Finalizing Setup

For support in English, ask for help at Nintendo Homebrew on Discord.
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Required Reading

The file boot.firm is what is launched by boot9strap itself after it finishes loading off of NAND. In this case, we are using Luma3DS by LumaTeam to patch the console, allowing it to run homebrew software.

On this page, we will make critical system file backups and install the following homebrew programs:

  • FBI (installs CIA formatted applications)
  • Anemone3DS (installs custom themes)
  • Checkpoint (backs up and restores save files for 3DS and DS games)
  • Universal-Updater (a homebrew app store for downloading homebrew from the 3DS over Wi-Fi)
  • GodMode9 (multipurpose tool which can do NAND and cartridge functions)
  • Homebrew Launcher Loader (launches the Homebrew Launcher)

It is not recommended to skip downloading any of these applications, as many of them will be used later on this page. At the end of this page, your SD card will be cleaned up by removing unnecessary installation files.

Compatibility Notes

If your New 3DS was on version 2.1.0 before following this guide, you should restore your NAND backup before continuing. This likely doesn’t apply to you unless you were following this guide in 2017.

If your previous CFW setup was EmuNAND-based and you wish to move the contents of your EmuNAND/RedNAND to SysNAND, follow Move EmuNAND before following this page. If you don’t know what an EmuNAND is, this doesn’t apply to you.

What You Need

Instructions

Section I - Prep Work

In this section, you will copy the files necessary to follow the rest of the instructions on this page.

  1. Power off your console
  2. Insert your SD card into your computer
  3. Create a folder named cias on the root of your SD card if it does not already exist
  4. Copy all of the CIA files (Anemone3DS.cia, Checkpoint.cia, FBI.cia, Homebrew_Launcher.cia, and Universal-Updater.cia) to the /cias/ folder on your SD card
  5. Create a folder named 3ds on the root of your SD card if it does not already exist
    • This folder stores homebrew applications and data; it is different from the Nintendo 3DS folder that the console automatically generates
  6. Copy FBI.3dsx to the /3ds/ folder on your SD card
  7. Create a folder named payloads in the luma folder on your SD card if it does not already exist
  8. Copy GodMode9.firm from the GodMode9 .zip to the /luma/payloads/ folder on your SD card
  9. Copy the gm9 folder from the GodMode9 .zip to the root of your SD card
  10. Reinsert your SD card into your console
  11. Power on your console

The screenshots below indicate the minimum SD card layout that is required to follow this page. You may have extra files or folders on your SD card, depending on your previous setup or the method that you followed.

Section II - CFW Check

As an additional safety measure, we will perform an additional check for custom firmware. If custom firmware is not installed by this point for any reason, the next section may render your console unable to be hacked without external hardware.

  1. Power off your console
  2. Hold the (Select) button
  3. Power on your console while still holding the (Select) button
  4. If the check was successful, your console should have booted into the Luma3DS configuration menu
  5. Press (Start) to save and reboot
  6. Power off your console

If you do NOT boot into the Luma3DS configuration menu, custom firmware was not installed on your console. Join Nintendo Homebrew on Discord and ask, in English, for help.

Section III - Updating the System

In this section, you will update your system to the latest version, which is safe to do with custom firmware.

  1. Update your console by going to System Settings, then “Other Settings”, then going all the way to the right and using “System Update”
    • Updates while using B9S + Luma (what you have) are safe
    • The updater may display a message saying “Your system is up to date” instead of updating. This is normal if you are already up to date; continue to the next section
    • If this gives you an error, set both your DNS settings and Proxy settings to “Auto”
    • If this still gives you an error, follow this troubleshooting guide

Section IV - Homebrew Launcher

In this section, you will temporarily replace Download Play with Homebrew Launcher (which we need to launch FBI). Download Play will automatically go back to normal once you reboot your console.

  1. Launch the Download Play application ()
  2. Wait until you see the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS buttons
  3. Press (Left Shoulder) + (D-Pad Down) + (Select) at the same time to open the Rosalina menu
  4. Select “Miscellaneous options”
  5. Select “Switch the hb. title to the current app.”
  6. Press (B) to continue
  7. Press (B) to return to the Rosalina main menu
  8. Press (B) to exit the Rosalina menu
  9. Press (Home) to suspend Download Play
  10. Press the “Close” button on the bottom screen to close Download Play
  11. Re-launch the Download Play application
  12. Your console should load the Homebrew Launcher
    • If your console is stuck on the loading splash screen, you are missing boot.3dsx from the root of your SD card

Section V - RTC and DSP Setup

In this section, you will sync your 3DS internal clock with the actual time and dump the sound firmware (which is necesssary for some homebrew software to use sound properly).

  1. Press (Left Shoulder) + (D-Pad Down) + (Select) at the same time to open the Rosalina menu
  2. Select “Miscellaneous options”
  3. Select “Dump DSP firmware”
  4. Press (B) to continue
  5. Select “Nullify user time offset”
  6. Press (B) to continue
  7. Press (B) to return to the Rosalina main menu
  8. Press (B) to exit the Rosalina menu

Section VI - Installing CIAs

In this section, you will install several useful homebrew applications to HOME Menu.

  1. Launch FBI from the list of homebrew
  2. Navigate to SD -> cias
  3. Select “<current directory>”
  4. Select the “Install and delete all CIAs” option, then press (A) to confirm
  5. Press (Home), then close Download Play

Section VII - CTRNAND Luma3DS

In this section, you will use a script to copy some of Luma3DS’s files to internal memory so that they can be accessed, even without an SD card inserted.

  1. Power off your console
  2. Press and hold (Start), and while holding (Start), power on your console. This will launch GodMode9
    • If you do not boot into GodMode9, ensure that GodMode9.firm is in /luma/payloads/ and that payloads is correctly spelled
  3. If you are prompted to create an essential files backup, press (A) to do so, then press (A) to continue once it has completed
  4. If you are prompted to fix the RTC date&time, press (A) to do so, then set the date and time, then press (A) to continue
  5. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  6. Select “Scripts…”
  7. Select “GM9Megascript”
  8. Select “Scripts from Plailect’s Guide”
  9. Select “Setup Luma3DS to CTRNAND”
  10. When prompted, press (A) to proceed
  11. Press (A) to unlock SysNAND (lvl1) writing, then input the key combo given
  12. Press (A) to continue

Section VIII - Cleanup SD Card

In this section, you will use a script to remove some unnecessary files from your SD card.

  1. Select “Cleanup SD Card”
  2. When prompted, press (A) to proceed
  3. Press (A) to continue
  4. Press (B) to return to the main menu

Section IX - Backup Essential Files

In this section, you will make backups of files that can be used to recover from software bricks or to recover data.

  1. Select “Backup Options”
  2. Select “SysNAND Backup”
  3. Press (A) to confirm
  4. Press (A) to continue
  5. Press (B) to return to the main menu
  6. Select “Exit”
  7. Press (A) to relock write permissions if prompted
  8. Navigate to [S:] SYSNAND VIRTUAL
  9. Press (A) on essential.exefs to select it
  10. Select “Copy to 0:/gm9/out”
    • If you see “Destination already exists”, press (A) on “Overwrite file(s)”
  11. Press (A) to continue
  12. Press (Home) to bring up the action menu
  13. Select “Poweroff system” to power off your console
  14. Insert your SD card into your computer
  15. Copy <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_##.bin, <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_##.bin.sha, and essential.exefs from the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card to a safe location on your computer
    • Copy these backups to multiple locations (such as online file storage, an external hard drive, etc.)
    • These backups will save you from a brick and/or help you recover files from the NAND image if anything goes wrong in the future
  16. Delete <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_##.bin and <date>_<serialnumber>_sysnand_##.bin.sha from the /gm9/out/ folder on your SD card after copying it
    • The other backup files are negligible in size and may be kept on your SD card for ease of access
  17. If you have it, copy the /luma/backups/ folder on your SD card to a safe location on your computer
  18. Reinsert your SD card into your console
  19. Power on your console

You’re done! Custom firmware is now fully configured on your console.

Information and Notes

Here are some key combos that you should know:

  • Holding (Select) on boot will launch the Luma3DS configuration menu.
  • Holding (Start) on boot will launch GodMode9, or if you have multiple payloads in /luma/payloads/, the Luma3DS chainloader.
  • By default, pressing (Left Shoulder) + (Down D-Pad) + (Select) while in 3DS mode will open the Rosalina menu, where you can check system information, take screenshots, enable cheats, and more. This can be changed from the Rosalina menu.
  • Holding (Start) + (Select) + (X) on boot will make the notification LED show a color for debug purposes. See the changelog for a list.

See here for some suggestions on things to do with custom firmware.

For information on using GodMode9’s various features, check out the GodMode9 Usage and Dumping Titles and Game Cartridges pages.