Creating your own XMB/VSH themes for PSP custom firmwareDec 8, 2015The PSP homebrew and hacking scene flourished from the PSP’s release up until2011, when it was phased out and replaced with the PS Vita. Since then, a lot ofthe guides and tutorials that used to be available have been lost.
Psp Themes 2019
Now it’s hardto find detailed guides for homebrew apps and such things, and the few that Imanaged to find were often for older or outdated versions. So I worked on apersonal guide for something I wanted to do, and this is the result.
It’s a longtutorial and I didn’t edit it further, so it’s not the easiest read – consideryourself warned. Regardless, here’s how to create a CTF from scratch andusing a Linux distro for usage with CXMB.The PSP’s main menu (called XMB for ‘XrossMediaBar’) is customisable. Sonyallowed users to create their own themes and share them, but only icons could bechanged. With CFW people have been able to access the PSP’s flash memory andoverwrite the resource files to change more things including gameboots, soundeffects and lots more. This page is intended to be a full guide to all thingsPSP theming for Linux systems (even though most programs required areWindows). Definitions. PTF: PSP theme file (I’m assuming that’s the abbreviation) generated bySony’s Custom Theme Converter.
Can change icons and wallpapers, and that’spretty much it. CTF: Custom theme file (again, assumed). Used by CXMB to overrideresource files stored in the PSP’s flash memory (flash0), without you havingto do it manually. RCO: Resource files stored in flash0 which contain various resourcesincluding. VAG: Sony’s own audio codec, compressed sound format used in the PSX.The PSP uses VAG files for its cursor sounds and other XMB sound effects.Note that you can use both mono and stereo VAG sounds – just that somepeople suggest against it, perhaps due to space considerations. XMB: Sony’s XrossMediaBar, the interface used in the PSP, PS3, SonyBravia and maybe a few more Sony products.
Can be customised to an extent. CXMB: Homebrew VSH plugin which allows changing more XMB elementsincluding sounds and icon layouts. VSH: The XMB internally? Not really sure. Convert -resize '!300x170' BMP3:out.bmpI use BMP3 because imlib2 can’t load whatever ImageMagick uses for.bmp bydefault. Both seem to work with Custom Theme Converter.
Obtaining your PSP firmware’s RCOsThis is for ME/PRO CFW, some strings might be different in respective VSH menus.Go into the recovery menu (hit Select for the VSH menu), select 'Configuration’,and change 'XMB USB Device’ to Flash 0. Then connect to your PC and mount thedisk that shows up (for me it was a plain disk not partitioned). $ mkdir tmp$ mount -o uid=$(id -u),gid=$(id -g),utf8,ro tmp(For some reason I couldn’t mount properly to /mnt so I’m giving theinstructions I used myself.)The RCOs you want are at vsh/resource. Copy the whole folder over to yourcomputer, then change the USB device back to the memory stick.Now you need to decompress them using a PSP app, Resurssiklunssi. However,that is a 1.50 kernel app, which recent only old PSPs and CFWs can run (Ithink). The workaround is to use LEDA, a 'legacy software loader’ which allowsyou to run 1.50 kernel homebrew. This only works in ME CFW, so install it if youhaven’t, run it, make sure LEDA is enabled in seplugins/game.txt, and startResurssiklunssi.
Hit X, then connect back up and copy across the decompressedfile(s). Replacing soundsTo change a sound in a CTF theme, you need to replace the sound’s VAG file inits respective RCO file.
A lot of basic system sounds like cursor ticks andconfirmations are kept in systemplugin.rco, so we’ll use that as an example. Getting a WAV fileFirst you need a short WAV file with a frequency of 44.1kHz and 16 bitdepth.
Usually, I’d recommend FFmpeg. Sox output.wavSo I suggest using SoX to make your WAV files.Full steps for adding a sound to a CTF theme:This should be an overview, each step should be gone into in detail insubsections. Creating & replacing a VAG fileVAG (LMAO) files are a Sony compressed audio format. The PSP uses them in theVSH for sounds.
Converting to VAG isn’t something most average audio converterscan handle, so we use MFAudio in Wine.For output file format, you want 'VAG - Sony PSX Sound - Compressed ADPCM’.Stereo or mono is fine, but remember you have limited space, so in mostcases mono will be sufficient. Also, I’ve only used mono so far – you mighthave to do something different when replacing the VAG if you make it stereo.To replace a VAG with the new one you’ve just made, use RCO Editor. It’s simpleenough. Creating the CTFNow we have all the resources and files to create a CTF. CTFtool GUI (goes byCTF Tool GUI, CTFtool GUI) conveniently lets you make CTFs on your computerrather than using CXMB to package them, so it’s definitely worth spending timeto set up. You’ll have to use Wine, but CTFtool GUI plays nice with it, eventhough being a little poorly designed on the GUI front messes up some windowfunctions.The thing is, there are next to no guides out there for using CTFtool GUI,and it requires some certain firmware files to make it produce CTFs fordifferent firmwares. I eventually found the answer in some thread about anothertool, CTF Manager.For every firmware that you want to create CTFs for, you need 3 decryptedPRXs:.
commongui.prx. paf.prx. vshmain.prxCTFtool GUI comes with what seems like all the main firmware files for a rangeof common firmwares (even though only those 3 should be required).
You should beable to create a theme for 6.61 by decrypting the required PRXs from your PSPand putting them in the folder base/661.Don’t panic when an error dialog comes up! CTFtool GUI is lying to you!Every time I make a theme a “CTF Package Error” dialog box pops up and talksabuot termination and whatnot.
Don’t worry, the theme should have been properlycreated! Full text of the error for extra help (all spelling/grammar exact):CTFtool:CTF Package Error, the task terminationError No.: 6Error Description: OverflowAs long as the CTF has been created, it’s probably been successful.And you’re done.
Copy the CTF over to ms0:/PSP/THEME and try it out! CXMBIn earlier PSP homebrew times, to change gameboot sounds and cursor SFX you hadto directly access the PSP’s flash memory (named flash0) and overwrite certainresource files.
Psp Themes .ctf Files Online
This is dangerous:,creator of RCO Editor, “it’s possible to semi-brick by flashing RCOs”.CXMB removes the need to do this by enabling you to create and use CTFthemes, which can override VSH resources in flash0 safely. InstallationTo use CXMB, put the cxmb.prx file in ms0:/cxmb and add a line toms0:/seplugins/vsh.txt. Ms0:/cxmb/cxmb.prx 1Enabling a CTF themeJust go into Theme Settings - Theme and choose one. CTF themes aren’t indicatedspecially, so you need to know what it might look like (you don’t actually getshown the theme name). Disabling the current CTF themeChanging the theme in Theme Settings to a non-CTF theme (i.e. A PTF) will onlychange a few features of the theme.
Like, it won’t properly revert it. If youwant to remove the current CTF theme, delete the config file CXMB generates atms0:/cxmb/conf.txt.