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:
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)
Installation instructions:
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)
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.
My package (Click to download) includes:
My modded dev_flash
OFW 4.00 PS3UPDAT.PUP
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.
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).