How to update Kindle 2/DX/DXG with YifanLu's firmware from 3.2.1 to 3.4.2

[newman]

Originally Posted by knc1

Which brings to mind a question I have had for awhile now . . . .

Couldn't we just build 2.5.8 -> 3.4.2 set of bspatches?
Well, technically we could, but that raises another question . . . .
Could we distribute them, ready to use?

There is no question about the open source parts.
But those parts that are Amazon proprietary . . . .

Would a bzpatch be considered a "Fair Use" quote?

"Fair Use" is a complicated subject, even outside of computer binaries.
https://janefriedman.com/the-fair-use-doctrine/

= = = =

If some lawyer showed up at my door, I would be willing to argue that it is within the intent of "Fair Use" (non-profit research).

2.5.8 → 3.4.2 set of bspatches would be nothing but Amazon-provided code which we are not entitled to distribute even if it's under the GPL. I mean, even Red Hat's binaries from RHEL, or Canonical's from Ubuntu, are not to be re-distributed nor re-used elsewhere, that's why CentOS, Oracle and Scientific are rebuilding from Red Hat-provided SRPMs. I guess.

[knc1]

Hmm...
Two different opinions, next to each other (ignoring the page break - which users may have changed in their CP).

Readers can read and consider both.

As the link I included is quite clear about - not even a lawyer can say 'yes' or 'no' to the question about 'fair use'.

You can only know when you have been sued and won in court.
I.E: The court told you what you did was alright.


So doing a 2.5.8 -> 3.4.2 set of update patches and distributing them would be at the distributor's risk.
If Amazon sues you and you win, all is good.
Otherwise, all is expensive.

= = = = =

In a similar type of situation -
For a Linux kernel that uses an initial (ram resident) file system, the build can be done in two different ways:
bind the kernel and the initramfs builds into a single binary
or
keep them as two, individual, builds so they have only run-time linkage.

The single binary approach makes the initramfs binary (and its sources) subject to the kernel's GPLv2 license.
The two binary approach does not.
(Which is the reason why the method exists.)

Amazon chooses to use the single binary approach, and fails to release the initramfs source (a clear violation of the Kernel's license).
They have just decided that the risk of being sued (and losing) is small enough to get away with it.

[e-ghost]

After I upgraded from 2.5.8 to 3.2.1, I got flawed sound from DXG when I play music or TTS. If I upgrade to 3.4.2, will this be fixed?

Thanks a lot!

[knc1]

Originally Posted by e-ghost

After I upgraded from 2.5.8, I got flawed sound from DXG when I play music or TTS. If I upgrade to 3.4.2, will this be fixed?

Thanks a lot!

It is not fixed by 3.4.2

[newman]

Originally Posted by e-ghost

After I upgraded from 2.5.8 to 3.2.1, I got flawed sound from DXG when I play music or TTS. If I upgrade to 3.4.2, will this be fixed?

Thanks a lot!

The only fix I know of is to use some other player, i.e. mplayer.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by newman

The only fix I know of is to use some other player, i.e. mplayer.

Plus -
It only works correctly at certain bit rates.
(twobob investigated that (its a kernel problem) and posted here (somewhere) the work-around.)

[e-ghost]

I have just updated from 2.5.8 to 3.2.1. It allow me to fallback to 2.5.8 anytime if anything goes wrong (one of the step is to backup 2.5.8).

If I follow this step to upgrade my DXG from 3.2.1 to 3.4.2, will I still able to fallback to 3.2.1 or 2.5.8 (by previous backup) in case I have problem with 3.4.2?

Many thianks!

[donB006]

Originally Posted by e-ghost

If I follow this step to upgrade my DXG from 3.2.1 to 3.4.2, will I still able to fallback to 3.2.1 or 2.5.8 (by previous backup) in case I have problem with 3.4.2?

Be sure to save the backup rootfs.img files needed for the recovery. They are a copy of the entire mmcblk0p1 and can be re-flashed following the instructions of Yifan Lu for using the recovery kernel in the kindleupdater.zip. I have never needed to do this so I hope everything works. I have recently given this a lot of thought and decided I didn't really need the 3G browsing nor to wear out my 5way cursor pad so did not upgrade to 3.4.2.

You should now have a rootfs.img for the 2.5.8 and a rootfs.img for the 3.2.1. Then you follow the instructions for the recovery kernel to get into the recovery download mode and flash the rootfs.img back onto the mmcblk0p1.

Be careful not to change the Yifan Lu recovery kernel made for the DX when installing files made for the K3 kernel. Do not install the K3 kernel instead of the DX recovery kernel. That could make returning to the 3.2.1 or 2.5.8 more difficult. There are a few other files needed by the DX that should not be changed when using the K3 updates like the 3G Wan files for example. You should follow the instructions given by newman in his original post for this thread to avoid any problems. You can look inside Yifan Lu's kindleupdate to see the files he decided to avoid upgrading when applying the 3.1 programs to the 2.5.8 OS.

[e-ghost]

Just a thought, if I upgraded to 3.4.2, can I use back the 2.5.8 backup that was created before 3.2.1 to restore to 2.5.8 directly?

[donB006]

Originally Posted by e-ghost

Just a thought, if I upgraded to 3.4.2, can I use back the 2.5.8 backup that was created before 3.2.1 to restore to 2.5.8 directly?

Yes, the 2.5.8 would be re-flashed from the 2.5.8 rootfs.img completely replacing whatever you have in the mmcblk0p1 at the time.

[budalb]

Can you detail how to patch /etc/fb.modes?

Thanks

[newman]

Originally Posted by budalb

Can you detail how to patch /etc/fb.modes?

Thanks

No need to patch it, just edit it via USB networking connection to suite type of your Kindle as described in the guide.

[budalb]

I tried to update 3.4 to 3.4.2. There are 4 files that had md5 checksum issue.

/etc/version.txt
/etc/prettyversion.txt
/usr/lib/libcurl.so.5.2.0
/usr/lib/libsoup-2.4.so.1.3.0

I skipped those files and updated successfully. The original files have the correct md5 checksum. Any thoughts?

[newman]

budalb: Do the patching locally and see what's wrong. CURL and SOUP are probably essential to webreader and browser, but I am not certain since I don't have ldd on my Kindle.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by newman

- - - - -
but I am not certain since I don't have ldd on my Kindle.

???
Its a script, the key component of which calls the dynamic loader with the

--list

option.

See:

man ld.so

in a full (not an embedded) Linux installation or your favorite web search program.