Slashdot Mirror
PS2 Exploit Allows Running of Unsigned Code
DrEldarion writes "This man has figured out a way to make the PS2 run unsigned code without a modchip. "To make a long story short, the exploit allows anyone with a memory card and
a valid, legal PS1 disc to hijack the boot process and run any piece of code.""
Lilo
... to get arbitrary files on a memory card? I don't know about you, but *I* don't have anything like that. Will a small industry be created selling pre-altered memory cards?
"I will trust Google to 'do no evil' until the founders no longer run it." Hello Alphabet.
Has anyone seen the custer that was setup using ps2's in a rack setting
Man, I know what I do first thing when I get home tonight!
I wonder what Sony will do, besides send their SonyTroopers to his house...
You can't take the sky from me...
Now all we need is someone to write a legal playstation emulator for the X-Box, and we can run linux on it with no additional money going to microsoft for buying/renting a particular x-box game!
Ñ'
Like LINUX!?
In related news, Sony pays $499 per each PS2 sold to SCO. The rest of the compensation is the release of a smash-hit game "Superdaryl and the Invasion of the IBM Drones", in which Daryl saves America from IBM-aided terrorists.
Am I the last guy on earth who actually goes out an pays for things?
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
It seems that it would be ueber-leet to be able to run linux to its full potential. Instead of just having the Sandbox environment we will have direct access to the hardware. I'd also be able to play tuxracer on the PS2. But then again I'm still waiting for a gamecube port of linux because thats what I have.
Nero-burning ROM for Linux!
I have a thing for the PC that lets me read/write my PS1 memory cards... Does that mean I can do this?
It was made by the same people that made gameshark
[sig]www.masterslate.org[/sig]
Oh, if you or your company are looking for a low-level PS2 or GC hacker, I am available for immediate contract work or other offers. My e-mail is the best way to contact me.
We'll get right on that.
After Sony's attorneys finish with you, "immediate contract work" is exactly what you'll need.
Does this mean that I can run windows on a ps2? I'm just curious what practical uses I can get from it. I know that linux can already run on a ps2 but what is limiting it from booting windows?
I'll be able to apply the "adult patch" to Equestriad 2001 and have the race mares rise their tails and wink at you after winning the race!
but will it run linux lol
This is actually a major hit for Sony. With a huge portion of their revenues coming from PS2 licensing dollars, piracy could put a huge dent in their hide.
The good news?
Now they'll bump up the release date on the PS3.
------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
If I can get my American PS2 to run Japanese PS2 games without having to pay $100 and do a lot of fiddly soldering, that's worth it. I don't know how much it would actually cost to get a memory card reader, since I don't have one, but I doubt one would have to pay $200.
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
This provides to PS2 what has existed for the X-box for a while now. It was mentioned on slashdot and allows the X-box to run unsigned code after some preparation.
It replaces some font files (which are not checksummed) with ones that use an exploit in X-box firmware.
I have released a binary and source package that exploits a flaw in the PS2's handling of a special configuration file. This configuration file, named TITLE.DB, is accessed from the PS2 PS1 driver (located at rom0:PS1DRV). To make a long story short, the exploit allows anyone with a memory card and a valid, legal PS1 disc to hijack the boot process and run any piece of code. Absolutely no modification to the system is necessary to use the exploit (my only working PS2 is not moddded, and I have developed and tested the exploit on this machine). All one really needs is a way to send the files to the memory card to enable the exploit. PS1DRV parses a file called mc0:/BXDATA-SYSTEM/TITLE.DB (the X represents the PS2's region code) to load graphic parameters for the PS1 game that was loaded from the disc drive. There is a catastrophic buffer overflow in the parsing routine that allows one to overflow the stack and execute arbitrary code by rewriting the $RA register. If we load up our own TITLE.DB, with an entry for every PS1 disc that we want to trigger the exploit, then we can take over the PS2 boot process as soon as the disc is recognized and PS1DRV is executed. The file exploit.c will have to serve as documentation on the exploit for now, since I've been rushing to get this out and in people's hands. If you use PS2 Independence for Evil - I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE. All of the distributed source code is licensed under the Academic Free License version 2.0. My copyrights _must_ remain intact if you choose to redistribute the source package. I'm looking forward to comments/criticisms about how the code can be improved, and also creative uses for the exploit.
Am I the only one having problems understanding why you'd want to do this? I mean sure .. there's hack value and everything. But is the goal to run Linux on the PS2 or something?
Maybe it will enable you to run import games, like Zettai Zetsumei Toshi without having to install a modchip.
Someone please explain why this is so important? (And yes, I did RTFA.)
-jh
I was reading about this before seeing this article. One of the points brought up is that it's not really a useful hack because it's quite tricky to utilize.
It looks like you need a memory card reader ($$), and then have to edit a file and add the Title ID for each game you want to play. This requires a bit of work to figure out, and a *nix system to run his software, I think.
It doesn't work with all games all the time, only the ones you specify. Also, there may be a limit to how many table entries you can have, which would limit the number of games you can run.
If someone is tech savvy enough to figure this out, they just might have what it takes to install some of the existing modchips out there. Mine only has one wire, and coupled with a GameShark, will run almost anything out there, but it's a bit of a pain.
Perhaps the bright side is that this will allow users of Linux on the PS2 to run code outside the restrictions of the OS that Sony added.
http://www.newandusedvideogames.com/sharkport.html
I'll sit back and munch on my Doritos while Sony gets together their pack of hounds to hunt down people hacking their PS2's.. It's the way it always goes..
;)
How about a metallicats for sony?
Does anyone know if there's a memory card reader out there that is in any way compatible with a Mac? For obvious reasons.
And actually, I honestly do want to play legal imports on my PS2. If there's a game I want to play, I usually think it's worth supporting the people who make it.
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
I hadn't even thought about playing non-us games. Shoots a hole through my rant. Are US playstations able to output PAL?
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
a) Running unsigned code on PS2?
-or-
(the point b has been left out to prevent modding this post down as yet another mare troll)
The guy only tested one one machine (far as I can tell), but still I know its is a very cool hack but I mean really does it make a difference ? These machines are purchased as gaming platforms, not as the first step to world domination. Nice to know but is it more fun for the majority to play games or run 'unsigned code'
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
sony's ps2 linux kit is crippled. read THE PLAYSTATION LINUX FAQ for more info. i'm assuming with this, someone can run a regular linux distro on the ps2.
For whatever reason, the site is slow. Here is a mirror.
Is the PS2 Linux kit all that useful? For one thing, the I/O sandbox that the PS2 Linux kit sets up does not allow reading CD-R or CD-RW discs. How is one supposed to get data onto the system?
Will I retire or break 10K?
While a handful of Slashdotters might use this to run Linux or to program their own Playstation 2 games, the effect it'll have on most people is an increase in PS/2 game piracy. The fact that there might be some difficulty in setting this up is a minor hindrance... It will enable crackers or crack groups to produce a CD or CD image which will boot as-is on an unmodified PS/2 and play a game. Once one person creates a crack of a popular game, the warez traders will start passing it around on IRC, FTP, etc. and it'll require no more skill to use than the ability to burn a CD. Expect PS/2 piracy to go way up for a while. Expect Sony to make changes shortly to future production runs so that newer PS/2s don't have this vulnerability, and would-be pirates will have to make sure they have an older machine.
Furcadia - A free online game with user created content, DragonSpeak scripting, & more.
i really think they should make a n0bel pr1ze for these people. a annual award to those people that find and create these things.
what amazing job, well done.
members are seeing something, your seeing an ad
So what? I've been running custom code on my unmodded PS2 using Sony's Linux kit for awhile now, even crunching Distributed.net with it. If you want to run custom code, buy the Linux kit. Show Sony people do want a Linux kit, that way they might release one for PS3 or even PSP. I'd rather use an official kit instead of a hack.
but do mares run linux?????
I tried compiling his titleman utility, since I don't have any of the games already in the title.lst file, but it seems like some stuff is missing...do you need to have a PS2 devkit of some sort to do this? His makefile seems to suggest it.....
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
If Windows won't run on the PS2, will OS2?
Will I retire or break 10K?
Oh boy, we can count to 4294967295 billion now!
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
What kind of fool buys a piece of equipment that includes draconian restrictions on what you can do with it?
Pah. Game consoles. Give me a PC or give me death. And none of that Palladium crap either. And you'll have to put DRM into my cold dead hands.
Quoted from the page:
PS1DRV parses a file called mc0:/BXDATA-SYSTEM/TITLE.DB (the X represents the
PS2's region code) to load graphic parameters for the PS1 game that was loaded
from the disc drive. There is a catastrophic buffer overflow in the parsing
routine that allows one to overflow the stack and execute arbitrary code by
rewriting the $RA register. If we load up our own TITLE.DB, with an entry for
every PS1 disc that we want to trigger the exploit, then we can take over the
PS2 boot process as soon as the disc is recognized and PS1DRV is executed.
A mini distro on CD that starts the Linux kernel and then immediately chroots to a USB or firewire hard drive. Add in a USB based ethernet adaptor and you can run linux without limitations. Sounds fun to me. I would have said Knoppix for playstation, but it wouldn't have enough memory to start the gui.
I thought the guys who did something similar with the xbox were getting sued... or am I mistaken. I know they were being Threatened with legal action at the very least. Anyway why would a guy leave out his information like that (see the bottom of the article) after taunting a gigantic company like Sony in this way?
So this hack would allow Backed up and Import games to run on an unmodded system? Basically all one needs is a USB/Mem card interface to put the files on a PS1 memcard and then use a legit PS1 game to boot the machine?
I've got a stack of games from SE Asia that I would love to play on my PS2 and this hack seems like the most non-invasive way to do it.
"There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter," Jeeves, (Jeeves and the Impending Doom)
Actually, it's from Babylon 5. It's sort of the motto/code/slogan (or something) of the Rangers. And it's a Tolkien reference, to boot. I don't know about you, Random AC, but I think it's cool. B)
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
I'll admit that I'm not sure what the second and later steps of the exploit are, but it does not seem that the system you describe is the case. At the very least the CD/CD image also needs a memory card that has somehow been modified in a special way to make it work. And it's not at all clear that this exploit would let you play import games either. I too would like to hear more about just how one would go about using this exploit after getting the buffer overrun to overwrite the $RA register.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
America's favorite new band, The Sausage Suckers?
There new single "Come inside (my place)" is racing up the charts...
From now on, no slashdot posting while drunk, please.
This is a clear violation of the DMCA. Christ Almighty, this fellow is going to get burnt, I'm sure that Sony's solicitors are right on his track. Being a slashdotter registered in Poland (that's the other end of the Universe, if someone can't afford a proper Atlas book) I am soooooo happy that these tricks are still allowed in this part of the world... Yet...
You can already run Linux on the playstation by paying for the PS2 Linux kit at http://playstation2-linux.com/
That kit allows you to run any code that you want to anyway. Plus getting one allows companies to see that there is a paying group of individuals that would like configurable/extensible electronic products.
It's funny that many people criticize the software and media industry for promoting DRM and DMCA type laws, but then the same people turn around and promote/utilize cracks like this.
What do you expect the companies to do? Sit there and watch this happen?
Based on upvotes, Ageism is the only "-ism" Slashdotters care about and think isn't SJW
I think this hack will be less about Linux, and more about pirating. Why are you guys so adamant about running Linux on the PS2?
The sharkport is no longer available at the link you provided. You can get the x-port instead for $10 less.
you do not need linux or unix like some others have posted. you need ee-gcc - you can google it or if you're using win32 a direct link is here: http://www.thethirdcreation.net/tools/ps2DevEnviro nment.exe - just install that it sets up the dev environment for you. you'll need it to compile his tool.
There is/was a MIPS version of NT. So if you created some PS2 drivers for NT (say off the 4.0 baseline) (HAL, video, etc) you could theoretically run OS/2 command line (i.e. non PM) apps.
"In Soviet Russia, your ____ _____s YOU!" is an old Yakov Smirnov tagline. Smirnov is a comedian who was popular towards the end of the Cold War. After the Cold War, suddenly he wasn't funny anymore. He now has a theatre in Branson, MO, US, where he trots out the same old lines for oldsters who still think he's funny. Oh, and for the occasional Slashdotter.
"I, for one, welcome our new ____ overlords." comes from The Simpsons. The news guy. I believe his original line was "I, for one, welcome our new Martian overlords." I could be wrong about original quote, but that's hardly necessary to understand that particular line of Slashdot horse-beatage.
I will leave it to someone else to explain Natalie Portman, naked and petrified, "Hot grits down your pants!" and the Slashdot Cruiser. Oh yeah, and make sure you hover your cursor-pointer over a link and examine the link well before clicking on it. And don't click anything identified as having anything to do with Goatse.Cx or Tubgirl. Trust me, you don't want that trauma.
As I've mentioned a couple of times before in this thread, I want to use this (and was planning to get a modchip) to play games I have legally imported from Japan. I know that many people won't believe me, and that, unfortunately, that won't be the primary use of this exploit, but I know of no law that prohibits running region-locked games out of their region. I realize that it's possible the DMCA covers this, but if so, it really shouldn't. I paid for the PS2, I paid for the game, so why the heck shouldn't I be able to run it?
If this can really work (I haven't gotten the guy's code to compile, see one of my posts, above), it would be really great. I could use a $30 memory card reader/writer to let me play imported games, rather than a $100 modchip kit, which I would have to solder onto the PS2's motherboard. And those things look extremely fiddly.
So, yes, there is at least one legitimate use. And the point of our opposition to the DMCA is not (at least not for anyone who would have any chance against it) "so I can keep pirating stuff." My argument against it is that it probably will allow Sony to sue anyone who uses this hack, whatever purpose they put it to. It stops you from using certain devices or processes because they could be used for piracy or copyright infringement, even if you would truly, honestly, never use them for that purpose.
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
It's got a cd rom drive, slap a knoppix in there and see what happens! Hell, I'm sure it'll auto-detect the hardware and you'll be up and running on the Internet in no time using your $50 network adapter.
Wait a minute, my car has a CD player...I'll pop Knoppix into that too and voila, GNU/Linux Nova!!!
Between the "Knoppix is God" folks and the "Linux in Everything" folks, I'm a tad fed up...thus the rant.
This is just the beginning. Now that people know about this weakness it will be the focus of a lot of hacking to create a title.db that will run off of any game, thus meaning all you have to do is replace the file on a memory card (Is this a PS1 or PS2 memory card we're talking about?) and voila. Maybe even give us a nice "Insert unsigned disk now" prompt. Hopefully people will run with this, and it will turn out to be a lot less of a dirty hack in the end. The guy just rushed this out so it's understandable, but in time I think this will probably turn into something a lot more graceful if we're lucky.
--The universe will not be altered by forum threads, even those which are very wry. --Tycho Brahe (Penny Arcade)
Yesterday,
Algorithms programmed in any way
Now it looks as though there's liabilit-ay
And, it's 'cause of the D-M-C-A
Suddenly,
I'm not allowed to speak in C
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh how D-M-C-A makes silence be
How some bits do flow, you can't know,
We couldn't say
I said something wrong
now I'm among, law D-M-C-A-ay-ay-ay
Yesterday,
"code" was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
And, it's 'cause of the D-M-C-A
The fact that there might be some difficulty in setting this up is a minor hindrance... It will enable crackers or crack groups to produce a CD or CD image which will boot as-is on an unmodified PS/2 and play a game.
w00t, j00 are teh ub3r3st! Plz s|\|d cd 1m2g3 ASAP!!!1!
Am I the only one thinking "great, now i can run and program my own games for the PS2" ?
Seriously, what software do you need to produce a PS2 game CD/DVD ? Is it available or do you need some special/secret software from Sony ?
Does anyone has experience from the PS2 API ? What's it like working with ?
And no, I am not looking for answers like "run linux and use gcc". I can do that just fine on my PC and it takes the challenge away...
---
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up space in the middle
How can I use my PS2-linux bootable disc with this hack to create a bootable memcard (or memcard/disc combo, or just a disc, I guess) for each of the two PS2s I have? I don't want to remember to bring the linux disc with me between my house and my parents' house, so I want to backup the linux boot media in a bootable form that I can just leave in each of the two PS2s.
MR. BROWN
Yeah, but Mr. Brown? That's too
close to Mr. Shit.
And what is the significance of 0xd6 (214)?
(Please look at "this man['s]" email address and watch Reservoir Dogs before any moderation.)
(And, yes, I understand that his name is really Marcus Brown.)
-Peter
a Beowulcluster of PS2s...
:P
Yeah I know it's old, but hey! Atleast it's possible now
It might interest a few of you that there is a program available to use a USB-cable to screw around with the PS/2. It's available at naplink.napalm-x.com. Go wild :)
A USB -> PS 1&2 memory card adapter from Lik Sang can be found here.
I setup a PC for a friend's father a while back. As usual I preloaded it with all the typical, erm, "evaluation software" that we know and love so much. He was genuinely shocked and horrified, and made me remove it. I was astounded. Most of the /. generation (and crowd) have grown up pirating software. It seems natural. But to him it was as if I'd put a stolen car in his garage. So, no, you're not the last person to pay for stuff.
it'll will be very interesting to see if any indy games or "ports" pop up with this news. can the ps2 read burnt cds? if not does this hack make it possible?
Come on. You need physical access to the box, don't you? Or is this an "exploit" in the sense that the "owner" of the box can "exploit" something unforeseen by the box's manufacturer?
I have PS2 linux, but the PS2 linux memory card drivers are crippleware, dunno how I'd write to the raw memory card from that environment. Do I need special hardware to program a PS1 memory card? Perhaps now a real PS2 linux distribution will be developed, that will unlock the full capability of the hardware. For example, under Sony's crippleware linux drivers, there is no support for ieee1394 or the hardware MPEG-2 codec. r4lv3k
Your argument is invalid too. There is nothing that you can do with this that you can't do with the other if you own a linux kit.
You get the same access to the DVD drive with this.
I got the the impression that the Playstation 2 internal ROM loads a specific config from title.db based on the ID of the PS1 disc in the drive. So the overflow code in title.db doesn't run unless a hacked section that corresponds to the ID of the present disc exists in title.db. To include all titles in the hacked memory card would require too much space.
A solution would be to have all your custom software discs use the same ID, which would correspond to a single hacked config section in title.db.
Stop slashdotting my mailserver / irc session box!
To summarize, stop blaming sony! They did a great thing by releasing ps2linux, and all the related info. That's impressive. You know, a few years ago, the hardware manuals where so secret that there was my company name printed across each page..
PS2linux is far from perfect, but it is up to you to enhance it, because of its open source nature.
And if you don't want to use linux, because of its bloat, there are even bootloader projects hosted on sony's own website(playstation2-linux.com) that allows you get raw low-level access.
According to me, sony's biggest mistake was to target linux zealots, instead of focusing on console programming enthusiasts, as they did with yaroze. So they got a lot of disapointed customers... But if you want to do console programming, ps2linux is still a great thing, with lots of things to create (and that's the interesting part!).
Do You just copy the exploit.c file onto a PS2 memcard, insert a legit PS1 game in the PS2 and boot up?
but why? it's just not saturday night without scotch and /.
come on... listen to how it rolls off the tongue... no, you aren't supposed to be so drunk as to drool on the keyboard!
Karma is like sex. I can't remember the last time I had either of them.
"Its already a bit of a known fact that the large console markets are PS2 and XBOX."
The PS2 has shipped 50,000,000 units. The Xbox and GameCube have both shipped 10,000,000 units.
I don't understand how one 10,000,000 is smaller than another 10,000,000 enough to be considered equal to 50,000,000.
Here's a well known fact: "well known facts" are often made up on the spot to support another argument, and make it look that much more believable.
--
Internet Explorer (n): Another bug -- that is, a feature that can't be turned off -- in Windows.
Calm down! First of all, if I understand correctly, this exploit takes a valid PSX game, stops it from booting, then loads 'any piece of code' _right off the memory card_. It does not provide for any sort of disc swap. This means you can not use it to load any game which the PS2 would not normally load; you can only load an .elf (I think) file which is _on the memory card_.
:)
Meaning this is only useful for _small_ homebrew apps.
Second of all, it is unlikely this will ever be expanded to allow loading out-of-region/copied games. Sony uses a special copy-protection trick... as far as I know it involves a tiny sector in the beginning of a disc which has a checksum of zero. Inside this sector there is the data containing region information (should be impossible to contain any data if the checksum is zero, but it does). CD burners 'correct' this sector by writing the actual checksum, and hence PSX/PS2 games cannot be copied correctly. When you insert any disc into a PSX or PS2, the unmodified hardware checks that sector to see if the checksum is zero and if the region code is correct, and refuses to read any further data, _no matter what_, if that sector isn't just right. A mod chip works by injecting the correct data into the CPU at the right time.
This means, even though you could use the exploit to read abritrary data off something other than the disc the console was going to read from, you can't read it from another disc: if you eject that valid disc and put in another, the PS2 is going to check that special sector. Unless I misunderstand something, this exploit _does not_ address that, and so you can only load code off a memory card. Maybe someone will come out with a way to load stuff off a hard drive with it, but it's unlikely you'll ever be able to load stuff off a different (invalid) disc.
I should also point out that the terms 'signed' and 'unsigned' are possibly incorrect for this sort of thing, as the copy protection isn't really in the form of an encrypted key, per se... just a crazy sector containing simple data, with a checksum of zero.
This is how it has been explained to me over the years by a variety of people and is AFAIK the generally accepted understanding of the Sony copy protection method. I have never worked for Sony so I cannot verify it. If you have any corrections here, feel free to speak up
~ Aero
Hey, thanks! That's just what I was looking for.
Dan Aris
Fun. Free. Online. RPG. BattleMaster.
The sites gone.
As far as I can read you seem to be mostly correct with one exception. This will eventually get ironed out into being able to load a small executable from a memory card and executing it which will read drivers for an external dvdrom, cdrom, hard disk, or even network card and allow you to read your backup or out of region games from a different media. As far as I know the copy protection is on the side of the disc reading, but I could be wrong.
Jamon
I can count to 1023 on my hands. Ask me about #132.
A cheap hard drive filled with downloaded game ISO's... Cheap, effective and probably better and faster than running the game from it's original media. Another possibility, running them from a networked computer holding the ISO's, probably slower though.
I'm not sure what type of memory card he is talking about. If the bug exploits PS1 games than it would appear you need a PS1 memory card. To read/write a PS1 memory card from a PC you need a Dex Drive. This plugs into the PC's serial port and let's it read/write PS1 memory cards. It is not sold anymore but one can be picked up on EBay. To read/write PS2 memory cards, the X-Drive will work, but it will not read/write to PS1 memory cards.
Finally linux will be able to be fully realized on the p....oh wait.
Many Thanks,
Luke
A number of Japanese games (including the ever-popular imported ddr games) are mostly in english. I've never understood quite why they do this, unless they just think it's cooler that way. In any case, the language barrier has been broken for you!
No date tonight for you either?
. Quit playing Monopoly with Bill. Switch to one of many non-Microsoft products today.
Don't see what you were looking for? A Google cache of the slashdot victim's site can be found here.
... and never bought a single game, they'll have to finally BUY a game if they want to hack their PS2. :p
Why is it that anytime somebody thinks of something cool to do with something, people like you whine about how its only use is piracy. You go even farther than many, suggesting that multibillion dollar corporations who might lose few theoretical bucks to pirates should produce crippled merchandise and buy crooked laws rather than "sitting there and watching." Why some moderators thought that was insightful is beyond me.
Sorry if I sound annoyed, but it gets tedious dealing with this question every time a new technology is developed.
I don't typically read or post on /. these days, but since you folks were so kind as to saturate my cable connection :P, I read through the comments and wanted to clarify a few things:
Oh, about all the Linux posts: I've been developing a way to get ps2linux to boot without Sony's kit, and it will all tie into this. No ETA on that yet.
Cheers to all who've stepped up with the positive posts.
imagine a Beowulf cluster of those :)
okay, okay, i'm an insensitive clod and you are Martha Stewart.
Their excellent only in the way that purebred dogs are excellent -- an inbred, homogenous excellence.
Sadly, console games have rarely demonstrated any innovation. The high cost of licenses and the restrictions on use mean that developers usually "play it safe", and stick with cookie cutter games that they know will make money.
Well, frenzied zealot, perhaps you'd like to try running BSD, or VxWorks, or just maybe you'd like to write and run your own operating system, much as notorious software pirate Lunix Thorvalds did back in the early 1990's.
It's not always about lunix.
If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
http://ps2dev.org/ offers an excellent selection of tutorials and other valuable tools for programming ps2 programs. i sincerely hope that the combined power of ps2dev, naplink, and the newest addition of this exploit will finally set "ps2 users free". impress me guys, make something worth running on a playstation 2.
-jake
What memory card is needed, PS1 or a PS2 memory card?
Just buy them used.
There is Linux for the PS2 already. But Ive read that the CPUs get a couple of limitations when running unsigned code (and therefore, a Linux kernel and the apps bellow it).
What resources will be fred up on the PS2 with this hack?
I mean - what were the limitations imposed to Linux before in terms of
instruction set limitations, or maybe, limited access to the Graphics Synthesizer GPU?
-><- no
The actual contents of the zero-checksummed sector, is the Region-Code of the disc - SCEE, SCEA, or SCEJ. The PSX first of all checks that the code is present, with a checksum of zero. If it's a Jap machine, it will only continue if the code is SCEJ. If it's a Euro machine, it will only continue if the code is SCEE, and if it's a USA machine, it will only continue if the code is SCEA.
PS1 modchips are very simple PIC chips, that output SCEESCEASCEJ repeatedly. When the PS1 asks the CD-ROM drive for the region code of the disc, it sees the modchip saying SCEESCEASCEJSCEESCEASCEJSCEESCEASCEJ etc. and thinks the disc is valid (because within that string, it sees what it's looking for, be it SCEE, SCEA, or SCEJ). Whether it's a copy or an original, isn't relevent - it disabled the copy protection AND the region code, in one simple step.
Of further interest, is when the first Anti-Modchip games appeared. They simply counted the number of SCEE/SECJ/SCEA recieved. If there was more than one, it knew there was a modchip present, and refused to run. Easily got round by the Stealth Modchips, cos they only outputted the SCEESCEASCEJ string once. You could also fit a switch to your chip, and turn it off as soon as POST had completed, for the same effect.
If you're going to use technical jargon, try to get it right.
You mean I'd be able to play all my games from a menu system without spending 15 minutes finding searching through drawers looking for it only to be disappointed by a huge scratch on the disc leaving it utterly useless? Oh, well this has no use other than piracy.
</sarcasm>
I can count to 1023 on my hands. Ask me about #132.
Here's at least one correction. The zero-checksum thing isn't really where the copy protection happens, although this is widely believed. There's a 28-page forum thread at
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http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?&thread
that talks all about it. A shorter summary is on this page, around the middle:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/archive/topic/73691.ht
Quoted from that summary (excuse the grammar...):
"The track(s) of a pressed CD consist of an as good as
straigth spiral, beginning in the inner circle and
continuing 'til the outside edge.
The factor "almost straight" is very important.
Because the laser-unit has some tracking coils, which
purpose is to keep the laser-beam, or better reflection
of the beam!, as good as centered even if the CD
spins at a very high speed, so the beam doesnt loose
the trail while reading the track.
The PSXs tracking coils took some advantage of this
tecnic, and they have a special output for
"tracking errors". Because at the pressing state of the
PSX CDs, the Lead-In gets a very little, but still
recognisable modulation (near as it was in earlier time
on vinyl records). That modulation constists of long
or shorter tracks of 22khz wobble pulses, the
shortes distance we found out is ca. the lengt of:
1/3 to 1/4 CD sector. The signals consist of the SCEE,
SCEA, or SCEI characters in old RS232 transmission code,
which is already completly decoded and no big secret.
The modchip simply injects that SCEx characters into
the needed wire at the needed time and so the PSX
BIOS and CPU 'thinks', the CD-controller sends over the
correct signal and starts the boot code sequence. "
Sony was actually pretty crafty with this system. Not that it's not easily defeated, but it had a lot of people (myself included) fooled for a long time!