Preloader Question

From my understanding, preloader 0.29 is compatible with system menu 4.0. Now, I would interpret this as: "preloader can be installed on system menu 4.0." If this is true, why does the article on wiibrew state that preloader requires an IOS that accepts fake signatures?

I believe it works fine on 4.0, but that's a good question. Perhaps it must be installed prior to updating? Hmmm. Dunno. I don't have 4.0 OR preloader, so can't say "Well it did/didnt work for me"

I'm interpreting this as, "It will work fine on 4.0 as long as you have an IOS that accepts fake signatures." It's not that hard to get one, honestly. Just have WiiSCU install a patched IOS 60 or 61 for example.

Okay, but wouldn't updating just replace the patched IOS 60 or 61? And I'm pretty sure that WiiSCU doesn't work on system menu 4.0, so you wouldn't be able to install the patched IOS after updating. And what if you are already on system menu 4.0? Would you be able to install preloader then?

The patched IOSs are only replaced if an IOS with a higher version number is installed over an IOS with a lower version number.

I would just try installing preloader. Worst case scenario, your installation fails; No damage done whatsoever to your Wii.

Also, can I recommend installing BootMii instead of Preloader?

Yes, I was just curious. Thanks for the information, I am actually on system menu 3.2 with BootMii and Preloader installed. I use Preloader for the "hacks.ini" and definitely think that BootMii is more useful. But my friend is on 4.0 and I didn't want to damage his Wii. Purely informational question, thank you.

Yeah, I don't think WiiSCU will work on a 4.0 Wii. Because it needs an trucha bug enabled IOS to patch the trucha bug back into IOSes. And if he has a trucha enabled IOS, he isn't in this situation

I used WiiSCU to patch the trucha bug into IOS 60, IOS 61, IOS 16, and IOS 38 (all the IOSes capable of being installed by WiiSCU) on a different Wii. Then I installed Preloader no problem. Next I updated to System Menu 4.0, which ended up overwriting Preloader. So I tried to reinstall Preloader and the following error came up: "Failed to get ROOT, current IOS(36) has the fakesign bug fixed."

Is there a way to install a trucha enabled IOS 36? I have IOS 60, 61, 16, and 38 patched with the trucha bug; this is really strange because Preloader is supposed to be compatible with System Menu 4.0.

UPDATE: I tried reinstalling patched IOS versions with WiiSCU and the first IOS downloaded, then failed on installation. The error is too long for me to remember, but it basically said that PatchMii failed.

UPDATE: Just discovered that WiiSCU also requires a trucha IOS 36, so my main issue is finding a way to enable fakesigning on IOS 36. And once again, if Arikado's information is correct (which I assume it is), I have multiple trucha enabled IOSes, but not IOS 36.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2009 08:01PM by MattMan.

Yes, you do have trucha enabled IOSes, because you installed them on 3.2, but you cant install trucha enabled IOSes on 4.0 unless you still have a trucha signed IOS 36, which you dont. So basically if you're on 4.0, you can't install preloader. You must have a trucha enabled IOS 36, which isn't easy to get in 4.0. If WiiSCU could update IOS 36 WITH trucha enabled, and you did that on 3.2, then upgraded to 4.0, you could install preloader. But it can't, so you cant. And on a "virgin" 4.0 wii, there is absolutely no (legal) way to install preloader.

Okay, darn. There ought to be a way to install a trucha IOS 36 before updating. I guess I'll just restore with BootMii. That makes me wonder just how you're supposed use Preloader on System Menu 4.0. It seems that you would need to use Wankinoko's updater, which I know Wiibrew dislikes. So why does Wiibrew support Preloader 0.29 when you can't update through Nintendo and use it?

That is puzzling. Although WiiBrew IS a wiki so anyone can add stuff, but I would have thought it would have been removed, or edited to say it only supported lower firmwares legally or something. I believe there is a way to get trucha enabled IOS 36 though. But you'd still have to install it before updating. In fact I can think of a couple of ways. First, you could download a WAD of IOS 36 with NUS Downloader and patch trucha into it using some program (I think a program exists for it) and then install it with wadimport (I believe all ths is legal). The other thing I could think of is you use FS Toolbox to edit the version number of the IOS. I'm not sure exactly how you'd go about doing this, but I read on another forum that it is possible, although it was doing this for other reasons. But basically, you'd change the version number of the old trucha enabled IOS 36 to the version number of the latest version by editing the tmd or something like that, then when you update it wouldn't be overwritten. I don't have trucha enabled IOSes so can't try this but I believe it should work, and again, should be legal. I think either method should work, but the first is probably less risky, although if you have BootMii it doesn't really matter.So there ARE ways of getting trucha enabled IOS 36 before updating (I think), but not after updating.

BTW, can someone more knowledgeable confirm that one or both these methods would work, and if possible give more detail on how to do them? Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2009 04:18PM by SifJar.

Your first method seems the easiest to me, but I can't seem to find a program that will patch IOS 36. Also, I don't know where to locate IOS 36 in the NAND or how to find the version number and change it, so I would need instruction there if I were to perform your second method.

They both sound possible though; I hope someone can supply more information.

Yeah, I don't really know more details it was more speculative. I'll read around and see what I can find.

EDIT: For patching trucha bug back into IOSes, I believe you could use freethebug, a PC app which I have been unable to find much about, so am unsure of the legality, but no doubt someone will inform me if it is illegal. I have not yet found the thing about lowering version number with FSToolbox, but I've heard FSToolbox MAY need a trucha IOS to work, in which case this method wouldn't work at all. But I have also been informed that CMDVDX35 will downgrade IOS 35 on 4.0 apparently so you could try that, but it'd be IOS 35 not 36, so you'd still have to do more to get IOS 36.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2009 07:13PM by SifJar.

I found freethebug online, but the description says that it requires the common-key.bin and the cert.sys. Is there a legal way to obtain these files?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2009 12:56AM by MattMan.

Well the common key is
ebe42a225e8593e448d9c5457381aaf7 ;)
I'm not sure about the certa.sys

Now how do I make that into a .bin file?

Also, is the cert.sys the Device Cert extracted from xyzzy? If so, how would I convert this into a .sys file?

EDIT: I extracted the cert.sys with FS Toolbox. Now all I need is the common-key.bin.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2009 04:35AM by MattMan.

Make a new file with a hex editor and enter those numbers/letters and then save it as common-key.bin

So I downloaded IOS 36 and used freethebug to patch the trucha bug back in, but now when I try to install the WAD, I get the following error:
"Installing content #24... ERROR! (ret = -1022)"

well, do you still have the latest version of IOS 36, without having changed the version number? or are you on a lower firmware than 4.0? If you're on 4.0 and haven't changed the version number with FSToolbox (if that's even possible), it won't let you install it, because its the same version as you already have.

I am using System Menu 3.2.

UPDATE: I redownloaded IOS 36, unpacked it, and used freethebug. This time I checked the feedback coming from the program and realized that it was unable to patch the IOS. I doubt this was the reason I couldn't install the WAD, but it is another problem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2009 07:45PM by MattMan.