More actions
| uLaunch | |
|---|---|
| File:Ulaunchswitch.png | |
| General | |
| Author | XorTroll |
| Type | Title Launchers |
| Version | 0.3.5 |
| License | GPL-2.0 |
| Last Updated | 2023/04/04 |
| Links | |
| Download | |
| Website | |
| Source | |
uLaunch is a remarkable open-source project that serves as a custom replacement for the Nintendo Switch's HOME menu, also known as qlaunch. Its main objective is to provide a more homebrew-oriented menu. Unlike other extensions or patches, uLaunch is a complete reimplementation that is entirely open-source. Moreover, it enhances the console's functionality by taking over the eShop and Parental control applets. These features are no longer useful with uLaunch's extended capabilities.
For those curious about the user interface (UI) design, uLaunch is a prime example of the Plutonium libraries' power in creating aesthetically pleasing UIs, just like Goldleaf.
Features
List of HOME menu features uLaunch has:
- Proper launching and foreground management: launch, suspend and close applications and applets
- Proper general channel handling (some of it might be not implemented): sleep, shutdown, reboot, HOME menu press detection...
- Settings:
- Show connected WiFi network's name, MAC and IP address...
- Open connection applet in case user wants to change network settings
- Change console's language and show active one
- Change console's nickname and show current one
- User features:
- Allow creating user on the startup menu
- Show user's page (in order to edit nickname, icon, friends...)
- Homebrew support
- Launching as applets (no need of Album!)
- Launching as applications (using a donor title!)
- Custom basic homebrew menu
- Option to add custom NRO accessors to main menu (homebrew or custom items easily accessible, no more need of forwarders!)
- UI
- Themes (different to official HOME menu themes/NXThemes)
- Custom icons, menu assets and graphics (custom images, colors, sizes, positions...), background...
- Custom background music and sound effects!
- Folders in order to keep your main menu organized!
- Themes (different to official HOME menu themes/NXThemes)
- Users
- PC-like login on startup (select user and use it for everything, log off, register/change/remove password...)
- User password support! (up to 15 characters)
- Miscellaneous extras
- Web browsing (via web-applet) directly from the main menu!
- Console screen capturing from PC itself (Windows-only) via USB-C cable and uViewer tool!
Screenshots
Disclaimer
Ban risks
While no bans have been reported related to using uLaunch, replacing the retail HOME menu's functionality is never a completely safe idea, so always use it at your own risk.
TODO list
- Improve Daemons's IPC with two services, one only for Daemon and the other one for any process to interact with uLaunch:
- Easy way to detect whether uLaunch is present
- Get whether a title/homebrew is opened
- (check suggestions and bugs in issues for user-submitted TODOs)
Changelog
v.0.3.5
- uLaunch
- Updated for latest Atmosphere (v1.5.1) and libnx
- Fixed support for certain games, like Nintendo Switch Online titles
- uViewer
- No changes (therefore no new release binaries)
v.0.3.4
- Again nothing new, just recompiled with latest libnx and Atmosphere, which was needed for the latest Atmosphere release (v1.3.1)
- Again, since were there no changes at all, no uViewer binaries are provided
v.0.3.3
- Nothing new, just recompiled with latest libnx and Atmosphere, which was needed for the latest Atmosphere release
- Again, since were there no changes at all, no uViewer binaries are provided
v.0.3.2
- uLaunch
- Most of the code was rewritten or cleaned up, which might mean slightly faster load times, etc.
- Reinstalled/never launched titles can be launched properly (until now, they had to be launched first on regular qlaunch in order to work)
- Other minor internal changes, fixes, etc.
- uMenu
- Updated with last libnx, Plutonium and Atmosphere. This (mostly Plutonium changes) might also slightly better performance.
- Atmosphere's info is shown now along with the system firmware (like with regular qlaunch)
- uViewer
- No changes (not providing new release binaries)
v.0.3.1
- uLaunch
- Compiled with latest Atmosphere libraries, effectively supporting up to 1.1.1 and 13.0.0 firmware
- Slightly reduced the main menu's memory size from 192MB to 176MB. Previously, certain applets would crash due to lack of memory (for instance, swkbd when editing a user's name on the user page), and thanks to this memory reduction these issues are fixed now.
- Fixed a bug where launching a title when another one is opened would fail due to not waiting until the opened title actually exits.
- uViewer and RetroArch plugin
- Nothing was changed, only the version number was updated.
v.0.3.0
- uLaunch
- Updated with last libnx and Atmosphere.
- Now, instead of always overriding certain applets (if you had uLaunch on your SD), uLaunch makes use of ECS to launch its processes over a certain applet, so that the applet can be used normally when the process isn't launched.
- The internal comunication system between uLaunch's processes has changed internally and made more fast and efficient.
- Several bugs/issues with older versions were fixed.
- USB support
- USB support is back (it was temporarily removed the last release due to weird technical issues)
- USB now supports an alternative system, which is available under certain circumstances (having patches enabling it being on >10.0.0) and which is significantly faster.
- uMenu
- When launching homebrew as applications, uMenu won't make use of the internal flog system application it used to use (which might have been risky for potential bans). Instead, making use of ECS (mentioned above), after a donor title has been selected by pressing up, homebrew can easily be launched over that application like normal Atmosphere does. Note that you won't be able to launch homebrew over an application unless you select that application as the donor application.
- HOME menu pressing is properly supported on the different menus. For instance, pressing the HOME button inside the settings menu will make it return to the main menu.
- The default theme design was reworked, giving it a more dark/purple-ish style, in order to make it more uniform and consistent with the project's logo.
- uViewer
- The RetroArch entry creator plugin was updated to work with the latest RetroArch installation.
- It's been a while, but it's finally here! Have fun with a custom HOME menu!
v.0.2.1
- This a basic version to support latest libnx and Atmosphere, so not many features were added.
- General
- Added support for latest Atmosphere, libstratosphere and libnx, fixing potential bugs they all could have had.
- USB viewer
- USB viewing has been force-disabled for this version, since it is completely broken.
- Main menu
- Fixed a bug where homebrew couldn't be launched from main menu, even in applet mode, when there is an application suspended.
- Added the option to rename folders by pressing X on the main menu (with the folder selected)
- Next release will be way more complete ;)
v.0.1
- First Release.
Credits
- SciresM for Atmosphere-libs.
- Switchbrew team for libnx and nx-hbloader, the base of the uHbTarget processes (they're essentially wrappers of nx-hbloader). This project also makes use of hx-hbmenu's icon.
- C4Phoenix for the amazing design of this project's logo.
- Icons8 website for a big part of the icons used by the default style.
- Several scene developers for their help with small issues or features.
- Everyone from Discord or other places whose suggestions made this project a little bit better ;)