Tutorial LanguageBreak - Software Jailbreak for (probably) any Kindle <=

[nameless]

What a shame! I was waiting for this moment, and my device updated to 5.16.4. Is there something I could do to downgrade my device? (I've never managed to jailbreak before.) Or, how can I stay updated on new jailbreak methods? I don't use this forum often

[Althusser]

I kept my Kindle in Airplane mode to prevent firmware updates, periodically visiting mobileread until a compatible jailbreak was released.

[vivification]

I'm able to follow this guide through step 14, but no logs appear on the screen and no mkk folder appears once my Kindle reboots after I select the Chinese language. The pseudodot entry appears every time, so I have no clue what I'm doing wrong. Any suggestions?

[Althusser]

I would still try running the Marek hotfix first and then the NiLuJe hotfix.

[Mob201503]

I can't allow this day to end without expressing my deep gratitude to all involved in this project.

Spent several days going through all posts here and elsewhere on relevant forums, carefully making notes and taking screenshots etc, but was still sure something would go wrong when it came time for the procedure itself.

It took a retry or two on certain parts, but on first attempt today, I've successfully j'broken my PW3 using the LanguageBreak method.

GB/EN hotfix worked like a dream, and KUAL, renameOTAbin and ... most thrillingly of all... KOreader are now all in residence on my P'white.

I won't go into the collateral benefits for me of this, specifically having KOreader on my Kindle, but suffice it to say, it breathes new life into this eight-year-old little front-lit reader.

In awe right now of, and so immensely thankful to, everyone who made this happen.

Donations will follow.

[arooni]

Quick question: I successfully jailbroken my kindle scribe.
I am 99.9 percent certain I turn installed marek's hotfix first and then niluje's hotfix. Is there any harm in reinstalling them in that order just to quiet this part of my nervous mind at losing the jailbreak?

[NiLuJe]

Just the latest snapshot would be enough. Entirely unnecessary, but technically enough .

[shamanNS]

Originally Posted by mergen3107

Here is the list of all FW updates for Kindle Scribe so far:

FW Version | Year-Week-Day |
5.16.1       248X     
5.16.1.2     309X     
5.16.1.2.1   310X     
5.16.1.3     317X     
5.16.2       321X     
5.16.2.0.1   332X     
ANTI-JB-DO-NOT-INSTALL
5.16.3       335X     
5.16.3.1     340X     
5.16.4       343X     
5.16.5       346X

Edit: Added 5.16.1 and 5.16.1.2.1

Could you elaborate on what exactly this summary should be (how it should be interpreted)? As in are those firmware version that the device (with that "Year-Week-Day" fragment of device's serial number) came with out-of-the-box or what??

[arooni]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Just the latest snapshot would be enough. Entirely unnecessary, but technically enough .

Snapshot as in your hotfix ?

[mergen3107]

Originally Posted by shamanNS

Could you elaborate on what exactly this summary should be (how it should be interpreted)? As in are those firmware version that the device (with that "Year-Week-Day" fragment of device's serial number) came with out-of-the-box or what??

These Year-Week-Day are when approximately these firmware versions rolled out. Therefore, devices that have date of manufacturing on the box (only brand new ones, of course) have 99% chance to ship with those FWs.

I.e., I bet most of the Kindle manufactured during the week of after Aug 28,2023 (3-35-X) already have 5.16.3+, which makes current JB methods useless.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by mergen3107

These Year-Week-Day are when approximately these firmware versions rolled out. Therefore, devices that have date of manufacturing on the box (only brand new ones, of course) have 99% chance to ship with those FWs.

I.e., I bet most of the Kindle manufactured during the week of after Aug 28,2023 (3-35-X) already have 5.16.3+, which makes current JB methods useless.

It is frequently weeks or even (a few) months after firmware release that new kindles have that firmware.

[arooni]

Is there typically ever an ability to upgrade firmware without losing the jailbreak? I prefer having koreader and the jailbreak compared to the newer scribe notebook features in 5.16.5 so perhaps it's a moot point. But should I make the assumption that upgrading the firmware means losing the jailbreak ? If so, I should kiss the idea of an upgrade goodbye and stop reading about the new firmware updates lol.

I think the notebook features are good enough for me currently to use for the foreseeable future but who doesn't like shiny new things ? Lol

[mergen3107]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

It is frequently weeks or even (a few) months after firmware release that new kindles have that firmware.

Well, my goal is to provide as much info as I know. Whether to risk it or not - up to user’s discretion.

[mergen3107]

@arooni
I repeat: upgrading past 5.16.2 is NOT the end of the JB, it can be restored. HOWEVER, nothing works properly on these firmwares, because Amazon switched their compiling backend mechanism (from softfloats to hardfloats), meaning that currently compiled code in KOReader and all packages won’t work with 99% chance. Unless developers are willing to widely support this new architecture (which I doubt), you can’t have everything at once.

You either have JB+KOReader OR notebooks updates.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by mergen3107

Here is the list of all FW updates for Kindle Scribe so far:

FW Version | Year-Week-Day |
5.16.1       248X     
5.16.1.2     309X     
5.16.1.2.1   310X     
5.16.1.3     317X     
5.16.2       321X     
5.16.2.0.1   332X     
ANTI-JB-DO-NOT-INSTALL
5.16.3       335X     
5.16.3.1     340X     
5.16.4       343X     
5.16.5       346X

Edit: Added 5.16.1 and 5.16.1.2.1

Originally Posted by mergen3107

These Year-Week-Day are when approximately these firmware versions rolled out. Therefore, devices that have date of manufacturing on the box (only brand new ones, of course) have 99% chance to ship with those FWs.

I.e., I bet most of the Kindle manufactured during the week of after Aug 28,2023 (3-35-X) already have 5.16.3+, which makes current JB methods useless.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

It is frequently weeks or even (a few) months after firmware release that new kindles have that firmware.

Originally Posted by mergen3107

Well, my goal is to provide as much info as I know. Whether to risk it or not - up to user’s discretion.

Fair enough, but 99% probability is grossly exagerated. I know of two Scribes that had 5.16.1 out of the box with manufacture dates of 301X and 310X. So, although the first is well before 5.16.1.2, the second is at or after 5.16.1.2.1