Hacking What is Haxchi or CBHC? FAQs and info

[SplitPixel]

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, 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.

Understood, thanks. I got the fact that the DO NOT TOUCH was the actual original DS game, just renamed. However, when browsing the WiiU data management, I didn't see either the original DS game there or anything which had been renamed. That's the bit I didn't get.

 

[Cyan]

ahh, that's probably because Fix94 removed the ability to delete it, so it's probably hidden. (because users still touched it, even if named like that)

 

[SplitPixel]

OK, that makes sense. I was trying to explain this in another post and just got one, shall we say very unhelpful individual saying that I need to read shit and don't touch shit because clearly I didn't know what I was doing. He just said to read the sticky threads, which I had and there was no mention of this in there that I could see.

Thanks anyway.

 

[pazzoeo]

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.

I'm sorry for the late reply but the thing I don't understand is, is Mocha CFW just the same thing as SigPatcher2sysmenu? I noticed that when Mocha came out, SigPatcher basically disappeared (it got replaced on FlimFlam's guide by Mocha CFW)... If it is, I'm currently using sigpatcher, should I switch to Mocha? What are the benefits? How do I do it?
Sorry for the large amount of questions, but I'm a bit confused...

 

[YugamiSekai]

I'm confused... where do I get a fw.img from? Or do I make my own?

 

[MasterZoen]

The Earth will spin off its axis, it will start raining frogs, or it will simply launch the boot options menu. Nobody is really sure which. Don't try it. You may tear through the very fabric of space and time.

Don't do it! I just tried it. I opened an interdimensional rift which I got sucked into. Upon entering the other dimension I was attacked by a demonic force but I was saved by a security bot. Apparently I've somehow jumped into the body of a police officer named Kay'l. My wife is pretty hot though. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.

Hmm, these statements merely make me WANT to try... Now, what should I do? Satisfy my curiosity or leave the fabric of space time without tears... Ah, what the heck, my Mom taught me how to darn socks. I can always mend it later!

Edit:
P.S.: Nice Omikron reference.

 

[cjizzle]

People who need this shouldn't even use CBHC.

OP and contributers, thanks for all the awesome info. Been following for quite some time, but real life like a job and wife and kids makes it tough to sift through all the threads just to get all the info in post #1. Thank you very much for taking the time to post this, it was extremely helpful.

Now off to do this with some basic knowledge about it on my side. (I know, Mr xtheman says I shouldnt.. People who immediately shitpost should prob get a job and move out of moms basement)

 

[xtheman]

OP and contributers, thanks for all the awesome info. Been following for quite some time, but real life like a job and wife and kids makes it tough to sift through all the threads just to get all the info in post #1. Thank you very much for taking the time to post this, it was extremely helpful.

Now off to do this with some basic knowledge about it on my side. (I know, Mr xtheman says I shouldnt.. People who immediately shitpost should prob get a job and move out of moms basement)

I posted that before this thread was a general help thread mind you. It was a thread about help with something that if you need help with you shouldn't mess with.

 

[Cyan]

I'm confused... where do I get a fw.img from? Or do I make my own?

You don't need a fw.img anymore.
fw.img is the old method to get a CFW : patch a fw.img with new functions, and load that patched image from SD card.
New method used by CBHC or Mocha CFW : load the original firmware from the internal memory, and patch the data directly in memory to do the same than if you used a fw.img

fw.img is not needed anymore, unless you realllyyyyy know why you want it. (for example a partial redNAND to fix semi-brick)

when fw.img was a thing, there were 3 different patches :
Fix94's CFW fw.img : repalced by CBHC or Haxchi sysmenu patches.
Dimok's CFW fw.img : replaced by Mocha CFW sysmenu patches.
Dimok's RedNAND fw.img : replaced by Mocha CFW with NAND redirection patched.

I'm sorry for the late reply but the thing I don't understand is, is Mocha CFW just the same thing as SigPatcher2sysmenu? I noticed that when Mocha came out, SigPatcher basically disappeared (it got replaced on FlimFlam's guide by Mocha CFW)... If it is, I'm currently using sigpatcher, should I switch to Mocha? What are the benefits? How do I do it?
Sorry for the large amount of questions, but I'm a bit confused...

Do not switch to Mocha, there's no benefit for you.

Simple signature patcher was the first cfw to patch the firmware directly in memory instead of using a fw.img file.
It only patched the signature check function to make it fast to boot/install games with WUP installer. it didn't have any other option.

Based on that feature (patching in memory), Dimok thought it would be possible to do all the other patches currently only applied in a fw.img.
Mocha is not really an update of Simple signature patch, as it doesn't work the same way, but it's doing the same thing.
Most guide probably removed simple sigpatch because Mocha does the same, and more.

But if all you want is signature patch, and don't need the additional features, then do not use Mocha because the memory patches take a lot longer to patch.

simple sig patcher : homebrew. fast, return to either sigpatched sysmenu or sigpatched hbl.
Mocha: homebrew. long, return to sysMenu with any of these options : signpatch, region free, wup server, ftpiiu, NAND redirection, SEEPROM redirection, OTP redirection.
Haxchi : channel. fast, return to sigpatched sysmenu.
CBHC : channel. fast, return to sigpatched sysmenu, or load mocha (long)

You can check this chart here to compare all the CFW:
https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/List_of_WiiU_custom_firmwares

I also replied to another user to explain what to do after installing haxchi, it could help you understand the differences with haxchi, cbhc and simple cfw launched from homebrew launcher.
https://gbatemp.net/posts/6921969
https://gbatemp.net/posts/6934766

 

[YugamiSekai]

You don't need a fw.img anymore.
fw.img is the old method to get a CFW : patch a fw.img with new functions, and load that patched image from SD card.
New method used by CBHC or Mocha CFW : load the original firmware from the internal memory, and patch the data directly in memory to do the same than if you used a fw.img

fw.img is not needed anymore, unless you realllyyyyy know why you want it. (for example a partial redNAND to fix semi-brick)

when fw.img was a thing, there were 3 different patches :
Fix94's CFW fw.img : repalced by CBHC or Haxchi sysmenu patches.
Dimok's CFW fw.img : replaced by Mocha CFW sysmenu patches.
Dimok's RedNAND fw.img : replaced by Mocha CFW with NAND redirection patched.

So how do I install Haxchi and Mocha CFW?

 

[pazzoeo]

Do not switch to Mocha, there's no benefit for you.

Simple signature patcher was the first cfw to patch the firmware directly in memory instead of using a fw.img file.
It only patched the signature check function to make it fast to boot/install games with WUP installer. it didn't have any other option.

Based on that feature (patching in memory), Dimok thought it would be possible to do all the other patches currently only applied in a fw.img.
Mocha is not really an update of Simple signature patch, as it doesn't work the same way, but it's doing the same thing.
Most guide probably removed simple sigpatch because Mocha does the same, and more.

But if all you want is signature patch, and don't need the additional features, then do not use Mocha because the memory patches take a lot longer to patch.

simple sig patcher : homebrew. fast, return to either sigpatched sysmenu or sigpatched hbl.
Mocha: homebrew. long, return to sysMenu with any of these options : signpatch, region free, wup server, ftpiiu, NAND redirection, SEEPROM redirection, OTP redirection.
Haxchi : channel. fast, return to sigpatched sysmenu.
CBHC : channel. fast, return to sigpatched sysmenu, or load mocha (long)

You can check this chart here to compare all the CFW:
https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/List_of_WiiU_custom_firmwares

I also replied to another user to explain what to do after installing haxchi, it could help you understand the differences with haxchi, cbhc and simple cfw launched from homebrew launcher.
https://gbatemp.net/posts/6921969

Thanks a lot, this was exactly what I needed to know!

 

[Cyan]

Mocha is not "installed", it's a homebrew you place on your SD card, and load it from either :
Homebrew launcher
or
haxchi


if you have read/understood the FAQ on first post, you should know haxchi is only a shortcut to launch homebrew.
if you didn't understood that, let me know. it means the FAQ is bad or incomplete

haxchi installation ... that's right the FAQ is missing a link to haxchi's thread ! We should add one and explain how to install haxchi.
That's very simple.

1. go to eShop and download an official NDS Virtual Console game from this list to your internal memory.
2. disconnect USB. (if your already have your NDS game on USB, move it to internal. do not copy)
3. download the latest haxchi release (from fix94's github)
4. extract haxchi package to your SD card. you should have this :
   sd:/haxchi/
   sd:/wiiu/apps/haxchi/
5. put your SD card on WiiU and launch the homebrew launcher, then select haxchi installer.
   
6. select your NDS game, it will replace the ROM inside it with haxchi.

by default, haxchi is doing this :
a=fw.img
b=sysmenu
default=wiiu/apps/homebrew_launcher/homebrew_launcher.elf

it means it will always launch HBL if you don't press a button.
it will patch system menu if you press and hold B button. (signature patch, region free)

if you want haxchi to do another action, edit the config.txt located in sd:/haxchi/ folder, replace the line default= to the path to the homebrew you want to launch, or to "sysmenu" if you want the default to patch your system with signature patch+region free, etc.
after editing the config.txt, re-launch the haxchi installer to overwrite the old one.

I think it's fine to get HBL by default, because you only need to patch sysmenu once per session. after system menu is patched (CFW state), launching haxchi without pressing a button will just launch the homebrew launcher.
after a console reboot, launch haxchi with B button pressed to re-apply signature patch+region free. You don't even need it for all your games! most games will work without signature patch.



Edit:
Oh, we should also add to the first post that it's possible to install both CBHC and Haxchi at the same time, by using 2 different NDS VC games.
one will be used to coldboot into a signpatch sysNAND CFW, the other will be a channel to forward to different homebrews. (though, isn't it faster to just install the HBL channel?)

 

[YugamiSekai]

Mocha is not "installed", it's a homebrew you place on your SD card, and load it from either :
Homebrew launcher
or
haxchi


if you have read/understood the FAQ on first post, you should know haxchi is only a shortcut to launch homebrew.
if you didn't understood that, let me know. it means the FAQ is bad or incomplete

haxchi installation ... that's right the FAQ is missing a link to haxchi's thread ! We should add one and explain how to install haxchi.
That's very simple.

1. go to eShop and download an official NDS Virtual Console game from this list to your internal memory.
2. disconnect USB. (if your already have your NDS game on USB, move it to internal. do not copy)
3. download the latest haxchi release (from fix94's github)
4. extract haxchi package to your SD card. you should have this :
   sd:/haxchi/
   sd:/wiiu/apps/haxchi/
5. put your SD card on WiiU and launch the homebrew launcher, then select haxchi installer.
   
6. select your NDS game, it will replace the ROM inside it with haxchi.

by default, haxchi is doing this :
a=fw.img
b=sysmenu
default=wiiu/apps/homebrew_launcher/homebrew_launcher.elf

it means it will always launch HBL if you don't press a button.
it will patch system menu if you press and hold B button. (signature patch, region free)

if you want haxchi to do another action, edit the config.txt located in sd:/haxchi/ folder, replace the line default= to the path to the homebrew you want to launch, or to "sysmenu" if you want the default to patch your system with signature patch+region free, etc.
after editing the config.txt, re-launch the haxchi installer to overwrite the old one.

I think it's fine to get HBL by default, because you only need to patch sysmenu once per session. after system menu is patched (CFW state), launching haxchi without pressing a button will just launch the homebrew launcher.
after a console reboot, launch haxchi with B button pressed to re-apply signature patch+region free. You don't even need it for all your games! most games will work without signature patch.



Edit:
Oh, we should also add to the first post that it's possible to install both CBHC and Haxchi at the same time, by using 2 different NDS VC games.
one will be used to coldboot into a signpatch sysNAND CFW, the other will be a channel to forward to different homebrews. (though, isn't it faster to just install the HBL channel?)

Thanks! I have haxchi. But what do people mean when they say sig patched sysNAND and RedNAND? Is RedNAND something I should install?

 

[Cyan]

redNAND is not an installable thing.
it means "redirected NAND".

it's an option of Mocha to redirect all internal chipset access to SD card.
it let's you make a copy of your console's data to your SD card, and redirect ALL access to SD card.

it's used as a method to prevent bricking your console, as you will do everything on a copy of your console's memory.
if you brick while using redirected NAND, only your "wiiu copy" will brick. your original internal memory is always untouched and not bricked.

when you are using NAND redirection, you don't see anything different, it acts as if you were using your real console. you see the system menu, you can install games to it or USB, etc.
it takes longer to boot as it requires more patches to be applied to the firmware. it might also be slower to play games from the (fake?) redirected NAND, as it's in fact located on SD card, not on internal memory anymore.

 

[YugamiSekai]

redNAND is not an installable thing.
it means "redirected NAND".

it's an option of Mocha to redirect all internal chipset access to SD card.
it let's you make a copy of your console's data to your SD card, and redirect ALL access to SD card.

it's used as a method to prevent bricking your console, as you will do everything on a copy of your console's memory.
if you brick while using redirected NAND, only your "wiiu copy" will brick. your original internal memory is always untouched and not bricked.

when you are using NAND redirection, you don't see anything different, it acts as if you were using your real console. you see the system menu, you can install games to it or USB, etc.

So it comes with Mocha CFW? And can I switch between the two?

 

[Cyan]

you can switch only after a reboot.

reboot (clear all patches) -> launch mocha homebrew -> select options to patch the system : redNAND on/off etc.
if it's OFF, the system is patched and you are back on your normal memory (NAND).
if it's ON, the system is patched, and all NAND access are redirected to a copy of your NAND located on SD card (redNAND).
you can't "exit redNAND" back to NAND. there's no switch NAND<->redNAND, you need to reboot.


there are 3 different redirection option :
NAND : redirect NAND
OTP : redirect WiiU specific keys (unchangeable)
SEEPROM : redirect WiiU keys (changeable : current USB HDD format key, etc.)

 

[YugamiSekai]

you can switch only after a reboot.

reboot (clear all patches) -> launch mocha homebrew -> select options to patch the system : redNAND on/off etc.
if it's OFF, the system is patched and you are back on your normal memory (NAND).
if it's ON, the system is patched, and all NAND access are redirected to a copy of your NAND located on SD card (redNAND).
you can't "exit redNAND" back to NAND. there's no switch NAND<->redNAND, you need to reboot.

So does Mocha CFW create the NAND backup?

 

[Cyan]

yes, on first use, it will FORMAT your SD card to create a hidden partition, which will contain the NAND copy. the rest of your card will be formated to FAT32. so make a backup of all your files before doing it.
you need at least a SD card twice as big as your console. if your console is 8GB, you need a 16GB or bigger SD card.
the creation can take 2-3H ! be sure you have time.

after NAND copy process you will have to put all your files back to SD card's FAT32 partition (homebrew, etc.)
there is a tool released by Dimok to manage the hidden partition (backup to binary to PC, restore binary to hidden partition, insert/backup SEEPROM.bin or OTP.bin)

I recommend doing this :
1. use OTP2SD (to get your OTP.bin)
2. use SEEPROM2SD (to get your SEEPROM.bin)
3. backup everything on your SD to PC.
3. run mocha with redNAND, it will format your SD and create a copy of NAND.
4. put SD card on PC. run dimok's program to inject SEEPROM.bin and OTP.bin into your SD card's hidden partition (these data are probably missing, it's not copied at the same time than the NAND copy).
5. restore your backup'd files to SD.

6. CREATE a new folder on your WiiU system menu named "SysNAND" (you will know you are NOT on redNAND)
7. now you can enable Mocha with redNAND. If you see "sysNAND" folder, it failed to boot into redNAND. If you don't see it, create a new folder named "redNAND"

now you can easily detect if you are on official NAND (sysNAND) or redirected NAND (redNAND).

 

[DocAmes1980]

Thanks! I have haxchi. But what do people mean when they say sig patched sysNAND and RedNAND? Is RedNAND something I should install?

I would recommend not using redNAND. Some people will violently disagree with me but I think redNAND is a headache and doesn't really offer you any meaningful safety. Installing games won't brick your Wii U. Pretty much everyone who has bricked has done so in a way that bricks their system regardless of whether they have redNAND setup or not. Almost all of the bricks have arisen after setting up coldboothax or CBHC which involves editing the system.xml. redNAND doesn't matter in this case because if your system can't boot redNAND does you no good. In the future redNAND may offer useful stuff that you can't be done in sysNAND. However, I don't think people should use redNAND expecting any kind of practical brick protection. If somebody wants to give a realistic scenario of how redNAND could save somebody from a brick I'd love to hear it.

 

[YugamiSekai]

yes, on first use, it will FORMAT your SD card to create a hidden partition, which will contain the NAND copy. the rest of your card will be formated to FAT32. so make a backup of all your files before doing it.
you need at least a SD card twice as big as your console. if your console is 8GB, you need a 16GB or bigger SD card.
the creation can take 2-3H ! be sure you have time.

after NAND copy process you will have to put all your files back to SD card's FAT32 partition (homebrew, etc.)
there is a tool released by Dimok to manage the hidden partition (backup to binary to PC, restore binary to hidden partition, insert/backup SEEPROM.bin or OTP.bin)

I recommend doing this :
1. use OTP2SD (to get your OTP.bin)
2. use SEEPROM2SD (to get your SEEPROM.bin)
3. backup everything on your SD to PC.
3. run mocha with redNAND, it will format your SD and create a copy of NAND.
4. put SD card on PC. run dimok's program to inject SEEPROM.bin and OTP.bin into your SD card's hidden partition (these data are probably missing, it's not copied at the same time than the NAND copy).
5. restore your backup'd files to SD.

6. CREATE a new folder on your WiiU system menu named "SysNAND" (you will know you are NOT on redNAND)
7. now you can enable Mocha with redNAND. If you see "sysNAND" folder, it failed to boot into redNAND. If you don't see it, create a new folder named "redNAND"

now you can easily detect if you are on official NAND (sysNAND) or redirected NAND (redNAND).

I downloaded mocha v0.2 from github but it just came with an elf. Should I create a folder named 'mocha' (which the elf is named) and use it like that?