Hacking Few questions about emummc

[raylgo]

I finished the emummc part of this guide (https://nh-server.github.io/switch-guide/) and I was able to set up a separate 256gb memory card (properly partitioned as recommended) and got atmosphere running (with the ams beside the firmware number).

1. The switch wouldn't boot up if I launch the wrong option at the launch menu of hekate right?

2. While in emunand and always offline, anything I do to it will not affect my ofw sysnand right? I can start deleting all the previous titles and make room for more.

3. To go to ofw sysnand, I just have to insert the right memory card and boot like normal?

To go to emunand, I always have to boot to hekate and launch emunand with the right memory card?

4. Updating the emunand cfw version will always have to pass through ChoiDujourNX? Sysnand ofw can still be updated over the internet?

5. What else can be done to keep this as ban-proof as possible now?

I'm planning to dump all my single player cart games to emunand and install them as nsp so I won't have to lug them all around. Just recovered my cart of xenoblade 2 and I got hooked... Haven't finished botw yet and skyrim

 

[BMW0401_2]

I can answer the questions only the knowledge I have, so I can't give a guarantee. It would be nice if someone more experienced confirms what I am writing.

1. The system boots, no matter which option you choose. So try to avoid SysCFW, because that bypasses the emummc if I'm right. StockSys should be safe from what I've read.

2. Emunand is completely for itself, like a second switch. So you can do anything and it won't affect your OFW.

3. As long as you don't go in RCM and inject a payload, you are going to boot to OFW so you can just boot your Switch like normal if you've turned it off completely. Or, if you have AutoRCM enabled, just select Stock. If you want to go to your emunand, you need to boot to Hekate with the right SD card inserted and select EmuMMC.

4. You can update your OFW like normal. Hekate is configured by default to use this thing (I've forgotten how it's called, you can see it in the options on the bottom left) that lets you update your EmuMMC w/out triggering the fuses to burn. I'm especially not certain about this part, so somebody would need to correct me if I'm wrong.

5. Keep it offline as much as possible. Airplane-mode, no network connection set up, nothing. Do not access the eShop or try to play games online, neither with original software nor with NSPs. Installing an NSP will most likely result in an instant ban if you go online. If you need to go online, e.p. for the App Store or for ftpd, set up 90DNS (look on gitlab or here on gbatemp) first.

 

[LeMageFro]

You don't need two separate SD cards though, your sysNAND and your emuNAND will each have their own Nintendo folder on the first partition of your SD card and won't share any content. If you want to be 100% safe and never start your sysnand on CFW by mistake just delete the [CFW sysNAND] option in hekate_ipl.ini, this way you'll only be left with [CFW emuMMC] and [Stock sysNAND]. As long as you don't switch the emuMMC off from hekate's menu you will be safe.

About question 4 :
For emuNAND : since you intend to either stay offline or use 90DNS to avoid getting banned you won't be able to download the updates from the switch, so yes ChoidujourNX is your only option.

For sysNAND : If you don't use autoRCM and don't care about keeping a low fuses count yes you can update your sysNAND normally. But if you want to keep a low number of burnt fuses in order to downgrade someday (to use an hypothetical coldboot exploit for exemple) never update through horizon, and always via ChoidujourNX, because updating via HOS will remove autoRCM and burn your fuses upon reboot. In the future when we will be able to create emuMMC partitions and boot them as stock (this option doesn't work yet) we will be able to update these normally via HOS since it won't affect sysNAND and will therefore keep autoRCM.
When this option is available the ideal setup will be :
- sysNAND on low official firmware to use powerful exploits (like pegascape for exemple)
- one emuNAND partition updated that you boot on stock to go online
- another emuNAND partition that you boot on CFW to enjoy homebrews

 

[alba93]

hello,
i've juste created an emunand on my sd card.
It boots correctly, but i can't start my games.
A message tells me that i need to download content.
When i go back to my nand all is running well.
What do i have to do to start my games with my emunand?

 

[LeMageFro]

hello,
i've juste created an emunand on my sd card.
It boots correctly, but i can't start my games.
A message tells me that i need to download content.
When i go back to my nand all is running well.
What do i have to do to start my games with my emunand?

You just need to copy the content of the Nintendo folder at the root of your sd to the Nintendo folder allocated to your emunand partition (if you have only one emunand it should be emuMMC/RAW1/Nintendo).

 

[alba93]

You just need to copy the content of the Nintendo folder at the root of your sd to the Nintendo folder allocated to your emunand partition (if you have only one emunand it should be emuMMC/RAW1/Nintendo).

thanks for your feedback but it is not very clear for me.
I may be wrong, but all the games are located into the Nintendo folder of my sd card (second partition), so i don't have enough free space to copy all the content of this folder into the one of the emunand (first partition).
It means you need twice the space for each game

 

[LeMageFro]

thanks for your feedback but it is not very clear for me.
I may be wrong, but all the games are located into the Nintendo folder of my sd card (second partition), so i don't have enough free space to copy all the content of this folder into the one of the emunand (first partition).
It means you need twice the space for each game

Both the Nintendo folders I'm talking about are on the partition that you use as an SD card, not on the partition you use as emuNAND. If you just want to be able to launch your games from emuNAND and don't care about launching them from sysNAND anymore then just move the content of the Nintendo folder instead of copying it, this way it won't take twice the space.

But If you want to be able to launch a game from both your sysNAND and your emuNAND you ave two solutions :
- The recomended solution is to keep a different Nintendo folder for your sysNAND (that's the one at the root of your SD partition), and for your emuNAND (that's the one located at emuMMC/RAW#/Nintendo still on your SD partition, where # is a number assigned by hekate). This does indeed mean that you'll need to have twice the space for each game.
- Or you can redirect the Nintendo folder assigned to your emuNAND partition to the "official" Nintendo folder at the root of your SD. This way you won't have to copy any file, but if you install anything shady to this folder Nintendo may be able to detect it since HOS can access it. Now if you only use CFW offline even on your sysNAND, or only use it for homebrew and don't plan to install any illegal or homemade NSPs, or don't care about an eventual ban, this can be a solution. In this case you'll need to edit the config file emuMMC/emummc.ini and replace the line "nintendo_path=emuMMC/RAW#/Nintendo" by "nintendo_path=Nintendo".

If you want more info you can PM me in french.

 

[alba93]

thanks a lot for your help
Since i don't play online i've just edited the emummc.ini file and now all is running fine