PW4 Help with Kindle Paperwhite 4 stuck on startup screen

pjayala · 06-03-2023, 03:50 AM

Hello everyone!

I need help with my Kindle Paperwhite 4. After a failed update to version 5.15.1.1, the device is stuck on the startup screen with the boy and the tree. It's unresponsive to any action, and I'm looking for a solution to restore it.

Following some tutorials, I managed to enter fastboot mode by connecting cables to the s700 serial interface and using PuTTY on Windows 10. Now, I have my Kindle in fastboot mode, but I'm unsure about the next steps.

My goal is to restore the factory images and unlock the device. However, I'm having difficulty finding up-to-date information on how to proceed. I've searched through various threads, but most of the information I come across is outdated, and I'm unsure if it's still valid.

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could point me to a thread where I can find updated information on how to proceed with this process. Any advice, guidance, or links would be greatly appreciated in resolving this situation.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Enviado desde mi CPH2307 mediante Tapatalk

pjayala · 06-03-2023, 03:21 PM

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share an update on my progress with recovering my Kindle Paperwhite 4. Since most of the code and utilities seem to be developed for Linux, I decided to try installing VirtualBox on my PC and a pre-installed Debian with minimal configuration.

As I'm a bit rusty with Linux, I turned to ChatGPT for assistance with basic configurations, such as installing the base package for compiling and cloning code from GitHub. I'm following this guide for reference: [Link to the guide: https://gist.github.com/ramast/58633...ecc96965d48ed]

I successfully downloaded and compiled the fastboot for Linux (the code is from 2012), or at least I believe so. Now, I'm attempting to connect the USB serial to Debian and communicate with the PW4. I managed to achieve this using Minicom, and now I have the same results as on Windows but with the compiled fastboot.

I put the Paperwhite into fastboot mode, which, like Windows, displays "Enter fastboot, press Ctrl+C to exit." I execute the fastboot command with "./fastboot -s /dev/ttyUSB0", but I receive the message "waiting for device."

Once again, I'm stuck at this point

and unsure how to proceed.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

pjayala · 06-04-2023, 10:18 AM

This is the code from PW4 uboot startup:

Code:

HW

U-Boot 2016.03 (Mar 10 2020 - 03:20:17 +0000)

CPU:   Freescale i.MX6SLL rev1.1 996 MHz (running at 792 MHz)
CPU:   Commercial temperature grade (0C to 95C) at 39C
Reset cause: POR
Board: MX6SLL Rex
I2C:   ready
DRAM:  512 MiB
entering PMIC test mode
in PMIC test mode -- apply bootup workaround
switching back to PMIC user mode
setup_pmic_mode -- make sure pmic is in user mode
Low battery voltage=3201mV, please plug in charger and wait..
..
battery voltage=3502mV
MMC:   FSL_SDHC: 0, FSL_SDHC: 1, FSL_SDHC: 2
idme_initialize
Idme version is 2.x and set related function to V2.x
IDME table version 2.1
hibernation: Not from hibernation
Core : f770ee83 2018/03/16 19:49:02 (Licensed to Amazon Fulfillment Services,Inc..)
SBIOS: v2.0 2022/09/21 17:13:01
TTBR:9fffc059
Platform: v2.0 2022/09/21 17:13:01
*** Warning - bad CRC, using default environment

In:    serial
Out:   serial
Err:   serial
force_idle_bus: sda=0 scl=1 sda.gp=0x1 scl.gp=0x0
force_idle_bus: failed to clear bus, sda=0 scl=1
Hardware Board: Unknown(12)
Board ID is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
WFO module
secure_cpu: 1, production: 1, unlocked: 0
Boot mode is 0
Hit any key to stop autoboot:  0
Enter fastboot mode, use Ctrl+C to exit.

Is it dead? any chance to unbrick it?

pjayala · 06-04-2023, 02:08 PM

Okay, I managed to resolve the "waiting for device" issue with fastboot. As I mentioned earlier, I'm using a Debian virtual machine in VirtualBox.

Therefore, I needed to connect not only the Silicon Labs CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller but also the "Lab126 USB download gadget" once I entered fastboot mode through the serial console. It turns out that the fastboot was waiting for this device.

Now, I'm able to communicate with the PW4 in fastboot mode

. However, some commands like "./fastboot setvar bootmode diags" are not working

.

I'm continuing to read and search for solutions in the forum

.

I hope this information is helpful for other beginners like me who are dealing with a locked 10th generation Paperwhite.

Do you have any advice on how to proceed from here?

Thank you,

eddie.t.h · 06-05-2023, 08:19 PM

I don't want to discourage you, but you probably won't do anything about it. In this model, in newer versions of the software, everything is blocked. Look for one with a broken screen and use the motherboard.

pjayala · 06-07-2023, 02:23 PM

Actually, I'm quite excited to have the opportunity to tinker with the Kindle. I've always been a bit hesitant to mess with jailbreaking and mods out of fear of bricking it. Now that it's already bricked, I'm enjoying the challenge of trying to restore it and following the forum posts that I never had the courage to explore before. It has become a hobby for me during weekends.

On another note, I appreciate your suggestion of buying one with a broken screen as a great plan B.

Enviado desde mi CPH2307 mediante Tapatalk

pjayala · 06-11-2023, 06:04 AM

Hello everyone!

I'm still working on resolving my issue, which is currently in fastboot mode. I believe the problem may be related to the kernel. I would like to share the code that I'm getting from the serial console to see if anyone can help me identify the issue.

Here is the code displayed in the serial console:

Code:

Starting kernel ...

[    0.000000] L2C-310: enabling full line of zeros but not enabled in Cortex-A9
[    0.198032] bd71827 0-004b: Reboot Reason: SOFTWARE_RESTART     Software Shutdown
[    0.233575] idme_init: ota 4
[    0.233583] idme_init: can't read bootmode err=-22
[    0.361880] IRQ# for BT HOST WAKE: 119
[    0.611768] cpu cpu0: dev_pm_opp_get_opp_count: device OPP not found (-19)
4.1.15-lab126 #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Sep 21 17:03:05 UTC 2022 armv7l
[    1.191372] imx_epdc_v2_fb 20f4000.epdc: ok to request xon pins 109
[    1.198230] requesting waveform imx/epdc/epdc_ED060KC4.fw
[    2.894521] imx_epdc_v2_fb 20f4000.epdc: Update region is outside bounds of framebuffer.Aborting update.
BOOTING DEFAULT.
IP-Config: no devices to configure
kinit: Mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly.
info sytem:mounted_proc::
info system:mounted_sys::
info system:sy00::
info system:mounted_dev::
info milestone:4.84:49.1:49.1
info milestone:4.88:49.2:49.2
info milestone:4.91:49.3:49.3
info milestone:4.97:49.4:49.4
info milestone:5.00:49.5:49.5
info sytem:mounted_tmpfs::
info milestone:5.14:sy50:sy50
info system:start:time=5170:time=5170
info hardware:no_wan:: WiFi only device. No WAN found
info system:config:platform=rex,board=moonshine,rev=09,proto=Y,wifi=Y,wan=N:platform=rex,board=moonshine,rev=09,proto=Y,wifi=Y,wan=N
info milestone:5.32:sy51:sy51
lipc-send-event[342]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[342]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[342]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[342]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=powerButtonPressed:Sending event failed
lipc-send-event[386]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[386]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[386]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[386]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=usbPlugIn:Sending event failed
lipc-send-event[385]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[385]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[385]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[385]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=mmcIn:Sending event failed
lipc-send-event[393]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[393]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[393]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[393]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=usbPlugIn:Sending event failed
info milestone:6.67:sy99:sy99
info system:done:time=6700:time=6700
crond[404]: crond (busybox 1.28.3) started, log level 8

init.exe: sshd main process (403) terminated with▒init.exe: sshd main process ended, respawning
init.exe: recevent pre-start process (407) terminated with status 1

--- SORRY, LOGIN IS DISABLED ON DEVICE ---

So, I think I'm facing an issue while attempting to restore the kernel on my Kindle using fastboot. I have used Kindletool to extract the content from the downloaded update from Amazon and obtain the required restoration files.

During the restoration process in fastboot mode, I executed the following command to restore the kernel:

./fastboot flash kernel uimage

However, the "uimage" file is not one of the files extracted by Kindletool in the "imx6sll_rex" folder. The only files I find in this location are:

Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\bios.bin.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\boot.img.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\s-bios.bin.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\u-boot.bin.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\bios.bin
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\boot.img
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\s-bios.bin
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\u-boot.bin

I'm unsure which of these files should be flashed as the kernel. I believe "boot.img" might be the correct file, but I'm not certain.

Should I execute "./fastboot flash kernel boot.img"?

I would greatly appreciate any advice or assistance that you can provide regarding this issue. If anyone has experience with the kernel restoration process using Kindletool and fastboot, your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

matanmi11 · 01-11-2024, 06:33 AM

Well, I actually don't have any advice for you, just empathy. I'm stuck in the exaclly same situation, after upgarding a jailbroken 5.14 PW4.
I CAN SAVE YOU THE TRYOUTS THOUGH-the fastboot mode is unusable because they locked the abilities for erasing any partition (including data) and also for flashing new ones.
Would love if someone has a new idea....

Marek · 01-11-2024, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjayala

Hello everyone!

I'm still working on resolving my issue, which is currently in fastboot mode. I believe the problem may be related to the kernel. I would like to share the code that I'm getting from the serial console to see if anyone can help me identify the issue.

Here is the code displayed in the serial console:

Code:

Starting kernel ...

[    0.000000] L2C-310: enabling full line of zeros but not enabled in Cortex-A9
[    0.198032] bd71827 0-004b: Reboot Reason: SOFTWARE_RESTART     Software Shutdown
[    0.233575] idme_init: ota 4
[    0.233583] idme_init: can't read bootmode err=-22
[    0.361880] IRQ# for BT HOST WAKE: 119
[    0.611768] cpu cpu0: dev_pm_opp_get_opp_count: device OPP not found (-19)
4.1.15-lab126 #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Sep 21 17:03:05 UTC 2022 armv7l
[    1.191372] imx_epdc_v2_fb 20f4000.epdc: ok to request xon pins 109
[    1.198230] requesting waveform imx/epdc/epdc_ED060KC4.fw
[    2.894521] imx_epdc_v2_fb 20f4000.epdc: Update region is outside bounds of framebuffer.Aborting update.
BOOTING DEFAULT.
IP-Config: no devices to configure
kinit: Mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly.
info sytem:mounted_proc::
info system:mounted_sys::
info system:sy00::
info system:mounted_dev::
info milestone:4.84:49.1:49.1
info milestone:4.88:49.2:49.2
info milestone:4.91:49.3:49.3
info milestone:4.97:49.4:49.4
info milestone:5.00:49.5:49.5
info sytem:mounted_tmpfs::
info milestone:5.14:sy50:sy50
info system:start:time=5170:time=5170
info hardware:no_wan:: WiFi only device. No WAN found
info system:config:platform=rex,board=moonshine,rev=09,proto=Y,wifi=Y,wan=N:platform=rex,board=moonshine,rev=09,proto=Y,wifi=Y,wan=N
info milestone:5.32:sy51:sy51
lipc-send-event[342]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[342]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[342]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[342]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=powerButtonPressed:Sending event failed
lipc-send-event[386]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[386]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[386]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[386]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=usbPlugIn:Sending event failed
lipc-send-event[385]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[385]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[385]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[385]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=mmcIn:Sending event failed
lipc-send-event[393]: E lipc:con::Connection error(Failed to connect to socket /var/run/dbus/system_bus_socket: No such file or directory)
lipc-send-event[393]: C def:dbusi::Failed to init dbus
lipc-send-event[393]: E def:open::Failed to open LIPC
lipc-send-event[393]: E def:fail:source=com.lab126.hal, event=usbPlugIn:Sending event failed
info milestone:6.67:sy99:sy99
info system:done:time=6700:time=6700
crond[404]: crond (busybox 1.28.3) started, log level 8

init.exe: sshd main process (403) terminated with▒init.exe: sshd main process ended, respawning
init.exe: recevent pre-start process (407) terminated with status 1

--- SORRY, LOGIN IS DISABLED ON DEVICE ---

So, I think I'm facing an issue while attempting to restore the kernel on my Kindle using fastboot. I have used Kindletool to extract the content from the downloaded update from Amazon and obtain the required restoration files.

During the restoration process in fastboot mode, I executed the following command to restore the kernel:

./fastboot flash kernel uimage

However, the "uimage" file is not one of the files extracted by Kindletool in the "imx6sll_rex" folder. The only files I find in this location are:

Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\bios.bin.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\boot.img.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\s-bios.bin.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\u-boot.bin.sig
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\bios.bin
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\boot.img
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\s-bios.bin
Kindletool\out\imx6sll_rex\u-boot.bin

I'm unsure which of these files should be flashed as the kernel. I believe "boot.img" might be the correct file, but I'm not certain.

Should I execute "./fastboot flash kernel boot.img"?

I would greatly appreciate any advice or assistance that you can provide regarding this issue. If anyone has experience with the kernel restoration process using Kindletool and fastboot, your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

The pw4 has locked fastboot nad uboot - ypu can't flash anything

matanmi11 · 01-11-2024, 11:16 AM

btw, what driver did you ise for fastboot under windows?

06-03-2023, 03:21 PM	#2
pjayala Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2013 Device: kindle 4	Progress Update: Attempting Kindle Paperwhite 4 Recovery on Linux Hello everyone, I wanted to share an update on my progress with recovering my Kindle Paperwhite 4. Since most of the code and utilities seem to be developed for Linux, I decided to try installing VirtualBox on my PC and a pre-installed Debian with minimal configuration. As I'm a bit rusty with Linux, I turned to ChatGPT for assistance with basic configurations, such as installing the base package for compiling and cloning code from GitHub. I'm following this guide for reference: [Link to the guide: https://gist.github.com/ramast/58633...ecc96965d48ed] I successfully downloaded and compiled the fastboot for Linux (the code is from 2012), or at least I believe so. Now, I'm attempting to connect the USB serial to Debian and communicate with the PW4. I managed to achieve this using Minicom, and now I have the same results as on Windows but with the compiled fastboot. I put the Paperwhite into fastboot mode, which, like Windows, displays "Enter fastboot, press Ctrl+C to exit." I execute the fastboot command with "./fastboot -s /dev/ttyUSB0", but I receive the message "waiting for device." Once again, I'm stuck at this point and unsure how to proceed. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

06-04-2023, 02:08 PM	#4
pjayala Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2013 Device: kindle 4	Update: Progress with Fastboot and VirtualBox - Need Further Advice Okay, I managed to resolve the "waiting for device" issue with fastboot. As I mentioned earlier, I'm using a Debian virtual machine in VirtualBox. Therefore, I needed to connect not only the Silicon Labs CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller but also the "Lab126 USB download gadget" once I entered fastboot mode through the serial console. It turns out that the fastboot was waiting for this device. Now, I'm able to communicate with the PW4 in fastboot mode . However, some commands like "./fastboot setvar bootmode diags" are not working . I'm continuing to read and search for solutions in the forum . I hope this information is helpful for other beginners like me who are dealing with a locked 10th generation Paperwhite. Do you have any advice on how to proceed from here? Thank you, Attached Thumbnails

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06-03-2023, 03:50 AM	#1
pjayala Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2013 Device: kindle 4	Help with Kindle Paperwhite 4 stuck on startup screen Hello everyone! I need help with my Kindle Paperwhite 4. After a failed update to version 5.15.1.1, the device is stuck on the startup screen with the boy and the tree. It's unresponsive to any action, and I'm looking for a solution to restore it. Following some tutorials, I managed to enter fastboot mode by connecting cables to the s700 serial interface and using PuTTY on Windows 10. Now, I have my Kindle in fastboot mode, but I'm unsure about the next steps. My goal is to restore the factory images and unlock the device. However, I'm having difficulty finding up-to-date information on how to proceed. I've searched through various threads, but most of the information I come across is outdated, and I'm unsure if it's still valid. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could point me to a thread where I can find updated information on how to proceed with this process. Any advice, guidance, or links would be greatly appreciated in resolving this situation. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. Enviado desde mi CPH2307 mediante Tapatalk

06-05-2023, 08:19 PM	#5
eddie.t.h Addict Posts: 201 Karma: 123456 Join Date: Jan 2018 Device: Too Much Kindle :-)	I don't want to discourage you, but you probably won't do anything about it. In this model, in newer versions of the software, everything is blocked. Look for one with a broken screen and use the motherboard.

06-07-2023, 02:23 PM	#6
pjayala Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2013 Device: kindle 4	Actually, I'm quite excited to have the opportunity to tinker with the Kindle. I've always been a bit hesitant to mess with jailbreaking and mods out of fear of bricking it. Now that it's already bricked, I'm enjoying the challenge of trying to restore it and following the forum posts that I never had the courage to explore before. It has become a hobby for me during weekends. On another note, I appreciate your suggestion of buying one with a broken screen as a great plan B. Enviado desde mi CPH2307 mediante Tapatalk

01-11-2024, 06:33 AM	#8
matanmi11 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2024 Device: Kindle PW4	Well, I actually don't have any advice for you, just empathy. I'm stuck in the exaclly same situation, after upgarding a jailbroken 5.14 PW4. I CAN SAVE YOU THE TRYOUTS THOUGH-the fastboot mode is unusable because they locked the abilities for erasing any partition (including data) and also for flashing new ones. Would love if someone has a new idea....

01-11-2024, 11:16 AM	#10
matanmi11 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2024 Device: Kindle PW4	btw, what driver did you ise for fastboot under windows?