K5 FW 5.x ScreenSavers Hack

[Calleja]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

By using the swiss-army knife of CLI image processing, ImageMagick, to properly scale & dither down to the (nearly) exact palette of colours supported by the eInk tech.

For ref, the default settings:

convert Alloy\ of\ Law3.png -filter LanczosSharp -resize "758x1024" -background black -gravity center -extent "758x1024" -colorspace Gray -dither FloydSteinberg -remap ~SVN/Configs/trunk/Kindle/Touch_Hacks/ScreenSavers/src/linkss/etc/kindle_colors.gif -define png:bit-depth=8 -quality 75 "BR_MBSS_AL.png"

(Don't mind the crazy path to the colour map, I'm on a laptop, the file is shipped with the hack).

(The same kind of results can be achieved with any decent image editor, if you're somehow allergic to CLI [But, FWIW, I just did that on OS X with IM installed via Homebrew]).

TL;DR: Yes, it usually ends up looking way better than what the default reader does, but it's also an order of magnitude slower .

Thank you so effing much!

Weird thing though: when I uploaded the image you dithered (that word makes me giggle) to the Kindle inside the book, it looked pixelated again. But I manually changed the cover generated in the cover cache folder and now it looks PERFECT. Was Calibre to blame for the pixelation?

[NiLuJe]

@Calleja: How/Where? The way the reader handles image has pretty much nothing to do with ScreenSavers, but if you're curious, the "Kindle Formats" subforum should hold all the answers .

[CmdrCrabapple]

Hey there, I've been using the linkss hack for custom screensavers for ages now, but I've been stuck all day trying to get the 'cover' mode to work.

I'm using a Kindle 3 keyboard.

My problem is that it seems to be in cover mode, and in KUAL it says it is, but its only using the cover of the first book I open, any other books I open after that seem to be ignored. When I open up the linkss/etc/last_read file in chrome, it's always set to the same book that I first opened up. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling linkss, but it again just saved the first book and ignored any afterwards. I've tried waiting for 10 minutes at a time after opening subsequent books, but with no luck.

Here's a shot of my links folder (attached).

Any idea why this is happening? Also, gotta say thanks for making the hack, it's really brilliant

[NiLuJe]

@CmdrCrabapple: The usual culprit in that situation is bad timekeeping on your device. Check that the date & time is accurate. (What does the timestamps look like for the covers generated in the cover_cache directory?)

[CmdrCrabapple]

The timestamps for the two default "cover hasn't been processed yet" are 29/5/14 (today) at 19:13, which would be when I reinstalled linkss, and the harry potter cover you can see in the preview image was made a minute later when I opened HP up. The date and time are both accurate too.

I know that the covers are tagged correctly as I'm trying to switch the screensaver to a cover that worked on the previous reinstall.

It really is weird :/

[NiLuJe]

@CmdrCrabapple: Meh, you're on a K3 anyway, the date thing has a different impact there, being in the K5 thread confused me .

So, yeah, that's a bit strange. Looking at the logs would probably shed some more light on this: enter ;dumpMessages in the search bar (from the homescreen), and PM me the file that'll generate in the documents folder.

EDIT: A fix was released for the 'legacy' version of the hack .

[fogice]

May I suggest an addition to the Notes on the first post, something like the following?

"If you use a magnetized cover with your Kindle, you will only see your Cover or Image or Screensaver for an instant, and this hack can not lengthen that time. (For users with Sponsored Ads: when you purchase the upgrade from Amazon to remove Sponsored Ads, the 'Swipe to unlock your Kindle' screen goes away.)"

I was going to try this hack, but I decided to read the 76 pages of this thread first, and discovered this deal breaker in the discussions. It might be obvious to most, but it wasn't to me, because my Paperwhite is still in Sponsored mode.

[knc1]

And why do you expect this hack to work on a SO kindle?

Was:

Note for Kindle Special Offers Users:
This doesn't, and won't ever, help you bypass something you agreed to (screensaver ads), so please stop asking.

If you still have questions, please read this post.

Somehow unclear?

[fogice]

Originally Posted by knc1

And why do you expect this hack to work on a SO kindle?

I did not expect it to do so. I was planning to purchase the 'turn off sponsored ads' upgrade, and I was trying to figure out if I could do that after jailbreaking (i haven't started to hack my PW1 yet), which was why I was reading the entire thread.

However, I thought that I would still see the 'swipe to unlock' screen when I open my magnet case after un-sponsoring, because I've never used an un-sponsored Kindle.

I was hoping to save the next person in my situation the hours of reading.

[NiLuJe]

@fogice: Because I don't have a magnetic cover, hence never really investigated that, but mostly because it stands to reason that, by definition, the hack's only job is to tweak the screensavers, not how/when they appear/disappear .

[fogice]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@fogice: Because I don't have a magnetic cover, hence never really investigated that, but mostly because it stands to reason that, by definition, the hack's only job is to tweak the screensavers, not how/when they appear/disappear .

Well, I saw at least two other users in this thread who wondered the same thing as I did (I only made it to page 25). That's why I thought that it would be worth mentioning in the Notes section of the first post. It stands to reason for you, but it didn't for me or those other two people who are only accustomed to the way the Kindle operates when Sponsored.

Pity, because I was looking forward to this hack, but I like my case more than I want this hack. I appreciate all the work you do here.

[NiLuJe]

@fogice: That's a fair point, especially now that we know the SO thing isn't just a fad .

EDIT: Amended the SO section.

EDIT^2: Also realized that most of my threads were missing a key element: a simple introduction explaining what exactly it's for .

[EvanEdinger]

Originally Posted by bohenden

For those with Waterstones PW!

---------------------------------------------
Downgrade, Jailbreak, Upgrade, Hack
---------------------------------------------

- Downgraded to 5.3.1 using the file i found here: http://ixtab.tk/kindle-touch-updates.php
- download file and insert in the root folder(that is not a folder but the top level of "kindle". Then install update via settings menu

- Installed jailbreak from here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=198446
- followed the readme - two files in root, one in documents

- Upgraded to 5.3.3 using the file i found here: http://ixtab.tk/kindle-touch-updates.php
- Same procedure as downgrade

- Installed dev certs from here: http://ge.tt/3ZRY9XE/v/51
- insert into root and update from menu

- installed rescue pack from here:https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2290044
- insert into root and update from menu

- installed the hack from here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=195474
- downloaded the links and took the install-file and inserted in the root folder. Then did a update

---------------------------------------------
Install USBnetwork, SSH, delete Waterstones screensaver
---------------------------------------------

- Install USBnetwork. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=186645
- Now on your Kindle go to [Menu] -> Settings -> [Menu] -> Update Your Kindle. Once done, eject and unplug your Paperwhite.

- Now we need to test if it's installed correctly. On your Paperwhite, tap the search icon at the top. Type in ";un" without the quotations. It'll go back to the home screen thereafter. Now plug your Kindle into your Mac. If it doesn't show up as a device like it normally does, it's worked!

- SSH into your device and navigate to the waterstones screensaver image in /var/local/custom_reensavers/bg_medium_ss00.png

- Delete image and reboot device

---------------------------------------------
It works
---------------------------------------------

Okay, so hi! I have gotten all the way down to the last step here:

SSH into your device and navigate to the waterstones screensaver image in /var/local/custom_reensavers/bg_medium_ss00.png

- Delete image and reboot device

But I am too inexperienced with shell/linux to go any further. The fact that I am 1 step away from this and I spent my entire evening trying to do this makes me more determined to finish it. I've read the read me's and every possible similar thread on this site and others for SSH, but I cannot figure out how to SSH my device, navigate anywhere, or delete the dreaded waterstones screensaver. Any non-sassy insight would be greatly appreciated! I already feel like I've learned so much from doing this (though obviously not quite enough). ;D

[NiLuJe]

@EvanEdinger:

TL;DR: There's an app for that!

Joking aside, there's a config switch in the ScreenSavers's hack KUAL extension aimed at Waterstones devices, no need to try to brick your device

[EvanEdinger]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@EvanEdinger:

TL;DR: There's an app for that!

Joking aside, there's a config switch in the ScreenSavers's hack KUAL extension aimed at Waterstones devices, no need to try to brick your device

Ahh thank you! Well I had already updated with usbnet and typed ;un into my kindle, so as expected it doesn't show up as a storage device on my mac. How can I uninstall usbnet? (Sorry!)