HELP: Technical assistance unbricking a Kindle DX Graphite

[timofonic]

Hello.

I asked this in the Kindle non-technical forum, so I ask here if someone can help me in a more technical way.

I would like to know the possibilities of self fixing it. I can ask some friends to help me on tasks I have less experience, like the hardware stuff.

Originally Posted by timofonic

Hello.

My Kindle DX Graphite got bricked by installing some firmware hacks.

This was weird, as it worked OK. I disabled the usbNetwork and then freezed, I needed to reboot and then the fails appeared.

The device tries to boot a few times and it fails, then shows the "Your Device Needs Repair" message.

I entered the recovery mode and tried to reinstall the firmware again, so solve the problem but I'm unable to make it happen (I pushed the "1" button, both alone or by using shift/alt keys).

http://www.brighthub.com/electronics...es/101814.aspx (I followed this document, no sucess at all)

I'm desesperate and need help, I'm not sure if Amazon is going to repair it for free with those updates and my wallet now isn't in good shape (contrary when I bought the DXG) to pay the repair or get another DXG.

Maybe using a serial cable to hack over uboot (as explained HERE it could be the start of a solution for this, but I don't have enough skills for this. I might ask some friends, this is my last hope...

I would be grateful if someone helps me to solve this problem.

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

PS: I did read THIS forum post and it seems he had no succes. This really SCARES me

Regards

[MickeyMark]

Bumping to see if this guy can get some help... I know I can't.

[hawhill]

sounds like root file system is hosed. I think the only viable option (if timofonic isn't running yifanlu's kernel, but this doesn't seem to be the case) is serial console and doing recovery using that.

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by hawhill

sounds like root file system is hosed. I think the only viable option (if timofonic isn't running yifanlu's kernel, but this doesn't seem to be the case) is serial console and doing recovery using that.

Nice, thanks for the information.

Anyway, how to do it? I did see a forum thread about the serial console for Kindle DX, I suposse it's the same than the Kindle DX Graphite. Am I right?

And how to do the recovery process over the serial console? I didn't find instructions for it, nor if I need to upload the firmware or rootfs in some special way.

yifanlu's kernel? What's that?

[yifanlu]

Originally Posted by timofonic

Nice, thanks for the information.

Anyway, how to do it? I did see a forum thread about the serial console for Kindle DX, I suposse it's the same than the Kindle DX Graphite. Am I right?

And how to do the recovery process over the serial console? I didn't find instructions for it, nor if I need to upload the firmware or rootfs in some special way.

yifanlu's kernel? What's that?

If you used the hack that allows your DX to run 3.1 software, you have my brick protection kernel that allows running unsigned recovery packages. If not, you need serial port access.

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by yifanlu

If you used the hack that allows your DX to run 3.1 software, you have my brick protection kernel that allows running unsigned recovery packages. If not, you need serial port access.

Hello.

Unfortunately I didn't install it. My system bricked before that...

Hawhill replied this on the "Kindle DX serial console" forum thread..

Originally Posted by hawhill

Good that you have it working to this point, though.
I think the root file system is corrupted (due to not properly unmounting or re-mounting it read-only).
The way to go is
- you've got to get yourself a partition image of /dev/mmcblk0p1 (first partition on the flash disk), maybe a kind soul can provide it to you,
- you've got to dump it to the first partition of your device's flash disk.

When doing the latter (via option 3), you will find that there's a passwort that needs to be entered. I'm not sure, but I think you need to recover it from the Serial No of your Kindle. Maybe others can comment on this.

The whole procedure is showed in a video that seaniko7 made: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=134637
The mkfs is not needed, since you're dumping a full partition image anyway. The hardest part will probably be to find out the password for your device.

In the recovery menu, do NOT chose 4 (Erase MMC0) and probably not the format option either.

I'm not sure about books and stuff. I think you will probably need a (live CD/usb stick?) Linux, although you probably can dump partition images on windows, too. Someone with expertise in that regard might jump in here...

So I need to upload that image dump, how to upload it and get to know the password.

It seems the DX Graphite has a different pinout...

Originally Posted by stranger_st

Hi havhill thank you very much for advice. I did change baud to 115200 and 8N1. It is connected, but In my case (Kindle dxg) connection was different than in ebs version.
1. 5V from converter (where 1 on the board)
2. Rx port.
3. Tx port.
4. Ground.

[stranger_st]

What about password? how is it possible to find out Kindle DXG root password?

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by stranger_st

What about password? how is it possible to find out Kindle DXG root password?

I did read something about Kindle 3, not about Kindle DXG...

[stranger_st]

Originally Posted by timofonic

I did read something about Kindle 3, not about Kindle DXG...

Hi timofonic did you success in solving issue? do you have any progress?

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by stranger_st

Hi timofonic did you success in solving issue? do you have any progress?

Not at all, I'm afraid of doing this without knowing all the involved operations.

I need first to know that password before doing something useful

[stranger_st]

Originally Posted by timofonic

Not at all, I'm afraid of doing this without knowing all the involved operations.

I need first to know that password before doing something useful

Actually I found the way which solves the issue without opening kindle and knowing password:
For that you need rootfs image I will send you the link through message.
And you need any linux. Example Ubuntu.
Than you need:
Go to recovery menu (Hold sleep button for 15 seconds, after release sleep button and hold home button or press multiple time in my case to go recovery menu)
In recovery mode press (E 3) button.
Connect kindle to the usb port you will see Usb connected.
In terminal (console) write:
fdisk -l
this will list all drives on the computers
Look for a 3.65 GB (can try df -kh as well) drive and make sure it is the Kindle. Remember it's device id. It should be something like /dev/sdc or /dev/sdd it will be last in the list.
then Type:
dd if=/path/to/rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024
Wait till this command finishes and Press (R 4)
Kindle will reboot and starts.
Make Factory Reset from settings and thats all.
This should help in you case.

[lyman666]

that's great! I'm also in trouble with my bricked kindle DXG which serial number is B009..., could you also send me the link of rootfs image file? thx a lot.

lyman

Originally Posted by stranger_st

Actually I found the way which solves the issue without opening kindle and knowing password:
For that you need rootfs image I will send you the link through message.
And you need any linux. Example Ubuntu.
Than you need:
Go to recovery menu (Hold sleep button for 15 seconds, after release sleep button and hold home button or press multiple time in my case to go recovery menu)
In recovery mode press (E 3) button.
Connect kindle to the usb port you will see Usb connected.
In terminal (console) write:
fdisk -l
this will list all drives on the computers
Look for a 3.65 GB (can try df -kh as well) drive and make sure it is the Kindle. Remember it's device id. It should be something like /dev/sdc or /dev/sdd it will be last in the list.
then Type:
dd if=/path/to/rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024
Wait till this command finishes and Press (R 4)
Kindle will reboot and starts.
Make Factory Reset from settings and thats all.
This should help in you case.

[lyman666]

hi stranger_st, there is still another question taht I really want to make it clear: where sholud I place the rootfs.img file according to your steps for achieving to unblock kindle.

thanks very much again.

Originally Posted by stranger_st

Actually I found the way which solves the issue without opening kindle and knowing password:
For that you need rootfs image I will send you the link through message.
And you need any linux. Example Ubuntu.
Than you need:
Go to recovery menu (Hold sleep button for 15 seconds, after release sleep button and hold home button or press multiple time in my case to go recovery menu)
In recovery mode press (E 3) button.
Connect kindle to the usb port you will see Usb connected.
In terminal (console) write:
fdisk -l
this will list all drives on the computers
Look for a 3.65 GB (can try df -kh as well) drive and make sure it is the Kindle. Remember it's device id. It should be something like /dev/sdc or /dev/sdd it will be last in the list.
then Type:
dd if=/path/to/rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024
Wait till this command finishes and Press (R 4)
Kindle will reboot and starts.
Make Factory Reset from settings and thats all.
This should help in you case.

[kogi]

You can place it anywhere you like, If it is in your current directory, then the command to write is

dd if=./rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024

If it is in the directory /home/user
then

dd if=/home/user/rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024

Clear as mud?

[lyman666]

thx, I got the kindle dxg device id by using ubuntu console, which is /dev/sdc1. but as I excute the command line which likes
dd if=./rootfs.img of=/dev/sdc1 bs=1024
the console gives me the feedback that I have no permission to operate /dev/sdc1, what does it mean, should I input the password of the device, and how?

And stranger_st said this approach needs no password.

Originally Posted by kogi

You can place it anywhere you like, If it is in your current directory, then the command to write is

dd if=./rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024

If it is in the directory /home/user
then

dd if=/home/user/rootfs.img of=/dev/sdd1 bs=1024

Clear as mud?