Project: Root/hack Kindle Voyage into a fabulous e-ink terminal. | |
Hardware info: | |
Wi-Fi MAC Address: 78:E1:03:36:78:3C | |
Serial Number: 9013 0907 7253 0162 | |
Model Number: NM460GZ | |
Model Name: Kindle Voyage WiFi | |
Model Nickname: KV | |
Firmware Version: Kindle 5.9.2.0.1 (3262860017) | |
Step 1: Factory Reset | |
- Menu -> Settings -> Reset Device | |
- Re-register device | |
- Fully charge device | |
- Turn on Airplane mode | |
NOTE: Never use factory reset after jailbreaking. It will wipe | |
out the ability to use the jailbreak survival code | |
Step 2: Downgrade Firmware | |
- Get Serial # | |
- Use Serial to get model number & nickname [0] | |
[0] Kindle Serial Numbers | |
- Find the appropriate Model's old firmware. | |
NOTE: If you get the wrong model's firmware, it will brick the | |
device. I'm using KV_5.5.0, found with a google search. | |
- Plug in Kindle via USB to computer | |
- Copy bin file to the root directory on Kindle drive, next to | |
/documents | |
- Unmount USB, remove USB cable, wait 10 minutes | |
- Home -> Menu -> Settings -> Menu -> Update Your Kindle | |
NOTE: If the Update Your Kindle option doesn't delay coming up, | |
and remounting reveals the file is missing on the device, this | |
method will not work with your current firmware. | |
That's where I ended up! Time to try it with an older spare | |
kindle model, or wait for a new jailbreak option to come out for | |
the Voyage. | |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | |
I started all over again with my Kindle Touch. This time the | |
process was pretty simple! | |
Hardware info: | |
Wi-Fi MAC Address: F0:A2:25:BD:94:6F | |
Serial Number: B00F 2607 1453 0F5Q | |
Model Number: D01200 | |
Model Name: Kindle Touch | |
Model Nickname: K5 or KT | |
Firmware Version: Kindle 5.3.7.3 (2715280002) | |
Step 1: Factory Reset | |
- Menu -> Settings -> Reset Device | |
- Re-register device | |
- Fully charge device | |
- Turn on Airplane mode | |
- Disable accidental OTA updates by dropping a folder in the | |
root directory named "update.bin.tmp.partial". Leave it | |
empty and all your worries are no more. | |
Step 2: Jailbreak! | |
- There's a bunch of resources, but start here [1]: | |
[1] Kindle Developer's Corner Master Index | |
- Find your kindle model and its index page for reference [2]: | |
[2] K5 Index | |
- Now, find your jailbreak [3]: | |
[3] K5 Jailbreak | |
- It wasn't clear to me right away, but you basically grab the | |
file, drop it into the root folder of the Kindle, then run | |
the updater. Don't just reboot the Kindle, use the updater. | |
- Once the update is done, THEN reboot it once more. | |
Step 3: USBNetwork | |
This will install some thingies so you can connect to the device | |
over USB where the USB acts like a network card. | |
- Grab the USBNetwork installer and drop it in the device root. | |
Install it just like the jailbreak. It's in the same link as | |
before [3]. | |
- I did this part from my Windows 7 device, so I had to fix the | |
drivers for the USB plug. Windows 7 has the proper driver, | |
but I had to manually select it. I went into device manager, | |
clicked that improperly installed thing, manually selected | |
a driver for "Microsoft Corporation" and there it was. All | |
better. | |
- After that, you need to edit the network connection that | |
comes up and modify the IPv4 settings to point to the device | |
IP: 192.168.15.244 | |
Step 4: Getting Access | |
Finally, SSH in... only it doesn't work. Remember, there's | |
a password on the root account that's random. We need to get an | |
ssh key into the authorized keys so we can access the device. | |
- Disable networking by going to the search field on the kindle | |
and entering ";un". It's a toggle, so if you did it right you | |
should be able to plug in the kindle and mount it as USB. If | |
not, enter the code again and try again. | |
- Browse the SD card for the ssh folder. You'll have to create | |
the authorized_keys file and paste in a public key for | |
whatever system you're connecting from. (Device isn't in | |
front of me, so I forget the path. I need to come back and | |
add that here for posterity) | |
- Unmount, ";un" once again, and try to SSH now while plugged | |
in. It should work. It did for me. | |
Step 5: Wifi | |
Once you can get in via the USBNetwork, you should be able to get | |
in via wifi too. | |
- In the kindle search type ";711". This will give you the | |
Kindle's info. There may be multiple pages to click through. | |
On page 2 for me was the wifi address of the Kindle. If your | |
Kindle isn't connected to a network, you won't see anything. | |
You can tether to your phone in a pinch. | |
- Grab that ip and SSH to root@<kindle.wifi.ip.address>. It | |
should log you right in just like the USBNetwork did. If not, | |
you might need to enable wifi logins. It's in the config file | |
on the SD card which you can edit when mounted as a USB | |
device, or when logged in as root from USBNetwork after | |
changing the system to read-write (instructions in the shell | |
when you log in) | |
Step 6: Loading stuff | |
There's launchers and apps and stuff you can put on your kindle | |
now. You do this work over USB while mounted, not in Network | |
mode. | |
- Toggle networking with ";un" again if you need in order to | |
mount oven USB. | |
TODO: add info about installing package manager thingies and | |
launcher, recommend some apps, and talk about using kterm to | |
connect to a remote shell and sharing the screen via tmux or | |
screen, thus using the Kindle as a display. | |