Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere
Atmosphere
Atmosphere is a custom firmware for the Nintendo Switch that provides core system components for loading custom kernels, managing modified operating systems, and redirecting hardware storage. It functions as a customized operating system designed to enable deep system modification and functional extensions.
The project distinguishes itself through a system module injector and an application patching engine that allow for the loading of custom binary modules and patches to add features to the console. It also includes a virtual storage manager that redirects internal hardware writes to a virtual image to protect original system data.
The software covers broad capability areas including boot and kernel management, storage virtualization, and system customization through firmware layering and function hooking.
Features
- Console Firmware Customizers - Implements a custom firmware environment that overlays the original factory OS to unlock deep system customization.
- Custom Firmware Bootloaders - Ships a bootloader that replaces the factory process to load and validate a customized operating system kernel.
- Kernel Extension Loaders - Implements a bootloader component that loads and validates custom kernels to replace the factory startup process.
- System Extension Injectors - Injects system extensions and patches into memory to provide expanded functional capabilities and hooks.
- Custom Kernel Booting - Provides the capability to load and validate a custom kernel package to override the factory boot process.
- Runtime Plugin Module Injectors - Provides a framework for injecting custom binary modules and patches at runtime to extend system features.
- Pluggable Module Systems - Enables the injection of custom binary modules into the operating system to hook functions and add new features.
- Runtime Patching Engines - Provides a runtime engine to inject binary patches into active application code in memory.
- Virtual Storage Managers - Manages virtual system storage volumes to protect and back up original hardware data.
- Storage Redirection - Redirects hardware storage writes to a virtual image to protect internal system data from modification.
