All Credit goes to Porchmonkey @ [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] This is one of the more detailed articles about the history of JTAGs but certainly not the most proffesional...






free60 project came up with the original SMC hack.
it took them 4-5 years to present, what we now know as SMC hack.

the xbox360 was launched early 2006. free60 project was able to present the original exploit on 23c3 in dec.2006



free60's goal was to run linux, not to sport piracy.
therefore (iirc) they got in touch with microsoft in order to convice them to hand out some sort of linux boot dvd.
if MS would accept, free60 would not release the hack (to prevent piracy).
MS refused and fixed the exploit (which by that time was known as KK-exploit (King Kong)).
around that time, Microsoft made first use of the EFuses (which they kept as an option countermeasuere hacks) to prevent downgrading to a vulnerable system dash (kk-exploit).

it took the free60 project ~3 (summer 2009) more years to find another security hole.
this new vulnerability is based on the original KK-Exploit.
they announced the new hack, yet they were lacking a practical use.
~oct/nov 2009 xell was released. (purpose = linux)

about that time the first rebooter showed up (xbr).
the intention was to use the benefits of both worlds. boot into linux and still be able to play games.
in the end it iss mainly used for piracy.

free60 project was disappointed with the rebooter release (goal = linux)
and some more famous members left.
i dont know details about the whole free60 project team,
they had some more/less popular members which showed up on
conventions and hold presentations. again their goal was to enable
linux on the xbox360 WITHOUT enabling piracy.
most popular members of free60 are
Felix Domke(tmbinc) and Michael Steil.

btw a very very very good presentation
[/i]

if your interested in how crap works, please check this out.
also again, it makes clear WHY consoles get hacked.

in piracy there is NO money. so piracy cannot fund the research for a hack/exploit.
linux "freaks" want to run linux on every pieve of hardware.
some of them are highly skilled and have equipment / knowledge to hack hardware.
those hacks are then copied by the "mod chip" industry to make some money.

free60 project came up with the hack.
free60 project came up with the wiring.
free60 project came up with xell. (iirc)

since free60 project
a) are the only ones interested in linux on xbox360
b) has achieved linux on xbox360 TWICE
c) is disappointed in the usage of their exploit for piracy
d) has split up due to that reasons
i highly doubt that there will be ANY more hack to ANY xbox360 just as powerfull as the SMC hack.
(so basically, only dvd-mods )

sources:

google King Kong Shader Exploit
google Free60
(main source [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] )
and Porchmonkey for that post

[i]I hope this cleared some things up for people as this article kept me watching the entire hour vid as well.