iLiad China iLiad users can get developer package.

[ericshliao]

I just read it from China iRex forum (http://irexreader.cn/bbs/viewthread....age%3D1&page=1).

As we all know, iLiad selling in China doesn't provide developer package. And China iLiad users can only connect to China iDS. Now, some genious found a way to redirect China version iLiad to Europe iDS.

I hereby translate the steps described above into English:
1. Install masqdns on a Linux machine, or install a Windows DNS Server on Windows XP. Redirect ids.cn.irexnet.com to 80.255.245.68.
2. Set your home network to use the above DNS.
3. Connect. (I think it should be to connect iLiad to Internet and sync with iDS.)
4. Register a account in MyIrex, and setup iLiad with the account info.
5. Ask for a developer package on https://myirex.irexnet.com/user.php/developer
6. Reconnect and sync.

According to the original post, it is proved successful.

It's quite strange that Europe iDS accepts all iLiad MAC to register an account. In China iRex Forum, people are wondering when will Europe iDS close the backdoor. In my opinion, neither China or Europe iRex will close this backdoo. Anyway, they don't provide warranty to those device applied shell access.

Honestly, I doubt this backdoor info was leaked from Europe iRex to China iRex, then to China iLiad users.

[joyceshi]

I am the original inventor of the method. I had been using the method since one year ago. It was relatively a simple hack, no inside information was necessary, as you had suspected.

I have to say that Irex treats Chinese customers very badly! They sell iLiad in a higher price in China (nearly $900), but provide less services. Actually, iRex NL refused to offer the developer packages to Chinese users. The Chinese local dealers felt so sorry that they offered to refresh physically the machines to enable the functionality for their customers, for free. I disclosed the method to the public only to eliminate the hazard of the refreshing process.

I don't think iRex can close the "backdoor". If they do try to dis-qualify the Chinese users from syncing iLiads with their IDS server, I could reveal a method to change the machine registry so that it mimics a western version.

[ericshliao]

I can't be sure if your are really the one you said. Since you just registered this id. You don't have to prove anything. I don't mean to offend. Anyway, That's not what I care.

I think people (including me) will be curious about how to change the machine registry without installing developer package beforehand. If iDS does close that backdoor, how to modify the machine registry after reflashing?

Since China version iLiad can install 3rd party apps, maybe more people from China will join this forum. That should be good.

Why China iRex doesn't provide shell access? Any reasonable execuse?
If I am right, China iRex is not a subsidiary of iRex, nor a contracted retailer. It is actually another company, neither owned by iRex (Europe). If China iRex is a subsidiary of Europe iRex, consumers can get a iLiad at the same price with other global customers. So, if Europe iRex doesn't sell product in China, she doesn't have to provide support for those product. China iRex shoudl be resoponsible for providing necessay support for those product sold in China.

[Shaggy]

I'm not positive, but my understanding was that it is a separate company selling the iLiads in China. It's not owned by iRex. I believe it was the other company that decided not to make the developer package available. At one point the Chinese iLiads did not have the Mobipocket application either. Has that changed?

[ericshliao]

Maybe someday people will find a way to hack the reflash rom image and make a China version iLiad converted to Europe iLiad.

[joyceshi]

Originally Posted by ericshliao

I think people (including me) will be curious about how to change the machine registry without installing developer package beforehand. If iDS does close that backdoor, how to modify the machine registry after reflashing?

It is not so difficult, but I don't want to reveal it at this time, since it is not useful for most of people. Actually I had changed my iLiad to European version (It means I have mobipocket etc.), while retaining all softwares specific for Chinese version (such as chinese hand-writing, xeb reader, etc.).

Originally Posted by ericshliao

Why China iRex doesn't provide shell access? Any reasonable execuse?
If I am right, China iRex is not a subsidiary of iRex, nor a contracted retailer. It is actually another company, neither owned by iRex (Europe). If China iRex is a subsidiary of Europe iRex, consumers can get a iLiad at the same price with other global customers. So, if Europe iRex doesn't sell product in China, she doesn't have to provide support for those product. China iRex shoudl be resoponsible for providing necessay support for those product sold in China.

The Chinese version is formally supported by iRex. You could consider those chinese companies being dealers of iRex. Those chinese companies do want to offer the developer package to their customers. Actually they offered their customers for reflashing the device by de-assembling it, in no charge. This indicates that it is iRex NL who refused to offer the developer package and share the technical information with its Chinese dealers.

[ericshliao]

Originally Posted by joyceshi

The Chinese version is formally supported by iRex. You could consider those chinese companies being dealers of iRex. Those chinese companies do want to offer the developer package to their customers. Actually they offered their customers for reflashing the device by de-assembling it, in no charge. This indicates that it is iRex NL who refused to offer the developer package and share the technical information with its Chinese dealers.

I have no clue or evidence about what I said about the relationship of China and Europe iRex. So I can't judge whether Europe or China iRex should be responsible for providing support to China version iLiad "directly".
What you said is one possibility: China iRex is a dealer of Europe iRex. If that's true, then Europe iRex should not deny service to China version iLiad. Since there is a contract between Europe iRex and every customer.
However, I want to raise another possibility: Europe iRex is a OEM manufacturer selling China version iLiad to China iRex. Under this condition, there is no legal relation between end users of China version iLiad and Europe iRex. For example, Dell or HP sell NBs and PCs that are OEMed by Wistron, Foxconn. Dell have to provide service to its customer. OEM companies have no responsibility to end users.

[booklover]

I asked the IRex NL whether IRex China (http://www.irexreader.cn) was a subsidiary of them. Their reply was

Dear customer,

The Chinese website http://www.irexreader.cn is our official branch in
China.

Kind regards,
The iRex Team

[ericshliao]

Well, then I have to say, China customers spend 200usd more to get a iLiad with Chinese UI, hand-writing input, and ...but no developer package and no mobipocket reader.
Whether it's worthwhile, I can't say.

[Adam B.]

Originally Posted by ericshliao

Maybe someday people will find a way to hack the reflash rom image and make a China version iLiad converted to Europe iLiad.

A rom reflash isn't necessary. One simply needs to change a configuration file within the iLiad and do an update through IDS...

Edit, nevermind, it does read the data from the system rom. There is a way to flash it, but I don't want to post it because I haven't tested, and it's possible it may brick the device.

Once you have the developer package, you can likely just flash the standard firmware to the device.

[Adam B.]

There may be a way to change a Chinese device to a european version, and back without any worry about damaging the device.

I need someone to go to the last settings page on a Chinese device and post the language code, oem code, and country code that shows up on that page.

[joyceshi]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

There may be a way to change a Chinese device to a european version, and back without any worry about damaging the device.

I need someone to go to the last settings page on a Chinese device and post the language code, oem code, and country code that shows up on that page.

You are partly right. But you do need to flash the rom using sysset command. Moreover, you need to fake the MAC address so that your connection will not be refused by the iDS server. Anyway, I don't think the hack is very useful as long as iRex provides reasonable services to all customers.

[axel77]

Originally Posted by joyceshi

It is not so difficult, but I don't want to reveal it at this time, since it is not useful for most of people. Actually I had changed my iLiad to European version (It means I have mobipocket etc.), while retaining all softwares specific for Chinese version (such as chinese hand-writing, xeb reader, etc.).

Bullshit.

[booklover]

Originally Posted by Adam B.

There may be a way to change a Chinese device to a european version, and back without any worry about damaging the device.

I need someone to go to the last settings page on a Chinese device and post the language code, oem code, and country code that shows up on that page.

They are:
Model:ER0140
language code:010
OEM code:000
Country code:000
PCB ver.:4

[ericshliao]

According to http://irexreader.cn/bbs/viewthread....extra=page%3D1, China version iLiad is also reflashable, once it gets developer package. It is reflashed from Europe version iLiad rom image (the "cf-card-contents.zip" downloaded from Eruope iDS). Then making iLiad connect to China iDS will upgrade iLiad to up-to-date China version OS. If connected to Europe iDS, iLiad will be upgraded to up-to-date Europe version OS.

If the above is true, what joyceshi reluctated to reveal is quite easy, once developer package is installed. I will be astonished only if she (or he) did this without installing developer package beforehand.

So, it seems that Europe version iLiad can be changed to China version OS. The workaround is reflashing by using Europe version OS image, then upgrade to up-to-date China version OS by redirecting iLiad to China iDS instead of Europe iDS. Then iLiad's OS is changed to China version. Users can obtain developer package just as a normal China version iLiad by redirecting to Europe iDS.