Editing PS3 EBOOT to allow for custom paths of any size!!!!

[iLLNESS]

So as mentioned in another thread, i made what seems to be quite the discovery for editing eboots. There are a few games out there where the eboots do not have enough extra space around the strings we want to modify. In my case, it was Modnation Racers (BCUS98167). This game also has a mandatory install which starts as soon as the game is loaded.

So an explanation... WTF am i talking about?

In the Modnation Racer EBOOT, there is 3 references to dev_bdvd. They are:

/dev_bdvd/PS3_GAME/USRDIR/EBOOT.BIN.....eboot %d................GCM UTIL: Unknown status received: %d...........

/dev_bdvd/PS3_GAME/USRDIR......./dev_hdd0/game../app_home/game../host_root/game.

and

WARNING: %s...../dev_hdd0......./dev_bdvd............... 0x%08X

I've included some extra data just cause. You'll notice the first reference does not leave much room after for a good specific path. The path i want to use is:

/dev_bdvd/game/BGUS98167/USRDIR/EBOOT.BIN

unfortunately, there is not enough empty data (00 00 00 aka . . .) after. So i for some reason came up with the idea "I wonder if we can shift the data around?". So, i inserted a few bytes (in this specific case, 2 bytes (00 00)) of empty data, and DELETED this exact amount (2 bytes) of empty data in another location (i don't remember which, but it was within the area).

As normal, i edited the param.sfo to use the titleid of BGUS98167, had my .conf use BGUS98167. Any reference to BCUS98167 was changed to BGUS98167.

So what's the result? Modnation Racers pkg installed to /dev_hdd0/game/BGUS98167, and the mandatory install installed to /dev_hdd0/game/BCUS98167 and the game booted just fine!

So, hopefully (if this works for all eboots) we will have the ability to install to a UNIFORM path like /dev_hdd0/game and avoid relying on the ps3 database rebuild for shorter install paths/etc.

[Predator]

Nice find!

[STRATEGIZER]

i made what seems to be quite the discovery for editing eboots.

ORLY? fredzkiller & I have been doing this for awhile now.

http://psx-scene.com/forums/f187/pkg...tml#post676720 (PKG EBOOT.BIN 100% works FOR 3.55 BY FZK)

*Request.

Could you make one for GTA4 with this title ID = BLUS30127 please ? Ill upload the EBOOT.BIN.

EDIT: Never mind, I found out how you did it now... You need to edit the game ID inside PARAM.SFO to something different so that the game can install game data into the BLES30127 + make new directory to play from. I used game ID = STRA30127 & made the EBOOT.BIN go to = hdd0/STR/GTA4/USRDIR.

Thanks for not replying... Because I wouldn't have learnt how to do it myself

GTA4 BLUS30127/STRA30127 .pkg to install MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

Modified EBOOT MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

Place the USRDIR folder in this directory = hdd0/STR/GTA4/USRDIR. So inside hdd0 you will need to make STR folder, then inside there you will need to make a GTA4 folder, & inside there you place your USRDIR folder with all its content.

I also modified the PARAM.SFO to change the game ID from BLUS30127 to STRA30127 so that the game could install without getting "Corrupt Data" error.

[iLLNESS]

ORLY? fredzkiller & I have been doing this for awhile now.

http://psx-scene.com/forums/f187/pkg...tml#post676720 (PKG EBOOT.BIN 100% works FOR 3.55 BY FZK)

i think you failed to see what i was explaining. im not talking about changing the titleid/etc to be uniform, im talking about the ability to lengthen the path we use where some eboots do not normally allow for that path size.

maybe this is not news, but it seems most people im talking with always say you cant change the path length UNLESS there is room for it in the eboot. in your eboot you are using hdd0/STR/GTA4/USRDIR.
if you are using this directory because there is no more empty space after this data, im saying you can insert some extra bytes to allow hdd0/game/GrandTheftAutoFour/USRDIR as long as you remove (empty data) the same amoutn of inserted bytes elsewhere in the eboot.

[michaelstone]

any chance you can make mod nation one for usb000? i tried but no luck, managed to get full auto 2 on usb000 though...

[Scheisen]

You mean, we can shift the offsets of the strings unless we dont alter the file size?

I would be careful with that, but nevertheless a great find!

Maybe we can shorten links and point to usb via symlinks?
Should be possible with the SDK... Maybe sth like CELL_FS_TYPE_SYMLINK

[iLLNESS]

any chance you can make mod nation one for usb000? i tried but no luck, managed to get full auto 2 on usb000 though...

sorry im kind of busy at the moment so can't try. maybe someone else will be nice enough though.

[iLLNESS]

You mean, we can shift the offsets of the strings unless we dont alter the file size?

I would be careful with that, but nevertheless a great find!

Maybe we can shorten links and point to usb via symlinks?
Should be possible with the SDK... Maybe sth like CELL_FS_TYPE_SYMLINK

yeah shifting the offsets seemed to work. ive only tested on modnation though. Multiupload.com - upload your files to multiple file hosting sites! i cant say how safe it is, i dont see how unsafe it is really though.

[michaelstone]

sorry im kind of busy at the moment so can't try. maybe someone else will be nice enough though.

do you still have the modified elf? if so could you up it...should be able to switch it to usb000 myself if i can see what youve changed in it....

[Scheisen]

yeah shifting the offsets seemed to work.

I thought about deleting all the strings and than removing the folder structure through moving all files to the dir of the eboot. If there are no duplicate filenames it could work, maybe with some modifications.

Maybe I'll try tomorrow, but i havent managed to sign any eboot, yet...