Hacking What is Haxchi or CBHC? FAQs and info

[pazzoeo]

Maybe we could add Mocha to the FAQ for better covering.

Yes, please, I really need that...

 

[Cyan]

what do you want to know? I can help you quickly here.

Mocha custom firmware is patching the firmware in memory (no more fw.img to load from SD) to change the way the console is working, add new features or remove some functions.
it can be launched from the homebrew launcher (no need to install anything, no channel, no haxchi or cbhc), but can be booted from CBHC or haxchi if you want.
It has a boot menu where you can set different options, like patches to apply, if you want to enable NAND redirection or not, etc.
You can save that choice and hide the menu for the next time you launch it.
mocha has WUP server and ftpiiu everywhere support.
it's longer to load and patch the firmware in memory compared to Haxchi or CBHC as it has more patches to do.

if you need more info about redNAND, I'll edit this post in a minute.

redNAND is the action of redirecting all internal NAND chipset access to a copy of that chipset located on SD card.
On first redNAND use, it will format your SD card to add a copy of your NAND as a hidden partition on your SD card.
you need a card at least twice as big as your console's NAND size (32GB console, you need 64GB or bigger SD card)
You can also enable redirection of OTP and SEEPROM (two other things stored on the console)
the redirected NAND copy can have the same patches applied by Mocha (signature patch, etc.), and it can be used to install/play games, exactly the same that what your original (system) NAND can do.
advantage of redNAND is that if you do something wrong and brick your console, it's only the copy with is bricked, not your real console's chipset.

if you have more question, please ask, that will show us what's needed in the FAQ.

 

[Risingdawn]

@C0mm4nd_ You can obviously remove both 'cbhc by fix' and 'auto booting...' If you change the text string in main.c and compile yourself which is really rather easy as users have been compiling fw.img now for a while.

edit cbhc_menu -> main.c
OSScreenPutFont(0, 0, verInfStr);
OSScreenPutFont(0, 1, "Autobooting...");

to
OSScreenPutFont(0, 0, "");
OSScreenPutFont(0, 1, "");

You may wish to change/remove that, maybe state something like can you 'replace'; with an Image, which you cannot do without some advanced programming knowledge.

Credits to dablackdeath for the instructions for removal.

 

[Babby]

Dumb question, but do you need the internet to run CBHC ?

 

[fledge68]

what do you want to know? I can help you quickly here.

Mocha custom firmware is patching the firmware in memory (no more fw.img to load from SD) to change the way the console is working, add new features or remove some functions.
it can be launched from the homebrew launcher (no need to install anything, no channel, no haxchi or cbhc), but can be booted from CBHC or haxchi if you want.
It has a boot menu where you can set different options, like patches to apply, if you want to enable NAND redirection or not, etc.
You can save that choice and hide the menu for the next time you launch it.
mocha has WUP server and ftpiiu everywhere support.
it's longer to load and patch the firmware in memory compared to Haxchi or CBHC as it has more patches to do.

if you need more info about redNAND, I'll edit this post in a minute.

redNAND is the action of redirecting all internal NAND chipset access to a copy of that chipset located on SD card.
On first redNAND use, it will format your SD card to add a copy of your NAND as a hidden partition on your SD card.
you need a card at least twice as big as your console's NAND size (32GB console, you need 64GB or bigger SD card)
You can also enable redirection of OTP and SEEPROM (two other things stored on the console)
the redirected NAND copy can have the same patches applied by Mocha (signature patch, etc.), and it can be used to install/play games, exactly the same that what your original (system) NAND can do.
advantage of redNAND is that if you do something wrong and brick your console, it's only the copy with is bricked, not your real console's chipset.

if you have more question, please ask, that will show us what's needed in the FAQ.

love this thread. and thanks for the redNAND info here.

so is it safe to compare redNAND to SNEEK (UNEEK/NEEK2o) NANDs versus emu NAND which wiiflow and usbloader gx use for launching channels?

 

[SomeGamer]

Dumb question, but do you need the internet to run CBHC ?

No.

 

[Babby]

No.

Thanks

 

[Cyan]

love this thread. and thanks for the redNAND info here.

so is it safe to compare redNAND to SNEEK (UNEEK/NEEK2o) NANDs versus emu NAND which wiiflow and usbloader gx use for launching channels?

yes, redNAND reloads the entire system in a redirection mode (you see the system menu, and all the action normally done on system are done on SD instead, even the SEEPROM chipset access is redirected with Mocha).
the "emuNAND" used by USBLoaderGX with option "full/partial" is only a partially redirected mode, managed by the IOS while the IOS is still in realNAND. (only the launched game is temporarily redirected, nothing else).

On WiiU, it's using the IOSU hack to rewrite the firmware (the Wii doesn't have one) and redirect all internal path to external. All the console should be obeying to the firmware loaded in memory, so it's safe to assume it's fully redirected, like neek. It might be a little hard to visualize what's really happening. (I'm still not 100% sure myself, I only base my knowledge on what I've read and the logic behind how firmware/memory/devices are working)


I might add new QA later to first post.

 

[C0mm4nd_]

@C0mm4nd_ You can obviously remove both 'cbhc by fix' and 'auto booting...' If you change the text string in main.c and compile yourself which is really rather easy as users have been compiling fw.img now for a while.

edit cbhc_menu -> main.c
OSScreenPutFont(0, 0, verInfStr);
OSScreenPutFont(0, 1, "Autobooting...");

to
OSScreenPutFont(0, 0, "");
OSScreenPutFont(0, 1, "");

You may wish to change/remove that, maybe state something like can you 'replace'; with an Image, which you cannot do without some advanced programming knowledge.

Credits to dablackdeath for the instructions for removal.

Of course you can do by yourself... But LOT of people are asking to fix94 for removing them :\

 

[Risingdawn]

Of course you can do by yourself... But LOT of people are asking to fix for removing them :\

It's a bit unfair to ask him to remove his credit from his release for sure. Maybe stick those institutions in and less people would be asking him to do it, I dunno lol.

 

[C0mm4nd_]

It's a bit unfair to ask him to remove his credit from his release for sure. Maybe stick those institutions in and less people would be asking him to do it, I dunno lol.

Nah... they could mess up with compilation/editing (don't ask me how, dunno, they can do all)

BTW Guide fixed

 

[Kafluke]

yes, redNAND reloads the entire system in a redirection mode (you see the system menu, and all the action normally done on system are done on SD instead, even the SEEPROM chipset access is redirected with Mocha).
the "emuNAND" used by USBLoaderGX with option "full/partial" is only a partially redirected mode, managed by the IOS while the IOS is still in realNAND. (only the launched game is temporarily redirected, nothing else).

On WiiU, it's using the IOSU hack to rewrite the firmware (the Wii doesn't have one) and redirect all internal path to external. All the console should be obeying to the firmware loaded in memory, so it's safe to assume it's fully redirected, like neek. It might be a little hard to visualize what's really happening. (I'm still not 100% sure myself, I only base my knowledge on what I've read and the logic behind how firmware/memory/devices are working)


I might add new QA later to first post.

I made this graphic for my guide that I abandoned. Fill free to use it.

 

[Cyan]

thank you. not sure if it's useful in the faq. maybe just in a spoiler or link.
I might add another "32GB" area on the SD card as being usable FAT32 partition for homebrew, data, etc.

BTW Guide fixed

Thank you, sorry for the mistakes

I hope it will help a lot of people and will prevent them asking always the same questions to Fix94.

 

[Reecey]

These questions are nonsense by the way:

Q: What should I do before installing Haxchi?
A: Be sure you don't have a Coldboot solution already installed! (CBHC or Coldboothax, for example). Uninstall your Coldboot solution first !

I installed CBHC over the original coldboot method and it installed fine

Q: Why I can't install Haxchi if I already have Coldboot?
A: You could brick or end in a reboot loop brick. Uninstall your Coldboot solution first !

Cause you can, I did, it will not loop or brick or do anything of the sort. Your sys.xml file will already be there in the system nand from your old install.

Q: Can I install Haxchi to USB?
A: Yes, but if you are using the installer, it will only install haxchi on NAND games, so you must move it in the NAND, then re-moving into the USB. Though, Haxchi will only work when your USB is plugged.


You can copy over and install your vc titles to usb from main memory and it wont affect anything as long as you don't delete the original versions of your main memory. They are what matters as long as your vc titles stay on your system memory you will be fine no matter what you do!

Q: Can I have my NDS game on both USB and System?
A: Yes, but USB will have priority at Haxchi launch time.

That's rubbish as well. I have copied both vc titles over to usb hdd many times in rednand out of rednand and it still loads the system memory versions first on boot up also deleting them off usb does not make a difference either. If this was a fact and it loaded the usb versions first, it would brick asap.

I suggest you correct these.

 

[C0mm4nd_]

These questions are nonsense by the way:

Q: What should I do before installing Haxchi?
A: Be sure you don't have a Coldboot solution already installed! (CBHC or Coldboothax, for example). Uninstall your Coldboot solution first !

I installed CBHC over the original coldboot method and it installed fine (obv, if its config it's ok for coldboot, you can.)

Q: Why I can't install Haxchi if I already have Coldboot?
A: You could brick or end in a reboot loop brick. Uninstall your Coldboot solution first!

Cause you can, I did, it will not loop or brick or do anything of the sort. Your sys.xml file will already be there in the system nand from your old install. (could.. not you WILL brick)

Q: Can I install Haxchi to USB?
A: Yes, but if you are using the installer, it will only install haxchi on NAND games, so you must move it in the NAND, then re-moving into the USB. Though, Haxchi will only work when your USB is plugged.

You can copy over and install your vc titles to usb from main memory and it wont affect anything as long as you don't delete the original versions of your main memory. They are what matters as long as your vc titles stay on your system memory you will be fine no matter what you do! (I can't understand, I can't speak English very well :C)

Q: Can I have my NDS game on both USB and System?
A: Yes, but USB will have priority at Haxchi launch time.

That's rubbish as well. I have copied both vc titles over to usb hdd many times in rednand out of rednand and it still loads the system memory versions first on boot up also deleting them off usb does not make a difference either. If this was a fact and it loaded the usb versions first, it would brick asap. (This is true)

I suggest you correct these.

 

[Cyan]

sorry if these don't make sense. I added them.

1) 2)
If you have CBHC, and decide to install Haxchi direct (you know, the one without coldboot support and NO config.txt to recover into HBL) then YES, you will 100% brick.
replacing CBHC with anything which doesn't have a config.txt will brick.

it's always safer to uninstall CBHC before installing any "non coldboot" supported application. no? doesn't make sense?
I just wanted to prevent users from bricking (some already did !)

Your sys.xml file will already be there in the system nand from your old install.

Hmmm, there's no "system.xml" for haxchi, maybe you mistaken with "reinstalling CBHC over CBHC?" or haxchi over CBHC which is not recommended, as haxchi is not compatible with coldboot.
but installing Haxchi over CBHC+system.xml will not really use the "xml already there in system nand from your old install" as haxchi is not set to use an "old sys.xml from an old install" even if it's using the system.xml from cbhc. it's a partial coldboot.

What will happen is that system XML will tell the console to boot haxchi title.
if you set haxchi to patch your system menu (default=sysmenu) then it will reload system.xml which will again tell to load haxchi, etc. boot loop.
if you have default to HBL, then you are fine.
if you have default to "haxchi direct" : brick
default to "fw.img" on SD, hope that you have other button config to boot HBL, or an existing NAND dump and you'll need a partial redNAND (only redirecting NAND mlc, not slc, so you can restore the sysNAND's system.xml with wup server)
default to fw.img on NAND (there's a version to do that), it will depend what that fw.img is doing, it could be bad for you.

it all depends what you do with the loaded title in system.xml, there are a lot of possibilities, I just warned users to not mess with it, it's just safer to uninstall CBHC before not wanting it anymore.

3)
Haxchi can be moved to USB, but you can obviously launch it only when your USB is connected.
If I kept "don't install haxchi to USB" people would have argued that it's not true and it works fine from there.

You can copy over and install your vc titles to usb from main memory and it wont affect anything as long as you don't delete the original versions of your main memory. They are what matters as long as your vc titles stay on your system memory you will be fine no matter what you do!

Again, I think you are mixing CBHC and haxchi.
CBHC NEEEEED to stay on system memory, or you will brick.
but haxchi is just a homebrew inside a DS rom, you can launch it from anywhere manually.
it's only system.xml which can't launch a title located on USB. as long as you don't coldboot it you are fine.
of course, if you installed haxchi OVER cbhc, and it still has system.xml set to autoboot it, do not move it to USB!
You can "copy" it to USB if you want, as long as haxchi is on system NAND it's fine for coldboot/cbhc.

that's also why I suggested to put haxchi on System and original NDS game on USB, and not the contrary!
putting haxchi on USB while keeping the original game on USB is dangerous and stupid for coldboot installation.

3)
You can't have both NDS and haxchi ?
I thought USB had priority.
Why would it brick asap?

I have copied both vc titles over to usb hdd many times in rednand out of rednand and it still loads the system memory versions first on boot up

Again, I think you mix Haxchi and coldboot !
There's no "on boot up" with haxchi.
if you use coldboot, it will load the title located on NAND, not the one on USB.

also deleting them off usb does not make a difference either.

same here.
deleting the USB one, but keeping the sysNAND one doesn't make any difference, that's totally normal in case of coldboot. it's loading the one on sysNAND, CBHC doesn't look on USB.

If this was a fact and it loaded the usb versions first, it would brick asap.

Why would it brick by loading the USB first?
I'm talking about haxchi only, ok?
no coldboot option installed AT ALL.

if you plug your USB, the console sees and launch the game installed on USB. using the savegame and DLC located on USB too. there's no brick at launching an USB title manually.

Of course, installing CBHC, overwriting it with haxchi without uninstalling CBHC, and thinking "I have haxchi, not CBHC, so I can move haxchi to USB" you will brick !! because you didn't follow the FAQ telling you to uninstall haxchi first for safety.



So, I understand it was maybe unnecessary to add all these Q/A, but I wanted to list all possibilities, taking both haxchi and CBHC differences in account.
now, that's the issue, lot of users are mixing what they are reading and don't understand the tool's differences. that's what this FAQ should provide, a difference list and what's possible or not.

@C0mm4nd_
Q: Can I have my NDS game on both USB and System NAND?
A: Yes, but System NAND will have priority at Haxchi launch time.

I see you already replaced it, which is wrong.
Haxchi doesn't have sysNAND priority. haxchi doesn't really have priority, the console does.
When you launch a title, it has USB priority if you have the same title on both sysNAND and USB. when you launch haxchi (which the console sees as a NDS VC game) it will prioritize the USB.

Are you sure SysNAND has priority? I've read many times that the console prioritize USB.
this is why it was required to move the game data to USB before installing a game with WUP Installer to USB, or else the users will lose their savegame/Data/DLC/etc.
USB has priority.



Maybe we could just replace with something more generic and less dangerous, that'll be fine with me:


Q: Can I have my NDS game on both USB and System NAND?
A: Yes, but this is not recommended and can be problematic if you don't understand what you are doing. It's recommended to keep it on SysNAND only.

Q: So can I use this dual location to have haxchi and the original NDS game at the same time?
A: yes, but it's complicated and can cause issues. if you have to ask how to do it in this FAQ, you shouldn't do it.

Another Q/A to add:
Haxchi - Uninstallation

Q: How to uninstall Hachi?
A: You can delete the NDS game from the Wii U data management menu, or re-install your original NDS game over haxchi. <-- add this?

CBHC Usage:
Q: Is there anything I shouldn't do while having CBHC installed?
A: DO NOT reinstall your original NDS VC game you used as host to install Haxchi/CBHC. it will replace CBHC and will brick. (it will not even launch that game at boot)

Q: I don't see CBHC in the data management menu.
A: It's hidden for safety, so you can't delete it or move it to USB.

 

[SplitPixel]

I installed Haxchi and then CBHC without any issues. Prior to installing CBHC, you obviously run Haxchi to get into HBL. However, once CBHC is installed, the Haxchi app disappears and you get the DO NOT TOUCH app (which I've moved out of the way so it's not messed with).

With CBHC I know I can boot into the HBL directly, however, if you wanted to run HBL without having to reboot, is there a version of Haxchi that you can install after installing CBHC (someone mentioned an RPX version?) rather than having to run the browser exploit (which was the main reason for installing Haxchi in the first place)?

One another note, I know that the original DS game gets replaced on the WiiU menu, however I would still expect to see this in your WiiU system NAND. I've looked for mine in the WiiU data management area and it's no longer there. Is this by design?

 

[sj33]

I installed Haxchi and then CBHC without any issues. Prior to installing CBHC, you obviously run Haxchi to get into HBL. However, once CBHC is installed, the Haxchi app disappears and you get the DO NOT TOUCH app (which I've moved out of the way so it's not messed with).

With CBHC I know I can boot into the HBL directly, however, if you wanted to run HBL without having to reboot, is there a version of Haxchi that you can install after installing CBHC (someone mentioned an RPX version?) rather than having to run the browser exploit (which was the main reason for installing Haxchi in the first place)?

One another note, I know that the original DS game gets replaced on the WiiU menu, however I would still expect to see this in your WiiU system NAND. I've looked for mine in the WiiU data management area and it's no longer there. Is this by design?

You just need to install the channel version of the Homebrew Launcher.

 

[SplitPixel]

Thanks SJ33.

 

[Cyan]

I know that the original DS game gets replaced on the WiiU menu, however I would still expect to see this in your WiiU system NAND. I've looked for mine in the WiiU data management area and it's no longer there. Is this by design?

the NDS game is still there, it's CBHC. it's just renamed to "do not touch".

The NDS game has this format:
code/ <-- the executable, signature checked, contains the emulator which will load the ROM.
content/ <-- contains the ROM (rom.zip). This one is not signature checked.
meta/ <-- contains info (title, icons, etc.)


When you install Haxchi, it replaces the "rom.zip" in the content folder.
when you install CBHC, it replaces the "rom.zip" in the content folder, and rename the "title" contained in the meta.xml file.

So, your originally installed NDS Title is still there, just renamed. it's not deleted.
You don't really install a "new" CBHC channel named "do not touch", it's actually still your installed NDS game.


that's why you shouldn't install the NDS game again, or it will replace the cbhc "rom.zip" back and will brick.