Removing categories from XMB?

[daxtsu]

Does anyone know of a concrete way to remove categories from the XMB?

I tried searching, but found nothing. Here's what I've tried:

1. Using PS3MFW builder to remove all icons from the PSN category; result: it remains on the XMB except blank.
2. Deleting category_psn.xml from dev_flash; result: semibrick of sorts upon reboot, takes me to recovery menu to reinstall firmware.

Any ideas? I'm never going to go on PSN on this PS3, so I see no reason to have the PSN category cluttering up my XMB.

[daxtsu]

Sorry to bump, but does anyone have any ideas regarding this? I'm sure people would love to remove categories from the XMB.

[kravone]

You have to edit xmb_plugin_normal.rco and xmb_ingame.rco

[daxtsu]

Hm..I tried editing them with RCOmage and the resulting RCO files made my XMB really buggy[starting another application from the ingame xmb just brings me back to the main XMB without starting it, and the icons are now missing from the ingame XMB]. Guess it's not worth the effort. Oh well.

[DanyL]

PS3MFW have a task for that, but not to the public (yet).

But it's really easy, you should patch xmb_plugin.sprx and xmb_ingame.sprx
for example, for removing PSN category you should patch 6c 69 73 74 5f 70 73 6e with empty strings(in both xmb_plugin.sprx and xmb_ingame.sprx).

[daxtsu]

Empty strings as in nulls(zeroes)?

Edit: Used RCOmage to make the strings "". I had a derp moment there.

Works great for Xmb_normal, but xmb_ingame makes the PSN category "auto snap" whenever I open it. RCO edits sure are buggy. :P

[DanyL]

RCO?!
It's not RCO files, it's sprx (self).
You should decryped them and then edit them using HEX editor.

[daxtsu]

How can I properly re-encrypt the PRXes?

./makeself.exe -c lv2 355 3.50.0 01000002 10700000_52000001 unknown xmb_plugin.elf xmb_plugin.sprx

Forced me to reinstall the firmware. Maybe because of the 355 key i encrypted with?

I'm using the fail0verflow tools from around mid-January. Pretty sure those are the ones that were fixed.

The edit I made to the PRX was changing the 6c 69 73 74 5f 70 73 6e to zeroes(I made sure it said list_psn), if that helps.

[DanyL]

You should use unself to decryped and self_rebuilder to encrypet.

btw - it's not PRX (elf) it SPRX (Self PRX), that's why you should decryped it first.

[daxtsu]

I did decrypt it. I just didn't mention the unself part. :P

Edit: it's not worth the trouble. After successfully modifying xmb_plugin.sprx, I can't launch another app from the ingame XMB without it hanging on my main XMB. It'd be an added hassle to go to quit, then the category the app is in, and launching it.

Either one you edit, the RCO or the SPRX, causes bugs. Unless patching those strings to zeroes is the wrong way of going about it?