QuickJump QuickGuide Issue #2: What’s your Firmware? OFWs and CFWs database (Part 1)

QJ QuickGuides Issue #2 - Image 1It’s Tuesday once again, and you know what we’ve got in store for you every Tuesday: the QJ QuickGuides series! After having gone through the most basic homebrew terms there is to know about via the PSP Homebrew Dictionary from Issue #1, now it’s time to have a look at the Firmwares that have shaped and molded our much-loved PSP handhelds to the wonder-platform that it is today. We proudly present to you the QJ QuickGuides Issue #2: What’s your Firmware: OFWs and CFWs database. Click away to full article, then!

QJ QuickGuides Issue #2 - Image 1

Originally posted on 17 February, 2009 at 08:58AM

It’s Tuesday once again, and you know what we’ve got in store for you every Tuesday: the QJ QuickGuides series! For this week, we’re now moving up a notch to Issue #2, and after having gone through the most basic homebrew terms there is to know about via the PSP Homebrew Dictionary from Issue #1 (and we’re not done updating that yet!), now it’s time to have a look at the Firmwares that have shaped and molded our much-loved PSP handhelds to the wonder-platform that it is today.

We proudly present to you the QJ QuickGuides Issue #2: What’s your Firmware: OFWs and CFWs database. As the title suggests, we will be providing you with the basic information, via a comparative table, between the Official Firmwares from Sony, and the Custom Firmwares developed by our homebrew Gods.

To make it more efficient, we have placed it in table format, so it’ll be much easier for you guys to check out what got installed where, and what was the counter-hack of the devs to the official updates. It’s a true battle of the wits, you’ll see.

But since it’s gonna be a looooong trek back through history, we have decided to make this issue a two-parter, just so you guys won’t have to wade through heaploads of Firmware information in one sitting. At least there’ll be more for you to come back to next week, right?


LEGEND:

CFWs/Exploits with highlights
OFWs without highlights

1.00

Initial Japanese Release

  • Original Release
  • No content authorization system

1.50

Initial North American Release

Support for:

  • Content authorization
  • New video codecs
  • Multiple languages

1.50 KXploit

Killer-X of PSP-DEV discovered the KXploit, which allows homebrew to run on 1.50 FW.

1.50 POC

(Proof of Concept) Released by Dark AleX. Just to prove that it can be done.

Changelog:

  • Execution of normal pbp’s (1.00 ones, no-kxploited)
  • Possibility of hiding corrupt icons
  • Possibility of skipping the SCE logo at the startup.
  • “Recovery mode:”
  • Autoexecution of a program at the startup.

1.51

Security update to patch KXploit exploit

1.52

Initial UK Release

  • Revisions to strengthen security have been added
  • Support for UMD music

1.53 CFW

Released by Eiffel56. Named CFW 1.53 so as to not confuse with SonyÂ’s 1.51 and 1.52 FWs.

Changelog:

  • Recovery Menu
  • Boot Menu
  • Integrated uxMB
  • You can start 1.00 style EBOOTS
  • You can hide corrupt data icons
  • You can start ISO/DAX files
  • You can load your own plugins(PRX)
  • Autoboot EBOOTs at startup
  • Never turn off the backlight in XMB

1.62 IE CFW

(Increasing Edition Version) Released by becus25.

1.62 IE A Update 1

General Functions

  • Hide corrupt icons.
  • Skip Sony logo.
  • You can start not xploited eboots.
  • You can start modules.
  • Contains two recovery menú. If it does not detect one it loads the other.
  • You can change the speed of CPU from VSH/XMB . (press HOME+SELECT to change speed). *new
  • In software system puts “version 1.62 IE A”. *new
  • Recovery and the XMF estan now fused . *new

Recovery functions

  • You will be able to recover the PSP of semi-brick.
  • Usb available.
  • You can personalize XMB
  • You can have three styles of icons of the XMB in the MS and change them from recovery (in this version, this setting is disabled, but in other versions will be enabled)
  • You can activate/deactivate Autoboots (put the autoboot on pspgamebooteboot.pbp ) from recovery without any kept configuration file. *new
  • Recovery mode, this structured like a menu . *new

1.62 IE B Update 1

General functions:

  • In software system puts “version 1.62 IE-B”.
  • Recovery and the XMF were now fused .
  • Added security and the flasher and you will not break the PSP
  • Bug fix ( when activated autoboot and was not in the route that touched to the PSP crashed; now if it passes that, the PSP returns to the XMBwith normality .
  • More speed in recovery mode.

Recovery functions:

  • You can activate/deactivate Autoboots (put the autoboot on pspgamebooteboot.pbp ) from recovery without any kept configuration file.
  • Recovery mode, this structured like a menu .
  • Structured section “ADVANCE” like a menu . From this section you can do this:
    • Change the theme of PSP
    • You can activate/deactivate autoboots.
    • You can hide or not hide corrupt icons from the XMB.

1.62 IE B Update 2

  • You can choose to skip or not skip the Sony Computer Entertainment logo from the recovery.
  • You can activate/deactivate load noxploited eboots (1.00) from recovery for later load it from XMB

2.00

Initial UK Release (update disc included)

[Network] added

·Internet Browser added

Video

·4:3 Screen mode added(for video saved n MemStick Duo media)

·Go To Feature (For UMDVideo and UMDMusic)

·A-B Repeat feature (for UMDVideo, UMDMusic and video saved on MemStick Duo media)

·Audio options (for video saved on MemStick Duo Media)

·MP4 (AVC) as playable file format (for video saved on MemStick Duo media)

Music

·SonicStage v3.2 (or later) and PSP system software 2.00 (or later) combined to make possible for music files in ATRAC3 plus format to be transferred to a MemStick Pro Duo

·MP4 and WAV as playable file formats

Photo

·Wallpaper feature

·Image Transfer feature

·TIFF, GIF, PNG, BMP as viewable file formats

Settings

·Korean added as a system language

·Character Set added in System Settings

·Theme Settings

·Internet Browser Start Control added as Security mode

·WPA-PSK (TKIP) added as Security mode

·Web address shortcut feature added as an input for the on-screen keyboard

2.00 TIFF Exploit

NOPx86 released a POC TIFF vulnerability, which was later used by a team of PSP devs (the Noobz! team composed of psp250, Skylark, Joek2100, CSwindle, JimP and Fanjita) to create a Hello World demo that runs on all PSP firmwares that can view TIFF images

2.01

Security update to patch TIFF exploit. Was discovered later on to not work correctly in every version through 3.03 (GTA: Liberty City Stories exploit)

2.50

Network

  • LocationFree Player added
  • Auto-Select and Unicode (UTF-8) added to browser
  • Settings for Text Size and Display Mode and the input history of online forms accessed can now be saved in the browser

Video

  • Copyright-protected video can now be played

Settings

  • Set via Internet added to Date and Time
  • WPA-PSK (AES) added to security method under Network Settings

Other

  • Korean input added to on-screen keyboard

2.60

Support for Audio RSS feeds

2.70

Support for Adobe Flash Player (Version 6)

2.71

Support to download Game Demos from the Internet Browser

2.71 SE

Released by Dark AleX.

2.71 SE-A

·1.00/1.50 Eboot support (both kernel and user mode).

·2.71 Eboot support (both kernel and user mode).

·Runs on 2.71 VSH.

·Ability to run Devhook (both 1.50 and 2.71 versions are fully compatible).

·Ability to run all 2.71 (and lower UMDs).

·1.00/1.50 prx executable support.

·Support both KXploited and unpatched eboots for 1.50 kernel.

·Support any 2.71 homebrew coded for HEN C.

·Compatibility is 100% for 2.71 homebrew and approx 99% for 1.00/1.50 homebrew.

·Recovery mode.

2.71 SE-B

·ISO/CSO support

·All previous incompatible UMD’s work

·Loading of 1.50 homebrew from GAME folder and 2.71 homebrew from GAME271 folder – now supported

·Execution of EBOOT on Startup

·Ability to enable/disable the noplainmodulecheck patch in umds/isos (for advanced users)

·Ability to force the use of boot.bin in umds

2.71 SE-C

  • UMD not needed in SE-C for execution of ISO’s
  • USBHostfs support built-in
  • DAX ISO support
  • The selection of plugins from MS
  • Some omitted protections to improve the creation of homebrew in the 2.71 Kernel, especially since there’s a possible emergence of an irShell for 2.71

·Games from USB will be possible by loading a plugin from MS

Epsilon Bios

Released for use with the Undiluted Platinum Modchip

2.80

Support for Video RSS feeds

Update for LocationFree Player to support AVC video codec

Secret patching of sceKernelLoadExec bug, but opening sceRegOpenRegistry exploit

2.81

Support for memsticks with capacity >4GB

Security update for libtiff exploit

2.82

Revisions to strengthen security has been added

3.00

Support for:

  • PlayStation 3 Remote Play
  • Classic PSone games

Music visualizer added

3.01

PSN titles support expanded

3.02

PSN titles support expanded

3.02 OE

(Open Edition) Released by Dark AleX

3.02 OE-A

  • 3.02 Custom Firmware – 3.02 firmware environment with 1.50 homebrew capability.
  • Can run homebrew using 3.02 kernel
  • UMD Video region free
  • PSP kernel region selector
  • O/X button selector
  • WMA enabling option
  • Flash player enabling option
  • Pops (SCE PSOneemulator) – DRM protection hacked (Which means that you can now your game on more than one psp, and share them over the internet)

3.02 OE-B

  • Ability to play your own PlayStation titles

3.03

PSN titles support expanded

Added:

  • Support for taking photos and videos using the camera

3.03 OE

Released by Dark AleX

3.03 OE-A

  • Change from firmware 3.02 to 3.03
  • Added support for compression in psx isos (look at popstation documentation for more details)
  • Added support for decrypted document.dat (psx games manual) (look at docmaker documentation for more details)
  • Fixed a bug regarding free region: a stupid bug caused it not to work at all. Now it should work, although it has not been tested due to lack of umd’s of different regions between the testers and me
  • Some generic bug fixes in the code
  • Redded the sdk

3.03 OE-AÂ’

  • Added cpu clock selection for umd/iso games. (not for vsh yet)
  • Fixed various bugs regarding the recovery menu, one of them made “rare text” appear when entering in plugins if pops plugins existed, the other one caused a crash when pressing triangle.
  • Fixed a small part of code in umd emulation that was not multithread safe.

3.03 OE-B

  • Patched the firmware to allow decrypted mp4-AVC videos to play at 480×272 resolution.
  • pic0.png was not shown in psp isos. Fixed.
  • The speed functions were not dummied after setting the speed. This could cause the few games that set the cpu speed not to run at the selected speed in the recovery menu.
  • Changed the structure of the program to have more free ram in game mode.
  • sysmemp.prx removed, systemctrl.prx splitted into systemctrl.prx and vshctrl.prx
  • Docmaker also now allows for 1000 png (images) to be used rather than the previous 100

3.03 OE-C

  • AVC videos bitrate limit patched. The firmware limited the bitrate of avc videos to only 768 Kbps. OE now forces the limit to be 16384 Kbps. (Note: this doesn’t mean than the psp can handle such a high bitrate, this means than they won’t show error. I don’t know which is the real maximum bitrate than the psp can handle at full speed)
  • Speed of OE boot is now ~3 seconds faster than previous versions. (without plugins)
  • CPU speed of XMB can now be changed.
  • Wifi can now work at 333 Mhz!
  • Added access to flash 0 and 1 via usb in the recovery menu, based on the great idea of USBSSS by Booster. Note that writing is enabled, so this is intended only for advanced users that know what they are doing in each moment.(It is not a great idea to change anything from the kd folder). Because of this addition, the rest of flashing options were removed.
  • PSP isos can now be deleted as any normal memstick games. (also the size of the iso now shows fine when you press triangle->information).
  • When formatting memory stick, GAME150, GAME303 and ISO directories will be automatically created!
  • Changes in internal HEN core:
    • If a EBOOT.PBP with a plain DATA.PSP had a data.psar, modulemgr took as size of the executable the size of data.psp+data.psar. Fixed. (this fix enables psx games to have plain data.psp without causing a memory error).
    • Added a couple of patches found by Tyranid. One allows syscalls instructions to be used in kernel mode without causing a crash. The other allows sceKernelQueryModuleInfo to work with sceInit and previous modules.

3.10

Added:

  • Dynamic normalizer
  • Conserve memory option
  • PlayStation Spot menu under Network *Japanese version exclusive*

Secret patching of sceRegOpenRegistry and GTA exploits

3.10 OE

Released by Dark AleX

3.10 OE-A

  • Change from 3.03 firmware to 3.10
  • 4th level of brightness (aka battery eater) can now be selected also without ac adaptor.
  • Changes in hen core:
    • Static user elf’s can now be executed in the 3.10 kernel. (this includes snes user version between other programs)
    • Tyranid’s patch (added in 3.03 OE-C) consequences was not explained very well in the changelog of 3.03 OE-C:
  • For programmers: it allows kernel modules to have user imports, making kernel programming in 3.03/3.10 less strict.
  • For users: plugins and applications that worked in 2.71 SE, but not in OE, *may* now work in 3.03OE-C and 3.10 OE-A.

3.11

Added:

  • Reset option for PSN games
  • “Portable TV” menu under “Network” *Japanese version exclusive*

3.30

  • Support for thumbnail images within RSS channel and in video folder
  • MPEG-4/H.264 support for 720×480, 352×480, 480×272 (native resolution)

3.30 OE

Released by Dark Alex

3.30 OE-A

  • Includes all past features from previous CFWs, as well as all those built into the official 3.30, with the exception of the LocationFree Player
  • CFW 1.50 features
  • ISO/CSO loading and homebrew support

3.30 OE-AÂ’

  • Bugfix in execution of PSP games (Metal Slug 6, etc).

3.40

  • PSN titles support expanded
  • “Certificate Utility” option erased (can still be accessed by pressing triangle on the selected game)
  • Saved data from the PS format software can be used on both PSP & PS3 systems

3.40 OE

Released by Dark AleX.

  • Security patch: Fixed a bug that has been in all 3.XX OE, that caused random data to be written to a location in lcdc.prx or (in worst case) emc_sm.prx ram space.
  • Autboot that is missing since 3.03 OE-C has been reimplemented.
  • Improvements in the flasher. It will now generate also the flash1 directories, and it will check that the dxar is the correct for this update, so no more bricks by accidentally using other DATA.DXAR.

3.40 LE

Released by Team Wildcard.

  • A reverse engineered version to the OE CFW source code

Changelog:

  • Everything you know and love from 3.40 OE-A
  • A sexy new SCEP-style recovery menu
  • In-XMB configuration menu
  • Auto-detection of the kernel needed for homebrew – no need for GAME150 and GAME340; just put it all in GAME

3.40 IE

(Increasing Edition Version) Released by becus25.

  • 3.40 OE modification made to include a new “recovery menu” to use along with 3.40 IE-A.


But of course that’s not all there is to the wonderful, ever-colliding world of OFWs and CFWs. Part 2 will be up next week, starting from the M33 Firmware, all the way to the most recent brewed GEN firmware. So do watch out for that, and be sure to mark Tuesdays on your calendars for your usual dose of QJ QuickGuides, only here at QJ.NET.

Till next week!

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