New to the kindle jailbreaking scene

[huronhorn]

Hi everyone!,

Im new to the kindle jailbreaking scene (or kindle in general), i never use any kindles before. Previously i read on onyx boox nova pro, and i have some questions:

1. Is there any "out of the box" firmware? Im interested to get a brand new KOA3, and is all KOA3 has same out of the box firmware version or is it varies between devices and manufacturing date?

2. Anyone has experience using KOReader on jailbroken kindle? How was it compare to like converted it to mobi and optimize the pdf with k2pdfopt to read on default kindle reader? I mainly read epubs and pdfs

3. What did i lose with a jailbroken kindle in regards of its funcionality, can i still buy books from amazon?

4. And lastly, For this scenario, do you think its more beneficial for me to get kobo libra instead? But the thing is, libras are more expensive $70 - $80 than KOA3 in my country.

Thanks!
Best regards

[Pajamaman]

I very much doubt you can jailbreak a new Amazon ereader these days. Not sure. Maybe out of the box before FW upgrade. But I would check before you buy if jailbreak is important to you.

Kobo is open and you install Koreader etc.
Amazon more and more locked down. Most of developer community have left it.

[huronhorn]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I very much doubt you can jailbreak a new Amazon ereader these days. Not sure. Maybe out of the box before FW upgrade. But I would check before you buy if jailbreak is important to you.

Kobo is open and you install Koreader etc.
Amazon more and more locked down. Most of developer community have left it.

Can you somehow know/check a kindle firmware version from its information on the box?

From hardware pov kindle is perfect for me (yes, boox devices has more processing horsepower, ram, rom, etc) but after over a year using boox device, the battery deteriorate badly and more and more frontlight un-even-ness pronounced, i dont know if it just bad luck for me or not.

Thats not the case from kindles (from what i read, even some people still rocking their 3+ year old kindles). So the only thing hindering me to get KOA3 is its limited compatibility with epub and pdf.

Thanks for your response!

[hius07]

Jailbreakable versions are listed here
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=338268

Which firmware is on the latest orders
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=338440

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by huronhorn

1. Is there any "out of the box" firmware? Im interested to get a brand new KOA3, and is all KOA3 has same out of the box firmware version or is it varies between devices and manufacturing date?

The firmware on shipping kindles updates from time to time. It is usually behind the most recent kindles. New kindles from amazon and shops are jailbreakable. The most recent firmware 5.13.5 is not jailbreakable. In the coming weeks or months out of the box firmware will likely be 5.13.5 or newer. Firmware version varies between devices and manufacturing date.

2. Anyone has experience using KOReader on jailbroken kindle? How was it compare to like converted it to mobi and optimize the pdf with k2pdfopt to read on default kindle reader? I mainly read epubs and pdfs

KOA3 only has buttons on one side. If you read with buttons on the left or with the meaning of the buttons reversed, KOReader might behave erratically. Otherwise people like KOReader on kindle.

3. What did i lose with a jailbroken kindle in regards of its funcionality, can i still buy books from amazon?

Kindles do not lose any functionality from jailbreak. All jailbreak does is allow third party applications to be installed.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

I very much doubt you can jailbreak a new Amazon ereader these days. Not sure. Maybe out of the box before FW upgrade. But I would check before you buy if jailbreak is important to you.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th sentences are fine.

You should have done the tiniest bit of research before writing the 1st sentence, or refrain from giving advice on matters where you are not current. The new jailbreak has been discussed extensively for quite some weeks.

Kobo is open and you install Koreader etc.
Amazon more and more locked down.

Fair enough.

Most of developer community have left it.

What basis do you have for that claim? It seems obvious that you do not follow development for kindles.

[huronhorn]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

The firmware on shipping kindles updates from time to time. It is usually behind the most recent kindles. New kindles from amazon and shops are jailbreakable. The most recent firmware 5.13.5 is not jailbreakable. In the coming weeks or months out of the box firmware will likely be 5.13.5 or newer. Firmware version varies between devices and manufacturing date.


KOA3 only has buttons on one side. If you read with buttons on the left or with the meaning of the buttons reversed, KOReader might behave erratically. Otherwise people like KOReader on kindle.


Kindles do not lose any functionality from jailbreak. All jailbreak does is allow third party applications to be installed.

thanks for the responses!

so, from what i understand here, kindles out of the box firmware indeed varies depends on its manufacturing date. Then, is it somehow possible to know or check a brand new KOA3 firmware (or its manufacturing date) without opening the box? (bcs obviously any seller wont do that, and i live in a country which amazon.com didnt do business directly, most of kindle being sold here are units imported from US then re-sell by local online marketplace)

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by huronhorn

thanks for the responses!

so, from what i understand here, kindles out of the box firmware indeed varies depends on its manufacturing date. Then, is it somehow possible to know or check a brand new KOA3 firmware (or its manufacturing date) without opening the box? (bcs obviously any seller wont do that, and i live in a country which amazon.com didnt do business directly, most of kindle being sold here are units imported from US then re-sell by local online marketplace)

Only the early kindle models had serial numbers on the box.

A few weeks ago kindles direct from amazon to US addresses had older firmware. If a seller in your country has a KOA3 in stock right now it is almost certainly jailbreakable. I am hoping that when the first kindles with new unbreakable firmware out of the box start showing up it will be reported. So far, that has not happened.

[huronhorn]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Only the early kindle models had serial numbers on the box.

A few weeks ago kindles direct from amazon to US addresses had older firmware. If a seller in your country has a KOA3 in stock right now it is almost certainly jailbreakable. I am hoping that when the first kindles with new unbreakable firmware out of the box start showing up it will be reported. So far, that has not happened.

strange, i've screenshotted the product which i refer to, and it has the serial number printed on the back. Is it possible with a serial number i can get info what FW its on or its manufacturing date?

here is the pic
https://ibb.co/NZGGTh9

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by huronhorn

strange, i've screenshotted the product which i refer to, and it has the serial number printed on the back. Is it possible with a serial number i can get info what FW its on or its manufacturing date?

here is the pic
https://ibb.co/NZGGTh9

You are correct, that box has the serial number. That can not give you direct firmware version information.

But you can use it to get the manufacture date using the perl script in the thread
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=338766
which is based on the information from the post
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...20&postcount=5

[huronhorn]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

You are correct, that box has the serial number. That can not give you direct firmware version information.

But you can use it to get the manufacture date using the perl script in the thread
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=338766
which is based on the information from the post
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...20&postcount=5

This helps alot!
i try to check its manufacturing date and it shows:

Prefix: G000WL
Model: Kindle Oasis 3 (2019) WiFi (8GB)
Made: 20x0 Week 42 Day 7
Nicks: KOA3, KOA3W8
Notes: [Support added in KindleTool 1.7.0]

so i guess its around 23rd november 2020? and CMIIW as a rule of thumb, is kindle manufactured before march 2021 is likely to ship with jailbreakable FW? (this thread shows that KOA3 manufactured on march 2021 ship with 5.12.4 FW https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...=338440&page=2)

last thing, if kindle does ship with jailbreakable FW, can it be updated manually or OTA to desired FW? (lets say kindle does ship with FW 5.12.4, jailbroken it, and can it be specifically updated to 5.13.3 to retain jailbreak)

again, thank you so much for your help!

[j.p.s]

I would guess sometime in October 2020. I don't know how amazon numbers weeks in year or which day is weekday number 1.

It is almost impossible that any new in box kindle made in 2020 does not have jailbreakable firmware.

How high it is safe to update and how to protect against automatic update is contentious.

Please read the jailbreak threads for information on what to do before and after updating and to form your own opinion on what to update to.

[huronhorn]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I would guess sometime in October 2020. I don't know how amazon numbers weeks in year or which day is weekday number 1.

It is almost impossible that any new in box kindle made in 2020 does not have jailbreakable firmware.

How high it is safe to update and how to protect against automatic update is contentious.

Please read the jailbreak threads for information on what to do before and after updating and to form your own opinion on what to update to.

Great, thanks for all your help!, really appreciate it.
Best regards