This is outdated. It works in its basic ideas, but has no updated links whatsoever anywhere. Look - if you want to migrate from SX to Atmos and don't have Emunand, just grab Atmos files and sigpatches, and boot Atmos with fusee-primary using your favorite means of launching payloads. That's it.

If you're on SX emunand, have a look at this tutorial. That is what I used myself to migrate to Atmos and emummc, and it works just fine. Contains links to everything you need. It also covers the problem of having an SX dongle, but wanting to boot another CFW with it.

This tutorial does absolutely not cover anything Ipatched-unit, Mariko or SX Core/Lite Modchip related. Please don't ask any questions about that here. I can and will not help you with that.

Spoiler

How to migrate from SX OS to Atmosphere
This short guide will show the basic steps to move from SX OS to Atmosphere, or have them both next to each other. I won't boast it up with images or even videos, since it's mostly only dragging and dropping files around. It's very straightforward and should be done in maybe ten to fifteen minutes.
It is especially relevant to users who boot their console with the SX Pro Dongle, because with it come certain limitations and issues when trying to boot Atmosphere or even dual-boot. This guide also provides a solution for that.

Why would I want to switch to Atmosphere and what are the ups and downs?
Pros:

• Most up-to-date CFW support for newer Firmwares
• KIP Support (external modules, 'add-ons' if you want)

Cons:

• No XCI Loading
• No USB Loading
• No installing games from USB media

To put it in other words: if you don't need or want

• XCI Loading
• USB HDD support,

then there are no sensible reasons to hold on to SX OS.

Regarding EmuNAND/EmuMMC
Given that I do not use EmuNAND/EmuMMC, I can neither tell you how to move that nor provide support for it. There is already a guide that covers this, so if you are looking to move your EmuNAND as well, take a look at this guide by thaikhoa.

Basic Atmosphere Setup for existing SX OS users

• Get the latest Atmosphere files (zip and fusee-primary.bin), put the contents of the zip on the root of your MicroSD
• Get Sigpatches if needed (to run unsigned code), put the contents of the zip on the root of your MicroSD
• SX Installer does not work on Atmosphere, so get another title installer like Goldleaf, Tinfoil or Lithium and put it into your \Switch folder
• Since 0.8.5, Atmosphere supports cheats as well and they are compatible with the format that SX uses. User KuranKu already described what you need to move to make it happen, so have a look at this guide if you need this
• If you have any XCI files left, you will either have to install them with the latest versions of Tinfoil or Lithium or grab them again as NSPs from your most favourite source. Don't install them via the SX menu, they won't work on Atmosphere
  
• If you don't have or use the SX dongle, just use whatever loader you were using before but instead of pushing the SX payload, push the Atmosphere fusee-primary.bin payload

That is basically it. Now when in Atmosphere, launching any app while holding R (standard config) will open the Homebrew menu and allow you to run Homebrew from there.

All of the below is not necessary if you use any other dongle or payload launcher besides the SX Dongles! If you have a different method of launching payloads, just push the payload of your choice to go into SX or Atmosphere!

Booting Atmosphere with the SX Pro or Gear Dongle
If you want to use your existing SX Dongle to boot Atmosphere or to have a choice between Atmosphere and SX OS, there are some additional steps needed. SX actively blocks loading fusee-primary.bin through their launcher (boot.dat) since SX OS 2.6, so you need to install a little workaround and that is Hekate. I will show you how to set this up properly for both options - either having the dongle boot Atmosphere automatically, or leaving you a choice between Atmosphere and SX OS.

Setting up HekateOptional: Autoboot into Atmosphere

1. Setting up Hekate
   For both options, we need Hekate.
   You can optionally set Hekate up as the Payload that the Reboot to Payload Homebrew boots into. Now when you use this Homebrew or your console crashes, the console will boot into Hekate, allowing you to dump your NAND, choose between SX OS and Atmosphere (if wished) etc.
   
   • Get the latest Hekate files and put the contents of the zip on the root of your MicroSD
   • Rename hekate_ctcaer_*.bin on the root of your MicroSD to payload.bin
   • Optional (if you want to have your console reboot into Hekate): Make a copy of the hekate_ctcaer_*.bin Payload, rename it to reboot_payload.bin and put it into the \atmosphere folder, overwriting the existing one. If you use the Reboot to Payload Homebrew, it'll now go into Hekate
   • Optional (if you want to continue using SX): Get the SX OS Payload, put it into \bootloader\payloads
   • Put the Atmosphere Payload fusee-primary.bin into \bootloader\payloads
2. Optional: Have Hekate autoboot into Atmosphere
   You can set up Hekate so that you do not have to navigate its menu, but boot into Atmosphere directly. To achieve this, do the following:
   
   • Boot up Hekate at least once, so that the file hekate_ipl.ini in the folder \bootloader is created
   • Open hekate_ipl.ini and append the following lines at the end:

   [Atmosphere]
   payload=bootloader/payloads/fusee-primary.bin
   { }

   • Change the value autoboot=0 to autoboot=1
   • This will make Hekate show a splashscreen for some seconds, and then autoboot into Atmosphere. During the splash screen, you can press one of the volume buttons to override the autoboot process and get into Hekate's menu.
   • Optional (if you want a longer time to be able to override): Change the value bootwait=3 to another time (in seconds)
   • Save the file
   If you go into Hekate now, it will show a splashscreen for the time specified in bootwait and then boot Atmosphere.

With this done, there is now two ways to continue, depending on whether you want to move to Atmosphere completely without being able to boot SX OS anymore, or whether you want to dual-boot. Since the whole SX OS CFW is written into the boot.dat, and the SX Dongle does not allow anything but starting boot.dat, both options require slightly different setups.

Atmosphere onlyAtmosphere and SX OS

1. Using the SX Pro or Gear Dongle to boot Atmosphere without the possibility to load SX OS
   Utilizing the SX Gear boot.dat (which is just a chainloader), you can force the dongle to boot Hekate directly. As with the SX OS boot.dat, it will not launch Atmosphere directly and just blackscreen if you try to, and you'll also have to use Hekate to achieve getting into Atmosphere.
   
   • Follow all the steps above to set up Hekate
   • Get the SX Gear boot.dat, put that on the root of your microSD, overwriting any existing boot.dat
   • If you use the dongle to boot your console now, it will bring you into Hekate, where you can navigate to Launch > Payloads and choose fusee-primary.bin to launch Atmosphere
2. Using the SX Pro or Gear Dongle while being able to run both Atmosphere and SX OS
   You cannot just use another boot.dat if you want to be able to run both Atmosphere and SX OS, because the boot.dat contains the whole SX OS CFW. So in that case,
   
   • Follow all the steps above to set up Hekate
   • Start your SX OS as usual
   • For SX OS, just launch the CFW as usual
   • For Atmosphere, go to Options > Payloads and launch payload.bin (this will bring you into Hekate)
   • Navigate to Launch > Payloads and choose fusee-primary.bin to launch Atmosphere

 

[clownz]

Awesome guide! I got lost on one of the later steps and I know it's just me not fully understanding.

• Make a copy of the hekate_ctcaer_*.bin Payload, rename it to reboot_payload.bin and put it into the \atmosphere folder, overwriting the existing one. If you use the Reboot to Payload Homebrew, it'll now go into Hekate
• Get the SX OS Payload, put it into \bootloader\payloads
• Put the Atmosphere Payload into \bootloader\payloads as well

Is the Atmosphere Payload reboot_payload.bin? The one that is Hekate now and we just make another copy to put into \bootloader\payloads?

Thanks again for the awesome guide.

 

[wurstpistole]

Awesome guide! I got lost on one of the later steps and I know it's just me not fully understanding.

• Make a copy of the hekate_ctcaer_*.bin Payload, rename it to reboot_payload.bin and put it into the \atmosphere folder, overwriting the existing one. If you use the Reboot to Payload Homebrew, it'll now go into Hekate
• Get the SX OS Payload, put it into \bootloader\payloads
• Put the Atmosphere Payload into \bootloader\payloads as well

Is the Atmosphere Payload reboot_payload.bin? The one that is Hekate now and we just make another copy to put into \bootloader\payloads?

Thanks again for the awesome guide.

That is optional, if you want to add rebooting into a CFW selector. The original reboot_payload that comes with Atmosphere is indeed just Atmosphere again - meaning if you leave it that way, rebooting will only allow going to Atmosphere. To have go it to Hekate and thus allowing to select between SX and Atmosphere, you need to swap out the reboot payload with Hekate. Into the payload folder needs to go atmosphere payload (which is the fusee-primary.bin you grab on Atmospheres github page), SX payload and honestly just any other payload that you might want, locpick for example or whatever floats your boat, that is all individually extendable

 

[clownz]

I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I see the atmosphere boot screen then it boots into Nintendo's firmware and I hit the album and it just takes me to screen shots.

 

[wurstpistole]

I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I see the atmosphere boot screen then it boots into Nintendo's firmware and I hit the album and it just takes me to screen shots.

That is weird. Do you have any homebrew/nsps installed (from SX OS)? What happens if you try to run those?

 

[8BitWonder]

I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I see the atmosphere boot screen then it boots into Nintendo's firmware and I hit the album and it just takes me to screen shots.

Does your current loader.ini configuration require you to hold a button when launching hbmenu?

 

[wurstpistole]

Does your current loader.ini configuration require you to hold a button when launching hbmenu?

If he set it up from scratch without changing anything, it shouldn't.

 

[RattletraPM]

If he set it up from scratch without changing anything, it shouldn't.

Keep in mind Atmosphère 0.8.6 changed the default way to get into HBL, it now requires the user to press R while getting into any game/applet (not just the Album) to do so.

(Plus, if you use a game instead of an applet to launch HBL you'll get full RAM access, so that's the preferred way to do it now if you have any game installed!)

 

[wurstpistole]

Keep in mind Atmosphère 0.8.6 changed the default way to get into HBL, it now requires the user to press R while getting into any game/applet (not just the Album) to do so.

(Plus, if you use a game instead of an applet to launch HBL you'll get full RAM access, so that's the preferred way to do it now if you have any game installed!)

Ah did not know that. Thanks for the information!

 

[wurstpistole]

Quick update in light of the 8.0.0 firmware,
everything still works exactly the same way, just be sure to grab the most current versions of Atmos, Hekate, Sigpatches.
You can ofc not run Atmos and SX simultaneously on 8.0.0 for the simple fact that SX does not yet support 8.0.0

 

[snoofly]

Great guide man.
Followed your steps and it worked flawlessly first time.
Thanks!

EDIT:
I also setup @mrdude's fork of ArgonNX using this as a base.
Renamed autoboot.bin and set the argonnx payload as my USER1 option on my xkit dongle.
Along with all the reboot to rcm/payload options and rebuilding my custom SXOS payload, I'm pretty much set now.
Yellow light on dongle boots into the Argon menu and from there all seems working fine whatever I select.
It seems good to have other boot options having been only on SXOS since day1.
Thanks again.

 

[wurstpistole]

If anyone knows how to configure the hekate ini or an autoboot ini properly so it has a valid, auto-bootable entry for Atmosphere, please let me know. I couldn't figure out what I need to put where to make this work, respectively don't want to find it out by trial and error.

 

[wurstpistole]

Nvm, figured it out.
Also, reformatted the guide and made Hekate the base of every SX dongle-related setup, regardless whether you want to keep SX or not.

 

[wurstpistole]

Updated formatting to arrange it more neatly.

 

[Arkangelshadow]

Hi, I'm currently on SX OS 2.6.2 (no emunand); and have the "NS-Atmosphere" usb payload injector.

I want to try atmosphere to be able to use Edizon for cheats but i want to keep SX os.

By reading the tutorial and before messing around:

For the hekate option (select which cfw to launch) do i need SX Gear boot.dat file even if i don't have the SX Pro or SX Gear Dongle?

After launching atmosphere the first time, how can I go back to SX OS ?

Which payload do i need to use on the USB injector? Do i need to keep changing them everytime my switch crashes or powercicles?

If i power off the console does it still go to rcm mode? (i have autorcm enabled) If thats the case do i still need to inject the sx payload to turn it off or it will accept other payload ?

By launching atmosphere and before getting online, how can i activate the equivalent of stealth mode on SX OS ?

Launching atmosphere will burn fuses? i have autorcm since ever.

Will it be any kind of incompatibility between all the files on the SD when trying to update via choidujournx?

Thx in advance and sry if any question doesn't make any sense.

 

[wurstpistole]

You do not need the SX Gear boot.dat at all, you just put launch the fusee-primary instead of the SX OS payload to get into Atmosphere. In fact, if you want to keep using SX OS, you absolutely must not replace the boot.dat with anything else since the whole cfw is in there.

You could set up Hekate as a kind of boot manager, if you wanted, but it's not necessary in your case. It would make rebooting and switching between cfw more convenient though.

You get back to SX by shutting down the console and starting the SX payload, like before. Or by setting it up like I describe, with Hekate and the reboot to payload homebrew.

Atmosphere supports booting into payload when the switch crashes. So no need to use the injector all the time, if you set Hekate up and use it as reboot payload.

AutoRCM stays unaffected.

The equivalent to SX Stealth would be using incognito and/or 90dns. Do incognito on SX since Atmos has safety measures by default to prevent it (the area it modifies is used by fake brick nsps)

Launching atmosphere by default will not burn fuses. Launching stock sysnand will.

No incompatibility with Choi at all. SX and Atmos do not share a single file, well besides the homebrew in /switch folder, they depend on different folders

 

[wurstpistole]

I just realized there's a mistake with using Atmos and SX next to each other - you can't replace the boot.dat if you want to use SX OS. Will correct that with a workaround
[Edit] And I did that. Makes it look complicated again, but that is only due to the fact that SX OS is written into boot.dat, and the SX dongles won't launch anything but boot.dat

 

[WaRp211]

I just realized there's a mistake with using Atmos and SX next to each other - you can't replace the boot.dat if you want to use SX OS. Will correct that with a workaround
[Edit] And I did that. Makes it look complicated again, but that is only due to the fact that SX OS is written into boot.dat, and the SX dongles won't launch anything but boot.dat

Quick question how do we go about upgrading atmosphere?? Do we just copy everything over from the newer atmosphere 0.89 or do we only use a few files from the update?

 

[andyhappypants]

Excellent guide mate! Love the layout, it should be compulsory for any guide to follow the same formatting.

This will make it easy for me to jump to Atmospere. Thanks

 

[wurstpistole]

Quick question how do we go about upgrading atmosphere?? Do we just copy everything over from the newer atmosphere 0.89 or do we only use a few files from the update?

Both would work, I guess. You're not really changing anything to Atmosphere besides the reboot_payload (if you do that, it is optional to swap it out with Hekate), so that is the only thing you might want to be careful with, to not overwrite it, but generally you can either overwrite or just delete the folder and copy everything fresh. Which is what I would suggest after major fw updates, when new Sigpatches are needed for example, so that you don't have old, unnecessary files on your card.

Excellent guide mate! Love the layout, it should be compulsory for any guide to follow the same formatting.

This will make it easy for me to jump to Atmospere. Thanks

Thanks for the feedback. I would like to use table/tabs formatting for the last part (so that you can choose between Only Atmos/Atmos and SX), but I couldn't find instructions on how to format it.

 

[Arkangelshadow]

I just realized there's a mistake with using Atmos and SX next to each other - you can't replace the boot.dat if you want to use SX OS. Will correct that with a workaround
[Edit] And I did that. Makes it look complicated again, but that is only due to the fact that SX OS is written into boot.dat, and the SX dongles won't launch anything but boot.dat

Thx for your time, i will try your guide today.

Edit: It worked right just the first time. now i have problems.

 

[Arkangelshadow]

I cannot go to atmosphere anymore. I did a restart once instead of power off from atmosphere; it went to sept splash screen and then just froze in there, had to turn in it off by holding the power button.

Then i launched SX but after launch the payload.bin it keeps frozen on sept splash screen.

Edit: I solved by copy all the files again back to the SD