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Older News  
16 May 2006 : An Update on Updates  
Update on Updates   It's been a little while since we updated eLoader, and a few people have been asking what's happening. So here's a little update on what we've been up to.

We spent a little time looking at various exploit possibilities, and some of that work is still on-going. We can't say much about what those involve, because the chances are that nothing will come of them, so there's no point in getting people excited. One thing that did come out of all that though, is Moonlight's discovery that GTA can be rebooted in UPDATE mode. If you're a developer with a v2.0 or v2.01 PSP, and want to explore update mode, then you can download an eLoader patch here that will allow eLoader to support UPDATE mode.

Note that this only works on v2.0 or v2.01, and is only useful to developers looking to explore the UPDATE mode environment. We don't yet have the syscall mappings for v2.5 or v2.6 - if you happen to have a v2.5 or v2.6, and understand how to obtain a memory dump using GTA, then please take a look in the README.TXT file inside that patch download. If you can obtain a memory dump from one of those firmwares in UPDATE mode, then with your help we would be able to generate the updated syscall mappings - thanks.

Remember - update mode isn't useful to the vast majority of PSP users, and probably won't lead to anything useful; but for developers, it's vaguely interesting to play with.

On other fronts, we haven't been doing much with eLoader recently, for several reasons:
  • We're busy cleaning up the code, trying to flush out some bugs and make a stable platform for further development. While we do that, it's difficult to also develop anything new.
  • Fanjita's laptop, with his compiler and development environment, is away for repairs, so he can't do any work on the PSP for a week or so. While it's away, he's been working on a new project which should benefit all homebrew users, and will hopefully be unveiled in the next few weeks.
  • Ditlew has been busy in his personal life, and also on a couple of side projects.
Have fun with UPDATE mode, we'll see you soon!

9 May 2006 : The Mythical Downgrader  
Mythical Downgrader   We've been hearing a lot of rumours and questions about downgraders recently. It seems that someone has been spreading a rumour that we have made a downgrader for v2.01+, but won't release it because we don't like downgraders. We'd like to just set the record straight, because it's getting annoying.

We would never hold back on an interesting hack for the PSP, without good reason. That's because, generally, we'd never work on something that we didn't think was safe to release - which is why we've never bothered to mess about with ISO loading.

We do have an unreleased downgrader for v2.0. The only reason it is unreleased is because there's no point - there are already perfectly functional downgraders for v2.0, that have been tested by tens of thousands of people, so what's the use of releasing something that's only been tested by one? In theory, that v2.0 downgrader would also work for v2.01 - in fact, it was originally written for 2.01, in the hope that we could use the GTA exploit to downgrade. But as we all know, the GTA exploit is no use for that, and so no v2.01+ downgrader is possible yet.

The only thing I can think of that might have fuelled these rumours is that we were experimenting with the v2.0 downgrader along with the UPDATE-mode discovery, but we found that that also does not have write access to flash0, so can't be used for a downgrader.

Also, some people seem to think that we're in some way opposed to downgraders, in the same way that we're opposed to ISO loaders. That's just not true - we believe that everyone has the right to upgrade and downgrade as they please (but at their own risk). If we found a way to downgrade, you can be sure that we'd share it.

Anyway, enough of the conspiracy rumours - please stop!

5 May 2006 : Zomg! Flamez!  
Flamez!   Just for a little break Fanjita ported a (very) old demo effect he had lying around to the PSP. It's simple simulated flames, but it looks pretty decent. You can grab it from here. Source is included.

Somehow it seems appropriate that the first release on Noobz is Flamez...

26 Apr 2006 : NOOBZ! is born  
Noobz is born   For a long time we've been a bit uncomfortable with the fact that the official home for eLoader was fanjita.org, even though it was a joint project between Ditlew and Fanjita. Finally we came up with a team name that we think fits us perfectly, and so the new domain, Noobz.eu, is born.

Noobz.eu will be the official home of eLoader, and all our joint projects, from now on. The old fanjita.org links will continue to work for a while, but will eventually be withdrawn.

25 Apr 2006 : v2.7 Firmware  
v2.7 Firmware   Most people are now aware that the v2.7 firmware has been released by Sony. We've been getting a lot of questions about it, so here's a quick FAQ:
  • Homebrew does not work on v2.7. The GTA exploit is thoroughly patched, and the TIFF exploit is still patched. If you like homebrew, DO NOT UPGRADE.
  • We have no idea when homebrew will be available on v2.7. We need a whole new exploit, which could take some time. In our opinion (shared with EdisonCarter) there is no future for the GTA exploit on v2.7.
  • LocoRoco is an encrypted, signed EBOOT. The only way to run homebrew in the same way is to get Sony's encryption key and sign the homebrew. That's not going to be possible in our lifetime.
  • There could well be an exploit to be found in all the new function, e.g. flash player, AAC support, etc. We're not actively working on one.
  • There might be an exploit to be found in another game. We're not actively working on one.
  • There's no truth in the rumour that v2.7 has made us angry, and that we're going to work on an ISO loader as revenge.
  • The LocoRoco demo REQUIRES v2.70, even if you hack the PARAM.SFO in the EBOOT. It's pretty cool, but there's homebrew that's cooler.
Once again, the most important point: If you don't think that slow support for an old version of Macromedia Flash, and support for the very latest games, is worth trading for homebrew for the next few months - then DO NOT UPGRADE.

21 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 FINAL  
eMenu-- v0.1   After 4 successful public betas, we have decided to release a final version of eMenu-- v0.1. We have even added a few things since beta 4. From now on this will be our official menu for eLoader. The reason we desided to make a new menu, was the increasing trouble the old menu gave us. It had become hard to maintain and was rather slow when having more than a page of homebrew. eMenu-- is made with 3 design rules in mind: Simple, Fast, Stable. If a features conflicts with any of the three it won't be added. eMenu-- has been tested with 700+ homebrew folders, and has proven to be just as fast as if only a handful had been installed.

Install eMenu-- if you like a simple, fast, stable no bs menu for your eLoader!

Current features include:
  • GUI front-end to all eLoader versions
  • Overclocking possibility
  • Help screen
  • Resource overview (memory, battery, usb status, cpu + bus speed)
  • USB support on firmware 2.0, using the TIFF exploit.
  • Supports custom png background.
  • Screenshot of the menu.
  • Slumber mode.
Slumber mode is a new feature, that lets you clock the PSP down to 1 MHz, and blanks the screen. It's automatically turned on when you activate the PSP's 'HOLD' switch. So far we didn't find a way to automatically turn off the screen backlight, but you can do that by holding the "SCREEN" button for a few seconds before switching on HOLD. Handy when you need to take a break but don't want to exit eLoader.

You can download this eMenu-- in two flavours: Auto-Installer for Windows, or ZIP file for other platforms

Any feedback can be sent to emenu@noobz.eu.

4 Apr 2006 : Alternative Bock Version  
Alternative Bock!   A lot of people have been having problems with the Bock release, especially on v2.0 PSPs. These problems seem to be mostly due to the menu, so we've packaged a version of the release that uses the old menu. This will also be better for people who have had a problem with the file list caching feature.

Apart from the menu, this version is identical to the standard Bock release, including all the wifi support. You can download this release in the usual two flavours: Auto-Installer for Windows, or ZIP file for other platforms. Please also look at the README file, it has lots of useful information.

2 Apr 2006 : eLoader 0.9.7 - Bock  
Bock!   Oh come on now, did you really think we'd leave you guys? You do know what day it was yesterday, right?

We're proud to release the latest version of eLoader, known as "Bock". The major new feature is, wait for it... automatic WiFi support for homebrew on all firmwares! That means that the wifi hack is now officially a thing of the past, and everyone can look forward to seamless networked homebrew, both infrastructure and ad-hoc.

Massive thanks for the trick to enable wifi support has to go to Chris Swindle, who discovered it while working on the networking for the latest release of the Quake homebrew, which we've tested extensively to get working with the eLoader. For those who are wondering, this does not mean that we now have more access to kernel-mode - Chris found a function that allows you to load and initialise the networking libraries from within user-mode.

The other minor feature is that the default menu now caches the list of homebrew on your memory stick, so if it's less than an hour since the menu last scanned, then it will just load the cached data instead, making it much faster to load the menu if you have a lot of homebrew.

If you want to try out the new wifi support, then the following apps should all work fine: You can download this release in the usual two flavours: Auto-Installer for Windows, or ZIP file for other platforms. Please also look at the README file, it has lots of useful information.

3 Feb 2006 : New IRC Channel  
New chat channel   And now for a second time, I'm indebted to Niacin of toc2rta.

Not only was he instrumental in developing the TIFF exploit that we now use to run homebrew on v2.0 firmware, but he's now also hosting an IRC channel for me, so that you can come and chat about the eLoader and other Fanjita-riffic things.

The channel is #fanjita on irc.toc2rta.com, or you can access it directly by clicking on the 'Live Chat' link on the left.

18 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 Public Beta 4  
eMenu-- Beta 4   Beta 3 didn't really give us much feedback, hopefully due to lack of bugs. Anyway, we have fixed the icon code, so it can show interlanced icons. We have also redone the list code to fix a potential problem, and in the process simplified the code even further. This will most likely be the final beta, and we consider it a release candidate. Please bear in mind the following points for this beta release:
  1. eMenu-- is meant to be a simple, fast, stable no bs alternative to the standard eLoader menu.
  2. This is intended for use with eLoader v0.95+
  3. This is not an 'offical' release, it is only a public beta, meant for people to try out and give us some feedback. Don't download this file unless you know how to use a custom menu with the eLoader. If you don't, please wait for the proper release.
  4. No support is offered on this menu yet. If you don't know what to do with this file, don't download it. We don't want you to ruin your eLoader setup.
  5. Although Ditlew has done most of the work on this so far, it's still a joint project, and will be released as a part of the eLoader package at some point in the future.
You can grab it here. Please send feedback to emenu@noobz.eu.

17 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 Public Beta 3  
eMenu-- Beta 3   We had some feedback regarding the menu crashing when parsing certain homebrew. We looked into it, and found out that it was due to a bug in 'libpng' that can't handle interlanced png's. We have also added a screenshot feature to aid the feedback plus updated the help screen. Please bear in mind the following points for this beta release:
  1. eMenu-- is meant to be a simple, fast, stable no bs alternative to the standard eLoader menu.
  2. This is intended for use with eLoader v0.95+
  3. This is not an 'offical' release, it is only a public beta, meant for people to try out and give us some feedback. Don't download this file unless you know how to use a custom menu with the eLoader. If you don't, please wait for the proper release.
  4. No support is offered on this menu yet. If you don't know what to do with this file, don't download it. We don't want you to ruin your eLoader setup.
  5. Although Ditlew has done most of the work on this so far, it's still a joint project, and will be released as a part of the eLoader package at some point in the future.
You can grab it here. Please send feedback to emenu@noobz.eu.

14 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 Public Beta 2  
eMenu Beta 2   We've been exploring the possibility of a simpler, faster and less buggy menu for eLoader, because at least some of the unstable homebrew seems to be because of problems with the current official menu. Following a previous early public beta, we've incorporated feedback and added graphics and alphabetic sort functionality, while still trying to keep the main principles of eMenu--, which are speed, simplicity, and stability. Please bear in mind the following points for this beta release:
  1. eMenu-- is meant to be a simple, fast, stable no bs alternative to the standard eLoader menu.
  2. This is intended for use with eLoader v0.95+
  3. This is not an 'offical' release, it is only a public beta, meant for people to try out and give us some feedback. Don't download this file unless you know how to use a custom menu with the eLoader. If you don't, please wait for the proper release.
  4. No support is offered on this menu yet. If you don't know what to do with this file, don't download it. We don't want you to ruin your eLoader setup.
  5. Although Ditlew has done most of the work on this so far, it's still a joint project, and will be released as a part of the eLoader package at some point in the future.
You can grab it here. Please send feedback to emenu@noobz.eu.

1 Apr 2006 : We Give Up!  
Enough is enough   Following recent announcements about movie studios ditching the PSP, and after months and months of battling to bring homebrew to a console whose makers obviously don't want it, we decided that it's time to throw in the towel.

Therefore, as of now, there will be no more eLoader releases. Sorry. I know this may seem sudden, but it's been coming for a long time, our enthusiasm for the PSP has been slowly dwindling over the past couple of months.

The final nail in the coffin was spending the last few weeks trying to break a leaked copy of the v3.0 firmware release. Sony have done a really good job on this one, and we've given up hope of being able to crack it. Not even the GTA exploit works - it seems that Sony are really serious about security this time, and it's depressing. The slog ahead to try to crack what amounts to a total rewrite of the firmware just doesn't seem worth it. Good luck to anyone who does decide to try.

Fanjita has decided to move to develop for the Gizmondo, a console that has been neglected for homebrew, but where the battle isn't quite so unrelenting. Work has begun on an eLoader for the Gizmondo, allowing the same rich homebrew platform that PSP owners have grown to love. Some people will ask, "Surely the GP2X would be a better choice?", but I've always said that the GP2X doesn't offer any sort of a challenge. Sorry guys, but the Gizmondo really needs some loving...

Ditlew has decided to focus his talents on furthering the burgeoning Xbox360 hacking scene.

So long PSP, it's been nice knowing you.

20 Mar 2006 : New Fanjita's Corner in PSP Weekly  
The latest issue of PSP Weekly was published today, including the second issue of "Fanjita's Corner", and plenty of news and reviews. You can grab it from its official home at pspzones.com.

Oh, and it's Fanjita's birthday today, thanks for all the good wishes. Probably the coolest present was a machine for making a chocolate fondue fountain. Great for Willy Wonka parties!

13 Mar 2006 : Fanjita's Corner  
The latest issue of PSP Weekly was published today, including the first of a regular series of question-and-answer sessions called "Fanjita's Corner", which is basically a mini-interview with questions sent in by readers.

PSP Weekly makes the proud claim of being the Internet's most downloaded and read PSP e-magazine, as well as the first and original weekly edition. Check it out, it's always a fun read. You can grab it from its official home at pspzones.com.

11 Mar 2006 : Improved site compatibility  
We spent a little time updating some of the code for this website, to make it more compatible with various browsers (mostly, those with JavaScript disabled, and the PSP's web browser). Hopefully users of those browsers will notice an improvement, and the rest of you will notice nothing at all ;)

While we were at it, we added an affiliate link for Decal Girl - a great source of custom skins and faceplates for your PSP and other consoles.

8 Mar 2006 : Introducing "Bière d'Alsace"  
Bière d'Alsace   We're proud to present the latest eLoader release - version 0.96, codenamed "Bière d'Alsace". The main focus of this release was to improve the configuration model, so that we have lots more flexibility for sorting out configuration problems. As well, we added a few features to spice things up. Here are the main highlights:
  • Full support for infra-red (for GTA-mode only).
  • Lots of extra configuration parameters, including GTA-only and TIFF-only options.
  • USB support in the menu (TIFF-mode only).
  • Use O as well as X to select in the menu.
  • Use Square to get EBOOT IDs from the menu.
  • Most corrupted menu icons now fixed.
  • GTA autoload option in installer.
We did a lot of testing on this release, and it seems to be more stable than Brown Ale, but there's always a chance that some things will be less stable. You can read the latest README file here. Click to download the Windows Installer or the ZIP version.

We've also taken the opportunity of this release to update the 'working homebrew' list. All the information in there is now accurate, as far as we know, but please let us know if you think anything is wrong.

6 Mar 2006 : Book Recommendation  
I thought I'd mention a cool book I read recently, which is probably of interest to most people reading this site. It's called "Hacking the PSP" by Auri Rahimzadeh, and basically a guide to getting the most out of your PSP. It starts with the basics, like loading up with MP3s and videos, and moves on to various hardware and software hacks.

Auri has done a good job of maintaining a website with the inevitable updates as the PSP scene matures, which should prevent it from going out of date. He also aims to reply to every email and IM received from readers. Why not pick it up? It's an interesting read, with plenty of useful tips and projects. Even I learnt a few things! You can order it here (UK) or here (US), and read more about it (including some sample excerpts) here.

23 Feb 2006 : Brown Ale configuration update  
From now on we'll be maintaining a copy of what we consider to be the "latest and greatest" configuration files for eLoader, updated as new configuration settings are discovered. We've uploaded a config pack containing current tested and confirmed changes. You can read about it using the 'Latest Config' link on the left, or by clicking here. The affected programs in this update are: BookR (TIFF mode), ScummVM, PSP-GBA (GTA mode) and SNES9x TYL (v2.6 firmware).

22 Feb 2006 : Stability patch for Brown Ale  
Brown Ale patch   There have been a few irritating bugs found in the Brown Ale release, that were simple to fix, so we produced a patch. We recommend that anyone who has downloaded the release should download this new version and reinstall it. The original files on this site have been replaced with the new ones. You can verify whether you have the patch installed by looking at the text on the menu : the patch says clearly that it is a patch. Here are the changes:
  • No more 'corrupted data' icons in the save games folder - the backup savegame information is now saved in /psp/eloader.
  • Corrected config file path
  • Various TIFF loader stability fixes
  • Removed most crashes with L+R+START
  • Replaced the beta icons
  • Improved editability of file paths.
Download links are as in the original release post.

22 Feb 2006 : Interview with PSP'n Go  
I had the pleasure of giving an interview to PSP'n Go, a French PSP website. You can read the English language version here, or in French here.

21 Feb 2006 : A bug in the beer!  
Brown Ale bug   Some people have found a bug in the Windows Installer code, that can cause save-games to appear to be corrupted. We've fixed that bug and updated the release.

However, if you already installed on a PSP with the US or German GTA version, then you may have a corrupted savegame - this will be a folder in /psp/savedata called [something].bak, usually ULUS10041S0.bak or ULES00182S0.bak. To fix it:
  • Copy the files from the [something].bak folder into the [something] folder - e.g. ULUS10041S0.bak to ULUS10041S0.
  • Delete the [something].bak folder.
Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

20 Feb 2006 : Yummy, Brown Ale!  
Brown Ale is here   Hermit time is over! Say hello to the latest eLoader release, codenamed "Brown Ale". (From now on, each release will be named after a beer style, to liven things up a little).

Brown Ale is the final (non-beta) version of eLoader 0.9.5. It has the following main features:
  • Integrated release, supporting both TIFF and GTA launch methods
  • Automatic installer for Windows users
  • Stable support for all v2.0+ firmwares - no more special voodoo required to improve reliability
  • More memory for applications
  • Lots of bug fixes
  • And the much requested support for PSP-GBA
Click to download the Windows Installer or the ZIP version (for non-Windows users). You can also view the README file here.

10 Feb 2006 : Hermit Time!  
Hermit Crab   It's been getting increasingly difficult to focus on fixing up the loader over the last week or so. Lots of questions via email, on forums, and in IRC have made it difficult to concentrate. So, I took the decision to mostly avoid the forums, IRC, and answering email for a short while, until the loader is fixed. Most of the questions seemed to be asking when the next version of eLoader will be ready, anyway!

If you need help or advice, you can still stop by the official chat channel (see below), or visit the official forums at QJ.net, where there are plenty of people keen to help out.

6 Feb 2006 : Interview with PSPWeekly  
I had the pleasure of giving an interview to PSPWeekly, the original weekly PSP e-magazine. You can download the interview here and discuss it in its official forum here.

5 Feb 2006 : UK Memory Stick supplies  
Cheap Memory Stick Duos from PicStop.co.uk   For anyone who's had a hard time getting good prices on Memory Stick Duos in the UK, I'd just like to quickly mention PicStop, who I've been using as my MSD supplier for a few months now. They always have great service, and the lowest prices that I can find in the UK - last time I looked they were charging around £37 for 1GB.

Whenever anyone asks me the best place to get MSDs, I always recommend them. And now they've also given me an affiliate link, so if you buy from them it helps to support the eLoader project. I think they also ship internationally, although to be honest I don't know whether that still is such a good deal. You can probably get cheaper prices on eBay, but I've always steered clear because of the large number of fake memory sticks that seem to be on sale.

In the continued spirit of providing ways to support the project without directly costing you anything, I've added a few more affiliate links for UK companies that offer services that might be of interest to eLoader users, and that I have personally had great experiences with. The Cadbury's Chocolate site is particularly cool, especially with Valentine's day around the corner. You can check out the new links in the navigation bar on the left.

31 Jan 2006 : Homebrew for all firmwares!  

eLoader GTA Beta   Here it is, as posted already at PSPUpdates, a version of the GTA eLoader beta that now supports v2.6 firmware. This means that you can now run homebrew on every version of the PSP, except for v1.51 and v1.52 firmware (and there's no good reason to stay with those versions).

Remember, as before, that this is still beta quality, so it doesn't run reliably every time and doesn't run as many homebrew applications as the TIFF-based EBOOT Loader, but it still runs a lot of things. You can see the full list of test results so far here.

Hopefully we'll be able to locate the cause of some of the current bugs very soon, but in the meantime, you can download this beta here. You'll need WinRAR to open the package, and you can view the readme file (including installation instructions) here.

And no, we're not interested in making an ISO loader or a downgrader, so please don't ask. Homebrew is the goal, and homebrew is not the same as piracy.
29 Jan 2006 : v2.60 Syscalls Found  

eLoader for v2.6   Thanks to a brainwave from Ditlew, we've had a breakthrough finding the v2.6 firmware syscalls, and we think we have about 90% of them figured out.

So this means, basically, that a version of the eLoader that works on v2.6 is really not very far away now. Woohoo!

28 Jan 2006 : eLoader for GTA beta  

eLoader GTA Beta   Here it is! Ditlew and I are proud to present the beta release of the eLoader for GTA. With this package, you can now load standard homebrew on v2.0, v2.01 and v2.5 PSPs, using the GTA savegame exploit. It does not yet run on v2.6.

This is still beta quality, so it doesn't run reliably every time and doesn't run as many homebrew applications as the TIFF-based EBOOT Loader, but it still runs a lot of things. You can see the full list of test results so far here.

Hopefully we'll be able to locate the source of some of the current bugs very soon, but in the meantime, you can download this beta here.

24 Jan 2006 : Anyone for SNES emulation on GTA?  

SNES for GTA   We finally made a more solid breakthrough with the EBOOT loader for GTA tonight. Not only does the menu now work properly, but I've also managed to run the uo_SNES9x emulator, and play the Pilotwings ROM (the only one I have), on both v2.0 and v2.5.

At the moment everything is hanging together with a pretty nasty hack. Ideally I'd like to get that fixed up before release, but it's more likely that we'll decide to release things as they currently are, and iron out that issue later.

Please note that lots of basic homebrew is still not working, but I thought that getting SNES emulation running was a big enough milestone to celebrate! Also, if we do decide to release, it will take a few days to knock the code into a releasable format.

22 Jan 2006 : Status update on EBOOT Loader for GTA  

Ditlew and I made some breakthroughs today with the EBOOT loader for GTA, and I'm so excited I thought I'd share the news, since we've been hammering away at this problem for weeks now, and it feels like we're starting to get somewhere.

Last night we finally managed to remove what is believed to be the last traces of GTA from the PSP's memory, and we appear to have full user-mode control over all the available memory and resources (with the exception, of course, of flash memory).

So far this hasn't translated into everything magically-working, including the loader menu, but we have run the first homebrew game using the EBOOT loader - "PSP Rick Dangerous".

So, there's still a lot of work to do, but it's coming along nicely.

This also seems like an opportune moment to properly introduce Ditlew, although we've been working together since the start of the EBOOT Loader for GTA project. He's a 30-year-old Dane working as a lead programmer, with a past in the gaming scene and a strong passion for AI - not to mention a sharp mind and a lot of determination.

21 Jan 2006 : Homebrew for German Censored GTA  

Tetris for German GTA   At last, with the help of Edison Carter, I've been able to get GTA homebrew running on the censored German version of the game. As far as I know, there is now no version of GTA that can't run homebrew. Yay!

I updated my multi-save-slot homebrew pack (below) to include the German savegames - you can download the full pack here. Follow the instructions in the README.TXT file inside the package, for full installation details.

19 Jan 2006 : Install multiple GTA homebrew at once  

Tetris for GTA   In response to popular demand, I helped the chaps over at PSP3D to put together a homebrew package for the GTA exploit that lets you place the GTA homebrew of your choice into any of 5 homebrew-loader game slots. This means that you can easily pick from your 5 favourite GTA homebrews. Although you can't change the names of the save slots, you can place your own icons in there if you replace the ICON0.PNG file in each slot, so it's easy to tell them apart.

You can download it here.

15 Jan 2006 : Appeal for dead PSPs  

PSP hardware   This isn't actually something that I'm working on myself, it's more of an appeal for a friend. Canti is working on investigating the PSP hardware for possible future exploits, but is stuck because he doesn't have enough spare PSP hardware to experiment with.

I know how generous and resourceful the readers of this site are, so - if anyone has any spare PSP motherboards (ideally from bricked PSPs with no warranty, since there's not much else you can do with them), please get in touch with Canti and help advance our knowledge of the PSP's hardware.

If you're able to help, you can reach Canti by email, AIM ('pyrophlake') or IRC (irc.toc2rta.com, #pspchat).

14 Jan 2006 : Devkit for GTA homebrew released  

Devkit for GTA   Following on from Tetris for GTA, I've put together a small package of source and useful tools for developing homebrew to run with the GTA loader. This package will allow you to replace tetris.bin with your own binary, and makes it easy to deal with some of the issues in the GTA environment.

I'm hoping that developers (especially v2.6 owners) will use this package to develop simple homebrew to keep v2.6 users entertained while they wait for their firmware to be fully exploited. If you write anything cool with this, please let me know.

This package is intended for experienced developers only. It will make a lot more sense if you have prior experience of coding for the PSP. I don't have the time to provide support for newbie questions about C compilation, etc., but if you have problems with technical details of the package itself, let me know.

12 Jan 2006 : Tetris for v2.6 released  

Tetris for GTA   Here it is at last, the moment that v2.6 users have been waiting for - the first homebrew game for the v2.6 firmware.

You can read about it and download it here - including some tips for troubleshooting any problems you might have running it.

Note that this version has some very minor tweaks from yesterday's initial release, mostly aimed at fixing problems running with EU copies of GTA, on v2.6. It works flawlessly on my newly-upgraded v2.6 PSP, let me know if you have any problems.

I plan to release a 'DIY v2.6 homebrew' package at some point in the near future, which will include the GTA Tetris source, and allow people to port their own simple games to v2.01-v2.6, while waiting for the EBOOT loader to be finished.

10 Jan 2006 : Tetris for v2.5 released  

Tetris for GTA   There are still a few issues with the v2.6 GTA loader, so for now I decided to release the Tetris for v2.5 users, so that they can have some fun. You can read about it and download it here - including some tips for troubleshooting any problems you might have running it.

Remember that you will need WinRAR or a similar utility to open the RAR-format package.

9 Jan 2006 : First homebrew game for v2.5!  

Tetris for GTA   Just a small thing, really, but I've ported my Tetris game to the GTA exploit, and have it running on a v2.50 PSP. There's a small technical glitch that means it doesn't run yet on v2.60, I hope to sort that out ASAP, before I release a version that will run on any firmware that can run GTA. So - no release yet, but it's imminent.

As well as being the first homebrew game for v2.5 and v2.6, it will also be a good test of the improved GTA loader that will be used to launch the EBOOT loader. Sadly at the moment this is still for US and EU versions of GTA only, my attempts so far with the German version haven't worked correctly, but I hope to change that soon.

8 Jan 2006 : Interview with PSP:UK magazine  

I did an interview with PSP:UK magazine, an interesting PSP-formatted magazine by MikDaSpik. You can download it here, if you want to read it.

5 Jan 2006 : New file hosting  

Hosting by Neverhost.net   Big thanks to Josh at Neverhost.net for donating hosting for the various files published on this site. Josh's kind help means that I can maintain the full archive of EBOOT Loader releases and other files, without having to worry at the end of each month about whether the bandwidth allowance is going to run out.

28 Dec 2005 : New logo!  

Thanks to my friend WunSick for the slick new logo, and help tweaking the final image and theme changes for the site. This is just a small example of this guy's talents - he's been working in web design and code for about 11 years, and has put together some awesome sites. If you need a full web design or just something simple for your own site, give him a holler - I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

26 Dec 2005 : Site revamp  

Following the release of the v0.9 EBOOT loader, I've been taking the opportunity to revamp this website a little, focussing more on PSP and less on SWG. All the old SWG content is still available, and is still being updated.

I hope you like the new content, there's more to come.

26 Dec 2005 : Affiliation with Lik-Sang  

As part of my quest to find ways to help homebrew users support the EBOOT loader, at no cost to themselves, I'm pleased to announce a site affiliation with Lik-Sang, the premier importer of all things PSP.
Top-notch Sony PSP accessories and games

If you were thinking of purchasing a PSP console, game or accessory, please consider ordering it from Lik-Sang via this link. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but I receive a small percentage of the purchase price.
Similarly, you can shop with Amazon via the affiliate links in the bar on the left.

24 Dec 2005 : EBOOT Loader v0.9 release  

I'm proud to announce the v0.9 release of the EBOOT loader. I wasn't able to squeeze in support for 2.01 and 2.5 firmwares yet, but hopefully this release has enough new features to keep you entertained while I work on those.

Major new features in this release:
  • Added wifi support! Now the loader auto-detects if the wifi libraries are loaded (via an optional new loading method) and offers them to homebrew for use.
  • Added call to application exit callback, to allow RIN etc. to save state when L+R+START reset is used.
  • I've hacked in display of program icons into Calum's menu, and there are now two optional alternative menus, one of which supports alphabetic sorting of all the homebrew on your PSP.
  • Added memory reset after running the menu. This should make things much less sensitive to whatever has been run before them. Can be turned off in config.
  • Added memory reset on exit - this seems to make it easier to restart the loader.
  • Added clock-speed option to the config file, to allow automatic overclocking / underclocking of applications.
  • And of course, a nice holiday-themed background :)
Please make sure to view the README.TXT file for full details of how to run wifi homebrew, and how to use the new features.

You can get the optional 'Choice' menu from Xart's site here

Finally, a Merry Christmas to everyone - here's looking forward to an exciting year ahead for the PSP!

21 Dec 2005 : Interview by PSPEmulation.com  

I had the pleasure of giving an interview to the nice folks at PSPEmulation.com. You can read it here.

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