Preventing Wi-Fi firmware updating

[paola]

great, thank you both for the careful explanations!

[tshering]

Originally Posted by davidfor

There aren't any URLs in the user table. There are a lot of URLs in the config file, but none of them look like the one that have been recorded in the firmware download thread.

Looking at libnickel, it looks like the URL is:

https://api.kobobooks.com/1.0/UpgradeCheck/%1/%2/%3/%4/%5

The parameters are probably the current version, model and anything else Kobo think is useful. The result of the fetch probably includes the download URL.

There are a pile of methods that look like they are involved in the checking for the upgrade and downloading it. It should be possible to patch one of those to always return that there isn't an upgrade.

I think we can replace the above string with

https://api.kobobooks.com/1.0/UpgradeCheck/%1/%2/%3/9.9/N

argument 4 is the FW version the device is currently on
argument 5 is the Serial Number, one character is sufficent

Edit: For the curious ones:
1= Device
2= model number (e.g. 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000320 for Touch model C)
3= Kobo

[jgoguen]

Do you have a couple full examples of valid URLs? And a list of the model numbers, or know where I could fetch the model number from?

Would this be something valid, except obviously replacing the model number with whatever it is for the Aura HD?

https://api.kobobooks.com/1.0/UpgradeCheck/AuraHD/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000320/Kobo/3.1.1/1

And does anyone know how I could tweak the startup scripts (or what script I should be tweaking) to set a HTTP proxy for a Kobo device?

[tshering]

Originally Posted by jgoguen

Do you have a couple full examples of valid URLs?

Pretending to have a Kobo Touch under FW 2.0.0:

https://api.kobobooks.com/1.0/UpgradeCheck/Device/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000320/Kobo/2.0.0/N905xxxxxxxxx

Pretending to have an Aura HD under FW 4.0.0:

https://api.kobobooks.com/1.0/UpgradeCheck/Device/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000350/Kobo/4.0.0/N905xxxxxxxxx

In both cases, the answer will be an xml block. The first containing a download link, the second telling that there is no upgrade. You can use the links as they are given here. The serial number seems to be of no importance.

Originally Posted by jgoguen

And a list of the model numbers, or know where I could fetch the model number from?

00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000300 Wifi?
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000310 Touch
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000320 Touch C
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000330 Glo
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000340 Mini
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000350 Aura HD
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000360 Aura 6"

[arasyi]

Originally Posted by tshering

I think we can replace the above string with

https://api.kobobooks.com/1.0/UpgradeCheck/%1/%2/%3/9.9/N

argument 4 is the FW version the device is currently on
argument 5 is the Serial Number, one character is sufficent

Edit: For the curious ones:
1= Device
2= model number (e.g. 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000320 for Touch model C)
3= Kobo

Argument 3 is the affiliate id (in .kobo/affiliate.conf)
To prevent the update, you can safely and EASILY change the affiliate to Rakuten,
since the latest update it ever gets is version 2.6.0.
But if you want to use firmware prior than that,
libnickel modification might be required.

[tshering]

Originally Posted by arasyi

Argument 3 is the affiliate id (in .kobo/affiliate.conf)
To prevent the update, you can safely and EASILY change the affiliate to Rakuten,
since the latest update it ever gets is version 2.6.0.
But if you want to use firmware prior than that,
libnickel modification might be required.

I just ckecked this. With Aura 6", Rakuten gives you FW 3.1.0.

[arasyi]

Originally Posted by tshering

I just ckecked this. With Aura 6", Rakuten gives you FW 3.1.0.

Only apply for the older version then, sorry ^^
As I know, rakuten rarely update their firmware (I use their kobo glo)
and kobo Aura 6" is a fairly new product (It was just launched in Japan couple of months ago), so fair chance that the earliest firmware released for the rakuten version was 3.1.0.
Nevertheless, the OP device is the Aura HD, so this trick (changing affiliate id) should work

[tshering]

Originally Posted by arasyi

Only apply for the older version then, sorry ^^
As I know, rakuten rarely update their firmware (I use their kobo glo)
and kobo Aura 6" is a fairly new product (It was just launched in Japan couple of months ago), so fair chance that the earliest firmware released for the rakuten version was 3.1.0.
Nevertheless, the OP device is the Aura HD, so this trick (changing affiliate id) should work

Strange, that Rakuten does not offer the latest FWs. Anything special with FW 2.6.0? I guess, only a few people outside Japan had it on there device.

[jgoguen]

Thanks tshering

Now I just need to find the magical serial number replacement to get firmware updates very shortly after release

[Ken Maltby]

So changing .kobo/affiliate.conf from; "affiliate=KoboDirect" to; "affiliate=Rakuten" will prevent an update but let those who want sync their devices?

Is this all that is needed for the AuraHD?

Luck;
Ken

[arasyi]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

So changing .kobo/affiliate.conf from; "affiliate=KoboDirect" to; "affiliate=Rakuten" will prevent an update but let those who want sync their devices?

Is this all that is needed for the AuraHD?

Luck;
Ken

Yes, I think so.
As long as it uses firmware version 2.6.0 (3.1.0 for new aura) or above the update will be prevented.

[PeterT]

I wonder if maybe setting it to a brand new affiliate might be safer, say MobileRead.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if maybe setting it to a brand new affiliate might be safer, say MobileRead.

Possible, and brilliant if it works!

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by jgoguen

Thanks tshering

Now I just need to find the magical serial number replacement to get firmware updates very shortly after release

I am not sure what you mean by the magical serial number replacement, and how this helps in getting the update early. Could you explain a little?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by tshering

I am not sure what you mean by the magical serial number replacement, and how this helps in getting the update early. Could you explain a little?

Kobo initial release of any firmware is to a small group. I believe it is to one of their partners or affiliates. Knowing who that was and maybe a matching serial number would mean you could jump the queue.

And I just remembered something. When the above was first mentioned in the beta group, something was said that suggested that the partner chosen was local to them. I wondered if that was to make it easier for them to get a device that didn't upgrade properly to look at what happened.