CEX to DEX: Extract METLDR From Any NOR/NAND

[Gradius]

Very nice, but I'm still waiting for the day a "make your own patches" tool to patch any game for CFW 3.55.

Or CFW 4.21

[ahou]

Yes, I can use any update from 4.11DEX down to 2.70 on my slim I converted.

How is this done? The same as with QA flag? Just change a setting, and install the fw through recovery menu?

[pink1]

Just run the update from the XMB and when you run an update you can save it to your hdd so it's really easy to do.

[Tranced]

Quick question. Reading over at ps3devwiki under the "cons" section for DEX firmware. If PSN is not possible on DEX then why does the wiki say that DEX is "easily detectable and banned." How can you get banned if you cannot get onto PSN? Just a thought, use it, don't use it...

[greyest]

So if I got it right, for now, the advantage of DEX for ordinary user is that the DEX can run new retail games (i.e. from disc), and it can be downgraded back to 3.55 without hardware flasher, right?

Then yet one question, can it be downgraded to 3.55 DEX only, or it's possible to downgrade it back to 3.55 CFW ??

[mistar]

Quick question. Reading over at under the "cons" section for DEX firmware. If PSN is not possible on DEX then why does the wiki say that DEX is "easily detectable and banned." How can you get banned if you cannot get onto PSN? Just a thought, use it, don't use it...

Well i think it means not PSN it means the Sony developer network you can't reach that anyway.....if you do CEX to DEX now.
You need an extra registration for that which you can't get.I believe you can spoof it in someway but thats easily detectable and that why you get banned whit DEX.

M

[mistar]

So if I got it right, for now, the advantage of DEX for ordinary user is that the DEX can run new retail games (i.e. from disc), and it can be downgraded back to 3.55 without hardware flasher, right?

Then yet one question, can it be downgraded to 3.55 DEX only, or it's possible to downgrade it back to 3.55 CFW ??

You can downgrade to any firmware...BUT maybe you have to reflash the dump for 3.55 OFW CEX before you install 3.55 CFW.
Its not that hard as it sounds...but if you only have one ps3 and not sure about this.....then don't do it.

M

[greyest]

You can downgrade to any firmware...BUT maybe you have to reflash the dump for 3.55 OFW CEX before you install 3.55 CFW.
Its not that hard as it sounds...but if you only have one ps3 and not sure about this.....then don't do it.

M

Well, we realy need someone to try and do the whole cycle and report:

1) 3.55 CFW -> newer DEX

2) run latest retail games

3) newer DEX ( -> 3.55 DEX) -> 3.55 CFW



Then if it works, an instruction "for dummies" for the whole cycle would be nice.

[ahou]

So if I got it right, for now, the advantage of DEX for ordinary user is that the DEX can run new retail games (i.e. from disc), and it can be downgraded back to 3.55 without hardware flasher, right?

Then yet one question, can it be downgraded to 3.55 DEX only, or it's possible to downgrade it back to 3.55 CFW ??

As far as i understand it, yes.

You can use custom debug firmware 3.55 or lower, so i don't really see much reason to go back to cex, except for psn (which unless a new method is found for cfw, will require a flasher anyway). But yes, you can do so. You'd need to downgrade to either cfw or 3.1 or lower to install linux, then reflash the original cex dump.

[atreyu187]

Did this to a deck and it retains normal PS3 CFW abilites for 3.55 games and Multiman works fine since it has been updated to work on DEX for a while now. But the thing that kicks ass is I can play my 3.6+ disc based games by simpl inserting them and playing. They don't work from HDD but I don't care I have MM working for 3.55 and games with fixes and I can play my retail games. Best of both worlds.

[greyest]

What? I remember a guy who had dex console insisted he could not run Multiman/old backups on his dex and the supposed Multiman fix for dex absolutely didn't work for him.

Are you saying we can now uprgade to newer DEX OFW and run new games from discs and as well old backups from hd?

[atreyu187]

multiMAN v04.01.00 DEX UPD MOD (20120204)

This version can but you must add peek and poke to your firmware before it will work. Please note I did n't do this to my system but a friend of mine so I have no idea what entails adding peek and poke but I assume he used MFW Builder but he is also skilled enough to manually do it as he runs his own CFW built from the ground up himself.

[pink1]

Yeah you can add peek and poke to 3.55 dex with mfw.

[atreyu187]

Well there you have it just mod the FW with MFW builder and add peek and poke and your dex conversion can do anything 3.55 can do even run retail games to 4.21 but on Hax there is a method to running 3.6+ games posted check it out. Going to try this afternoon. I think most didn't want this in the wild as they can no longer profit from it as I see no downsides at all. I can do all my 3.55 CFW could do and much more!!

[greyest]

Yeah you can add peek and poke to 3.55 dex with mfw.

But what sense in 3.55 dex? Can the p&p be added to 4.21 dex and can 4.21 run multiman/old backups after that? Or even 3.55 p&p dex can run newer games from disc?

[pink1]

But what sense in 3.55 dex? Can the p&p be added to 4.21 dex and can 4.21 run multiman/old backups after that? Or even 3.55 p&p dex can run newer games from disc?

You can only patch 3.55 but you can update to play new games then update back to 3.55 for homebrew.

[Razorbacktrack]

I can't get linux to work. Petitboot say "system is going down now" and nothing happen. What should I do ?

[pink1]

I had a lot of problems with that I finally installed Debian via Debian-Installer "you can find the info on gitbrew's PS3 Linux page" then burnt the copy of Linux from gitbrew's Metldrpwn page to a DVD and booted it Idk why but that fixed all my problems.

Sorry I can't post links yet.

[BahumatLord]

I was looking at that. I've been doing a lot of reading on the conversion and everything that's needed to do it. I've got a spare 120 gig hard drive to install Linux to get everything I need and to write back the changed bits. I've also got a spare 160 gig usb that would be perfect for splitting into 4 partitions at roughly 40 gigs a piece.

My only issue is I have 3.74 and 4.00 debug firmware. The 4.20 link on the PS3 Dev Wiki isn't working. It's saying 3.55 here and I'm not really sure which one I would really need.

Here's the guide if anybody can complete it. It kind of reminds me of the partitioning system for the PS2.

Preparing the usb hdd:

0. Connect an external usb disc
1. Go to debug settings on your dex
2. BD Access select "BD Emulator (USB)"
3. transfer rate option select "HDD Native"
4. "Format BD Emulator HDD"

Preparing the update:

1. First use PS3 Game Updater to get the newest Update pkg for the game
2. Then fire up Pkg View and extract the BCUS98295 dir into any dir -lets just call it targetdir.
3. Extract psn_package_npdrm.exe into this dir
4. Create a .txt into this dir and fill it with:

Content-ID = EP0001-BCUS98295_00-0000111122223333
K_licensee = 0x00000000000000000000000000000000
DRM_Type = Free
Content_Type = GameData
PackageType = DiscGamePatch
PackageVersion = 01.21

Rename the .txt file "package.conf".
Where BCUS98295 is the Title ID of your game and Packageversion has to be the Number of the Patch you downloaded

5. run it via cmd with psn_package_npdrm.exe package.conf BCUS98295
-> this will create a new update pkg for your game -> put on usb stick an install on DEX 3.55 ( don't know if you can also install it later )

Preparing the BD Emu Disc:

0. connect external usb with your pc
1. Fire up psgen.exe
2. fill in the title id: bcus.. put disc version to 00.00, copyright holder = sce, producer name = sce, tick trophy, click setup game
3. file -> import -> load up the param.sfo, click tab content information files and drag and drop the files from ps_game without the directories -> remove files that get a grey background -> click ok
4. click tab directory and file the structure with your backed up files
5. click build
6. click for bd emulator hdd tab and select the partition u want to use

[ahou]

But what sense in 3.55 dex? Can the p&p be added to 4.21 dex and can 4.21 run multiman/old backups after that? Or even 3.55 p&p dex can run newer games from disc?

You can't. As i suspected from the start, this only really seems useful for devs, and people without a hardware flasher. With dex, you can switch back and forth between cfw 3.55 and 4.2+ ofw, allowing backups and homebrew on cfw, and retail games on ofw (as well as some homebrew that doesn't rely on cfw).

Not having a progskeet myself, i plan to try this soon, as there are a few 3.6+ games i'd like to play.