Where can I safely get the latest kernel for R4i Gold?

[Dothackjhe]

I'm thinking of giving life to some old NDS Lite and NDSi I had in my room by buying an R4i Gold flash card for either. And I am wondering if there is a place somewhere on the internet where I could get across the latest kernel for it?

Obviously, r4i-gold.com is not a very reliable website right now.

 

[Nikokaro]

Do you mean this?

If so, its site is as reliable as its kernel, but its pre-2022 flashcarts have the infamous "time bomb." Things already said hundreds of times...
To remedy this in due time you will have to move the console date back a few years, or use the alternative kernel YSMenu:
https://gbatemp.net/threads/retrogamefan-updates-releases.267243/

 

[Dothackjhe]

Any good reason why the flash cart maker developed and implemented the "time bomb" mechanics in R4i Gold?

 

[Nikokaro]

Well, I can only assume that they wanted to push users to get rid of the older product to buy a more updated one, obviously from them.
But from 2022 they changed their strategy, partly because they realized that this restriction was easily circumvented....

 

[master801]

Currently, this is the most recommended source for firmware: https://flashcard-archive.ds-homebrew.com/

Or for the r4i-gold.com card specifically: https://flashcard-archive.ds-homebrew.com/r4i-gold.com/

Do not use YSMenu on any random cart. It can and will brick certain carts (r4isdhc.co.hk, etc).

 

[Nikokaro]

Do not use YSMenu on any random cart. It can and will brick certain carts

It is not a random cart, as you call it. He has specified its name and website. And YSMenu works very well with it.