UDE: Ultimate Dashboard Exploit

The newer UXE exploit is based on this and a complete tutorial of how to install it can be viewed Here

Ultimate Dashboard Exploit
Anyone who's Kernel permits execution of a pre-live Dashboard (< K:5713) can use this

Pros:
Directing booting to Linux/PBL/Evox, etc.
No risk of clock loop.
Can still use custom sound tracks in games (the M$ Dashboard can still be accessed from Evox).
Cons:
No Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
No XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.

Downgrading to boot Dashboard 4920 and using the Boot font exploit (BiCoE, BigFonts, etc.)

Pros:
Directing booting to Linux/PBL/Evox, etc,
Can still use custom sound tracks in games (the M$ Dashboard can still be accessed from Evox).
XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.
Cons:
Risk of clock-loop.
No Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.

Using the MechFonts boot font exploit

Pros:
Control over when exploit is triggered (very easy).
Can still use custom sound tracks in games.
XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.
Cons:
Risk of clock-loop (albeit reduced). [info]
No direct booting.
No Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.

Use the audio exploit

Pros:
No risk of clock loop.
Control over when exploit is triggered.
Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.
Cons:
Finger dancing in order to trigger exploit.
No direct booting.
Can't use custom sound tracks in games.

Use the double-dash exploit

Pros:
No risk of clock loop.
Control over when exploit is triggered (very easy).
Can still use custom sound tracks in games.
Cons:
No direct booting.
No Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
No XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.

Use the easter egg exploit

Pros:
No risk of clock loop.
Control over when exploit is triggered.
Can still use custom sound tracks in games.
Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.
Cons:
Finger dancing in order to trigger exploit.
No direct booting.

using the latest boot Dashboard, retaining access to it's benefits (up to 5959 anyway) and
Using the double-dash exploit

Pros:
No risk of clock loop.
Control over when exploit is triggered (very easy).
Can still use custom sound tracks in games.
Cons:
No direct booting.
No Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
No XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.

Use the easter egg exploit

Pros:
No risk of clock loop.
Control over when exploit is triggered.
Can still use custom sound tracks in games.
Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.
Cons:
Finger dancing in order to trigger exploit.
No direct booting.

using the very latest boot Dashboard 5960, retaining access to it's benefits(?) Use the easter egg exploit

Pros:
No risk of clock loop.
Control over when exploit is triggered.
Can still use custom sound tracks in games.
Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.
Cons:
Finger dancing in order to trigger exploit.
No direct booting.

All these exploits have solutions to any disk swapping issue, thus can play homebrew media, and all allow playing of XBOX!Live games when booted from original media.

Anyone who's Kernel prevents them executing a pre-live Dashboard (that'd be >= K:5713) can use UDE2.

What is the Ultimate Dashboard Exploit (UDE)?
Not to use a Dashboard.

The “Ultimate Dashboard Exploit” allows the booting of a habibi signed XBE

Pros:
Directing booting to Linux/PBL/Evox, etc.
No risk of clock loop.
Can still use custom sound tracks in games (the M$ Dashboard can still be accessed from Evox).
Cons:
No Dashboard access to the XBOX!Live console.
No XBOX!Live game access to the XBOX!Live console.

It achieves this by not actually booting a Dashboard at all, but by booting another M$ signed XBE, with the appropriate flags set to enable it to run from the hard disk. The actual XBE exploited is the C:\xodash\update.xbe, installed by the “updater to Live 1.0 Dashboard 4920” that is part of the original XBOX!Live startup kit, and shipped with most of the early XBOX!Live games (Splinter Cell, etc.). There are a few different versions out there. Ensure you use the right expoit font for the right update.xbe!

Why "Ultimate" Dashboard Exploit?
At the time, I doubted that a Dashboard exploit for Kernel 5713+ was possible. Hence my belief that this will be the “Ultimate Dashboard Exploit” - during the XBOX v1's lifetime. I use the word "Ultimate" to mean "Being last in a series, process, or progression", and in no way to claim any superiority. [definition]. As it turns out we were able to build on these ideas and produce a UDE2 for K:5713+ owners .

Only attempt this if you're confident that you can recover from your actions.
Warning: This version of the exploit does not work on Kernels that prevent the execution of pre-live Dashboards, such as K:5713 or higher! Owners of K:5713+ XBOXs should look at the UDE2

To install the “Ultimate Dashboard Exploit”:
1st BACKUP YOUR XBOX DRIVE C – via FTP access granted by a game-save exploit.
Rename your C:\xboxdash.xbe to C:\MODxboxdash.xbe. See below.
Copy Dashboard 4920’s C:\xodash\update.xbe to C:\ and rename it C:\xboxdash.xbe.
Copy the correct UDE font for your system (linked below) to C:\ (do not rename the fonts, just keep the font named "bert_ate_ernie-generic.xtf" or "bert_ate_ernie-xxxx-01.xtf" - renaming the font can stop it working) - Ensure that there are no other XTF fonts are present in C:\
Rename C:\fonts\ folder to C:\f0nts\ (note the zero replacing the letter ‘o’)
This is all you need to boot a habibi signed E:\default.xbe! (Your Linux loader, PBL, Evox, etc.).

An optional extra, necessary to be able to launch the M$ Dashboard:
Hex edit C:\MODxboxdash.xbe (the original C:\xboxdash.xbe you renamed above), and Hex edit the 2 occurrences of "fonts\" to "f0nts\" (note the zero in place of the 'o'). "fonts" in Unicode is 66 00 6F 00 6E 00 74 00 73 00
The M$ Dashboard can now be reached by launching C:\MODxboxdash.xbe (via Evox, etc.) - for setting ya clock or copying custom sound tracks, etc.

What are the Font and Audio Exploits?
Ok, the exploits are a way to run "unsigned" code on your xbox, much like having a mod-chip but without the cost They are "software" hacks and exploit security flaws in the xbox operating system (AKA Dashboard).

Most hacks these days run a program called the "Phoenix BIOS Loader" (aka PBL) this is an amazing tool that allows hacked xbox BIOS files to run from the Hard drive! In essence it is a "Virtual Modchip" that allows you to run backups of games, homebrew, emulators and more!

In order to install ANY of these hacks, you must first be able to FTP into your xbox. This can be achieved using "GameSave Hacks" check here for more information on these:

Now, onto the information

WARNING!
Changing the files on your Xbox hard drive is dangerous and in some cases could lead to you totally messing up your games console, leaving you with a large unattractive paperweight!!

The Fonts
The Font Hack works by exploiting the font 2 files "Xbox Book.xtf" and "Xbox.xtf" on the xbox Hard drive. There are many incarnations of this hack, such as "Bert and Ernie", "BigFonts", "Bert and Ernie Reloaded" and the "MechAssault" fonts. The most stable and newest incarnation are the MechAssault (MA) fonts.

These fonts were developed by the guys at "Xbox-Linux" and modded by some clever dude that has always remained anonymous! Then some guys called "Catfish" and "Pedro" got hold of them to make them work better as "non" Linux fonts.

These new fonts actually replace your dashboards XBOX LIVE tab with the word PHOENIX (as it loads PBL). To enable this hack, simply select the tab and PBL loads!

The problem with the Fonts is they can cause your xbox to go into a "Clock Loop" this is when your xbox cannot start because as soon as it does it gets stuck trying to re-set its clock!

This kills your xbox however it ONLY happens when you unplug your xbox from its electricity supply for a long period of time. As the xbox has no "battery" it cannot power its internal clock.

Now, the MA fonts claim to have "fixed" the clock loop issue. Some people NEVER get a loop with the fonts in and some people get it for a few minutes or hours. I have never heard of anyone totally killing there xbox with these new fonts

However, you can never be too careful This is why I run fonts AND audio.

Also, when the MA-Catfish fonts are on your system you will loose XBOX LIVE functionality not a problem for some people but you never know

The Audio
The audio hack exploits a small file on the xbox called ST.DB. This file is the database for all your music on the xbox. If you rip a CD all of its information is stored in this file.

It was found that this file could be exploited so that when you "ripped" a new CD you could run the exploit. This was improved on and now you no longer need to copy a CD you simply try to copy a "hacked" soundtrack. This is known as the "Swapless" audio hack.

Enabling the audio hack is a little bit more fiddly that the fonts. You have to go to MUSIC and attempt to COPY the hacked soundtrack (it has no name) once this is done your xbox loads some unsigned code, such as PBL.

The downside to the audio hack is simply that you cannot rip audio once you have installed it. So no more in-game audio, or music on your xbox. There ARE packages out their that get around this in some way (see Mordens GameStub feature) but none are perfect.

Also, it can be a pain to do the button combo that loads this hack, and getting it wrong can corrupt it leading to it you having to re-install the hack.

However, all in all Audio is the safest method of exploiting your xbox. It does not change your dashboard significantly and leaves a small "footprint" on your Hard Drive.

Conclusion
Both audio and font are good hacks, but you CAN run both together to get the best of both hacks. Once you have them running you can use code to "switch" one exploit off and another ON, this is a simple matter of changing file names on your hard drive.

 

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