Pandora and PSGroove, the open source PS3 jailbreak

[gruso]

The post below was lifted directly from neogaf. I'm posting this on both Pandora forums.

(PSGroove) just came out.




http://github.com/psgroove/psgroove // http://ps3wiki.lan.st

This is the PSGroove, an open-source reimplementation of the psjailbreak exploit for AT90USB and related microcontrollers.

It should work on:


* AT90USB162


* AT90USB646


* AT90USB647


* AT90USB1286


* AT90USB1287


* ATMEGA32U4


... and maybe more.


This software is not intended to enable piracy, and such features have been disabled. This software is intended to allow the execution of unsigned third-party apps and games on the PS3.

More info here: http://github.com/psgroove/psgroove/blob/master/README.md

Since the above post, it's gotten even more interesting. Plans are underway to port the code to PSP and Android, which means you don't need to buy a dedicated microcontroller board to run this - just plug your device into the PS3. And with the source code available to all, who knows what other platforms we could see it ported to.


Anyone else fancy the idea of plugging a Pandora into their PS3 to enable homebrew?

 

[Tom`]

The post below was lifted directly from neogaf. I'm posting this on both Pandora forums.


Since the above post, it's gotten even more interesting. Plans are underway to port the code to PSP and Android, which means you don't need to buy a dedicated microcontroller board to run this - just plug your device into the PS3. And with the source code available to all, who knows what other platforms we could see it ported to.


Anyone else fancy the idea of plugging a Pandora into their PS3 to enable homebrew?

Yeah, but to be honest, I don't see Sony leaving this unpatched for long, and they're nowhere near as incompetent as Nintendo when it comes to security.


Which is (one reason) why I don't have a PS3.

 

[Asiyura]

I think that allowing the people to make homebrew on the consoles is a good thing for the PS3.


I was pretty disappointed that Sony removed the OtherOS support on the fat PS3. (well you had the choice between keeping the OtherOS and loosing all online functions or playing new games and keeping online functions that require the new firmware…)


So now, I hope some will make exciting homebrew that use the hardware to make FUN games!


The downside is that that allows copying games… And be honest with yourself, the majority will use the PSGroove to do that.


That means Sony will keep promoting the "all digital" that I hate.


I love to be able to sell a game that I don't like or buy a Collector Edition with a real paper artwork book…


I accept digital copy for remake or portage of old games (got mario lost level on my Wii, Final Fantasy VII and Suikoden) and games that cost less than 10€.


The only game I bought that cost more was Wipeout HD + Fury but at the time I wasn't aware that they would release a Blu-Ray version

 

[D4damage]

So how does this work ?

 

[gruso]

So how does this work ?

A couple of weeks ago, the first PS3 "modchip" was announced. They called it the PS3 Jailbreak and it looked just like a USB flash drive. They went up for preorder, and within days someone managed to do a teardown and figure out how it worked. It wasn't a USB drive; it contained a microprocessor and was effectively a clone of a tool that Sony devs / technicians have access to. When plugged in it causes some kind of buffer overflow and gives you unrestricted access to the system.

Sony have since been granted a court injunction to prevent sales of the device, as well as getting the right to seize all existing stock to be examined (!!)


But the cat was out of the bag already, and while the original ($150+) PS3 Jailbreak goes into legal limbo, the code is now out there for free courtesy of the PSGroove team. If this was somehow compiled for the Pandora, I imagine you would plug the Pandora into a PS3 USB port, run a script or whatever, and voila - homebrew enabled PS3.

 

[WizardStan]

I was pretty disappointed that Sony removed the OtherOS support on the fat PS3.

I actually made the argument that Sony was sealing their own coffin with that move. With the OtherOS option, those that wanted to hack around were able to, and thus there was no real need to find an exploit. Sony removed the OtherOS for fear that it was or could be used for piracy.


These hackers, previously happy playing with the OtherOS, no longer have a legit way to run their homebrew so seek out an exploit. Oops, exploit makes piracy even easier than the OtherOS did. Sorry Sony, you fail to understand your audience again: go back 3 spaces.

 

[Michoko]

Someone seems to work on a OMAP3 port:

I've got most of the PSjb exploit working on the OMAP3 (N900/IGEP/Beagleboard/Pandora/etc) but I'd have to lose OtherOS to test it :/

— Hector Martin (@marcan42)

September 1, 2010

 

[gruso]

So, just a wrap up of this here ^^ twitter stuff. I didn't know before today, but Marcan is one of the leading devs behind the Wii homebrew scene (responsible for Wiibrew, Twilight, Bootmii etc). Here are his updates from the last day:

I've got most of the PSjb exploit working on the OMAP3 (N900/IGEP/Beagleboard/Pandora/etc) but I'd have to lose OtherOS to test it :/

looks like there are some unrelated issues with the n900, I've got a few friends who will try with beagleboards soonish

Confirmed, the psjailbreak clone for OMAP3 works. Now let's see if I can make it more interesting than a mere clone.

I had someone test it on 3.41 on a Palm Pre

Interesting times.

 

[NLS]

This looks interesting, although I don't own a PS3 (and haven't received my Pandora yet)


@KodeIn, isn't the purpose of the PSGroove that it will NOT enable piracy?

 

[Granitehead]

This looks interesting, although I don't own a PS3 (and haven't received my Pandora yet)


@KodeIn, isn't the purpose of the PSGroove that it will NOT enable piracy?

Yeah, but I bet someone will write a backup tool soon - they can't do anything against that.

 

[Asiyura]

^ Exactly.


They won't release a backup launcher with their version, but soon another hacker will make it (I think they'll just rip it from a PS3 failbreak dongle).


IIRC it's how it happened on the Wii:


they enabled a way to launch non signed code for homebrews (Tyrian is just great and I don't have to buy all my nintendo games again thanks to the emulators)


then another hacker found a way to read discs to be able to read DVD movies


finally a third one made a backup launcher.


Edit : woops, made a mistake it's not failbreak, but jailbreak

 

[mvickers03]

Wow.. that's brilliant. Can't wait to try this with my Pandora\PS3

 

[DaMummy]

confirmed: the pandora runs ps3 backups

 

[Yannick]

confirmed: the pandora runs ps3 backups

yes, but you need a compatibility kit, don't worry it connects to USB and is available from sony

 

[gruso]

Bump.

Off topic here, but it builds without problems for pandora too (version for HF4):


http://notaz.gp2x.de/misc/pnd/ko/hf4/psfreedom.ko


..but according to vimacs it doesn't work. It's still heavily developed so I can build newer versions if anyone wants to try.

 

[Yannick]

All respect to notaz, but downloading a binary, intended to run in kernel space from *teh internetz* is not really considered wise.


Isn't there a new ps3 firmware update already disabling this code?

 

[gruso]

I'm sure you know you can trust Notaz, but point taken. To be fair he didn't intend to 'release' this as such, he just posted it in a related thread so I'm reposting.


Sony have indeed patched this, it's all cat and mouse from here on. There are ways to subvert / avoid the system update, plenty of info on that can be found on PS3 hacking sites. At the end of the day if you want to run homebrew on PS3, you have to be prepared to lose PSN. I am.

 

[DaMummy]

so its already patched by sony? how did they go about doing it now? disabling usb?