looking for Retron 5 hack to play Roms

neat trick! thanks for sharing.

re: the youtube video I'm guessing something like https://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/downloads/detail?name=apktool1.5.2.tar.bz2 was used to patch the home/update which is also pretty neat

 

2.0 beta3 has some hidden debug function.
I have enabled them and tested.

Copy current cartridge ROM to SD ： copy inserted cartridge to external SD. filename renamed to Game Title Name.
Reset configuration to defaults : reset configration to defaults and reboot system.
Enable USB debugging : enable/disable usb debug. but not rooted.
Enable in-game stats : I don't know this function.

 

Do you plan to release this? My primary interest in the system would be dumping my own roms. I don't really care for the emulation side. I guess that may not be a great idea though with all of the reported connector issues.

 

Retronlabo, I also am interested if you plan to release this version. It may be possible to do so as a patch.

 

Retronlabo ... please, release this patch !!!

 

I'm Japanese. so I'm sorry my poor english.

To apply dump/load ROM patch, next steps is needed.

1. Get a Factory Reset Image from official. and write to SD.
2. Replace update.img to my RSA sign hacked update.img
3. Boot Recovery mode. and write update.img and wipe data.
4. Apply my hacked retron-update.bin.

My hacked retron-update.bin is need to encrypt with your own retron-update-request.dat. so can't release public.

Please follow my twitter. After I follow you, send me direct mail.

 

Could you maybe make an unsigned update that's recognized by rk batch tool? That might eliminate the need to individually sign the updates (but for some reason my update.img was crashing rk batch tool while the stock one worked)

 

No use rk batch tool.
I made retron-update.bin. This file is encrypted and apply as same as official updater.

Official updater is signed with RSA and checked during update process. But I'cant sign. so I have removed RSA sign check from RetronUpdater.apk in the system.img.

 

@retron labo (forgive the google translate of your tweet)

I think you probably already figured it out, but just in case you hadn't--the issue with the posted boot.img stopping video on the emulator is the ro.kernel.qemu=1 which can be removed from default.prop (will fix this when I get time)

edit: also might be possible to patch out the DNA calls so that retron-update-request.dat would generate the same for all consoles? I didn't study that part of the code very much

 

Hi. chromableed.

DNA is a serial number. known as Console serial in Diagnostic menu.

retron-update-request.dat(160byte)

00～0F：Initialization Vector(IvParameterSpec)
10～9F：Encrypted Data(AES/CBC/PKCS5Padding) SecretKeySpec:9d7a196d7c461eb558ce9d2a29bc5d08

Decrypted Data(144byte)

00～03：MagicNumber 「UPRQ」
04～0A：DNA
0B～8F：RSA sigunature

ex:retron-system-update.img and retron-update.bin is encrypted with same method.
only retron-update.bin, XOR operation SecretKey with md5 of DNA.

Can you run emulator without stopping video in rooted? I couldn't.

 

yes but not with the update.img posted in early august

I need to fix video in the update.img by removing or commenting default.prop like so:

#ro.kernel.qemu=1

in the boot.img ramdisk

(coolerKing earlier mentioned the software I have been using to pack/unpack: imgRePackerRK_104 big thanks to author RedScorpioXDA)

 

Thank to chromableed.

I tried to unpack and re-pack boot.img using mkbootfs and mkbootimg no changes. but after recovery boot.img, system not boot adn boot recovery.
Is there any tips to re-pack boot.img?

add:

After recompile mkbootimg for rk3066 and set correct address, everything work fine. Thanks!!

 

Makes me wonder why they would bother with such security....

 

How far away is the rom dumping/debug from being available? I have the chance of buying one of these this weekend.

 

Pirates often used freaky security measures to stop other pirates from pirating their warez. Particularly with "HKO" type games like a Famicom recreation of a game. One example would be Super Mario World for Famicom. It has some protection to slow down or stop attempts to make your own cartridges. Similarly there was an Earthworm Jim game on Famicom with some crazy protection that was eventually cracked.

Maybe they were worried someone would come along and clone this thing.

 

So here's my 'hack' for playing roms, I like to call it 'the indiana jones'

1. Put a game like Super Mario World in and start it
2. run any other android app by adb am start
3. Now while you are in the other app, switch the carts, Indiana Jones style http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr-8AP0To4k (you've gotta do it quick otherwise a giant rock will roll towards you dramatically)
4. close the app and go back to the emulator, Super Mario World should still be playing

I believe the reason this works is twofold:
1. the cart slots all seem to share the same bus
2. after the cart is dumped the device seems to only poll and verify there is a cart connected(the same reason someone mentioned this works with nes>famicom adapters)

@retronlabo

glad to hear mkbootimg works! I just used the imgRePackerRK_104 which considers boot a '2nd layer' type if I remember right

 

Here is how I've been able to play ROMs directly off the SD card. It's something along the lines of what was mentioned previously, but this should give an easy step-by-step.

1. Find an IPS ROM-patching program that can create patches. I used SamIPS2. Mac users can run this in Wine.
2. Click "Make IPS" tab
3. For current file, find the game ROM you would like to play on your Retron, like Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3.
4. For original file, put the ROM of a game you own. So basically, find the title of a game you have lying around, like Shaq-Fu. Find a ROM that matches that title, put it here.
5. Under "IPS file," you can name something whatever you want here, just use the .ips extension. For instance, Sonic-Knuckles-Sonic-3.ips.
6. Click "Create Patch."
7. You now have an IPS patch file. Load it onto your SD card, place the aforementioned game you had lying around into your cartridge slot and select that patch from your SD card.
8. Start the game. You'll be playing Sonic and Knuckles + Sonic 3, but Shaq-Fu will be in your cart slot. Not too shabby.


Note: You need "Patch expects header" selected for SNES;
Sega, GBA, GB, GBC have all been tested and don't need Patch expects header selected. Downloading some NES ROMs now to check that part out, but I'm assuming NES/Fami/SMS will work the same as the other systems.

 

Good job!

 

I have been trying to figure this out, and have not had luck.

Here's my scenario: I have a cart of Eternal Champions physically in the Retron. I've made and ips of X-Men 2 for the Genesis, and the original ROM used for the ips was Eternal Champions. My Retron is fully loaded with the newest beta version, but when I start the game and hit home, in the game options, it doesn't show me an option for patching off of the SD card. What am I doing wrong? It seems like I followed your instructions closely, but I never have seen the option to load a patch as of yet. HELP!!