Unofficial Pretendo Network server in Docker

This is an unofficial Docker Compose setup for self-hosting a Pretendo Network server (because there is no official self-hosting setup).

System requirements

Hardware

• A decent CPU (at least 4 cores recommended, must be capable of running MongoDB)
• At least 10 GB of free storage for Docker images and build cache (using an SSD is strongly recommended, as it will also be used for database storage)
• At least 4GB of free RAM while building the Docker containers; the servers themselves uses about 1GB of RAM while running
• Network connectivity to the client console

Operating system

OS	Testing status
Windows (Docker Desktop on WSL 2)	✅ Working
Linux (Docker Engine)	✅ Working
macOS (Docker Desktop)	❓ Untested

Software

• Git
• Docker
• Docker Compose

Everything else runs inside Docker containers.

Supported consoles

Console	Testing status
Wii U	✅ Working
Cemu emulator	❓ Untested
3DS	✅ Working
Switch	❌ Not supported by Pretendo

Usage

Note that this guide assumes that you are familiar with using the Linux command line and have a basic understanding of Docker.

Server setup

1. Check the system requirements and install any necessary software.
2. Clone this repo with Git. Make sure to recursively checkout submodules: git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/MatthewL246/pretendo-docker.git
   • Note: Downloading this repo as a ZIP file from GitHub will not work because it uses Git submodules for the Pretendo Network repos.
   • If you are using Windows, you should clone the repo inside your WSL distro for maximum performance.
3. Optionally, dump your console's BOSS keys for the BOSS (SpotPass) server. These keys are required if you want to create new SpotPass content. These steps are based on the guide from the boss-crypto repository.
   • For the Wii U: Download Full_Key_Dumper and run the ELF from a Tiramisu (not Aroma) environment. Then, copy the sd:/boss_keys.bin file from your SD card to the console-files directory in this repo.
   • For the 3DS: Download the Citra key dumper GodMode9 script and run it in GodMode9. Then, copy the sd:/gm9/aes_keys.txt file from your SD card to the console_files directory in this repo.
   • Finally, run ./scripts/get-boss-keys.sh to validate the dumped keys. It will show you if the keys are missing or incorrect.
4. Run the initial setup script (./setup.sh) and follow its instructions.
   • Note: This will take some time to build the required Docker images, and it will use up to 8GB of bandwidth to download images.
   • You might need to run it with sudo if you are using the Docker Engine on Linux.
   • After initial setup, use docker compose up -d to start the containers.
   • You might need to re-run the setup script if this repo is updated with more servers.
5. Open http://127.0.0.1:8081 in your browser to view a live list of HTTP requests from client devices.
6. Connect your console to your Pretendo Network server and create a PNID (see Connecting).

After creating a PNID

1. Run ./scripts/make-pnid-dev.sh to give your new PNID administrator permissions and full access to your server.
2. If you want to use Juxtaposition (Miiverse), run ./scripts/create-juxt-community.sh to create a community (required for posting).
3. Read through the containers section to learn more about adminstering the servers. Also check out the scripts directory.

Safety

• Back up your MongoDB database! If you lose it, you will lose all of your PNIDs and Juxt posts. If you have a PNID signed in on a Wii U, you will also be stuck with a useless account on your console that you can't delete because deleting an account requires a server to authenticate the password. Creating a new account on your server with the same PNID won't work because each PNID has a numerical ID that is appended to the end of the password before hashing, so your console will not authenticate with the new PNID. Use mongodump (docs).
• Don't delete the pretendo-network-* Docker volumes. You will permanently lose your database (see above) and all of your Pretendo server data.
• Don't use the same P/NNID username on multiple servers. This applies to NNIDs and PNIDs on the official Pretendo Network server.
• Always verify that you are actually connecting to your own server. The easiest way is to check the mitmproxy logs to see if you are getting the expected HTTP requests.

Connecting

Web

1. Start a web browser using 127.0.0.1:8080 as a proxy server. For example, use chrome.exe --proxy-server="127.0.0.1:8080" or the Firefox network settings page.
   • I don't recommend using the same browser as the one you use for normal web browsing because you will get a lot of irrelevant noise in the mitmproxy logs. Consider downloading Chrome Beta or Firefox Beta to have an isolated browser for this.
   • If you don't want to deal with the security warnings on every page from being MITMed, go to http://mitm.it in your proxied browser and follow the instructions there to trust the mitmproxy certificate. This is secure because mitmproxy generates a random certificate on first run, so nobody else could MITM your traffic except you.
2. Open https://pretendo.network/account in your proxied browser. Make sure that there is a big red banner stating "This is an unofficial Pretendo Network server!" If there is not, your proxy settings did not apply correctly. Also, check http://127.0.0.1:8081 to make sure your HTTP requests are being sent to mitmproxy. Then, once you have verified this, sign up for an account there, just as you would on the official Pretendo Network servers (by the way, you don't need to do the captcha, it's disabled).
3. You can visit https://juxt.pretendo.network in your proxied browser to view Juxt posts.
4. Go back to after creating a PNID.

Changing which server you are connected to (Web)

• To connect to your selfhosted Pretendo server, create a shortcut to your web browser with the proxy settings and use that to open the Pretendo Network website.
• To connect to the official Pretendo servers, use your regular web browser without the proxy settings.

Wii U

1. Follow the official Pretendo Network installation guide to install the patches. At this point, you should be connected to the official Pretendo Network servers. You may create a new PNID on the official servers now if you wish. If you do so, come back to this guide when you are done.
2. Open System Settings => Internet => Connect to the Internet => Connections => (Your current internet connection) => Change Settings.
3. Go to Proxy Settings => Set => OK => (Set the proxy server to your server's IP address and the port to 8080) => Confirm => Don't Use Authentication.
4. Save the settings and go back to the Home Menu. Check your mitmproxy logs at http://127.0.0.1:8081 to verify that the console is sending HTTP requests through your proxy.
5. Start a FTPiiU server on your console and run ./scripts/compile-custom-inkay.sh to compile a custom version of the Inkay patches that uses your own mitmproxy certificate.
   • If you didn't set a Wii U IP address when running the setup script, you will need to use a FTP client to manually upload repos/Inkay/Inkay-pretendo.wps to your console at /fs/vol/external01/wiiu/environments/aroma/plugins/, replacing the original Inkay patcher there. You could also re-run ./scripts/setup-environment.sh with a Wii U IP address.
6. Finally, create a new PNID on your console from the users page.
   • Make sure that the license agreement has the custom text "Welcome to your selfhosted Pretendo Network server!". If it talks about the "Pretendo public beta", you are still connected to the official Pretendo Network server and your proxy settings did not apply correctly.
7. Go back to after creating a PNID.

Changing which server you are connected to (Wii U)

• To connect to your selfhosted Pretendo server, use a custom Inkay build by running ./scripts/compile-custom-inkay.sh and enable the custom proxy settings on the console.
• To connect to the official Pretendo servers, use an unmodified Inkay build by running ./scripts/compile-custom-inkay.sh --reset and disable the custom proxy settings on the console.
• To connect to Nintendo's servers, disable Inkay and the proxy settings.

3DS

Warning: Due to the 3DS's account system, using a local Pretendo Network server with it requires some potentially dangerous modifications to the CTRNAND. Create a NAND backup before proceeding.

1. Follow the official Pretendo Network installation guide to install the patches. At this point, you should be connected to the official Pretendo Network servers. Linking your official PNID in System Settings is optional.
2. Open System Settings => Internet Settings => Connection Settings => (Your current connection) => Change Settings.
3. Go to Proxy Settings => Yes => Detailed Setup => (Set the proxy server to your server's IP address and the port to 8080) => OK => Don't Use Authentication.
4. Save the settings and go back to the Home Menu. Check your mitmproxy logs at http://127.0.0.1:8081 to verify that the console is sending HTTP requests through your proxy.
   • If you open the Friends List now, you might get a message that "This device's access to online services has been restricted by Nintendo." Your 3DS is not banned. This is expected. The console is trying to log into your local Pretendo server using a NEX account that doesn't exist in the server's database because it already created that NEX account on the official servers.
5. Start ftpd on your console and run ./scripts/upload-3ds-files.sh to upload the required files to your console.
6. This is the potentially dangerous part that modifies your CTRNAND. As the official Pretendo docs explain, Nimbus works by setting up a second Friends account using a test environment instead of prod. On the first run, it creates this account, and on subsequent runs, it switches to the already-existing test account. Unfortunately, you cannot create a third test account, but what you can do is back up the save data for the Friends and account system modules and then reset the test account. Trace (traceentertains on Discord) created a modified version of Nimbus that resets the Friends test environment, and I created a GodMode9 script to automate save backups and switching save slots for the system modules.

   All credit for the Friends test account reset program (originally released on the Pretendo Network Discord server as manual_override.3dsx) goes to Trace.

   1. Reboot into GodMode9 and open the scripts menu.
   2. Run the FriendsAccountSwitcher script and select "Create a new save slot". Name the slot something descriptive like pretendo_official.
   3. Reboot into the Home Menu and open the Homebrew Launcher. From there, run the ResetFriendsTestAccount.3dsx app and press A when a white line appears at the top of the screen (the Nimbus GUI was removed).
   4. Open the Friend List applet. You should be "online" and have a new friend code that is different from your friend code on the official servers.
   5. Reboot into GodMode9 and open the scripts menu again.
   6. Run the FriendsAccountSwitcher script and select "Create a new save slot" again. Name the slot something descriptive like local_server.
   7. You now have multiple test Friends accounts saved on your SD card at sd:/gm9/out/friends_accounts/. You can switch between them by running the FriendsAccountSwitcher script, selecting "Create a new save slot", and following the instructions.
      • Pay careful attention to the script's instructions. When loading a save slot, it will first save the current Friends and account system modules save data to the last-used save slot. Create a new slot if you don't want to overwrite your existing save data.
7. Open System Settings using your local_server Friends test account and create a new PNID or sign in to one you created on your Wii U or website.

Changing which server you are connected to (3DS)

• To connect to your selfhosted Pretendo server:
  • Use the custom mitmproxy certificate for Juxt by running ./scripts/upload-3ds-files.sh.
  • Enable the custom proxy settings on the console.
  • Switch to your local server Friends account by running the FriendsAccountSwitcher script in GodMode9.
• To connect to the official Pretendo servers:
  • Use the official certificate for Juxt by running ./scripts/upload-3ds-files.sh --reset
  • Disable the custom proxy settings on the console.
  • Switch to your official Pretendo Friends account by running the FriendsAccountSwitcher script in GodMode9.
• To connect to Nintendo's servers, use Nimbus to switch to Nintendo Network and disable the proxy settings.

Uninstalling

1. ⚠️ EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: If you use a Wii U, delete your selfhosted PNID from your console or back up your MongoDB database now! See the safety section above for more information. If you don't do this, you will be stuck with a useless account on your console that you can't delete!
2. Revert the steps you did when connecting.
   • Disable the custom proxy settings on your console.
   • On Wii U, replace your custom Inkay patcher with the original Inkay by re-downloading it from GitHub.
   • On 3DS, replace your custom Juxt certificate with the original one by re-downloading Nimbus from GitHub.
   • On 3DS, switch to your official Pretendo Friends account by running the FriendsAccountSwitcher script in GodMode9 and loading the pretendo_official slot you made.
     • You may now delete the sd:/gm9/out/friends_accounts directory from your SD card, as well as sd:/3ds/ResetFriendsTestAccount.3dsx and sd:/gm9/scripts/FriendsAccountSwitcher.gm9 if you will no longer be using multiple Friends accounts.
   • Make sure your console still works when connecting to the official Pretendo Network servers.
3. Run docker compose down to stop the containers.
4. Delete this repository.
5. Run docker system prune -a to delete the Docker images and build cache.
6. Optional: delete the pretendo-network-* Docker volumes and run docker volume prune. Again, double check that you deleted your selfhosted PNID from your console now or made a backup of your MongoDB database if you intend to start selfhosting a Pretendo server again later.

Containers

Infrastructure

Server	Purpose	Usage and administration
CoreDNS	DNS server for both internal container networking and external DNS resolution. It spoofs the Pretendo domains to the address of your local server.	No administration necessary.
nginx	Reverse proxy and Web server. It sends HTTP requests to the right Pretendo server based on their hostname.	No administration necessary.
MongoDB	Primary database that the Pretendo account and Juxtaposition servers use to store PNIDs and Juxtaposition content.	Use Mongo Express (see below) to view the databases and perform simple edits. You can also use the mongosh command inside the container for more advanced administration tasks or download the MongoDB Compass GUI for easier database editing. (Connect to mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/?directConnection=true. Make sure to enable "Use direct connection".)
Mongo Express	Simple web GUI for MongoDB administration.	Open http://127.0.0.1:8082 in your browser with the container running.
MinIO	Object store compatable with the AWS S3 API. It is used as file storage and a CDN for the Pretendo servers. Mii images, Juxtaposition screenshots, and more are uploaded here.	Open http://127.0.0.1:8083 in your browser with the container running.
Redis	Cache database used by the account server.	No administration necessary.
MailDev	SMTP server used to test sending emails from the account server. Use this to view your PNID email verification code.	Open http://127.0.0.1:8084 in your browser with the container running.
PostgreSQL	Database used by the Friend List server to store friendships.	Use Adminer (see below) to view the databases and run SQL scripts. You can also download the pgAdmin GUI and connect to 127.0.0.1:5432 to perform advanced administration tasks.
Adminer	Web GUI for database administration, used for Postgres.	Open http://127.0.0.1:8085 in your browser with the container running.

Check the secrets.txt file in the root of the repository to find the usernames and randomly-generated passwords needed to authenticate with the servers.

Pretendo Network

Server	Purpose
mitmproxy-pretendo	Intercepts HTTP requests from client devices and redirects them to the official Pretendo server to your local server. Uses mitmproxy running on port 8080
account	The most important Pretendo server. It handles PNIDs, authentication, and tokens.
website	Runs a local copy of the Pretendo Network website. Used for creating PNIDs without a console.
friends	Handles the Friend List applet and friendships. Juxt and other game servers use it to get friends.
miiverse-api	Handles Miiverse API requests from games and Miiverse portal discovery.
juxtaposition-ui	The Miiverse applet GUI, as well as the Juxt web interface.
Wii U Chat (authentication and secure)	Server for the Wii U Chat app. This is currently untested because I only have 1 Wii U.
BOSS	Server for BOSS (SpotPass) content. I do not yet understand how to create new BOSS content, so it currently just serves some premade content.

Planned servers

These are some other servers (mostly for individual games) that I want to set up here.

• Mario Kart 7
• Mario Kart 8 (authentication and secure)
• Super Mario Maker
• Pokkén Tournament
• A bunch more of the individual game servers.
• Grove (Interesting but not particularly useful in its current state.)
• SOAP (NUS) (It would be cool to run a full local eShop server.)

Learn more

• Each of the main subdirectories in this repository contain a README file that explains their contents (config, environment, patches, repos, and scripts).
• Check the compose.yml file for more information on how the server containers are run.
• Read the source code in the Pretendo Network GitHub repositories.
• Join the Pretendo Network Discord server and ask questions.