue menu. I am fond of big blue as this is what I have used to install unsigned CIA.

No - Gateway cart won't be used for cfw
Yes - Install a Title Manager like BigBlueMenu to your Emunand (cia) with Gateways .3ds version.

Since your Emunand(s) are already setup, all you need to do is drop the cfws files onto your 3DS(s) SD > Install the ROP for whichever cfw you choose (If you launch Emunand with profile exploit) - Otherwise launch cfw from Ninjhax 1.
Cfw cannot play games as .3ds, they'll need to be in cia format > dropped onto internal SD > Installed with Title Manager. Cia files can be deleted / removed once installed.

Edit: For O3DS rxtools - you can use you can boot using http://launch.rxtools.net/

All you need to do is install it to your Emunand with the Gateway Flashcart, that's the easiest way to get setup for cfw at least.

 

[Paladiex]

All you need to do is install it to your Emunand with the Gateway Flashcart, that's the easiest way to get setup for cfw at least.

Sweet thanks for this. On all the 3ds's I have big blue menu installed and emunand setup; glad to know this will be an easy process.

 

[Quantumcat]

The reason all the other guides talk about FBI is it is the only option with no gateway cart. Owning a gateway cart makes it super easy so you don't have to worry about FBI. Just put bigbluemenu.3ds on your gateway and bigbluemenu.cia on your SD card, install the cia and you won't need the gateway cart anymore.

 

[JoostinOnline]

CFW is just the regular firmware with temporary patches. It's not really custom firmware.

 

[Quantumcat]

CFW is just the regular firmware with temporary patches. It's not really custom firmware.

CFW = (C)ustom (F)irm(W)are so yeah CFW really is custom firmware

 

[JoostinOnline]

CFW = (C)ustom (F)irm(W)are so yeah CFW really is custom firmware

I meant what people are calling CFW isn't custom firmware. It's just Nintendo's firmware with OTF patches. That still makes it official firmware.

 

[Quantumcat]

I meant what people are calling CFW isn't custom firmware. It's just Nintendo's firmware with OTF patches. That still makes it official firmware.

Does that mean CFW doesn't really exist? Unless you just mean Pasta, running on sysNAND.

 

[JoostinOnline]

Does that mean CFW doesn't really exist? Unless you just mean Pasta, running on sysNAND.

I know someone who wrote his own awhile back (not going to reveal names), but publicly, no. There is just the official firmware. rxTools, PastaCFW, CakeCFW, and all the other so called "custom firmwares" are just apps that apply on-the-fly patches to the official firmware. That's why everything is back to normal as soon as you reboot.

 

[Quantumcat]

I know someone who wrote his own awhile back (not going to reveal names), but publicly, no. There is just the official firmware. rxTools, PastaCFW, CakeCFW, and all the other so called "custom firmwares" are just apps that apply on-the-fly patches to the official firmware. That's why everything is back to normal as soon as you reboot.

In that case it is not really useful to say the things we know as custom firmware really aren't - as "custom firmware" doesn't actually mean something different. There are plenty of English words that don't technically mean what they say but everybody knows exactly what people are talking about when they use them - eg when you say "hot dog" there are no actual dogs involved (hopefully) but everyone knows what it means. Nobody goes around saying, "you can't call them hot dogs! They're not really dogs!"