Install homebrew applications to other XMB catagories

[Jon Salat]

DarkHarker and NZHawk have found a simple method to install packages to non-game categories of the XMB by changing a setting in the PARAM.SFO

Well I was talking to DarkHarker about PARAM.SFO files and that. He asked me to try changing the CATAGORY string to 'HM' and see what it did.

It made the package install under the Playstation Network catagory on the XMB. DarkHacker and I then worked out the rest of the catagories that its possible to install and run homebrew applications to the XMB, and found them all except Users, Settings and Friends (which all seem to be filled with the XML files in the VSH flash folder).

String	Category
HM 	Playstation Network
CB 	Network
HG 	Game
AV 	Video
AM 	Music
AP 	Photo
AT 	TV

I thought this was quite interesting, and would be great if we could add a homebrew catagory to the XMB and make all homebrew apps install under it to make some homebrew standard, much like the Wii has.

Also has anyone though about making a database of homebrew Title IDs to keep track?

Oh, and its possible to change this location after install via application settings.

NZHawk's Blog: A little find (via) NZHawk

News Soruce: PSGroove.com - How to Place Apps into Different XMB Categories

[TitaniumL]

This is pretty cool.

[netkiller]

Have you tried creating a new category?

[Kamse]

Nice job mate. Indeed, creating our own category would be a must.

[chappo]

You can edit the xml but you lose the TV icon.....

[Mr.GoodFrag]

creating our own category would be a must.

++

I'm currently using the "Album" option to separate everything under the game category, but a separate category would be ideal.

Currently my groups are:

1: PS3
2: EMULATORS
3: HOMEBREW
4: PS-EYE
5: PS1
6: PSP
DEACTIVATED

...I use the numbers to force the order I want, otherwise it's alphabetic.

[SenorPickle]

Have you tried creating a new category?

It's already been done. Check the news from a few days ago, some guy created a "MFW" (modded firmware) that has a "Homebrew" tab on the XMB. Heres the link: (WIP: MFW - First PS3 ModFirmWare) He moved the *Install Packages* to that tab as well. I think he described how he did it as well, and its pretty much exactly what I'm looking for because my game tab feels cluttered..

I don't know if the method in this thread was derived from that, but if so it certainly isn't properly credited (seems like quite the coincidence though).

Mr.GoodFrag, i'm digging your sig, I feel the same way.

[DevilGun]

It's already been done.

Nope, thats not a new category but just a renaming of an existing TV channel category

[Ben Jeremy]

Does running an app from another category prevent it from being sent to Sony on connection to the internet?

By that I mean.... we've been told that even if you are not on PSN, the PS3 still sends a log of "games" you've run back "home" when it can, thus, everytime people have used backup manager or blackbox FTP, they are telling Sony "hey, this is a jailbreak hacked console!". If we run these from a category OTHER than "HG", does the console ignore the app and leave it off the run log?

Anybody with a port sniffer want to find out?

[itsMoeyy]

You can already do this with the MFW...