Hacking Luma3DS - Noob-proof 3DS Custom Firmware

[urherenow]

Just got home from a vacation and too lazy to go back and quote posts, but...

Restoring emunand to sysnand would brick when emunand was not updated via system settings (updated using .cia files because CFW's at times did not work with most current version. Never been a problem when fully updated via system settings.

@DJ91990 : no. It does not "has to be Luma". It works for just about everyone else. Use your head. Something is fishy with your nand, that's all. Sorry it's been so tough figuring it out.

 

[qubtrash]

Anyone else experience trouble using payload shortcuts with latest hourly builds ?
I'm on a9lh v2 (11.0.0-33 E)
Hangs on black screen everytime....

Version v5.5-61684ecb is working fine, all later builds results in black screen.

 

[Kazuma77]

many are already moving to sysnand though? as far as I know, Gateway is the main reason why some users don't stop using emunand though, because GW is showing that they don't want to support sysnand by not blocking FIRM partition writes.

Hourglass9 is not for everyone, much like Decrypt9 is not for everyone. everything Hourglass9 does, Decrypt9 already has. it's just much simpler and safer for those who aren't entirely sure about what they're doing/etc.

Yeah, many people go ahead and switch to SysNAND-only, assuming negative feedback will get GW to back down, and they're probably right. People can always setup an EmuNAND and clone SysNAND to it if it happens. I'm not so sure it's that Gateway doesn't want to include firm protection as much as they're having technical difficulties doing so -- 3.7.1's firm protection doesn't work in A9LH after all.

I'm thinking maybe I should just leave well enough alone. So far, there haven't been many replies to my modified version of the guide, but they have all been positive. If people were having problems, I'd be hearing about it. It's true what they say. No news is good news.

Haha, and then those same people blamed the guide, and not their lack of reading and choosing the correct option.

Any advance user can get rid of Hourglass9 if they don't need it, there's nothing stopping any advance and knowledgeable user from swapping out all the recommend hotkeys for stuff they want or for a BootLoader they want, or for a CFW they like.

Well, I'm attempting to provide the same options to the average user with my AIO files. I may not be the right person to be trying that, though. Maybe having every option isn't right for everyone, but it's easier to delete something that's already there than add something that isn't.

I just tried backing-up my twln and twlp partitions from my sysnand_original and restore them with decrypt9WIP via pre-boot payloads (where you hold a button to load something). It didn't work. I still hang at a black screen when I attempt anything with DS.

I'm not sure what to tell you. If GBA games are working, it's not an issue with the reboot patches (which pretty much rules out it being a CFW configuration issue). You have the right TWL firmware files installed to CTRNAND. And you've tried restoring several TWLN partitions, which should be working copies, but none of them seem to work. It's almost as if that part of the NAND just decided it was a good day to die or something. You can try restoring back to a pre-A9LH NAND using the normal option (you may have to reinstall Menuhax if you do), but I'm not thinking that will help.

Just got home from a vacation and too lazy to go back and quote posts, but...

Restoring emunand to sysnand would brick when emunand was not updated via system settings (updated using .cia files because CFW's at times did not work with most current version. Never been a problem when fully updated via system settings.

@DJ91990 : no. It does not "has to be Luma". It works for just about everyone else. Use your head. Something is fishy with your nand, that's all. Sorry it's been so tough figuring it out.

I assure you the EmuNAND dump that bricked my red and black O3DS XL was updated via system settings. Though said update was probably done in Gateway mode, since it was a couple of years ago. I was trying to update SysNAND to 9.2 so I could check something, so I restored the EmuNAND dump, having been told EmuNAND was a 1:1 NAND backup. I got an instant brick. Probably because the FIRM partitions had not been updated, because the update was done in GW mode. Still, I stand by my advice. What works fine as an EmuNAND can give you a black screen as a SysNAND. Only try it if you have a hard mod (unless, of course, you're using a method that keeps A9LH, or A9LH has been installed on the EmuNAND).

 

[slash10520]

To start i've read back 200 pages to try and find help with my problem just to run into more problems lol. I've been following the guide and have gotten to the point of starting Luma. I get the setup screen and check the "show nand option" followed by start to boot. When I press start it will either hang at the black screen or reboot my system completely. I'm running an O3ds on 9.0.0-20U with menuahax that was at one point downgraded with the Gateway Menu. So that mean I need to do that part of the TuT, but in order to do that I need to be on CFW lol. So I am now stuck in a loop trying to figure out do I install Rxtools to fix the downgrade then just switch to luma from there or is there a way to do it without having to install a cia?

 

[Shadow#1]

To start i've read back 200 pages to try and find help with my problem just to run into more problems lol. I've been following the guide and have gotten to the point of starting Luma. I get the setup screen and check the "show nand option" followed by start to boot. When I press start it will either hang at the black screen or reboot my system completely. I'm running an O3ds on 9.0.0-20U with menuahax that was at one point downgraded with the Gateway Menu. So that mean I need to do that part of the TuT, but in order to do that I need to be on CFW lol. So I am now stuck in a loop trying to figure out do I install Rxtools to fix the downgrade then just switch to luma from there or is there a way to do it without having to install a cia?

U have to install the missing cias no matter what

 

[slash10520]

@Shadow#1 I get that so I would have to find a CFW that wants to load to install said cias. Where I stand right now I can't get into luma to install the cias. I had rxtools running on it before with a different sd card so I could try reinstalling it to fix the issue then make the switch to luma.

 

[Shadow#1]

@Shadow#1 I get that so I would have to find a CFW that wants to load to install said cias. Where I stand right now I can't get into luma to install the cias. I had rxtools running on it before with a different sd card so I could try reinstalling it to fix the issue then make the switch to luma.

Is the cias official?

 

[slash10520]

@Shadow#1 I think you are misunderstanding my issue here lol. I believe they are official its the ones from this tut https://github.com/AuroraWright/Lum...-downgraded-from-the-gateway-menu-in-the-past . I need to do this step in order to get my luma to start booting.

 

[Shadow#1]

@Shadow#1 I think you are misunderstanding my issue here lol. I believe they are official its the ones from this tut https://github.com/AuroraWright/Lum...-downgraded-from-the-gateway-menu-in-the-past . I need to do this step in order to get my luma to start booting.

I do understand if ther official cias they can be install with fbi via hbl

 

[slash10520]

@Shadow#1 I don't believe they are official cias. I just tried to install them from fbi on hbl and it doesnt give me the option to install them.

 

[jjmicmic]

I would suggest trying my other suggestion and trying to restore an old copy of your TWLN partition then. However, since you think it might be Luma, if you can find a certain iso site, the CFW Discussions section has something you might be interested in. Search for "AIO A9LH Configurations" and you will find some setups far more complete. Plaillect's guide is great for installing A9LH. My collection is for completing the experience by setting up everything he doesn't provide. I doubt the problem is Luma, but it can't hurt to try the other 6 CFWs and 4 other boot managers (I'd suggest starting with BootCTR9, it's my personal setup). If you can't find the iso site, there's an extremely stripped down version of the files here, but try to find the proper release, because it includes every file you need already.



1. All the system needs in order to boot is "arm9loaderhax.bin" from your CFW or boot manager of choice (BootCTR9 needs its "arm9bootloader.bin" as well). So, technically, all you really need on a new card are "arm9loaderhax.bin" and your CFW's folder (in this case, that would be "luma" of course). You'll probably want the homebrew in your "3ds" folder, your HBL payload, your HB boot menu (boot.3dsx), etc. as well, though. So, it's perfectly understandable if you just want to back it all up and copy it to the new card. That's what most people do. Assuming you deleted EmuNAND like the guide suggests, there's nothing there to backup, so, just the card's contents. It's the "Nintendo 3DS" folder on the card you need to transfer over in order to keep your games and saves. Again, though, it depends on what you're trying to do. If you're setting up a second card to run more games and/or emulators, you would want to leave that folder out and let the system create a new one, for example. But if you're switching to a bigger card that's going to replace the previous one, you want to include it.

2. You don't. Yet, anyway. There are some on-NAND CFWs, but they hardly seem worth it to me. If the card reader breaks, I'll buy a new one and solder it on. In the unlikely event I destroy the system in the process, it was broken anyway, and now I've got an excuse to buy a shiny new "Hyrule Edition" model. An emergency NAND CFW would really only be useful if you have a Sky3DS+ anyway, since a broken card reader only leaves one place to load games from. I do own a Sky+, but I still wouldn't want to run a system that way. As soon as the card reader could get here, it would be coming apart.

ah you are right, i don't have emuNAND anymore, I see how this works, so to play ds and gba games on a 3ds, do i need to use an emulator or sort? If so, which emulator do you recommend?

 

[urherenow]

ah you are right, i don't have emuNAND anymore, I see how this works, so to play ds and gba games on a 3ds, do i need to use an emulator or sort? If so, which emulator do you recommend?

Confused... how far back is your original question/problem? emunand has nothing to do whatsoever with DS or GBA stuff. Even when running them from emunand, you MUST have them installed and working in sysnand in the first place.

 

[jjmicmic]

Confused... how far back is your original question/problem? emunand has nothing to do whatsoever with DS or GBA stuff. Even when running them from emunand, you MUST have them installed and working in sysnand in the first place.

it's a separate question, just wondering how do i go about running them, under emulation or straight up install as cia files

 

[Shadow#1]

it's a separate question, just wondering how do i go about running them, under emulation or straight up install as cia files

Emulation has nothing to do with cias

 

[DJ91990]

Yeah, many people go ahead and switch to SysNAND-only, assuming negative feedback will get GW to back down, and they're probably right. People can always setup an EmuNAND and clone SysNAND to it if it happens. I'm not so sure it's that Gateway doesn't want to include firm protection as much as they're having technical difficulties doing so -- 3.7.1's firm protection doesn't work in A9LH after all.

I'm thinking maybe I should just leave well enough alone. So far, there haven't been many replies to my modified version of the guide, but they have all been positive. If people were having problems, I'd be hearing about it. It's true what they say. No news is good news.



Well, I'm attempting to provide the same options to the average user with my AIO files. I may not be the right person to be trying that, though. Maybe having every option isn't right for everyone, but it's easier to delete something that's already there than add something that isn't.



I'm not sure what to tell you. If GBA games are working, it's not an issue with the reboot patches (which pretty much rules out it being a CFW configuration issue). You have the right TWL firmware files installed to CTRNAND. And you've tried restoring several TWLN partitions, which should be working copies, but none of them seem to work. It's almost as if that part of the NAND just decided it was a good day to die or something. You can try restoring back to a pre-A9LH NAND using the normal option (you may have to reinstall Menuhax if you do), but I'm not thinking that will help.



I assure you the EmuNAND dump that bricked my red and black O3DS XL was updated via system settings. Though said update was probably done in Gateway mode, since it was a couple of years ago. I was trying to update SysNAND to 9.2 so I could check something, so I restored the EmuNAND dump, having been told EmuNAND was a 1:1 NAND backup. I got an instant brick. Probably because the FIRM partitions had not been updated, because the update was done in GW mode. Still, I stand by my advice. What works fine as an EmuNAND can give you a black screen as a SysNAND. Only try it if you have a hard mod (unless, of course, you're using a method that keeps A9LH, or A9LH has been installed on the EmuNAND).

The TWL Partition must have become corrupted or bricked or had some sort of very important code deleted or corrupted during the A9LH installation process at some point.

It's not gonna work anymore. I give up. I don't know what else to do to fix it. Some other people have had a similar issue to mine after installing Luma. It was a very rare occurrence, but it still happens. It's just a freak chance, and I just drew the short straw, is all.

I followed the guide 1:1, not skipping any instructions at all. My old 3DS IS a launch model, it could be possible that my TWL_NAND just died. It was fine until I decided to read/write to it and the CTR NAND in the CFW installation process.

 

[Kazuma77]

ah you are right, i don't have emuNAND anymore, I see how this works, so to play ds and gba games on a 3ds, do i need to use an emulator or sort? If so, which emulator do you recommend?

Well, with GBA you have three options. If you have a DSTwo, you can run TempGBA (an old solution, but still a good one). If you have an N3DS, gpSP should run at full speed. Some games crashed on it last I checked, but there's a good chance that's fixed now. And there's GBA VC injection. That works on both O3DS and N3DS. I can understand if you weren't aware there are GBA VC titles, because they were only given to people in the Ambassador program. Nintendo apparently wasn't satisfied with how the BC works enough to make them available for public purchase. There are no bells and whistles, much like the PS2's PS1 BC, but it does work. There were only 10 titles made for the ambassador program, so, people started injecting other games. This broke the signatures, so they had to be patched. Early on, this was done with patched AGB firmware, but now Luma, Corbenik, and the Cakes nightlies can all patch the GBA firmware to allow for the running of injected titles, without the need to replace your original AGB firmware. You should just be able to install an injected GBA title and have it work.

There is no Emulator for DS. You will need a flash cart. Thanks to modern CFW innovations, it doesn't have to be a recent one. It can be an Acekard 2i for example. Originally we got older DS flash carts working with downgraded TWL firmware, then patched firmware, but just as with patched AGB firmware, they are no longer needed now. DSiWare, on the other hand (software released for the DSi through the eShop), has been working for a long time now, and should work with just about any modern CFW. You can just install Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition and start playing. These do get installed to NAND though, so even though they're tiny, you'll only be able to install about 10 or so. There is a work-around, but it's not perfect. You can copy DSiWare to SD and delete them from NAND, then install more of them to NAND, and repeat until you have everything you want installed to SD. However, they can't run from SD. So you have to restore the ones you want to play at a give time to NAND.

@Shadow#1 I get that so I would have to find a CFW that wants to load to install said cias. Where I stand right now I can't get into luma to install the cias. I had rxtools running on it before with a different sd card so I could try reinstalling it to fix the issue then make the switch to luma.

That's why the guide has you grab "firmware.bin" -- Luma3DS WILL load with that in place, because it will replace your unsupported 4.x NATIVE_FIRM that it finds in your CTRNAND with that, and boot correctly.

Actually, you can just remove the extra files from your EmuNAND with GodMode9 directly, instead of installing the CIAs. Back your EmuNAND up first, though. You remove the wrong files, you brick it. Just go into your "EmuNAND CTRNAND", "title", "00040138", and you're at your 4 FIRM folders. Go in and delete any extra .tmd and .app files you find within their "content" folders. The ones to remove will usually be the ones with the lowest number, and usually have a capitalized extension as well. Hope that helps. Also, I would not advise doing this with SysNAND, at least not until after you get A9LH installed, or unless you have a hard mod. One wrong move could brick your system.

 

[DJ91990]

Sorta jumping in here but are you using any bootloader other than Luma's own chainloader? If not then you don't need to do the patchchanging. Furthermore resetting to stock TWL_FIRM only requires you to uninstall and reinstall 0004013820000102. Aforementioned 0004013820000202 if AGB_FIRM for GBA compatibility.

Did DS games *ever* work since installing A9LH? Because if they did you could make a backup of your current ticket.db and title.db etc (the list of files from plai's part 5 step 1 guide) then restore to the first backup you made after installing A9LH.

How do I do the patchchanging thing? I'm a bit confused as to how I go about doing that. Do I just drag/drop the arm9loaderhax.bin to the patcher.exe or do I need to find some sort of "luma.bin"?

 

[myki]

it's the luma.bin who's built thanks to the dragging of arm9loaderhax.bin to the patcher.exe

 

[JerryX]

Anybody know if it's possible to update an Acekard 2i using the Slot-1 Launcher on the 3DS? I have no idea if that's safe. Even with Luma my flashcart still can't load from the normal cart launcher.

 

[Shadow#1]

Anybody know if it's possible to update an Acekard 2i using the Slot-1 Launcher on the 3DS? I have no idea if that's safe. Even with Luma my flashcart still can't load from the normal cart launcher.

Acekard 2i should just work inside Luma3DS as mine does