Tools Serial Jailbreaking your fw >= 5.6.x Kindle for Dummies

[knc1]

In case you missed the link at the bottom of post #2 of this thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...06&postcount=1

[terencelzw]

Originally Posted by knc1

In case you missed the link at the bottom of post #2 of this thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...06&postcount=1

Yeah I referred to that post and first tried out using the sponge method but found it difficult to keep the pins in position. So I tried to just tape the pins to the board so they don't move and it works

[knc1]

Originally Posted by terencelzw

Yeah I referred to that post and first tried out using the sponge method but found it difficult to keep the pins in position. So I tried to just tape the pins to the board so they don't move and it works

Oh, sorry.
You just found a variation on that method that worked better for you.

I think it has also been mentioned that using a pencil eraser works for some people. They leave the eraser on the pencil, then use the tape to hold the pencil in place.

I have a resin type 3D printer and been wondering if I could make a "needle holder" with it (the printer certainly has the resolution required, but I might not).
It is looking like this serial port type of JB may become the only available method.

[Jacervi]

Originally Posted by knc1

So hold the power switch until it resets.
If the power switch isn't working, you have a whole lot of problems.

I'm sorry if I explained myself badly. My problem is that from the pc through putty I get the uboot propmt, but then I can't continue sending commands through the serial port. With the PC keyboard I type but I don't see the command in the kindle.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Jacervi

I'm sorry if I explained myself badly. My problem is that from the pc through putty I get the uboot propmt, but then I can't continue sending commands through the serial port. With the PC keyboard I type but I don't see the command in the kindle.

* Set your copy of puTTTY to copy the serial I/O to a capture file.
* Use the power button to perform a restart.
* Do whatever you have to do to get to the uboot command prompt.
* Have puTTY stop and save the capture file.
* Compress (zip) the capture file and attach it to your next post.
Note: You have to use the forum's "advanced" editor to manage attachments (below the text box).

# 17 0 17

[Jacervi]

Originally Posted by knc1

* Set your copy of puTTTY to copy the serial I/O to a capture file.
* Use the power button to perform a restart.
* Do whatever you have to do to get to the uboot command prompt.
* Have puTTY stop and save the capture file.
* Compress (zip) the capture file and attach it to your next post.
Note: You have to use the forum's "advanced" editor to manage attachments (below the text box).

# 17 0 17

Thanks for your interest. I already got data between Putty and PW3. the problem was that the blue wire that indicates is NOT necessary. Without this cable communication is fluid.

Converter Kindle Board On Diagram
V TP1706 Blue Arrow ------> NOT NECESSARY
GND (Any Ground) Purple Arrows
RX Left Serial Red Arrow
TX Center Serial Green Arrow

After following all the indicated steps it does not work for me even though the message from JAILBREAK appears on the PW. After the step "Copy the "azw2" file from the KUAL zip to the "Documents" directory of your Kindle" I restart the device and I don't see the "Kindle Launcher". The file KUAL.azw is in the documents directory but don´t appear in the documents list.

My current version is the 5.12.2

What am I doing wrong?

[malea_ittt]

Hi!
Is this method suposed to work with 5.12.2 on a paperwhite 2?
Thank you!

[jagjotSingh]

I also managed to broke my debug pins on my Kindle Basic 2, is there any way I can still connect to it?

[indiecognition]

I'm getting ready to serial jailbreak my Kindle Voyage, and have a couple questions to make sure I get it right. I'll be using the sewing pin method, since I'm terrible at soldering.

First, on the attached photo, is the place I noted the correct contact point for the voltage connection? I will be using this serial TTL adapter, which definitely supports 1.8v.

Also, is this still the best instruction guide, or is there a different one people recommend? I would prefer to use my Windows PC, but could boot to Linux if it makes a huge difference.

Thanks!

[indiecognition]

So my Kindle Voyage serial jailbreak was a success. Using sewing pins was very finicky and they kept slipping off the contact points. So for anyone else going that route I'd recommend finding some sturdy foam at least half an inch thick to help keep the pins in place. But maintaining the contact points with the Kindle board was the biggest issue I ran into.

A couple other stumbles were:

1. When booting into diagnostics mode I didn't realize that there would only be one second to press any key and interrupt the regular boot. But in addition to using the Kindle menus to reboot, holding down the power button for 15-20 seconds also worked to reboot and try again.
2. Once in diagnostics mode, the keyboard shortcuts didn't work for me (I'm not sure why), so I used the touchscreen instead to get to the login prompt ("Reboot or Disable Diags" then "Exit to login prompt").
3. When using the vi tool to edit the password file, I could save using :w but couldn't figure out how to get the reboot command to work. Holding down the power button worked fine for me there too.

Aside from figuring out those small issues, everything went pretty smoothly.

I have a couple small contributions to make.

Python didn't generate the correct password for me (could have been user error on my part). I found this site that generates the possible Kindle passwords based on a serial number. Quick, easy, and no need for Python.

And finally, I verified that the Kindle Voyage contact point for voltage is the spot noted in the attached image.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for guiding us through the jailbreak, particularly grant2, knc1, and NiLuJe.

[Jacervi]

Originally Posted by Jacervi

Thanks for your interest. I already got data between Putty and PW3. the problem was that the blue wire that indicates is NOT necessary. Without this cable communication is fluid.

Converter Kindle Board On Diagram
V TP1706 Blue Arrow ------> NOT NECESSARY
GND (Any Ground) Purple Arrows
RX Left Serial Red Arrow
TX Center Serial Green Arrow

After following all the indicated steps it does not work for me even though the message from JAILBREAK appears on the PW. After the step "Copy the "azw2" file from the KUAL zip to the "Documents" directory of your Kindle" I restart the device and I don't see the "Kindle Launcher". The file KUAL.azw is in the documents directory but don´t appear in the documents list.

My current version is the 5.12.2

What am I doing wrong?

I was trying again and again and, although I can't remember all the steps taken, I installed the last hotfix and I can already see the kual.doc file and I can execute it. I think it should be indicated in the procedure that the hotfix must be installed. My version is 5.12.2 with jailbreak.
Thanks for your interest.

[Jacervi]

This is my adapter board 1.8v

[katadelos]

Originally Posted by indiecognition

A couple other stumbles were:

1. When booting into diagnostics mode I didn't realize that there would only be one second to press any key and interrupt the regular boot. But in addition to using the Kindle menus to reboot, holding down the power button for 15-20 seconds also worked to reboot and try again.
2. Once in diagnostics mode, the keyboard shortcuts didn't work for me (I'm not sure why), so I used the touchscreen instead to get to the login prompt ("Reboot or Disable Diags" then "Exit to login prompt").
3. When using the vi tool to edit the password file, I could save using :w but couldn't figure out how to get the reboot command to work. Holding down the power button worked fine for me there too.

I was playing around with serial on a PW3 running 5.12.2 yesterday and can confirm that the instructions (d,l,q) for dropping to a login prompt aren't correct for recent firmware versions. It's possible to get a list of commands from the command line by typing:

diags> ?

I'm not able to provide the full command list at the moment and I neglected to save my serial log so it's probably worth somebody checking this when they're able to. I don't think that it'll differ from the menu shown on screen but I could be wrong on that.
To drop to a login prompt, you now need to type:

diags> exit login

Also, the instructions for vi are slightly flawed too - :w will only write changes to a file, you need to use :wq to write changes and quit vi.

[Localhorst86]

Thanks to this guide I was able to jailbreak my PW3 running 5.12.2 using a cheap FT232RL FT232 FTDI clone from aliexpress for ~2€. The adapter was able to switch between 3.3 and 5v signaling, but without the jumper the TX/RX signal voltage was 3V - I only used TX, RX and GND, no VCC.

I can also confirm that I didn't get a diagnostics menu to navigate, instead I had to enter "exit login" to get to the login prompt.

[bobtista]

I can't figure out how to solder to that little square hole, and I'm pretty sure I've melted some of the surrounding plastic into it... is there a way to continue without the V wire? Or another place to solder it?

Originally Posted by grant2

Part 2: The Physical
Setup

Voyage users: stupidhaiku has supplemental pictures & instructions to help you! Read his first post and his second post

1. Crack open the Kindle

Peel off the front cover. It's held down with glue or tape.

I prefer to heat it up with a hairdryer to soften the glue, and then I stick an exacto knife into the seam near the corner to start prying it up.

In case you want more help, here is a blog from MaCXyLo with more detailed teardown instructions

Attachment 143757

2. Remove the screws

There are 11 screws. The one in the middle is hidden underneath adhesive tape- don't miss it!

Tiny screws are like children! They love to play hide & seek! So make sure you put them immediately into your previously-obtained plastic container so have no chance to escape your merciless screwdriver.

Attachment 143758

3. Remove the battery

a. Pry the silver frame (which holds the screen) out of the black back cover.

b. Flip it over and put it onto a tupperware lid so you don't get crumbs on the adhesive on the front.

c. Remove the 3 screws holding the battery and pull out the battery. Put them all in your container'o'screw-storage for safekeeping.

Play safe! It's dangerous to wield a soldering iron near lithium & live current

Attachment 143759

4. Unhook cables

1st cable:

You don't want your delicate fragile cables getting in the way of mean mr. soldering iron

• Peel back the tape (Yellow)
• Lift the tiny lever that holds the cable in place (Red)
• Pull out the cable
• Wrap the tape & cable behind the screen

2nd cable

• Lift the cable out from its socket (Pink)
• Wrap the cable behind the screen

Attachment 143760

5. Connect the USB converter board!

Use your soldering tools to do this work. You need to make these 4 connections:

Converter	Kindle Board	On Diagram
V 	  	TP1706 		Blue Arrow
GND 	  	(Any Ground) 	Purple Arrows
RX 	  	Left Serial 	Red Arrow
TX 	  	Center Serial 	Green Arrow

Hint: You can connect to any of the possible ground points. The metal plates are very convenient

Attachment 143761

Here is a close-up of my own soldering adventure:

Attachment 143763

6. Reconnect screen and battery

Your kindle needs powah...! Reconnect:

• Screen cables
• Battery
• Plug USB Serial converter into your computer
• Plug Kindle into your computer

I have taped my USB board to the frame because my soldering skills are weak and I didn't want to risk pulling things loose as I moved it around.

Attachment 143762

BONUS: These other kindlers show off some great ideas on how to connect your serial port:

• Dennish connecting without any soldering (Great idea!)
• Raz572 permanently attaching his serial board (Handy!)
• knc1 permanently attaches his board also (Very neat!)
• Valkaoth connecting ground to the EM cover plate (Save some frustration!)
• Darron instead added a bluetooth serial connector to his kindle DX (Future convenience!)