Is it worth to upgrade from firmware 5.6.5 to the newer 5.8.9.2?

[rrrvxi]

Hello. I have a kindle PW2 Japanese edition (4gb), I remembered I jailbreak it a couple of years ago. Since then, I didn't used it much so I am kind of unaware about the improvements the device might received in this frame of time.

This is what I installed before on firmware 5.6.5:

==
JailBreak-1.14.N-FW-5.x-hotfix.zip
KUAL-v2.6.zip
kual-mrinstaller-1.6.N.zip
CollectionsManager_2.8.1.zip
koreader-kindle-arm-linux-gnueabi-v2015.11-stable.zip
==
***I also attached a picture of the root folder of the kindle***

So the questions I have are:

1. Is it worth to upgrade to the newer firmware available? Am I missing any new feature? or any critical update? maybe better battery with the new software?

2. If I update, can I still block the pesky auto-updates Amazon push without the user consent? I think I created before some kind of file in the root folder of the kindle that blocked the updates successfully

3. If I update, should I reset the device?

4. The jailbreak will survive in the new firmware?

5. If you were me, will you update it or leave it as it is?

Thank you if you read this, and any orientation will be much appreciated!

[knc1]

Originally Posted by rrrvxi

Hello. I have a kindle PW2 Japanese edition (4gb), I remembered I jailbreak it a couple of years ago. Since then, I didn't used it much so I am kind of unaware about the improvements the device might received in this frame of time.

This is what I installed before on firmware 5.6.5:

==
JailBreak-1.14.N-FW-5.x-hotfix.zip
KUAL-v2.6.zip
kual-mrinstaller-1.6.N.zip
CollectionsManager_2.8.1.zip
koreader-kindle-arm-linux-gnueabi-v2015.11-stable.zip
==
***I also attached a picture of the root folder of the kindle***

So the questions I have are:

1. Is it worth to upgrade to the newer firmware available? Am I missing any new feature? or any critical update? maybe better battery with the new software?

2. If I update, can I still block the pesky auto-updates Amazon push without the user consent? I think I created before some kind of file in the root folder of the kindle that blocked the updates successfully

3. If I update, should I reset the device?

4. The jailbreak will survive in the new firmware?

5. If you were me, will you update it or leave it as it is?

Thank you if you read this, and any orientation will be much appreciated!

1- They have improved the settings menu part of the GUI.
There is a relatively new Amazon book format: kfx. I do not recall if your current version can display that book type.
The answer to the rest is: No.

2- Yes.
Same directory name is still working - reports here that you find that it does not are from people who tried to install a file of that name, not a directory (folder).

3- No, never.
All that does is erase everything you have done to the device.

4- Yes. The jailbreak and the 'bridge' code auto-reinstall (they are viral).
The 'bridge' code can only be erased by the user pressing: "reset", so do not press "reset".
You will still have to re-install all other add-ins.

5- Impossible to say.

# 141 00

[jhowell]

Here is an incomplete overview of features added since firmware 5.6.5:

New Home screen layout (removes reading progress dots, requires extra click to view library)
Improvements to Enhanced Typesetting (KFX only)
OpenDyslexic font
Page flip (multi-page for KFX only)
Restore reading progress dots (for list view only)
Recommend books from About This Book
Save Wi-Fi Passwords to Amazon account
Manga pan/zoom and fast page turns (KFX only)
Manually loaded books show in "All" view
Amazon Ember Bold font
Faster highlighting
Ragged right alignment option (KFX only)

[rrrvxi]

Thanks for the info. I might try the new update, maybe I like it. However, can I go back and re-install 5.6.5 if anything goes wrong or if I don't like the new update? will this be difficult to do it? or it will be just as to put the file firmware in the root folder again and re-install?

Have a nice day!

[rrrvxi]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Here is an incomplete overview of features added since firmware 5.6.5:

New Home screen layout (removes reading progress dots, requires extra click to view library)
Improvements to Enhanced Typesetting (KFX only)
OpenDyslexic font
Page flip (multi-page for KFX only)
Restore reading progress dots (for list view only)
Recommend books from About This Book
Save Wi-Fi Passwords to Amazon account
Manga pan/zoom and fast page turns (KFX only)
Manually loaded books show in "All" view
Amazon Ember Bold font
Faster highlighting
Ragged right alignment option (KFX only)

Thank you!

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by rrrvxi

Thanks for the info. I might try the new update, maybe I like it. However, can I go back and re-install 5.6.5 if anything goes wrong or if I don't like the new update? will this be difficult to do it? or it will be just as to put the file firmware in the root folder again and re-install?

Have a nice day!

To the best of my knowledge you will NOT be able to go back without either serial port or RP/CRP to allow you to install an earlier firmware. The latest release blocks the downgrade "attack" so all that would happen if you put an old firmware in the root folder would be that it would be erased with an error message logged when you attempted to apply the update.

The JB will survive the update to the newer firmware, but you will need to install many of your enhancements again and any that depend upon a particular firmware level may break. If you do update you should probably install the update blocker as well for we have no guarantee that they might not take more aggressive measures against the JB in a future release.

I have kept 5.6.5 myself and have no plans to upgrade at this time.

Dave

[baalajimaestro]

Well, so the jb is known to survive. And there is nothing so much new except the Ember Bold font which comes in 5.8.7.0.1. It is the last known version which has a ability for factory downgrades. And a secong thing, 5.8.8 and 5.8.9.2 brought many improvements only for manga readers. Hence, i would suggest you to stay at the maximum at 5.8.7.0.1. Anuthing more than that, can be sometime a damage because you cannot jb again.
So, my suggestion stay where you are, or get to 5.7.4, 5.8.2 or a max of 5.8.7.0.1

[hius07]

Originally Posted by baalajimaestro

Well, so the jb is known to survive. And there is nothing so much new except the Ember Bold font which comes in 5.8.7.0.1. It is the last known version which has a ability for factory downgrades. And a secong thing, 5.8.8 and 5.8.9.2 brought many improvements only for manga readers. Hence, i would suggest you to stay at the maximum at 5.8.7.0.1. Anuthing more than that, can be sometime a damage because you cannot jb again.
So, my suggestion stay where you are, or get to 5.7.4, 5.8.2 or a max of 5.8.7.0.1

You can downgrade even from 5.8.10.

[baalajimaestro]

Originally Posted by hius07

You can downgrade even from 5.8.10.

Oh no bro... I'm speaking of factory downgrade on non-jb cases. In case you reset your device you cannot jb again if yiu are on 5.8.10

[knc1]

Originally Posted by baalajimaestro

Oh no bro... I'm speaking of factory downgrade on non-jb cases. In case you reset your device you cannot jb again if yiu are on 5.8.10

you can if you have rescue pack installed.

[baalajimaestro]

Originally Posted by knc1

you can if you have rescue pack installed.

Actually wont we lose jb if we press reset??
Thats why I advised to stay at 5.8.7.0.1

[knc1]

Originally Posted by baalajimaestro

Actually wont we lose jb if we press reset??
Thats why I advised to stay at 5.8.7.0.1

Step #2, Spoiler:

This is the ONLY TIME you should ever use the Reset menu entry in the lifetime of the device because it wipes out the jail break survival code that is about to be added in step 6 below.
NEVER AGAIN USE THE "Reset" MENU ENTRY. Never, ever, unless you intended to wipe out the jailbreak survival code. Which you really, really, need.

"jail break survival code" != "jail break"

[negativeone]

Hi. I'm new here. Just did JB yesterday and also deciding how far to update. I've read a lot of these threads, but something here is confusing me...

My understanding was that the issue with the later firmwares is that they try to lock you out of doing a downgrade to a special factory image (ie, the one that is used for JB).

Are you guys saying that if you're already Jailbroken, with the rescue pack (JailBreak-1.14.N-FW-5.x-hotfix) installed, you can downgrade to any image? If so, is it using the standard update process? (Drop bin on USB mount root and trigger update from menu?)

edit: don't stop reading here. I was very confused and the next post explains everything.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by negativeone

Hi. I'm new here. Just did JB yesterday and also deciding how far to update. I've read a lot of these threads, but something here is confusing me...

My understanding was that the issue with the later firmwares is that they try to lock you out of doing a downgrade to a special factory image (ie, the one that is used for JB).

Are you guys saying that if you're already Jailbroken, with the rescue pack (JailBreak-1.14.N-FW-5.x-hotfix) installed, you can downgrade to any image? If so, is it using the standard update process? (Drop bin on USB mount root and trigger update from menu?)

You are a bit confused.

Rescue Pack (RP) is not equal to HotFix, it is another add-in.

The 'HotFix' package is required, it contains the code that makes the jailbreak viral. That is, it will auto-reinstall the jailbreak after an update image is installed.

The 'Rescue Pack' is a user's choice add-in, use it if you want to.
It also has an add-on to the add-in, also optional once RP is installed: Coward's Rescue Pack (CRP).

Background:
The Kindles, since the K4 model, are 'dual-boot' devices. Two different operating systems are installed: 'main' and 'diags'.
Once upon a time, 'diags' had an ssh server installed.
Once upon a time, the user could switch to the 'diags' system at the next boot by placing a specially named file in the top of visible USB storage.

RP restores both of those features.
You can set the device to boot into the 'diags' system at the next boot with a specially named file, and once it is running 'diags' you can ssh into the system.

CRP adds to the ability to control that selection with the USB cable instead of (in addition to) the special named file.

= = = =

The procedure to follow is indeed rather 'standard' (it hasn't changed for years).
But it is how you de-brick the 'main' system while running the 'diags' system.
That is: consider a device with a firmware version installed that can not be jailbroken as 'bricked" and proceed in restoring it.

With the device running the alternate operating system, and having command line access as the administrator ('root') via ssh, you can do whatever you want to the 'main' system. For good or bad.

If you just want to jailbreak the device, then just install the jailbreak and hotfix using command line commands.
NOTE:
The device had to be jailbroken to install RP (and, optionally, CRP) but it need not be jailbroken when they are used.

If you want to install a different 'main' system version (and its matching kernel) you do that using command line commands also.

The system image and kernel files you get from Amazon, except for the K4 and very early K5 (KT) firmware versions. For those, you have to use one of the 'rescue images' - so just use Kubrick instead.

Download the desired "update" image for your device, use KindleTool to convert it to a compressed archive, from which you can take the files you need.
You will also need KindleTool to give you the password to the administrative ('root') account for the 'diags' system, based on the device's serial number.

Note that the spoiler in Step #7 has a list of links to Amazon firmware packages, all of those listed there can be jailbroken with the current jailbreak procedure. With those, once one of them is installed, you do not have to install the jailbreak 'by hand'.

[negativeone]

Thanks for the awesome and quick reply! I'm now looking into rescue packs on another thread.