Noob's guide to debricking through ATK :D

[knc1]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Thankfully, the bootloader is pure gpl, so it can be attached here.

I think Hawhill is speaking of the "RAM kernel" when writing the word: "Bootloader".

[bigtj1]

Still no new developments on my end. Had another successful flash but no successful boot afterwards. Beginning to give up hope on the device.

I've downloaded the kernel and rootfs again on the suggestion of my first ones possibly being corrupt and that didn't fix the issue. If anyone can think of anything I'm still open to suggestions.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by bigtj1

Still no new developments on my end. Had another successful flash but no successful boot afterwards. Beginning to give up hope on the device.

I've downloaded the kernel and rootfs again on the suggestion of my first ones possibly being corrupt and that didn't fix the issue. If anyone can think of anything I'm still open to suggestions.

Please provide as much detailed information as possible about what you did, what you observed and what the results where.
"No successful boot" and "didn't fix the issue" is not much to go on.

[bigtj1]

The first time I tried flashing the kernel and rootfs I noticed that the kernel code had reset itself to all zeroes instead of 00041000. It was when i attempted it again that I ran into the dead battery issue and the flashing would consistently fail.

When I was able get a new battery put in and successfully flash the kernel and rootfs I unplugged the kindle then slide the switch to turn it on, nothing happened, tried holding it for 15 seconds, nothing happened and tried holding it for 30 seconds, still nothing. Let the device charge for a while and tried it again, no response.

The only possible thing I can think of is that in the box for the programming code, am I supposed to type in 00041000 for the kernel and 003C1000 for the rootfs or actually put the 0x before each of them even though the box is labeled 0x?

[geekmaster]

You could try the linux command-line k3flasher program instead ATK.

[bigtj1]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

You could try the linux command-line k3flasher program instead ATK.

If it works on Fedora then I could give it a try in a few weeks when i have some free time to VMware a Fedora image and research how the program works and such.

I assume I was right though by typing in the code without the 0x before each line?

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by bigtj1

If it works on Fedora then I could give it a try in a few weeks when i have some free time to VMware a Fedora image and research how the program works and such.

I assume I was right though by typing in the code without the 0x before each line?

I was not successful when I played with ATK (before hawhill investigated it, leading to USB debricking for the K3). Hawhill or others can provide more useful answers to your ATK questions (or read the built-in help or PDF files that are available for ATK).

[hawhill]

Originally Posted by bigtj1

If it works on Fedora then I could give it a try in a few weeks when i have some free time to VMware a Fedora image and research how the program works and such.

I don't think k3flasher would work that much better than ATK, and it's even more unlikely in a VM. Rather, a Live-CD would be what I had suggested, but stick with ATK for now.

I assume I was right though by typing in the code without the 0x before each line?

Yep. The 0x prefix is hardcoded (and presented as a not editable input box label). But then, adding it shouldn't hurt, in the worst case you'll get a parsing error (can't check right now).

Is there a chance you mistakingly started a flash with a wrong value in the offset field? Well, I've promised to upload the start bytes of the partition plus the bootloader (@knc1: no, I really meant bootloader here, u-boot is stored right after the partition table), and I really need to get to do it soon.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by bigtj1

The first time I tried flashing the kernel and rootfs I noticed that the kernel code had reset itself to all zeroes instead of 00041000. It was when i attempted it again that I ran into the dead battery issue and the flashing would consistently fail.

When I was able get a new battery put in and successfully flash the kernel and rootfs I unplugged the kindle then slide the switch to turn it on, nothing happened, tried holding it for 15 seconds, nothing happened and tried holding it for 30 seconds, still nothing. Let the device charge for a while and tried it again, no response.

The only possible thing I can think of is that in the box for the programming code, am I supposed to type in 00041000 for the kernel and 003C1000 for the rootfs or actually put the 0x before each of them even though the box is labeled 0x?

Both K3Flasher and the ATK use the same "Kindle side" binary provided by Freescale.

In another thread here, I and a few other folk have begun to question just how reliable that "Kindle side" binary is outside of the lab environment it was intended to be used in.

Now - back O.T:
Trying to run that "Kindle side" binary under a "low battery" condition may have made its behavior even less predictable.

My reasoning:
The SoC hardware detects the "low battery" condition and forces the internal clock to "low speed, low power" operation (24Mhz).
The eMMC that is being flashed has a minimum clock speed of about twice that.
Plus the things that we (the small group looking) have already questioned about that "Kindle side" binary and that it has very limited error checking ...
Well, in summary, there isn't any telling what it did, what it tried to write and what of that mess the eMMC was able to record under "low voltage" operation mode.

Translation:
Your machine is not broke, don't throw it away, but it may have to be treated as if the eMMC has totally trashed out contents.
That will take someone to provide you with parts of the image that are normally not required in a de-bricking operation.
Like the parts Hawhill has mentioned here.

If you can get K3Flasher to work, under a Linux, LiveCD, long enough to run the "dump it" script . . . .
Having those files in their current, non-working state, would be a big help.

That will require a Linux LiveCD that lets you "save files" - the Knoppix LiveCD distribution is probably the easiest to setup for that.

[Pixelpille]

After I wasn't able to do anything to my K3 for a week I've charged it for around 48hrs, just to be sure to put enough life in the battery.
The "tree-screen" went away and actually i can see my almost (since it still doesn't do anything) normal K3 - it shows the colllection screen and right on top there is the charging icon.

So I've plugged my K3 to my ubuntu machine - and it throws the same errors at me since the last time.
Tried to use the ATK on my WIn7 machine - same here.
Both didnt copy anything (or hilariously quick but with no result).

So right now it seems that nothing actually changed, exept the display.
But since it shows my collection and everything, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Now going back to the wall-charger for a few more days.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Pixelpille

The "tree-screen" went away and actually i can see my almost (since it still doesn't do anything) normal K3 - it shows the colllection screen and right on top there is the charging icon.

Seeing part of two screens might be a symptom of a broken screen substrate.

[Pixelpille]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Seeing part of two screens might be a symptom of a broken screen substrate.

Not parts. It switched the whole screen from "treescreen" to my collections.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Pixelpille

Not parts. It switched the whole screen from "treescreen" to my collections.

If your battery capacity is extremely short (old age), it may be that the voltage is good just long enough to boot the kindle to the home screen, and they it goes flat before it has a chance to put up a "needs charging" screen.

Is there any way to borrow a battery from another K3 to see if it is a bad battery?

[stangri]

THANK YOU!!! I have followed the guide at the wiki and flashed the Demo 3g Keyboard kindle to the fully functional 3.0.2 firmware!

Took a while for it to reboot after it was flashed, but all is well that ends well.

[syngress]

Hi,

I am wondering if someone can help me unbrick my daughters kindle

She went to use it a week or so ago and the screen was stuck on the screensaver, I had a look and a read around and found out about holding the power button for 30seconds, this didn't change anything, I then left it on charge overnight as I wasn't sure what charge the battery had. After trying the power button for 30seconds the screen changed to the boy under the try with the words 'Slide and release the power switch to wake' doing that does nothing. So after googling I have ended up here

So I have followed the instructions for de-bricking with no luck so far. I have (Using and old laptop with WinXP) downloaded ATK and all the relevant Kernel and Rootfs files, on trying to flash I press the Program button (After making sure all the other settings are correct), and after a couple of seconds I get a message saying 'Failed to initial flash or Do not support this Flash, please reset target'

I have left the Kindle on charge for a good 48hours, tried again and still the same.

Now I myself have a good working K3, so I have made sure mine has a full battery charge and then swapped over the batteries, same results, expect my Kindle does report the battery (the one from the faulty kindle) as almost dead so I have put that on charge, but expect that battery to be shot.

I am wondering if there is anything I can dump off of my working Kindle to flash to the faulty one or if its likely the faulty one has had it?

Any ideas will be warmly welcomed before I have to buy her a new one

Thanks,

Mike