Homebrew [Release] Homebrew Emergency Launcher

[mashers]

Hi everyone

A few people have experienced bugs with the grid launcher which have left them unable to get back into a launcher to FTP in and re-upload. This means the only thing you can do is to take out the SD card and put it in your computer, which is inconvenient or not always possible. Developing a launcher is also problematic because if you make a change which prevents the launcher from running (which has happened to me hundreds of times while developing the grid launcher) then you have to use the SD card reader to fix it.

So, I came up with the idea of a homebrew emergency launcher. The attached app is a highly stripped down version of the homebrew launcher. It replaces boot.3dsx on the SD card, and allows you to boot to a backup launcher if something goes wrong with your main launcher. It adds about a second to the boot time for the launcher, as the emergency launcher opens first and then it launches either your HBL 3dsx or an emergency 3dsx.

Installation:

• Rename the boot.3dsx file already on your SD card to boot1.3dsx
• Place some other launcher or FTP client in the root of your SD card and call it emergency.3dsx
• Copy the file boot.3dsx from the emergency launcher archive to the root of your SD card

Usage:

• Boot up your homebrew hax as usual
• If you do nothing, then boot1.3dsx will be launched (your normal launcher)
• If something goes wrong with your launcher, hold down the right shoulder button while launching your homebrew hax
• This will cause emergency.3dsx to be booted instead

When changing or updating your launcher, remember to copy it to boot1.3dsx not boot.3dsx, or you will overwrite the emergency launcher.

I have tested this on Ninjhax 2.1 on a 9.9 EUR N3DS. I have no idea if it works on other devices. Feel free to give it a try. If it doesn't work for you, just delete boot.3dsx and emergency.3dsx, and rename boot1.3dsx to boot.3dsx.


Edit:
Big thanks to @m45t3r for the improvements he has made to this. Please download from his Github:

https://github.com/m45t3r/HBL-Emergency/releases/tag/v0.1
https://github.com/m45t3r/HBL-Emergency

 

[Seriel]

Nice! Handy!

 

[Vague Rant]

This doesn't change that this is a great idea, @mashers, but you should never need to outright remove the SD card to modify its contents unless you're on an old firmware version. The official microSD Management tool in the 3DS Settings menu is incredibly useful; I haven't had my SD card out of my 3DS a single time in my entire period owning the console thanks to it.

 

[Seriel]

This doesn't change that this is a great idea, @mashers, but you should never need to outright remove the SD card to modify its contents unless you're on an old firmware version. The official microSD Management tool in the 3DS Settings menu is incredibly useful; I haven't had my SD card out of my 3DS a single time in my entire period owning the console thanks to it.

Yes, but that doesn't work on O3DS (That i'm aware of at lest).

 

[mashers]

This doesn't change that this is a great idea, @mashers, but you should never need to outright remove the SD card to modify its contents unless you're on an old firmware version. The official microSD Management tool in the 3DS Settings menu is incredibly useful; I haven't had my SD card out of my 3DS a single time in my entire period owning the console thanks to it.

I've never actually used the micro SD management. Could you use it to replace boot.3dsx with a different one if it wasn't working?

 

[mungry]

Wait a sec... I've never had a problem with getting into the hbl. What would I change on my micro sd if something did go wrong?

 

[Vague Rant]

@mashers, yeah, it just gives you access to the microSD card over SMB, you're not limited to a particular directory or anything.

However, I didn't realize it wasn't available on the original 3DS. I know it's possible to install microSD Management as a CIA even on the original model and have it work without issue, so I'm surprised and disappointed Nintendo don't allow it officially.

 

[ken28]

@mashers, yeah, it just gives you access to the microSD card over SMB, you're not limited to a particular directory or anything.

However, I didn't realize it wasn't available on the original 3DS. I know it's possible to install microSD Management as a CIA even on the original model and have it work without issue, so I'm surprised and disappointed Nintendo don't allow it officially.

its possible but still slow as hell

 

[Seriel]

@mashers, yeah, it just gives you access to the microSD card over SMB, you're not limited to a particular directory or anything.

However, I didn't realize it wasn't available on the original 3DS. I know it's possible to install microSD Management as a CIA even on the original model and have it work without issue, so I'm surprised and disappointed Nintendo don't allow it officially.

I suppose they don't want to because it's microSD management
It's another thing N3DS has got that O3DS hasn't I guess.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

its possible but still slow as hell.

Ah see there you go.

 

[ken28]

I suppose they don't want to because it's microSD management
It's another thing N3DS has got that O3DS hasn't I guess.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


Ah see there you go.

I dont really know why its so slow through. Either Nintendo is intenionally slowing down any app that isnt the eshop on the o3ds or the wifi chip is just plainly useless.

 

[Dramamine!]

Hmm.
Do you have any plans to expand upon this in the future? I'd like for the ability to be able to bind (at least some of) the buttons to different applications, ie. Autoboot Reinand, hold L for Homebrew Loader, hold R for FTP.

Thanks in advance, and good work.

 

[jdeath]

You could also use: CTRBootManager which does the same thing and is configurable via a text file.

 

[ken28]

I suppose they don't want to because it's microSD management
It's another thing N3DS has got that O3DS hasn't I guess.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


Ah see there you go.

so i just tested it again. It averages at around 700-800 kb/s this is ok for smaller things but for cias taking the sd card out and putting it into an card reader is still far faster.

 

[mashers]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think it's probably still quicker to boot NH holding L to get to an FTP server

No plans to expand this beyond the emergency boot, but the source is in the archive so feel free to poke around.

 

[ken28]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think it's probably still quicker to boot NH holding L to get to an FTP server

No plans to expand this beyond the emergency boot, but the source is in the archive so feel free to poke around.

NH?

 

[mashers]

Thanks for the replies guys. I think it's probably still quicker to boot NH holding L to get to an FTP server

No plans to expand this beyond the emergency boot, but the source is in the archive so feel free to poke around.

 

[teampleb]

NH?

Ninjhax

 

[Agent Moose]

I really like this idea. There's something about ctrbootmanager that I am not a fan of, so I'm going to see if I can edit this and do what I would want.

 

[VegaRoXas]

Thank you! This will be really handy

 

[farias0]

What an awesome idea, mashers' a true hero for this community. Keep up with the work!