What is this project?

A tool for patching binary files(.exe)

FAF's patches are contained at: https://github.com/FAForever/FA-Binary-Patches

How To Build

• To build patcher:

  • Recommended compiler: MSYS2 with mingw-w64-i686-gcc
  • cd into patcher directory and target make or mingw32-make

• To build patch:

  • Run FaP.exe to be create default config.txt.
  • If necessary, correct the config file.
  • Put patch files into patcher dir(hooks, section)
  • Put base file(the copy will be patched) into patcher dir.
  • Run FaP.exe

• Config file options:

  • oldfile specifies the path + file to be patched(base file)
  • newfile specifies the path + file to be make.
  • newsect the name of the section to be created(begins with ., max 8 chars)
  • sectsize the size(hex) of newsect(to disable it, set 0)
  • cflags common compiler flags.

How make patches

• Make hooks & section dirs.
  • hooks for patches putting into existing sections.
  • section for putting into new section.
• Put .cpp files.
• Make section.ld if not exists.
• For section no special rules.
• Hooks rules:
  • In each hook file may be several hooks.
  • For each hook need header: asm(".section h*; .set h*,**;")
    • * is hook name(max 6 chars), ** virtual address to be placed.
  • For using symbols of section from asm need use macro QU.
    • Example: "JMP "QU(BuildUnit)";"
  • Available .text.startup as STARTUP
• Signature patches
  • Make SigPatches.txt file.
  • Available line types:
    • Empty line.
    • Line starts with // - comment.
    • Line pair, where first line is signature, second is patch.
  • Signature and patch is hex bytes, that may be separate by space.
  • ?? in signature or patch is skip byte.
  • Patch may be shorten then signature. But not longer.
• PatcherList
  • May be defined only in section root.
  • List definition: //PatcherList_arrayName
  • List element definition: //PatcherList_arrayName_fieldName
  • List link: extern void *arrayName[];

Build result

• Patched file.
• build dir with patch maps and other.
• define.h with all addresses into section
• section.cpp root .cpp for section
• patch.ld linker script.