I'm not sure why you think torrent [or magnet] links circumvents the Forum rules here...
Anyway - on topic this is just an 11.3 ctrnand - alternatively you just downgrade the 6/7 titles [or how many it is] that were upgraded, right?
The only potential issue with updating to latest firmware is if you need immediate access to HBL as it takes few days for a new otherapp.bin payload to be made.
Yea if you think of it in terms of ROMs being full dd copies of a memory chip [64MB/128MB/256MB/1024MB/2048MB etc.] - and cias being the minimum required as they just get installed to a folder - it makes sense that gm9/d9wip auto-ignores the trailing white-space when converting to cia
4: duh - yes it is; .3dsx is for homebrew apps - roms are .3ds and when converted to .cia they should be automatically 'trimmed' there shouldn't be any 00'd space in cias afaik.
[Decrypt9 should do it]
The phrase 'how do you uninstall CFW' comes to mind or 'switching from rxtools to luma3ds' or 'something to do with GateWay'
Making people know the 'cfw' is that 1MB [or whatever it is] arm9loaderhax.bin file might mean we get more cerebral inquires than that.
Anyway with 'sighax' soon we...
For explanation sake though, it is useful to point out that luma3ds is a sig. patcher; meaning that the underlying firmware is still 100% stock [unless you deliberately alter system titles] - rather than being an actual fw itself.
Hbl will work if you tick the bottom box in luma settings -- but...
Just to quash the brick remark - to nrick you have to mess with the nand or mpre specifically the firms. So the second or two it takes to install a9lh is a brick point.
Outside of install guide - messing with gm9 can cause bricks, as does system updates - esp. without proper protections and...
Just format the new card to fat32 and copy files over.
Backups -- keep them somewhere if you can -- they'll save you if something messes up, but you don't need them on the sdcard
Edit. the hbl cia should work fine on 11.4
You could download 11.3 titles but I think it would be easier to update to 11.4; and then downgrading the updated titles -- if you feel the need for HBL
As you've installed a cia - yes you are on cfw. In regards to freeshop you will need to search elsewhere for the file that programme is looking for.
Emulator wise - I think HBL doesn't support 11.4 yet [ticking the bottom option in luma settings might correct some other stuff] - but you should...
A lot of that sounds like sdcard issues; plys if you followed the guide you would be on the latest firmware - not 8.1 [update via settings]
Just make sure a9lh is there [you can load gm9/hg9 etc at boot]; that luma is running, and the sdcard is fine then update via settings
I've put down the money on the Odin 2 Mini since I just love that Vita form factor. Loved the power of the Odin 2 but the size always put me off, this one seems exactly what I've been wanting.
On the go tho I meant, I use my 10" tablet and a Bluetooth controller for retro gaming while sitting on my porch or on long car rides sometimes. Easier on my eyes than the Switch screen.
Ken unless the games are made for that screen size most suck on a screen that size... Having a square screen and being brighter and higher res helps but it's not a cure all, text is tiny bullets are tiny, your.... Well lol