Hacking MOONSHELL2 'missing system file' on Ak2i request

[CannonFoddr]

A lot of people have been asking (in other forums) about getting Moonshell 2 to boot up on an Ak2i - to be used as an alternative file selector to that of AK2i and AKAIO

I've managed to 'cheat' by using AK2i/AKAIO autorun function to run Moonshell straight away (my guide is here) since the 'usual' guides for booting into Moonshell2 directly doesn't work for the AK2i (usually it's somewhere along the lines of 'DLDI Moonshell & renaming it to the flashcard firmware name')

In the AK2i case - doing this (renaming to 'ak2menu.nds') doesn't work because the AK2i comes up with a message of 'System file missing', so I'm guessing that somewhere in the AK2i and AKAIO 'ak2menu.nds' code there's a piece of code that AK2i 'looks' for on boot-up & if it doesn't see it - up comes 'System file missing' error

So my question is this.....

Is there way to 'patch' Moonshell2 to include this mystery 'system file' code so that we can just boot straight into it (moonshell), a bit like DLDI-ing but for the missing 'system file' code, & if not is there a way of creating a mini 'ak2menu.nds' loader/launcher that 'fools' the AK2i on bootup then automatically load 'Moonshel2.nds' without having to load all the other bits of AK2i/AKAIO firmware (Skins/Graphics etc)

[People who still want to use Ak2i/AKAIO firmware (for those stubbon ROMS) then only need to copy the ak2menu.nds into moonshells 'resetmse' folder & rename it appropriately, then use Moonshells 'reset to firmware' to choose AK2i/AKAIO]

Could one of the AKAIO developers answer this ??
- for all I know it could be just one hex value missing in Moonshell's header that exists in ak2i/AKAIO that's the problem.
Anyone with a hex editor could change it - & problem solved !!

 

[Briankealing]

I tried to make a moonshell2.nds.sav to "trick" AKAIO into thinking that it was a ROM, therefore giving you the autoboot option and stuff. Of course, AKAIO is smart enough to see through it. I tried it on DSision 2 as well.

whatever it is, tricking AKAIO with .nds.sav extension doesn't work

 

[anaxs]

i just downloaded moonshell and put it in my ak2i then made a seperate folder for videos and song and then i go to the songs folder and just play them it works just like that

i didnt put lmp-ng in it but it seems to have it already

 

[CannonFoddr]

I tried to make a moonshell2.nds.sav to "trick" AKAIO into thinking that it was a ROM, therefore giving you the autoboot option and stuff.Erm... why ?? - I got AKAIO to autorun Moonshell without resorting to your 'trick' (Here's how I did it)

All I want is to boot straight into Moonshell & use that for file selection etc instead of having to load AKAIO THEN Moonshell - just 'renaming' Moonshell2.nds to ak2menu.nds doesn't work because of the 'system file missing' message that pops up during AK2i boot-up which, as I've said , I think is a portion of code within ak4menu that's missing in moonshell

QUOTEi just downloaded moonshell and put it in my ak2i then made a seperate folder for videos and song and then i go to the songs folder and just play them it works just like that
i didnt put lmp-ng in it but it seems to have it already

AKAIO does already have lmp-ng installed with it - but your method sounds like you still boot into AKAIO then have to browse to Moonshell to start it up THEN browse to play videos etc. This isn't what I mean

Maybe my video will explain better. This is what's happening at the moment
(OK it's showing Ak2i firmware but the same happens with AKAIO - I couldn't be bothered to make another video of virtually the same thing)


What I'd like to happen is what happens near the end (starting @ 1:45) but WITHOUT the bit of Ak2i (or AKAIO) firmware booting up (@ 1:51-1:53) - hence the request of 'is it possible to add the required code to Moonshell to remove the 'System File missing' request

 

[CannonFoddr]

Here's an update to my request. After a bit of Googling I found an old 'lowfi' post @ http://www.gbatemp.net/lofiversion/index.php/t153845.html which had a post of

latest batches of AK2 and AK2i's lock it so that if the arm9 entry address isnt 0x02000450 then it will not work as a akmenu4.nds replacement.
You cannot fix that without recompiling the homebrew in question.

Am I right in assuming that IF a DLDI patched Moonshell2 could be (re)compiled so that this 'arm9 entry address' is 0x02000450 (whatever this actually means) then we could possibly direct boot into it as a 'firmware' ??

How would we be able to do that ?? - or could someone create a small 'akmenu4.nds' file that sets this 'arm9' thingy (to fool the Ak2i) then loads/run 'moonshell2.nds' straight away

 

[Normmatt]

Here's an update to my request. After a bit of Googling I found an old 'lowfi' post @ http://www.gbatemp.net/lofiversion/index.php/t153845.html which had a post of

latest batches of AK2 and AK2i's lock it so that if the arm9 entry address isnt 0x02000450 then it will not work as a akmenu4.nds replacement.
You cannot fix that without recompiling the homebrew in question.

Am I right in assuming that IF a DLDI patched Moonshell2 could be (re)compiled so that this 'arm9 entry address' is 0x02000450 (whatever this actually means) then we could possibly direct boot into it as a 'firmware' ??

How would we be able to do that ?? - or could someone create a small 'akmenu4.nds' file that sets this 'arm9' thingy (to fool the Ak2i) then loads/run 'moonshell2.nds' straight away

You would need to recompile moonshell2 from source code, of which isnt entirely easy.

 

[CannonFoddr]

latest batches of AK2 and AK2i's lock it so that if the arm9 entry address isnt 0x02000450 then it will not work as a akmenu4.nds replacement.
You cannot fix that without recompiling the homebrew in question.Am I right in assuming that IF a DLDI patched Moonshell2 could be (re)compiled so that this 'arm9 entry address' is 0x02000450 (whatever this actually means) then we could possibly direct boot into it as a 'firmware' ??
You would need to recompile moonshell2 from source code, of which isnt entirely easy.

So if the re-compile of moonshell is out of the question - what about my other suggestion ??
Having an 'ak4menu.nds' that been compiled with this arm9 thingy which then automatically load 'moonshell2.nds'.

Surely it can't be that difficult to have a program like that ?!
CODE

10 Arm9_Entry_Address=0x02000450
20 Load moonshell.nds

This way people could use Moonshell as the file browser,& if that doesn't work they can use Moonshells 'reset to firmware' to boot AK2i or AKAIO firmware as a last resort (if you put a copy into /resetmse/ folder)