Rescue Pack for Paperwhite and Touch

[ixtab]

If you're looking for the Rescue Pack for the Kindle Paperwhite (and Touch), you can start reading HERE.

The first posts in this thread are just kept for historical reference

ORIGINAL THREAD TITLE: "Any solutions for a brick-proof Paperwhite?"

ORIGINAL POST:

Spoiler:

Now that I have my PW, I'm slightly afraid to start messing around with it.

I did install the jailbreak and usb networking, and am currently making backups of everything.

If I understand correctly, there is still a diags partition, which could be accessed using "idme -d --bootmode diags" from main. Three questions concerning that:

1. Is it possible to easily get out of diags, and reboot into main? (On the KT, there was some workaround required in some situations, in order to be able to reboot into main).

2. Did anybody already "SSH-enable" their diags partition? If so, could you please post some relevant information? (instructions, or a script, or a binary image... anything is fine). I just want to avoid to reinvent the wheel, in case someone invented it before.

3. Any easy way to trigger "diags" mode? The ENABLE_DIAGS file logic (which was there on the K5) is gone in the PW, but I guess that it is a *very* good idea to put it back. This would allow for debricking in cases where the main partition still tries to boot, and usb storage is available -- which should account for some 90% of "normal" bricks. Did anybody already do something on that front? (I dimly remember geekmaster talking about it, but I'm not sure what the current status is)

If anybody already did something concerning the above 3 topics, your input is greatly appreciated.

Other than that, there is of course THE grand question remaining: How to get the Paperwhite into USB downloader mode? I'm convinced that it must be possible somehow. I've tried various methods of rebooting it, but none have succeeded - still, there must be some way.


Off-Topic:

Spoiler:

yeah, so far, the PW looks quite nice. I don't see any of the display problems that others have been ranting about (except of a bit of uneven lighting at the bottom, but that was expected). I dislike the annoying "recommendations" (which are, in fact, just ads) on the home screen, but the first thing I did was to disable the Kindle Store in the parental control settings, and switched to list mode - I personally don't understand all the fuzz about cover views anyway, it just distracts me and makes things more difficult. The thing that is really annoying is the "setup wizard", which can't be aborted (it seems), and essentially requires you to register the Kindle with Amazon before being able to use it. And I miss the "Home" button

[eureka]

Originally Posted by ixtab

Any solutions for a brick-proof Paperwhite?

Metal first aid case

[ixtab]

Originally Posted by eureka

Metal first aid case

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by ixtab

1. Is it possible to easily get out of diags, and reboot into main? (On the KT, there was some workaround required in some situations, in order to be able to reboot into main).

EDIT: I just selected "Disable Diags" from the diags menu, and it rebooted to main. Then I verified that it really DID delete ENABLE_DIAGS, so that simplifies using a startup script to check for it.

You can still use MfgTool or imx_usb_loader with the custom usboots I made, to boot to a selected mode.

Originally Posted by ixtab

2. Did anybody already "SSH-enable" their diags partition? If so, could you please post some relevant information? (instructions, or a script, or a binary image... anything is fine). I just want to avoid to reinvent the wheel, in case someone invented it before.

I just ran SSH on my PW using the ";un" search to enable SSH, then I did these commands:

mount /dev/mmcblk0p2 /mnt/mmc
cp -r /usr/local/* /mnt/mmc/usr/local
idme -d --bootmode diags
reboot

Then in the diags menu I selected N-U-Z-X, and I successfully logged in to diags SSH (with my fionaXXX password, as in main SSH).

Originally Posted by ixtab

3. Any easy way to trigger "diags" mode? The ENABLE_DIAGS file logic (which was there on the K5) is gone in the PW, but I guess that it is a *very* good idea to put it back. ...

I was "planning" (RSN) to write a startup script that checks for ENABLE_DIAGS, and if found it does "idme -d --bootmode diags; reboot". Of course, if somebody else does it first, please post the startup script. Thanks.

Originally Posted by ixtab

Other than that, there is of course THE grand question remaining: How to get the Paperwhite into USB downloader mode? I'm convinced that it must be possible somehow. I've tried various methods of rebooting it, but none have succeeded - still, there must be some way.

I futzed with combinations of a magnet (using the sensor about 2-3cm up from the screen bottom, on the right side) and touching the screen at various places with different numbers of fingers, along with holding it at various orientations, and even shaking it in various directions during boot, and plugging or unplugging the USB cable before releasing power. No luck there. What else can we try?

EDIT: For that matter, we still need the "magic key" for the DX and DXG.

NOTE: After installing SSH into diags, it should be a bit safer to mess with main and not worry so much about bricking it (to a certain degree). You can always boot to diags with MfgTool or imx_usb_loader. That assumes, of course, that amazon does not get "cute" and delete the contents of diags /usr/local...

[eureka]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

I futzed with combinations of a magnet (using the sensor about 2-3cm up from the screen bottom, on the right side) and touching the screen at various places with different numbers of fingers, along with holding it at various orientations, and even shaking it in various directions during boot, and plugging or unplugging the USB cable before releasing power. No luck there. What else can we try?

With someone brave and patient enough and proficient in electronics, it would be possible to take a bruteforce way from other side: disassembe PW, make sure that i.MX508 is stiill used, look into Reference Manual for a pin responsible for initiating USB Downloader mode, track the way from that pin to something. Then there will be a hard part find how to use this something to initiate USB downloader mode or finally confirm that this mode is practically "disabled for consumer" on PW.

[ixtab]

@geekmaster: thanks a lot for the explanations, that was very helpful! I'll try to "ssh-enable" my diags now, and will report back.


Just one question:

Originally Posted by geekmaster

You can still use MfgTool or imx_usb_loader with the custom u-boots I made, to boot to a selected mode.

Yes, sure... but that assumes that the device can be put into usb downloader mode in the first place. Did you succeed in doing so, and if so, how?

[NiLuJe]

Note that the SSH thing probably won't work with the binaries from USBnet, you'd have to use the ones from simple_usbnet. (It's expecting a completely different set of paths for the various configs & stuff).

I'm still planning to write a tweaked update package that setups USBNet on the diags part, but, err, it keeps getting bumped down the TODO list ;D.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by eureka

With someone brave and patient enough and proficient in electronics, it would be possible to take a bruteforce way from other side: disassembe PW, make sure that i.MX508 is stiill used, look into Reference Manual for a pin responsible for initiating USB Downloader mode, track the way from that pin to something. Then there will be a hard part find how to use this something to initiate USB downloader mode or finally confirm that this mode is practically "disabled for consumer" on PW.

That sounds like a job for supermanknc1!

EDIT: Now, if we can just convince knc1 to stop waiting for a free PW from amazon, and just fork over some of his spare cash...

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by ixtab

@geekmaster: thanks a lot for the explanations, that was very helpful! I'll try to "ssh-enable" my diags now, and will report back.


Just one question:


Yes, sure... but that assumes that the device can be put into usb downloader mode in the first place. Did you succeed in doing so, and if so, how?

Oh... Wait... Yeah, that... This isn't the first time I made that stupid claim in this forum. Now if we could just make it TRUE... Not so much false, as just premature (I hope)...

The problem is, I keep forgetting that I used NiLuJe's USBNet hack, repackaged for the PW (plus the "idme -d" command) and just fall into the old patterns of thought here.

Okay guys, to help me stop making this mistake, please find the PW "magic key"!

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Note that the SSH thing probably won't work with the binaries from USBnet, you'd have to use the ones from simple_usbnet. (It's expecting a completely different set of paths for the various configs & stuff).

I'm still planning to write a tweaked update package that setups USBNet on the diags part, but, err, it keeps getting bumped down the TODO list ;D.

Yeah, whatever package that was you provided me when I first got my PW... I have been using "USBnet" as shorthand for "simpe_usbnet" before -- I was not aware that I need to differentiate them. I will try to make that clear in the future...

[knc1]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

That sounds like a job for superman knc1!

EDIT: Now, if we can just convince knc1 to stop waiting for a free PW from amazon, and just fork over some of his spare cash...

That is old news.
Amazon still hasn't found a Kpw with a working screen light.

Now I am waiting for eureka to strip down that 14 layer board.

My only contribution was a link to HowTo make a hot air pencil to get the shields off the parts.

[eureka]

Originally Posted by knc1

That is old news.
Amazon still hasn't found a Kpw with a working screen light.

Now I am waiting for eureka to strip down that 14 layer board.

My only contribution was a link to HowTo make a hot air pencil to get the shields off the parts.

Ha-ha, I've completely forgot that industrial boards [can] have many layers That plan is getting more and more complex with every second.

[ixtab]

OK, so here's what I came up with for now:

a "rescue pack" which enables an SSH server in diags, plus a simple startup script that checks for the existence of a /mnt/us/ENABLE_DIAGS file, and reboots into diags if it is present.

It works on my device (and should work on others), but please report back in case it doesn't.

Note: Yes, I'm fully aware that this can't solve all of the "brick situations" (it requires the main and user partitions to at least be in a "somewhat" bootable state), and that USB downloader mode/fastboot etc. would be much preferrable, but... well, until somebody figures out how to get there, I guess that this is better than nothing.

UPDATE (2015-07-05): Rebuilt to support all currently known Kindle Voyage, PW2, PW1, and Touch models.

UPDATE (2013-12-20): Updated to support all currently known Kindle PW2, PW1, and Touch models.

UPDATE (2013-03-13): Fixed a serious issue where SSH access would only work once on certain models. If you currently have installed a previous version, I STRONGLY recommend to download and install the current one.

----

NOTE: If you're looking for something working on newer devices, try the one in NiLuJe's snapshots thread. -- NiLuJe

[kaznelson]

Originally Posted by ixtab

The thing that is really annoying is the "setup wizard", which can't be aborted (it seems), and essentially requires you to register the Kindle with Amazon before being able to use it.

Available Networks > Other > Cancel > Later...

[szfisher]

Originally Posted by ixtab

OK, so here's what I came up with for now:

a "rescue pack" which enables an SSH server in diags, plus a simple startup script that checks for the existence of a /mnt/us/ENABLE_DIAGS file, and reboots into diags if it is present.

It works on my device (and should work on others), but please report back. And make sure to read the README.txt

PS: Yes, I'm fully aware that this can't solve all of the "brick situations" (it requires the main and user partitions to at least be in a "somewhat" bootable state), and that USB downloader mode/fastboot etc. would be much preferrable, but... well, until somebody figures out how to get there, I guess that this is better than nothing.

PPS: I didn't bother to include the sources; they can be easily obtained using "kindletool extract".

EDIT (2013-01-28): Package updated to support all currently known Paperwhite models, and Kindle Touch as well.

Maybe it is a bug of rescue pack for KPW. I have tried many times. At first time I can enter Diags mode and connect PC via USBnet, but when I enter Diags mode next time, I cann't connect PC via USBnet anymore, althought I ping it normal. If you use rescue pack one time, you should reinstall it to keep it funtional.