QuickJump QuickGuide: the PSP Homebrew Dictionary
Howdy, folks. As promised in our Facebook account, here’s the first in our QuickGuides series, the PSP Homebrew Dictionary. Because even the greatest devs started out as noobs.
Click on the “read more” link and let’s get started!
Visit: QJ.NET PSP Homebrew Discussions
Originally posted on 10 February, 2009 at 11:02AM
Howdy, folks. As promised in our Facebook account, here’s the first in our QuickGuides series, the PSP Homebrew Dictionary. Because even the greatest devs started out as noobs.
The goal is to make a dictionary of PSP terms that even those who never even heard of homebrew will be able to understand. Hopefully this will help more PSP owners get familiarized with homebrew. Let’s get started!
Brick – A brick generally occurs when an electronic device is rendered inoperable, therefore becoming as useless as a brick. This is often due to corruption of one or more vital components necessary for operation. It can be caused by errors in the PSP’s firmware, IDStorage keys, or IPL. You can avoid many causes of bricking when installing homebrew by reading the documentation beforehand.
C and C++ – Two of the more popular languages in PSP Programming. C++ is more powerful, but C is easier. They are commonly used in conjunction with a set of computer programs called a toolchain.
Changelog – Usually found in the ReadMe file of a homebrew application. Contains documented changes of the application during its development.
Cold Boot – A “hard start” for your PSP. Basically it’s when your PSP starts up, and you hear gentle tinkly noises, then you see the start up screen:
CSO – A compression method. Used to compress ISO images of PSP UMD games. Sometimes also referred to as CISO (Compressed ISO).
CTF – A theme format that offers more customization compared to a PTF theme (though is potentially more dangerous). CTF themes require custom firmware and can change everything from the icon placements on your XMB, to the PSP cold boot.
Custom Firmware – Custom firmware are modified versions of the PSP’s official firmware. Custom firmware allow for homebrew execution and higher levels of PSP customization.
Dark AleX – Fondly known as DAX to his legions of followers. Though he hardly needs any introduction, DAX is known for his fast releases of stable and reliable custom firmware, as well as various programs like Despartar del Cementerio, Time Machine, and LEDA.
Despartar del Cementerio – A universal unbricker developed by Dark AleX. With the exception of the PSP-3000 series and models with a TA-088v3 motherboard, Despertar del Cementerio has the ability to unbrick any PSP regardless of firmware, region, type, and motherboard.
Downgrade – Downgrading is the process of installing a lower firmware version on your PSP. This is not supported by Sony and may remove some PSP features that are only available in higher firmware. Downgrading is usually done when you need to run certain types of homebrew.
Downgrader – An application or program that allows you to downgrade your PSP firmware.
Dump – It’s a more benign term for ripping, in a sense that dumping usually means backing up data, whereas ripping usually means pirating. When you dump an ISO, for example, that means you copy the game from a CD/UMD/cartridge and back it up as a file. When you dump the NAND of your PSP, it means backing up the data your PSP needs to start up.
EBOOT – Refers either to the executable format or the process of executing unsigned code on the PlayStation Portable. Simply put, if we have executables (.exe) to run/install programs on PCs, we have EBOOTs for the PSP.
eLoader – Short for EBOOT Loader. It allows you to run homebrew on PSP FW 2.0 and higher.
Emulator – A program that mimics other video game systems, and allows you to play games from that platform. An SNES emulator for instance, allows you to play SNES roms. In terms of emulators, a ROM is a copy of the data that makes up the game. ROMs are acquired by the process of dumping. Zx-81 is one of the more prolific programmers who released a gagillion emulators. DaedalusX64 is an N64 emulator in development.
Exploit – You will usually hear developers going ga-ga when they hear that someone’s found an exploit. Exploits are weaknesses found in firmware, allowing you to play unsigned code. The latest exploit was found in the old PSP game, GripShift, which exposed a vulnerability in the PSP-3000.
Firmware – If PCs have BIOS (those blue or black screens that pop up when you start your PC), then PSPs have firmware. Firmware is basically a computer program that is embedded in a hardware device.
Flash0 and Flash1 – This is the heart and brain of your firmware. These folders contain files that your PSP needs to run. It’s best not to mess with them unless your name is Dark AleX. If you ever find that you need to mess with them, make sure you have backups, or else prepare a box of tissue when you brick your PSP.
Flashing – Rewriting (adding, deleting, changing) content in your flash memory. Needless to say, you can brick your PSP if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Hard Down – Downgrading done via hardware, as opposed to a Soft Down.
Hello World – A simple program used to test exploits, displaying text on the screen saying “Hello, World.”
HEN (Homebrew Enabler) – An application that allows unsigned code or homebrew to be launched and run from the PSP by making use of exploits on the 2.00 to 3.50 firmwares and certain commercial games as long as it is active.
Homebrew – Games and applications created by unofficial software developers.
IPL (Initial Program Loader) – The IPL is a part of the PSP’s system software that is the first to be run during the boot process. It is responsible for loading the PSP’s system software.
iR Shell – A shell by AhMan that acts like an operating and navigation system. It’s an organizational tool that basically replaces the PSP’s XMB. Instead of using the XMB, you use iR Shell to load and run things, to access the PSP’s features, etc.
ISO – ISO is short for ISO 9660, a standard published by the International Standards Organisation to describe a standard format for disk images. PSP ISOs are files containing an image of the contents of a UMD disk, usually a UMD game.
Jigkick Battery – See Pandora’s BatteryKernel – A component that grants access not normally allowed for users. It’s basically the barriers that prevent users from accessing things that could damage how the system works.
Lua – Lua is a simple and lightweight scripting language used to create games and applications. It is usually used as an entry-level programming language for coding PSP games and applications.
Magic Memory Stick – See Pandora’s Battery
Mod (hardware) – Mods refer to physical modifications made to the PSP. This can range from simple changes to extensive changes. An extreme example is this mod from alien_x, who disassembled the entire PSP and arranged its innards on a sheet of plexiglass:
ms0: – You will hear this a lot when dealing with homebrew. This refers to the root of your memory stick.
NAND Chip – You will occasionally encounter this term thrown around by devs. It refers to a chip on your PSP that contains sensitive data like the IPL, the IDStorage, and the flash memory. End-users of homebrew shouldn’t concern themselves with it.
Pandora’s Battery – Team C+D’s Pandora’s Battery is the collective name for a Magic Memory Stick and a JigKick Battery. These two can be used to downgrade or unbrick a PSP. A Magic Memory Stick is a converted Memory Stick Pro Duo, while a JigKick Battery is a converted PSP battery. Making them were a complicated process when first introduced to the homebrew community, but since then the process has been simplified with various prepper homebrew.
Plugin (PRX files) – Used in custom firmware for customized functionality in your PSP. Plugins can have various or specific functions, from simple things like turning off your PSP screen to save on battery life, to stopping your PSP from loading the UMD when you’re in the XMB. To activate plugins, you’ll need to edit VSH.txt in your memstick’s seplugins folder, and then you have to activate the plugin via the VSH Menu.
POPS – This is the PSP’s built-in (hence, official) PSOne emulator. Short for PopStation.
Popsloader – Some firmwares have difficulty playing certain PSOne games, so the Popsloader is there to load POPS from other firmwares to make them run correctly.
Portal – In PSP terms, a portal is a webpage that contains Flash-based games, applications, and links to other useful sites. Portal applications for the PSP can be accessed by way of the PSP’s built-in web browser.
PSP (PlayStation Portable) – A handheld game console released by Sony.
PSP Brite – This name refers to the PSP-3000 series. The 3000 series features an improved LCD that has an increased color range, five times the contrast ratio, half the pixel response time, and anti-reflective technology for improved outdoor play. It also has interlacing “features,” but let’s not get into that.
PSP Phat – This name refers to the original PSP-1000 series.
PSP Slim – This name refers to the PSP-2000 series, which is 33% lighter and 9% slimmer than the original PSP-1000s. The internal memory (RAM and Flash ROM) is double than that of the Phat. It has 64 MB while the Phat only has 32 MB. This extra memory opened many possibilities in homebrew development.
PTF – A theme format that offers less customization compared to a CTF theme. PTF themes can be run on official firmware and usually change only the XMB’s icons and wallpaper.
Recovery Menu – Before the release of the Pandora Battery, the Recovery Menu acted as the front-line recovery tool for the PSP, since it was still accessible if a PSP becomes semi-bricked. It can also be used to make changes to the PSP’s firmware and functionality. This is where you go to activate plugins. You can access the recovery menu by holding R when turning on your PSP.
ReadMe – Usually comes packaged with homebrew. Should contain useful information like installation procedures, changelogs, and known bugs. It is advised you read it before installing the homebrew.
Shell – A shell application is an alternative OS that replaces the PSP’s XMB. Most shell applications replicate the XMB’s functionality, adding a few extra features such as CPU overclocking, text and ebook readers, and others. It can even mimic the environment of other platforms, like Windows, Mac OS, the iPhone, and even the Wii. Perhaps the most popular shell application is AhMan’s iRShell.
Soft Down – Downgrading done via software, as opposed to a Hard Down.
TA-088v3 Motherboard – What you don’t want to end up with if you want custom firmware on your PSP. This mobo appears on some of the newer models of the PSP Slim. Devs are still figuring out how to hack this motherboard. Dark AleX has released a program that allows you to find out if your PSP has the mobo.
Theme, XMB Theme – PSP themes allow you to change the appearance of your PSP’s XMB. Starting with firmware 3.70, Sony has released official PSP themes along with a program that lets anybody create their own themes. The number of official Sony themes are still dwarfed by user-made “unofficial” themes.
VSH – Another name for the XMB, but it has more access to the PSP’s settings than the XMB does.
VSH menu – This allows you to change certain PSP functions, like the speed of your CPU Clock, and could also allow you access to the recovery menu. If you have CFW on your PSP, you can access this by pressing select while in your XMB.
XMB (Cross Media Bar, XrossMediaBar) – The XMB is your PSP’s graphical user interface (GUI). It is basically the main menu, where you have access to the PSP’s main functions, like playing videos and music, running games, and accessing the PlayStation Network. It’s very intuitive, and Sony even won an Emmy Award for it.
And that wraps up the QJ PSP Homebrew Dictionary. We hope you find it useful. It’s not yet finished of course. The PSP scene’s always changing, always moving, so look forward to new versions of the dictionary in the future. Also, do you have anything you want to change or add to the glossary? Give a shout out in the comments!
Also, do note that the QJ QuickGuides will be a regular feature here at QJ, so do come back every Tuesdays for your weekly QJQG dose!