Please note that the modification/patch doesn't work on the K2i. [note added by moderator in 2012]
WARNING: Multiple Kindle Touch owners have reported that their Kindle Touch was bricked (no longer usable) after applying this modification. This may be dangerous for the Kindle Touch!
[note added by moderator in 2012]
There is some functionality in Kindle firmware which I consider violating user privacy and I intend this thread to provide information on how to disable such stuff.
- Regular system log upload to Amazon servers. Kindle firmware is quite chatty even in a normal mode (;debugOn enables much more print outs). Here is a sample syslog output showing what kind of info Amazon regulary receives from your Kindle:
Code:
090719:144532 cvm[26415]: I BookletManager:SwitchingBooklets:from=Home,to=Bookworm:
090719:144532 cvm[26415]: I Reader:BOOK INFO:title=Kindle DX User's Guide,authors=Amazon.com,ASIN=B0026P3LTE,content type=ebook,publisher=Amazon.com,publication date=4/25/2008,sorted title=Kindle DX User's Guide,display authors=Amazon.com,length=MobiPosition_ 211399,last access=1980-01-01 00.00.00 +0000,last read position=MobiPosition_ 12977,isEncrypted=false,isSample=false,isNew=false,path=/mnt/us/documents/Kindle_Users_Guide.azw,isTTSMetdataPresent=false,isTTSMetadataAllowed=true:
090719:144534 cvm[26415]: I ReaderGUI:SWITCH VIEW:name=com.amazon.ebook.booklet.reader.gui.lf:
Here is another interesting piece of info from the logs sent to Amazon:
Code:
090719:161519 wand[1661]: I e725:diag: t=4a644ff6,SID=4183,NID=87,
Base ID=744,Network Svc Type=EVDO,Bars=5,
Latitude=37.321441,Longitude=-122.030612,
RSSI dBm=-125,Active Set EC IO dBm=-31.500000,Active Set PN Offsets=264,
HDR Latitude=37.334167,HDR Longitude=-122.031113,
EVDO RSSI dBm=-65,ASET Pilot Energy=-0.53,
HDR Active Set PN Offsets=264,DRC=2,n=1:
If you don't want Amazon to know what you are reading, where you are or know that you are exploring their device, there is a simple way to disable sending anything. Script responsible for packaging this information is /usr/bin/showlog. Here is a simple patch you can use:
Code:
--- showlog 2009-05-08 17:22:51.000000000 -0700
+++ showlog_none 2009-07-19 14:44:08.000000000 -0700
@@ -188,8 +188,8 @@
echo $OLDEST | awk '{ printf "%08d", $1 }' > $LASTFILESENT
fi
fi
- print_stream_header $NUMFILES
- print_gzip_files $ALLFILES
+ print_stream_header 0
+ print_gzip_files ""
else
ALLFILES=`ls -1 $ARCHIVE_DIR/${LOG}_*.gz | xargs`
if [ -n "$ALLFILES" ]; then
In other words, just change lines 191/192 to use 0 instead of $NUMFILES and "" instead of $ALLFILES. This will cause this script to send empty payload to Amazon.