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Posted by GregoryRasputin, on 02/01/2011, @ 07:20pm
I have read quite a few histories on game consoles, they all have been greatly written by great authors, but they all seemed incomplete, they didn’t portray the full history, the full essence of the machine, so as i am involved in the PS3 scene and know quite a bit about it, i thought i would write a complete history, containing the good, the bad and the ugly and believe me the PS3 has quite an exciting history and future, i wanted to write a history that will be enjoyed by everyone, one where people like myself wouldn’t finish the story, thinking there is something missing, i would also like to mention, that this work is my creation, i have written it in my own words, most of it from memory, sourced from various places over the internet, but mostly from ps3hax.net, so without any more interruption, here is the history of the PS3:
2005
16th of May 2005
The world was awoken, to the news of a brand new console, this wouldn’t be a console, but a super computer, it would have everything that you needed for your gaming/media/computing needs, for ten years at least, the original console which was showcased, was silver in colour and had what appeared to be a brand new control pad design, it resembled a boomerang, it had three 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports, two HDMI ports and six USB ports, though unfortunately that wouldn’t be the final design, here are the specs revealed at Sony’s E3 presentation 2005:
Product Name: PlayStation 3
Logo: PLAYSTATION(R)3
CPU: Cell Processor
PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy
Total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS
GPU: RSX @550MHz
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines
Sound:
Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-based processing)
Memory:
256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz
USB Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash (Type I, II) x 1
Communication:
Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Controller:
Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB 2.0 (wired)
Wi-Fi (PSP)
Network (over IP)
AV Output
Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI: HDMI out x 2
Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1
Disc Media:
CD PlayStation CD-ROM, PlayStation 2 CD-ROM, CD-DA, CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW, SACD, SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD, DualDisc, DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)
DVD: PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM, PlayStation 3 DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW
Blu-ray Disc: PlayStation 3 BD-ROM, BD-Video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE
Below, is 2005′s E3 PS3 Presentation, it is split into 14 minute segments for easier viewing:
8th Of June 2005
Gotou Shigehiro of Japan’s PC Watch, interviews Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Ken Kutaragi regarding the PS3, i screen capped the below images from the Beyond3D forums, clicking on the images, will enlarge them, making them more readable:
A few days we reported to you about Graf_Chokolo working on SELF/SPRX decryption, today he has just released his PSGroove port which allows you to decrypt a SELF files and send the data VIA ethernet to your PC!
To quote:
Guys, i promised to you to make my SELF decrypter public. I just uploaded it Let me first explain how it works.
I used only HV calls in my code because i wanted to learn how to decrypt SELFs without GameOS. The decryption and decompression of SELFs is done by isolated module appldr which is prepared and loaded by lv1_undocumented_function_99. After appldr is loaded it sends a message and waits for your instructions to decrypt some encrypted segments. When the message arrives i pass encrypted segment data to appldr through shared memory and it decrypts the passed data. When the decryption is done the payload sends the decrypted data over network to my PC and i capture it with tcpdump
I’m using IDA to analyze the decrypted code. First i extract the decrypted segments from pcap dump and load them at right addresses into IDA. I created a shell script to make segment extraction from pcap dumps easier. Virtual addresses of decrypted segments you will find in ELF header.
The target group of this release are again advanced programers among you. The goal of this release is not to give you a tool for SELF decryption but to show you how it can be done So, feel free to ask me any questions about my code. I will support everyone who wants to port my code and create more user-friendly GameOS applications for SELF decryption because i do not intend to write any GameOS tools I’m more interested in HV reversing
My SELF decrypter is not able to decrypt games and NPDRMs yet but i’m working on it I think you will have enough SELFs now to reverse
I will document my findings about SELF decryption on my HV page in the next days.
Posted by GregoryRasputin, on 30/11/2010, @ 04:41pm
Revised/updated version can be found here. The follow information is excellent for firmware 3.41 jailbreakers.
It has been about three and a half months, since PS Jailbreak was first announced, you can find the first post here, since then there has been a lot of progress in the scene, from an Open Source version(PSGroove/PSFreedom) of PS Jailbreak being created, to Sony blocking any jailbreak methods with firmware 3.42 and much more, here i will attempt to create a very detailed F.A.Q.
Q.) What firmwares can i jailbreak my PS3 on. A.) 2.76, 3.01, 3.15, 3.21, 3.40 and 3.41
Q.) Can Firmwares higher than 3.41 be Jailbroken A.) No, Sony blocked the method when they released Firmware 3.42 and at this present time, there is no way to Jailbreak beyond 3.41.
Q.) I accidentally upgraded to 3.42/3.50, can i downgrade to a Jailbreakable Firmware. A.) Yes, the scene is full of open source downgraders, the following list of devices are able to do downgrading:
ATTENTION: A word of warning before downgrading, downgrading disables Blu Ray Movie playback.
Q.) When jailbreak came out, i upgraded to 3.41, loosing Linux, can i have Linux again. A.1) As i stated above, there is a downgrade method, so using that, it will be possible to downgrade again to 3.15.
A.2) If you aren’t interested in downgrading or you have a Slim PS3, marcan, is working on a boot loader, that will enable Linux once again on PS3′s past 3.15, check out AsbestOS
Q.) I cant afford nor am i willing to pay $99 for the Official Jailbreak, is there any other methods. A.) Yes you can, you can buy a clone dongle of PS jailbreak, a Dev Board or mobile devices, such as iPhone or HTC Desire. PSGroove Devices: X3max
Arduino Duemilanove
Arduino Mega
AVR Key
Benito
Blackcat USB
JMDBU2
Maximus AVR
Minimus AVR
Minimus32
Olimex AVR
OpenKubus
PIC18Fxxxx
PIC18Fxxxx
PS2Chipper
PS3Yes
PS3Break 1.1 & 1.2
Teensy 1.0
Teensy 2.0
Teensy++ 1.0
Teensy++ 2.0
TI 84+
TI-84 Plus Silver
TI-89 Titanium
UsbTinyMKII
Xplain
Bumble Bee
ecliPS3
NEO Jailbreak
PS3Key
PS3Stinger
PS3Zpack
PSFree
P3Go
TI-84 Plus
TI-84 Plus Silver
TI-89 Titanium
E3 Card Reader
PS3USBJailbreak Following Via RockBox
iPod Mini 1G
iPod Mini 2G
iPod Nano 1G
iPod Photo 4G
iPod Video 5G
SanDisk Sansa e200 See below For Payloads
PSFreedom Devices: Nokia N900
Nokia N800/Nokia N810
Palm Pre
Motorola Droid
Archos 5 IMT
HTC Desire(HTC Bravo)
HTC Desire HD
Google Nexus One
HTC Dream (G1)
HTC Sapphire(HTC Magic 32A)
HTC Sapphire (HTC Magic 32B)
HTC Droid Incredible
HTC Raphael (HTC Touch Pro/HTC Diamond) (Android)
HTC Rhodium (HTC Touch Pro 2/HTC Diamond 2) (Android)
HTC HD Blackstone (Android)
HTC Kovsky (Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1) (Android)
HTC EVO
HTC HD2 (Android)
HTC Hero
HTC Droid Eris
HTC Wildfire
iPod Touch 1G, iPhone 2G/3G
Dingoo
See below For Payloads
Q.) So i have been hearing about payload’s A.) KaKaRoTo and Hemes are the two most famous payload creators, these payloads add various functions, for example, the payload that allowed 3.41 users to access PSN, original created by Xoeo, make sure you have the most up to date payload.
For a vast amount of payloads for your device, check this site: Hermes V4 KaKaRoTo Pl3 Rockbox Phones
Payloads via PSGrade.org
Q.) So how do i actually Jailbreak the PS3 A.) Well each jailbreak device is different, for instance, on the HTC Desire, you put the phone into recovery mode and select the payload, you then plug the phone into the USB cable, which should be plugged into the first USB port on the left of your console, then(this applies to all jailbreak devices) Power of the PS3, with switch at back for Fat and pull the plug out for Slim’s, re-switch/plug on/in, then press power followed by eject, if done correctly, you should be greeted with two new folders in the games list on the XMB
Q.) Is my console permanently Jailbroken A.) No, you need to Jailbreak each time you power on your device.
Q.) What are my options for backing up games. A.) You can install games on the PS3′s internal HDD or use an External USB HDD, which needs to be formatted to FAT32, you can also use a FAT32 USB Thumb Drive, note that with FAT32 you are limited to games with single files under 4GB, if you prefer all your games to be on the internal HDD, you can get up to 1TB 2.5″ HDD, or you can use the Xecuter PS3 HDXT method and have your internal HDD on the outside of the machine, the benefit of this, is that you can use 3.5″ Sata and IDE HDD’s as internal storage. Some more PS3 HDD Information submitted by ieder-zijn-meis(Thanks again)
- maximum height is 9,5mm (many 2.5″ drives above 640GB are too high too fit inside)
- maximum PS3 filesystem is 1TB (512KB block size)
- maximum FAT32 theoretical size is 8TB, practical limit on the PS3 is 2TB
- 7200rpm can be used, as well as Flashdrives (although the 1/5th lower loadingtime of GTA5 can be considered too low to justify the higher pricetag of SATA Flashdrives.
- SATAII-300 can be used, although it will work on SATA1-150 speed interface.
- If using external 3.5″ drives hooked up to the internal SATA, you’ll need an external powersupply (some drivebays include them).
- If on low budget or you like DIY: use a normal extension (male to female) SATA cable (and make sure it doesn’t get loose) and recycle the case + powersupply of an external USB harddisk (without using the USB connection/conversion).
- Don’t use RAID or SAN drives with (e)SATA interface, just a plain single drive with a bare SATA connector (many controllers don’t work without drivers/software).
- Games can be hardcoded for BluRay speeds (9MB/s) so sticking a 85~220MB/s harddrive inside will not speedup everything/allways (but most do).
- If you plan on exchanging the drive, download the full PUP of your FW you are using and put it on an USB Mass Storage Device formatted with FAT32 in PS3UPDATEPS3UPDAT.PUP and disconnect the LAN before repowering the PS3 (or you’ll bound to end up with the latest (3.55 now) unjailbreakable/undowngradable version).
- Use a good fitting X screwdriver, the screws fitted to the HD<>tray are made of very soft aluminium.
View here
An image of the Xecuter PS3 HDXT.
Q.) Ok, i have downloaded a Backup Manager, that i want to use, how do i install it. A.) You need to put the PKG on the root of a thumb drive and install, by selecting “Install Package Files” on the XMB, in the games section.
Q.) Ok im fed up with using my thumb drive, is there a way to download apps directly to the PS3.
A.) Yes, though you will have to install this one last app via thumb drive, it mounts a virtual Thumb Drive on the PS3 MHUFreeStore, here is a video:
Q.) So i have heard some games will not work, how do i find out, which game does or doesn’t work. A.) Well i could list each one here, but i wont, instead visit PSJCL(PS Jailbreak Compatibility List), created by Bash, OnePlayer, Chris, Neowarex, Meeplo and xnt14, it is without a doubt, it is the definitive site for PS3 game Backup compatibility information.
Q.) Ok so i have backed up a game, i want to save that game to my computer as an extra backup, or i want to mod the game, how do i transfer it from my PS3. A.) There are two methods, FTP, there are three of those at the moment: PS3 FTP Server by CJCP blackb0x FTP Server by blackb0x PS3FTP by stoneMcClane
Alternativley you can use Comgenies Awesome Filemanager
or Simple Filemanager
if you cant use FTP, or have an External HDD, Comgenies Filemanager is the best choice.
Q.) I want to be able to create my own Homebrew, is it possible. A.) Yes, using the Open Source PS3 SDK, named PSL1GHT, you can create Homebrew, PSL1GHT was created by AerialX
Q16.) So can i play online or view the PSN store, when my PS3 is Jailbroken
A.) No, it isn’t possible, Sony has blocked all attempts to access PSN, we had it back for a while thanks to Xoeo, but that was also blocked, who knows, perhaps in the future.
Q.) So there is no way i can play multiplayer games with my friends(Thanks Spok) A.) Yes you can, but not via PSN, you need to use XkaiLink and XBSlink and this will have you playing via LAN. [Tutorial] 1 [Tutorial] 2 [Tutorial] 3
Q.) To what lowest firmware can I downgrade?(Thanks ieder-zijn-meis) A.) The only safe downgrade with full support of your HW specific variation is to the lowest version available for your SKU when it was released, e.g.:
Q.) People are saying that i can get banned from PSN, if i Jailbreak my PS3, is this true A.) At the moment no, there is no actual cases of bans happening because of Jailbreak
Q.) I decided to downgrade my console using a debug firmware, i got five beeps then it shut down, is it bricked, can i fix it A.) When you start messing with different firmwares, you run the risk of bricking your console, forum member gliitch did exactly that
though he was able to fix it and wrote quite an informative tutorial on how to fix it here
Q.) Ok so i have gone through the process of jailbreaking and successfully unbricking etc, i want to be braver and attempt more exiting exploits, like writing to the flash, is this possible. A.) JaiCraB & ps3mrenigma released an app called Mount Alejandro which enables you to write to flash, you can read more about it here
Q.) I would like to modify the XMB, make it more custom, is this possible A.) TeaM-ACiD1C brought out a modified XMB, you need to use Mount Alejandro if you want to write to the flash, you can find more about it here, it also has the download link
Q.) I have always hated that annoying boot sound the PS3 makes, when it is turned on, can i change it A.) You certainly can, gliitch has written a great tutorial here it will show you how to change the sound and make yourown, or you can simply download the sounds made by gliitch and other members
People who deserve thanks and respect, for making this great PS3 Scene what it is, without them, it wouldn’t really exist Mathieulh, RichDevX, GeoHot, The PS Jailbreak Team, KaKaRoTo, Hermes, klutsh, Amon-Ra, marcan, ThatOtherPerson, AerialX, Comgenie, NZHawk, CJCP, blackb0x, MohammadAG, The PSJCL Team, gliitch and any other person, who has also created a payload, made homebrew, or contributed to the scene.
The other guys that deserve a big thank you, are the site admins, that work to keep you up to date with news and bring you those all important exclusives, the most important being: Pirate, here @ PS3HaX
Also i would like to thank you, the readers, without you this F.A.Q would be pointless, thanks to those that have given me tips, to make this F.A.Q better, like Gonesuper, Spok, ieder-zijn-meis and the guys on IRC.
This F.A.Q is a work in progress, it will be updated and renewed from time to time, if anything is missing, or anything you feel needs added, don’t hesitate to post and let me know, i really hope this helps those of you, just starting out in the PS3 Jailbreaking scene, thanks for reading, your faithful Moderator/News Editor GregoryRasputin
A PSX-Scene member known as Graf_Chokolo, who brought you the full hypervisor details (read more about it here), today has released his version of the PSGroove payload that allows developers to finally see full details out of the PS3 system firmware complete with decrypted contents. This is obviously for the more technical and “hardcore” PS3 hackers out there, so if your an average end user, this is not for you. (more…)
Posted by PS3Hax Member News, on 15/11/2010, @ 07:34pm
Thanks to developer xoeo for releasing the payload with PSN and online play, fl0PPsy for compiling the Rockbox files that supports PSN and 3.50 spoofing, and DJLO for compiling these .hex files for PSN and 3.50 spoofing.
The SPOOFING feature will trick the PS3 games into thinking that you are running firmware 3.50 on your system.
Posted by PS3Hax Member News, on 14/11/2010, @ 11:31am
RockBox PSGroove Installer
version: 2.1.1
runs on: PC Only
posted on: 11/13/10
RockBox is a computer application what will assist you in installing PSGroove onto various portable devices; such as the iPod (classic, nano, mini), Sansa, iRiver, etc.
for the purpose of jailbreaking your PS3.
Change log for v2.1.1:
RockBox Psgroove Installer 2.1 weigh less than 5MB.
- Updater: RockBox-PSGroove Installer will check automatically if there is available update for download and will allow you to download it without opening any browser.
- Rewrote the Installation process again
- Added a progress bar.
- RockBox-Psgroove Installer 2.1 will download the required files just for your device.
- Made the installation process of the iPods much more flexible.
- Added a loader.cfg generator: It will auto-recognize if RockBox andor iPodLinux are installed on your device and will add it to the iPL menu.
- Added support for id10terror‘s CBL (Custom Bootloader) wich means that you can store up to 4 diffrent payloads in the same time and launch them using different buttons.
- You don’t need to select RockBox-PSGroove Installer’s directory anymore.
- The iPL installation process use some .bat scripts that I wrote; This should fix any issues that occurred with the old installation process.
- CBL installation is currently disabled – I’ll activate it in a few days.
*loader.cfg Editor:*
loader.cfg Editor feature will allow you to customize your iPL menu.
*Plug-In:
*- Added support for cbl.cfg.
(Update to Plug-In Creator will come later.)
Posted by PS3Hax Member News, on 28/10/2010, @ 08:42am
Gaia Manager v1.03
Gaia Manager is based off Open Manager and Sexy Manager. The difference? This one is packed with features not found anywhere else!
How-to use:
You just need to put your game in /dev_hdd0/BDRIPS via FTP or BDRIPS in the root of a FAT32 formatted USB disk, you can change the games directory compiling with make WITH_GAMES_DIR=XXX. And your games cover (260×300) in GAMES_DIR/COVER.PNG, /dev_hdd0/BDCOVERS or BDCOVERS in the root of the USB disk that contains the game as TITLEID.PNG (for example BLES12345.PNG).
Often you will find a zip file that contains two Gaia Manager versions (*-BDRIPS.pkg and *-GAMEZ.pkg). The only difference is the directory where you have the games rips, BDRIPS or GAMEZ. I suggest to use the BDRIPS version, but if you want retrocompatibility with the original Backup Manager or with OpenBM you have to use the GAMEZ one.
Features:
- Supports up to 512 items from two USB devices, internal hdd and bluray
- Ability to copy games from bdvd to hdd0 or USB’s, from hdd0 to USB’s or from USB’s to hdd0. It is done asking to you the destination device. It use uses asynchronous reading and writing for fast copy.
- Special support for big files in FAT: it splits files >= 4GB using .666xx fragments (if the file is name.ext, the file splits as name.ext.66600, name.ext.66601,…). This file is not bootable and it is marked using ‘_’ as folder prefix. The file is joined when you copy it to hdd0 device.
- Automatically finds the path of the games and asks to you about it. In other case, if the Gaia Manager is installed in the hdd0 creates one. You can change it pressing SELECT+START later.
- Including checking game option (pressing R3). It displays information about the files, size, splits or big files, if it have one.
- Support for Homebrew: you can creates “homebrew” folder in root USB FAT device and put here others folders with an EBOOT.BIN (.self format) and one ICON0.PNG. Also you can use the internal hdd0. Homebrew is launched directly and receive the path in argv[0].
- FTP support to upload homebrew: Gaia Manager uses “GAIA01985″ as user, by default. I recommend flashfxp to use it, because FTP (Sony) support is not very good…
- Supports Hermes v3 patching and disc-less playing. if you return from game list, apps_home can launch games without one disc (some games don’t work without any disc)
Suppported Payloads:
To enable all features found in this app, you’ll need to use the following payloads:
- PSGroove Hermes V4 from elotrolado
- PSGroove Hermes V3 + Patch Waninkoko + 2 Fix Update Math from PSX-Scene.com
- KaKaRoTo’s PSGroove fork with PL3 support.
- PSFreedom with new pl3, such as psfMOD 0.9.6.0 or newer. Do not use dev payload
WARNING
Direct Boot mode is unsupported! Use it at your own risk!
PL3 dev (peek & poke) payload is not supported and using it may crash your PS3.
Precompiled psgroove+pl3 versions often include dev payload, so use my builded hexes instead.
Do not report any bug involving Direct Boot nor PL3 dev! Thanks.
Old payloads still work but without all the features supported by Gaia Manager.
(Note: Direct boot does not work at the moment.)
Change log for v1.03:
- Fix permissions if directory has 0700 as file mode (on internal hard disk). it fix the ftp permission problem with PL3.
PS3Hax member ricardopvz, has released a hybrid version of PSGroove which consists of PL3 and Hermes v4b together, for the Arduino Duemilanove/Mega USB boards. (more…)
JasonMckey has updated the PL3 payload to fix the 80010019, the error that requires you to update your PS3 to 3.42 in order to play (games such as Medal of Honor). Yes this means now 3.42 required games work without the need of any modifications to them.
To quote:
The fact that Medal of Honor is now working without the need of the game update, makes me think we were mislead by the news that 3.42 brought new EBOOT keys. Unless JasonMckey somehow dumped the keys and that is what he implemented (which seems highly unlikely). Instead it seems 80010019 is just an error that prevents version tampering with the PARAM.SFO by double checking a version in the EBOOT.BIN. However, please note this is just speculation based on JasonMckey’s twitter posts.
On another note, support for 3.41 Kiosk consoles was also recently added to PL3 by Mark Webber. Those of you with store/kiosk demo PS3 units can now join the jailbreaking party!
KaKaRoToKS: Just added a patch to PL3 that fixed 80010019 error of MOH… works with no update necessary now. Patched thx to @JasonMcKey
KaKaRoToKS: Added a new payload to PL3 which is equivalent to hermes’s “patched mode”. Now games compat should be 100%. MOH just works, no hacks needed.
You can download the source code below, and you guys know the drill post ports and compiled HEXs away
Zaxtron has released his Front End loader for the iPhone 2g and 3g, over at the PSFreedom Wiki, which is a multi-firmware and payload solution for iPhone users. (more…)
We have been reporting for the last few days about the PSJailbreak.com backup manager v1.1 and today it has been released. While what the complete changes of what the new version brings is unknown, we do know the following: (more…)
Now here is a handy feature which will help many newcomers and future PS3 hackers. A website known as Project0 is now live that compiles HEXs for PSGroove for you. All you have to do is enter the right details, such as board type, frequency, and LED options and compile. and huzzah! Your hex is ready to go
Let me first explain how it works.
