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[WaliWorld]

Obviously i know that it still maybe a ways off, but i just wanna know what is going on right now. why can't we boot homebrew? what is keeping us from digital freedom on the 360? just to be clear im thinking a dashboard replacement mod like the original xbox's dash replacements such as unleashX, Avalaunch and the like that allowed... well anything and everything like game copying, homebrew games & apps, emulators, file transfer, extra operating systems etc... and before you post yes, i am well aware of that tiny additional section of the 360's processor that MS implanted in an otherwise very formidable G5 tri-core cpu, the hyper visor, which acts as high security measure against software exploits (thankfully the disc drive firmware isnt so smart, Hackers-1 MS-0!) among other obstacles put forth by the Microsoft's security team, of course. anyway has there been any word on the development of a replacement dash or should i say a way to implement one (since getting the 360 to boot unsigned code is the most important right now)? cant wait for one to pop up, ill be patiently awaiting for it. its the least i can do for all the hackers working on it: thanks guys and girls, thanks for what you have provided and what you will provide, thanks for everything (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

~WaliWorld

[openxdkman]

We can't boot homebrew on a console because manufacturer doesn't want us to do so.
Then, in that case, people look for breaches. Then they publish it. Then manufacturer fixes them.
Often with a firmware update.
These recent & secure firmware updates come pre-installed in recently purchased consoles.

So there are two kind of people.
1) people who like online stuff and keep firmware up to date.
for these people, after a few updates, homebrew is over. definitely. it's their choice.

2) people who like homebrew better than online stuff and added features in newer firmwares.
they have to keep their old firmware safe. with some soldering skills they may swap between firmwares versions, eventually, with heavy mods (on 360).

tmbinc found, relatively quickly, maybe one year after 360 launch the breach in 4532 & 4548.
chronology was a bit odd, but 1st a hooded guy made a demo in germany, then a few months later an update fixed the breach and the details of the breach appeared publicly. many already updated and breach was gone for them, but they could downgrade later with a smart electronic device (thanks to a nice cooperation between the people at xbh site), one year later.
those who felt the hooded guy was doing good didn't update and got no problem to get advantage of the breach in order to boot linux, thanks, once again, to tmbinc's low level published drivers sources. tmbinc was not alone I think, but I only remember his pseudo at this time. See tmbinc blog for details (debugmo.de)

So, the conclusion is, with security technology improving over time, in the life cycle of a console, there is almost always a mistake done somewhere in the initial design, and the security breach needed for homebrew appears, but is a short time window, quite narrow sometimes, when you must give up updating the console firmware. if you miss it, it's over. better wait for next console generation if that happens or buy quickly another console from the shelves that is still with older firmware.

Nowadays you have to choose : homebrew or online. people with money who want both, will purchase two consoles, one for online and up to date features, and one for homebrew.

If you want the details about why security works well now, read articles about security chains. chain starts inside the cpu itself (it's too hard to explore it physically to read unique -per console- secret keys inside etc...). keys are used at each iteration of the chain to verify authenticity of next element with 2048 bits cyphering (no way to crack in human lifetime), and thus, security engineers are beginning to know their stuff now. To find breaches is harder over time. I think breaches happen only at launch time when engineers are pressured to release their work on time, but after that they have the time to close all breaches with firmware updates.

so the recipe to get homebrew is :
- buy a launch console
- never update it
- wait (need patience)

For 360, right now, if you purchase the console, it's too late for homebrew, it's too well secured.

[WaliWorld]

i am aware of that, though the same could not be said for the original xbox, since any version can be modded nowadays. anyway i have already flashed my 360's firmware (hitachi GDR-3120L flashed with iXtreme 1.4) i have the 6717 kernal version (which i can downgrade to 4532), after which i will be taking the necessary steps to boot linux on my 360, with the king kong shader exploit. so im doing all i can: my question is when will a replacement dashboard pop up. also IF we have MS's Security Key Signer, what doors would that open up?

this is what made it possible for me to downgrade to 4532

http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EE...AEZoyUVvULE.php

This post has been edited by WaliWorld: Nov 25 2008, 09:14 PM

[linkinworm]

QUOTE(openxdkman @ Nov 24 2008, 11:45 PM)

We can't boot homebrew on a console because manufacturer doesn't want us to do so.
Then, in that case, people look for breaches. Then they publish it. Then manufacturer fixes them.
Often with a firmware update.
These recent & secure firmware updates come pre-installed in recently purchased consoles.

So there are two kind of people.
1) people who like online stuff and keep firmware up to date.
for these people, after a few updates, homebrew is over. definitely. it's their choice.

2) people who like homebrew better than online stuff and added features in newer firmwares.
they have to keep their old firmware safe. with some soldering skills they may swap between firmwares versions, eventually, with heavy mods (on 360).

tmbinc found, relatively quickly, maybe one year after 360 launch the breach in 4532 & 4548.
chronology was a bit odd, but 1st a hooded guy made a demo in germany, then a few months later an update fixed the breach and the details of the breach appeared publicly. many already updated and breach was gone for them, but they could downgrade later with a smart electronic device (thanks to a nice cooperation between the people at xbh site), one year later.
those who felt the hooded guy was doing good didn't update and got no problem to get advantage of the breach in order to boot linux, thanks, once again, to tmbinc's low level published drivers sources. tmbinc was not alone I think, but I only remember his pseudo at this time. See tmbinc blog for details (debugmo.de)

So, the conclusion is, with security technology improving over time, in the life cycle of a console, there is almost always a mistake done somewhere in the initial design, and the security breach needed for homebrew appears, but is a short time window, quite narrow sometimes, when you must give up updating the console firmware. if you miss it, it's over. better wait for next console generation if that happens or buy quickly another console from the shelves that is still with older firmware.

Nowadays you have to choose : homebrew or online. people with money who want both, will purchase two consoles, one for online and up to date features, and one for homebrew.

If you want the details about why security works well now, read articles about security chains. chain starts inside the cpu itself (it's too hard to explore it physically to read unique -per console- secret keys inside etc...). keys are used at each iteration of the chain to verify authenticity of next element with 2048 bits cyphering (no way to crack in human lifetime), and thus, security engineers are beginning to know their stuff now. To find breaches is harder over time. I think breaches happen only at launch time when engineers are pressured to release their work on time, but after that they have the time to close all breaches with firmware updates.

so the recipe to get homebrew is :
- buy a launch console
- never update it
- wait (need patience)

For 360, right now, if you purchase the console, it's too late for homebrew, it's too well secured.

so you need the older kernal to boot linux? even on a modded console?

[openxdkman]

Yes, definitely. If kernel is not 4532 or 4548 or you don't have a patched version of King Kong game, you can't execute your own code. Recently manufactured 360's can't be downgraded at all.

I think the future of console hacking is in pure emulators running on overpowerful hardware... So you use hacks on current consoles just to dump everything and understand everything, then you create an emulator, much later.

But emulators of generation N consoles start popping up when generation N+1 hardware open platform appear. Usually happens when console becomes obsolete. So we will all tinker madly with blades or NXE in 2015 on powerful PC's  maybe... (or early 720 consoles, with no upgraded fw...)

PS2 and XB1 emulators are just blooming nowadays...

This post has been edited by openxdkman: Dec 17 2008, 12:26 PM