Firmware Update Kindle firmware 5.16.3.1

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by bace651

I have the Scribe. From another thread, I’ve read issues with MTP such as not being able to back up everything via USB, and issues with sideloading KFX files converted via command line. I have a Mac so it won’t read the Scribe unless I install Android File Transfer. Am I understanding all of this correctly? Maybe I misunderstood some of these comments?

You can back up everything over MTP. All of the internal storage accessible via USB Mass Storage is also accessible with MTP.

The only issue with side loading KFX (in theory temporary) is that calibre does not copy over cover thumbnails.

There are alternatives to Android File Transfer, such as OpenMTP. And if you are just transferring books, calibre will be enough.

Windows has MTP client built in to Explorer, so it is a little more transparent.

What I miss most right now is ability to write automated scripts to manage content on Scribe (shell scripts or otherwise). My tool of choice is Python, and there are no functional Python libraries to communicate with Scribe via MTP. But calibre provides a working example, so I should be able to get something working if I don't find something else.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Which model Paperwhite?

5.16.2.1.1 is the most recent (and probably final) version for the PW3 (7th generation.)

The latest Paperwhite 16gigs model.

[bace651]

Originally Posted by tomsem

You can back up everything over MTP. All of the internal storage accessible via USB Mass Storage is also accessible with MTP.

The only issue with side loading KFX (in theory temporary) is that calibre does not copy over cover thumbnails.

There are alternatives to Android File Transfer, such as OpenMTP. And if you are just transferring books, calibre will be enough.

Windows has MTP client built in to Explorer, so it is a little more transparent.

What I miss most right now is ability to write automated scripts to manage content on Scribe (shell scripts or otherwise). My tool of choice is Python, and there are no functional Python libraries to communicate with Scribe via MTP. But calibre provides a working example, so I should be able to get something working if I don't find something else.

Thanks for all of that info, I guess I misunderstood what I read about the recent updates on Kindles that force MTP.

[tomsem]

Some more investigation: looks like one can script MTP file transfers with PowerShell on Windows (automates Explorer) and with libmtp on macOS.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

When I got my Paperwhite recently, it updated itself to version 5.16.2.1.1 on first start and nothing since then.

So, after waiting for an OTA to show up, I decided to update my Paperwhite 11th gen to the latest firmware.

Everyting is fine. ePub converted to KFX and sideloaded with Calibre are still working great, all covers are showing.

No problem too with Personal Documents (ePub) with Send to Kindle web page. I still have to click on it for the cover to show.

But if I use the Mac App, the covers are showing because I can specify to which device I want to send it to, not only in my library like the web page.

That said, the web page may be safer for converting ePub than the Mac App. I had one problem with an ePub. Maybe just not lucky that time.

[_sudo11]

Originally Posted by solitarywolf

Why is Amazon asking me to re-log into my account after the update? First I have a problem translating their vague "instructions" for Mac to side load the update. After I figured that out and get the update into my Kindle and reboot, it's now asking me to log in again. The problem I have is my work network does not allow Kindles to connect. So I am stuck with a 11 inch brick till I get home later.

WTF did they have to make this update so complex? I have been updating my Kindles for years and this is the first Fuck up they have made.

Do you mean moving the bin file, in that case you just move the bin file that was DOWNLOADED FROM AMAZON to the kindle when plugged in, put it at the ROOT of the kindle.

[reminon]

Once we get a Jailbreak we should atleast be able to disable mtp and re-enable mass storage right? I thought I read that before.

Is there not a way to install a modified update once we are jailbroken that preemptively has mtp disabled on the new fw's?

Am I misunderstanding whether mtp adds hurdles to the jailbreak process? I am on 5.16.1 on my scribe. Hoping that the hot fix process isn't borked by mtp, but would love to update once jailbroken.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by reminon

Once we get a Jailbreak we should at least be able to disable mtp and re-enable mass storage right? I thought I read that before.

There might not be a jailbreak.
The partition might be changed to ext4, which is fine for Linux, but not simple for Windows.
It would need a lot of changes to use Mass Storage mode instead of Media Transfer Protcol, if possible at all.
Even if it was possible to sort all above, sync and Sticky notes might not work.

Hint: See if there is anything for Android to change it (since V4) to Mass Storage instead of MTP. I've never heard of it.
If you had all the source of the Amazon FW, it might be possible.

[jerbee]

I just got an OTA update to this version and the scribe no longer is detected by my mac or Calibre.

Instead, the scribe says “if your Kindle is not listed on your computer, go to www.amazon.com/connectmyKindle for additional help”. Going there, I am forced to install “android file transfer” to “browse and transfer files”.

Apparently it doesn’t work, because anything dropped (even if a new folder is made) shows up in the scribe’s library. Most recent time I was able to successfully use the scribe with Calibre was yesterday. Anyone have any idea what the hell is going on?

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by jerbee

I just got an OTA update to this version and the scribe no longer is detected by my mac or Calibre.

Instead, the scribe says “if your Kindle is not listed on your computer, go to www.amazon.com/connectmyKindle for additional help”. Going there, I am forced to install “android file transfer” to “browse and transfer files”.

Apparently it doesn’t work, because anything dropped (even if a new folder is made) shows up in the scribe’s library. Most recent time I was able to successfully use the scribe with Calibre was yesterday. Anyone have any idea what the hell is going on?

Starting with 5.16.3, Amazon changed the way Scribe connects from USB Mass Storage to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). macOS does not support MTP out of the box, so it does not mount to file system.

If calibre does everything you want, then you do not need Android File Transfer, calibre knows how to talk to MTP devices (make sure you update to latest calibre version).

There are other MTP clients for macOS, other than AFT. I've been using OpenMTP when I want to do something with Scribe that calibre doesn't let me do (such as get to .notebooks folder).

[HackerDude]

Originally Posted by Quoth

There might not be a jailbreak.
The partition might be changed to ext4, which is fine for Linux, but not simple for Windows.
It would need a lot of changes to use Mass Storage mode instead of Media Transfer Protcol, if possible at all.
Even if it was possible to sort all above, sync and Sticky notes might not work.

Hint: See if there is anything for Android to change it (since V4) to Mass Storage instead of MTP. I've never heard of it.
If you had all the source of the Amazon FW, it might be possible.

I personally doubt that the partition was changed to ext4. It would be incredibly tedious to change the partition format on update as all the data would have to be copied over between the partitions.
Not impossible, just incredibly tedious, and knowing Amazon's history with the Kindle codebase... I just feel it's unlikely

Either way, it should be possible to make a FAT-non-MTP patch once we have a jailbreak

[binaryhermit]

Originally Posted by Bluebotlabs

I personally doubt that the partition was changed to ext4. It would be incredibly tedious to change the partition format on update as all the data would have to be copied over between the partitions.

And if the partition were more than half full, it'd probably be impossible given the data would need to go somewhere in order to have space to make a new partition.

Now, going forward it wouldn't surprise me at all if new Kindle models have a partition better suited to flash storage given the lack of a need to have a file system that Windows and MacOS understand. They might even be able to pull this off with old Kindle models that ship with firmware that has MTP but that seems to beg the question "What could possibly go wrong?".

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Now, going forward it wouldn't surprise me at all if new Kindle models have a partition better suited to flash storage given the lack of a need to have a file system that Windows and MacOS understand.

I agree that MTP is likely to be the new normal for future Kindle devices and then they will be free to use whatever format they want for the partition.

My main worry is that they will begin to apply filtering to the set of files accessible via MTP. It would be easy for Amazon to block access to purchased book files, Scribe notebooks, and any other data that they want to keep out of the hands of consumers. That would do a lot to improve the security of the Kindle platform from their standpoint.

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

And if the partition were more than half full, it'd probably be impossible given the data would need to go somewhere in order to have space to make a new partition.

Actually, it can be done as long as there is at least enough free space to hold the largest file in the partition. You could even get around this if you were willing to risk loss by keeping all or part of the file in RAM.

The procedure is to iterate over:

1. Reduce size of source partition to minimum
2. Create/resize destination partition to fill the empty space on the drive
3. Copy files from source to destination
4. Delete copied files from source partition

It's not practical to do this on an eReader, because the speed of the flash would likely make it take hours if there were a few GB of data.

[binaryhermit]

Also, it seems like the sort of thing that'd go wrong often enough to be a support nightmare, and for what?