Welcome!  

Welcome to Fanjita's home on the web, dedicated mainly to the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP). If you're looking for the old Star Wars Galaxies content, then you can click on the link on the left, or here.

If you have any comments, good or bad, please let me know at Homebrew@fanjita.org.

News  
Click here for older news items
2 July 2006 : Real Downgrader for v2.5/2.6  
After recent events in homebrew-land, there is now in fact a real downgrader available for v2.5 and v2.6 firmwares, so you can partially ignore the news article below. Of course, instead of paying for a downgrader, you can just download it for free (as intended by the authors) from one of the many PSP news sites that are covering the news - e.g. here. We can't recommend it personally, because we haven't tested it ourselves, but the reports seem to have been good so far.

In other news, people have been asking what the future is for eLoader, and the new kernel-mode exploit on v2.5 and v2.6. We've been looking at the exploit, and trying to convert it into something more usable.

Right now, our aim is to develop something that no longer needs the full eloader to run homebrew. The ideal would be to hack the kernel in memory, so that temporarily it will allow homebrew to be run directly from the PSP's XMB menu. In theory, now that we have kernel-mode access, this should be possible, but it could take some time. In the meantime, I'm sure that others are probably also working on similar ideas.

We're busy with our normal lives at the moment, so please don't ask when something will be ready. The additional pressure simply discourages us from working on the PSP projects.

25 Jun 2006 : Fake Downgrader  
It seems that someone has been selling a fake downgrader, and giving Fanjita's name as a contact "in case there are any problems". Can we just make a few things absolutely clear:
  • This supposed downgrader is nothing to do with Fanjita, Ditlew or Noobz.
  • So far, there is NO working downgrader for any firmware higher than v2.0. Anyone claiming to have a downgrader for v2.01 or above is just trying to rip you off.
  • Fanjita, Ditlew and the Noobz name will never be associated with any of these fake downgraders. If you see anyone claiming a connection, then please let us know, and we'll do everything we can to get them closed down.
  • Occasionally an advert for a fake downgrader will appear in the google ads on the right of this page. We've done what we can to block these ads (and also those for pirated software, ISOs etc.) from the site, but control over Google ads is quite limited, and sometimes advertisers adopt tricks to bypass the filters.
Thanks.

26 Apr 2006 : NOOBZ! is born  
v2.7 Firmware   For a long time we've been a bit uncomfortable with the fact that the official home for eLoader was fanjita.org, even though it was a joint project between Ditlew and Fanjita. Finally we came up with a team name that we think fits us perfectly, and so the new domain, Noobz.eu, is born.

Noobz.eu will be the official home of eLoader, and all our joint projects, from now on. The old fanjita.org links will continue to work for a while, but will eventually be withdrawn.

25 Apr 2006 : v2.7 Firmware  
v2.7 Firmware   Most people are now aware that the v2.7 firmware has been released by Sony. We've been getting a lot of questions about it, so here's a quick FAQ:
  • Homebrew does not work on v2.7. The GTA exploit is thoroughly patched, and the TIFF exploit is still patched. If you like homebrew, DO NOT UPGRADE.
  • We have no idea when homebrew will be available on v2.7. We need a whole new exploit, which could take some time. In our opinion (shared with EdisonCarter) there is no future for the GTA exploit on v2.7.
  • LocoRoco is an encrypted, signed EBOOT. The only way to run homebrew in the same way is to get Sony's encryption key and sign the homebrew. That's not going to be possible in our lifetime.
  • There could well be an exploit to be found in all the new function, e.g. flash player, AAC support, etc. We're not actively working on one.
  • There might be an exploit to be found in another game. We're not actively working on one.
  • There's no truth in the rumour that v2.7 has made us angry, and that we're going to work on an ISO loader as revenge.
  • The LocoRoco demo REQUIRES v2.70, even if you hack the PARAM.SFO in the EBOOT. It's pretty cool, but there's homebrew that's cooler.
Once again, the most important point: If you don't think that slow support for an old version of Macromedia Flash, and support for the very latest games, is worth trading for homebrew for the next few months - then DO NOT UPGRADE.

21 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 FINAL  
eMenu-- v0.1   After 4 successful public betas, we have decided to release a final version of eMenu-- v0.1. We have even added a few things since beta 4. From now on this will be our official menu for eLoader. The reason we desided to make a new menu, was the increasing trouble the old menu gave us. It had become hard to maintain and was rather slow when having more than a page of homebrew. eMenu-- is made with 3 design rules in mind: Simple, Fast, Stable. If a features conflicts with any of the three it won't be added. eMenu-- has been tested with 700+ homebrew folders, and has proven to be just as fast as if only a handful had been installed.

Install eMenu-- if you like a simple, fast, stable no bs menu for your eLoader!

Current features include:
  • GUI front-end to all eLoader versions
  • Overclocking possibility
  • Help screen
  • Resource overview (memory, battery, usb status, cpu + bus speed)
  • USB support on firmware 2.0, using the TIFF exploit.
  • Supports custom png background.
  • Screenshot of the menu.
  • Slumber mode.
Slumber mode is a new feature, that lets you clock the PSP down to 1 MHz, and blanks the screen. It's automatically turned on when you activate the PSP's 'HOLD' switch. So far we didn't find a way to automatically turn off the screen backlight, but you can do that by holding the "SCREEN" button for a few seconds before switching on HOLD. Handy when you need to take a break but don't want to exit eLoader.

You can download this eMenu-- in two flavours: Auto-Installer for Windows, or ZIP file for other platforms

Any feedback can be sent to emenu@fanjita.org.

18 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 Public Beta 4  
eMenu-- Beta 4   Beta 3 didn't really give us much feedback, hopefully due to lack of bugs. Anyway, we have fixed the icon code, so it can show interlanced icons. We have also redone the list code to fix a potential problem, and in the process simplified the code even further. This will most likely be the final beta, and we consider it a release candidate. Please bear in mind the following points for this beta release:
  1. eMenu-- is meant to be a simple, fast, stable no bs alternative to the standard eLoader menu.
  2. This is intended for use with eLoader v0.95+
  3. This is not an 'offical' release, it is only a public beta, meant for people to try out and give us some feedback. Don't download this file unless you know how to use a custom menu with the eLoader. If you don't, please wait for the proper release.
  4. No support is offered on this menu yet. If you don't know what to do with this file, don't download it. We don't want you to ruin your eLoader setup.
  5. Although Ditlew has done most of the work on this so far, it's still a joint project, and will be released as a part of the eLoader package at some point in the future.
You can grab it here. Please send feedback to emenu@fanjita.org.

17 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 Public Beta 3  
eMenu-- Beta 3   We had some feedback regarding the menu crashing when parsing certain homebrew. We looked into it, and found out that it was due to a bug in 'libpng' that can't handle interlanced png's. We have also added a screenshot feature to aid the feedback plus updated the help screen. Please bear in mind the following points for this beta release:
  1. eMenu-- is meant to be a simple, fast, stable no bs alternative to the standard eLoader menu.
  2. This is intended for use with eLoader v0.95+
  3. This is not an 'offical' release, it is only a public beta, meant for people to try out and give us some feedback. Don't download this file unless you know how to use a custom menu with the eLoader. If you don't, please wait for the proper release.
  4. No support is offered on this menu yet. If you don't know what to do with this file, don't download it. We don't want you to ruin your eLoader setup.
  5. Although Ditlew has done most of the work on this so far, it's still a joint project, and will be released as a part of the eLoader package at some point in the future.
You can grab it here. Please send feedback to emenu@fanjita.org.

14 Apr 2006 : eMenu-- v0.1 Public Beta 2  
eMenu Beta 2   We've been exploring the possibility of a simpler, faster and less buggy menu for eLoader, because at least some of the unstable homebrew seems to be because of problems with the current official menu. Following a previous early public beta, we've incorporated feedback and added graphics and alphabetic sort functionality, while still trying to keep the main principles of eMenu--, which are speed, simplicity, and stability. Please bear in mind the following points for this beta release:
  1. eMenu-- is meant to be a simple, fast, stable no bs alternative to the standard eLoader menu.
  2. This is intended for use with eLoader v0.95+
  3. This is not an 'offical' release, it is only a public beta, meant for people to try out and give us some feedback. Don't download this file unless you know how to use a custom menu with the eLoader. If you don't, please wait for the proper release.
  4. No support is offered on this menu yet. If you don't know what to do with this file, don't download it. We don't want you to ruin your eLoader setup.
  5. Although Ditlew has done most of the work on this so far, it's still a joint project, and will be released as a part of the eLoader package at some point in the future.
You can grab it here. Please send feedback to emenu@fanjita.org.

4 Apr 2006 : Alternative Bock Version  
Alternative Bock!   A lot of people have been having problems with the Bock release, especially on v2.0 PSPs. These problems seem to be mostly due to the menu, so we've packaged a version of the release that uses the old menu. This will also be better for people who have had a problem with the file list caching feature.

Apart from the menu, this version is identical to the standard Bock release, including all the wifi support. You can download this release in the usual two flavours: Auto-Installer for Windows, or ZIP file for other platforms. Please also look at the README file, it has lots of useful information.

2 Apr 2006 : eLoader 0.9.7 - Bock  
Bock!   Oh come on now, did you really think we'd leave you guys? You do know what day it was yesterday, right?

We're proud to release the latest version of eLoader, known as "Bock". The major new feature is, wait for it... automatic WiFi support for homebrew on all firmwares! That means that the wifi hack is now officially a thing of the past, and everyone can look forward to seamless networked homebrew, both infrastructure and ad-hoc.

Massive thanks for the trick to enable wifi support has to go to Chris Swindle, who discovered it while working on the networking for the latest release of the Quake homebrew, which we've tested extensively to get working with the eLoader. For those who are wondering, this does not mean that we now have more access to kernel-mode - Chris found a function that allows you to load and initialise the networking libraries from within user-mode.

The other minor feature is that the default menu now caches the list of homebrew on your memory stick, so if it's less than an hour since the menu last scanned, then it will just load the cached data instead, making it much faster to load the menu if you have a lot of homebrew.

If you want to try out the new wifi support, then the following apps should all work fine: You can download this release in the usual two flavours: Auto-Installer for Windows, or ZIP file for other platforms. Please also look at the README file, it has lots of useful information.

1 Apr 2006 : We Give Up!  
Enough is enough   Following recent announcements about movie studios ditching the PSP, and after months and months of battling to bring homebrew to a console whose makers obviously don't want it, we decided that it's time to throw in the towel.

Therefore, as of now, there will be no more eLoader releases. Sorry. I know this may seem sudden, but it's been coming for a long time, our enthusiasm for the PSP has been slowly dwindling over the past couple of months.

The final nail in the coffin was spending the last few weeks trying to break a leaked copy of the v3.0 firmware release. Sony have done a really good job on this one, and we've given up hope of being able to crack it. Not even the GTA exploit works - it seems that Sony are really serious about security this time, and it's depressing. The slog ahead to try to crack what amounts to a total rewrite of the firmware just doesn't seem worth it. Good luck to anyone who does decide to try.

Fanjita has decided to move to develop for the Gizmondo, a console that has been neglected for homebrew, but where the battle isn't quite so unrelenting. Work has begun on an eLoader for the Gizmondo, allowing the same rich homebrew platform that PSP owners have grown to love. Some people will ask, "Surely the GP2X would be a better choice?", but I've always said that the GP2X doesn't offer any sort of a challenge. Sorry guys, but the Gizmondo really needs some loving...

Ditlew has decided to focus his talents on furthering the burgeoning Xbox360 hacking scene.

So long PSP, it's been nice knowing you.

20 Mar 2006 : New Fanjita's Corner in PSP Weekly  
The latest issue of PSP Weekly was published today, including the second issue of "Fanjita's Corner", and plenty of news and reviews. You can grab it from its official home at pspzones.com.

Oh, and it's Fanjita's birthday today, thanks for all the good wishes. Probably the coolest present was a machine for making a chocolate fondue fountain. Great for Willy Wonka parties!

13 Mar 2006 : Fanjita's Corner  
The latest issue of PSP Weekly was published today, including the first of a regular series of question-and-answer sessions called "Fanjita's Corner", which is basically a mini-interview with questions sent in by readers.

PSP Weekly makes the proud claim of being the Internet's most downloaded and read PSP e-magazine, as well as the first and original weekly edition. Check it out, it's always a fun read. You can grab it from its official home at pspzones.com.

11 Mar 2006 : Improved site compatibility  
We spent a little time updating some of the code for this website, to make it more compatible with various browsers (mostly, those with JavaScript disabled, and the PSP's web browser). Hopefully users of those browsers will notice an improvement, and the rest of you will notice nothing at all ;)

While we were at it, we added an affiliate link for Decal Girl - a great source of custom skins and faceplates for your PSP and other consoles.

8 Mar 2006 : Introducing "Bière d'Alsace"  
Bière d'Alsace   We're proud to present the latest eLoader release - version 0.96, codenamed "Bière d'Alsace". The main focus of this release was to improve the configuration model, so that we have lots more flexibility for sorting out configuration problems. As well, we added a few features to spice things up. Here are the main highlights:
  • Full support for infra-red (for GTA-mode only).
  • Lots of extra configuration parameters, including GTA-only and TIFF-only options.
  • USB support in the menu (TIFF-mode only).
  • Use O as well as X to select in the menu.
  • Use Square to get EBOOT IDs from the menu.
  • Most corrupted menu icons now fixed.
  • GTA autoload option in installer.
We did a lot of testing on this release, and it seems to be more stable than Brown Ale, but there's always a chance that some things will be less stable. You can read the latest README file here. Click to download the Windows Installer or the ZIP version.

We've also taken the opportunity of this release to update the 'working homebrew' list. All the information in there is now accurate, as far as we know, but please let us know if you think anything is wrong.

6 Mar 2006 : Book Recommendation  
I thought I'd mention a cool book I read recently, which is probably of interest to most people reading this site. It's called "Hacking the PSP" by Auri Rahimzadeh, and basically a guide to getting the most out of your PSP. It starts with the basics, like loading up with MP3s and videos, and moves on to various hardware and software hacks.

Auri has done a good job of maintaining a website with the inevitable updates as the PSP scene matures, which should prevent it from going out of date. He also aims to reply to every email and IM received from readers. Why not pick it up? It's an interesting read, with plenty of useful tips and projects. Even I learnt a few things! You can order it here (UK) or here (US), and read more about it (including some sample excerpts) here.

23 Feb 2006 : Brown Ale configuration update  
From now on we'll be maintaining a copy of what we consider to be the "latest and greatest" configuration files for eLoader, updated as new configuration settings are discovered. We've uploaded a config pack containing current tested and confirmed changes. You can read about it using the 'Latest Config' link on the left, or by clicking here. The affected programs in this update are: BookR (TIFF mode), ScummVM, PSP-GBA (GTA mode) and SNES9x TYL (v2.6 firmware).

22 Feb 2006 : Stability patch for Brown Ale  
Brown Ale patch   There have been a few irritating bugs found in the Brown Ale release, that were simple to fix, so we produced a patch. We recommend that anyone who has downloaded the release should download this new version and reinstall it. The original files on this site have been replaced with the new ones. You can verify whether you have the patch installed by looking at the text on the menu : the patch says clearly that it is a patch. Here are the changes:
  • No more 'corrupted data' icons in the save games folder - the backup savegame information is now saved in /psp/eloader.
  • Corrected config file path
  • Various TIFF loader stability fixes
  • Removed most crashes with L+R+START
  • Replaced the beta icons
  • Improved editability of file paths.
Download links are as in the original release post.

22 Feb 2006 : Interview with PSP'n Go  
I had the pleasure of giving an interview to PSP'n Go, a French PSP website. You can read the English language version here, or in French here.

21 Feb 2006 : A bug in the beer!  
Brown Ale bug   Some people have found a bug in the Windows Installer code, that can cause save-games to appear to be corrupted. We've fixed that bug and updated the release.

However, if you already installed on a PSP with the US or German GTA version, then you may have a corrupted savegame - this will be a folder in /psp/savedata called [something].bak, usually ULUS10041S0.bak or ULES00182S0.bak. To fix it:
  • Copy the files from the [something].bak folder into the [something] folder - e.g. ULUS10041S0.bak to ULUS10041S0.
  • Delete the [something].bak folder.
Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

20 Feb 2006 : Yummy, Brown Ale!  
Brown Ale is here   Hermit time is over! Say hello to the latest eLoader release, codenamed "Brown Ale". (From now on, each release will be named after a beer style, to liven things up a little).

Brown Ale is the final (non-beta) version of eLoader 0.9.5. It has the following main features:
  • Integrated release, supporting both TIFF and GTA launch methods
  • Automatic installer for Windows users
  • Stable support for all v2.0+ firmwares - no more special voodoo required to improve reliability
  • More memory for applications
  • Lots of bug fixes
  • And the much requested support for PSP-GBA
Click to download the Windows Installer or the ZIP version (for non-Windows users). You can also view the README file here.

10 Feb 2006 : Hermit Time!  
Hermit Crab   It's been getting increasingly difficult to focus on fixing up the loader over the last week or so. Lots of questions via email, on forums, and in IRC have made it difficult to concentrate. So, I took the decision to mostly avoid the forums, IRC, and answering email for a short while, until the loader is fixed. Most of the questions seemed to be asking when the next version of eLoader will be ready, anyway!

If you need help or advice, you can still stop by the official chat channel (see below), or visit the official forums at QJ.net, where there are plenty of people keen to help out.

6 Feb 2006 : Interview with PSPWeekly  
I had the pleasure of giving an interview to PSPWeekly, the original weekly PSP e-magazine. You can download the interview here and discuss it in its official forum here.

5 Feb 2006 : UK Memory Stick supplies  
Cheap Memory Stick Duos from PicStop.co.uk   For anyone who's had a hard time getting good prices on Memory Stick Duos in the UK, I'd just like to quickly mention PicStop, who I've been using as my MSD supplier for a few months now. They always have great service, and the lowest prices that I can find in the UK - last time I looked they were charging around £37 for 1GB.

Whenever anyone asks me the best place to get MSDs, I always recommend them. And now they've also given me an affiliate link, so if you buy from them it helps to support the eLoader project. I think they also ship internationally, although to be honest I don't know whether that still is such a good deal. You can probably get cheaper prices on eBay, but I've always steered clear because of the large number of fake memory sticks that seem to be on sale.

In the continued spirit of providing ways to support the project without directly costing you anything, I've added a few more affiliate links for UK companies that offer services that might be of interest to eLoader users, and that I have personally had great experiences with. The Cadbury's Chocolate site is particularly cool, especially with Valentine's day around the corner. You can check out the new links in the navigation bar on the left.

3 Feb 2006 : New IRC Channel  
New chat channel   And now for a second time, I'm indebted to Niacin of toc2rta.

Not only was he instrumental in developing the TIFF exploit that we now use to run homebrew on v2.0 firmware, but he's now also hosting an IRC channel for me, so that you can come and chat about the eLoader and other Fanjita-riffic things.

The channel is #fanjita on irc.toc2rta.com, or you can access it directly by clicking on the 'Live Chat' link on the left.

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