Hacks I want my family back - not dead authors... - Page 11

FaerieFire · 03-19-2009, 04:24 PM

In a way, I hope the update wasn't due to all of my stupid struggles with this. In another way, if my struggling inspired an improved version -- thank you and woohoo! (on both the idiot-proof update and the availability of the built-in screensavers)
Updating now!

JSWolf · 03-19-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

Sure. I can add instructions for K1 and K2. It will take a little time to pull the images together (it is a visual guide afterall). If I can, I'll add it tomorrow, if not, it will be the end of the week.

And how long will it take for Amazon to say that this violates the warranty?

JSWolf · 03-19-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phenomshel

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so mad at Amazon right now I could spit. Not Dr Pepper either... broken glass, or nails, or something harmful.

Here's the problem; and I know I am not alone here. There is one series I really enjoy. I have purchased the rest of them from Books on Board, but they do not have the first book in the series. Matter of fact, NO ONE has the first book in the series except Amazon. I don't have a Kindle, therefore I cannot purchase the book. AGH!! If I was trying to get something for free, or circumvent the DRM on something, I wouldn't be so righteously indignant, but I can't even PAY FOR and purchase this book - simply because I chose a different device than a Kindle. Actually, I don't know if I should be angry at Amazon, or at the publisher (Kensington). I did write the author's publishing representative, as listed on the author's site, but have received no response. The rest of the series is available in other formats, just not the first book, so I know it's possible to do. If this boneheaded logic becomes common, I will have no choice but to start bribing Kindle owners to purchase material for me (that I pay them for) which I will then have to start dabbling in the grey area of scripts to be able to read.

for letting me hijack the thread to vent. Rant over.

What book is this that is only available at Amazon?

daffy4u · 03-19-2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaerieFire

I'm feeling very silly now. There was no extra S on screen_saver. But I did manage to leave out the first R...
Problem solved!
Thanks everyone for the attempts at helping someone who obviously needs more sleep these days. (Too much time spent reading late into the night!)

Yay!

Sinthor · 03-24-2009, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarknova

Not at all. In fact this will prevent you from updating to 2.0.1.

If you're at 2.0 and have already installed this mod, and would like to update to 2.0.1, then follow the removal procedure to revert to the unmodified config. At this point you can go and manually download and install the 2.0.1 update (or wait for it to reach you via whispernet). Once you're at 2.0.1 you can reinstall the mod if you want to (though, again, you will likely have to remove it to install the next official update from Amazon).

-----

Again, applying this screen saver "update" is changing your brand new kindle2 in ways that it was not intended by the developers, and is dangerous.

I happen to enjoy photos of my wife & kids on my kindle2 and I understand the changes I'm making and how to undo them. I also find the changes quite minor and their potential for disaster quite low. That said, I make these warning statements because I refuse to feel bad if someone bricks their kindle2 because they misread my instructions. (Ok, I'd still feel bad.)

Clark,

GREAT JOB ON THIS! While I understand those with concerns as well as your own warnings, I agree this is a fairly low risk type of "hack." Regardless of that, this is a great feature and function to have and I thank you and congratulate you for not only figuring this out, but also for being willing to share your finding with everyone else.

Thanks again!

RickyMaveety · 03-24-2009, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenmoy

It's painful and really not constructive via this venue. kindle2-feedback [at] amazon.com is the way to suggest and argue for enhancement. If you have looked at things that users ask for from Kindle 1, many improvements have been made on the Kindle 2 front. Amazon has been a customer focus company for a long time, the brand is built around that. Customer feedbacks does matter in Amazon world.

So then, in theory at least, since so many people have been asking for ... say folders, for example .... they should have been available by now, right?

That's because Amazon is so very tuned in to what the customer wants, right? That would be why they did away with additional memory and a user installed battery? Because all the consumers who purchased the K1 said that they didn't like those features?

Right .... sure. Gotcha.

koolmnbv · 03-25-2009, 01:50 AM

hi if anyone can help me i will be more than grateful.

I have figured it all out after much trial and error but i finally got the screensaver to change but now my final problem is that every picture or image i try to use as a screen saver shows up as a very small picture in the top left hand corner of my kindle.

do i have to go somewhere special to get different images that will fill the whole kindle screen or is there a simple way i can just change the image size? please help thanks so much!

kevindorsey · 03-25-2009, 02:02 AM

Amazon isn't going to be able to monitor every hack, so hack away freely

koolmnbv · 03-25-2009, 03:04 AM

ok i think im getting a little bit better,

now i found a picture that was a tad bigger but it still did not fill my whole kindle screen,it was an improvement from the tiny postage stamps that were coming up earlier but now its about index card sized maybe a little smaller.

I realize this must be something to do with the original image size and not a problem with the actual hack or coding but id still like some help as to figure out how i can get some pics of my baby neice, or robert redford, or even jessica rabbit to fill up the entire kindle screen! Please help a very newbie kindle-owner! Thanks again

sirbruce · 03-25-2009, 05:06 AM

To make them fill the entire screen, you need to make them 600x800 in size. If you don't have any image software that can do that, post the pics here in the largest size you have, and someone here can resize them for you.

Dripps · 03-25-2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarknova

after you have "updated" the K2 with the hack, when the K2 boots, it checks to see if the screen_saver directory is there and if not, it creates it and copies the default screen saver images to it. This way you can then plug your K2 in, browse to the directory and remove the default images (or keep some or all, it's up to you) and add your own and reset the kindle.

This is exactly what I wanted. I've updated to v0.4 and screensavers are working as with v0.3, meaning I still can't see default screen saver images. Do I need to remove my screensavers folder for this to happen?

daffy4u · 03-25-2009, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dripps

This is exactly what I wanted. I've updated to v0.4 and screensavers are working as with v0.3, meaning I still can't see default screen saver images. Do I need to remove my screensavers folder for this to happen?

If you just want to get the original screensavers, I've uploaded them in a zip file here.

clarknova · 03-25-2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dripps

This is exactly what I wanted. I've updated to v0.4 and screensavers are working as with v0.3, meaning I still can't see default screen saver images. Do I need to remove my screensavers folder for this to happen?

Yes and then reset the kindle. The hack now uses an init script on the K2 to try to prevent blank images for screen savers. If it sees there is no "system\screen_saver" folder then it will create it and copy the originals to it.

jtnodland · 03-31-2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clarknova

I'd been kinda meaning to do this for a while now, but just hadn't had the time to sit down and test it and make sure everything works OK, but I finally did and here it is.

All this really is was an attempt to help alleviate blank screen problems.

You no longer have to create the system/screen_saver directory yourself: after you have "updated" the K2 with the hack, when the K2 boots, it checks to see if the screen_saver directory is there and if not, it creates it and copies the default screen saver images to it. This way you can then plug your K2 in, browse to the directory and remove the default images (or keep some or all, it's up to you) and add your own and reset the kindle.

Also on boot, if the screen_saver directory is there, then it will check it for any troublesome files like Windows' thumbs.db and Mac OS's dot-underscore files and remove them automatically. So no more messing around with the command line for the Mac folks trying to get rid of blank screens.

Finally, an FYI: if you already have v0.3 (or v0.2 or v0.1) installed, you don't have to remove it to install v0.4. Just go ahead and use the new bin and update directly. (This has always been the case, but I don't know if it was mentioned or not.)

Hi, I apologize if this was above in the thread, but will this work on the Kindle 1? Thanks much!!

daffy4u · 03-31-2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtnodland

Hi, I apologize if this was above in the thread, but will this work on the Kindle 1? Thanks much!!

No, for Kindle 1 go to the wiki page on the Kindle 1 Screen Saver Hack.

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03-19-2009, 04:24 PM	#151
FaerieFire Member Posts: 15 Karma: 120 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	In a way, I hope the update wasn't due to all of my stupid struggles with this. In another way, if my struggling inspired an improved version -- thank you and woohoo! (on both the idiot-proof update and the availability of the built-in screensavers) Updating now!

03-25-2009, 01:50 AM	#157
koolmnbv Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle 2	hi if anyone can help me i will be more than grateful. I have figured it all out after much trial and error but i finally got the screensaver to change but now my final problem is that every picture or image i try to use as a screen saver shows up as a very small picture in the top left hand corner of my kindle. do i have to go somewhere special to get different images that will fill the whole kindle screen or is there a simple way i can just change the image size? please help thanks so much!

03-25-2009, 02:02 AM	#158
kevindorsey Evangelist Posts: 488 Karma: 258 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle	Amazon isn't going to be able to monitor every hack, so hack away freely

03-25-2009, 03:04 AM	#159
koolmnbv Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle 2	ok i think im getting a little bit better, now i found a picture that was a tad bigger but it still did not fill my whole kindle screen,it was an improvement from the tiny postage stamps that were coming up earlier but now its about index card sized maybe a little smaller. I realize this must be something to do with the original image size and not a problem with the actual hack or coding but id still like some help as to figure out how i can get some pics of my baby neice, or robert redford, or even jessica rabbit to fill up the entire kindle screen! Please help a very newbie kindle-owner! Thanks again

03-25-2009, 05:06 AM	#160
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	To make them fill the entire screen, you need to make them 600x800 in size. If you don't have any image software that can do that, post the pics here in the largest size you have, and someone here can resize them for you.