Discussion [Tutorial] How to Install JNoexes Remote Debugger on Switch (Hekate + Atmosphere)

For those who don't know, JNoexs is a debugger that allows you to search through the code of games. This is useful for finding values you'd like to edit to modify your game, and is very useful for games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which uses dev (device) saves. You cannot use EdiZon to search for values on games that use dev saves. I didn't see any comprehensive guides out there, so I figured I'd make one myself. I was having trouble with installing this and was able to piece together how to do it from other threads. Here's what worked for me.

Disclaimer: I did not create this, so I can't answer any coding related questions, but I can help if you're having trouble getting started. MAKE BACKUPS of everything before swapping out files. It doesn't take up much space and is definitely worth it to be safe. That goes for game files too when you edit them.

As of writing this tutorial, I am using Hekate 5.3.0 and Atmosphere 0.13.0. You may want to consider updating these, as @matt123337 (he released this program) suggested that having an outdated Hekate or Atmosphere can cause problems. Updating them is very simple. Here are the github pages for them as well a guide on how to update:

Spoiler: Hekate, Atmosphere, and Update Guide Links

• Hekate 5.3.0
• Atmosphere 0.13.0
• Guide on how to update Hekate and Atmosphere

If you set up your switch with Kosmos or any form of it, there are potential issues down the line because of changes in the settings and a few files downloaded. The easiest way to get this installed is to do a fresh install of Atmosphere/Hekate (it's very easy):

Spoiler: Fresh Install of Atmosphere/Hekate

Back up your atmosphere, sept, and switch folders, delete them off your SD card, then install drag a freshly downloaded 0.13.0 atmosphere, sept, and switch folder onto your SD card. You should also make a backup of your bootloader folder, then delete it off of your SD card, and drag a fresh one from the updated hekate 5.3.0 download.

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Step 1 - Downloading the files

Download the latest release of Noexs from the github page. You'll want 1.1.2 as well as the updated prerelease of the .kip1 file. I haven't tested the older versions.

Noexs release page

• Updated .kip1 file - This goes onto your switch.
• Updated .jar program file - This will be ran on your computer.

Save these to your desktop or wherever you want to keep them.

IMPORTANT JAVA INFORMATION - This will cause a lot of problems for people, so make sure you have the correct java installed!!!

Spoiler: JAVA INFORMATION

You will also need to download Java 10. No other version will work!!! I downloaded JRE-10.0.2_windows-x64_bin.exe.

• Scroll down to Java SE Runtime Environment 10.0.2
• Choose the JRE that works for your computer.

This WILL NOT WORK if you have older versions of Java on your computer. I couldn't get it to work with any other version of java installed. So I uninstalled all of them except 10.0.2. If you're having problems, opening the program, it may be because you have another version of JAVA interfering. Double-check and uninstall any other versions
To uninstall java:

• Start > Settings > System > Apps & features > Right click the version you want to uninstall and click uninstall

Java 10 download page - You will need a (free) Oracle account to download from this page.
(Or follow this guy's instructions, but it's easier to just make an account)
If someone has a mirror they want me to post here, send me a link.

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Step 2 - Prepping the Switch

You'll need to pop your SD card into your computer. Open your SD card. From the root go to:

• Root > atmosphere > kips

Place your updated noexs.kip1 file that you downloaded in here. Other tutorials seem to suggest placing it in the root, but this makes it tidy and worked well for me. Here's an image just to be clear.

Noexs will not work if you are running EdiZon for cheats. So you may want to disable it, OR you can hold L while the game is booting up. If you run a game with cheats enabled, you'll have to restart your switch. I didn't disable my cheats and just hold L when booting, but that's up to you!

To disable cheats, go to:

• Root > atmosphere > config > open "system_settings" with notepad++ (it's just easier with notepad++), go down to " dmnt_cheats_enabled_by_default = u8!0x0" and change it to "; dmnt_cheats_enabled_by_default = u8!0x0".
• Having the semicolon there "comments" out the whole line and it won't run that line. So when it does not have the semicolon, the cheats are enabled.

Make backups. Also, here are images of what I'm talking about:
Cheats On - but need to hold L when you boot the game (I do this)
Cheats Off

Now we'll need to edit the hekate_ipl.ini file. Go to:

• Root > bootloader > and open hekate_ipl.ini with notepad++.
• Make a backup (as always).

Scroll down and to the bottom and paste:

[Noexs]
fss0=atmosphere/fusee-secondary.bin
kip1=atmosphere/kips/noexs.kip1
kip1patch=nosigchk
logopath=bootloader/bootlogo.bmp
atmosphere=1

Or you can replace your hekate_ipl.ini (after you make a backup first) with my file. I uploaded it to this post if anyone wants to just use that instead. The only thing I changed though was adding this to the bottom. You may see a difference in your hekate_ipl.ini if you set up your switch with Kosmos or some other iteration of it.

For those concerned about whether or not this will use your emuNAND:

Spoiler: It will use emuNAND

It will use emuNAND. I ran mine and it did not boot to sysNAND. I run everything off my emuNAND. I got stuck at this stage because the tutorials ask us to place the noexs.kip1 on the root and run the .kip file separately, then boot into our emuNAND. Setting up your hekate_ipl.ini the way I have above accomplishes the same thing but skips running the .kip separately. I kept getting the error "no mandatory secmon or warmboot provided failed to launch hos". This solved it.

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Step 3 - Running the JNoexs Client

Unzip the folder and place the unzipped folder wherever you'd like on your computer. I used the desktop because it's easy to navigate to.

Go to start, search, and choose "Command Prompt"
Here, you'll see a basic command prompt where you'll type: "java -jar fileLocation". You can easily get the file location by just dragging it into the command prompt window. And hit enter. You should see a command prompt open up as well as the NoexsClient.

• Example: you'd type "java -jar C:\Users\User\Desktop\noexs-1.1.2-release\release\JNoexsClient.jar

Here's an image of what mine looks like: image of my command prompt

If you're having problems opening the file, check that you have downloaded java 10 as described in Step 2. Uninstall other versions of java.
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Step 4 - Putting it All Together

Now that you have your .kip1 file in the right place, your settings all adjusted, and you can run the client, you're almost all set. Before clicking "connect", make sure you have cheats disabled, or plan to hold L while booting the game. As I said earlier, Noexs will NOT work if you're using EdiZon for cheats. If it's not connecting, check to make sure you have the cheats turned off as detailed in Step 2. If you run a game and activate any cheats, you'll likely need to reboot your game (maybe even the switch if it's still giving you trouble) and try again.

Put your SD card back into your switch and boot into RCM using Hekate. Go to:

• Launch > Noexs

And it will launch into your emuNAND (if it doesn't and it gives an error, make sure your noexs.kip1 file is in the right place as described in Step 2)

On your switch, go to:

• Home > Settings > Internet > and take note of/write down your IP address. You will need this to connect to the client.
• On your switch, boot the game WITHOUT cheats (however you choose)
• Always wait until the game boots before connecting with the client.

On your computer:

• Use Step 3 to launch the client
• Type in the IP address of your switch (you don't need the extension like in FTP such as 1.1.1.1:5555 etc)

Now, you can finally click on "Connect" on the JNoexs client. From here, you should click "Refresh Pids", scroll down to the last number and click "Attach to Process". If you're getting an error, you likely have cheats enabled. To disable cheats, go back to step 1 to disable them manually. Restart switch and boot game with disabled cheats, OR just hold L when launching the game, which is what I do.

For more information on how to use Noexs, please refer to this thorough and helpful guide written by @wiitendo84
Guide on how to use Noexs

Thanks for reading, happy modding!
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Other useful links that I'm going to just keep here:

Spoiler: Useful Links

Noexes github page (releases)

Noexs remote debugger release page by @matt123337

Guide on how to use noexes by @wiitendo84

RAM dump parser by @RyDog - This is a useful tool that can make searching through values easier.

Pointer Searcher by @Takumi4685 - Very useful tool that will help you find codes!

Java 10 JRE. No other version works. You need an Oracle account to download these, which is free.

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Let me know if I'm missing something or there are troubles and I'll update this post.

Thanks to @matt123337 for releasing this software for us to use and thanks @wiitendo84 for writing such a helpful guide.

Other tags: Noexes, JNoexes, AC:NH, ACNH, mods, mod, dev save, hack, hex values

 

That would be great! Go for it.

 

At least it's a new error haha! Your .ini file looks different than mine. A couple questions:

Was your mod set up with Kosmos? (just curious)
Are you using the most up to date Hekate and Atmosphere? It could be an issue with the kip_patches. Check my guide above if you'd like to update Hekate and Atmosphere.
It could also be a problem with the "patches.ini" file in the same directory as the hekate_ipl.ini. My first instinct is to update hekate and atmosphere and see what happens.

Here's how I have my .ini file set up:

That's everything in my hekate_ipl.ini file.
If what I suggested doesn't work, could you paste your .ini file as well? it seems like there are some differences.

 

1. Ah, that explains the difference in this settings file.
2. Gotcha. Well it might be worth dragging the kip_patches into your atmosphere > kip_patches again, but you should be alright.
3. It could be, but since you don't have it, I have my doubts. It might just be a leftover from an older version I had. I'll upload it so you can take a look at it.

Something you could try is to delete the no sig check and see if it runs. It seems like none of your other boot options are using it.

 

Ok, so it wants to run. Though it seems like it needs the nosigchk.

The patches.ini file is not the same, upon looking at it, I'm not sure it's of much importance. You get the kip_patches folder with the atmosphere download in the link I have above. The directory should be Root > atmosphere > kip_patches.

How do you usually update your atmosphere?

 

What firmware is your switch on?

From what I can see from searching around, you are missing sigpatches. I have a feeling it has something to do with leftovers from an old Kosmos. The best thing you could do would be to do a fresh install and get rid of the old kosmos stuff. Apparently there are differences in sig patches between Kosmos and Atmosphere.

Take a look at:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/sigpatches-for-atmosphere-0-13-0.567542/

as well as:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/latest-fs-and-acid-patches-for-kosmos.562915/

These will pretty well guide you through updating the sig patches. Lmk if you're having any issues.

Something else that comes to mind is to simply boot with a different CFW. You aren't locked into using Kosmos.

However, the easiest thing to do would be to do a test with a fresh download:

What I would do as the next step would be to back up your atmosphere, sept, and switch folders, delete them off your SD card, then install drag a freshly downloaded 0.13.0 atmosphere, sept, and switch folder onto your SD card. You should also make a backup of your bootloader folder, then delete it off of your SD card, and drag a fresh one from the updated hekate 5.3.0 download. You can drag some stuff back to your folders, like the kip folder containing the .kip1 back to the atmosphere folder. You can also drag my hekate_ipl.ini file into your bootloader folder. I'm pretty sure it has something strange to do with settings tweaked from Kosmos.

If it doesn't work or there's something you don't like, you can simply get rid of those folders again and drag your backup back onto your SD card. If you want to keep this install of atmosphere, you can also just drag your installs from the hbmenu and your cheats for games back to their respective places. Idk about you, but at this point, I'm determined to get it working xDD

 

Fantastic!! I'm glad to hear you got it to work! Lmk if you have any more issues.
And you're welcome, any time D