Hacking Direct boot ROM in Emulator?

[twiztidsinz]

I was wondering if the AK2 or AKAIO firmware had a feature similar to Moonshell's ability to directly boot a ROM in the emulator, like nes.nesDS.nds in the \extlink\ folder

 

[Masked Ranger]

Not sure what you mean, but there is a option to bypass the AKAIO menu and launch a preselected game. There is no option in AKAIO that lets you skip the warning screen when first turning on the DS. You can have the DS skip the "slot selection" screen using a DS option setting.

You can PM me if you have other questions.

 

[twiztidsinz]

Not sure what you mean, but there is a option to bypass the AKAIO menu and launch a preselected game. There is no option in AKAIO that lets you skip the warning screen when first turning on the DS. You can have the DS skip the "slot selection" screen using a DS option setting.

You can PM me if you have other questions.

In Moonshell2 there is a folder called extlink that holds specially made version homebrew apps to launch files of a certain type, for example "nes.nesDS.nds" launches any NDS file with the nesDS.nds emulator. It also skips over the emulators file select screen and boots the ROM directly, so say you launch "Super Mario Bros.nes" the game will start up automatically instead of loading nesDS's normal file select screen.

 

[Xenon++]

What problem with nds.akaio.nds?

[Oops] So you want extlink feature in /__aio? Possibly won't be implemented.
Anyway nowadays I don't use akmenu nor akaio... Only YSMenu/MoonShell.

 

[fearofshorts]

I think what you are talking about are plugins...
They used to be in AKAIO, but the team removed them and are refusing to re-implement them.

 

[CannonFoddr]

I think what you are talking about are plugins...
They used to be in AKAIO, but the team removed them and are refusing to re-implement them.

A way round this is to get Moonshell to boot up automatically when you switch on (also you need to 'fix' it to run commercial ROMs), add appropriate nds files to EXTLINK folder, then use moonshell to open whatever files you'd like (music,picture,GBC roms etc) - & use AKAIO to run the ROMS.

It's not perfect (you will still need to browse once the appropriate program has started) but at least it's a start

Unfortunately - The best setup of this you can currently get is Moonshell 2.09 & AKAIO 1.5.1, as there are currently no 'fixes' for moonshell 2.1 final for commercial rom running with AKAIO 1.6RC1 (Yet!!!)

 

[Dark^'^Knigh]

What problem with nds.akaio.nds?
[Oops] So you want extlink feature in /__aio? Possibly won't be implemented.
Anyway nowadays I don't use akmenu nor akaio... Only YSMenu/MoonShell

Well YSMenu is fine for you, with all the 'messing' around you are doing with running through various carts etc., but AKAIO on my AK2i will do me just fine, thank you very much.
I'll keep YSMenu for my shitty old R4!

 

[CannonFoddr]

What problem with nds.akaio.nds?
[Oops] So you want extlink feature in /__aio? Possibly won't be implemented.
Anyway nowadays I don't use akmenu nor akaio... Only YSMenu/MoonShell

Well YSMenu is fine for you, with all the 'messing' around you are doing with running through various carts etc., but AKAIO on my AK2i will do me just fine, thank you very much.
I'll keep YSMenu for my shitty old R4!

Actually I've been told using YSMenu on an acekard can 'brick it' (never had it myself actually) but since YSMenu was developed for DSTT and AKAIO was developed for Acekards - I'll stick to the one that's developed for the card I'm using (which is currently the acekard)

 

[twiztidsinz]

I think what you are talking about are plugins...
They used to be in AKAIO, but the team removed them and are refusing to re-implement them.That sucks... any idea why?

A way round this is to get Moonshell to boot up automatically when you switch on (also you need to 'fix' it to run commercial ROMs), add appropriate nds files to EXTLINK folder, then use moonshell to open whatever files you'd like (music,picture,GBC roms etc) - & use AKAIO to run the ROMS.Is it possible to get Moonshell2 to boot right from the start, i.e. 'firmware replacement'?
If not, how long is the load time from Health and Safety to when Moonshell starts to boot?

It's not perfect (you will still need to browse once the appropriate program has started) but at least it's a start

What do you mean by this?
Run a .NDS -> Loads nesDS -> Manually select game?
If so, that defeats the purpose of using Moonshell2 for the extlink

QUOTE(CannonFoddr @ Mar 18 2010, 04:43 AM)

Unfortunately - The best setup of this you can currently get is Moonshell 2.09 & AKAIO 1.5.1, as there are currently no 'fixes' for moonshell 2.1 final for commercial rom running with AKAIO 1.6RC1 (Yet!!!)

What about Moonshell 2.09 with AKAIO 1.6RC1?


Also, if I launch a NDS game through Moonshell 2, and have AKAIO 1.51 or 1.6RC1, will it load any cheats I have previously selected?

 

[CannonFoddr]

What a lot of questions......OK I'll try & explain a bit more detail

Is it possible to get Moonshell2 to boot right from the start, i.e. 'firmware replacement'?
If not, how long is the load time from Health and Safety to when Moonshell starts to boot?
AFAIK there is NO way to bypass the Health & safety screen 'automatically' without flashing your DS
What you will need to do is:

• Start your DS(Lite/Phat/DSi)
  Press [A] to get pass the Heatlh & safety screen
  Highlight the flashcard (if not already selected),
  Press [A] to start the boot process
  Then during the boot process Moonshell will AUTOMATICALLY be loaded in, so you start in Moonshell straight away

Depending on your setup this will mean that AKAIO will load in - then autorun moonshell
OR
It will load in Moonshell directly without having to load in AKAIO first

As for the time it takes - I've never timed it but I would guess it's about the same as if you were using the normal flashcard own firmware + 1 or 2 seconds

What do you mean by this?
Run a .NDS -> Loads nesDS -> Manually select game?
If so, that defeats the purpose of using Moonshell2 for the extlinkWell sort of.. what I mean is that in Moonshell it will display all the file types of the programs you've stuck in ExtLink
For example If you had Lameboy in the the ExtLink folder then all Gameboy/Gameboy Color ROMS will show in Moonshell
When you highlight & select a Gameboy/color ROM then Moonshell will start up Lameboy Emulator automatically
THEN you will need to use Lameboys OWN file selector to browse & select the ROM again

SOME programs allow automatic loading of selected files (one is IPK files, another I think is TunaVid)
- so that when you select a IPK (or AVI) file then it will start up the IPK/TunavVid program AND load in the file you selected automatically
without you having to re-browse & select, but such programs are few & far between

What about Moonshell 2.09 with AKAIO 1.6RC1?

No... Unfortunately there's been no 'fixes' for Moonshell commercial ROM loading made for AKAIO 1.6RC1 (YET!! - we will have to wait & see),
the same goes for there's no fix for 'MS 2.1 Final' either.
It's because each developer (the AKAIO team and moonlight) keep re-encrypting their programs/loader to prevent hacking attempts

QUOTE

Also, if I launch a NDS game through Moonshell 2, and have AKAIO 1.51 or 1.6RC1, will it load any cheats I have previously selected?

It's possible.. It depends on the cheat itself I believe... I don't really use Cheats (that often) so don't really know.
What I do know is IF you wish to ADD cheats or alter them you will need to boot into AKAIO & select them from within that

Hope that clears up some of your questions

 

[twiztidsinz]

AFAIK there is NO way to bypass the Health & safety screen 'automatically' without flashing your DSI know it won't skip the Health and Safety screen... I was just wondering about what it does after that.

It will load in Moonshell directly without having to load in AKAIO first

As for the time it takes - I've never timed it but I would guess it's about the same as if you were using the normal flashcard own firmware + 1 or 2 secondsTHIS is how I would like it ideally.
On my R4, I have a DLDI patched, R4 encrypted Moonshl2.nds file as _DS_MENU.DAT so after the H&S screen, Moonshell boots directly so there is 0 delay between the H&SS and when Moonshell2 -starts- to load.

SOME programs allow automatic loading of selected files (one is IPK files, another I think is TunaVid)
- so that when you select a IPK (or AVI) file then it will start up the IPK/TunavVid program AND load in the file you selected automatically
without you having to re-browse & select, but such programs are few & far betweenI know

That's why I used nesDS.nds as an example, because I know it works.
But the answer to my question would be 'Yes, Moonshell2 on AK2 will use extlink'd apps', that's great.

QUOTE(CannonFoddr @ Mar 18 2010, 11:49 AM) QUOTE

What about Moonshell 2.09 with AKAIO 1.6RC1?

No... Unfortunately there's been no 'fixes' for Moonshell commercial ROM loading made for AKAIO 1.6RC1 (YET!! - we will have to wait & see),
the same goes for there's no fix for 'MS 2.1 Final' either.
It's because each developer (the AKAIO team and moonlight) keep re-encrypting their programs/loader to prevent hacking attempts

There isn't a loader like Xenon++'s for Moonshell2/YSmenu?
I've seen a "nds.akaio.nds" in a few places and had hoped/assumed it would just load the game selected through your current version of AKAIO.
I didn't think it would need to be updated for every version of AKAIO

That sucks...


Thanks a ton!!

 

[fearofshorts]

Well, that file doesn't need to be updated for EVERY akaio update. Just the major versions (ie: 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 etc.)
It's because of the different encryption used for each version.

And when you think about it, after the recent R4 debacle, you can hardly blame them for trying to up the security.

 

[Xenon++]

I know it won't skip the Health and Safety screen... I was just wondering about what it does after that.

There isn't a loader like Xenon++'s for Moonshell2/YSmenu?
I've seen a "nds.akaio.nds" in a few places and had hoped/assumed it would just load the game selected through your current version of AKAIO.
I didn't think it would need to be updated for every version of AKAIO

That sucks...

1. my moonshl2alt.nds can be akmenu4.nds if dldi-patched.
2. new encryption is introduced so nds.akaio.nds won't work. Of course you can modify yslaunch slightly for akaio.