Hacking [Release] ARK-4 CFW port for PSP.

[SkullHex2]

Here you go, let me know how it works:
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/v1648403895

To disable a plugin on a game:
ULUS01234, ms0:/plugin.prx, off

Make sure you add the disable line AFTER the enable line:
always, ms0:/plugin.prx, on
ULUS01234, ms0:/plugin.prx, off

Thank you, I'll try it as soon as I figure out these two things:

If using Infinity place the EBOOT.PBP from the Infinity folder found in the ARK download into
/PSP/GAME/UPDATE. Run the initial infinity installation from OFW and re-run the installer again from ARK to configure autoboot.

Do we need to run the initial infinity installation from OFW even if we are already running infinity? Guess not but if so, how do we boot to OFW when we have already installed a CFW?
Can we delete GAME.TXT, POPS.TXT, VSH.TXT once ARK has been installed?

 

[JaegerFox]

So this its compatible with any PSP model? I mean there is no danger of bricking the consoles with motherboard TA-88 v3 and later?
EDIT: I just installed it and it works perfect, I only have one problem, when I try to open the Infinity app to select which CFW to load, it simply does not open and the console turns off
I have no plugins enabled and im using the default ARK settings

Another thing, is there a combo to temporarily disable plugins? like PRO or ME?

 

[JaegerFox]

I leave another comment for PSVITA
any game (even the custom launcher and ARK recovery) crashes when I leave ARK in the background and navigate in the livearea. in the past versions it worked fine

 

[krazynez]

So this its compatible with any PSP model? I mean there is no danger of bricking the consoles with motherboard TA-88 v3 and later?
EDIT: I just installed it and it works perfect, I only have one problem, when I try to open the Infinity app to select which CFW to load, it simply does not open and the console turns off
I have no plugins enabled and im using the default ARK settings

Another thing, is there a combo to temporarily disable plugins? like PRO or ME?

Do you happend to be on 6.60? If so you can do one of 2 things:

1.) (Easier Method) Update to 6.61 then run the Infinity 2.0.5 for ARK directly.
2.) (More Steps Method) If on 6.60 first run 2.0.3 official Inifinity, install it then you can run 2.0.5 Infinity and upgrade it, then select ARK.

As for a combo for temp disable plugins no there is not, could be something to look into however. You can always just rename the PLUGINS.txt file or go into recovery and disable them there for now.

 

[JaegerFox]

Do you happend to be on 6.60? If so you can do one of 2 things:

1.) (Easier Method) Update to 6.61 then run the Infinity 2.0.5 for ARK directly.
2.) (More Steps Method) If on 6.60 first run 2.0.3 official Inifinity, install it then you can run 2.0.5 Infinity and upgrade it, then select ARK.

I first installed 6.61 ofw then PRO, infinity and finally ME, PRO and ARK, so using permanent ARK and if I want to switch to boot with PRO or ME the infinity app doesn't work it just shuts down the console
but if im using PRO permament and i want change to ARK the app works
I don't know if I'm explaining it well

 

[raxadian]

So this its compatible with any PSP model?

No, PSP 100/1000 and early model 200/2000 work perfectly. With 300/3000 you are likely to have problems. That's is due to being based on a firmware that has the exact same problems.

 

[Acid_Snake]

No, PSP 100/1000 and early model 200/2000 work perfectly. With 300/3000 you are likely to have problems. That's is due to being based on a firmware that has the exact same problems.

3000, Go and Street work perfectly too.
The issues with infinity are most likely due to being compiled with an experimental newer SDK version, this happened to ARK, I'll try to compile it with an older but more stable SDK like I use now and see if that helps.

 

[raxadian]

3000, Go and Street work perfectly too.
The issues with infinity are most likely due to being compiled with an experimental newer SDK version, this happened to ARK, I'll try to compile it with an older but more stable SDK like I use now and see if that helps.

If you can make DLC work without any plugin it would be great as some plugins are causing trouble.

 

[Acid_Snake]

If you can make DLC work without any plugin it would be great as some plugins are causing trouble.

Which game/dlc are you testing? Is it from psn or unofficial sources?

 

[JaegerFox]

Which game/dlc are you testing? Is it from psn or unofficial sources?

I think he talks about disgaea 2 and official PSN games..they only work with npdrm_free
it would be nice to integrate that plugin in the firmware ARK
another thing i would it be possible to use ARK on adrenaline?

 

[Acid_Snake]

I think he talks about disgaea 2 and official PSN games..they only work with npdrm_free
it would be nice to integrate that plugin in the firmware ARK
another thing i would it be possible to use ARK on adrenaline?

Isn't npdrm_free a native vita plugin? In that case ARK can't use it.

As for running ARK within Adrenaline, it is most certainly possible, it would require the following:
- A way to inject ARK files into adrenaline flash0 (should be simple as adrenaline flash0 is in the memory stick itself).
- A way to inject ARK rebootex instead of TN-V CFW.
- A new compatibility layer to bring TN-V patches to ARK.

It is a nice little side-project I will be working on once I get PSP and stock ePSP fully working without any big bugs which means I need to finish PS1 on stock ePSP, leda and PRO Online support.

 

[JaegerFox]

Isn't npdrm_free a native vita plugin? In that case ARK can't use it.

there are 2 npdrm plugins
Vita: nonpdrm by TheFlow
and the PSP one is npdrm_free by qwikrazor87
https://github.com/qwikrazor87/npdrm_free and it is totally different from the CFW No-DRM engine... it is more compatible with psn games and some DLC
In the latest stable build of ARK that plugin works on Vita and it is possible to play with DLC that don't work with the no-drm engine
but it causes problems, one of them is the crash when leaving the recovery menu and the other is that if you put the game in the background (Live Area) the game does not resume and ARK stops working...

 

[Acid_Snake]

there are 2 npdrm plugins
Vita: nonpdrm by TheFlow
and the PSP one is npdrm_free by qwikrazor87
https://github.com/qwikrazor87/npdrm_free and it is totally different from the CFW No-DRM engine... it is more compatible with psn games and some DLC

Thanks I'll look into it.

 

[raxadian]

Isn't npdrm_free a native vita plugin? In that case ARK can't use it.

As for running ARK within Adrenaline, it is most certainly possible, it would require the following:
- A way to inject ARK files into adrenaline flash0 (should be simple as adrenaline flash0 is in the memory stick itself).
- A way to inject ARK rebootex instead of TN-V CFW.
- A new compatibility layer to bring TN-V patches to ARK.

It is a nice little side-project I will be working on once I get PSP and stock ePSP fully working without any big bugs which means I need to finish PS1 on stock ePSP, leda and PRO Online support.

Would that make PSN games work in Ark Vita?

 

[Acid_Snake]

Hey guys, new release here, this one is HOT as it fixes highmem on PSP and adds experimental support on VIta, this means the PRO Online client should now work with ARK!
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r140

There's still some fixes to be done, like adding highmem on 1K and Street (this one is tricky but doable) and fixing issues in Vita's highmem (some games/homebrews work, others don't).

 

[raxadian]

So we may get 3.65 Vita support someday?

 

[Acid_Snake]

Do we need to run the initial infinity installation from OFW even if we are already running infinity? Guess not but if so, how do we boot to OFW when we have already installed a CFW?
Can we delete GAME.TXT, POPS.TXT, VSH.TXT once ARK has been installed?

If you are already running Infinity you should be able to update the current installation.
You can safely delete game.txt, pops.txt and vsh.txt if you won't be using any more CFW's that use them (PRO/ME/M33).

 

[Acid_Snake]

Guys just a note: the latest release (4.14) is very experimental and it seems to not work perfectly fine as it should on any of the models (I'm talking about highmem option, everything else works fine). I'm looking into fixing it soon.

 

[Acid_Snake]

Hey guys I've found the issue, it just so happens that Inferno Cache had issues with highmem.
They are fixed now and you can have both at the same time, however I also added Inferno Cache as an option in recovery menu so you can enable and disable at will (please note that some games require inferno cache to function properly, such as Twisted Metal Head On).
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r141

 

[Acid_Snake]

New release, improving stability between the highmem, infernocache and pause features.
https://github.com/PSP-Archive/ARK-4/releases/tag/r142

PSP Go Pause feature works perfectly fine as long as both highmem and infernocache features are disabled, if any of them is enabled, the pause feature will be automatically disabled.
Also note that using Inferno Cache feature on PSP 1K can be very detrimental on certain games, specially if loading other plugins (such as GTA LCS with cheatdevice), but it does fixes other games like Twisted Metal Head-On.