Kobo Vox Hacking Progress - Page 2

PeterT · 11-15-2011, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pulsar

I got it! You have to unscrew all the screws, and then very carefully push on sturdy inner plastic part, near a corner, and then the screen with the motherboard will start coming off. Just be very careful!

The button I talked about is marked "rst1" - very conveniently. So it must be reset.

I'll post the photo in a few minutes.

Just begging to have a small pin-hole in the back cover!

jefftheworld · 11-15-2011, 06:32 PM

Ha, you beat me to it!

Okay. This is great news. We can now factory reset devices with a hardware button and we've got full backups of all the Vox "firmware".

Now onto stage 2! Alternative recovery, alternative ROMs.

taming · 11-15-2011, 06:54 PM

It should be possible to create a template that would assist us in making sure the hole was properly positioned

.

PeterT · 11-15-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

It should be possible to create a template that would assist us in making sure the hole was properly positioned

.

Yep

Maybe then use a hot pin to make a hole?

jefftheworld · 11-15-2011, 07:54 PM

The back plate comes off so easily I don't think it's really worth it to drill a hole or anything, but if you really want to do it, I'd recommend a pin vise.

pulsar · 11-15-2011, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefftheworld

The back plate comes off so easily I don't think it's really worth it to drill a hole or anything, but if you really want to do it, I'd recommend a pin vise.

I agree - probably not worth messing up with hole drilling, unless you are into daily factory reset routine

.

I am thinking of creating the image of the whole internal SD card, using Kobo itself (dd command). Only to recover a fully bricked unit one would have to disassemble Kobo again.

I wonder how the reset works - probably by pressing it and at the same time pressing the power button, when the unit is off?

It would be great if the booting could be done from the external SD card, internal becoming the data SD card. Then one could switch between different mods by simply swapping external SD cards.

Is there something like BIOS in these devices? Perhaps, during the factory reset one would be presented with an opportunity to do some changes in BIOS?

jefftheworld · 11-15-2011, 09:34 PM

The reset button seems to just cut power, it does not automatically initiate any sort of factory reset or bios menu.

Trying something new...

GJSmith · 11-15-2011, 09:58 PM

never mind trying to delete this post

taming · 11-16-2011, 12:29 AM

Kobo had a hole for a pin reset on their other devices. It doesn't actually surprise me that the hidden reset button really isn't. Now, someone was writing about the combination of holding the power button and the volume slider at the same time, not sure if that does a factory reset or something else.

jefftheworld · 11-16-2011, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

Kobo had a hole for a pin reset on their other devices. It doesn't actually surprise me that the hidden reset button really isn't. Now, someone was writing about the combination of holding the power button and the volume slider at the same time, not sure if that does a factory reset or something else.

On most android devices it does. For example, on the Nexus S it's the down volume button plus the power button.

However, the Vox deals with it's recovery in a strange way and nothing I've tried will get it to boot into recovery.

hieronymos · 11-16-2011, 12:19 PM

Volume up and power does make a data reset - (doesn't deploy the original image though). While it is doing this reset, it says that the update is completed - maybe it /is/ the recovery (just modified - I'd totally agree with Kobo devs that nobody ever goes into the stock recovery to do anything - because it's useless).
Btw, the device's platform per se (imx51) is very well documented over at Freescale, although you have to make an account. They have lots of stuff there - images for Ubuntu and Chrome OS for example :-)

pulsar · 11-16-2011, 12:39 PM

I disagree - a full factory reset would be useful (if only to keep the warranty).

I wouldn't be surprised that the factory reset simply wasn't fully implemented - the device was obviously rushed through, to pre-date Kindle Fire.

For now, having a bit-to-bit identical copy of the internal SD card appears to be the best way to recover a bricked unit. I'll buy today an 8GB micro-SD card (hopefully, they all come in bit-identical sizes!), and will do "dd" on the whole card.

I've tried all kinds of combinations of different buttons, including power and volume up, and didn't get any "update is completed" messages, and my data appeared to be all intact.

taming · 11-16-2011, 01:31 PM

I'm a clueless noob as far as anything hackerish, but I remember that some folks got devices on which the whatever it was that starts the new-machine install process off was left off the machine. I I remember correctly, those kobos had nothing but a (maybe stock) install of 2.3.? (not sure if it was 2.3.3, only that it was Android. If this is true, then are you looking for that install, plus the whatchamacllit that is invoked when you first launch a new Kobo?

hieronymos · 11-16-2011, 02:00 PM

Pulsar, I didn't talk about factory resets, which are of course useful, but about the stock Android recovery (the 'application' if you want). But I meant what you are saying as well, that the recovery isn't totally implemented. Maybe this is an eReader and many people would be shocked to suddenly boot into some strange menu where they can't touch anything.

This morning I went into this recovery - pressing Volume Up before turning the device and turning it on normally. I stay on Volume Up and the device starts working, reboots and all data is gone (except for /sdcard). It doesn't ask for any confirmation, so I don't want to try again right now :-)

For some these may be good news, as I have a working tun.ko! The linux kernel sources from Freescale, with patches applied, can produce a module that the Kobo Vox accepts without further problems. So at least we know we can get (nearly) everything we need for other kernels. Here it is: https://rapidshare.com/files/4125878..._tun.ko.tar.gz
If someone else could please see if it works?

hieronymos · 11-16-2011, 02:31 PM

Quote:

It would be great if the booting could be done from the external SD card, internal becoming the data SD card. Then one could switch between different mods by simply swapping external SD cards.

You might just give it a try - the freescale documentation says that's how it's done ;-) I don't have another SD card at the moment...

11-15-2011, 09:58 PM	#23
GJSmith Connoisseur Posts: 87 Karma: 2000 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Barry's Bay Ontario Canada Device: Kobo Vox	reset button never mind trying to delete this post Last edited by GJSmith; 11-15-2011 at 11:35 PM. Reason: responded before I read the next posts so this is redundant

11-16-2011, 12:19 PM	#26
hieronymos Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 45172 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Vox	Volume up and power does make a data reset - (doesn't deploy the original image though). While it is doing this reset, it says that the update is completed - maybe it /is/ the recovery (just modified - I'd totally agree with Kobo devs that nobody ever goes into the stock recovery to do anything - because it's useless). Btw, the device's platform per se (imx51) is very well documented over at Freescale, although you have to make an account. They have lots of stuff there - images for Ubuntu and Chrome OS for example :-) Last edited by hieronymos; 11-16-2011 at 12:23 PM.

11-16-2011, 02:00 PM	#29
hieronymos Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 45172 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Vox	Pulsar, I didn't talk about factory resets, which are of course useful, but about the stock Android recovery (the 'application' if you want). But I meant what you are saying as well, that the recovery isn't totally implemented. Maybe this is an eReader and many people would be shocked to suddenly boot into some strange menu where they can't touch anything. This morning I went into this recovery - pressing Volume Up before turning the device and turning it on normally. I stay on Volume Up and the device starts working, reboots and all data is gone (except for /sdcard). It doesn't ask for any confirmation, so I don't want to try again right now :-) For some these may be good news, as I have a working tun.ko! The linux kernel sources from Freescale, with patches applied, can produce a module that the Kobo Vox accepts without further problems. So at least we know we can get (nearly) everything we need for other kernels. Here it is: https://rapidshare.com/files/4125878..._tun.ko.tar.gz If someone else could please see if it works? Last edited by hieronymos; 11-16-2011 at 02:05 PM.

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11-15-2011, 06:32 PM	#17
jefftheworld Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 157090 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo, Kobo Vox	Ha, you beat me to it! Okay. This is great news. We can now factory reset devices with a hardware button and we've got full backups of all the Vox "firmware". Now onto stage 2! Alternative recovery, alternative ROMs.

11-15-2011, 06:54 PM	#18
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	It should be possible to create a template that would assist us in making sure the hole was properly positioned .

11-15-2011, 07:54 PM	#20
jefftheworld Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 157090 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo, Kobo Vox	The back plate comes off so easily I don't think it's really worth it to drill a hole or anything, but if you really want to do it, I'd recommend a pin vise.

11-15-2011, 09:34 PM	#22
jefftheworld Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 157090 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo, Kobo Vox	The reset button seems to just cut power, it does not automatically initiate any sort of factory reset or bios menu. Trying something new...

11-16-2011, 12:29 AM	#24
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	Kobo had a hole for a pin reset on their other devices. It doesn't actually surprise me that the hidden reset button really isn't. Now, someone was writing about the combination of holding the power button and the volume slider at the same time, not sure if that does a factory reset or something else.

11-16-2011, 12:39 PM	#27
pulsar Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 52416 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: kindle 3, kobo vox	I disagree - a full factory reset would be useful (if only to keep the warranty). I wouldn't be surprised that the factory reset simply wasn't fully implemented - the device was obviously rushed through, to pre-date Kindle Fire. For now, having a bit-to-bit identical copy of the internal SD card appears to be the best way to recover a bricked unit. I'll buy today an 8GB micro-SD card (hopefully, they all come in bit-identical sizes!), and will do "dd" on the whole card. I've tried all kinds of combinations of different buttons, including power and volume up, and didn't get any "update is completed" messages, and my data appeared to be all intact.

11-16-2011, 01:31 PM	#28
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I'm a clueless noob as far as anything hackerish, but I remember that some folks got devices on which the whatever it was that starts the new-machine install process off was left off the machine. I I remember correctly, those kobos had nothing but a (maybe stock) install of 2.3.? (not sure if it was 2.3.3, only that it was Android. If this is true, then are you looking for that install, plus the whatchamacllit that is invoked when you first launch a new Kobo?

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