Development

Terminology

• HEN: Hombrew Enabler. Allows for unsigned homebrew to be run.
• CFW: Custom Firmware. Extends the functionality of the original firmware.
• LCFW: Live Custom Firmware. Custom Firwmare that does not persist after a cold reboot.
• eCFW: Emulator Custom Firmware. Custom Firmware for the Vita's PSP Emulator.
• ePSP: Original, unpatched, PSP Emulator for Vita.
• ePSX: Original, unpatched, PSP Emulator for Vita in POPS mode (PS1 Emulator).
• vPSP: Adrenaline-patched PSP Emulator for Vita.
• cIPL: Custom IPL for PSP. Allows the Custom Firmware to be loaded on bootup along with the original fiwmare.
• Perma-Patch: an exploit that can be executed during the boot-up sequence of the console, allowing to reboot into an LCFW immediately, essentially achieving the same as cIPL but generally slower to execute.

Core Custom Firmware Modules

• SystemControl: the heart of the Custom Fiwmare. Provides patches for unsigned code execution and the API that serves the rest of the CFW.
• Compat Layer: a module that extends and fixes CFW functionality to add specific compatibility. Core compat modules are psp, vita, vitapops and pentazemin. Other compat layers exist from external tools such as InfinityControl (from Infinity 2 perma-patch), TMControl (from Time Machine) and PopsCore (from PopsLoader).
• VshControl: module that handles the main patches for VSH (XMB) to allow booting homebrew and ISO files.
• Stargate: module that handles anti-CFW protection in games, also fixes bugs in some games.
• Inferno: the custom ISO driver with support for compressed formats.
• PopCorn: allows the PS1 emulator (Pops) to bootup custom PS1 images.

Extra Custom Firmware Modules

• idsRegeneration: used by Despertar del Cementerio to restore idStorage. Also used by PSP compat layer to change UMD keys for region free playback.
• IPL Update: used by cIPL installer to flash custom IPL.
• Kbooti Update: used by cIPL installer to flash custom IPL on DevKits.
• kpspident: used by cIPL installer to identify features of the PSP system its running on.
• Peops: port of the PS1 SPU plugin for use with PSP 6.60 Pops on Vita. Allows for some audio emulation on PS1 games when VitaPops isn't available.
• USB Device: handles redirection of USB device from Memory Stick to Flash or UMD.
• XMB Control: adds extra configuration items to the XMB. Allows handling CFW settings and plugins directly from the XMB.

Menus

• arkMenu: the main Custom Launcher, used on PS Vita as a replacement of the XMB in its absense or on PSP as an extension to the XMB.
• Recovery: extremely simplistic menu that can be used to recover the system from soft-bricks (i.e. bad CFW or plugin configuration).
• VSH Menu: simple menu for the XMB that adds some extra functions.
• xMenu: a Custom Launcher made specifically for PS1 games. Used on VitaPops (ARK-X).

Loaders

• Live: relies on priviledge escalation via exploits to load Custom Firmware from Official Firmware. Does not do any permanent changes to the system.
• Vita Bubble: specially crafted files for PS Vita that allows loading ARK directly from Live Area.
• FinalSpeed: an installer for ARK Live on PSP that allows booting up ARK from the Extras section in the XMB. Based on DarkSpeed and LightSpeed for PRO and ME respectively.
• Infinity: a perma-patch exploit for 6.60 firmware that works on every PSP model.
• Classic cIPL: the original Custom IPL for Pandora-compatible models.
• New IPL: a new implementation of the Custom IPL making use the reset and double xor exploits.
• Despertar del Cementerio/Time Machine: allows booting the entire firmware (CFW included) directly from Memory Stick.
• Payloadex/Rebootex: not a loader in itself, but a crucial part of most loaders. Handles the actual injection of the CFW in the re/boot process. Payloadex is used by cIPL, while Rebootex is used by Live loaders and the compat layer during a reboot. Infinity does not use it as it contains its own.