App2USB / AppToUSB by Stooged: A Modification of PKG2USB for PS4

I will post this as a separate thread from the PS4 PKG2USB as the 2 payloads vary and it saves confusion.

Original Post: I was playing around with the ext0 mount and recreating the file structure that would be there if the pkg was installed to external storage.

There is a trick I found where if you copy the CUSAXXXXX folder from /user/app to /mnt/ext0/user/app and then unplug the hdd and plug it back in it causes the ps4 to do a repair and then the game is recognized as installed on external storage and from there there are other issues.

BUT with the great work SiSTRo has done in PKG2USB with the symlinks its a lot easier to manage with exfat and just normal USB.

So building on his PKG2USB and symlinks I modified what I was working on for the ext0 mount to work with the usb0 or usb1 and symlinks.

Downloads:

• 455 Source GIT
• 405 Source GIT
• AppToUsb 5.05 (Latest Release)
• AppToUsb 4.55 (Latest Release)
• AppToUsb 4.05 (Latest Release)
• PS4 App2USB (Scene Collective)

Changlog via dbsuarez

This payload searches the entire /user/app folder and copies all installed fpkg games to usb from the system drive and creates the symlinks like SiSTRo has kindly shown us the ability to do.

If you want to target a single game not the whole folder use PKG2USB.

If you install more games just run the payload again and it will copy any new games to the USB and so on.

With symlinks you are making a link to a directory so you want to pick which USB port to have the hdd on and keep it on that same port or the links will point to the wrong directory. USB0 is what I use.

Thanks again to SiSTRo, xVortex, Anonymous, CelesteBlue!

PS4 JAILBREAK 5.05 How To Use APP2USB by seanp2500

Running PS4 Games From a USB with App2USB (5.05 Jailbreak)

Download: app2usb.rar (726 Bytes - configured to export app+update+dlcs to external disc, includes app2usb.ini)

 

[barelynotlegal]

well so far on the nex ext being formatted by ps4 is working well. though i keep that error message even though nothing shows under storage. tried to delete stuff but nothing there to delete.

if it keeps it up maybe ill just reformat that drive and use as a "official" external device.. i did back the db up but that was only when i had 23/126 and i think it was from other console too not sure about that. appreciate the help and once all done you better believe im doing it. my saves are still working so thats a very good thing.

@Sovikos
now that im running a fresh external with hen 1.7 patch( im happy were i am now)(official formatted hdd by console) could i back up my db and then reinstall the db, hopefully wiping out the "already installed games". there is nothing on my console i had it all external, thinking thats why i cant see anything to delete under storage.

i have just enough storage to just wipe all games and mass install but dont want to loose saved data, any suggestions?

 

[stooged]

if you want to change over to the ps4 ext storage from apptousb just use the move function if you have 2 hdd's

plugin both the apptousb hdd and the ps4 formatted ext hdd and run hen 1.7 for the shellcore(ext hdd) patch.

1. Select
   
   [Settings] > [Storage].
2. Select the [System Storage], and then select [Applications].
3. Press the OPTIONS button and select [Move to Extended Storage].
4. Add ticks to the applications you wish to move and select [Move].

​

the ps4 will copy the symlinked games created by apptousb to the external storage and they will run off the ext hdd not the apptousb hdd.

in my tests the pkg files remained on the apptousb hdd after the move process(the console did not delete them).

if you only have 1 hdd and you need to format the apptousb hdd as ext then you will need to copy the games to your pc or somewhere and format the hdd to ext and then reinstall the games or just keep using apptousb.

 

[barelynotlegal]

@stooged
thanX man, after installing 50 games i realized i restored the wrong .db (it was from the slim that has over 135 games) ughh.

wish it would work as all thegames were on external and nothing internal. ps4 says it has 60gigs of app but nothing shows. o'well gues now i have 2 extra 4TB hdd's for installs lol

will the links from 1.7 hen official extended device remain if i rebuild the .db i have a feeling down the road it going to bite me in the a$$
thanX in advance

 

[stooged]

losing the game tiles when the database is rebuilt is a side effect of the games being "fake packages" the console does not seem to include them in the rebuild.

using any version of hen and the internal or external drive wont change them being removed from the database. they are still on the hdd they are just not visible in the console.

if you have no database backup you will need to reinstall the games.

if you use the ps4 ext format hdd and they get removed from the database you cant plug the hdd into the pc and get the pkg files off to reinstall.

you will need to keep a backup hdd with all the pkg files. or connect the ext hdd to the ps4 and use ftp to copy the games to the pc from /mnt/ext

with the exfat format hdd and apptousb you can plug the hdd into a pc and get the games.

 

[lightc]

Is it possible to edit the App2USB payload to customize which USB device that PKGs will be transferred and symlinked to?

I think it would be pretty neat if we could have multiple portable drives attached to the PS4 (connected in a specific order to make sure the symlinks on the internal HDD are valid). We could easily have two or more 4TB portable drives connected at the same time which would be powered through the ports on the PS4 Pro...

 

[barelynotlegal]

@stooged
Bother you just one more time?
I have 42 gigs unaccounted for in apps.
Where could I look while ftp’n to Find these files? I’m assuming they are games I had internal still maybe. Can’t see the PS4 OS being that big. ?

 

[stooged]

@lightc
I will have a look.

@barelynotlegal
these folders will hold large amounts of data.

internal drive
/user/app/ - installed pkg files
/user/bgft/ - where pkg/files are downloaded and processed before install
/user/download/ - space allocated to apps for download content

external drive
/mnt/ext0/user/app/ - installed pkg files
/mnt/ext0/user/bgft/ - where pkg/files are downloaded processed before install

if the database got rebuilt all the games will still be in the /app/ folders you just cant see the tiles/icons on the ps4 menu.

@lightc

I updated it so you can set it to skip drives so if you have 2 drives connected and A drive is full and you want the pkg files to goto B drive you would add SKIP_DRIVE to the AppToUsb.ini file on A drive. doing that will cause the payload to ignore drive A and use drive B.

https://github.com/stooged/AppToUsb-50X/releases

just remember since 4.55 the usb mount points are dynamically allocated which basically means the first drive plugged in will be usb0 and the second drive will be usb1.

so if your mount points switch the games will stop loading and you will have to unplug the drives and plug them back in the correct order. this is why the payload was locked to use usb0 all the time because it can mess things up.

on a side note you can plugin a ps4 extended format hdd and install games to that leaving the AppToUsb hdd connected and being used like normal.

 

[lightc]

@stooged, awesome. thanks for making this update. Great work

I prefer your ApptoUsb method over the ps4 extended option. With the latter, I'd lose access to the original fPKGs which is not ideal.

 

[barelynotlegal]

@stooged
Thanx didn't even thing of updates downloaded I really appreciate the help as I’m sure your pretty busy

 

[stooged]

I forgot to add

/user/patch/
/user/addcont/

Those 2 will also contain large amounts of data.