Kindle Hacks Information

From MobileRead
Jump to: navigation, search

This page list Hacks and Apps that can be added to your Kindle. It's mainly for the Kindle 3 and some for Kindle 2 and 1. For information about Kindle touch hack you can visit: Kindle Touch Hacking

Most of the links on this page are to the MobileRead forum, if you see a related subject from the wiki, please add it to the link, or even replace the link to the forum if the information linked on the wiki is more complete/ up to date.

Most of the content come from here and here, and we try to implement some coding (JB UN LP) to give a better understanding of what is needed for installing each of these applications.

  • JB stand for jailbreak, are any hacks and apps that only need jailbreak.
  • LP refer to launchpad and include jailbreak (you need to jailbreak to install LaunchPad).
  • KJB refer to kindlet jailbreak and include jailbreak and developer keys (you need to jailbreak to install kindlet jailbreak and keys).
  • UN refer to usb networking and doesn't include any other layer (you will need to jailbreak to ensure usbnetworking is functional on your device).

Contents

[edit] Hacking the Device

(This section is a work in progress on the main step of hacking the Kindle as a general overview, it applies mainly to Kindle 3 but some of these part will work with earlier version).

The first thing you should start with is positively identifying your exact Kindle model. That should be fairly straightforward once you've taken a peek at our handy S/N table :).

In short the Kindle is a small computer running a Linux 2.6 on an ARM processor, which makes the device easily hackable. There are a few ways of hacking your device, from non intrusive file manipulation, to jail breaking your device to usb networking into the device. Here is a list of how to get you started to use the applications and hacks listed on this page.

[edit] Jail break JB

Jailbreaking your Kindle is quite straightforward and is generally the first step in hacking your device.

Once you have jailbroken your Kindle a lot of other hacks and apps are available for you to install. Some of these hacks will simply change the behaviour of your Kindle (changing font, screensaver, etc.) but other hacks will add complete software and games (readers, chess, etc). In that case you need a launcher or a software that will make this software accessible. Some software is packaged as a kindlet which makes it easier to launch since they appear in your main menu on the Kindle, but most of them won't. That's why in most cases you need to use LaunchPad or kite.

[edit] Downloads & Instructions

Legacy (FW 2.x, 3.x, 4.x) JailBreak.

K5 JailBreak (NB: on a specific range of devices, running a specific range of FW 5.x versions).

[edit] Launchpad LP

To use a lot of the hack and apps on this page you will need launchpad. To install launchpad, you need to have your Kindle jailbroken first. Then you can download launchpad here. Copy the file to your root directory, eject your Kindle, then update the firmware. Once launchpad is installed nothing really changes, but you can start applications that are installed on your Kindle.

[edit] Kindlet

Kindlets are in a way the most sophisticated hacks. They are full applications that are displayed on your home page on your Kindle. Although installing a kindlet is just a matter of copying the .azw file to your documents section on your Kindle, the complete process is a lot longer. You have to copy the signed key (keys that validate the kindlet) into a hidden folder of your Kindle. Now to access these hidden folders you have to connect your Kindle through USB Networking, or you can use a terminal emulator and copy the files from your /mnt/us/ folder (easily accessible) to the location where the files needs to live. Some developers provide also a .bin file that can be installed like launchpad or other firmware upgrade.

[edit] USB networking UN

This gives you the ability to connect to your device remotely through ssh giving you access to the inner core of your Kindle. Accessing the root file system is not dangerous per se but if you haven't ever been in shell mode in a linux system you have to know that you can brick (render reader unusable) your device quite easily.

To install USBnetwork: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88004

A non-conventional way to install USBnetwork: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2115816#post2115816

From the documentation:

This hack, based on ebs' code, restores `usbNetwork functionality.If you don't know what that means, then you probably shouldn't even be trying to use this. If you don't understand half of what's written here, see the previous paragraph. As always, it may void your warranty. I *strongly* recommend having a proper Linux CLI sysadmin background before trying to use this, or you *WILL* probably end up messing your Kindle up. Do *NOT* do anything with this unless your are *REALLY* sure you understand what you're doing.

[edit] Launcher

Launchers are applications which allows executing - other - proprietary application on you kindle

[edit] KUAL KJB

(Short for Kindle Unified Application Launcher)

A new launcher was created in the beginning of 2013 that works on all devices
You can follow the forum thread here

KJB KUAL allows you to run native GNU/Linux applications on Kindle

  • from the home screen as buttons in a kindlet
  • the pre-requisite jailbreaks are provided for all devices.
[edit] download:

[edit] Kite

A new launcher was created in the beginning of 2012 and looked quite promising, called kite.
You can follow the forum thread here

kite allows you to run native linux applications on Kindle

  • from the home screen like kindlets
  • when your Kindle is unplugged from the usb port
  • when your Kindle starts up
  • no jailbreak is necessary to install this application.kite applications can be sorted into collections.
[edit] download:

[edit] Content Reader

[edit] Epub and other eBook reader

[edit] PDF reader

[edit] Manga Reader

See also: Manga

  • Mangize Manga converter for Kindle in Forum
  • Mangle Manga viewer for Kindle in Forum
  • Mokle Manga optimizer for Kindle in Forum

[edit] Interactive Novel Reader

  • Frotz An interactive fiction reader for Kindle in Forum.
  • KIF - Kindle Interactive Fiction, another interactive fiction reader.

[edit] Multi Media

  • K3MusicManager - A GUI for mplayer forum thread
  • MPlayer An excellent audio player for Kindle. Supports OGG, WAV, MP3, FLAC, AAC, streaming and much more.
  • Music Shuffler For use with the built-in music player.
  • Dictaphone Mod A Launchpad command that lets you record audio with the microphone.
  • Audiobook Player An alternate audiobook player that allows bookmarks.
  • Kindle Voice Control Control the Kindle with voice commands. Still beta and not completely independent, needs a PC for voice recognition.
  • Kinamp An Mplayer-based audio player with an on-screen progress bar.

[edit] Layout and UI Hacks

[edit] Font

[edit] Screen Saver

[edit] Margin

[edit] Keyboard Localization

[edit] Kindle Development

[edit] USBNetworking

[edit] Term emulator on the Kindle

[edit] Package management

OptWare is better known as part of NSLU2-Linux - it's a very simple and very lightweight package manager designed to be integrated on top of embedded linuxes. Basically it's perfect for the Kindle although the repository is rather dated...still great for installing nano, wakelan, bitchx, and other fun toys to use from KiTerm.

[edit] KindleTool

KindleTool is a little CLI tool used to package the hacks in a somewhat user-friendly Kindle update file (.bin), and unpack and poke into official updates

[edit] X-Window

twobob has done some research in getting the X server to run on Kindle Keyboard. Still unfinished

[edit] Kindle Developer's Corner

There's a forum on mobileread where the most prolific people in Kindle tweaking share their knowledge and achievements. You can find extensions to the main hacks covered here, and some more advanced tweaking.

[edit] Other Apps and Games

[edit] Games

[edit] Launcher apps

[edit] VNC client

  • KindleVNC - A Kindle VNC client. Supports passwords, mouse, and keyboard control.
  • Kindle VNC Viewer - Another VNC client; supports passwords, does not support keyboard or mouse control.

[edit] Alternative Kindle OS

Duokan is so far the only complete replacement OS for the Kindle. You can install this OS and at the same time still use the Kindle OS as Duokan doesn't overwrite your main system. The installation is pretty straight forward, installing it as a bin, but in many cases you need to remove all your hack and jailbreak before you install Duokan, and in some cases you need to do a complete reset, which could be impractical in some situations. It's going through a rapid growth and changes since 2011 and has changed names numerous times in its life cycle: from Duokan to Duokan Lite, then Duokan 2012, Duokan 2013, and lastly Duokan 2014. It has since been purchased by Xiaomi China.

The original websites at duokan.com no longer exist

Progress can now be followed on a MIUI forum

  • Duokan 2012 / Duokan Lite - For Kindle 3 (Keyboard) and Kindle 4NT
  • Duokan - Chinese - For Kindle 2 (U.S. and Int'l.), Kindle DX (U.S. and Int'l.) and Kindle DX Graphite. Alternative Kindle OS C. beta.
  • Duokan - English - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. Alternative Kindle OS which will dual boot with the original Kindle OS. Very Beta. flip's blog has some very clear instructions on how to install Duokan.
  • Duokan - English FAQ - For all Kindles except Kindle 1

[edit] Google Translation

[edit] Collections Manager and Converter

  • Kranf Kindle Collection Manager for Windows - For Kindle 2, Kindle 3 (keyboard), Kindle DX, Kindle 4 (not the "K4 Touch", not the "K4 Fire"). This is not a hack you install on the Kindle but a program for your Windows computer to make Collections easier to organize. Stable and robust. Support all books and audio formats. Can be used in conjunction with Calibre. 1.5MB stand-alone executable written in C++.
  • Kindle Collection Manager for Windows - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. This is not a hack you install on the Kindle but a program for your Windows computer to make Collections easier to organize. Very Beta.
  • Kindelabra: Kindle Collection Manager - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. Another collection organizing program written in Python for Windows and Linux computers only. Very Beta.
  • AKC! - Automatic Kindle Collection Generator - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. Written in C# and requires NetFramework 4.0 and Windows (may not work on all versions of Windows). Creates collections based on a user defined file structure of the "Documents" folder on the Kindle. Can also be used in conjunction with Calibre.
  • joabsa / calibrekindlecollections - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. Create Kindle Collections using the Calibre metadata. Warning: This does not work for azw files (books from Amazon), because they don't use the same Id scheme as mobi or pdf files. They can be in your library, but they won't show up in the generated collection. Please see posts 38-39 in the thread
  • Issue with Calibre 0.7.1 & Kindle 2.5.2. Also see Creating Kindle Collections from Calibre's Data.
  • Web Based Kindle Collection Maker - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. This web utility will create kindle collections.json file out of your folder structure on your pc. See the Easier way to manage multiple collections on kindle thread.
  • Calibre Plugin: Create Kindle Collections - For all Kindles except Kindle 1. A Calibre Plugin for creating Kindle collections. Please read the Plugin: Create Kindle Collections thread for more information.
  • kindle_collect - Perl script that transforms the collection file into a simple text file and vice versa. Can be used for automated batch processing. So far only tested on a Kindle 3 under Linux. Feedback welcome.
  • Koll3ctions - Another automatic Kindle collection generator. For all Kindles except Kindle 1. Written in Java. Runs on Mac OS X, Linux and Windows. Creates collections automatically from your folders on Kindle. Supports mobi, prc, pdf, azw and aax.
  • EPUB to Kindle converter - Windows application for convert EPUB files to Kindle format. This software has free part - manager of the Kindle collection.

[edit] Kindlet

Kindlet are apps that are package to be install on the Kindle. They differ from the .bin file that has to be install from the update firmware. For those interested in writing their own Kindlets, here is that link: [2]. Also, here is the link to the developer.keystore thread with the latest one that includes all of the Kindlets developer.keystore keys combined on this site: [3]

[edit] Official Kindlets (found on Amazon.com):

[edit] Unofficial Kindlets

[edit] Games

[edit] Reader

  • Kif an interactive fiction / text adventure platform
  • Mangle A manga reader

[edit] Apps

[edit] Kindle Firmware Related

Updates Provider hack - For Kindle 3. This hack allows you to choose how your Kindle firmware updates are accepted and installed.

When this hack is active in firmware < 3.1 with jailbreak installed:

  • when the updates provider is set to 'amazon' you will be still able to install/uninstall any hacks as well as any official Amazon updates
  • when the updates provider is set to 'hack' you won't be able to install firmware updates from Amazon (manually or automatically), only hacks

When this hack is active in firmware 3.1 or in firmware < 3.1 with jailbreak uninstalled:

  • when the updates provider is set to 'amazon' you will be able to install official Amazon updates only
  • when the updates provider is set to 'hack' you won't be able to install firmware updates from Amazon (manually or automatically), only hacks
Retrieved from "https://wiki.mobileread.com/w/index.php?title=Kindle_Hacks_Information&oldid=55044"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
MobileRead Networks
Toolbox