I was attempting to root my kindle using kfu and it attempted to download twrc.
Kindle fire utility had managed to reboot my kindle before this.
The download failed and the utility attempted to continue without it.
The utility claimed that "Your kindle is now rooted", but the kindle never got past the boot screen.
I am assuming that the kindle is stuck in boot mode, but, when I tried to use the bootmode: Normal (4000) option in kfu, it said: The system cannot find the drive specified
I have also tried using kindle unbrick utility with similar results.
This was installed on a win 7 32-bit system
Twrc and Firefirefire did not install, so don't suggest that.
Fireofgod8 said:
I was attempting to root my kindle using kfu and it attempted to download twrc.
Kindle fire utility had managed to reboot my kindle before this.
The download failed and the utility attempted to continue without it.
The utility claimed that "Your kindle is now rooted", but the kindle never got past the boot screen.
I am assuming that the kindle is stuck in boot mode, but, when I tried to use the bootmode: Normal (4000) option in kfu, it said: The system cannot find the drive specified
I have also tried using kindle unbrick utility with similar results.
This was installed on a win 7 32-bit system
Twrc and Firefirefire did not install, so don't suggest that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's first determine whether your drivers are working properly or not.
Shift + Right-click on the KFU folder containing fastboot.exe and select "Open command window here". In that window, enter:
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 getvar product
If it hangs at "waiting for device", hold the power button until the device shuts down, then start it up again.
This appeared right after entered:
product: kindle
finished. total time: -0.000s
I assume that means they are installed correctly
Fireofgod8 said:
This appeared right after entered:
product: kindle
finished. total time: -0.000s
I assume that means they are installed correctly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you do anything...Do you know for sure whether you have a first generation or second generation device? If you have a second generation device, STOP. Continue no further.
If you know for sure you have a 1st generation device, enter the KFU option to install TWRP. If it hangs at "waiting for device", restart it same as before.
If the device doesn't automatically boot into TWRP:
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 oem idme bootmode 5001
fastboot reboot
Once you're in TWRP download FFF1.4A.zip, push it to your sdcard with adb and install it via recovery. Avoid installing FFF with KFU. It's risky and can really brick your device if something goes wrong. Get at least this far before trying anything else.
I am fairly certain I have the 1st gen.
Kfu did not display anything beyond 'Activating Fastboot (4002)
Fireofgod8 said:
I am fairly certain I have the 1st gen.
Kfu did not display anything beyond 'Activating Fastboot (4002)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If "fairly certain" is good enough for you, so be it.
When it says activating fastboot, restart the device as before. It's a "bug" in the bootloader that causes that.
I attempted using the same code you gave before but put 4000 instead of 5001 and it worked.
Thanks for the help,
sorry to waste your time
Btw, your post on 'this is what you all sound like' is hilarious, even if i am one of the noobs.
The problem now is your device is rooted (or seems to be) but you don't have recovery or a custom bootloader installed. If anything happens to your system files, it can brick your device with no way to recover it.
I highly suggest you read the Kindle Fire for Beginners guide stickied at the top of this forum and get recovery installed so you can install a new bootloader.
"That's a special kind of stupid. The kind that makes me laugh."
[GUIDE] [6.3.3] 1st Gen Kindle Drivers, Rooting, Bootloaders & Recovery, and OtterX
Hello everyone! I am new to working with the Kindle Fire, however, I am by no means new to rooting and tinkering with my devices. Yesterday, I inherited a Kindle Fire with software version 6.3.3 from my brother and I was completely unsure of how to root the device. I am writing this guide because many of the existing guides were unclear and lead me to screw up multiple times. In addition, some claimed to work with the 6.3.3 software version, however, they were designed for an older version of the firmware and would not actually work.
I WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE IF YOU BRICK YOUR DEVICE USING THESE INSTRUCTIONS! FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND REMEMBER TO BACKUP YOUR DATA! YOUR DATA WILL BE WIPED DURING THIS PROCESS. ONLY CONTINUE IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS! THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER, FOLLOW EACH STEP! YOU CANNOT SKIP ANY OF THE STEPS!
0. Checking MD5 Hashes
It is very important to check the MD5 hash of every file that you download for this guide. You may use your favorite MD5 checksum utility. Personally, I prefer using this tool created by Microsoft because it is lightweight and extremely fast. Unfortunately, it does take some knowledge of the Command Prompt to use. To begin, download the file and extract it to any folder that you would like. To use the tool, place the file that you are checking within the same folder as the tool. Then, hold shift on your keyboard and right click. Choose the option to open a new Command Prompt window. Then, issue the following commands:
Code:
fciv.exe <exact name of file you are checking>
This will tell you the MD5 checksum of the file that you are checking and you will want to compare it to the value that is listed with the download. Again, you will want to do this for every file that is downloaded for this guide to ensure that you do not damage your device or need to restart the process.
1. Drivers
One problem that I faced while rooting my Kindle Fire was the installation of drivers. Basically, this guide requires you to use unsigned drivers that Windows will refuse to install under normal circumstances. On Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and in the Windows 10 Technical preview, you need to enable Test Mode. Although you can just disable the driver signature verification for one boot, I found this inefficient because I needed to tinker with the drivers multiple times, with each successive installation requiring a reboot of the computer.
To enable Test Mode on Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 Technical Preview, you need some experience with the Command Prompt. Open an Administrative Command Prompt by typing "cmd" into the Start menu and right clicking on the Command Prompt icon. From there, choose the option to open the program with Administrative privileges. Then, issue the following commands:
Code:
bcdedit -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON
Reboot your computer.
Next, you will want to download the KFU utility from this XDA developer thread. We will NOT be using the Kindle Fire Utility for this guide because I was unable to get it working with 6.3.3, instead we will be using the included set of drivers because they worked relatively well with this process. After downloading the latest version of KFU, extract it to a folder on your Desktop. Unplug your Kindle Fire if it is plugged in to your computer or the drivers may not install correctly. You will want to open the "install_drivers.bat" file and follow the prompts. One prompt will ask you if you want to run the unsigned driver, you should choose "Install this driver software anyway!". Please restart your computer before continuing with this guide!
Now, you may plug in your Kindle Fire. Before continuing, please ensure that the installation of applications is allowed on the device by opening the settings drop down, clicking "More", and clicking on "Device". From there, check the box that allows the installation of applications. Next, you will want to navigate to the folder in the "Kindle Fire Utility" called "Tools". From here, hold shift on your keyboard and right click. Then, choose the option to open a Command Prompt window. We are going to test to make sure that the Kindle Fire is recognized by the "adb" program. To do this, we are going to issue the following commands:
Code:
adb kill-server
adb usb
adb devices
If you typed these commands correctly, any old instances of the "adb" server will be destroyed. Then, it will start a new server that will work with USB devices. Finally, it will list the connected devices. If the driver installation has succeeded, you will see the serial number of your Kindle Fire as well as an "Online" status. If you do not see your device or it is not marked as "Online", you may need to repeat the steps for installing the drivers. Do NOT continue until these commands list your device as "Online" because it could theoretically damage the device. If you are unable to get these drivers working, I recommend using the GhostBuster utility to remove old Kindle Fire and Android phone drivers.
2. Rooting the Device
This is where you want to back up anything important on the device!
Since I was unable to find an official root method from the Kindle Fire community for patch 6.3.3, I looked into using other methods. Using SafeRoot was suggested by some people and it worked very well for my Kindle Fire. So, to continue, please download the SafeRoot package from this XDA Developers link. Extract these files to a folder of your choice, preferably somewhere that is easy to access. We are NOT using the Kindle Fire Utility for this step because it simply was not compatible with software version 6.3.3.
Now, run the "install.bat" file and follow ALL of the on-screen instructions. The utility will ask you if you wish to install Busybox on your device. Busybox is a powerful utility that combines many powerful Unix utilities into a single file. You can read more about it here. You will want to choose yes when it asks you if it can install Busybox. After following all of the instructions, you should have a SuperUser application on your device that allows you run root commands!
It is NORMAL for the SafeRoot utility to show a lot of errors towards the end relating to read only files. If there are any other errors, your device may not be rooted!
3. Flashing FFF and the TWRP Recovery (Non-OtterX)
First, you will want to download the FBMode file. This file will allow your device to boot into the Fastboot mode, which allows you to flash new bootloader and recovery images. In addition, you will want to download the FireFireFire bootloader image that we will be flashing to the device. You will also need a custom recovery for this device, which can be found here. If you ignore everything else in this guide, just please remember to MD5 check ALL of these files! This is extremely important because a bad flash could BRICK your device!
Extract each of these files to the "Tools" folder inside of the Kindle Fire Utility folder that we used earlier to install the driver. Again, open a Command Prompt window inside of the Tools folder by holding shift and right clicking, then choosing the option to open a new Command Prompt window. Type these commands EXACTLY to copy the "fbmode" file to the device. This file will put the device in Fastboot mode.
Code:
adb push fbmode /data/local/tmp
adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/fbmode
adb shell
You will notice that the Command Prompt window looks slightly different because we are now in a shell for the device. This means we are directly issuing commands to the device! Type the following commands exactly to reboot the device in Fastboot mode. Remember, the "exit" command will need to be typed TWICE!
Code:
su
cd /data/local/tmp
./fbmode
exit
exit
adb reboot
If you did everything correctly, you will now be in Fastboot mode! No, you did not brick your Kindle. The device will not boot into the OS until we tell it to so it WILL remain at the Kindle Fire logo indefinitely, even upon rebooting the device. Depending on your operating system, you may need to toy with the driver installation to 'see' the device again.
Test to make sure that the Kindle still responds to commands before continuing by issuing the following command within the same command prompt window that we used previously to copy the "fbmode" file.
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 reboot
The kindle should reboot into the Fastboot mode again! If not, please use this post to get the drivers working. In my case, the device responded to the reboot command, however, it did NOT show up when I checked the connected devices by issuing the following command:
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 devices
If all is well and the Kindle rebooted, it is time to flash the bootloader and recovery images! Remember to check the MD5 hash for these files! You WILL need to know the name of your recovery image, it should be named something very similar to "openrecovery-twrp-2.2.2.1-blaze.img".
This is NOT the FireFireFire file, which is named "fff-u-boot_v1.5.bin". DO NOT flash the FireFireFire file to the recovery partition! If you get any errors during this part of the process, DO NOT continue! You may brick your device!
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash recovery <REPLACE ME WITH THE NAME OF RECOVERY IMAGE FILE>
Next, we will flash the bootloader image! Issue the following command to the device using the same Command Prompt window that we used to flash the recovery image.
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash bootloader fff-u-boot_v1.5.bin
Now, we will take the device out of Fastboot mode and make sure that our flashes were successful! If you got any errors during the flashing process, DO NOT continue! You may brick your device!
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 oem idme bootmode 4000
fastboot -i 0x1949 reboot
When you reboot, you should get a new Kindle Fire logo that will be White & Blue. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the Recovery mode and make sure that the Team Win Recovery image boots. If it does, congratulations! You now have a custom recovery and bootloader on your Kindle device!
4. Installing OtterX Bootloader and Recovery Images
Now that you have a custom bootloader and recovery image flashed, you can now experiment with the OtterX project if you wish. Remember that the OtterX project fundamentally alters the device and it may be extremely difficult to revert these changes to the device! OtterX recoveries, boot loaders, and ROMs are not compatible with stock recoveries, boot loaders, and ROMs. If you still wish to use the device as a Kindle, do not proceed!
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let's continue! To continue, you will need the OtterX Bootloader and a copy of the TWRP Recovery for OtterX (Fundamentally different than the TWRP recovery from the last step!). Again, REMEMBER TO CHECK THE MD5 CHECKSUMS OF THESE FILES! A corrupted file could brick your device!
To make sure that the wrong recovery and bootloader are not applied, delete the old copies from your Tools folder inside of the Kindle Fire Utility folder. Then, copy over the OtterX versions of the bootloader and recovery images. Again, open a Command Prompt window inside of the Tools folder by holding shift and right clicking, then choosing the option to open a new Command Prompt window. Enter the following commands exactly!
You will need to know the name of your bootloader file. It should be named similarly to "otterx-u-boot_v2.05.bin". Make sure it says OtterX in the name of the file! Power on the device to the Kindle Fire screen and issue the following command on your computer.
Code:
fastboot flash bootloader <Name of OtterX Bootloader File>
Now, reboot the device after the flash has fully completed! You should see a new boot logo, meaning that the flash was successful! Before we continue, we will need to change the partition layout of the device. This will erase all of your files that exist on the device, you should have backed then up a few steps ago! At the bootloader screen, short press the power button to enter the boot menu. Then, use short presses of the power button to navigate to the advanced menu. Then, use a long press to enter that menu. Now, use short presses to navigate down to the "Partition Mode" button and use a long press to enter the submenu. Use short presses to press the navigate down to the Confirm button, and finally use one last long press to start the process.
After this has been completed, reboot the device. Again at the Kindle Fire screen, enter the following command on your computer.
You will need to know the name of your recovery file. It should be named similarly to "otterx-twrp-2.7.1.0-recovery.img". Make sure it says OtterX in the name of the file!
Code:
fastboot flash recovery <Name of Recovery Image>
fastboot oem recovery
After issuing both commands, you should see the TWRP recovery screen again! If you do, congratulations! You have flashed the OtterX recovery and bootloader images to your device,
5. Installing OtterX ROMs
I have found that the easiest way to install ROMs to this device is through a function called "adb sideloading". To begin, you will need an OtterX ROM file. I personally recommend Cyanogenmod because it seems fairly stable on this tablet (with my few hours of experience) and I use it as a daily driver on my Galaxy S3.
To begin, grab a copy of ANY OtterX ROM file. You can download Cyanogenmod ROMs from this website. Next, you will also want to download a Google Apps package for your device. You can get that from this website as well.
From the TWRP recovery menu, select the "Wipe" option and then choose "Factory Reset". Follow the onscreen prompts to reset the files on your device. If you get any errors, mount the partitions shown in the "Mounts" menu on the main screen.
Next, go to the Advanced section and choose "ADB Sideload". You should choose the boxes to wipe both caches. To continue, you will need a more up-to-date version of the adb program. You will want just the SDK tools, not the full Android Studio. You can download those tools from this website. After the tools are installed, open up the SDK manager and choose the "Install x Packages" button at the bottom to update the tools. After this is complete, navigate to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools" on your hard drive. If you are using a 32 bit computer, navigate to "C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools". Copy your ROM image to this folder and rename it something easy to work with, such as "CM11-OtterX-M12.zip".
Now, you will want to slide the bar across on your device that says "Swipe to Sideload", as well as open a new Command Prompt window on your computer. You can do this by holding shift and right clicking "Open New Command Prompt Window". Now, you will want to issue the following command to make sure your computer can see your Kindle device.
Code:
adb devices
Your device serial number should be listed here and it should say "Sideload" next to the name.
Now, you will want to issue the following command:
Code:
adb sideload <Name of ROM File ZIP>
Now, you will need to wait about 5 minutes while your device is flashed with a new ROM. In my case, the ROM stopped flashing at around 47% with an "Unknown Command" error, however, my device finished the flash okay and the ROM booted just fine. As long as your TWRP recovery shows "Success!", the ROM flash was probably okay. If the ROM flash had failed, you would still be able to try the flash again without harming anything.
You can now go back to the main menu and choose to reboot your device. If the flash was successful, you should see a boot logo for whichever ROM you chose to install. Remember, the initial boot can take a long time.
After verifying that the ROM installed correctly, copy the Google Apps package to your device's internal storage. Depending on which ROM you used, the device should show up as an MTP compatible device in Windows when powered on. Then, reboot into the recovery menu and choose "Install". Then, choose the Google Apps package that you copied to the device to install them. Upon rebooting, the device will update roughly 30-50 apps depending on how much bloatware is installed with your ROM. After that is complete, you will have access to the Google Play store and many useful apps.
Congratulations, you just installed an OtterX rom onto your device!
We need a new update for 2016
ajwgeek said:
Hello everyone! I am new to working with the Kindle Fire, however, I am by no means new to rooting and tinkering with my devices. Yesterday, I inherited a Kindle Fire with software version 6.3.3 from my brother and I was completely unsure of how to root the device. I am writing this guide because many of the existing guides were unclear and lead me to screw up multiple times. In addition, some claimed to work with the 6.3.3 software version, however, they were designed for an older version of the firmware and would not actually work.
I WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE IF YOU BRICK YOUR DEVICE USING THESE INSTRUCTIONS! FOLLOW ALL DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND REMEMBER TO BACKUP YOUR DATA! YOUR DATA WILL BE WIPED DURING THIS PROCESS. ONLY CONTINUE IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE RISKS! THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER, FOLLOW EACH STEP! YOU CANNOT SKIP ANY OF THE STEPS!
0. Checking MD5 Hashes
It is very important to check the MD5 hash of every file that you download for this guide. You may use your favorite MD5 checksum utility. Personally, I prefer using this tool created by Microsoft because it is lightweight and extremely fast. Unfortunately, it does take some knowledge of the Command Prompt to use. To begin, download the file and extract it to any folder that you would like. To use the tool, place the file that you are checking within the same folder as the tool. Then, hold shift on your keyboard and right click. Choose the option to open a new Command Prompt window. Then, issue the following commands:
Code:
fciv.exe <exact name of file you are checking>
This will tell you the MD5 checksum of the file that you are checking and you will want to compare it to the value that is listed with the download. Again, you will want to do this for every file that is downloaded for this guide to ensure that you do not damage your device or need to restart the process.
1. Drivers
One problem that I faced while rooting my Kindle Fire was the installation of drivers. Basically, this guide requires you to use unsigned drivers that Windows will refuse to install under normal circumstances. On Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and in the Windows 10 Technical preview, you need to enable Test Mode. Although you can just disable the driver signature verification for one boot, I found this inefficient because I needed to tinker with the drivers multiple times, with each successive installation requiring a reboot of the computer.
To enable Test Mode on Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 Technical Preview, you need some experience with the Command Prompt. Open an Administrative Command Prompt by typing "cmd" into the Start menu and right clicking on the Command Prompt icon. From there, choose the option to open the program with Administrative privileges. Then, issue the following commands:
Code:
bcdedit -set loadoptions DISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS
bcdedit -set TESTSIGNING ON
Reboot your computer.
Next, you will want to download the KFU utility from this XDA developer thread. We will NOT be using the Kindle Fire Utility for this guide because I was unable to get it working with 6.3.3, instead we will be using the included set of drivers because they worked relatively well with this process. After downloading the latest version of KFU, extract it to a folder on your Desktop. Unplug your Kindle Fire if it is plugged in to your computer or the drivers may not install correctly. You will want to open the "install_drivers.bat" file and follow the prompts. One prompt will ask you if you want to run the unsigned driver, you should choose "Install this driver software anyway!". Please restart your computer before continuing with this guide!
Now, you may plug in your Kindle Fire. Before continuing, please ensure that the installation of applications is allowed on the device by opening the settings drop down, clicking "More", and clicking on "Device". From there, check the box that allows the installation of applications. Next, you will want to navigate to the folder in the "Kindle Fire Utility" called "Tools". From here, hold shift on your keyboard and right click. Then, choose the option to open a Command Prompt window. We are going to test to make sure that the Kindle Fire is recognized by the "adb" program. To do this, we are going to issue the following commands:
Code:
adb kill-server
adb usb
adb devices
If you typed these commands correctly, any old instances of the "adb" server will be destroyed. Then, it will start a new server that will work with USB devices. Finally, it will list the connected devices. If the driver installation has succeeded, you will see the serial number of your Kindle Fire as well as an "Online" status. If you do not see your device or it is not marked as "Online", you may need to repeat the steps for installing the drivers. Do NOT continue until these commands list your device as "Online" because it could theoretically damage the device. If you are unable to get these drivers working, I recommend using the GhostBuster utility to remove old Kindle Fire and Android phone drivers.
2. Rooting the Device
This is where you want to back up anything important on the device!
Since I was unable to find an official root method from the Kindle Fire community for patch 6.3.3, I looked into using other methods. Using SafeRoot was suggested by some people and it worked very well for my Kindle Fire. So, to continue, please download the SafeRoot package from this XDA Developers link. Extract these files to a folder of your choice, preferably somewhere that is easy to access. We are NOT using the Kindle Fire Utility for this step because it simply was not compatible with software version 6.3.3.
Now, run the "install.bat" file and follow ALL of the on-screen instructions. The utility will ask you if you wish to install Busybox on your device. Busybox is a powerful utility that combines many powerful Unix utilities into a single file. You can read more about it here. You will want to choose yes when it asks you if it can install Busybox. After following all of the instructions, you should have a SuperUser application on your device that allows you run root commands!
It is NORMAL for the SafeRoot utility to show a lot of errors towards the end relating to read only files. If there are any other errors, your device may not be rooted!
3. Flashing FFF and the TWRP Recovery (Non-OtterX)
First, you will want to download the FBMode file. This file will allow your device to boot into the Fastboot mode, which allows you to flash new bootloader and recovery images. In addition, you will want to download the FireFireFire bootloader image that we will be flashing to the device. You will also need a custom recovery for this device, which can be found here. If you ignore everything else in this guide, just please remember to MD5 check ALL of these files! This is extremely important because a bad flash could BRICK your device!
Extract each of these files to the "Tools" folder inside of the Kindle Fire Utility folder that we used earlier to install the driver. Again, open a Command Prompt window inside of the Tools folder by holding shift and right clicking, then choosing the option to open a new Command Prompt window. Type these commands EXACTLY to copy the "fbmode" file to the device. This file will put the device in Fastboot mode.
Code:
adb push fbmode /data/local/tmp
adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/fbmode
adb shell
You will notice that the Command Prompt window looks slightly different because we are now in a shell for the device. This means we are directly issuing commands to the device! Type the following commands exactly to reboot the device in Fastboot mode. Remember, the "exit" command will need to be typed TWICE!
Code:
su
cd /data/local/tmp
./fbmode
exit
exit
adb reboot
If you did everything correctly, you will now be in Fastboot mode! No, you did not brick your Kindle. The device will not boot into the OS until we tell it to so it WILL remain at the Kindle Fire logo indefinitely, even upon rebooting the device. Depending on your operating system, you may need to toy with the driver installation to 'see' the device again.
Test to make sure that the Kindle still responds to commands before continuing by issuing the following command within the same command prompt window that we used previously to copy the "fbmode" file.
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 reboot
The kindle should reboot into the Fastboot mode again! If not, please use this post to get the drivers working. In my case, the device responded to the reboot command, however, it did NOT show up when I checked the connected devices by issuing the following command:
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 devices
If all is well and the Kindle rebooted, it is time to flash the bootloader and recovery images! Remember to check the MD5 hash for these files! You WILL need to know the name of your recovery image, it should be named something very similar to "openrecovery-twrp-2.2.2.1-blaze.img".
This is NOT the FireFireFire file, which is named "fff-u-boot_v1.5.bin". DO NOT flash the FireFireFire file to the recovery partition! If you get any errors during this part of the process, DO NOT continue! You may brick your device!
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash recovery <REPLACE ME WITH THE NAME OF RECOVERY IMAGE FILE>
Next, we will flash the bootloader image! Issue the following command to the device using the same Command Prompt window that we used to flash the recovery image.
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash bootloader fff-u-boot_v1.5.bin
Now, we will take the device out of Fastboot mode and make sure that our flashes were successful! If you got any errors during the flashing process, DO NOT continue! You may brick your device!
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 oem idme bootmode 4000
fastboot -i 0x1949 reboot
When you reboot, you should get a new Kindle Fire logo that will be White & Blue. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the Recovery mode and make sure that the Team Win Recovery image boots. If it does, congratulations! You now have a custom recovery and bootloader on your Kindle device!
4. Installing OtterX Bootloader and Recovery Images
Now that you have a custom bootloader and recovery image flashed, you can now experiment with the OtterX project if you wish. Remember that the OtterX project fundamentally alters the device and it may be extremely difficult to revert these changes to the device! OtterX recoveries, boot loaders, and ROMs are not compatible with stock recoveries, boot loaders, and ROMs. If you still wish to use the device as a Kindle, do not proceed!
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, let's continue! To continue, you will need the OtterX Bootloader and a copy of the TWRP Recovery for OtterX (Fundamentally different than the TWRP recovery from the last step!). Again, REMEMBER TO CHECK THE MD5 CHECKSUMS OF THESE FILES! A corrupted file could brick your device!
To make sure that the wrong recovery and bootloader are not applied, delete the old copies from your Tools folder inside of the Kindle Fire Utility folder. Then, copy over the OtterX versions of the bootloader and recovery images. Again, open a Command Prompt window inside of the Tools folder by holding shift and right clicking, then choosing the option to open a new Command Prompt window. Enter the following commands exactly!
You will need to know the name of your bootloader file. It should be named similarly to "otterx-u-boot_v2.05.bin". Make sure it says OtterX in the name of the file! Power on the device to the Kindle Fire screen and issue the following command on your computer.
Code:
fastboot flash bootloader <Name of OtterX Bootloader File>
Now, reboot the device after the flash has fully completed! You should see a new boot logo, meaning that the flash was successful! Before we continue, we will need to change the partition layout of the device. This will erase all of your files that exist on the device, you should have backed then up a few steps ago! At the bootloader screen, short press the power button to enter the boot menu. Then, use short presses of the power button to navigate to the advanced menu. Then, use a long press to enter that menu. Now, use short presses to navigate down to the "Partition Mode" button and use a long press to enter the submenu. Use short presses to press the navigate down to the Confirm button, and finally use one last long press to start the process.
After this has been completed, reboot the device. Again at the Kindle Fire screen, enter the following command on your computer.
You will need to know the name of your recovery file. It should be named similarly to "otterx-twrp-2.7.1.0-recovery.img". Make sure it says OtterX in the name of the file!
Code:
fastboot flash recovery <Name of Recovery Image>
fastboot oem recovery
After issuing both commands, you should see the TWRP recovery screen again! If you do, congratulations! You have flashed the OtterX recovery and bootloader images to your device,
5. Installing OtterX ROMs
I have found that the easiest way to install ROMs to this device is through a function called "adb sideloading". To begin, you will need an OtterX ROM file. I personally recommend Cyanogenmod because it seems fairly stable on this tablet (with my few hours of experience) and I use it as a daily driver on my Galaxy S3.
To begin, grab a copy of ANY OtterX ROM file. You can download Cyanogenmod ROMs from this website. Next, you will also want to download a Google Apps package for your device. You can get that from this website as well.
From the TWRP recovery menu, select the "Wipe" option and then choose "Factory Reset". Follow the onscreen prompts to reset the files on your device. If you get any errors, mount the partitions shown in the "Mounts" menu on the main screen.
Next, go to the Advanced section and choose "ADB Sideload". You should choose the boxes to wipe both caches. To continue, you will need a more up-to-date version of the adb program. You will want just the SDK tools, not the full Android Studio. You can download those tools from this website. After the tools are installed, open up the SDK manager and choose the "Install x Packages" button at the bottom to update the tools. After this is complete, navigate to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools" on your hard drive. If you are using a 32 bit computer, navigate to "C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools". Copy your ROM image to this folder and rename it something easy to work with, such as "CM11-OtterX-M12.zip".
Now, you will want to slide the bar across on your device that says "Swipe to Sideload", as well as open a new Command Prompt window on your computer. You can do this by holding shift and right clicking "Open New Command Prompt Window". Now, you will want to issue the following command to make sure your computer can see your Kindle device.
Code:
adb devices
Your device serial number should be listed here and it should say "Sideload" next to the name.
Now, you will want to issue the following command:
Code:
adb sideload <Name of ROM File ZIP>
Now, you will need to wait about 5 minutes while your device is flashed with a new ROM. In my case, the ROM stopped flashing at around 47% with an "Unknown Command" error, however, my device finished the flash okay and the ROM booted just fine. As long as your TWRP recovery shows "Success!", the ROM flash was probably okay. If the ROM flash had failed, you would still be able to try the flash again without harming anything.
You can now go back to the main menu and choose to reboot your device. If the flash was successful, you should see a boot logo for whichever ROM you chose to install. Remember, the initial boot can take a long time.
After verifying that the ROM installed correctly, copy the Google Apps package to your device's internal storage. Depending on which ROM you used, the device should show up as an MTP compatible device in Windows when powered on. Then, reboot into the recovery menu and choose "Install". Then, choose the Google Apps package that you copied to the device to install them. Upon rebooting, the device will update roughly 30-50 apps depending on how much bloatware is installed with your ROM. After that is complete, you will have access to the Google Play store and many useful apps.
Congratulations, you just installed an OtterX rom onto your device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We need new links for kindle fire first gen 6.3.4 . these methods available don't work. thank you
ataraxioss said:
We need new links for kindle fire first gen 6.3.4 . these methods available don't work. thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, this still works with 6.3.4
Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:54 PM ----------
there is one link to goo.im which is down
With the Fall of Goo.im I will be posting Mirrors OtterX files here:
Otter X Twrp and Bootloader Mirrors
Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk
I've just tried it
Still not working on my kindle fire. sounds to be rooted but can't install twrp.
i was hoping to flash it with Miui 7.
thank you for your precious time, i wish the old links in kindle fire utility could still work.
ataraxioss said:
Still not working on my kindle fire. sounds to be rooted but can't install twrp.
i was hoping to flash it with Miui 7.
thank you for your precious time, i wish the old links in kindle fire utility could still work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you verify root? try root checker
Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk
reply
sd_shadow said:
did you verify root? try root checker
Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
once it is frozen on "trying to disable knox.." nothing goes right after that. the kindle fire does not reboot and i guess supersu is not updating either.
Ps: i have rooted and installed twrp many times before, then i did a factory reset on the kindle fire.
ataraxioss said:
once it is frozen on "trying to disable knox.." nothing goes right after that. the kindle fire does not reboot and i guess supersu is not updating either.
Ps: i have rooted and installed twrp many times before, then i did a factory reset on the kindle fire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Factory reset doesn't unroot, just reinstall supersu app
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
So I got up to this point.
Test to make sure that the Kindle still responds to commands before continuing by issuing the following command within the same command prompt window that we used previously to copy the "fbmode" file.
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 reboot
The kindle should reboot into the Fastboot mode again! If not, please use this post to get the drivers working. In my case, the device responded to the reboot command, however, it did NOT show up when I checked the connected devices by issuing the following command:
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 devices
If all is well and the Kindle rebooted, it is time to flash the bootloader and recovery images! Remember to check the MD5 hash for these files! You WILL need to know the name of your recovery image, it should be named something very similar to "openrecovery-twrp-2.2.2.1-blaze.img". "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The kindle won't restart. When I plug it into my computer I get the error "The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it." The kindle is stuck on the start up screen where it says "Kindle Fire." Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know nothing about any of this stuff so I am stumped from here on out.
Also nothing is showing up in device manager that is related to the Kindle.
thealy1234 said:
So I got up to this point.
Test to make sure that the Kindle still responds to commands before continuing by issuing the following command within the same command prompt window that we used previously to copy the "fbmode" file.
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 reboot
The kindle should reboot into the Fastboot mode again! If not, please use this post to get the drivers working. In my case, the device responded to the reboot command, however, it did NOT show up when I checked the connected devices by issuing the following command:
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 devices
If all is well and the Kindle rebooted, it is time to flash the bootloader and recovery images! Remember to check the MD5 hash for these files! You WILL need to know the name of your recovery image, it should be named something very similar to "openrecovery-twrp-2.2.2.1-blaze.img". "
The kindle won't restart. When I plug it into my computer I get the error "The last USB device you connected to this computer malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it." The kindle is stuck on the start up screen where it says "Kindle Fire." Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know nothing about any of this stuff so I am stumped from here on out.
Also nothing is showing up in device manager that is related to the Kindle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try a different USB port or cable
Sent from my Motorola XT1060 using XDA Labs
sd_shadow said:
try a different USB port or cable
Sent from my Motorola XT1060 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was the problem. Turns out this doesn't work when the kindle is plugged into a USB 3.0 port.
That being solved, I now have a different problem. I get the following error when I try and push the recovery image onto my kindle after I added the Otterbox bootloader file: "target reported max download size of 402653184 bytes error: cannot load 'recovery.img': No error."
(I renamed the file to recovery.img on the advice of someone else)
Also note that I had to get the otter recovery image from a different source than what was listed in the guide, for the provided link was broken.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
thealy1234 said:
This was the problem. Turns out this doesn't work when the kindle is plugged into a USB 3.0 port.
That being solved, I now have a different problem. I get the following error when I try and push the recovery image onto my kindle after I added the Otterbox bootloader file: "target reported max download size of 402653184 bytes error: cannot load 'recovery.img': No error."
(I renamed the file to recovery.img on the advice of someone else)
Also note that I had to get the otter recovery image from a different source than what was listed in the guide, for the provided link was broken.
Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[6.3.4][6.3.3] Flashing FFF and TWRP without Fastboot Cable with Video
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
sd_shadow said:
[6.3.4][6.3.3] Flashing FFF and TWRP without Fastboot Cable with Video
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have followed that guide to the T and I still get that error. It worked just fine when I was installed the TWRP recovery.
For some reason when I am trying to install the otterx twrp version, I am getting that error returned to me.
thealy1234 said:
I have followed that guide to the T and I still get that error. It worked just fine when I was installed the TWRP recovery.
For some reason when I am trying to install the otterx twrp version, I am getting that error returned to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try OtterX bootloader and OtterX twrp from my post
OtterX files here:
Otter X Twrp and Bootloader Mirrors
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
The 2.8.5.0 file that you provide worked. One more step closer...
I appreciate the help.
---------- Post added at 10:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------
I just can't win today.
Now I am stuck because TWRP cannot mount /data for some reason...
thealy1234 said:
The 2.8.5.0 file that you provide worked. One more step closer...
I appreciate the help.
---------- Post added at 10:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------
I just can't win today.
Now I am stuck because TWRP cannot mount /data for some reason...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mount data is ify with OtterX, try adb push with OtterX twrp 2.7.1.0
---------- Post added at 01:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:10 AM ----------
Started a Thread [How To] Fix OtterX Install Errors, Partition sizes, Unable to Mount System... with some possible fixes for those having issues since converting to OtterX, with pushing files, failure to mount system errors when installing Lollipop Roms...
After your help + plenty of head scratching I finally managed to install everything 100%.
Biggest hangup was before I realized this process wouldn't work on a USB 3.0 port....
I'm having an issue with being able to actually install drivers on my computer with Windows 10. I attempted to follow the guide but I am getting denied on an error with "bcdedit -set TESTSINGING ON".
"An error has occurred setting the element data. The value is protected by Secure Boot policy and cannot be modified or deleted."
Any advice for a workaround on installing the drivers?
Hello XDA,
I flashed my Fire HD 8 (2018) from FireOS to LineageOS 17 using this guide ( https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-unlocked-karnak-lineage-17-1-17-july-2020.4134829/ ).
Installation went great, TWRP/LineageOS was working fine. Later as I began to setup the tablet I became unsatisfied with the ROM because the camera and proximity sensor were not working properly for me. I then decided it would be better to flash to a previous Lineage ROM to get better performace/support ( https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-testing-suez-lineage-16-0-05-july-2022.4232785/ )
At this point is when things went wrong. I tried to overwrite/upgrade TWRP from within TWRP using the IMG file posted in the LineageOS 16 guide with this method - https://www.droidwin.com/update-twrp-recovery-android/ (skip to step 4)
Now whenever I try to boot into Recovery Mode all I see is the Amazon Logo, I cannot get the tablet to boot into TWRP recovery. As bad as that is I can still boot into LineageOS 17 which is a relief. I've tried doing the fastboot recovery method but I get the message "FAILED (remote: 'the command you input is restricted on locked hw')"
At this point I'm stuck and reluctant to try too much more, but I'd still like to try the LineageOS 16 ROM.
G4_PITA said:
Hello XDA,
I flashed my Fire HD 8 (2018) from FireOS to LineageOS 17 using this guide ( https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-unlocked-karnak-lineage-17-1-17-july-2020.4134829/ ).
Installation went great, TWRP/LineageOS was working fine. Later as I began to setup the tablet I became unsatisfied with the ROM because the camera and proximity sensor were not working properly for me. I then decided it would be better to flash to a previous Lineage ROM to get better performace/support ( https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-testing-suez-lineage-16-0-05-july-2022.4232785/ )
At this point is when things went wrong. I tried to overwrite/upgrade TWRP from within TWRP using the IMG file posted in the LineageOS 16 guide with this method - https://www.droidwin.com/update-twrp-recovery-android/ (skip to step 4)
Now whenever I try to boot into Recovery Mode all I see is the Amazon Logo, I cannot get the tablet to boot into TWRP recovery. As bad as that is I can still boot into LineageOS 17 which is a relief. I've tried doing the fastboot recovery method but I get the message "FAILED (remote: 'the command you input is restricted on locked hw')"
At this point I'm stuck and reluctant to try too much more, but I'd still like to try the LineageOS 16 ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're lucky enough you might be rooted. If you are, brick the PL header with ADB (make sure your tablet can access bootrom mode) and re-run amonet.
Rortiz2 said:
If you're lucky enough you might be rooted. If you are, brick the PL header with ADB (make sure your tablet can access bootrom mode) and re-run amonet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for replying....Unfortunately it looks like I'm not rooted.
I installed the "Root Chcker" app through the Play Store and when I click "verify root" it says "Sorry! Root access is not properly installed on this device".
Any advice on how best to proceed?
G4_PITA said:
Thank you for replying....Unfortunately it looks like I'm not rooted.
I installed the "Root Chcker" app through the Play Store and when I click "verify root" it says "Sorry! Root access is not properly installed on this device".
Any advice on how best to proceed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's possible that you have a root shell regardless of what the root checker reports. Try running adb root and see what it returns.
Rortiz2 said:
Well, it's possible that you have a root shell regardless of what the root checker reports. Try running adb root and see what it returns.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I run the command "adb root" and command line spits out "adbd is already running as root". So it looks like I'm good here...
When you say 'bootrom mode' are you talking about fastboot? I'm still able enter into fastboot mode, thats when I get the error message listed in the 1st post.
When you say 'brick the PL header with ADB' do you mean to follow this guide? - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/unlock-root-twrp-unbrick-fire-hd-8-2018-karnak-amonet-3.3963496/
G4_PITA said:
When I run the command "adb root" and command line spits out "adbd is already running as root". So it looks like I'm good here...
When you say 'bootrom mode' are you talking about fastboot? I'm still able enter into fastboot mode, thats when I get the error message listed in the 1st post.
When you say 'brick the PL header with ADB' do you mean to follow this guide? - https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/unlock-root-twrp-unbrick-fire-hd-8-2018-karnak-amonet-3.3963496/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bootrom is USBDL mode, the mode that is accessed when the PCB pins are shorted. Anyway, don't worry about that. Just run adb root and then ./fireos-step.sh from the thread you linked and you should be able to access TWRP again.
Rortiz2 said:
bootrom is USBDL mode, the mode that is accessed when the PCB pins are shorted. Anyway, don't worry about that. Just run adb root and then ./fireos-step.sh from the thread you linked and you should be able to access TWRP again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After running 'adb root' it produces the same result as before, 'adbd is already running as root'.
When I run 'sudo ./fireos-step.sh', it then produces "functions.inc: line 39: dos2unix: command not found".
I can't find an immediate answer on how to handle this..
G4_PITA said:
After running 'adb root' it produces the same result as before, 'adbd is already running as root'.
When I run 'sudo ./fireos-step.sh', it then produces "functions.inc: line 39: dos2unix: command not found".
I can't find an immediate answer on how to handle this..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Code:
sudo apt update
sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo apt install python3 python3-serial adb fastboot dos2unix
Rortiz2 said:
Code:
sudo apt update
sudo add-apt-repository universe
sudo apt install python3 python3-serial adb fastboot dos2unix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the help, that worked.
I'm now having a different issue when running "./fireos-step.sh'". The result it produces is "This is only for the "karnak" - Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018 / 8th gen) - , your device is a "lineage_karnak".
I'm not sure where to find the correct file for "lineage_karnak".
G4_PITA said:
Thank you for the help, that worked.
I'm now having a different issue when running "./fireos-step.sh'". The result it produces is "This is only for the "karnak" - Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018 / 8th gen) - , your device is a "lineage_karnak".
I'm not sure where to find the correct file for "lineage_karnak".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open fireos-step.sh with a text editor and remove the following line:
Code:
check_device "karnak" " - Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018 / 8th gen) - "
Rortiz2 said:
Open fireos-step.sh with a text editor and remove the following line:
Code:
check_device "karnak" " - Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018 / 8th gen) - "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I removed "check_device "karnak" " - Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018 / 8th gen) -"" from fireos-step.sh and now I'm getting a root access error shown below
Code:
Testing root access...
/system/bin/sh: su: inaccessible or not found
Trying to use mtk-su to get temp root...
No mtk-su found, you can get it here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/hd8-hd10/orig-development/experimental-software-root-hd-8-hd-10-t3904595
I then downloaded mtk-su and placed it into the working directory hoping it could find the file by itself but that didn't work unfortunately. I thought I had root access already, not sure why it's producing this error.
Rortiz2 said:
Open fireos-step.sh with a text editor and remove the following line:
Code:
check_device "karnak" " - Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018 / 8th gen) - "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I removed the "get root" line from fireos-step.sh and it produces the following result -
Code:
* daemon not running; starting now at tcp:5037
* daemon started successfully
PL version: 5 (5)
LK version: 1 (1)
TZ version: 258 (258)
Flashing PL
bin/preloader.bin: 1 file pushed. 4.5 MB/s (142928 bytes in 0.030s)
/system/bin/sh: su: inaccessible or not found
According to these results It looks I'm not rooted. If this is true why when I run 'adb root' it returns 'adbd is already running as root'?
ttt...still no solution. If anyone can offer some good advice I'd be greatful. Thanks
G4_PITA said:
ttt...still no solution. If anyone can offer some good advice I'd be greatful. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two things you can do/try...
First one is to use the boot-fastboot script out of the amonet folder, in order to boot into hacked fastboot mode. Just run the boot-fastboot script with sudo and connect the tablet (powered off). Then run fastboot devices, if your device is there. If yes, you can run the fastboot-step if you like, which will flash the old TWRP image. Maybe thats enough to boot into TWRP.
In case that won't help, you can also use hacked fastboot to brick the preloader (like @Rortiz2 suggested), to get into bootrom mode, which will prevent you from open-up the tablet. Follow #2 from the unbrick thread, i.e. unbrick with shorting. You can also use the same guide and use the 'open-up the tablet' thing, to short the special point and re-run amonet from scratch. Good luck.
Sus_i said:
Two things you can do/try...
First one is to use the boot-fastboot script out of the amonet folder, in order to boot into hacked fastboot mode. Just run the boot-fastboot script with sudo and connect the tablet (powered off). Then run fastboot devices, if your device is there. If yes, you can run the fastboot-step if you like, which will flash the old TWRP image. Maybe thats enough to boot into TWRP.
In case that won't help, you can also use hacked fastboot to brick the preloader (like @Rortiz2 suggested), to get into bootrom mode, which will prevent you from open-up the tablet. Follow #2 from the unbrick thread, i.e. unbrick with shorting. You can also use the same guide and use the 'open-up the tablet' thing, to short the special point and re-run amonet from scratch. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help, when I get a chance I'll try this and report the results.
Sus_i said:
Two things you can do/try...
First one is to use the boot-fastboot script out of the amonet folder, in order to boot into hacked fastboot mode. Just run the boot-fastboot script with sudo and connect the tablet (powered off). Then run fastboot devices, if your device is there. If yes, you can run the fastboot-step if you like, which will flash the old TWRP image. Maybe thats enough to boot into TWRP.
In case that won't help, you can also use hacked fastboot to brick the preloader (like @Rortiz2 suggested), to get into bootrom mode, which will prevent you from open-up the tablet. Follow #2 from the unbrick thread, i.e. unbrick with shorting. You can also use the same guide and use the 'open-up the tablet' thing, to short the special point and re-run amonet from scratch. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally got TWRP back!! The solution was so intuitive I feel ridiculous for not trying it first.
So I took the advice of Sus_i and ran the two files out of the karnak's amonet folder; bootrom-step.sh & fastboot-step.sh. This is exactly what I did initially to root the tablet and install LineageOS in the first place!! I posted a link to the solution in the first post of this thread!! For anyone wanting more info on the steps I took there's a video tutorial which shows what's required to get TWRP working again -
This video tutorial also shows how to install LineageOS onto a Fire HD 8 Tablet. I overwrote LineageOS 17 with LineageOS 16 Karnak. The camera is working in this version of Lineage but the proximity sensor is still lacking.
A big THANK YOU to users - Sus_i & Rortiz2 for helping me out, I'm very thankful for your knowledge and generosity.