THIS GUIDE IS DEPRECATED
THIS IS BETTER https://github.com/natinusala/painless-linux

I've successfully booted ArchLinux using ShofEL2. Here is a quick guide on how to do it - I'll assume you're computer literate and know how to use a terminal / Linux commands / git.
Everything is taken from the README of the ShofEL2 repo so if you want to go even faster, go read that instead.

Thanks to NightHammer1000 and Y2K-x for the help !

There is a simplified and faster version of this tutorial available here, with precompiled binaries so you don't have to build everything : https://github.com/SoulCipher/shofel2_linux

The result

Without a SD card ("waiting for root device mmcblk0p2") : https://photos.app.goo.gl/7y6ut5ObuHMUIMZg2
Stock Arch Linux : https://photos.app.goo.gl/yALqe3zMZRe2dSQf1
Arch Linux with LXDE : https://photos.app.goo.gl/xaEgRqeSi8jvAwpz5
RetroArch running : https://photos.app.goo.gl/vBLPo5wiBto1qiUH3
Arch Linux with GNOME : https://gbatemp.net/attachments/img_0005-jpg.121608/
Arch Linux with KDE : https://gbatemp.net/attachments/img_20180427_121605-jpg.121666/

What works / what doesn't

• Desktop environment : Gnome, LXDE, KDE
• Wi-Fi : works
  • You will need to reboot your Switch and run the exploit again to make the Wi-Fi work (it never works on the first boot)
  • Then enter the Network Manager Application and add your network from there
  • If it doesn't work, you will need to edit the configuration on the host computer (see the additional notes at the end of this post)
  • With LXDE : Can cause a kernel panic if used at the same time as Bluetooth
• Bluetooth : works but Joy-Cons can't be paired
• Touch screen : works, although LXDE is not very touch-friendly
• Audio : doesn't work yet
• GPU acceleration : works (via mesa), with OpenGL (and maybe Vulkan too ?)
• Joy-Cons : not recognized
• Volume buttons : working with Gnome but not doing anything since there is no audio device
• Power button : doesn't do anything, no sleep mode, no graceful shutdown
• USB : doesn't work
• Dock : not tested yet, but I bet it doesn't do anything besides charging the battery
• Power management / battery level : working with Gnome

What you'll need

• A computer running Linux with a blue USB SuperSpeed port, or a Mac
  • A Linux VM can work in theory, but it depends on how the USB passthrough is implemented (apparently VMWare works, VirtualBox doesn't)
• A USB A-to-C cable (with data support, obviously)
  • be careful as cheap cables were reported to work randomly / not work at all
• Some time (you know, Linux is kinda large)

Prep work

First, you'll need to install the required toolchains. Open this link and download the tar.gz binaries for

• aarch64-linux-gnu
  
• arm-linux-gnueabi

Be careful to choose the right architecture for your PC (for me it was x86_64 so "gcc-linaro-7.2.1-2017.11-x86_64_arm-linux-gnueabi.tar.xz").

Once you have them, extract them somewhere nice and add the "bin" (not "lib" as I previously stated) folder of both toolchains to your PATH ("$ export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/toolchain1/lib:/path/to/toolchain2/lib"). The building process won't work otherwise.

Then, install those dependencies (how to install them and their name might depend on your distribution) :

• build-essential (sorry I didn't add it it was obvious to me)
• libssl-dev
  
• swig
• bison
• pkg-config
  
• flex
• zlib1g-dev
  
• python3
• python-dev
  
• python3-pip
• pyusb 1.0.0 : "$ sudo pip3 install pyusb==1.0.0"
• libusb-1.0-0-dev

Compiling

Clone each required repository :

$ git clone https://github.com/fail0verflow/shofel2.git
$ git clone --recursive --depth=1 https://github.com/fail0verflow/switch-coreboot.git coreboot
$ git clone https://github.com/fail0verflow/switch-u-boot.git u-boot
$ git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/fail0verflow/switch-linux.git linux
$ git clone https://github.com/boundarydevices/imx_usb_loader.git

You can grab a coffee or two because Linux has more than 5 million files to download.

Then, build everything :

$ cd shofel2/exploit
$ make

$ cd u-boot
$ export CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu-
$ make nintendo-switch_defconfig
$ make

$ cd coreboot
$ make nintendo_switch_defconfig
$ make iasl
$ make

If you have a tegra_mtc.bin file error, you'll have to extract it from a Pixel C stock image :
"$ ./build/util/cbfstool/cbfstool bootloader-dragon-google_smaug.7900.97.0.img extract -n fallback/tegra_mtc -f tegra_mtc.bin"

Or you can download it directly from here : https://0w0.st/tegra_mtc.bin (thanks to @CptPotato for uploading this)

You'll have to put it in the "coreboot/src/soc/nvidia/tegra210" directory.

$ cd imx_usb_loader
$ git reset --hard 0a322b01cacf03e3be727e3e4c3d46d69f2e343e
$ make

The big one :

$ cd linux
$ export ARCH=arm64
$ export CROSS_COMPILE=aarch64-linux-gnu-
$ make nintendo-switch_defconfig
$ make

If you encounter issues about a missing rule "/lib/firmware/nvidia/tegra210/vic04_ucode.bin" for the target "firmware" you'll have to :

• install the firmware-misc-nonfree package
• if you can't install it, or if it still doesn't work, download the package manually from debian sid and extract the file "/lib/firmware/nvidia/tegra210/vic04_ucode.bin" (from the root of your PC, not on the cloned repo) from the DEB (and chmod it if needed)

If you encounter issues about a missing rule "/lib/firmware/brcm/brcmfmac4356-pcie.txt", download this file and put it in "/lib/firmware/brcm/" (from the root of your PC, not on the cloned repo)

Building the rootfs

This is the annoying part. Download the archive / image corresponding to the distribution you want to use :

• Stock Arch Linux (useless without UART, you can't even log in) : http://os.archlinuxarm.org/os/ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz
• Arch Linux with LXDE and touch screen support (credits to @Gigaa) :
  • Without hardware acceleration : https://0w0.st/rootfs.tar.bz2
  • With hardware acceleration : https://0w0.st/rootfs2.tar.bz2
  • With hardware acceleration, Chromium and sudo : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VIH3GWtBrM4uuVQOQopASYZy4x3Jw1Uv
• Arch Linux with Gnome (credits to @00Cancer) : https://0w0.st/gnome__rootfs.tar.bz2
• (Recommended) Arch Linux with KDE and GPU power management service (credits to @Gigaa) : https://0w0.st/KDE_rootfs3.tar.bz2
• Ubuntu 18.04 (you'll have to build the image yourself) : https://github.com/cmsj/nintendo-switch-ubuntu-builder

If it's a tarball you just downloaded

While it's downloading, you'll have to take a microSD card and, using the software of your choice (I used GParted) :

• remove every existing partition to only have unallocated space on it (do I need to tell you that you're going to loose everything on the card ?)
• create a tiny FAT32 partition (I chose 200mb but it doesn't matter) - that'll be mmcbkl0p1, you can label it "garbage"
• create an ext4 partition on the remaining part of the card - that'll be mmcblk0p2, you can label it "rootfs"
• it's important that the FAT32 partition comes first and the ext4 one comes after - on the Switch, Linux will look for mmcblk0p2, the second partition, if you have scrolling boot logs and then back to RCM it means you did it wrong

Once the rootfs tarball is downloaded, you can simple extract it to the mounting point of the ext4 partition you just created :

$ tar xvf ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C /mounting/point/of/ext4/partition && sync
$ cp ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz /mounting/point/of/ext4/partition/root && sync

("/mounting/point/of/ext4/partition/root" is the "root" directory on the partition)

Don't forget to properly eject the SD Card !

If "tar xvf" doesn't work for you you can install "bsdtar" and use "bsdtar -xpf" instead

Then you can put the SD card in the console.

If it's a img / bin file you just downloaded

You can simply write it on your SD card using :

• If you're on Windows, Ether or Win32DiskImager
• If you're on Linux / Mac OS : "sudo dd if=yourimage.img of=/dev/sdX && sync" where /dev/sdX is the device of your SD card (unmounted)

You will probably want to open a partition manager to resize the ext4 partition once it's flashed, so that it fits your SD card.

Then you can put the SD card in the console.

Booting linux

Run the exploit :

$ cd shofel2/exploit
$ sudo ./shofel2.py cbfs.bin ../../coreboot/build/coreboot.rom

Your terminal should now be waiting for the Switch to enter RCM mode.

To do so : (I don't have pictures but that's the same method as fusée gelée, just look at some video tutorials)

• plug the Switch on your PC using the USB A-to-C cable - use a blue SuperSpeed port if you have one
• shut it down
• remove the right joy-con
• using a method of your choice, short the 10th pin of the right joy-con (the last pin on the right, away from the screen, closer to the back) with the ground : that can be pin 1, 2 or 7, that can also be a screw on the joy-con rack or the console's fan - I personnaly stick a RPi jumper wire in the fan and touch the 10th pin on the other side, works everytime (like this)
• keep the pins shorted and power the Switch while pressing the volume UP button

If it worked, the console will show a black screen and you'll see the exploit running on your terminal. If you see the Nintendo logo, it has failed. You can power off the console and try again.

Then, run those last commands :

$ cd shofel2/usb_loader
$ ../../u-boot/tools/mkimage -A arm64 -T script -C none -n "boot.scr" -d switch.scr switch.scr.img
$ sudo ../../imx_usb_loader/imx_usb -c .

Linux should then boot on your console - first the boot logs with the penguins, and then an ArchLinux login prompt. Voilà !
Again, if you have the boot logs and then a black screen, it means you did the SD card part wrong.

Additional notes

Hardware graphics acceleration

The most recents image already contain this fix.

To add mesa drivers install this package using pacman :
https://0w0.st/mesa-full-tegra-r101876.bf5e0276b6-1-aarch64.pkg.tar.xz

You will need a working internet connection to do so.

Then, use this script to choose your power profile : https://0w0.st/power.sh

Full speed RAM

According to the blog post ("Linux on Switch boot chain" section), you need to extract a file from a Pixel C factory image in order to have the RAM working at full speed. I didn't do it so I won't cover it here.

Fixing calibration issues of the touch screen (thanks to @Wizardy)

To fix calibration issues of the touch screen, edit the file /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.confg (of the rootfs)

And change the InputClass section to :

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev touchscreen catchall"
        MatchIsTouchscreen "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "InvertX" "no"
        Option "InvertY" "yes"
        Option "SwapAxes" "yes"
        Option "Calibration" "0 1279 0 719"
EndSection

Wi-Fi

To setup Wi-Fi, mount the rootfs partition on your host PC and edit the configuration for your network in the file "/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections" (if it doesn't exist, take Gigaspot).

To have a working Wi-Fi you must reboot your Switch and run the exploit again each time you power it off

Moving the rootfs to another partition

If you want to move the rootfs to another partition on your SD card, edit the "shofel2/usb_loader/switch.scr" file and replace "/dev/mmcblk0p2" by the partition you want to use.

 

[kombos]

Right guys, I've created github repo with all the hardest part compiled. It contains all binaries for exploit, coreboot, and Linux kernel. All you need is prepare an SD card with rootfs

https://github.com/SoulCipher/shofel2_linux.git

 

[Faiz Saleem]

Would be awesome if you could upload the the rootfs here when you got something usable

Of course!

I've got to the penguins (yay) but can you go over the process for copying the files to the sd card? I have the card partitioned properly, but when i tried rsyncing the built debian directory, proc/kcore was humongous and wouldn't copy, and the sys directory was causing issues too. I tried excluding the two but I was getting an error on the Switch.

After using qemu-debootstrap to prepare an arm64 Debian installation, I did:

sudo rsync -av ./debian-arm64/* /mnt/

Everything copied without any trouble using that command.

 

[natinusala]

Right guys, I've created github repo with all the hardest part compiled. It contains all binaries for exploit, coreboot, and Linux kernel. All you need is prepare an SD card with rootfs

https://github.com/SoulCipher/shofel2_linux.git

You rock, I've added the link to this repo on the OP

 

[natinusala]

Hello friend, can you make a video explaining the procedure with your files? it would make a lot easier for those who are more laymen.

Everything is on the README

 

[ExploitTnT]

Everything is on the README

Thx for making this Tutorial. It works

 

[Will_SCP]

Well i installed LightDM and Cinnamon and managed to login using a virtual keyboard (and a single character password because the touch is not calibrated and its a nightmare to type), and then Cinnamon crashed and exited. In the middle of installing plasma my SD card seems to have died. Oh well.

 

[kombos]

Thx for making this Tutorial. It works

You are welcome.

 

[ExploitTnT]

Welp i thought it worked.
EDIT: Found the Problem, me as an idiot used the wrong script.

 

[DerProGamer2000]

so i am at the step where you have to start building but everytime i try to build i get the following error:

arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc -march=armv4t -mthumb -Wall -Werror -Os -MMD -ffreestanding -fno-common    -fomit-frame-pointer -nostdlib -fno-builtin-printf -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables -fPIE -fno-builtin -fno-exceptions -Wl,--no-dynamic-linker,--build-id=none,-T,romhax.ld -std=gnu11 -c -o obj/cbfs.o cbfs.c
make: arm-linux-gnueabi-gcc: Kommando nicht gefunden
Makefile:23: die Regel für Ziel „obj/cbfs.o“ scheiterte
make: *** [obj/cbfs.o] Fehler 127

my path is:
export PATH=$PATH:/home/switch/Downloads/gcc-linaro-7.2.1-2017.11-i686-mingw32_aarch64-linux-gnu/bin:/home/switch/Downloads/gcc-linaro-7.2.1-2017.11-i686-mingw32_arm-linux-gnueabi/bin
i copied the path and pasted it into terminal thats why its so long and i use the newest debian 64 bit maybe i use the wrong version of the toolchains but i think i tried every version of the 3. i mean i686, i686-mingw32 and x86-64 and i get the error everytime nomatter which path i set

 

[Rickardoo]

How do you keyboard and mouse? If usb doesn’t work and you can’t setup touch screen all lunix does is look nice.

 

[dpad_5678]

How do you keyboard and mouse? If usb doesn’t work and you can’t setup touch screen all lunix does is look nice.

Are we really going to talk about practicality here, when we need a PC with us every time we want to boot Linux, AND while needing to hold a wire onto a microscopic pin?

 

[DerProGamer2000]

Are we really going to talk about practicality here, when we need a PC with us every time we want to boot Linux, AND while needing to hold a wire onto a microscopic pin?

its a proof of concept it doesn't need to be practical or even useful it's just for fun and praging at school

 

[xXDungeon_CrawlerXx]

Using:

tar xvf ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C /media/nx/rootfs

seems not to work as intended.

Spoiler: Errors in Terminal

Spoiler: Formation

Any Idea what to do?

 

[dj505]

Using:

tar xvf ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C /media/nx/rootfs

seems not to work as intended.

Spoiler: Errors in Terminal

View attachment 121357

View attachment 121354

Spoiler: Formation

View attachment 121358

Any Idea what to do?

imo this works a lot better, and gives the intended result:

sudo bsdtar -xpf ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C /path/to/ext4/mountpoint

you'll need to install bsdtar though

 

[natinusala]

The important part is the `sudo` here

 

[Gigaa]

I have an Arch rootfs with lxde installed if anyone wants it. It boots just fine, bluetooth and wifi works too.
Can't post hyperlinks as i'm a new user but i will give you the link if you email me at [email protected]

 

[MrComputerRevo]

So do some SD cards just not work or is that some sort of kernel problem? I have a 32GB SD card that just isn't getting detected when booting the kernel, it's as if it's not there at all. A 2GB SD card works just fine.

 

[Wizardy]

I downloaded Linux4TegraR241beta.mrom and extracted files with bsdtar. Used the file system in there (root_00 till 09) and booted my switch with that. It brings up the GUI.

The touchscreen works but is uncalibrated. You can tell cause moving your finger over the OK button at the graphics reset error has a responce. Will do further testing.

The touch is "rotated" to the wrong side so you need to either rotate touch or display
You can rotate display with "xrandr -o left" and then the touch works good.

You can also fix the touch calibration.

Edit /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.confg

And change InputClass Section to:

Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "evdev touchscreen catchall"
        MatchIsTouchscreen "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "evdev"
        Option "InvertX" "no"
        Option "InvertY" "yes"
        Option "SwapAxes" "yes"
        Option "Calibration" "0 1279 0 719"
EndSection

 

[xXDungeon_CrawlerXx]

imo this works a lot better, and gives the intended result:

sudo bsdtar -xpf ArchLinuxARM-aarch64-latest.tar.gz -C /path/to/ext4/mountpoint

you'll need to install bsdtar though

will it work?

 

[natinusala]

I have an Arch rootfs with lxde installed if anyone wants it. It boots just fine, bluetooth and wifi works too.
Can't post hyperlinks as i'm a new user but i will give you the link if you email me at [email protected]

Give me the link I'll add it to the OP

If you have a picture i'll add it too !