Original "Simple" debricking methods for K5-Touch, K4-Mini, & K3-Keyboard

[Poetcop]

Thanks geekmaster, I've booted into fastboot so many times (maybe as many as 100) that I couldn't even remember how I do it! I've edited the original post. Man am I happy - I feel lucky to have chosen a Kindle, because of its great community. If there's ever something I can do to give back I'll do it.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Poetcop

Thanks geekmaster, I've booted into fastboot so many times (maybe as many as 100) that I couldn't even remember how I do it! I've edited the original post. Man am I happy - I feel lucky to have chosen a Kindle, because of its great community. If there's ever something I can do to give back I'll do it.

Don't be surprised if your karma jumps to 2600 after you provide something useful that you developed or documented (IMHO).

EDIT: I edited my post too...

[js1d3]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

You can download it here, and run it at a DOS prompt:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2000997

Each kindle needs its own set of libusb-win32 device drivers installed, to work with fastboot for windows. There are multiple ways to do this, and multiple versions of libusb drivers for windows.

You can read some details about how *I* installed them for my K4 and Touch here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2001621

You still need to know which libusb-win32 version, and what installers to use, and more (that you can learn from the libusb websites). More information will be provided later (perhaps in a wiki page). Hopefully there is enough information at the above links for you to figure out how to use it now if you need it.

This eliminates the problem of needed Windows for MfgTool and linux for fastboot, and the problem of the kindle dropping out of fastboot mode when the USB connections is disconnected or reset (by rebooting the host PC or VM). But it has the added complication of needed Windows device drivers.

At least there are alternative methods of using MfgTool and fastboot now, so you can use whichever method works best for you.

Hi man, mi kindle model is touch 3g (the last touch model). I have been reading all the steps from the previous report by Poetcop and trying to repeat but I don't understand some things and terms. I downloaded libusb and get recognized my kindle by windows xp (in virtual box), i copied the same text from .inf that you use geekmaster. I don't understand the next step that runs fastboot.win.public there are some .dos files that can´t work correctly I suppose. Also in the report from Poetcop mentioned that uses Linux, what version recommends to install in mac osx (virtual box) and how I can run ssh file

Oh frabjous day! Caloo calay! My Kindle Touch is unbricked, freed from the black screen of death! I'm so grateful to the friendly wizards on this board, especially hostar and double especially geekmaster. You have achieved amazing things. Let me put down the steps precisely, in case it might help someone:

* First, I installed hostar's windows port of yifan lu's fastboot tool, fastboot_win_alpha. That was the key. The only complicated part was the libusb-win32 installation, but I got through it by following the instructions on the sourceforge page carefully:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/trac/libusb-win32/wiki
geekmaster's screencaps should also help.

* Then I booted into fastboot mode, for the thousandth time, but this time to actually do something. In case you don't know, you hold down the power button until the light goes off, and then, without releasing, press the home button and then release the power button.

* Then I ran the following commands:
fastboot flash diags mmcblk0p2_ssh.img [from the first post in this thread]
fastboot setvar bootmode diags
fastboot reboot
That got me into diags mode, for the first time in weeks, and my heart sang!

* I started ssh, following geekmaster's instructions to "Select menu items N) U) Z) X). Wait 20 seconds for dropbear to startup"

* In linux on my mac os x, entered ssh root@192.168.15.244, with password mario. It complained that the device had a different signature or some such, so I had to delete the line containing 192.168.15.244 from known_hosts, at which point I was able to get in.

* I'd forgotten to copy mmcblk0p1.img to my /mnt/us, and I discovered that the USB mode option in diags didn't work after starting ssh, but on choosing Reboot (D, R from the main menu) it did work again. Then I went back in with ssh.

* dd if=/mnt/us/mmcblk0p1.img of=/dev/mmcblk0p1 bs=4
which took 137.6 seconds.

* Now to reboot into main. Disable Diagnostics didn't work, with the message "device_info.xml not found, check device settings", but no problem with my new fastboot powers, I just chose "Install fastboot bundle" and then ran fastboot setvar bootmode main, fastboot reboot.

* The normal, healthy Kindle reset screen, and the same screens I saw when I first bought it. I wonder if this was affected by me running fastboot setvar bootmode factory at one point. I had to unplug and plug the usb back in to get the normal directory to mount, but when I did unlike when I exported it before, it was populated with the expected folders.

I marked with blackie the steps that I don't understand, and what exactly is the definition of ssh and how to work with linux (which version) to restore my kindle touch. Excuse me for my ignorance, I don´t really know much of system or this process, I beg if can explain in more details some terms and steps to follow. At this moment I only can get the kindle in fasboot mode the same as the images from this post
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=25

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by js1d3

... I downloaded libusb and get recognized my kindle by windows xp (in virtual box), i copied the same text from .inf that you use geekmaster. I don't understand the next step that runs fastboot.win.public there are some .dos files that can´t work correctly I suppose. Also in the report from Poetcop mentioned that uses Linux, what version recommends to install in mac osx (virtual box) and how I can run ssh file
...
I marked with blackie the steps that I don't understand, and what exactly is the definition of ssh and how to work with linux (which version) to restore my kindle touch. Excuse me for my ignorance, I don´t really know much of system or this process, I beg if can explain in more details some terms and steps to follow. At this moment I only can get the kindle in fasboot mode the same as the images from this post
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=25

I do not have or use a Mac. Your questions will require some research and testing to create a detailed and accurate answer.

I do not have time to provide a detailed answer to your post for a few days. Could somebody else please answer these questions? Please try to provide simple, accurate and tested answers, and links to any referenced materials (like I "normally" do). Thanks.

There are also other options available for solving these problems. Start by reading this thread:
"Select Boot": https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=169645

The kindles run linux inside. Your post indicates that you may need to learn some basic linux commands (such as "dd", and more) -- or wait for others to provide a RUNME.sh script that will do these commands for you. Here is some information about some basic linux commands: http://www.my-guides.net/en/content/view/29/26/

I will eventually get back to this in a few days to see how it is going. If there has been no progress, I will see what I can do for you then...

Thanks...

[hostar]

Originally Posted by js1d3

Hi man, mi kindle model is touch 3g (the last touch model). I have been reading all the steps from the previous report by Poetcop and trying to repeat but I don't understand some things and terms. I downloaded libusb and get recognized my kindle by windows xp (in virtual box), i copied the same text from .inf that you use geekmaster. I don't understand the next step that runs fastboot.win.public there are some .dos files that can´t work correctly I suppose. Also in the report from Poetcop mentioned that uses Linux, what version recommends to install in mac osx (virtual box) and how I can run ssh file




I marked with blackie the steps that I don't understand, and what exactly is the definition of ssh and how to work with linux (which version) to restore my kindle touch. Excuse me for my ignorance, I don´t really know much of system or this process, I beg if can explain in more details some terms and steps to follow. At this moment I only can get the kindle in fasboot mode the same as the images from this post
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=25

If you want to fix your device with fastboot, first you need to boot to fastboot mode. It can be made from diag mode over "Fastboot mode install", or over Recovery mode with Mfgtool. (more info here)

As geekmaster said, by "Linux" is mere meant Linux inside Kindle.
As I understand, you have emulated Windows XP on your Mac.
About these DOS files. These are NOT DOS, it's just console applications and it fully run under Windows.

Following instructions are for Windows.
Before you run fastboot, you need to install drivers. It's a little bit tricky, because I don't know, if original fastboot drivers works with Touch model.
I recommend you to download libusb-win32 here, follow instructions here.

Then extract fastboot_win_public.zip to some directory in Windows even with source code. Go to source folder and doubleclick to "cmd.bat". Command prompt should appear.
Type

cd ..
fastboot.exe getvar bootmode

If drivers works, bootmode will show. If drivers doesn't work, <waiting for device> show.In this case interrupt it with Ctrl+C.

If drivers didn't work, install drivers with geekmaster's custom inf and try run fastboot again.

You can't write main partition from fastboot, only diags (for example the version with SSH).

I hope I didn't confused you. Just read existing instructions on forum, and ask if you didn't understand something.

[Poetcop]

I just noticed this post about my report, otherwise I would have answered sooner. As it is geekmaster and hostar did a great job with hints to get you started, js1d3. Your real challenge now is to get talking to your Kindle in fastboot mode, which you can test by running a simple command like "fastboot getvar serial" (gets the serial number of your Kindle). Let us know when you get to that checkpoint, or if you need more help to make it there!

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Poetcop

...
Your real challenge now is to get talking to your Kindle in fastboot mode, which you can test by running a simple command like "fastboot getvar serial" (gets the serial number of your Kindle).
...

If using fastboot for linux, be sure to run it as root (or prefix the command with "sudo "). If not root, it will not see any USB devices in fastboot mode (< waiting for device >).

If using fastboot for windows, be sure to install the lubusb-win32 device drivers, or it will not see any devices in fastboot mode (< waiting for device >).

The Mac version probably needs to run as root too...

[supprman]

remember

mntroot rw

Originally Posted by Poetcop

* dd if=/mnt/us/mmcblk0p1.img of=/dev/mmcblk0p1 bs=4
which took 137.6 seconds.

big help, very clear, thanks so much!

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Poetcop

* dd if=/mnt/us/mmcblk0p1.img of=/dev/mmcblk0p1 bs=4
which took 137.6 seconds.

In the "dd" command, "bs=4" sets a block size of 4 BYTES. Although that works fine, it is better to use a block size optimized for the device being written to.

If you look at my original post, I used "bs=4K" (which is 4096 bytes, corresponding to the mmc nand physical erase page size). Writing a smaller blocksize (such as 1024 bytes) causes extra read/modify/write cycles (unless cached with deferred writes in the firmware), and takes much more time.

Using a tiny block size (like 4 bytes) causes MANY extra writes, which may take a lot of extra time unless the mmc firmware gathers and defers writing until it has a full erase block, and even then, there would be a lot of extra system overhead for all those extra write operations being passed to the kernel mode mmc device driver.

SUMMARY: It would have been better to use:
dd if=/mnt/us/mmcblk0p1.img of=/dev/mmcblk0p1 bs=4K

[mars77]

hello!

my kindle is bricked too, stuck at the screen with the tree.
it gets unstuck/reboots when using mfg tool and the main profile and i can use my kindle then until i restart it or power it off, then it is stuck again.

i dont understand much about what is written in this thread, maybe someone with more experience than me is willing to waste his valueable time and help me out and contact me on icq (75955166) to give some dedicated help?

have a nice weekend!

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by mars77

hello!

my kindle is bricked too, stuck at the screen with the tree.
it gets unstuck/reboots when using mfg tool and the main profile and i can use my kindle then until i restart it or power it off, then it is stuck again.

i dont understand much about what is written in this thread, maybe someone with more experience than me is willing to waste his valueable time and help me out and contact me on icq (75955166) to give some dedicated help?

have a nice weekend!

First, what model kindle is it? How to fix it depends on the model.

Assuming it is a K4 or touch, it sounds like your bootmode var is probably set to fastboot mode. You need to set it to main. You can do this with fastboot:

fastboot setvar bootmode main

Or you can set it from diagnotics mode at an SSH command prompt or in a RUNME.sh script launched by my data.tar.gz that you can download in the "Select Boot" thread.

To use a RUNME.sh script, you also need an ENABLE_DIAGS file so it runs in diags mode. Put these commands in a RUNME.sh script, or execute them from an SSH shell in diags mode:

idme -d --bootmode main
rm /mnt/us/ENABLE_DIAGS
reboot

The information provided above is duplicated multiple times in this forum, and once again here.

You need to provide enough information with your request so that people can help you without needing to guess or make potentially incorrect assumptions.

Again, what model is your kindle?

[mars77]

its working now, thanks so much!

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by mars77

its working now, thanks so much!

Okay, I added a link to your successful debricking report post to the "successful debricking reports" list on the first post in this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=170929

If there are any successful debricking report posts anywhere in the mobileread forums that are not in my list, please let me know so I can add them. Thanks.

[js1d3]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Okay, I added a link to your successful debricking report post to the "successful debricking reports" list on the first post in this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=170929

If there are any successful debricking report posts anywhere in the mobileread forums that are not in my list, please let me know so I can add them. Thanks.

Hey man I got a question, sorry but I difficulty understand the previous instructions. I ask if there were a debricking mode but only utilizing linux, which version of Linux do you recommend to use and how it works on kindle touch last model. I find problems to understand the previous debrincking steps in my foreign language for windows, I hope to fix my kindle almos a month with a kid and the tree. Thanks man for all the posts.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by js1d3

Hey man I got a question, sorry but I difficulty understand the previous instructions. I ask if there were a debricking mode but only utilizing linux, which version of Linux do you recommend to use and how it works on kindle touch last model. I find problems to understand the previous debrincking steps in my foreign language for windows, I hope to fix my kindle almos a month with a kid and the tree. Thanks man for all the posts.

What spoken language(s) can you read fluently? If you are using machine translation on these threads, you could try a different translator. Google translate is not ALWAYS the best one for all languages.

I use linux mint (an ubuntu-based linux distro), but at the command line it is really just a debian distro, just like in the kindle.

So, I would recommend a debian distro, just so you can be familiar with apt-get and other debian tools, in case you want to install them in your kindle.

The problem is that MfgTool only runs in Windows, but you would run windows in a VM (like VirtualBox), which is what I do.