Glossary

This page serves as a glossary of commonly used Wii homebrew terms. Think of it as a mini dictionary for words you'll hear a lot while reading through our wiki. It was started to help newcomers to the homebrew scene better understand our jargon.

I

IOS

Input/Output System. These programs run on the Starlet coprocessor and control access to Wii hardware and security.

See also: Starlet.

IRC

Internet Relay Chat; that is, realtime text-based chat over the Internet.

Infectus

A modchip that can read and write data to and from the Wii's internal NAND. Very useful for hacking.

See also: Modchip.

L

Library

Generally given the extension *.a, a library is a compilation of source code that may be linked into a program.

M

Marcan

A formerly predominant member of Team Twiizers.

MIOS

The IOS used in Gamecube mode, responsible for locking out all new hardware to make the system functionally identical to a Gamecube.

Modchip

A device containing simple firmware that is usually soldered or clipped onto a circuit board typically for the purpose of altering or circumventing the normal functions of a device. In a game console, a modchip almost always serves to enable the playing of backup and/or pirated copies of games.

N

NAND

Typically refers to the Wii's internal storage, which uses a NAND-based flash chip. The term actually stands for Not-AND; an electronic gate whose output is low only when all inputs are high.

See also: Flash.

P

Partial Brick

See "Semi-Brick".

PCB

Printed Circuit Board. The Wii has a few of these, most notably the mainboard containing all the crucial parts and the game disc drive's control board where modchips are typically installed.

PPC

PowerPC; Power Performance Computing. The processing architecture of the Gamecube and Wii consoles. Also used in the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3.

R

RSA

An encryption/digital signature algorithm used by the Wii. When implemented correctly it is too strong to be broken with modern technology. The acronym is made from the names of its inventors.

S

SD Card

A common type of memory card, used by the Wii, digital cameras, music players, etc. Stands for Secure Digital.

SDHC

Stands for Secure Digital High Capacity Card. A type of SD card with a higher storage capacity than normal SD cards.

SDK

Stands for Software Development Kit; An SDK is a group of libraries that allow a programmer to access the primary features of a platform.

segher

A predominant member of Team Twiizers. Originally found the fakesigning bug.

Semi-Brick

A console that is no longer working normally but still has some useful functionality which may be used to restore full functionality. Usually, a semi-brick is the fault of the owner.

Soldering

The process of attaching two or more metal components by melting additional metal directly onto them. This process is used to add components onto circuit boards.

Source

The code for a program before it is compiled into a binary executable.

Stack

The memory of a program. As one declares pointers and integers, the computer sets aside memory for each. That memory then "stacks" itself on the last declaration. Think about stacking up building blocks and each block is a piece of memory.

Stack Overflow

Simply put: Bad coding that makes the stack crash. There are a number of ways to do this. It can lead to an exploit in some cases.

Starlet

The unofficial name for the ARM coprocessor located in the Hollywood, which is responsible for the peripheral access and security control.

See also: Hollywood.

Svpe

A very talented coder. He modified the libfat library which allows for support of SD and SDHC cards as well as USB devices in Wii homebrew. He also wrote a version of DVDX that installs on firmware 3.4

System Menu

The Wii's main interface which appears after the health warning screen when the system is powered on. It is loaded after boot2. It allows the user to start channels, manage data, and change settings.

T

Team Twiizers

A team of people who have created many hacks for the Wii including the Homebrew Channel, the Twilight Hack, and DVDX.

Teknecal

The author and maintainer of the HomeBrew Browser.

See also: Hombrew Browser.

Ticket

Basically, a ticket is just an encryption key used to read the encrypted title it belongs to.

See also: TIK, Encryption, Title.

TIK

A ticket file corresponding to an encrypted title.

See also: Ticket, Encryption, Title.

Title

A title is a Wii game on a disc, a Wii channel or a virtual console game. A title is identified by a unique title ID, an 8 byte (4 character) long code used for title identification. All titles are encrypted for security purposes.

Title Metadata

A format used for storing metadata about a title and its installed contents, including which contents they consist of and their SHA1 hashes.

TMD

See "Title Metadata".

Trucha

See "Fakesign".

Tweezer Attack

Involving some Gamecube homebrew code running on the Wii in combination with a pair of tweezers, the Tweezer Attack is what allowed hackers access to the locked portions of the Wii normally invisible when the machine is running in Gamecube compatibility mode. It allowed the creation of true Wii homebrew.

Twilight Hack

A hacked save game with a loader embedded in it for the Wii game The Legend of Zelda the Twilight Princess. The file exploits a buffer overflow to take control of the system and run a program found on the SD card, such as the Homebrew Channel installer.

V

VC

See "Virtual Console".

Virtual Console

A phrase invented by Nintendo so that they didn't have to use the word "emulator".

W

WAD

An archive format that channels and updates are contained in.

Warez

Refers to any pirated digital content.

WiiWare

A platform started by Nintendo that allows developers to cheaply create and then sell original content at low prices (compared to the prices of brand new Wii games).