Original "Simple" debricking methods for K5-Touch, K4-Mini, & K3-Keyboard

[geekmaster]

I seem to be earning a reputation at my new "digs". I have gotten a lot of posts like these from others, whenever the trolls get their dander up:

Originally Posted by Mystify

geekmaster comes off as brilliant because he doesn't talk about how he is brilliant, he just demonstrates it with well-thought out posts, practical theories, demonstrations, and basically acting in a highly competent manner
K-- comes off as merely arrogant since he talks about how awesome he is at everything, but doesn't seem to actually produce much to support this while making assertions that everyone else is close minded and can't see why his unconventional thinking is so superior to what actually works.
If you talk about how awesome you are, everyone will just think you are a blowhard. If you do awesome things, people will realize you are awesome.

Originally Posted by Madaras

The MasterGeek is as his name explains, on this forum he is very well respected. He does not troll, he informs. He gives proposed ideas thoughtful consideration, even more so than the one who originated the idea does, and offers solutions/critiques. When you are in a forum of "this" nature, which is meant for improvement of the Oculus and Oculus implementations you should always look at things objectively, and realize that even if you believe in your idea there is a chance it could be a bad idea, unable to work in reality or effectively. If you keep this in mind then you can accept criticism and advice without being offended, and to take it as an opportunity to learn, grow, and maybe even improve upon your own ideas. So feel blessed that he chooses to comment on your post and share with you his wealth of knowledge.

One of these days RSN, I will want to play with my Kindles again, and then like the Terminator, "I'll be back!".


It feels good to be a "respected elder" in an online community.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

I just don't want to fade into obscurity around here, after all the work I (and others) put in to help make this place the valuable resource that it is today...

Things have changed some since you last hung out here.

Forum traffic is way down now.

I like to think that is because we have finally reached the point where almost all of the common topics have been documented and tools provided for most of the common problems.

I.E: A real DIY resource site rather than a 24/7 help desk.

[knauck]

Hi. I have a singularly nasty issue: a brand new paperwhite, running 5.3.5, jailbroken, with USBNet enabled on boot is giving me the fancy "Repair Needed" screen. I know what I did to cause this, I was trying to get a compiler set up on the device to build a few hacktools I like to use on my iPhone (dsniff suite ftw!) and accidentally chmod-ed the entire freaking /opt/amazon/ebook/lib folder to 000.

It took me about half an hour to hunt down what I did in my ssh logs, but I found it. I think I must have copy pasta'd the location without paying attention to what I was doing.

The difficult thing being that the device switches from Mass Storage mode to USB Networking mode too fast for a computer to see the device as a drive, and then switches to the repair screen before I can connect with ssh/sftp. Is my only option to take the device apart and use the serial port? I'd been looking for a reason to pop 'er open and install a sound card in the open WAN space and a microSD card on one of the other usb hubs...I'd just been hoping to avoid this =D.

Are there any other options?

[NiLuJe]

@knauck: provided you were using pubkeys, so you have a non-interactive login, spam a ssh oneliner in a loop?

EDIT: Or, scp an ENABLE_DIAGS file if you had the rescue pack installed, and fix it from diags.

[Wade_lau]

This is to help those debricked K3 once, but couldn't do it again on the same device.

Days ago, debricked my K3 following the steps in this forum, using ATK FLASH tool.

As no serial number with the debricked k3, decided to flash another image 3.4, but no success any more. Even strictly repeated the same steps with the first time!

I used ERASE option instead of PROGRAM in ATK this time! Firstly 00041000, then 003C1000, then 00000000. As for the SIZE, used same numbers, just the last one a little different, maybe 000c0000.

After this ERASE step. Flashed K3 3.02 following the steps in this forum again.

It worked! Debricked my K3 the second time!

My email: salesmng (at)gmail.com

[knauck]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@knauck: provided you were using pubkeys, so you have a non-interactive login, spam a ssh oneliner in a loop?

EDIT: Or, scp an ENABLE_DIAGS file if you had the rescue pack installed, and fix it from diags.

got the rescue pack installed. no pubkeys though, only login =/ I'll try to script something from my buntubox, but it's not looking good on my end.

EDIT: Does anyone have a schematic of the PCB for these paperwhites? what contacts are for the serial cable??

EDIT2: Found it, check here if you are capable of a little hardware hacking and don't mind disassembling your device and soldering on it's board. Click here >>> https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2477047

[knauck]

Got it. restored the paperwhite to full functionality after wiping mmcblk0p1. Restored mmcblk0p1 over serial, using recovery, export, and the update from usb function.

[hawhill]

Hey, that's great! I'm not sure if we ever had positive confirmation about such a recovery, although it was known to be theoretically possible. Congratulations!

[knc1]

Originally Posted by hawhill

Hey, that's great! I'm not sure if we ever had positive confirmation about such a recovery, although it was known to be theoretically possible. Congratulations!

A few notes:

Be certain to pick an Amazon image that is a "Full Image" not an "Incremental". Link to off-site archive of the Amazon images located in the first post of the jailbreak thread.

While choosing your Amazon image, note the versions mentioned in the jailbreak thread title, you probably want one that can be jailbroken after installation.

It should not have been required to erase mmcblk0p1 - -
But perhaps this device's particular state required it.
Hard to tell from this far away.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by knc1

Things have changed some since you last hung out here.

Forum traffic is way down now.

I like to think that is because we have finally reached the point where almost all of the common topics have been documented and tools provided for most of the common problems.

I.E: A real DIY resource site rather than a 24/7 help desk.

I hope that is the case. The forum index wikis certainly make that possible.

There is a huge wealth of information buried in the forums I hang out in lately and too many people ask the same questions repeatedly, which gives that place that boring "help desk" quality this place once had. I have suggested they use index wikis and gave this place as a reference, but I guess if I do not lay all the groundwork and get significant links in place to establish momentum, it may never happen. I am just glad to see that the index wikis I started here turned out to be a great resource, making all the "help desk" posts less of a burden.

There is a ton of great information in many places that goes unnoticed. Google is great, but not so good for many forum searches. Such forums need index wikis too.

Glad to hear that things seem to be running smoothly here. Like I said, "I'll be back". It is just a matter of time...

[knc1]

Originally Posted by geekmaster

Glad to hear that things seem to be running smoothly here. Like I said, "I'll be back". It is just a matter of time...

With the "help desk" activity at a minimum we are getting some very interesting, technically challenging, questions on the forum.

When you have a chance to return, you should find some interesting things to think about here.

There are rumors on the 'net about a new Amazon tablet for the usual fall release times -
But nothing (yet) about a new e-ink device.
So there may be a chance that we can skip the "fall scramble" to make everything work (again) on some new, strange, e-ink device.

[Replika]

I've bought a PW demo unit from eBay with a hope that I can get it working as normal device.

Basically, what I have done so far:
1. Buy a FTDI Breakout USB-TTL (~$8)
2. Solder Kindle serial pins
3. Use kermit, login as root, dd mmcblk0p[123] to /mnt/us
4. Reboot in recovery mode
5. Export FAT partition
6. Plug USB cable and backup mmcblk0p[123] to my PC

I'm going to copy official kindle update from amazon website and do:

U. Update using update*.bin file on FAT partition

Is that safe doing that? What else should I backup?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Replika

- - -
I'm going to copy official kindle update from amazon website and do:

U. Update using update*.bin file on FAT partition

Is that safe doing that? What else should I backup?

That worked for someone else to recover their PW here last week.

Might work to un-demo a PW also, probably will.

- - - -

Even simpler -
Just put the Amazon update image in the root of usb storage, eject, remove cable, re-boot.

It should **just work**.

- - - -

Note 1: In the first post of the Paperwhite Jailbreak thread you can find a link to an off-site archive of Amazon image releases.
You might want to pick a firmware version that can be jailbroken.

Note 2: The "Demo Units" are very often SO (Special Offers) units - after un-demo'ing you will still have to "buy out" of the SO at the Amazon site (after you register your 'used' device).

[Replika]

Originally Posted by knc1

Just put the Amazon update image in the root of usb storage, eject, remove cable, re-boot.

Awesome! I am able to register my kindle as well.

Thank you.

[icantbebothered]

Successfully debricked my kindle.
:D