Tools Snapshots of NiLuJe's hacks

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@ezdiy: Yup, timing was key .

Fudging the version string is deliciously lo-fi, if that actually works, I like it . c.f., the device_id script in the Helper extension for a tad more details about the format, because it's not entirely obvious how the build number is stored in there.

It certainly seems preferable to almost filling flash memory. Can anyone think of any potentially adverse side effects?

Also, would this get rid of the "Do you want to update?" dialog after a reboot?

[NiLuJe]

It should be fairly harmless, we used to do it back in the FW 2.x day to put fun stuff in the footer of the Settings page.

If you stick to the proper format and bump it to a not-entirely ridiculous version, that seems fairly safe.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

It certainly seems preferable to almost filling flash memory. Can anyone think of any potentially adverse side effects?

I know of one potential problem if you purchase or borrow books through Amazon

I haven't verified this for e-ink Kindle devices, but I know that the Kindle apps send the internal version (build number) to Amazon when requesting a book download. This is used by the server to determine which format to return the book in based on known versions and the formats they support.

An unknown version or version higher than your actual firmware may result in Amazon not delivering books or delivering them in an incompatible format.

[ezdiy]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@ezdiy: Yup, timing was key .
Fudging the version string is deliciously lo-fi, if that actually works, I like it .

The wart is that you need to edit initrd, ie the whole abootimg dance. Further, it nukes the ability to OTA update *entirely* (save for manual dd to nand). All amazon pushed updates are via initrd flash. There are about 3 different ways something named update*.bin can land on the fs mainly thanks to overall messiness of the userspace. I'd deem attempts to catch all such events as futile as amazon has ample venue to creatively introduce more such "covert" updates (as it happened just now). Meanwhile that initrd flasher is singular point that can be disabled and forced to manual mode, for instance:

Hex edit the update*.bin search mask of /bin/recovery-util to something like usrstr*.bin, thus allowing the user to still manually force OTA. USRSTR is chosen by the JB user, thus amazon has no way of knowing what to name the file like to sneaky-push JB wipe.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I know of one potential problem if you purchase or borrow books through Amazon

I haven't verified this for e-ink Kindle devices, but I know that the Kindle apps send the internal version (build number) to Amazon when requesting a book download. This is used by the server to determine which format to return the book in based on known versions and the formats they support.

An unknown version or version higher than your actual firmware may result in Amazon not delivering books or delivering them in an incompatible format.

Thanks, that's a good point.

I have a couple of kindles that I only read USB transfers on so amazon refusing to deliver wouldn't matter, but they are in permanent airplane mode so they don't need this kind of defense.

[hius07]

@NiLuJe
Can you please add support of the model G0016T - PW4 8 GB wi-fi. Hotfix is rejected now.

[aholmes5]

NiLuJe hope you can help. I am trying to get python installed to use LibrarianSync. Here's my specs:

PW3: 5.9.6.1 consumer + JB + Hotfix
KUAL working, MRPI working

When I try to install the newest python r16737 from post #1, MRPI gives the following error in the log:

**** **** **** ****

[2019-11-30 @ 20:45:37 -0800] :: [MRPI r16257] - Beginning the processing of package 'Update_python_0.14.N_k4_install.bin' (python 0.14.N k4 I) . . .


Package 'Update_python_0.14.N_k4_install.bin' (python 0.14.N k4 I) is not targeting your device [201 vs. 0E 23], skipping . . .

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by aholmes5

PW3: 5.9.6.1 consumer + JB + Hotfix
KUAL working, MRPI working


Package 'Update_python_0.14.N_k4_install.bin' (python 0.14.N k4 I) is not targeting your device [201 vs. 0E 23], skipping . . .

Like it says on the tin, you're using the wrong version.

You need to get the 0.15.N under Packages targeting the Kindle 5.

[aholmes5]

Got so busy grabbing all the updates I apparently grabbed the old kindle package for python and usbnet. Stooooopid.

Thanks for the quick response.

[Roker2]

Hi, I downloaded K5 Factory JailBreak and Merchant.zip size is 0. Is it normal?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Roker2

Hi, I downloaded K5 Factory JailBreak and Merchant.zip size is 0. Is it normal?

No.
Link please, we can't just guess.
And are you using MacOSx?
And is this a Paperwhite or a K5? Your info block shows only one, and you write about the other.

[NiLuJe]

@hius07: Done! (thanks to @enkov's PM).

Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything ^^.

[Junket]

Originally Posted by Roker2

Hi, I downloaded K5 Factory JailBreak and Merchant.zip size is 0. Is it normal?

Originally Posted by knc1

No.
Link please, we can't just guess.

@knc1
He may have been referring to the current Kindle 5 Factory Jailbreak snapshot at the beginning of this thread.
Or at least this is an example of merchant.zip being zero bytes.

K5 Factory Jailbreak | kindle-jb-factory-1.3-r16160.tar.xz | 2019-Dec-02 20:42:17 | 3.9K | 77352816c33761274a1cd608b8621707 | Factory JB

[hius07]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@hius07: Done! (thanks to @enkov's PM).

Hopefully I haven't forgotten anything ^^.

Thanks a lot, it works!

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Junket

@knc1
He may have been referring to the current Kindle 5 Factory Jailbreak snapshot at the beginning of this thread.
Or at least this is an example of merchant.zip being zero bytes.

K5 Factory Jailbreak | kindle-jb-factory-1.3-r16160.tar.xz | 2019-Dec-02 20:42:17 | 3.9K | 77352816c33761274a1cd608b8621707 | Factory JB

So in this case we can guess.

";merchant" is a named search bar expression used in Amazon's "factory" (Q.A. production line only) firmware not in any "customer" firmware (at least that we know of).

We (the developers of identifying the factory's internal use only firmware) did not start doing so prior to the PW2. We no longer had access to the "factory (use only)" firmware for the K5 and PW1.

IIRC, that ";merchant" entry should be missing from the archive, not present and empty.
I.E: You have discovered an artifact of our archive packaging, not discovered a way to jail break the older (K5 and PW1) series 5.x firmwares. We (that same "we") never saved copies of the K5 and PW1 factory use only firmware packages prior to the PW2.

For the "we" credits, go to the link:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=275877
Open the spoiler ...
Inside the spoiler's text, continue down to the "Credits" spoiler, and open that spoiler.
There you will find the credits for the people involved in capturing the "factory (use only)" firmware packages.