Homebrew Sighax for dummies: An FAQ for the rest of us.

[Exaltys]

If I have a9hl already what does this mean for me? Just to have update proof firmware?

 

[Garro]

Everything looks pretty okay but

4. So what can we do with it?
It can do pretty much anything a9lh can do (including the "true firmwares" everybody's on about), but can be installed with dsiware hax or a hardmod, which is easier than having to downgrade to 2.1.0 in order to grab the console-unique keys from the OTP, as well as being fix-proof by any system updates. Additionally, if you're of the developing type, the execution environment will be cleaner for you too.

DSiWarehax or hardmod easier than the actual downgrade process of a9lh? I have a hard time believing that. (Nah I'm just bitching because of bitching, but I do believe hardmod/dsiwarehax are kinda complicated to do).

Also

Updating Luma bricked me! Why?

That's cause the newest update for Luma doesn't have any a9lh payloads anymore! You'd have to have updated to sighax before updating for it to actually work. If you redownload 7.0.5 and put it back at the root of the SD card, and you should be good to go!

I don't think that's possible even for somebody who have no idea about 3DS hacking, since Luma 7.1 doesn't have any arm9loaderhax.bin file in its folder so there's nothing to update for a9lh users, even the automatic updaters will just throw an error and restart.

 

[Deleted User]

If I have a9hl already what does this mean for me? Just to have update proof firmware?

Nah, it means you pretty much need to update period, since everything from here on out is gonna be sighax based.

Everything looks pretty okay but
DSiWarehax or hardmod easier than the actual downgrade process of a9lh? I have a hard time believing that. (Nah I'm just bitching because of bitching, but I do believe hardmod/dsiwarehax are kinda complicated to do).

Actually, if you already have those in place, it's way easier than the process of a9lh installation, and that was mostly addressing that.

I don't think that's possible even for somebody who have no idea about 3DS hacking, since Luma 7.1 doesn't have any arm9loaderhax.bin file in its folder so there's nothing to update for a9lh users, even the automatic updaters will just throw an error and restart.

Actually, there have been some cases of people getting bricked/unable to boot because they managed to update to 7.1. I mean yeah, it shouldn't happen, but it apparently has already happened. The most likely scenario is that their a9lh bin got replaced with a firm, and things broke or something.

That section of the thread is still super early, though, and Im keeping an eye out for solvable sighax problems. I'll remove that entry in the future if it turns out to be nothing.

 

[McWhiters9511]

"Better to get it sooner than later." Could be taken several ways. I'd say take that out.

 

[Deleted User]

"Better to get it sooner than later." Could be taken several ways. I'd say take that out.

Can you provide a clearer reason for this? I mean, considering pretty much everything under the sun from this point forward will be sighax based, it'll be better to get it now rather than later, no?

 

[McWhiters9511]

Installers will most likely continue to become more stable as seen with it already being updated. It's still beta so sooner than later isn't true till a fully stable version exists.

 

[Deleted User]

Installers will most likely continue to become more stable as seen with it already being updated. It's still beta so sooner than later isn't true till a fully stable version exists.

There's hardly been any reports of bricking so far...

I understand what you mean, though, but until more evidence comes to light on the stability of the installers, I believe the original statement still applies.

 

[alexg1989]

I have a 2DS with the latest official firmware on a9lh, Luma. I'll probably update to this in the coming days.

However, what does this new Sighax stuff mean for the New 2DS system? I want to get that one when it comes out and sell my OG 2DS...

 

[Deleted User]

I have a 2DS with the latest official firmware on a9lh, Luma. I'll probably update to this in the coming days.

However, what does this new Sighax stuff mean for the New 2DS system? I want to get that one when it comes out and sell my OG 2DS...

Everything should work perfectly fine with the new 2ds, as far as we know right now. Dsiwarehax and hardmods are pretty much impossible to patch software wise, and Ninty's pretty cheap when it comes to hardware revisions, so AS OF RIGHT NOW, everything looks clear for landing. However, I wouldn't buy one straight out of the gate, at least not until there's some confirmation that everything is working on there.

 

[Exaltys]

Oh, I meant what does this new thing get past what we have with a9hl? Does it just add another layer of protection against Nintendo's updates?

 

[Deleted User]

Oh, I meant what does this new thing get past what we have with a9hl? Does it just add another layer of protection against Nintendo's updates?

Essentially, yeah. We're completely, permanently unpatchable now. Only thing that can fix sighax is a hardware revision, which Ninty probably isn't going to do any time soon.

 

[xs4all]

When it comes to the 3DS scene, I'm a noob, I had my old 3DS XL collecting dust along with my Gateway 3DS Card, it works as it's just mainly used for games. Now I have never gotten into the 3DS exploit scene as I couldn't get my head around on so many things you need to do so I gave up and just continued to use the GW 3DS Card.
Since this sighax came out, I thought I blow off the dust on my one of my 3DS and give it a try, now, I got 2 old 3DS XL on firmware 4.5.0, both are setup to use my Gateway 3DS card, so I thought I use one as a guinea pig.

Followed the instructions for FW 4.0.0 => 4.5.0 (Browser) on the 3ds guide page, followed step by step and in no time it was installed with no issues, so pretty happy about that

I have gone and signed into my NNID, didn't realise I used my son's one which was under age and had all the parental stuff on it, so buggered me, I knew you can't just UNLINK the NNID and have to do a system format!
Wasn't sure if a system format would screw up the sighax so I went ahead anyway into the system settings and did a Format System Memory to start fresh, safe to say, sighax was untouched so all I needed to do was follow the steps to re install the CIA's again and I was back in no time.

FYI: So for those that installed sighax from a clean 3DS, got it up an running and for some reason you need to start again, Format System Memory doesn't seem to affect sighax. However for those that are upgrading to sighax, I'm not sure if this applies, but I think it should be ok.

Hope this info helps someone out there.

 

[Stercate79]

Uhm, if we can dump the bootrom, now making a backup of the NAND is pointless right?

 

[Enovale]

One Time Programmable. Basically, the OTP is a key locked in hardware(?) unique to every console that is able to be written once, and then can never be modified. That's why it's One Time Programmable.

EDIT: @Joom Ninja'd me

lol i always thought it meant One True Pair because the key is console specific XD

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Uhm, if we can dump the bootrom, now making a backup of the NAND is pointless right?

no, the bootrom isnt you NAND, if im understanding correctly. youll still want to backup your NAND

 

[urherenow]

lol i always thought it meant One True Pair because the key is console specific XD

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no, the bootrom isnt you NAND, if im understanding correctly. youll still want to backup your NAND

WTF?

It's One Time Password. Used once (one 1 console) and never used again.

 

[Enovale]

WTF?

It's One Time Password.

i know that know XD i was just previously under the impression that it meant that

 

[NFates]

In the fifth issue, we can just install Boot9Strap without installing arm9loaderhax before while being in <11.3 I think.

 

[Ridge]

Is the bootrom system specific or would it work with nearly any 3DS provided it's not fixed/modified by Nintendo in a hardware revision?

 

[retrofan_k]

Is the bootrom system specific or would it work with nearly any 3DS provided it's not fixed/modified by Nintendo in a hardware revision?

It's hardware specific (burned into a rom chip) so Nintendo could only fix it in a newer HW revision.

 

[Deleted User]

In the fifth issue, we can just install Boot9Strap without installing arm9loaderhax before while being in <11.3 I think.

That is absolutely true, but from my experience, it's been easier to go through a9lh then to boot9strap, than to go through a hardmod or dsiwarehax. Unless, of course, you already have dsiwarehax or a hardmod working beforhand.