02-15-2012, 12:06 PM | #1 |
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[Kindle Touch] Disable OTA updates [How To]
I have installed a few modifications and don't want Amazon breaking it with OTA updates.
This is how I disabled the 'Settings -> Menu -> Update Your Kindle' and hopefully automatic updates too. Requirements: Kindle Touch 5.0.3, jailbreak, root ssh What it does: If you start update from settings, it logs a message about disabled OTA, the update*.bin file stays untouched. If you restart the Kindle, the update fails (error 3, press home to continue) and the update*.bin is deleted. Instructions: 1) edit file /etc/upstart/ota-update.conf Spoiler:
2) create file /mnt/us/DISABLE_OTA (/mnt/us is what you see if you connect Kindle as USB mass storage) To re-enable updates: remove or rename the file /mnt/us/DISABLE_OTA . (Or delete the modification from /etc/upstart/ota-update.conf) As always, make backups and be carefull. No guarantees. |
02-20-2012, 08:43 AM | #2 |
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this is good stuff, thanks!
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02-21-2012, 04:58 AM | #3 |
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Hi,
Can you make the modifications to the config file available as a diff as well? This would make it more apparent what needs to be changed and where. |
02-21-2012, 11:06 AM | #4 |
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Hi. I just added the section between "############## DISABLE OTA UPDATES ##############" markers in pre-start script. No other modifications.
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02-21-2012, 11:12 AM | #5 |
hub
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If it could disable just automatic updates, it could have been more useful.
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02-21-2012, 01:22 PM | #6 |
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Try installing the packages via executing at SSH:
Code:
/usr/sbin/otaup /mnt/us/name-of-update.bin |
02-26-2012, 03:47 AM | #7 |
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thanks for the post. i wonder, though, about preventing future OTA updates. if this just deletes the update.bin, what prevents amazon from trying again the next day?
matejs or cscat -- have you found a way to simply disable the automatic updates in general? |
02-27-2012, 03:41 AM | #8 | |
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Quote:
I found a script which is run before updates. It checks if the file exists, if there is > 15% battery and so on. I just modified it a little, so it would claim it doesn't have enough battery and exit before calling the update process (if /mnt/us/DISABLE_OTA doesn't exist, it proceeds with update as normal). It doesn't delete anything (so the update.bin doesn't download all the time). However, when you restart the Kindle, something else attempts to install the update while starting up, fails and then deletes the update binary. Since the /usr/sbin/otaup is still there, future OTA updates MAY install, if they skip the checks in the modified script above. I don't think that is likely though. So, this should disable OTA updates (and all updates) in general. |
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02-28-2012, 05:45 AM | #9 |
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02-28-2012, 10:07 AM | #10 |
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I didn't try this but according to what I found out poking at my KT - no, if you disable that update way you won't be able to install updates.
Feel free to prove me wrong, though... |
02-29-2012, 08:30 AM | #11 | |
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Quote:
1) plug your KT in USB 2) remove file DISABLE_UPDATES, copy update*.bin to KT (and remove any amazon OTA update*.bin files if you see them) 3) disconnect USB 4) Menus --> Settings, Menu --> Update your Kindle 5) plug your KT in USB 6) Create file DISABLE_UPDATES 7) disconnect USB |
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03-11-2012, 05:07 PM | #12 |
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Anyone tried on Kindle 4 NT? Could it work there as well?
Last edited by aleq; 03-11-2012 at 05:09 PM. |
03-18-2012, 03:42 AM | #13 |
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EDIT: provided recipe has been included by dsmid into his unified, easy installable BackDoorLock hack.
(using of overlay root filesystem is no fun with silent sudden OTA updating, so I've researched OTA updating subsystem for proper disabling) Here is how OTA updating works on Kindle Touch (checked on 5.0.4):
Note that with commented handlers, todo will not send message to com.lab126.ota service, so ota-update upstart script will not be invoked. But manual updates should still work (with unmodified ota-update). UPD This solution isn't more reliable than editing of ota-update upstart script, because it's the same in general and closes only the current "official channel" for pushing OTA update. I didn't checked whether Amazon could use other existing "channels" (i.e. service messages) for invoking otaupd daemon to initiate OTA updating procedure. Last edited by eureka; 05-15-2013 at 07:12 AM. Reason: point to BackDoorLock hack |
03-18-2012, 05:53 AM | #14 |
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I've just blocked todo URL in /etc/hosts on my KT...
Got it from /etc/todo/todoserver.conf and set it pointing to 127.0.0.1 |
03-18-2012, 08:50 AM | #15 |
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Wouldn't the simpler way be to just move Amazon's signature keyfile to another directory?
Then anything downloaded by the machine would fail the signature check and not be installed. You could always move the key back into the proper directory after you have reviewed the contents of the download and have decided that you want it installed. |
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