K5 FW 5.x ScreenSavers Hack

[just_jeepin]

It works! I restarted the kindle with the USB cord unplugged and it finished setting up the screensaver hack. Why is the kindle opposite of every other device? Every other device/gadget I've got says to be plugged in while updating. Thanks for your help!

[knc1]

Originally Posted by just_jeepin

It works! I restarted the kindle with the USB cord unplugged and it finished setting up the screensaver hack. Why is the kindle opposite of every other device? Every other device/gadget I've got says to be plugged in while updating. Thanks for your help!

Ah ::
"Why is the kindle opposite of every other device?
Every other device/gadget I've got says to be plugged in **while updating**."

Answer: It isn't.
You should always have the Kindle on external (USB cord) power **while updating** !!!

That means, if you haven't blocked OTA updates, it should be on external power **even before turning it on** (in case it has a pending OTA update to install).

Reason:
There are millions of Kindles out there with aging batteries:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...49&postcount=3

On the other subject: **restarting**
You should always have the cable removed when **restarting** the Kindle.

Some Kindle models, with certain firmware versions, **can** restart with the cable connected, but most can't - -
So just unplug it is the general answer here.

[NiLuJe]

Well, they do manage to restart, but sometimes funny things happen (like this weird interaction with the ScreenSavers Hack), even on vanilla devices .

[davebiff]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@davebiff: Given the timing in those install logs, I'd put my money on an outdated jailbreak.
Which version of the FW were you running before the update?

Whatever the most recent OTA before 5.4.4.2 was... Was that 5.3.8.1?

I hadn't realised a jailbreak could become outdated. I've only ever done the jailbreak once, just after I got the Kindle, and never needed to redo it after OTA updates - reapplying the the python/linkss packages was enough to get the screensaver back. Is it best practice to re-jailbreak after each OTA update?

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

(And as eschwartz said, Python is only needed for the cover mode, although an outdated jailbreak would also have rendered the whole hack ineffective, regardless of that).

Again, live and learn, I'd thought Python was necessary for any screensaver - I only use a single custom image, to tell my Kindle apart from the other 3 in the house! Thanks for the explanation.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by davebiff

- - - -
I hadn't realised a jailbreak could become outdated.
- - - -

Not really.
At least not in the sense that anyone of them have been revised.

The **Installation Vector** has varied over time.
But our signature certificate and where it is put has remained the same.
And where Amazon's firmware looks for the signature certificate has remained the same.

**But** -
Once upon a time, there was more than one provider of a "jailbreak content" available here, at MobileRead.

But those authors long ago consolidated their efforts.
The "jailbreak content" of some of those do not play nicely with each other during installation / re-installation.

So "outdated" in the sense of having one of those independent efforts still on your device.

Which you don't.
The consolidation was done around the time-frame of the K4.
The K5 series was not even a rumor at that time.

Note:
The above is one part of the reason you will find different Jailbreak threads for the K2, DX(G) and K3.
(The K1 wasn't "locked".)


I only intended a general overview in the above content.
If anyone spots a significant error on my part, please add clarification.

[TaoManJoe]

My Kindle PW2 just did an OTA update and I lost my screensaver. I redid the Jailbreak, screensaver hack, reset, but now when I turn it off it just takes the current screen and turns it into the screensaver. I have reset he Kindle and reinstalled everything again, but this keeps happening. What's going on?

[GoSharks]

Originally Posted by TaoManJoe

My Kindle PW2 just did an OTA update and I lost my screensaver. I redid the Jailbreak, screensaver hack, reset, but now when I turn it off it just takes the current screen and turns it into the screensaver. I have reset he Kindle and reinstalled everything again, but this keeps happening. What's going on?

It sounds like the screensaver hack is installed and working.... you'll need to give more information if you want some help. For instance -> What are you trying to have show as your screensaver? As NiLuJe has said repeatedly, using KUAL to manipulate the screensaver hack is the simplest / easiest way to do things.
Also, have you read the troubleshooting spoiler in the first post?

[NiLuJe]

@davebiff: I'm using the 'outdated' term as a shortcut to avoid going over the technical details over and over here . The gist of it is that tweaks needed to be done to deal with FW 5.4.x on the PW1, thus the need for an updated JB .

@TaoManJoe: You most likely have a 'broken' (in the sense one that the Kindle doesn't like, check the FAQ) file in your screensavers pool.
That 'reset' step in your recap worries me though, what did you mean by that?

[TaoManJoe]

The screensaver hack is installed, but it's not working. It came with a custom screensaver which says the screensaver hack is installed, but it does not show either. When I turn the Kindle off it always takes the current screen and turns that into the screensaver.

I did read the troubleshooting spoiler in the first post and repeatedly checked everything. Looks like I am good there.

Sorry for using the word reset incorrectly. I meant to use restart. Here is what I should have said, "...I redid the Jailbreak, screensaver hack, and restarted the Kindle, but now when I turn it off it just takes the current screen and turns it into the screensaver. I even did a reset of the Kindle clearing all content and returning it to its original OS only. Then I redid the Jailbreak and then the Screensavers hack again, but this same phenomenon keeps happening: when I turn it off, it takes the last screen and turns that into its screensaver.

I checked the various folders and see that it has made a png of the cover of the last book I was reading. So, it seems like some of the screensaver hack is doing its job. But, I don't want to use that feature. I just want my custom screen to display. Worked the first time without issue. Not sure if I've done something worng or the latest OTA update changed the way the Kindle works...

[TaoManJoe]

What is KUAL? I have not been able to find a description of what it does and why I should use it. Last time I did this everything worked first time with simple Jailbreak and Screensavers hack

[GoSharks]

Originally Posted by TaoManJoe

What is KUAL? I have not been able to find a description of what it does and why I should use it. Last time I did this everything worked first time with simple Jailbreak and Screensavers hack

1) When you restart your kindle, be sure to disconnect the usb cable first. Then use Menu>Settings>etc.. to restart.

2) KUAL has its own sticky here...

[NiLuJe]

@TaoManJoe: Err, yeah, looks like you've set up some stuff without knowing, because it definitely *doesn't* build covers on its own by default. There's a "Reset to default behaviour" button in the KUAL menu bundled with the hack, see if it helps (after a restart, which was and is indeed a good idea ).

@GoSharks: Gah, I forgot to put the "don't boot with the device plugged in" thing in the FAQ, did I?

EDIT: Yup... Amended the FAQ, thanks .

[TaoManJoe]

OK. Installed Kual. Went to Screensavers/Screensavers Tools/Reset to default behavior. Then reset. Still getting the same thing. The current screen is saved as the screensaver.

[NiLuJe]

@TaoManJoe: Did you follow GoSharks' advice? (i.e.: unplug the device before updating/restarting).

[GoSharks]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@GoSharks: Gah, I forgot to put the "don't boot with the device plugged in" thing in the FAQ, did I?

EDIT: Yup... Amended the FAQ, thanks .

Great...now I'll be as useful as an 8-track player!