Aus dem XEXLoader ist jetzt das XeXMenu gewurden. Die Namensänderung wurde aufgrund notwendig da der Umfang der Software immer weiter gestiegen ist und es im Entwicklerteam einige Veränderungen gab. Aktuell liegt jetzt die v1.1 vor und diese bringt die folgenden Änderungen mit:

What’s news/fixed :
* Added HFS+ drive support
* Added ip adress information to the configuration menu
* Added skin loading verify routine to output errors on the screen while starting XeXmenu
* Added some user skins
* Improved ftp upload speed
* Loads nxebg.dds and icon.dds even if nxeart isn’t present
* Some other bugs fixed

Den Jungs von x360.gx-mod.com wurde ein kleiner Einblick in die kommende v0.30 des XeXLoaders gewährt. Hier einige Bilder und Infos über kommende Verbesserungen:

What’s news/fixed :
+ Skin system (located in /Media/skins/)
+ SD support (change skin w/ LB to get to Configuration page and use DPAD)
+ Automatic XEX patching when using CopyDVD
+ Manual XEX patching added to file menu
+ Alphabetical sorting ability (Qsort)
+ Main launcher lists Games, Emulators, and Applications (change with DPAD)
* Progress bar is fixed
* Typos fixed
* Various small bugfixes
~ RS/LS - Toggle XEX visibility
~ RB/LB - Change launcher mode (Game loader/File browser/Configuration)
~ DPAD - Change skin/Change launcher sub-mode (Games/Emulators/Applications)
~ A - Select
~ B - Back
~ X - Device menu
~ Y - File menu

Von XBReboot ist jetzt die v0.05 verfügbar. Diese funktioniert allerdings nur mit 16MB Konsolen und natürlich nur mit Konsolen von vor Juli 2009 und nur wenn der Kerne nicht über 0849x liegt.

Bei XBReboot handelt es sich um einen Homebrewtauglichen Kernel für die Xbox360. Er ermöglich also das ausführen von Homebrewsoftware. Neu ist u. a. der Auto Mediapatch - Spiele müssen nicht mehr vorher mit dem Mediapatcher manuell bearbeitet werden.

Wer Interesse an einem Homebrew Umbau hat, findet entsprechende Angebote z. B. bei den Konsolenprofis.

* Who wrote this?
Talented members of XBH contributed in many ways. You know who they are. TeamXBR assembled the parts, coded the utilities, and glued it all together to make it work.

* How does it work?
Both XBR and Freeboot use a “patch engine” to apply patches to the bootloaders as the console reboots. For Freeboot, this is “freeboot.bin” or “freeboot-manual.bin”; For XBR, its “xbrfw.bin” Both of these binaries are based on xell type start up code, and are launched by the exploit. The code then applies patches contained at block 0×65+, and restarts the system.

* What went wrong?
Earlier versions of XBR used the same CB/CD pair to start the 8955 kernel as the exploit. Freeboot, using a dual nand setup, used the older bootloaders to start the exploit, than used the newer bootloaders on the alternate flash to start the kernel.

The problems were not related to the patches used by XBR, but rather the use of the older bootloaders. Please try to control yourselves if problems arise, they can always be fixed. Dont do anything crazy like start conspiracy theories, buy a cygnos, wire up a dual nand or xd card, rip out a big nand to swap in a smaller one etc, etc. Have a little patience, have a little faith

* So whats the fix?
1) Add a copy of the new bootloaders to flash.
2) Create patches to use the newer relocated bootloaders on reboot.

It was easier to re-use the freeboot.bin patch engine to accomplish this task.
The freeboot patches themselves are not used. XBR continues to use its own patches, however, the freeboot.bin patch engine will be used to apply them.
This also allows custom patches to be applied, in the format used by freeboot.

8955_3a:
- Zephyrs and Falcons now built with correct smc.

8955_3:
- Uses 6750 as the alternate CB to allow easy support for all hardware versions.
- No changes made to patches, exact same functionality as 8955_2.

8955_2:
- Add a copy of the new bootloaders to flash.
- Create patches to use the new relocated bootloaders on reboot.
- Translated existing XBR patches to use the freeboot.bin patch engine.
- Fixed build file to use CB/CD 1921 for all xenon.
- Eliminate media binding path checks, run xex from all media without patching.

* XBReboot Block Layout:
Ox00 – 0×2F Xell Boot firmware
0×30 – 0×3F Backup Xell
0×40 – 0×4F freeboot.bin or freeboot-manual.bin (patch engine core)
0×50 – 0×61 Alternate CG
0×62 – 0×64 Spare blocks
0×65 – 0×65 Patch.bin, patches for bootloaders and kernel
0×66 – 0×8F Alternate CB/CD/CE
0×90 – 0x?? Flash file system

* HowTo:
1) Extract KV and Config blocks from orig.bin
nandpro orig.bin: -r16 rawkv.bin 1 1
nandpro orig.bin: -r16 rawconfig.bin 3de 2
2) Inject those blocks into XBR.bin
nandpro XBR.bin: -w16 rawkv.bin 1 1
nandpro XBR.bin: -w16 rawconfig.bin 3de 2
3) Flash result
nandpro lpt: -w16 XBR.bin

* Notes:
There is no need to unpack and repack pirs files!
This is a limitation of freeboot. Not XBR.
Aside from that major difference, all functionality is the same.
Individual sections can be updated or extracted seperately using nandpro