OTA blocking

[knc1]

It looks like firmware 5.9.2 (and maybe earlier) can defeat our current means (a directory name) of blocking over-the-air updates.

As a temporary measure, keep the devices in 'airplane mode' to avoid updates.
This is specially critical for devices NOT YET running a firmware from the 5.9.x firmware series.
At least if you want to jail break the device, since we can not jail break any of the 5.9.x series firmwares.

If you want to know when a new blocking method is invented, just subscribe to this thread.
(And please, everybody else avoid posting a lot of 'noise' in this thread.)

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by knc1

It looks like firmware 5.9.2 (and maybe earlier) can defeat our current means (a directory name) of blocking over-the-air updates.

As a temporary measure, keep the devices in 'airplane mode' to avoid updates.
This is specially critical for devices NOT YET running a firmware from the 5.9.x firmware series.
At least if you want to jail break the device, since we can not jail break any of the 5.9.x series firmwares.

If you want to know when a new blocking method is invented, just subscribe to this thread.
(And please, everybody else avoid posting a lot of 'noise' in this thread.)

Do you know how far this goes yet? In order to maximize my protection I not only created the top level directory, I created a sub-directory with a file in it and marked them all read-only. I have not tested this to see if it is sufficient, but perhaps someone with serial access for a fallback can test and see if this would be enough. Obviously they want to have serial access before the test to permit them to return to an earlier firmware release.

Dave

[hius07]

Anyone can check the name of the tmp file which is created to download the firmware update.
Just look into var/local/log/netlog_*.gz.
For my 5.8.7 the name is update.bin.tmp.partial, so OTA is blocked with the standard method.

[Antinoos]

Originally Posted by knc1

It looks like firmware 5.9.2 (and maybe earlier) can defeat our current means (a directory name) of blocking over-the-air updates.

As for myself, I've never ever connected my Kindles to the internet. (The only situation I'd do that is if it run completely out of battery power and the internal clock - namely the date - was reset, because there's no way to set the date via a user command.) But i've helped some of my friends jailbreaking their devices. I then updated to fw 5.8.11 and did create the OTA blocker dir (to make a bit more sure: also set it read-only). They're using their Kindles normally with Amazon accounts, and they did not report any unwanted OTA updates until now...

[knc1]

Ah...
There is a search bar command for the purpose.
Command and argument format documented (somewhere) in the wiki.

;setTime <arguments>
;st <arguments>

IIRC, the argument format is the one supported by (man) date command.
I.E: arguments are passed directly to 'date'.

Ref: /usr/bin/dateTime.sh

[Antinoos]

Found it "years ago" already, but seems not to work with newer user fw versions (at least >5.8.5 or so...).

OTOH it worked well, with your 5.8.9.0.1 factory version - but after upgrading: see above.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

Do you know how far this goes yet? In order to maximize my protection I not only created the top level directory, I created a sub-directory with a file in it and marked them all read-only. I have not tested this to see if it is sufficient, but perhaps someone with serial access for a fallback can test and see if this would be enough. Obviously they want to have serial access before the test to permit them to return to an earlier firmware release.

Dave

Nope.
Keep on airplane mode for a bit longer.

and/or:
Use some modification of this to test various firmware/device combinations:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...62&postcount=6
There are far too many combinations to wait for a single person to check them all.
For this, we need a community.(tm)

[Antinoos]

Originally Posted by Antinoos

Found it "years ago" already, but seems not to work with newer user fw versions (at least >5.8.5 or so...).

OTOH it worked well, with your 5.8.9.0.1 factory version - but after upgrading: see above.

My fault...

This command still works with 5.8.11, but obviously with a bit modified behaviour: It does no longer change the time displayed in the top right corner immediately, or at least with the next minute-change. You have to wait longer than one minute or to open a book before the change visibly takes effect. Using the KUAL Helper+ submenu "Device ID" displays the changes to the system clock promptly. May have to do something with the energy saving features of the device...

Just for the records - to set date to "Jan. 18th 2018, 17:35" (time is in 24 h format regardless of the local setting), use the following search bar command:
;st 2018-01-18 17:35

But another question: How to set the timezone of the internal clock? My KT3 displays with the KUAL method above:
Thu Jan 18 18:10:24 GMT-06:55 2018
- therefore all internal timestamps (e.g. in /documents/ ) are in the mentioned timezone, roundabout 8h ahead local time (which is GMT+1h), and thus already on the next day right now. I know: When connecting the device to the internet, this is done automatically via a time server. My friend's Kindle has the correct timezone set (GMT+01:00), as he uses it online. But I've good reasons to keep my device away from the internet...

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

Do you know how far this goes yet?

I am still on 5.8.11 with the blocker folder and have not been hit by any OTA updates. So it looks like it's limited to 5.9.x.

[datanoise]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I am still on 5.8.11 with the blocker folder and have not been hit by any OTA updates. So it looks like it's limited to 5.9.x.

Any reason to favor 5.8.11 over 5.9.x?

[Antinoos]

There are more than one reasons to prefer 5.8.11...

The 5.9.x firmwares broke many, many things, especially for us jailbreakers. So, e.g., the support of active documents is finally gone. (I now refer to the so called "kindlets", these *.azw2 files that could be used directly without having to launch KUAL or even install it first - e.g. VlasovSoft's CoolReader port, and KindCalc.) Also, the internal database structure is different.

From my point of view, 5.8.11 should be regarded as the ultimate (last "really usable") fw for all newer Kindle devices (except the KOA2, of course...). And surprisingly, this version even added a valuable real new feature beside some minor bugfixes: The new, much finer boldness and fontsize settings. This was why even I decided to upgrade from 5.8.7.0.1 to 5.8.11 in December.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by datanoise

Any reason to favor 5.8.11 over 5.9.x?

I was plagued by the "missing text bug" starting with 5.8.5.0.2 until it was finally resolved with 5.8.11 over a year later.

Now that I finally have a stable (for me) release, I am wary of any new update and won't do so without a compelling reason.

So far 5.9.x offers nothing I'm interested in, seems to be buggy, plus it can defeat the blocker folder

Originally Posted by Antinoos

... From my point of view, 5.8.11 should be regarded as the ultimate (last "really usable") fw for all newer Kindle devices (except the KOA2, of course...). And surprisingly, this version even added a valuable real new feature beside some minor bugfixes: The new, much finer boldness and fontsize settings ...

This is true for me as well.

[datanoise]

Thanks guys, pretty valid reasons to stick to this one!