Homebrew How to use GodMode9 without SD card on Luma3DS

[Termer]

(This also applies to any other .firm, or .bin (a9lh) payload)
Here is a guide that I have put together to allow you to run payloads without an SD card from CTRNAND on Luma3DS.
This proves useful when file managing multiple SD cards.
Enjoy!

[What you'll need]
- Luma3DS
- The latest release of GodMode9
- Your desired payload

Instructions
1. Power off your device
2. Insert your SD card into your computer
3. Copy the .firm payload from the GodMode9 .zip (Skip this if you already have GodMode9 or if you have the a9lh version)
4. Copy your desired payload to your SD card
5. Reinsert SD card into your device
6. Power on your device while holding (START) to start to launch the Luma3DS chainloader
7. Launch GodMode9
8. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD
9. Find your payload and press (Y) on it to copy it
10. Return to the main menu
11. Navigate to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND
12. Navigate to rw
13. Navigate to luma
14. Press (Y)+(R) to create a new directory and name it payloads (Skip if directory already exists)
15. Navigate to payloads
16. Press (Y) to copy your payload
17. Enter the key combo to unlock sysnand writing
18. After copying has finished press a to relock sysnand writing
19. Power off your device
20. Remove your SD card
21. Power on your device while holding (START)
22. If everything was done correctly, you should boot into your payload!

 

[Deleted User]

(This also applies to any other .firm, or .bin (a9lh) payload)
Here is a guide that I have put together to allow you to run payloads without an SD card from CTRNAND on Luma3DS. Enjoy!

[What you'll need]
- Luma3DS
- The latest release of GodMode9
- Your desired payload

Instructions
1. Power off your device
2. Insert your SD card into your computer
3. Copy the .firm payload from the GodMode9 .zip (Skip this if you already have GodMode9 or if you have the a9lh version)
4. Copy your desired payload to your SD card
5. Reinsert SD card into your device
6. Power on your device while holding (START) to start to launch the Luma3DS chainloader
7. Launch GodMode9
8. Navigate to [0:] SDCARD
9. Find your payload and press (Y) on it to copy it
10. Return to the main menu
11. Navigate to [1:] SYSNAND CTRNAND
12. Navigate to rw
13. Navigate to luma
14. Press (Y)+(R) to create a new directory and name it payloads (Skip if directory already exists)
15. Navigate to payloads
16. Press (Y) to copy your payload
17. Enter the key combo to unlock sysnand writing
18. After copying has finished press a to relock sysnand writing
19. Power off your device
20. Remove your SD card
21. Power on your device while holding (START)
22. If everything was done correctly, you should boot into your payload!

Nice guide! You should probably ask a mod to move this to the tutorials section though

 

[Termer]

Good idea. I'm glad you like my guide! I found out how to do this when I saw that there was a "luma" dir in rw.

 

[Deleted User]

Good idea. I'm glad you like my guide! I found out how to do this when I saw that there was a "luma" dir in rw.

Personally, I already knew how to do this (found it out the exact same way you did).

This also works for splashscreens. For example, I use this for my splash in NAND

 

[Termer]

Interesting. I honestly don't know why this isn't documented!

 

[lone_wolf323]

This basically looks like exactly whats on 3ds.guide. Something infront of everyones face as they install cfw. Yet so few actually put on and save themselves the hassle of if or when their sd card faults on them.

 

[Termer]

There's something about this on the guide? I was unaware of that. I suppose that proves your point.

 

[KunoichiZ]

There's something about this on the guide? I was unaware of that. I suppose that proves your point.

There is. But now the guide uses .gm9 scripts to automate the process of moving the payload to the proper folder in CTRNAND. See this page for an example: https://3ds.guide/finalizing-setup

 

[Termer]

There is. But now the guide uses .gm9 scripts to automate the process of moving the payload to the proper folder in CTRNAND.

Really? I've followed the guide three times and I've never seen something like this. Could I see the link where it describes this?

 

[KunoichiZ]

Really? I've followed the guide three times and I've never seen something like this. Could I see the link where it describes this?

https://3ds.guide/finalizing-setup, as an example of a page of the guide that uses .gm9 script to automate moving the boot.firm to CTRNAND. It doesn't move GodMode9 to CTRNAND, but this just goes to show how a .gm9 script can automate the process of doing such.

 

[Termer]

Are you referring setup_luma3ds_ctrnand.gm9 or whatever it was called?
That would explain why I never saw it. When I completed the guide last time, I was using a version of gm9 that didn't support scripts, so I didn't run it.

 

[The Catboy]

You can actually launch all of d0k3's payloads from CTRNAND for quite some time now. I actually started running Decrypt9 from my CTRNAND back in Feburary of this year, then replaced it with GodMode9 around April.

 

[Termer]

I left out Decrypt9WIP because it wouldn't start without an SD card. I don't know about Decrypt9

 

[KunoichiZ]

Are you referring setup_luma3ds_ctrnand.gm9 or whatever it was called?
That would explain why I never saw it. When I completed the guide last time, I was using a version of gm9 that didn't support scripts, so I didn't run it.

Yes, that's what I'm referring to. The .gm9 file is called a script. The script can be ran by GM9 to automate processes. For info on how to make such a script/learn how a script works, read here. This requires the latest version of GM9.

I left out Decrypt9WIP because it wouldn't start without an SD card. I don't know about Decrypt9

Also, Decrypt9 = d0k3's Decrypt9WIP. It's quicker to leave off the WIP.

 

[Termer]

Yeah, I updated gm9 after needing a script in 3Down.