Hacking GATEWAY 4.1 PRIVATE BETA RELEASE

[Quantumcat]

So all of your CFW experience and talk is from non-A9LH, and from a CFW that doesn't even get updated anymore. So none of that is currently relevant.

A9LH allows me to run out of region games. I also still have my Ambassador certificate as well as my originally installed games.

Yes, Plailect's guide would require you to stop using your obsolete and imperfect exploit in order to install what is essentially the equivalent of BootMii, just on the 3DS. This would allow you to use the latest version sysnand and still maintain your CFW. This allows you to access the eshop without spoofing, online play without spoofing, etc, etc. You can still have emunand if you don't want to update sysnand. The difference is that emunand would then boot up right away (no having to load up the system, then go to the settings to activate the exploit) and it would be a 100% boot rate. If you keep the 9.2 environment you can still use your Gateway card. Nobody is saying you have to give that up. Granted there is no feature that your Gateway card offers that I do not natively have via CFW.

No, I do not see a problem with you upgrading your firmware and then downgrading it. You clearly are missing the point of why the system is downgraded to 2.1. With all of the hard work that the community has volunteered, the tools are engineered to work. As long as you follow the guide, it'll work. You even gave an equivalence to the PS3 scene. Here that magic firmware is 9.2. At the end of the guide you will have an updated system with a 9.2 system image that you can restore back to and keep A9LH. So you are keeping with that magic firmware. If anything that is more of a reason to do this! Again, what is the problem with upgrading and downgrading and then upgrading? Why do you think there's a problem with that? You downgrade to 2.1 as the OTP registers were locked after that, so it would be impossible to grab your key without hardmodding it. I will reiterate that I followed his guide a long time ago. It took longer, greater risk of bricking etc. Everything went fine on all 4 3DS/N3DS that I did this to. 0 bricks. 0 problems that weren't in the guide or that common sense couldn't fix. Now it's even easier and more automated. I could understand not wanting to earlier, but nowadays? Installing an exploit (not really an exploit, but basically boot loader) that Nintendo can never remove via an update? Keeping your system up to date with a CFW? Or keeping your emuNAND up to date with a CFW? Region-free, etc, etc, etc.

I already mentioned that it is rare for a system to brick following Plailect's guide, and if it does, it is most likely going to be a softbrick, that does not require a hardmod to fix. Yet you continue to go on about having to hardmod your system. No. Just no.

Nice response. I am reminded here of someone who loves their horse and buggy and refuses to update to driving a car. Sure, it's possible to crash your car if you drive drunk or asleep. But you can prevent that by paying proper attention. If you get unlucky it might crash due to something outside your control (like a kangaroo) but normal people have decided these risks are worthwhile for the convenience.

 

[codezer0]

My 3DS XL shipped with 4.4. So it naturally already came at the perfect firmware to use the Gateway 3DS. Immediately upon getting it, I made the emunand (by the time I got it after such a wait, they updated their launcher to not have the awful brick-happy code), and I transferred my account and purchases from my original original 3DS (that has since been transferred to someone less fortunate than I), and as such, just chilled back and updated the launcher and emuNAND firmware as I pleased.

My experience with CFW was with the intent of getting GBA ware and DSiWare to work that I legit own. It was an understanding that I'd be able to go to either/or as I needed. and at the time, RxTools was the most recommended firmware. So do not give me that line of horse.
It refused to install. It refused to launch the emunand. It refused to launch installed games. It refused to launch GBA games; didn't even get a chance to test the DSi Games because it soon refused to launch at all soon after. But one run through with the GW Installer and everything worked again. Just as everything has been working since I first got the thing.

What you are failing to explain, and what I am failing to see in your vaunted and blind follow-ship of this new flavor-of-the-month CFW, which - after my initial experience with RxTools, I'm much less willing to follow blindly - is that the process requires at least one extra-risky step in the form of the downgrade. Other than my PSP system(s), I have never attempted to downgrade firmware. Not even on my PS3; I've made a point to instead get updated CFW and avoiding situations where I'd need to downgrade on it. And considering how many ways a downgrade can go wrong, a brick in that process just means it's either I'm going to have to find and buy a bunch of tools to hard-mod and somehow find a way to restore said 3DS, or spend another $200+ on an N3DS XL and whatever else I need and somehow beg and plead nintendo to let me get my legit goodies back.

 

[Quantumcat]

We have to downgrade specifically to 2.1 because this is the only firmware with a reliable arm9 exploit.

well actually - you can do it on 2.2 as well (I installed a9lh a while ago on an old console that was already on 2.2, using Cubic Ninja to dump the OTP before upgrading to 9.2).

 

[Aroth]

My 3DS XL shipped with 4.4. So it naturally already came at the perfect firmware to use the Gateway 3DS. Immediately upon getting it, I made the emunand (by the time I got it after such a wait, they updated their launcher to not have the awful brick-happy code), and I transferred my account and purchases from my original original 3DS (that has since been transferred to someone less fortunate than I), and as such, just chilled back and updated the launcher and emuNAND firmware as I pleased.

My experience with CFW was with the intent of getting GBA ware and DSiWare to work that I legit own. It was an understanding that I'd be able to go to either/or as I needed. and at the time, RxTools was the most recommended firmware. So do not give me that line of horse.
It refused to install. It refused to launch the emunand. It refused to launch installed games. It refused to launch GBA games; didn't even get a chance to test the DSi Games because it soon refused to launch at all soon after. But one run through with the GW Installer and everything worked again. Just as everything has been working since I first got the thing.

What you are failing to explain, and what I am failing to see in your vaunted and blind follow-ship of this new flavor-of-the-month CFW, which - after my initial experience with RxTools, I'm much less willing to follow blindly - is that the process requires at least one extra-risky step in the form of the downgrade. Other than my PSP system(s), I have never attempted to downgrade firmware. Not even on my PS3; I've made a point to instead get updated CFW and avoiding situations where I'd need to downgrade on it. And considering how many ways a downgrade can go wrong, a brick in that process just means it's either I'm going to have to find and buy a bunch of tools to hard-mod and somehow find a way to restore said 3DS, or spend another $200+ on an N3DS XL and whatever else I need and somehow beg and plead nintendo to let me get my legit goodies back.

Again, WHEN WHERE YOU TRYING TO INSTALL RXTOOLS.

If it was any time after around August or so of last year, and you were trying to install the 3.0 "nightlies", thats why you were having trouble. Probably got a bad nightly and at the time people in the rxtools thread were being somewhat less than helpful for noobs if you happened to ask at the wrong time of day. I am sorry that it happened to you if that's the case.

If you were trying to install the old 2.5/2.7 at some point after August of last year, then your lack of support when asking for it was due to your attempts to use an outdated version of the cfw.

As for "how many ways a downgrade can go wrong", there really arent any if you read and follow the guide properly and use the right files. There is a reason each of the 2.1 and 9.2 packs has a SHA256 hash next to it (for reference SHA256 is flat out overkill for verifying file integrity, but it was used to give people the peace of mind to know that the file they have is 10000% exactly what they attempted to download.

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well actually - you can do it on 2.2 as well (I installed a9lh a while ago on an old console that was already on 2.2, using Cubic Ninja to dump the OTP before upgrading to 9.2).

Huh, good to know. Maybe the 2.1 thing is because of the combination of a working entrypoint and working exploit? (since not everyone has cubic ninja)

 

[Quantumcat]

the process requires at least one extra-risky step in the form of the downgrade

You are failing to appreciate that the people who came up with this have a deep knowledge of 3DS hardware and software, so know that it can be done and is safe. Not to mention the hundreds of people with hardmods that tested it and gave it the OK before the general public were even allowed to sniff at it, and even then the THOUSANDS of people that have installed it since!

I think it is scary & risky going on a roller coaster, but the roller coaster was designed and built by skilled engineers and ridden by thousands of people before me without accident, so I can probably trust that. Same here.

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Huh, good to know. Maybe the 2.1 thing is because of the combination of a working entrypoint and working exploit? (since not everyone has cubic ninja)

Yeah, I think so. Much more accessible with a web exploit available.

 

[codezer0]

Again, WHEN WHERE YOU TRYING TO INSTALL RXTOOLS.

If it was any time after around August or so of last year, and you were trying to install the 3.0 "nightlies", thats why you were having trouble. Probably got a bad nightly and at the time people in the rxtools thread were being somewhat less than helpful for noobs if you happened to ask at the wrong time of day. I am sorry that it happened to you if that's the case.

If you were trying to install the old 2.5/2.7 at some point after August of last year, then your lack of support when asking for it was due to your attempts to use an outdated version of the cfw.

As for "how many ways a downgrade can go wrong", there really arent any if you read and follow the guide properly and use the right files. There is a reason each of the 2.1 and 9.2 packs has a SHA256 hash next to it (for reference SHA256 is flat out overkill for verifying file integrity, but it was used to give people the peace of mind to know that the file they have is 10000% exactly what they attempted to download.

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Huh, good to know. Maybe the 2.1 thing is because of the combination of a working entrypoint and working exploit?

February 2016, and it was with RxTools 2.7, which was supposedly the latest "safe" version I could get. Considering both RL friends and people on this very forum were recommending it, that's what I went with, and then nobody wanted to help with why nothing was working. So, I got fed up and scrubbed it from my SD card.

 

[Aroth]

What you are failing to explain, and what I am failing to see in your vaunted and blind follow-ship of this new flavor-of-the-month CFW, which - after my initial experience with RxTools, I'm much less willing to follow blindly...

Also, for your information, I personally waited several months to install A9LH on my N3DS simply BECAUSE of the brick risks associated with it in the early stages.

A9LH has been a thing for 6 months now. I installed it on my O3DS as a test (since i didnt care if i bricked it) back in early March. I only JUST installed it on my N3DS last week.

 

[ZoNtendo]

to make our work.

dev work*

 

[Aroth]

February 2016, and it was with RxTools 2.7, which was supposedly the latest "safe" version I could get. Considering both RL friends and people on this very forum were recommending it, that's what I went with, and then nobody wanted to help with why nothing was working. So, I got fed up and scrubbed it from my SD card.

I see the problem then. You had the unfortunate luck to be caught up in the little "war" between RxTools, Reinand, Cakes and what would eventually become AuReiNand (and later Luma3DS). By that point, the "nightlies" for RxTools had become little more than bloated messes and the devs and core supporters were pretty damn adamant that they werent going to fix things like the agb/twl support. Also by that time 2.7 was depreciated. Yes it was the last "stable" version of the CFW, but it would have been almost impossible to get proper support for it cuz the RxTools guys were dead set on 3.0 and most of the people in the RxTools threads were outright refusing to help people asking about 2.7.

If I had to guess, your problem was likely an issue with having the wrong files. Maybe the firmware.bin file was wrong (likely from a newer 3.0 nightly) or maybe you had one for the N3DS instead of the O3DS. Its even possible you had the wrong mset payload (again, one for 3.0 wouldnt have worked for 2.7, not to mention 3.0 not working at all for 4.x firmware). RxTools was a rather complicated bit of software to set up, in comparison to ones that came later. I am truely sorry you got mislead (thought it probably wasn't intentional. People were very set in their opinions about what was "teh best" at the time.

As I said above, though, A9LH has been around since the early March and has only gotten safer and more streamlined with time. Back in March (when i did my O3DS), you had to handle the 2.1 downgrade with a software that only checked the integrity of the file to be installed and made no checks during or after install. Soft bricks (requiring an upgrade to the latest firmware via safemode/recovery) were fairly common, though less so on O3DS systems. You had no way to check the integrity of the downgraded emunand before you dumped it and flashed the dump to sysnand. Just pray that it was valid and would boot properly. We didn't have tools like hourglass9 to dump/flash the nand without overwriting a9lh. Firm protection was a whispered dream.

Now the downgrader checks and rechecks the files before installing, and checks each file as it is installed. We have a wonderful program with rather verbose error messages to handle verifying the integrity of the 2.1 emunand, cleaning up any left over files from before the downgrade, and flashing it to sysnand. At every step it verifies that the titles/nands are in good shape and not problematic. The a9lh installer now automates a process that used to take several steps, in a fraction of the time. Best of all, in my opinion, a whole boatload of protective features have been built into A9LH and its latest implementations to make things safer and easier after install. We no longer have to worry about an update bricking the system or breaking our hack because we lent it to our younger cousin/sibling. The CFW loads 100% of the time, in half the time. Best I could get before, via ANY method, was about 85%. I was always ticked if I had to reboot the system (or the battery died) cuz I just KNEW it was gonna take 2 or 3 boot attempts to get back into the CFW. Even Gateway with mset was liable to glitch out about on about one in three attempts. I timed my boot after installing A9LH and it clocked about 6-7 seconds. Menuhax to bootloader to cfw was upwards of 30.

 

[lafleche]

February 2016, and it was with RxTools 2.7, which was supposedly the latest "safe" version I could get. Considering both RL friends and people on this very forum were recommending it, that's what I went with, and then nobody wanted to help with why nothing was working. So, I got fed up and scrubbed it from my SD card.

For what it is worth: I am almost in the same situation.
My o3ds is on 4.5 (emunand on fw 11) and the mset exploit is not bothering me at all in launching the gateway (which imho. is doing a great job for almost three years now.. ).
The whole mess in downgrading, upgrading to finally get the 3ds on 9.x with alh9, the number of tools needed -and don't use the wrong version!!!- and the risks involved -there are to many posts over here asking for help- and then finally have some CFW which can't play plain 3ds roms..... nooooo: you have to make a cia and install it.

 

[lzyslckr]

Woo Gateway , still trying to figure out how to get you to work with luma.

 

[Aroth]

Woo Gateway , still trying to figure out how to get you to work with luma.

you have a9lh with updated sysnand?

 

[OrGoN3]

My 3DS XL shipped with 4.4. So it naturally already came at the perfect firmware to use the Gateway 3DS. Immediately upon getting it, I made the emunand (by the time I got it after such a wait, they updated their launcher to not have the awful brick-happy code), and I transferred my account and purchases from my original original 3DS (that has since been transferred to someone less fortunate than I), and as such, just chilled back and updated the launcher and emuNAND firmware as I pleased.

My experience with CFW was with the intent of getting GBA ware and DSiWare to work that I legit own. It was an understanding that I'd be able to go to either/or as I needed. and at the time, RxTools was the most recommended firmware. So do not give me that line of horse.
It refused to install. It refused to launch the emunand. It refused to launch installed games. It refused to launch GBA games; didn't even get a chance to test the DSi Games because it soon refused to launch at all soon after. But one run through with the GW Installer and everything worked again. Just as everything has been working since I first got the thing.

What you are failing to explain, and what I am failing to see in your vaunted and blind follow-ship of this new flavor-of-the-month CFW, which - after my initial experience with RxTools, I'm much less willing to follow blindly - is that the process requires at least one extra-risky step in the form of the downgrade. Other than my PSP system(s), I have never attempted to downgrade firmware. Not even on my PS3; I've made a point to instead get updated CFW and avoiding situations where I'd need to downgrade on it. And considering how many ways a downgrade can go wrong, a brick in that process just means it's either I'm going to have to find and buy a bunch of tools to hard-mod and somehow find a way to restore said 3DS, or spend another $200+ on an N3DS XL and whatever else I need and somehow beg and plead nintendo to let me get my legit goodies back.

If by flavor-of-the-month you mean for the past solid 1+ years, sure. If by flavor-of-the-month you mean what every other CFW is now based off of? Sure. It's saying things like that that show you are not paying as close attention to the scene to make such bold statements.

Why are you so willing to upgrade your firmware and not downgrade it? And again, not every brick that results from downgrading requires a hardmod. I understand you need one additional step here that has the potential of bricking. Quantumcat said it best though: compare it to an old horse and buggy. Sure the car can be dangerous, but if you drive sober and pay attention to the road signs and other drives, the chances of something going wrong are so small that it is worth the upgrade.

I also am not about this A9LH master race. If you like what you have then stick with it. I just couldn't stand by, reading inaccuracy after inaccuracy in your rant regarding the process while diminishing the benefits. Oh and GBA and DSiWare that you legit own? Why would you need CFW for that in the first place? Using A9LH and Luma3DS, I have no issues doing either of those, but you knew I was going to say that.

 

[Aroth]

Oh and GBA and DSiWare that you legit own? Why would you need CFW for that in the first place? Using A9LH and Luma3DS, I have no issues doing either of those, but you knew I was going to say that.

My understanding was that Gateway doesn't support DSiWare or GBA titles at all. To play the ones you legit owned you had to boot into sysnand to play them. There was a bit to do about it back in the winter because half the CFW supported it and the other half didn't and simply told people to reboot into sysnand to play them and be done with it. Some people simply did not want to have to reboot the console and force it into sysnand JUST to play a gba or dsiware game. Yes, I know that they launched from and saved to sysnand anyways, regardless of whether they were installed to and/or opened from emunand. The point was being able to open them from emunand at all.

 

[OrGoN3]

My understanding was that Gateway doesn't support DSiWare or GBA titles at all. To play the ones you legit owned you had to boot into sysnand to play them. There was a bit to do about it back in the winter because half the CFW supported it and the other half didn't and simply told people to reboot into sysnand to play them and be done with it. Some people simply did not want to have to reboot the console and force it into sysnand JUST to play a gba or dsiware game. Yes, I know that they launched from and saved to sysnand anyways, regardless of whether they were installed to and/or opened from emunand. The point was being able to open them from emunand at all.

I see your point. I guess that's just the price you pay for early adoption. He keeps mentioning that somebody on here recommended this or that. It is important to note that most users will recommend something different than each other. I like Luma3DS on the A9LH setup. Others want lighter-weight like SaltFW (a fork of Luma3DS). Some still use their Gateway card. Using a CFW on an updated sysnand would also prevent you from having to install your GBA/DSiWare twice (once to the system and then once to the emunand). Just more reasons to switch, lol.

 

[Aroth]

I see your point. I guess that's just the price you pay for early adoption. He keeps mentioning that somebody on here recommended this or that. It is important to note that most users will recommend something different than each other. I like Luma3DS on the A9LH setup. Others want lighter-weight like SaltFW (a fork of Luma3DS). Some still use their Gateway card. Using a CFW on an updated sysnand would also prevent you from having to install your GBA/DSiWare twice (once to the system and then once to the emunand). Just more reasons to switch, lol.

Personally I just use Luma cuz its simple and basically set and forget with the guide. Only major difference for me was copying the three files i needed for GW to work to the SD card so I can boot gateway and use their cheat engine (seriously, screw that hot mess that NTR uses).

 

[TheBroCode]

Great to see Gateway still putting out updates, I imagine their sales dropped massively once other CFW methods were released so I wouldn't have been surprised if they just stopped bothering.

Just a shame any thread about Gateway on GBATemp ends in arguments and memes instead of discussion

 

[TheShadowRunner]

I can imagine it being super tedious, long and boring to do, but what's really needed here is a noob-friendly extensive, step-by-step A9LH install guide specific for GW users, which assumes user starts with 9.2 SYS and 10.x or 11.x EMU (should cover 90% of GW owners) and wants to keep all his shit.

Until then, all new GW beta threads will be the same:
"don't install GW A9LH version it sucks and makes red card mandatory"
"sure ok but the other install method (Plailect) is complex as hell, I don't know where the fuck I am"

If a dev or advanced user has some time and knows 100% what he's doing, a dedicated GW guide would be the best solution (i'm sadly not that dude).

 

[Wargla]

I can imagine it being super tedious, long and boring to do, but what's really needed here is a noob-friendly extensive, step-by-step A9LH install guide specific for GW users, which assumes user starts with 9.2 SYS and 10.x or 11.x EMU (should cover 90% of GW owners) and wants to keep all his shit.

Until then, all new GW beta threads will be the same:
"don't install GW A9LH version it sucks and makes red card mandatory"
"sure ok but the other install method (Plailect) is complex as hell, I don't know where the fuck I am"

If a dev or advanced user has some time and knows 100% what he's doing, a dedicated GW guide would be the best solution (i'm sadly not that dude).

When there is a good "official" release (not beta one), probably a guide with many details will be available on other Gateway official partner sites, and even probably on Gateway site itself.

Happy to see that gateway is still alive and support the flashcart.

 

[Dust2dust]

Nice response. I am reminded here of someone who loves their horse and buggy and refuses to update to driving a car. Sure, it's possible to crash your car if you drive drunk or asleep. But you can prevent that by paying proper attention. If you get unlucky it might crash due to something outside your control (like a kangaroo) but normal people have decided these risks are worthwhile for the convenience.

I like the kangaroo reference. If that's the main risk with A9LH, most everyone in the world is safe, except unlucky australians.