Kindle Firmware Compendium

[shamanNS]

You should also be aware of this:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...20#post4291520

[LostOnTheLine]

Originally Posted by shamanNS

You should also be aware of this:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...20#post4291520

Thanks a bunch. I wasn't aware of that. I was aware that certain ones, like the 1st Paperwhite & the Touch, had that link, but I didn't realize it was for all software before that point. But looking at it it looks like the Firmware file is actually the same file for all models that have that particular firmware, so that definitely adds a hickup

[shamanNS]

Nope, IIRC when they used "update_kindle_%build_number%" naming template different Kindle models never had the exact same build number. The same build number for all still supported Kindle models on v5.x branch started somewhere around v5.7.x IIRC.

Not 100% sure but I think that in early days of Kindle Touch (= first model that was on v5.x branch of Kindle firmware) firmware updates weren't in form of a complete filesystem images but instead used a file patching mechanism similar to how things used to work in Kindle 2 and Kindle 3 days??

[j.p.s]

I added a line for FW 5.9.6.1 running on PW3.

The reason for PW3 is that the jailbreak is specific to the PW3. The form of jailbreak was common for a number of years and required installing a factory testing form of the firmware which typically included tools that facilitated the jailbreak. I also did not make a link to the amazon supplied firmware. I'm just not comfortable editing text that is essentially software inside a web page dialogue window.

I hope that having a separate line for a subset of models that run a firmware version does not violate a requirement for this wiki page.

I couldn't figure out the color code so I made it cyan. Feel free to correct the color. When I go to the google sheet the resulting web page is not scrollable. Maybe that is keepting me away from documentation.

[tomsem]

Thanks for doing this.

I have one small nit pick: Kindle Scribe is referenced as Kindle Scribe (1st Generation), so nominally it is not an 11th generation Kindle. Amazon wants us to think of it as a separate product line in the way Apple has different generations for different iPad models.

[j.p.s]

When a cell has a lot of text, I suggest putting most of that text in a note outside the main table.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I have one small nit pick: Kindle Scribe is referenced as Kindle Scribe (1st Generation), so nominally it is not an 11th generation Kindle. Amazon wants us to think of it as a separate product line in the way Apple has different generations for different iPad models.

I think a large subset of mobileread users have that attitude towards all kindle models, maybe partly because that might be how the firmware deals with individual devices.

I will go with whatever LostOnTheLine decides, but I think the nickname from the Kindle Serial Number page should be used instead of or in addition to generation, especially given the jailbreak orientation of this table.. Personally, I am confused by references like Paperwhite 10th and usually have neither the time nor the inclination to chase it down.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I think a large subset of mobileread users have that attitude towards all kindle models, maybe partly because that might be how the firmware deals with individual devices.

I will go with whatever LostOnTheLine decides, but I think the nickname from the Kindle Serial Number page should be used instead of or in addition to generation, especially given the jailbreak orientation of this table.. Personally, I am confused by references like Paperwhite 10th and usually have neither the time nor the inclination to chase it down.

I understand this, but if a generation number is included, it should be the one Amazon uses.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I understand this, but if a generation number is included, it should be the one Amazon uses.

I agree, but still holding hope that mention of generation just gets dropped.

[NiLuJe]

FWIW, we didn't go with the "generation" number, because, historically, it used to differ depending on the market... So, an US generation might not have been the same EU generation .

I *think* that's mostly settled down by now, but, there you have it. (I also can't make heads nor tails of it myself).

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

I *think* that's mostly settled down by now, ...

Maybe, but now the Scribe is stirring it up again.

[LostOnTheLine]

So for me, mainly a Paperwhite user, particularly with a couple PW1 with 3G(5th Gen) & a couple PW3 (7th Gen) & around the time the PW5 (11th Gen) we're coming out I learned that using the 5th Gen was the easiest way to find relevant information because "Paperwhite 3" searches will turn up everything that has 3G & made the results hard to search through, but "Paperwhite 5th" gave me a pretty solid accuracy for results, with a few with things like "the 5th generation of the Paperwhite", but not much else. It was also a MUCH better way to sort because the 10th Gen Paperwhite, Kindle, Oasis, etc are all contemporary devices, they came out around the same time & generally have an even distribution of variance between models, where a "2022 Kindle" & a "Paperwhite 3" are very nearly the same device. But with the Generation you know where it stands in rank amongst all the things of the same Generation. & there are things that came out in different years in the same generation & most likely there have been or will be ones that come out in the same year that are part of different Generations. & Even using the short nicknames those are inconsistent & haphazard, with certain models having different names for the same model released in different countries or with different features, even though from a user prospective, with updates, firmware, capabilities of the software, etc. they are the same. Not to mention the fact that those Short Names are used outside of here less than half the time.

Originally Posted by shamanNS

when they used "update_kindle_%build_number%" naming template different Kindle models never had the exact same build number.

The same build number for all still supported Kindle models on v5.x branch started somewhere around v5.7.x IIRC.

Thanks. That makes more sense, but makes it harder to do an automated table unfortunately... But I greatly appreciate the information. When I get a chance I'll look into that more.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I added a line for FW 5.9.6.1 running on PW3.

The reason for PW3 is that the jailbreak is specific to the PW3. The form of jailbreak was common for a number of years and required installing a factory testing form of the firmware which typically included tools that facilitated the jailbreak.

That makes perfect sense. I appreciate any additions. The Biggest thing that I want this table for is the Jailbreaking column.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I also did not make a link to the amazon supplied firmware. I'm just not comfortable editing text that is essentially software inside a web page dialogue window.
I hope that having a separate line for a subset of models that run a firmware version does not violate a requirement for this wiki page.

I couldn't figure out the color code so I made it cyan. Feel free to correct the color.

I used different colors for different Jailbreaks, But if there's one that is only for a single Firmware on a single device I'll probably set a color for all of that category the same, but as of now I have yet to run into that. The colors I use are just to be uniform for different Firmwares that support a particular Jailbreak method. I actually expect there are some that will have multiple Jailbreak methods & even Multiple Exploits used, & I'm not really sure what I'll do with that, but for now we'll work with what we got until the problem is right in front of us... lol

As far as not editing the link, no worries, it's easy enough to do. I appreciate the contribution, if someone has some information but not everything it's still helpful to add what they have & eventually those who have other information can fill it in. That particularly is easy enough to add if I have the model it's for & the firmware number.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

When I go to the google sheet the resulting web page is not scrollable. Maybe that is keepting me away from documentation.

Hmm, that's odd. What device are you using? I have it setup with pinned rows at the top & a pinned Firmware Column on the Left, but I know in Chrome on Android it doesn't pin very well, but I haven't had issues otherwise. As far as the auto-built links, they are actually on a different page of the sheet. They are usually shown as Tabs at the bottom of the window.

Originally Posted by tomsem

Thanks for doing this.

I have one small nit pick: Kindle Scribe is referenced as Kindle Scribe (1st Generation), so nominally it is not an 11th generation Kindle. Amazon wants us to think of it as a separate product line in the way Apple has different generations for different iPad models.

So I totally get that & even agree with that in some regards, but from my understanding The Scribe originally had an entirely different Firmware that wasn't related to the others, so it made sense not to be on the same "Gen" Table. But since I heard that they have been essentially bloating the firmware of all the others so they now include parts of their firmware that they can't even use so that the Firmware package is the same between all devices, I think it makes more sense to put them on the Table that everything else is on rather than make things more confusing having it the only one not on the table. The only other option really is to not include it but I feel when a Jailbreak is made that works with others for a particular Firmware it will likely work with the Scribe on that Firmware as well so I'd rather have it on the list

Originally Posted by j.p.s

When a cell has a lot of text, I suggest putting most of that text in a note outside the main table.

I was actually trying to find a way to make that better, Like a brief with a popup-on-mouseover type thing, but I haven't yet found a way to do that. I hadn't really thought about doing it as a Footnote thing, but that could work... But I'll have to figure out how to do that as well... So it'll wait for someone else to do it or for me to have more time to do it.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I think a large subset of mobileread users have that attitude towards all kindle models, maybe partly because that might be how the firmware deals with individual devices.

I will go with whatever LostOnTheLine decides, but I think the nickname from the Kindle Serial Number page should be used instead of or in addition to generation, especially given the jailbreak orientation of this table.. Personally, I am confused by references like Paperwhite 10th and usually have neither the time nor the inclination to chase it down.

Originally Posted by tomsem

I understand this, but if a generation number is included, it should be the one Amazon uses.

Aside from the Scribe the Generation I use IS what Amazon uses. When you look at their Firmware page it doesn't say which Paperwhite edition it is, Just it's Generation. I actually include {Basic} in superscript next to the models that have been referred to as "Kindle Basic" because People Know them as that & they are referenced as that, but the Firmware list just calls them "Kindle (Xth Generation)" I thought about having a column with the short name But as the table is horribly not scalable & is quite large I decided against it. If people think it should be included I'll happy add it. Just let me know how people would prefer it & I'll go with majority opinion (On how not if). The ways I considered were 1.) having a column with the short name like PW3, PW2, KV, etc. 2.) having an extra line at the top or bottom that had a list of all of them like:

KOA2|KOA1 | PW5|PW4|PW3 | KT4|KT3
Oasis (9 / 8)
Paperwhite (11 / 10 / 7)
Kindle {Basic} (8 / 7)

But the biggest problem is that many of them have multiple short names, & it will extend the width in any option which I'm trying to avoid.
But as far as those short names go Outside this community I pretty much never see them used at all. It's almost always "Paperwhite (2020)" or "Paperwhite (10th Gen)" or "Paperwhite 4". I can't in good conscience make a table that will be maybe slightly less confusing for specifically people who have spent a bunch of time here but more confusing for anyone who hasn't. & if I have to choose 1 way of Identifying it it'll be the unified way that Amazon does in things like the Firmware Page & Source Code page, & Only really going outside that to make outliers conform to the standard everything else has.

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I agree, but still holding hope that mention of generation just gets dropped.

Not gonna happen, sorry. As stated above.

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

FWIW, we didn't go with the "generation" number, because, historically, it used to differ depending on the market... So, an US generation might not have been the same EU generation .

I *think* that's mostly settled down by now, but, there you have it. (I also can't make heads nor tails of it myself).

See, this seems backwards to me. I've seen Models refered to as "Kindle (2017)" in one place & in another place as "Kindle (2016)" but being the same thing & always being the same "Gen", just with different releases in different markets. From everything I can gather the "Generation" numbers are production numbers rather than release numbers so they should, & have in the things I've found, stayed consistent. For example the PW3 & the Voyage are both 7th Gen but released in different years, but they have the same component production formats & standards.

[LostOnTheLine]

So I used the link provided by

Originally Posted by jhowell

Amazon’s Source Code Notice for Kindle E-Readers and Fire Tablets page lists the firmware versions that were produced for each Kindle model.

& I updated the Firmware Table, or rather created a new one, that only shows the Firmware that was on the list for all the devices on the list. Some of the older ones don't have a base link because I don't know if one exists or what it is if it does, but the table is pretty good & though I'll need to update it manually for the Wiki, it should enable me to do so pretty easily

[LostOnTheLine]

Interesting Discovery. I found a Firmware that isn't in the `Source Code Notice` list but I can confirm is downloadable & exists.

5.14.3 for PW3

I also have seen references to 5.11.1 & 5.10.3 but neither of those are on the list either, so it looks like the List isn't the be-all-end-all after all. But it definitely saved a lot of work & has things I'd likely never have found otherwise.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

When I go to the google sheet the resulting web page is not scrollable. Maybe that is keepting me away from documentation.

Originally Posted by LostOnTheLine

Hmm, that's odd. What device are you using? I have it setup with pinned rows at the top & a pinned Firmware Column on the Left, but I know in Chrome on Android it doesn't pin very well, but I haven't had issues otherwise. As far as the auto-built links, they are actually on a different page of the sheet. They are usually shown as Tabs at the bottom of the window.

Laptop running debian.

It's probably because I don't allow google cookies or javascript on google pages. I also avoid google sites unless there is a compelling reason to go there.

Could you temporarily attach a copy of the sheet to one of your posts? I uderstand the whole idea is cloud collaboration, but I can't participate in that when the host is google.