A PS3 Dev by the name of ps3hen has shown a video of him installing PKG’s on 4.0 OFW, here is the video followed by a quote from the dev.
Note: This modification does not allow the installation / usage of unsigned content / PS3 homebrew etc. This is purely a convenience hack and is aimed for use by those who have hardware flashers which allow dual boot.
After technodon’s work creating a modified kiosk dev_flash which lets you install retail signed package files. The restrictions of having to use kiosk firmware inspired me to find a way to add “Install Package Files” for retail firmware.
This is hack does the following things:
Installation instructions:
- adds “★ Install Package Files” and “★ /app_home/PS3_GAME/” to “GAME” on the XMB (allowing the user to install retail package files anytime they want)
- adds other debug functions which are small but still there
- does not give access to “★ Debug Setting” (reasons for this are explained below)
This installation procedure is the similar to technodon’s original dev_flash hdd swap procedure
For this you will need two hard drives a e3 flasher or similar device to downgrade your PS3 (assuming that you’re on firmware 4.00 and you have an e3 flasher)
My package (Click to download) includes:
- downgrade to 3.55 using the downgrade tools from e3 (Of course when downgrading to 3.55 make sure you use a different hdd than the hdd which you were using 4.00)
- once booted back into the xmb turn off the console
- swap hard drives turn on the system, press the PS button and you will be asked to reinstall the firmware
- place the pup file from the e3 downgrade tools in the normal PS3/UPDATE usb folder and follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the firmware
- then install dev_blind.pkg & Blackb0x FTP from install packages
- run dev_blind then BlackB0x and FTP into the console
- goto /dev_blind delete everything and replace them with the customised dev_flash
- press the ps button and the console should reboot and and ask to reinstall the firmware again, switch off the console and swap the hard drive back
- turn on the console press the ps button twice
- the console should boot back into 3.55 Rogero
- goto system update and install 4.00 OFW
- once installed turn the console off again and swap hard drives back and you should boot into a modified 4.00 retail firmware.
P.S. BTW the “nas_plugin.sprx” in this dev_flash has not been altered to achieve “Install Package Files”. Also for those who will analyze my modded dev_flash, you will find that I have used debug .sprx files from the a debug 4.00 pup.
- My modded dev_flash
- OFW 4.00 PS3UPDAT.PUP
P.P.S. I originally intended to get “★ Debug Settings” to work with this. But usage of “debug settings” required the ps3 to use a debug vsh.self, and that crashes the ps3 when trying to load applications (I did some other things as well to prevent the PS3 from giving me a RSOD when I swapped the vsh.self files, I’m not detailing it in public because I don’t want Sony to patch it).
UPDATE
PS3Hen has released an .pup file, which makes the above process much easier, here is a quote from his post:
Before I move, on status update on getting “Debug Settings” on OFW 4.00. Its still a bit buggy, so more work needed there.
I’ve managed to put my efforts into a .pup file, which should make the installation of my mod much easier.
Also today I was on another site where user DeViL303 had released a beta of his XMB File Manager (substitute for Install Package Files, but a lot better) and DeViL303 theorized a FW 4.00 port was possible. So I took on the role on making the port for FW 4.00 and after posting it on that thread I integrated it into my firmware. So now I’ve upgraded my firmware mod and put into a .pup.
Here’s some new installation instructions(much shorter, I know isn’t great):
1/Be on a firmware 3.55 or less
2/Install the .pup through the XMB (Make sure you have a working hardware flasher as there is no other way to downgrade)
Remember only retail signed .pkg can be installed with this. Have fun.
