Dark AleX
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Dark_AleX (affectionately abbreviated DAX by fans) is Alejandro, the nickname of a Spanish programmer,[1] who is famous for his work with software for the PlayStation Portable.
In the scope of the players, his work has become very important, not only by his content, but also because his work serves as the base so other programmers can continue developing software for the PSP.
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[edit] Software
DAX's work is centered mainly in two areas. The first area is creating programs to downgrade PSPs, a procedure that consists of lowering the firmware version of PSPs (usually to version 1.50). Currently firmware versions 3.03 and below can be downgraded. The second area is creating custom firmwares that extend the functions of PSP.
[edit] Downgraders
[edit] TA-082 2.71 FW downgrader
This is a program that allows the downgrading of the 2.71 firmware on a TA-082 motherboard. Before this was released, it was impossible to run firmware lower than 2.50 on consoles with the TA-082 motherboard, since it would surely brick the PSP.
[edit] Update Flasher for 2.71
Used to flash a lower version firmware using an official firmware update EBOOT.
[edit] UMD Backups
Dark_AleX has created a UMD ISO compression system, called .DAX, that is of the 4 formats (ISO, DAX, CSO and JSO), that compresses more efficiently CSO and JSO, but reads slower than ISO. In order to load this type of game on a PSP, one would have to use either DevHook with the DAX Plugin eliminating CSO usage or the DAXZISO loader, which is slightly more difficult to use than DevHook.
[edit] Custom Firmwares
[edit] 1.50 Proof Of Concept
This was Dark_AleX's first Custom Firmware. It implemented a Recovery Mode for the first time, which was able to fix a semi-bricked PSP, and it allowed the use of non-KXploit homebrew.
[edit] 2.71 SE
Firmware with implementations for launching homebrew software, loading backups from the XMB of the console without using extra software. Also features a recovery menu to recover from bad flashing.
[edit] 3.02 OE - 3.10 OE
Firmware with all the functionality of version 3.02-3.10 (except Location Free Player which was removed to save space on the flash memory). This firmware can be installed as a new firmware and does need to be upgraded like the previous 3.02 OE A and OE B. This firmware also comes with all extra features from the latest 2.71 SE plus the option to activate Macromedia Flash and Windows Media Audio players in the recovery menu. The firmware also includes a 1.50 kernel and a 3.02-3.10 kernel for homebrew software. Another extra feature in this firmware is that the DRM in the PSX emulator included in the 3.00 and later firmwares was cracked in the 3.02 OE-B an later releases, Allowing users to rip their original PSX games and convert them using a tool called "Popstation" included in the firmware installer, and play them on the PSP.
[edit] Recovery Mode
Recovery mode, in DAX's custom firmware, gives the PSP the ability to recover from a semi-brick and do many other customizations to the system that one would normally not be able to do without it, for example, it can mount flash0 (System NAND) and allow modification of the system, though incorrect use of this would cause a brick.
[edit] Other Programs
[edit] Homebrew Enabler(HEN) for 2.71
Enables the ability to run homebrew EBOOTs using the TIFF exploit found in firmware 2.71. There are also later versions of HEN that can run using exploits from later firmwares.
[edit] PSAR dumper mod
A program that reads the DATA.PSAR file contained in official firmware update EBOOTs to decrypt, and dump its contents into the Memory Stick.
[edit] Website Problems
In November of 2006, a fake Dark_AleX site surfaced (www.dark-alex.com). The page supplied downloads which appeared to be modified homebrew applications, but instead caused bricks.[2] Dark_AleX considered leaving the hacking scene because of this.[3] During this time, DAX displayed this message on the home page of his site:
| “ | Tired, tired and tired. I was already tired in my personal life, and I'm now getting tired of my "virtual" life too.
I've lost two family members this year because of cancer, one of them last week, and the LAST THING my family need are legal problems because of the confusion generated by that son of a bitch of dark-alex.com. PSP programming and reverse engineering used to be fun. It was a hobby that distracted my mind of the darkness of life, it was funny to understand the code of an operating system made by a big company. But lamers attacking me and using my name to commit CRIMINAL ACTS in the worst moment of my life, is far from my idea of funny. I don't feel secure anymore in the net. I don't feel my computer is secure. Because of this, I'm considering to stop any PSP development. Here's the info of the bricker page. All this info was obtained legally, it is public, and therefore legal to be posted. The guy seems to be from Spain like me, but from a far location (Asturias) where I live (that's the luck he has...) |
” |
Later the fake site went down, showing only a blank page, and the official website has been updated and the notice has been taken off.
Dark_AleX has now returned to the homebrew and custom firmware scene with new versions of his hybrid custom firmware.
[edit] References
- ^ Paul Rubens. Three hacker teams unlock the PSP. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
- ^ Victor B.. Dark_Alex impostor site brings bricks to homebrew. QJ.net. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
- ^ Tim Y.. Dark_AleX quitting game dev scene...WT*?. QJ.net. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
