PS3JB89 - PS3 Jailbreak for TI-89 Titanium

Current version: 0.03.0001

Previous versions:

PS3JB89 is an assembly program for the TI-89 Titanium that helps to exploit the Playstation 3 console. By connecting a USB cable between a PS3 and your calculator and running the program, you can trigger the PSGroove jailbreak exploit or downgrade your PS3's firmware version from your graphing calculator.

Looking for the TI-84 Plus/Silver Edition port instead? Check here.

Version 0.03.0001 brings about the following changes:

You can now specify the dongle ID to be used (instead of always 0xAAAA) when emulating the Sony official jig stick (for downgrading):

You can also enter nothing or "0000" to use a random dongle ID each time.

Here are the features:

You can now downgrade the PS3 by emulating the official Sony jig stick:

You can enable this by selecting "Yes" for "Emulate jig?" in the options. You will also need the accompanying .self and .pup files found elsewhere on the internet; don't ask me for them or how to use them.
Current status is displayed at the bottom of the LCD. You can tell exactly what step it's failing on and take action based on it.
The program has several configurable options to change the way the jailbreak works. These options are stored in a custom "CONF" file called "ps3jbopt", which can be archived to keep it from RAM resets.
External payload variables are supported. This means you don't have to re-compile the program to use a payload different from the built-in one.
These payloads are stored as custom "PAYL" variables and are selected through PS3JB89's options menu:

You can specify an external payload file by transferring it to your calculator and then entering its filename in the "Stage 1" field, or you can press [2nd]+[-] to bring up the "VAR-LINK" menu and select the file.
To convert from a binary file containing the payload data to a custom "PAYL" file, read this.
Other firmware versions below 3.41 are supported through the use of "firmware compatibility variables", which are external files that override specific behavior in the jailbreak to make it function under different firmware versions.
Select a compatibility file appropriate for your firmware version along with a payload appropriate for your version and you can now use the jailbreak on 3.01, 3.15, and potentially others (below 3.41).
A basic list of these compatibility variables as well as their format (for creating your own) can be found here.
The connection of device 6 during the jailbreak can be enabled/disabled in the options.
This is disabled by default, and useful with older payloads that still use device 6. If you don't know what to do with it, leave it alone.

Known issues and/or feature requests:

This only works on calculator OS/AMS version 3.10 (which is the latest version). You can always upgrade and downgrade to anything you want without issue, so this isn't a huge deal.
The "hook" feature, where you can apply the jailbreak without explicitly running the program and selecting F1 ("Jailbreak"), is currently disabled pending further work and testing.
AsbestOS support using its specific stage 1 and stage 2 payloads is not implemented. There is a "stage 2" setting in the Options, but it does nothing at the moment. With recent AsbestOS developments, this may end up proving an unnecessary feature anyway.
You cannot change any options if you've archived the configuration variable ("ps3jbopt"). For now, unarchive it, run the program, apply your changes, exit the program, and re-archive the configuration file.
It's probably still pretty quirky. These things take time to evolve.

There is no need to use modified versions of the program; everything is configurable through options, and if there's something you think a user (or developer) should be able to change, feel free to let me know.

This application is open source and has no license attached to it, so you're free to do whatever you want with it; but please don't slap your name on it and call it your own, it's just rude.

I had to purchase a rather expensive, but useful USB hardware analyzer to make this and the other PSGroove port work. Any and all donations go toward paying off the analyzer, so if you donated to me, thank you very much, and I hope this program saves you some time and/or money.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I still be able to use my calculator like normal after this? Can this cause damage to my calculator?
This is just an assembly program like any other you would download off education.ti.com or ticalc.org and has no impact on other functionality. There is always the potential that the program could reset RAM, so back up anything important on your calculator to your computer before running this. I'm not responsible for anything that happens from you choosing to run this.

Do I need a special cable for this?
No, you just need a standard A<->mini-B USB cable (this is what you use to connect a calculator to a computer and comes with the calculator, it's also used to charge/sync PS3 controllers). You have one of these.

What firmware version does my PS3 need to be on for this to work?
You must be on 3.41 or below to jailbreak with the PSGroove exploit (DO NOT update beyond this if you want to use this or similar exploits). You can downgrade from firmware version 3.50 or earlier by entering factory/service mode and using .self and .pup files elsewhere (don't ask me for them). The application has built-in support for 3.41; there are external payloads elsewhere that work on 3.01, 3.10, 3.15, etc. which require "firmware compatibility variables."

Well, I'm on firmware 3.55 (or higher), when are you going to update the application to support it?
First off, the exploit that this application uses was fixed in firmware version 3.42. Downgrading was fixed in firmware version 3.50, so if you're on 3.55 or higher, you can't use this. The only way you can jailbreak your PS3 is by using another exploit, if and when it's found. Second, I'm not a PS3 developer, so I have no ability whatsoever to find any new exploits. But rest assured, if a new exploit comes out by somebody else that I have the opportunity to implement, I will jump on it.

What AMS or OS version does my calculator need to be on for this to work?
For right now, you MUST be on version 3.10, which is the latest. You can get it at education.ti.com.

I get an error about not being on AMS 3.10 when I run it from the calculator! What's wrong?
You might want to try updating to OS version 3.10 from education.ti.com.

How do I get this on my calculator?
Do some reading and/or googling. You will need link software like TI Connect (Windows/Mac OS X) or TiLP (Windows/Linux) and a cable to connect your calculator to your computer.

How do I run the program? This calculator scares me.
From the homescreen (press [HOME] to get there), select [2nd]+[-] to bring up the "VAR-LINK" menu, where you can select any variable on your calculator. Scroll to "ps3jb89" and press [ENTER] on it. This will paste "ps3jb89(" to the homescreen. Press [)] to complete the line, now displaying "ps3jb89()", and press [ENTER].

What do I do after running the program?
Select option 1 ("Jailbreak") by pressing [F1] and do what the calculator's LCD tells you to do.

Can I disconnect the calculator from the PS3 once it has booted to the XMB?
Yes, though you need to use it on every boot.

It didn't work! What's wrong?!
Be patient with it. It may take multiple tries for it to work correctly. Make sure the PS3 is powered completely off first and that you press EJECT immediately after POWER. You'll know it worked when you see an "Install Package Files" option under Game in the XMB of the PS3. (It also tries to tell you the current status on the LCD.) Also make sure that no other USB devices are attached before booting to the XMB.

It looks like everything worked, but it appears to have hung on "p6_wait_enumerate"! What's the deal?
You are probably using a payload that no longer uses device 6, an unnecessary part of the original PS Jailbreak exploit. Everything's fine, it just doesn't realize it's done. You can fix this by changing "Use Device 6?" to "No" in the Options.

It worked and all, but when I select "Install Package Files", I don't see anything.
The "Install Package Files" option lets you select .pkg files from a connected USB storage device. If you don't have one connected with such files, then you're not going to see anything.

It worked and all, but when I select this mysterious "/app_home/PS3_GAME/" menu item, I get an error.
This is normal behavior.

Will this work on my TI-84 Plus or TI-84 Plus Silver Edition?
Yes, please see this.

Even the pink model?
Yes. Colors are irrelevant.

Will this work on the TI-83 Plus or TI-83 Plus Silver Edition or [xyz]? It has a cable that's USB on one end, so it can work, right?
No. The calculator must have a USB controller in it. A cable that's USB on one end doesn't count.

Will this work on the Voyage 200? It can have USB with this silver-looking cable I have.
No. It only works on the TI-84 Plus, TI-84 Plus Silver Edition, and TI-89 Titanium.

Will this work on the TI-89 (non-Titanium)?
No. It doesn't have a USB controller.

Will this work on the TI-83?
I'm tired of answering this. No.

Will this work on the TI-86?
Do me a favor and look at your calculator. Look at it all over. Do you see a USB port on it? No? Then no, this won't work on it. A cable that's USB on one end and that plugs into it does NOT count.

Can this be ported to HP or Casio calculators?
Maybe, I don't know. I'm not an HP or Casio person. I can't possibly do it.

Will this work on my TI-Nspire or TI-Nspire CAS? They both have USB ports.
No one knows. It will take an extremely long time to determine this. No, I'm not doing it. Really. I mean it this time.

Which version of PSGroove does this have built into it?
This includes the payload from the PSGroove GitHub repository as of 10/30/2010 (I think).

When are you going to include the latest PSGroove changes?
PSGroove has evolved to use the PL3 payload system, which is built from source with many firmware-specific options. That means it's no longer practical for me to include a single compiled version of it. If you want to use a different payload, use external files as described above.

Will you please update your port to include payload [xyz] that someone created from the original PSGroove payload?
No. You can specify any payload you like through the options menu and an external payload file, so there's no need for me to do anything for you. If you want to use a specific payload as the built-in version so you don't have to specify an external one, re-compile the program with it yourself.

What tools did you use to compile/build this?
I used GCC4TI, which I highly recommend.

Can I use this to play backups?
Backup support is specified in the payload, and the built-in payload does NOT include backup support. External payloads found elsewhere on the internet can be transferred to your calculator and specified in the options dialog.

What's the main purpose of this?
To run unsigned homebrew code on the PS3 that you own, and hopefully, to eventually re-enable OtherOS support on it with the help of the PS3 homebrew community.

Is there a collection of existing payload files somewhere that I can just download and use?
Yes, see here.

How do I create these payload files you're talking about?
See this.

Why didn't you include backup support? I have a legitimate right to play my own backups, you know.
You're right, you do. You and I both know that. However, Sony and the US legal system disagrees with us, and so I'm forced to protect myself first. If you can't understand that, I'm sorry, but that's all I can say on the subject. You can't really know what you'd do unless you were in my shoes and you were actually the target. There are many out there that know how to play backups with this method, so I suggest you bug them instead of me. I'm afraid I just can't help you.

You realize you're going to burn in hell and/or rot in jail for releasing this, right? You're hurting legitimate game sales by releasing this.
No, I'm really not. The intention here is to run our own code on a device we all own, and restore the Linux support forcibly taken away from us. I've done the best I can to prevent this from being used for illegal backups, but it just comes with the territory. See the history of every other console community for examples. Complain to the people downloading games, not me.

I go to play a backed-up game with Backup Manager and it just takes me back to the XMB and I see the actual disc, not the game I backed up. What's wrong?
This is what you see when backup support is disabled, which in my version, it probably is. Read above; if you're experimenting with this, google for answers.

How can I scream at you / profess my undying love / throw money at you via PayPal / give a simple thanks / etc.?
brandonlw@gmail.com.