Print

[ldots]

Memory-card, Linux-based Toolbox.

Initial version : 1.0
Current version : 1.3

NOTE. From version 1.3 this package was wrapped in a graphical front-end provided by MXM. The linux toolbox is still available (and unchanged) when running the 'Run-linux' option of this MXM menu. This MXM menu was created to make it easier to install/uninstall UDE without the use of a telnet connection from a PC. The linux toolbox is still very useful though, as many of the tools included are not available from the MXM menu. The description below still applies for the linux toolbox.
For information no the graphical interface look here

------------------------------------------------------

I have put together a memory-card package that runs a mini-linux distribution on the xbox, and offers a bunch of useful tools for xbox modders. I called it ltools and the package should be available "the usual places". Hope the following features make you interrested : UDE package with install/uninstall options, hdkey & eeprom backup, dashboard patcher, xbedump, restoring C from compressed image made by UDE installer or c-backup command. Running the package from an exploitable game should work on any xbox (regardless of dash and kernel version), as long as the exploitable game is the correct/original version. The UDE installer will only be compatible with kernel versions up to and including 5530 (running PBL only works on kernel versions below 5530).

As always - use the info and tools described here at your risk. Don't come whining if something goes wrong...
Some of the tools a homemade, but most credit goes to the xbox-linux project for offering so many useful tools and information. We cannot thank these guys enough

Things to know about the package

• You don't have to be a linux-guru to use this
• Use this mini-linux if you find the included tools useful. Also consider it as a way to access and manipulate your files directly on the xbox, if you like me feel that an ftp connection through Evox or similar is too limiting. If you are a bit familiar with linux you will appreciate being able to edit/configure/sign stuff directly on the xbox. If you have no intension of doing this just issue the userfriendly commands (look further down for a list). The minilinux includes both an telnet and ftp server.
• This was initially intended as a memory card package, and is distributed ready for the Action Replay software. If however you have gained ftp access to your xbox some other way and do not have a memcard, you can unzip the package and upload it manually. Running the mini-linux can then be achieved by adding the game save dir holding the package to your search path in evox or any other dash, or by extracting the included Evox and using this to lauch the mini-linux. This Evox will automatically be installed when running the UDE installer.
• The package requires you have a network connection to the xbox, since the tools included are executed from a telnet connection. Some might not like this, but at least it means people have no excuse for not ftp'ing the eeprom/backup to the PC
• The UDE installer/uninstaller runs from the mini-linux. Therefore if you disable the UDE, for playing live, you need to have a way to rerun the mini-linux to re-enable the UDE. I released this as a game save package to let users to this by using an exploitable game. Alternatively one could modify the setup to use the Easter Egg Exploit or audio hack to rerun the mini-linux and re-install the UDE.

How to use
Download the package and transfer to your xbox either by a memory card, by ftp or by hotswapping. If you choose the hotswapping option have a look at
xboxhdm and maybe also consider the UDE package for xboxhdm instead. If you use a memcard, as always have in mind that Action Replay cards are known to corrupt large saves. These packages have been tested by ftp'ing them to an xbox, so if they dont work for you after using a memcard, corruption is the likely cause

Once installed launch the mini-linux by either trickering the game save hack through an exploitable game, or by launching the linux bootloader (E:\UDATA\xxxxxxxxx\xxxxxxxxxx\default.xbe, x's depends on whether you use the MA or SC package).
Once running the xbox is not of much use (an usb keyboard should be useable, but I havent tried). Go to your PC. Open a DOS prompt and type :

CODE

telnet 192.168.0.3 login : root pass : xbox

You will then be presented with a list of the tools in this package. You run these tools by siply typing the command name and hitting Enter. Just like a DOS prompt. The first time you run this package I advice you to run the 'backup' option and ftp the output to your PC (see below).

The tools
You will see this screen on login :

CODE

***********************************        Welcome to this mini-linux for Xbox        ***********************************        Connect to your xbox with telnet or ftp :        User        : root        Password    : xbox        IP          : 192.168.0.3        Netmask     : 255.255.255.0        The following xbox relevant tools are available :        backup      : Make backup of HDD password and eeprom        c-backup    : Make compressed image of C-drive        c-restore   : Rebuild C-drive from previous backup        UDE         : Install/Uninstall the Ultimate Dashboard exploit        dashversion : Determine dashboard version of an xboxdash file        patcher     : Patch xtf or fonts strings in xboxdash file        xbinfo      : Print varios information on your xbox (used by backup)        xbedump     : Sign an xbe (only habibi key at the moment)        raincoat    : Do not use unless you know what you are doing        ####   TO BE GENTLE ON YOUR HDD PLEASE RUN : shutdown        ####   BEFORE RESETTING YOUR XBOX

Explanations :

• backup : Makes backup of eeprom and HDD password to E:\backup_linux folder. Run this option on your first login and ftp the backup_linux folder to your PC. Also consider running the command below for a backup of C:
• c-backup : Make compressed image of the entire C-drive. A rough estimate is that a 100 MB file is created in E:\backup_linux. With this backup on your xbox you will be able to restore your C-drive using the c-restore command. This could be usefull if you or Xbox Live "corrupted the C-drive.
• c-restore : Rebuild C: from compressed image genrated by c-backup. The backup is checked for authenticity. Most usefull if the C-backup is functional
• UDE : Takes an argument (-install or -uninstall), to do just that to the Ultimate Dashboard Exploit. It also installs :
  • Evox v. 3935
  • Optionally PBL 1.4.1, using the 4981.67 bios (modified to load E:\Evox\default.xbe as the primary dash). If you have kernel 5530 or above, answer 'no' when asked whether to install PBL
  • Evox v. 3935
  • If PBL is installed you have the option to install a patched copy of the MS Dash on C: (the reason PBL is required is that xbedump doesn't seem to want to sign xboxdash.xbe).
  If UDE is run before eeprom and C-drive has been backed-up, this  will be done automatically. This options is not functional before the correct update.xbe is added to the package. Because the exploitable update.xbe is M$ copyrighted this is not distributed in this package. You can either :
  • Repack the memory-card package and include the update.xbe in the UDATA\xxxxxxxxx\xxxxxxxxxx\files folder, and rezip it.
  • Install the package as it is and ftp the update.xbe to the xbox (E:\UDATA\xxxxxxxxx\xxxxxxxxxx\files) once you run the package and thereby has ftp-access.
  The update.xbe has to be the correct version to work with the hacked fonts included. The working update.xbe has the following specs.
  Size    : 1974272 bytes
  MD5SUM  : 8ab653c39f555758fb65d9014928c4cd
  It's available on some live 1.0 enabled games, not all, and on Slayers Evox 2.5 Final. The UDE installer will check the md5sum of the update.xbe and abort if it doesn't match, to hopefully avoid non-functional installs.
• dashversion : Takes a dashboard xbe as its argument and displays the version.
• patcher : Patch a dashboard xbe to look for *.bak fonts or to look in C:\f0nts. The output will be a renamed copy (msdash.xbe). The included Evox is setup to run this MS Dashboard.
  The patcher can be used on any version of dashboard (and tHC if wanted), since it does a search for the bytes to patch ratcher than patching fixed offsets.
• xbinfo : Print various information on your xbox. HDD key, HDD password, etc.
• xbedump : Sign an xbe. Currently only with the habibi key. Audio and font will be included.
• raincoat : Use with caution. Can be used for TSOP flashing if the TSOP has been write enable by soldering some points on the mobo. It's the unofficial v0.70 which supports a lot of chips.

As written on the "Welcome" screen I advice you to run the 'shutdown' command before rebooting your xbox. The only thing this command does is umount all partitions on the xbox HDD. This should force linux to finish all file access before unmounting the partitions so you do not happen to reboot the xbox while the HDD is in heavy use.

Hope you will have fun with this toolbox  

[ldots]

Let me have the first reply

chimpanzee, I didn't forget about your idea of making a ncurses based graphical interfase for this package, that you posted on the UDE thread. I dont think this is desirable since using the xpad linux driver (for using the controller as a mouse) will require running an X-server. This would make the package explode - an make it unsuited for a memcard. Maybe for an extended version though.

[GRID]

This is exactly what ive been waiting for with the ude, a semi idiot proof version, thansk alot. just out of interest do you know how soon it will be availiable at the "usual places" so i know if im looking in the wrong "usual places"  

[GRID]

to answer my own question = already

[chimpanzee]

QUOTE (ldots @ Jun 4 2004, 11:41 AM)

Let me have the first reply chimpanzee, I didn't forget about your idea of making a ncurses based graphical interfase for this package, that you posted on the UDE thread. I dont think this is desirable since using the xpad linux driver (for using the controller as a mouse) will require running an X-server. This would make the package explode - an make it unsuited for a memcard. Maybe for an extended version though.

I am looking into the possibility of this. I don't think X is needed as the Xpad has both a joystick and mouse driver and there are some joystick-to-keyboard mapping stuff. What I am looking for is a scriptable interface(hopefully shell script, as perl/python would be much larger) for ncurses but still be able to fit inside the 8M memory card.

For my personal use, since I got the 128M jump drive secure(only thing I could find when I first started the sofmod route), I would put all three game save on it :-)

Thanks for the packages.

[GJCD]

When I run default.xbe, linux starts and a little after it stops.

It says...can't acess to tty or something like this.


What could be?

Thanks

[chimpanzee]

QUOTE (GJCD @ Jun 4 2004, 05:40 PM)

When I run default.xbe, linux starts and a little after it stops. It says...can't acess to tty or something like this. What could be? Thanks

um, sounds like the kernel is compiled without VGA console support or the console device node is not in /dev/. My quick fix was just enable the VGA console support which xbox-linux's sample config doesn't have. Unfortunately, either you need to do the compilation yourself or wait for Idots to redo the package.

[GJCD]

Thanks for the quick reply

[GRID]

im gettign this too i cant telnet in or anything either, i thought I had my network settings messed up because the rest of the network is 192.168.7.* but i guess thats not the problem.

This post has been edited by GRID: Jun 4 2004, 05:33 PM

[ldots]

QUOTE (GJCD @ Jun 4 2004, 05:40 PM)

When I run default.xbe, linux starts and a little after it stops. It says...can't acess to tty or something like this. What could be? Thanks

This is all OK. Linux is running just fine. You do see the text on the TV dont you?
As I wrote in the tutorial, at that point it is time to leave your xbox and turn to your PC to make a telnet connection.

To connect to the xbox, you can have either a direct connection with a crossover cable or have the xbox and your PC hooked up to a router or switch.
When connection to the xbox I have my PC setup as :
IP : 192.168.0.1
netmask : 255.255.255.0

telnet to the xbox with :
login : root
pass : xbox

On login you get the info screen.

[ldots]

QUOTE (GRID @ Jun 4 2004, 06:56 PM)

im gettign this too i cant telnet in or anything either, i thought I had my network settings messed up because the rest of the network is 192.168.7.* but i guess thats not the problem.

192.168.7.* will not do because the netmask is 255.255.255.0
Your PC and your xbox is not on the same subnet! Read my post above.

[GJCD]

My PC has:

IP : 192.168.1.2
netmask : 255.255.255.0


How can I connect?


Thanks Idots

[ldots]

QUOTE (GJCD @ Jun 5 2004, 09:28 AM)

My PC has: IP : 192.168.1.2 netmask : 255.255.255.0 How can I connect? Thanks Idots

Try changing to your PC to :
IP : 192.168.0.1
netmask : 255.255.255.0

Then do the telnet 192.168.0.3

[GJCD]

Yeao, it works, but I got without internet.

Is there another way to do this?

[ldots]

No, the ftp-server in this package is setup to use static IP address. After running what you want to run in the mini-linux on your xbox, just switch back your network settings on the PC.