Hekate
hekate - A GUI based Nintendo Switch Bootloader
Install / Use
/learn @CTCaer/HekateREADME
hekate - Nyx

Custom Graphical Nintendo Switch bootloader, firmware patcher, tools, and many more.
Features
- Fully Configurable and Graphical with Touchscreen and Joycon input support
- Launcher Style, Background and Color Themes
- HOS (Switch OS) Bootloader -- For CFW Sys/Emu, OFW Sys and Stock Sys
- Android & Linux Bootloader
- Payload Launcher
- eMMC/emuMMC Backup/Restore Tools
- SD Card Partition Manager -- Prepares and formats SD Card for any combo of HOS (Sys/emuMMC), Android and Linux
- emuMMC Creation & Manager -- Can also migrate and fix existing emuMMC
- Switch Android & Linux flasher
- USB Mass Storage (UMS) for SD/eMMC/emuMMC -- Converts Switch into a SD Card Reader
- USB Gamepad -- Converts Switch with Joycon into a USB HID Gamepad
- Hardware and Peripherals info (SoC, Fuses, RAM, Display, Touch, eMMC, SD, Battery, PSU, Charger)
- Many other tools like Archive Bit Fixer, Touch Calibration, SD/eMMC Benchmark, AutoRCM enabler and more
Bootloader folders and files
| Folder/File | Description |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| bootloader | Main folder. |
| |__ bootlogo.bmp | It is used if no logopath key is found. User provided. Can be skipped. |
| |__ hekate_ipl.ini | Main bootloader configuration and boot entries in Launch menu. |
| |__ nyx.ini | Nyx GUI configuration |
| |__ patches.ini | Add external patches. Can be skipped. A template can be found here |
| |__ update.bin | If newer, it is loaded at boot. Normally for modchips. Auto updated and created at first boot. |
| bootloader/ini/ | For individual inis. More configs menu. Autoboot is supported. |
| bootloader/res/ | Nyx user resources. Icons and more. |
| |__ background.bmp | Nyx - Custom background. User provided. |
| |__ icon_switch.bmp | Nyx - Default icon for CFWs. |
| |__ icon_payload.bmp | Nyx - Default icon for Payloads. |
| bootloader/sys/ | hekate and Nyx system modules folder. !Important! |
| |__ emummc.kipm | emuMMC KIP1 module. |
| |__ libsys_lp0.bso | LP0 (sleep mode) module. |
| |__ libsys_minerva.bso | Minerva Training Cell. Used for DRAM Frequency training. |
| |__ nyx.bin | Nyx - hekate's GUI. |
| |__ res.pak | Nyx resources package. |
| |__ thk.bin | Atmosphère Tsec Hovi Keygen. |
| |__ /l4t/ | Folder with firmware relevant to L4T (Linux/Android). |
| bootloader/screenshots/ | Folder where Nyx screenshots are saved |
| bootloader/payloads/ | For the Payloads menu. All CFW bootloaders, tools, Linux payloads are supported. Autoboot only supported by including them into an ini. |
| bootloader/libtools/ | Reserved |
Bootloader configuration
The bootloader can be configured via Nyx -> Options or 'bootloader/hekate_ipl.ini'. The special section 'config' controls the actual global configuration. Any other ini section represents a boot entry and can only be edited manually via the ini.
There are four possible type of entries. "[ ]": Boot entry, "{ }": Caption, "#": Comment, "newline": .ini cosmetic newline.
You can find a template Here
hekate Configuration keys/values (section [config])
Use Options in Nyx to edit the following configuration:
| Config option | Description |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| autoboot=0 | 0: Disable, #: Boot entry number to auto boot. |
| autoboot_list=0 | 0: Read autoboot boot entry from hekate_ipl.ini, 1: Read from ini folder (ini files are ASCII ordered). |
| bootwait=3 | 0: Disable (It also disables bootlogo. Having VOL- pressed since injection goes to menu.), #: Time to wait for VOL- to enter menu. Max: 20s. |
| autohosoff=1 | 0: Disable, 1: If woke up from HOS via an RTC alarm, shows logo, then powers off completely, 2: No logo, immediately powers off.|
| autonogc=1 | 0: Disable, 1: Automatically applies nogc patch if unburnt fuses found and a >= 4.0.0 HOS is booted. |
| updater2p=0 | 0: Disable, 1: Force updates (if needed) the reboot2payload binary to be hekate. |
| backlight=100 | Screen backlight level. 0-255. |
| ------------------ | --------- The following can be edited via ini only --------- |
| noticker=0 | 0: Animated line is drawn during custom bootlogo, signifying time left to skip to menu. 1: Disable. |
| bootprotect=0 | 0: Disable, 1: Protect bootloader folder from being corrupted by disallowing reading or editing in HOS. |
Boot entry key/value combinations
A boot entry needs to be manually added/edited with the user's chosen key/value combos.
| Config option | Description |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| warmboot={FILE path} | Replaces the warmboot binary |
| secmon={FILE path} | Replaces the security monitor binary |
| kernel={FILE path} | Replaces the kernel binary |
| kip1={FILE path} | Replaces/Adds kernel initial process. Multiple can be set. |
| kip1={FOLDER path}/* | Loads every .kip/.kip1 inside a folder. Compatible with single kip1 keys. |
| pkg3={FILE path} | Takes an Atmosphere package3 binary and extracts all needed parts from it. kips, exosphere, warmboot and mesophere. |
| fss0={FILE path} | Same as above. !Deprecated! |
| pkg3ex=1 | Enables loading of experimental content from a PKG3/FSS0 storage |
| pkg3kip1skip={KIP name} | Skips loading a kip from pkg3/fss0. Allows multiple and , as separator. The name must exactly match the name in PKG3. |
| exofatal={FILE path} | Replaces the exosphere fatal binary for Mariko |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| kip1patch=patchname | Enables a kip1 patch. Allows multiple and , as separator. If actual patch is not found, a warning will show up. |
| emupath={FOLDER path} | Forces emuMMC to use the selected one. (=emuMMC/RAW1, =emuMMC/SD00, etc). emuMMC must be created by hekate because it uses the raw_based/file_based files. |
| emummcforce=1 | Forces the use of emuMMC. If emummc.ini is disabled or not found, then it causes an error. |
| emummc_force_disable=1 | Disables emuMMC, if it's enabled. |
| stock=1 | OFW via hekate bootloader. Disables unneeded kernel patching and CFW kips when running stock. If emuMMC is enabled, emummc_force_disable=1 is required. emuMMC is not supported on stock. If additional KIPs are needed other than OFW's, you can define them with kip1 key. No kip should be used that relies on Atmosphère patching, because it will hang. If NOGC is needed, use kip1patch=nogc. |
| fullsvcperm=1 | Disables SVC verification (full services permission). Doesn't work with Mesosphere as kernel. |
| debugmode=1 | Enables Debug mode. Obsolete when used with exosphere as secmon. |
| kernelprocid=1 | Enables stock kernel process id send/recv patching. Not needed when pkg3/fss0 is used. |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| payload={FILE path} | Payload launching. Tools, Android/Linux, CFW bootloaders, etc. Any key above when used with that, doesn't get into account. |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| l4t=1 | L4T Linux/Android native launching. |
| boot_prefixes={FOLDER path} | L4T bootstack directory. |
| ram_oc=0 | L4T RAM Overclocking. Check README_CONFIG.txt for more info. |
| ram_oc_vdd2=1100 | L4T RAM VDD2 Voltage. Set VDD2 (T210B01) or VDD2/VDDQ (T210) voltage. 1050-1175. |
| ram_oc_vddq=600 | L4T RAM VDDQ Voltage. Set VDDQ (T210B01). 550-650. |
| uart_port=0 | Enables logging on serial port for L4T uboot/kernel. |
| sld_type=0x31444C53 | Controls the type of seamless display support. 0x0: Disable, 0x31444C53: L4T seamless display. |
| Additional keys | Each distro s
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