Hacking Official [Release] CakesFW

[A_Random_Guy]

Hey, just started using the arm9loaderhax build.
I downloaded the firmware.bin and cekt, but the cekt won't decrypt correctly.
I removed the .bin extension. I suspect this was discussed earlier, but scrolling past the last three pages I'm writing this. New 3DS btw

You need the firmkey.bin

 

[chaoskagami]

You need the firmkey.bin

Yep. In a nutshell @LinkSoraZelda -

The CETK can only be decrypted once the firmware has loaded - which unfortunately isn't the case from an a9lh payload. Essentially, until the firmware has booted, the keys aren't available to decrypt it, leading to a catch-22.

You either need to find the firmkey.bin on the internet (see Plailect's guide) or you need to boot your console somehow and run the cakes dat file to get the firmkey.bin.

 

[Halvorsen]

Yep. In a nutshell @LinkSoraZelda -

The CETK can only be decrypted once the firmware has loaded - which unfortunately isn't the case from an a9lh payload. Essentially, until the firmware has booted, the keys aren't available to decrypt it, leading to a catch-22.

You either need to find the firmkey.bin on the internet (see Plailect's guide) or you need to boot your console somehow and run the cakes dat file to get the firmkey.bin.

Yeah, I had to get it by accessing a cached copy of Plailect's guide as the Cakes section was removed.

 

[Wolfvak]

Yeah, I had to get it by accessing a cached copy of Plailect's guide as the Cakes section was removed.

By the way, the AGB_FIRM firmkey for o3DS is in Plailect's gist. If you need a TWL_FIRM firmkey I can provide you with one

 

[chaoskagami]

Yeah, I had to get it by accessing a cached copy of Plailect's guide as the Cakes section was removed.

Ew. It even says to use an autoupdater for Luma now. Manual updates all the way, kthxbai.

Good thing I'm already hacked and all that. For anyone who wants to use steps 1-4 and still choose cakes even though it's gone: https://github.com/Plailect/Guide/w...kes)/f005f31ba4210756c929f9a7750f8400f3057a6e

That's the last page update before deletion.

 

[Wolfvak]

Ew. It even says to use an autoupdater for Luma now. Manual updates all the way, kthxbai.

Good thing I'm already hacked and all that. For anyone who wants to use steps 1-4 and still choose cakes even though it's gone: https://github.com/Plailect/Guide/w...kes)/f005f31ba4210756c929f9a7750f8400f3057a6e

That's the last page update before deletion.

Apparently some idiot thought it'd be funny to update an arm9loaderhax system with Cakes and the FIRM protection patch disabled. Needless to say, instant brick.
I think that's what led Plailect to remove it. I don't completetly agree with that decision, but seeing how his guide is mostly intended for noobs (I mean, some steps are plain spoonfeeding) I can understand his decision.
Luma appears to be the 'One-Stop CFW' for a9lh, at least currently.

 

[astronautlevel]

Apparently some idiot thought it'd be funny to update an arm9loaderhax system with Cakes and the FIRM protection patch disabled. Needless to say, instant brick.
I think that's what led Plailect to remove it. I don't completetly agree with that decision, but seeing how his guide is mostly intended for noobs (I mean, some steps are plain spoonfeeding) I can understand his decision.
Luma appears to be the 'One-Stop CFW' for a9lh, at least currently.

Yeah, he removed it for two reasons: first, its FIRM protection was optional and he didn't want more bricks, and secodnly it was the page with the single lowest popularity on his guide, and he didn't want to maintain something very few people used comparatively

 

[Wolfvak]

Yeah, he removed it for two reasons: first, its FIRM protection was optional and he didn't want more bricks, and secodnly it was the page with the single lowest popularity on his guide, and he didn't want to maintain something very few people used comparatively

I still think that the end user should have a choice in which CFW to use and just shove Luma down their throats, but based in my experience, when you give a noob more than one option they tend to screw themselves over.

Would've been nice to at least keep the links, just add something like "**SORRY, THIS PAGE IS OUTDATED**" to the top of the page.
N00bs hate outdated pages , and it's nice in case I want to recommend Cakes to someone. Right now I have to distribute my whole cakes folder in a zip because it's a pain to obtain the twl/agbfirmkey.bin (actually the agb is in Plailect's gist, but the twl one has to be generated from a pre-9.3 system). And even then, it'd only work for o3DS, because that's the only console that I own.
If I come across a n3DS owner all I can say is "Get Luma", and personally, I don't like that.

 

[chaoskagami]

Yeah, he removed it for two reasons: first, its FIRM protection was optional and he didn't want more bricks, and secodnly it was the page with the single lowest popularity on his guide, and he didn't want to maintain something very few people used comparatively

I still don't see the issue leaving the page there (and moving Luma to the primary page) and putting large red text at the top saying 'This is unmaintained. Unless you know what you're doing, go _here_' with a link to Luma and removing references except the sidebar.

Also, not updated != old. Take zlib, for example. It doesn't need updates often because it's well coded and stable. I'm with you,
@Wolfvak

Theoretically one could clone the guide, partially revert 4303000e5 and just pull from master wiki every once in a while. But that's not only a PITA - the wiki doesn't have a license specified (Which defaults to ARR. Not ARR as in `Arr, avast ye mateys!` but ARR as in `all rights reserved`. :/)

 

[astronautlevel]

@chaoskagami @Wolfvak Not saying whether I agree with it or not, just explaining his reasoning

 

[chaoskagami]

@chaoskagami @Wolfvak Not saying whether I agree with it or not, just explaining his reasoning

I understand it too, but I disagree with it. My opinion, obviously. ;P

Right now I have to distribute my whole cakes folder in a zip because it's a pain to obtain the twl/agbfirmkey.bin (actually the agb is in Plailect's gist, but the twl one has to be generated from a pre-9.3 system). And even then, it'd only work for o3DS, because that's the only console that I own.
If I come across a n3DS owner all I can say is "Get Luma", and personally, I don't like that.

I'm using a modified NAND TWL_FIRM for this very reason - I only have the firmkeys for NATIVE and AGB. Not that it matters much long run since I can replace it on my NAND, but considering I've printed out every key and taped it under my 3DS regardless of compatibility (n3ds) I feel like adding another. PM me?

 

[Wolfvak]

@chaoskagami @Wolfvak Not saying whether I agree with it or not, just explaining his reasoning

I've been thinking of writing a guide as well - not a "step-by-step" guide but one that just outlines the main points of the procedure and has various suggestions as to how you could execute them.
For example, you can install a9lh using SafeA9LHInstaller or you could use delebile's installer, or maybe you could use the latest injector by d0k3/Al3x_10m.
You could pick between several CFWs, like ReiNAND, Luma, Cakes, rxTools (why not? It's being fixed currently...), SaltFW, etc.

Basically, try to stimulate people's minds into actually thinking and understand what they are doing rather than just follow instructions like a trained monkey.
Not saying it's a bad thing, but then again it's just an opinion.

Sorry for so much off-topic, just felt like saying this.

 

[chaoskagami]

I've been thinking of writing a guide as well - not a "step-by-step" guide but one that just outlines the main points of the procedure and various suggestions as how to execute them.
For example, you can install a9lh using SafeA9LHInstaller or you could use delebile's installer, or maybe you could use the latest injector by d0k3/Al3x_10m.
You could pick between several CFWs, like ReiNAND, Luma, Cakes, rxTools (why not? It's being fixed currently...), SaltFW, etc.

Basically, try to stimulate people's minds into actually thinking and understand what they are doing rather than just follow instructions like a trained monkey.
Not saying it's a bad thing, but then again it's just an opinion.

Sorry for so much off-topic, just felt like saying this.

An opinion I wholeheartedly agree with. Plailect's guide was more like that 50-or-so versions ago. Anyways, I'd be willing to help out here and there if you plan to create another guide. I think we need a new one, sadly. I can't follow Plailect's since it no longer discusses options (and I disagree with the defaults.)

We've gotten pretty off topic. Sorry people. :<

 

[Krude]

I'm trying to get Cakes to boot a 9.0 FW and having troubles.
I thought using "ctrtool --contents=firmware.bin" on a 9.0 0004013820000002.cia would give me what i need, but the startup fails on decrypting the ARM9 binary. Anything i'm doing wrong?

 

[chaoskagami]

I'm trying to get Cakes to boot a 9.0 FW and having troubles.
I thought using "ctrtool --contents=firmware.bin" on a 9.0 0004013820000002.cia would give me what i need, but the startup fails on decrypting the ARM9 binary. Anything i'm doing wrong?

Just making sure - you're using a N3DS, you have the firmkey.bin in the cakes folder, as well as slot0x11key96.bin on the SD root, right?

 

[Krude]

Just making sure - you're using a N3DS, you have the firmkey.bin in the cakes folder, as well as slot0x11key96.bin on the SD root, right?

Yes to all of those.

 

[DjoeN]

@mid-kid
Will you update your git with an updated firmurls (with 11.0)

 

[Wolfvak]

@mid-kid
Will you update your git with an updated firmurls (with 11.0)

Just replace 50 with 52 for o3DS and 1F with 21 for n3DS and you should get the newest firmwares. Keep in mind there's no patches for o3DS (yet).

You should also compile the latest Cakes from source, because support was added just yesterday.

 

[DjoeN]

Just replace 50 with 52 for o3DS and 1F with 21 for n3DS and you should get the newest firmwares. Keep in mind there's no patches for o3DS (yet).

You should also compile the latest Cakes from source, because support was added just yesterday.

I suppose cetk is just the same

I know i always build from latest source

 

[mid-kid]

I'm trying to get Cakes to boot a 9.0 FW and having troubles.
I thought using "ctrtool --contents=firmware.bin" on a 9.0 0004013820000002.cia would give me what i need, but the startup fails on decrypting the ARM9 binary. Anything i'm doing wrong?

You're forgetting the -p option.