k3flasher, a USB download mode utility

[jpmayos]

Hello there!
First of all, thanks all for the great work! I'm in the process of recovering/unbricking/throwing_to_the_garbage an out-of-warranty Kindle 3 Wifi.

I'm having trouble flashing anything with the latest version of k3flasher (v06). So far I've tried to flash a uImage without success ending in a "Segmentation fault", although the "info" command works as expected. A couple of days ago I successfully flashed a whole mmcblk0p1.img without problems using a previous version of this wonderful tool, which I no longer have to compare... I'm on Ubuntu 11.04 64 bits if it helps. I include the strace of the command:

./k3flasher atk/image/mx35to2_mmc.bin program 0x00041000 uImage

in case it's of any utility.

Keep up the good work!

[hawhill]

Indeed, a buffer calculation was too small for flashing files. Fixed in v07, up in a second.

[arooni]

Originally Posted by hawhill

Good point. I've added a reminder to the output of the "info" command.

arooni: I take it the serial no starts with "B00x", right? Then it would be unharmed. I'm attaching a (compressed, you need to gunzip it before applying) image of my flash from 0x0, up and including the boot loader (uboot). It's all open source or simple non-copyrighted data. You could try and flash it to 0x0 (no guarantees!). This, plus the kernel, should make for a clean boot up until the kernel stage. If still nothing changes, chances are there's a hardware defect.

I did flash this (thank you). Nothing changed... and I'm thinking this Kindle is completely dead. I think the flashing just won't work. Since the screen seems fine... and the internals appeared messed up, what do you think of my plan to swap the mobo of a broken screen kindle that seems to charge/power up/reset just fine, and put it inside this kindle (using the intact screen Kindle). Goes without saying, both models #s are exactly the same.

Best,

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by arooni

I did flash this (thank you). Nothing changed... and I'm thinking this Kindle is completely dead. I think the flashing just won't work. Since the screen seems fine... and the internals appeared messed up, what do you think of my plan to swap the mobo of a broken screen kindle that seems to charge/power up/reset just fine, and put it inside this kindle (using the intact screen Kindle). Goes without saying, both models #s are exactly the same.

Best,

The custom eink waveform parameters are stored in the screen (the chip on the flex cable). Swapping screens (or mobos) should work fine.

[arooni]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

The custom eink waveform parameters are stored in the screen (the chip on the flex cable). Swapping screens (or mobos) should work fine.

Just for my future reference after I do the swap (and assuming it works; fingers crossed!) is there anything I can do to protect my Kindle from having these symptoms again? Any recovery tool I can pre-install to make recovery easier? Although nothing can protect a hardware failure like it looks like I just experienced.

Best,
David

[hawhill]

I can't think of any (as you said, you can't really protect a hardware failure - except maybe a good case), but: making a backup of the flash memory as one of the first things before installing jailbreaks/hacks probably doesn't hurt and is one of the possible applications of k3flasher/ATK. I've included a simple shell script that creates a bunch of backup images for the various parts of the flash memory in the more recent versions of k3flasher.

[giorgio130]

A simple success report:
I've fairly easily compiled the tool and used it to dump the kernel from my kindle. I'm glad you're working on such a tool, since I've got laying around a port of the newer kernel that runs on K4 that I never tested for the fear of bricking the device. In the coming days I'll test it!

[giorgio130]

In order to see if it boots, can I just flash the uImage to the location where the current kernel is or do I have to put also the modules in the appropriate location?

[knc1]

There **should** be enough modules built-into the kernel to boot and mount the root filesystem. At least with a kernel command line argument of: rdinit=/bin/sh
**should**

[hawhill]

Yep, but if running more heavily modularized kernels, the modules must be installed separately. But in that case: "nbd"-mode to the rescue :-) You can simply mount the root partition in that mode - from USB downloader mode on the K3.

It all gets a bit more difficult, since kernels on the Kindle typically have a initramfs for early boot initialization - and this is within the uImage, but it might contain kernel modules. I think the original kernel carries a few modules there (3G and/or eink?).

[qlob]

Yay! just got it to compile(finally!). Now to go use the script to dump my rootfs.

[DROM]

Hello,
following the instructions from this thread and the readme into k3flasher I get the next results:

./k3flasher mx35to2_mmc.bin info
I: found suitable device
E: wrong transfer length, wanted to receive 8 bytes but received 4 bytes.
I: above error can be ignored, it's due to the device being in ROM kernel mode
E: opening RAM kernel image: No such file or directory
E: error when uploading ramkernel
E: aborting. It is suggested you power-cycle the device.

The same info is given with the setup an reset parameter...
I'm completely noob with this stuff and in Linux environment. According to the result that comes out, I get the feeling that what is not working properly is precisely the kernel, since I do not get results the MAC number or serial number of the Kindle, the device can't be put into ram kernel mode, but what's the meaning of it?
I downloaded the pastebin images and trying to load the kernel on the device, I get the same errors. I did it as:

./k3flasher mx35to2_mmc.bin  0x00041000  program kernel.bin
I: Suitable device found
E: wrong transfer length, wanted to Receive 8 bytes 4 bytes But received.
I: above errors can be ignored, it's due to the ROM device Being in kernel mode
E: opening RAM kernel image: No such file or directory
E: error when uploading ramkernel
E: aborting. It is you power-cycle Suggested the device.

I'm probably doing something wrong, could someone tell me how should I proceed?

[qlob]

Originally Posted by DROM

Hello,
following the instructions from this thread and the readme into k3flasher I get the next results:

./k3flasher mx35to2_mmc.bin info
I: found suitable device
E: wrong transfer length, wanted to receive 8 bytes but received 4 bytes.
I: above error can be ignored, it's due to the device being in ROM kernel mode
E: opening RAM kernel image: No such file or directory
E: error when uploading ramkernel
E: aborting. It is suggested you power-cycle the device.

The same info is given with the setup an reset parameter...
I'm completely noob with this stuff and in Linux environment. According to the result that comes out, I get the feeling that what is not working properly is precisely the kernel, since I do not get results the MAC number or serial number of the Kindle, the device can't be put into ram kernel mode, but what's the meaning of it?
I downloaded the pastebin images and trying to load the kernel on the device, I get the same errors. I did it as:

./k3flasher mx35to2_mmc.bin  0x00041000  program kernel.bin
I: Suitable device found
E: wrong transfer length, wanted to Receive 8 bytes 4 bytes But received.
I: above errors can be ignored, it's due to the ROM device Being in kernel mode
E: opening RAM kernel image: No such file or directory
E: error when uploading ramkernel
E: aborting. It is you power-cycle Suggested the device.

I'm probably doing something wrong, could someone tell me how should I proceed?

If i remember correctly, you have to obtain the RAM kernel. I'm not sure where to obtain that though. I believe it is mentioned in the readme somewhere.....

[DROM]

Originally Posted by qlob

If i remember correctly, you have to obtain the RAM kernel. I'm not sure where to obtain that though. I believe it is mentioned in the readme somewhere.....

I haven't seen anything like what you mention in the README or in the forum thread. I'm leaving today on vacation (without my Kindle ). I hope to return to continue trying it.
Thanks for the help everyone.

[hawhill]

Ah, sorry, I'm only seeing this now. It's written in the OP, you need to extract the RAM kernel from an ATK installation:

I'm still relying on the RAM kernel from the ATK - which I cannot distribute. Check the README for the filename and scan an ATK folder for the according RAM kernel file.

Though knc1 offered a nice interpretation of the License of the ATK sources that would allow me to compile the RAM kernel into executables of k3flasher. So when I can spare the ten minutes to do that, I probably will do soon. I guess I won't get much more reports on this software otherwise...