Linux running on an UNMODDED XBOX!!!!!

[Hitman101]

http://www.xboxhacker.net/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=12&t=10520



Form NeMaTweEz at TXB

look and go over to slashdot.org for more info. A guy basically modified a save file for Jame Bond Agent Under Fire and transfered it to his xbox and the file which is launched from the load saved games menu actually boots up linux.all i got to say is wow, this is truly a HUGE step for homebrew software and its totally LEGAL.WOW WOW WOW.

[Hitman101]

If this violates any rules plz PM me or kindly delete my post for me. Thx

[Viper87227]

that would be really sweet...but just outta curiousity why was a linux kit ever released for Xbox like it was PS2?


Oh uh NM I think can answer that myself. Windows and Linux are sorta competitors both being PC OS's even if they are totally different. Huh Huh? Somebody call the police, there is a genious on the loose ;)

[Variation-XBA]

I thought that moving or editing game data still isnt "completely" legal or something? Cause he had to transfer it off the Xbox...

I dunno for sure though

[Kraft]

holy crap... not sure where this stands on legality, as it isn't really requiring you to modify any system parts or using any illegally begotten code... but that is freaking amazing. So this guy was playing james bond one day and decided "i wonder if I can get linux to run off a save file"?

[Flood]

thats so crazy....microsoft will be knocking on that guy's door tomorrow...haha

[LynxFX]

That is pretty amazing and the guy that did it sure has some mad skillz.

As for legality I'm not sure either. My guess is that technically it is illegal since he obviously had to reverse engineer the xbox software (even if he didn't actually change the code on the xbox itself) to find out how to get it to bootup with a save file. He couldn't have just guessed on how it accesses files and runs them. :) Still amazing.

[Kraft]

Originally posted by Lynxfx-XBA
That is pretty amazing and the guy that did it sure has some mad skillz.

As for legality I'm not sure either. My guess is that technically it is illegal since he obviously had to reverse engineer the xbox software (even if he didn't actually change the code on the xbox itself) to find out how to get it to bootup with a save file. He couldn't have just guessed on how it accesses files and runs them. :) Still amazing.

I don't think he really had to do much reverse engineering to do that. All he really did was take a save file and add the code on the end of it to create a buffer overflow... crazy simple and suprising noone tried this before. If anyone is concerned I will explain what a buffer overflow is later when I am not in class. BTW, mod chip makers are probably crapping their pants right now :D

[LynxFX]

Originally posted by Kraft-XBA
I don't think he really had to do much reverse engineering to do that. All he really did was take a save file and add the code on the end of it to create a buffer overflow... crazy simple and suprising noone tried this before. If anyone is concerned I will explain what a buffer overflow is later when I am not in class. BTW, mod chip makers are probably crapping their pants right now :D
Wow I didn't think it was that easy, because like you said you would think that someone surely would have tried that by now. :)

So now the question is, how do you modify save files easily? What would be cool is if they came out with a memory card that used compact flash or smart media memory that you can take out. Add the files to it from your computer using a memory reader, put it into the Xbox memory card and bam right into the Xbox. No modding, No opening the xbox, and still a small piece of hardware for the modchip makers to sell.

[Kraft]

Originally posted by Lynxfx-XBA
Wow I didn't think it was that easy, because like you said you would think that someone surely would have tried that by now. :)

So now the question is, how do you modify save files easily? What would be cool is if they came out with a memory card that used compact flash or smart media memory that you can take out. Add the files to it from your computer using a memory reader, put it into the Xbox memory card and bam right into the Xbox. No modding, No opening the xbox, and still a small piece of hardware for the modchip makers to sell.

that is how it works, there is an existing USB to Xbox mem card that you can purchase here and there. Then you can download whatever from your computer to your mem card.

For those of you that are wondering: a buffer overflow occurs when a program loads a file and it is bigger than the program expects. For some reason the way computers are designed, the easiest way to get rid of the code is to execute to. Usually it is just garbage code, doesn't run right, then goes away... but what this person did was add a boot file to the end of a save files. The xbox saw too much code and executed the linux boot file. Of course the possibilities are limitless now: people are now talking about getting the visual end working, then getting the ftp initialized, so you can have direct access to your hard drive without having to open it up... crazy.

[natewebb]

I dont think this would kill the mod chip market. The BIOS still has important security features that could not be breached with this trick.

[Kraft]

Originally posted by natewebb
I dont think this would kill the mod chip market. The BIOS still has important security features that could not be breached with this trick.

Funny... the bios was already breached by running the unsigned linux code... what exactly is going to stop this trick from running other types of unsigned code exactly?

[Snoopy7548]

yo thats awesome. so maybe now, we wont need a modchip to edited because absolutely everything you just mentioned is blatant copyright infringment, and as such shall not be discussed here

[natewebb]

Originally posted by Kraft-XBA
Funny... the bios was already breached by running the unsigned linux code... what exactly is going to stop this trick from running other types of unsigned code exactly?

Think about it. the OEM hard drive is 8GB and locked to the BIOS. That limits the ammount of software that can be loaded (maybe 2 software programs via ftp). Unsigned code cannot be read off the DVD either. So anybody who wants more that 2 software programs is still in the market.

[Snoopy7548]

Originally posted by Snoopy7548
yo thats awesome. so maybe now, we wont need a modchip to edited because absolutely everything you just mentioned is blatant copyright infringment, and as such shall not be discussed here

lol the only thing that was copyright infringement was pl**ing ba**ed up g**es. because watching movies is legal. except if theyre d**x. i edited it so you didnt have to:) :D

[Kraft]

Originally posted by natewebb
Think about it. the OEM hard drive is 8GB and locked to the BIOS. That limits the ammount of software that can be loaded (maybe 2 software programs via ftp). Unsigned code cannot be read off the DVD either. So anybody who wants more that 2 software programs is still in the market.

Well, if you are able to actively boot up a linux system, there is a damn good chance you can mount and eventually figure out how to read through the linux operating system. Same for the hard drive, mount it and be able to repartition to whatever way you see fit. The bios doesn't matter if it has already been cleared by the game's security key.

[natewebb]

Originally posted by Kraft-XBA
Well, if you are able to actively boot up a linux system, there is a damn good chance you can mount and eventually figure out how to read through the linux operating system. Same for the hard drive, mount it and be able to repartition to whatever way you see fit. The bios doesn't matter if it has already been cleared by the game's security key.

Repartitioning will not make it any bigger. 8 or 10 gb is too small. The BIOS checks the hard drive to make sure it's not different than original. That's why it's called a locked hard drive. Regardless of linux or not, the BIOS looks for unsigned code on the DVD. Thats why I'm saying anyone interested in more than a couple games would still be in the market. Games are 1-6 gigs each. Perhaps it's possible to mount a 2nd (external) hardrive with linux. That just seems a bit sloppy, and the box would have to be opened. I really dont think a mapped hard drive on the ethernet card would fast enough, if that could be done with linux. Running software off a remote drive is always 10x slower. These are reasons why the BIOS needs to replaced.

[Snoopy7548]

or you could just put in like a 120gig harddrive