How to update Kindle 2/DX/DXG with YifanLu's firmware from 3.2.1 to 3.4.2

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by idoit

But according to Yifan, it's easy to revert back to v2.5.8 if one doesn't like 3.2.1, I believe he mentioned! ?

That assumes you updated successfully and just didn't like the new firmware.

If you fail to update, because you mix and match libraries and break dependency chains for important components, and end up messing it up so bad you cannot get in via USBNetwork, you have no way of performing the downgrade.

[thatworkshop]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

That assumes you updated successfully and just didn't like the new firmware.

If you fail to update, because you mix and match libraries and break dependency chains for important components, and end up messing it up so bad you cannot get in via USBNetwork, you have no way of performing the downgrade.

So I guess for now, I'll stay in the safe zone of v2.5.8. This thing is super snappy, love it. On a side note, every now and then, I use drop_cache to clear RAM. Do you think it's a good practice?

Right now, I am trying to make sense of how to minimally just get webkit updates and its related stuff without jumping all onto v3.*, headfirst! or may headlast

[eschwartz]

There is no reason to drop the cache, see: http://www.linuxatemyram.com

The only reason that functionality exists is for debugging purposes, when one expects to need a lot of RAM really fast, and cannot wait for the kernel to automatically drop unused caches as and when needed.


(In fact, it is usually bad since caching files helps speed up things that aren't in use but might be soon.)

[newman]

Originally Posted by knc1

That is a requirement for using any site where security is a concern.
The 2.5.8 browser only does SSL3 - which is no longer used by any site built in the 21st century.
(Like your bank, etc.)

- - - -

There might be a lot more reasons, but I don't know them.
The above is what kicked off the update to the HowTo.

From what I remember 2.5.8 browser did not support SSL/TLS just plain HTTP because it did not have gnutls. SSL got enabled I think in 3.x, and TLS on 3.4.1. But might be wrong on that, it's a long time ago.

Originally Posted by knc1

To 3.4.2 not 3.2.1, 3.4.2 is the earliest, not even 3.4.1 provides the required protocols and encryption suites.

Speaking of from what I saw in GPL sources I believe 3.4.1 is the first where TLS got enabled (and SSL disabled) but skipped it in favor of 3.4.2.

[thatworkshop]

From other thread, I quote from you:

Originally Posted by newman

They disabled SSL 3.0 but enabled TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 in priority list therefore I believe TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 were present in the library but effectively disabled by !VERS-TLS1.1:!VERS-TLS1.0 in the past. I am not sure about TLS 1.2, it may not be compiled in at all. WRT gnutls_priority_set_direct() content, it's the same from 3.0.1 to 3.4. (Thou, I still have no direct proof TLS works since no one with a K3 with 3.4.1+ verified that..)

Hmmm... ?!

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by idoit

From other thread, I quote from you:



Hmmm... ?!

I can confirm TLS 1.1 works on my K3W with 3.4.2, but according to howsmyssl.com it flunks the test as there are known vulnerable cipher suites enabled in it. I get the same report on my KT2 with 5.6.5, so it seems to be a common problem in the kindle firmware. See my thread on this elsewhere in the forum.

I have attempted to report this to lab126 via Facebook, but have received no response as yet.

Dave

[newman]

Originally Posted by idoit

From other thread, I quote from you:



Hmmm... ?!

That' was my guess before I upgraded to 3.4.2. Feel free to consider the older thread obsolete, now we know 3.4.2 has TLS 1.{0,1} enabled and SSL 3 disabled.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

- - - -
I have attempted to report this to lab126 via Facebook, but have received no response as yet.

Dave

Lab126 isn't very social, its more like a business.

Try making the report to C.S. through your Kindle's account on Amazon.

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by newman

That' was my guess before I upgraded to 3.4.2. Feel free to consider the older thread obsolete, now we know 3.4.2 has TLS 1.{0,1} enabled and SSL 3 disabled.

I am replying to your PM here, as there appears to be no way to attach a file to a PM. Moderators, feel free to relocate this post elsewhere if appropriate.

Dave

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by knc1

Lab126 isn't very social, its more like a business.

Try making the report to C.S. through your Kindle's account on Amazon.

I thought it made more sense to contact Lab126 direct, but their web page did not include any email contact or forms for support issues. I did see their FB account and figured at least someone at Lab126 would look at it.

I was assuming that the C.S. people would be more oriented to hardware issues and whose only response was to offer to sell a new kindle at a "reduced" price for any real problem. I will see about sending them an email as well in hopes that someone can route it to Lab126.

Of course if someone here has an actual contact at Lab126 that would be an even more appropriate channel to notify them of the problem.

Dave

[knc1]

I just checked on my Amazon Kindle account -
Sorry, I did not take notes - I probably should have.

Eventually you can hit an account page that has a large "Contact Us" button in the left margin -
When you click that, after a few questions, you have the choice of e-mail, phone, or chat.

I think that is the contact path you want, one of those.
I would choose "e-mail" myself, so there is a written record.

[newman]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

I am replying to your PM here, as there appears to be no way to attach a file to a PM. Moderators, feel free to relocate this post elsewhere if appropriate.

Dave

Thank you!

--

For those interested, the original K3 file (/etc/fb.modes) includes FrameBuffer modes 600x800 and 800x600 (and two other smaller resolutions which I doubt are ever used). Which makes sense since K3 has a resolution of 600x800 px.

But my 3.2.1 on DX also had 824x1200 modes, which also makes sense because that's the DX'es display resolution. But since 3.x FW is not intended for DX I believe it had been added by YifanLu.

So, we have to be careful with future updates of that file by future FW updates so the 824x1200 and the 1200x824 resolutions won't disappear. And it also means that future FW upgrades (modifying /etc/fb.modes, or not) always have to be to some degree manual because appropriate line with MD5 hash in "rootfs_md5_list" file from "rootfs_md5_list.tar.gz" has to be modified to fit the reality of DX (this may not be the case of 3.x FW on K2 since it has the same resolution as K3 has).

[thatworkshop]

Nice find...

Originally Posted by newman

So, we have to be careful with future updates of that file by future FW updates so...

Do you guess KK will receive updates in future? I guess so.
And then we'll update DX accordingly.

[knc1]

It seems strange that they did an update of the K4 before the K5 (original Kindle Touch).

My only guess is the K4 was sold for almost two years - there might be a lot more of them still in-use.

But any how - - -
I expect the K5 to get an update next.

The 5.6.x firmware already supports the IR touch scanner (KT-2) and the older SoC (PW-1).
Ref: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=262279

Which I will amend once the 5.6.5 update releases seem to settle out.

[eschwartz]

Depends what they updated, doesn't it?

I haven't heard of any new features, so I am guessing it was miscellaneous bugfixes (updated libs, cross off SSL3 and support TLS). The KT probably already has many of those by default.
Except for the Downgrade Attack "bug", and I am not looking forward to having that "fixed".