side-loading to new kindle paperwhite

[porphyry5]

This problem is SOLVED. See my last post on p2.
I just replaced my old paperwhite that I lost. The new model is quite different to the old.

There seems to be no provision to side-load one's own files from computer to kindle. In fact, the 2.8 gb of storage on it shows as 'free space', ie it is neither set as a partition on the disk, nor formatted to receive data.

What do I need to do to enable side-loading to this device?

[j.p.s]

Your problem is almost certainly with your computer.

What is the operating system and version?

[Junket]

As j.p.s already commented, can you let us know what OS and version your computer is using?

A new paperwhite (PW4) should let you sideload books by default and most computers would recognize Kindle as an (FAT32) USB drive when connected by USB. Try rebooting your computer and plugging Kindle into a different USB port with a known good USB cable.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by Junket

As j.p.s already commented, can you let us know what OS and version your computer is using?

A new paperwhite (PW4) should let you sideload books by default and most computers would recognize Kindle as an (FAT32) USB drive when connected by USB. Try rebooting your computer and plugging Kindle into a different USB port with a known good USB cable.

Things have changed in this area recently. Older Kindles used a partition table with a single FAT32-formatted partition: at least some newer ones (definitely the Oasis 3) eschew the partition table and just export the entire raw device as a FAT32 filesystem. How (and if) you need to teach your computer about this depends on the OS you're running.

[Junket]

This is why we were asking what operating system he uses.

The OP did say he had a new paperwhite, presumably that means a PW4. The visible USB directory reflects /usr/mnt on the Kindle rfs and should present as a FAT32 fs volume to his PC. FAT32 is a widely used format which most macOS or windows systems will auto detect but a *nix or other OS systems may need to explicitly mount the volume.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves, useful guidance to the OP depends on knowing what OS he is using.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by NullNix

Things have changed in this area recently. Older Kindles used a partition table with a single FAT32-formatted partition: at least some newer ones (definitely the Oasis 3) eschew the partition table and just export the entire raw device as a FAT32 filesystem. How (and if) you need to teach your computer about this depends on the OS you're running.

You sure about this? I've received USB dumps of the Oasis 3 in attempts to extract factory firmware and the dump doesn't include the system.

Originally Posted by Junket

The OP did say he had a new paperwhite, presumably that means a PW4. The visible USB directory reflects /usr/mnt on the Kindle rfs and should present as a FAT32 fs volume to his PC. FAT32 is a widely used format which most macOS or windows systems will auto detect but a *nix or other OS systems may need to explicitly mount the volume.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves, useful guidance to the OP depends on knowing what OS he is using.

PW4 should have 8GB or 32GB storage though so the FAT32 partition should be ~6GB or ~28GB, iirc.

The Paperwhite might be new to the OP but it's not necessarily the latest model.

@porphyry5
In addition to your PC's operating system, what model is the Paperwhite, what condition (new, used, refurbished) and where was it purchased from?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by NullNix

Things have changed in this area recently. Older Kindles used a partition table with a single FAT32-formatted partition: at least some newer ones (definitely the Oasis 3) eschew the partition table and just export the entire raw device as a FAT32 filesystem. How (and if) you need to teach your computer about this depends on the OS you're running.

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

You sure about this? I've received USB dumps of the Oasis 3 in attempts to extract factory firmware and the dump doesn't include the system.

Yes, at least for the KOA2, but that is probably irrelevant.

Many non-kindle readers have been doing that for many years, including when exporting partitioned external SD cards.

Since we are having so much fun prematurely speculating, it could be that some previous owner "formatted" or deformatted the drive.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

You sure about this? I've received USB dumps of the Oasis 3 in attempts to extract factory firmware and the dump doesn't include the system.

Oh sorry I was ambiguous: I mean the *user partition*, the same thing that used to be exported as a single-partition MBR-format partition table plus a big FAT32 partition, is now just a FAT32 "block device" via USB mass storage: no (fake) partition table any more. I'd guess this is to remove any dependence on the format of partition tables in the user partition export, to allow for the new world in which some newer systems might be able to read GPT and not MBR-format, and other older ones will be able to read MBR and not GPT

The whole Kindle MMC storage is *not* exported (it would be really useful if it was! but it isn't).

[porphyry5]

My computer is Acer C720, its OS is current Arch Linux.
The Kindle has 4GB total storage, which includes 2.8GB user storage, can't tell you its model no. right now. Purchased new from Amazon Digital Services.

This shows on the computer via cfdisk as Unassigned free space, the 1.2GB system space is hidden, does not show at all.

Rebooting makes no difference, nor did using the device to download items from Kindle store (they appear in my Library in the Kindle, but to the computer they do not exist).

I believe this is the exact same model as I lost, in which the user space was always available as a 2.8GB FAT32 partition, originally containing 4 directories, Documents...etc

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by porphyry5

My computer is Acer C720, its OS is current Arch Linux.
The Kindle has 4GB total storage, which includes 2.8GB user storage, can't tell you its model no. right now. Purchased new from Amazon Digital Services.

This shows on the computer via cfdisk as Unassigned free space, the 1.2GB system space is hidden, does not show at all.

Rebooting makes no difference, nor did using the device to download items from Kindle store (they appear in my Library in the Kindle, but to the computer they do not exist).

I believe this is the exact same model as I lost, in which the user space was always available as a 2.8GB FAT32 partition, originally containing 4 directories, Documents...etc

The only way to see the kindle's entire flash memory is to jailbreak and use CLI utilities while logged in to the kindle.

What you see over the USB port is an USB mass storage export of the kindle's /mnt/us partition.

The best way I know of to learn what your computer is seeing is to look at the last 10 lines or so of the output of the dmesg command on your computer to get a baseline, then connect the kindle over USB and run dmesg again.

You should be able to look up your kindle on your "Manage Your Content and Devices" page at amazon.com and among the things listed is the device serial number, the first 6 or 8 characters of which will determine the exact model.

If your computer is trying to auto mount, it may be using incorrect parameters. The output of dmesg might help know the correct mount parameters to use.

[porphyry5]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

The only way to see the kindle's entire flash memory is to jailbreak and use CLI utilities while logged in to the kindle.

What you see over the USB port is an USB mass storage export of the kindle's /mnt/us partition.

The best way I know of to learn what your computer is seeing is to look at the last 10 lines or so of the output of the dmesg command on your computer to get a baseline, then connect the kindle over USB and run dmesg again.

You should be able to look up your kindle on your "Manage Your Content and Devices" page at amazon.com and among the things listed is the device serial number, the first 6 or 8 characters of which will determine the exact model.

If your computer is trying to auto mount, it may be using incorrect parameters. The output of dmesg might help know the correct mount parameters to use.

Thanks for info re dmesg. I don't have the kindle with me right now, so acting on this must await my next trip to town in a day or two (I live entirely off grid and only get internet access in cafes or the library)

Got serial #s: the new kindle is G091 0L04 ..., the original was G090 G105...

[ilovejedd]

For reference, the old device G090 G105 is a Paperwhite 3 (2015) and the new one G091 0L04 is a Kindle Basic 3 (2019).

Your new Kindle definitely has Androidized layout. However, seeing as you can directly download books to it via wifi, reckon it's just something on your system that has an issue with mounting it.

Can you try bringing it to the library and connecting it via USB to a computer there just to confirm the /mnt/us/ does get exported as a FAT32 partition?

Or perhaps try booting live USB Ubuntu or Linux Mint and see if the Kindle mounts there? Iirc, Arch Linux is a distro that by design doesn't have a lot of things preloaded.

[Junket]

Per the Wiki (sticky thread), your new Kindle isn't a paperwhite model.

G091 0L Kindle Basic 3 (2019) "KT4"
G090 G1 Kindle PaperWhite 3 (2015) "PW3"






edit: as ilovejedd explained

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by porphyry5

Thanks for info re dmesg. I don't have the kindle with me right now, so acting on this must await my next trip to town in a day or two (I live entirely off grid and only get internet access in cafes or the library)

Got serial #s: the new kindle is G091 0L04 ..., the original was G090 G105...

OK, according to https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_Serial_Numbers your new kindle is a KT4 (Kindle Basic 3 (2019)), which is likely to use the new USB mass storage export scheme, see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=325588

Your previous kindle was a PW3 (Kindle PaperWhite 3 (2015) WiFi), which uses the older USB mass storage export scheme.

[Fat Abe]

Last month, I purchased a Kindle with UPC 841667140612, and the box says it's a black Kindle 10th generation. Dropped in a few mobi files by using explorer on Windows 10, picking one of the subdirectories randomly. The reader seems to be able to open the ebooks, which means that side-loading is a possibility. This is possibly one of the worst documented products I've ever used in the ebook reader category. Can other forum members please post the UPC's of their models? eReaders are dangerously falling into the category of orphaned products with no name and no long term support.