Tutorial  Updated

Install unlaunch on development units (pandas)

This goes without saying, but BACK UP YOUR NAND FIRST! Backups are especially important with rare hardware like this.

For reasons beyond my head, unlaunch will fail to uninstall on dev units. It sounds like it's something to do with exploitable titles blanking out a register and unlaunch not being happy with it. Thankfully you don't need exploitable titles on dev units!
1708405707022.png

  1. Download a DSiWare type homebrew capable of booting an SRL off of the SD card. I suggest godmode9i
  2. Download maketad.exe. This can be found in any copy of the TwlSDK (TwlSDK/tools/bin/maketad.exe) or your favorite archive of dsi development and factory software (you should probably put exactly those last 7 words into google)
  3. Run maketad like so, replacing "input SRL" with the path to your homebrew: maketad.exe <input SRL> -s -o program.tad
  4. Copy program.tad to your DSi SD card
  5. Download and copy the latest unlaunch to your SD card
  6. Boot TwlNmenu on your DSi and install program.tad
  7. Boot your newly installed program and use that to launch unlaunch
  8. Install unlaunch
  9. Sucess!

tl;dr boot a copy of unlaunch from an installed homebrew (specifically set as a system app for full NAND access) and don't use exploits.

If you're wondering why this guide doesn't install an unlaunch TAD directly, unlaunch is missing the TID needed for maketad. Hex editing is a bit too complicated for some people, so using another app to boot just makes more sense.

WARNING: Unlaunch sets the launcher as read only, so you'll need to uninstall unlaunch in order to update via TwlSystemUpdater or TwlNmenu.
 
Last edited by rvtr,

rvtr

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rvtr

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Hmm.. Hey rvtr, i just had a thought. What if we can install Dev Firmware on the DSi?
I responded to your chat but you might not have seen (I barely get notifications for anything there). I'll share again here for everyone.

Dev and retail firmware on the DSi are almost identical (or at least just by looking at them). The biggest difference is just the version info title and TwlNmenu + NandFiler. You've got two options to make your DSi look like a dev unit:

Nuking your NAND:
- Use a development NAND as a donor for my region changing guide. This will change your serial, and version info to be a dev unit and install the two dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/region-changing-a-dsi-on-nand.651275/

Just installing 2 titles:
- Find TwlNmenu and NandFiler TADs and install them with Tad Delivery Tool. This will keep your console as is, but install the dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tad-delivery-tool-installs-tads-on-any-dsi.653126/
(you can find the TADs on my website, or by mounting any Twl SystemUpdater in ninfs)

The first option is very dangerous if you aren't able to run ntrboot, but feels more "real".

The second option is much safer, but will seem less like a dev unit.

Both options require unlaunch, and neither will let you run dev signed cartridges or have your DSi be detected as a dev unit. "Converting" to dev also will not let you install development signed TADs, so you wlll have to use TDT.

It is impossible to truly convert retail to dev.
(unless you replaced the BIOS but you've gotta be insane for that)
 
Last edited by rvtr,

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Cool shit, is this a recent find? Do you think it would be possible to have both dsi and 3ds ntrboot on one cart at some point, or would that be more data than any flashcart can hold in their bootloader?
ntrboot has been known for quite a while, but I don't think anyone found the signing key in the gigaleaks until earlier this year. There really haven't been many posts about it and most discussions about it take place on the DSi Mode Hacking discord.

I don't think you'd be able to have both. Size would be an issue but even if it weren't idk if you could have both ntrboot headers without overlap.

But I am a big n00b when it comes to how ntrboot actually works so don't quote me on that lol
 
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Cool stuff nonetheless, good thing I'm getting a second cart soon. I can flash it for dsi ntrboot and keep the old one for 3ds ntrboot
 
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_collectorsrarity

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I responded to your chat but you might not have seen (I barely get notifications for anything there). I'll share again here for everyone.

Dev and retail firmware on the DSi are almost identical (or at least just by looking at them). The biggest difference is just the version info title and TwlNmenu + NandFiler. You've got two options to make your DSi look like a dev unit:

Nuking your NAND:
- Use a development NAND as a donor for my region changing guide. This will change your serial, and version info to be a dev unit and install the two dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/region-changing-a-dsi-on-nand.651275/

Just installing 2 titles:
- Find TwlNmenu and NandFiler TADs and install them with Tad Delivery Tool. This will keep your console as is, but install the dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tad-delivery-tool-installs-tads-on-any-dsi.653126/
(you can find the TADs on my website, or by mounting any Twl SystemUpdater in ninfs)

The first option is very dangerous if you aren't able to run ntrboot, but feels more "real".

The second option is much safer, but will seem less like a dev unit.

Both options require unlaunch, and neither will let you run dev signed cartridges or have your DSi be detected as a dev unit. "Converting" to dev also will not let you install development signed TADs, so you wlll have to use TDT.

It is impossible to truly convert retail to dev.
(unless you replaced the BIOS but you've gotta be insane for that)
I responded to your chat but you might not have seen (I barely get notifications for anything there). I'll share again here for everyone.

Dev and retail firmware on the DSi are almost identical (or at least just by looking at them). The biggest difference is just the version info title and TwlNmenu + NandFiler. You've got two options to make your DSi look like a dev unit:

Nuking your NAND:
- Use a development NAND as a donor for my region changing guide. This will change your serial, and version info to be a dev unit and install the two dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/region-changing-a-dsi-on-nand.651275/

Just installing 2 titles:
- Find TwlNmenu and NandFiler TADs and install them with Tad Delivery Tool. This will keep your console as is, but install the dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tad-delivery-tool-installs-tads-on-any-dsi.653126/
(you can find the TADs on my website, or by mounting any Twl SystemUpdater in ninfs)

The first option is very dangerous if you aren't able to run ntrboot, but feels more "real".

The second option is much safer, but will seem less like a dev unit.

Both options require unlaunch, and neither will let you run dev signed cartridges or have your DSi be detected as a dev unit. "Converting" to dev also will not let you install development signed TADs, so you wlll have to use TDT.

It is impossible to truly convert retail to dev.
(unless you replaced the BIOS but you've gotta be insane for that)
Post automatically merged:

Lagging, but didnt know you would respond. Thanks!

Ill also try the CAMERAKART
 
Last edited by _collectorsrarity,
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if someone knows the answer to this it's probably you @rvtr

when you flash ntrboot to ak2i, you lose the fake banner and it reverts back to default ak2i banner and icon, which you can see on regular ds/lite and on 3ds. but on dsi official home menu, it's not recognized. I mean, sometimes the icon shows up for a split second before disappearing again, but mostly it just acts like nothing's inserted and as a result you cant boot it from there

do you know why that is? and is it something that could be fixed, either by some modifications to the ak2i bootloader/firmware or the dsi home menu? unlaunch sees it and can boot it, and twlmenu++ sees it fine, it's just the official home menu
 
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if someone knows the answer to this it's probably you @rvtr

when you flash ntrboot to ak2i, you lose the fake banner and it reverts back to default ak2i banner and icon, which you can see on regular ds/lite and on 3ds. but on dsi official home menu, it's not recognized. I mean, sometimes the icon shows up for a split second before disappearing again, but mostly it just acts like nothing's inserted and as a result you cant boot it from there

do you know why that is? and is it something that could be fixed, either by some modifications to the ak2i bootloader/firmware or the dsi home menu? unlaunch sees it and can boot it, and twlmenu++ sees it fine, it's just the official home menu
I don't know much about flashcarts so I can't answer your question. Your best bet is making a thread in this section or asking on the discord linked here:
https://wiki.ds-homebrew.com/community/

Asking on discord is better but you also have to deal with discord lol
 
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sometimes the card can show up when I press it in, it will boot it and it's fully functional. but 99% of the time I guess dsi menu chokes on the ntrboothax header or something. I doubt it can be fixed without patching the launcher which I dont see anybody caring enough to do lol (not that I can blame them)
 

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I responded to your chat but you might not have seen (I barely get notifications for anything there). I'll share again here for everyone.

Dev and retail firmware on the DSi are almost identical (or at least just by looking at them). The biggest difference is just the version info title and TwlNmenu + NandFiler. You've got two options to make your DSi look like a dev unit:

Nuking your NAND:
- Use a development NAND as a donor for my region changing guide. This will change your serial, and version info to be a dev unit and install the two dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/region-changing-a-dsi-on-nand.651275/

Just installing 2 titles:
- Find TwlNmenu and NandFiler TADs and install them with Tad Delivery Tool. This will keep your console as is, but install the dev apps.
https://gbatemp.net/threads/tad-delivery-tool-installs-tads-on-any-dsi.653126/
(you can find the TADs on my website, or by mounting any Twl SystemUpdater in ninfs)

The first option is very dangerous if you aren't able to run ntrboot, but feels more "real".

The second option is much safer, but will seem less like a dev unit.

Both options require unlaunch, and neither will let you run dev signed cartridges or have your DSi be detected as a dev unit. "Converting" to dev also will not let you install development signed TADs, so you wlll have to use TDT.

It is impossible to truly convert retail to dev.
(unless you replaced the BIOS but you've gotta be insane for that)


Sucess! I managed to install TwlNmenu and Nandfiler! Now i just need another DSi to try method one (too scared to brick it lol) Added stickers to make it look like a dev unit (also installed Nintendo Zone and Nintendo DS Classroom)
 

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