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Amazon Releases Kindle Source Code

Posted by timothy on from the use-the-forks-luke dept.

MackieChan writes with a piece of news that slipped past earlier this month: "Barnes & Noble receives a lot of credit from the Slashdot community for standing up to Microsoft and for allowing the Nook to be so easy to root, but perhaps Amazon releasing the source code to the Kindle will help it gain back supporters it lost after remotely removing ebooks."

16 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. All of 'em by chill · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not just the source to the recent Kindle Fire, but code for all of them back to the original. Nice move.

    I wonder if they held any bits back?

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
    1. Re:All of 'em by Hardhead_7 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Considering that the Kindle Fire runs Android, are we supposed to forgive them for intrusive DRM because they abided by their legal requirements to us? Maybe we should also be happy that McDonald's food isn't full of arsenic or Mattel toys don't have lead paint. I mean, that's great and all, but they had to do it. It doesn't make up for the sorry state of the locked down Kindle.

      Incidentally, this is coming from an Amazon Prime customer. I buy almost everything off of Amazon these days, with one exception: books. For that I have my Nook, which I use mainly because it reads PDFs too.

    2. Re:All of 'em by JoeMerchant · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Considering that the Kindle Fire runs Android, are we supposed to forgive them for intrusive DRM because they abided by their legal requirements to us

      Celebrate your easy victories... just because it's "legally required" doesn't mean that anyone will do it, especially major corporations.

    3. Re:All of 'em by somersault · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I take it you missed the part of the comment you replied to that said they released the source for all of the Kindles? I can't think of anything I'd like to do with mine right now, but it is cool that I can mess about with it if I want. Porting nethack or something might be cool, since that's pretty well suited to an e-ink display.

      --
      which is totally what she said
    4. Re:All of 'em by chrb · · Score: 5, Informative

      It looks like this is just the GPL software. Nothing terribly exciting but maybe it has kernel drivers for the e-ink display. AFAIK the Kindle uses a locked bootloader so there is no way to actually get your ROM image running anyway. The Fire is a bit more promising, and the source release does seem to have kicked off a bit of interest in hacking it a bit, it's been rooted and Android market runs. I'll save you the 148MB download; here's the contents of Kindle_src_3.3_611680021.tar.gz:

      gplrelease/
      gplrelease/picocom-1.4.tar.gz
      gplrelease/util-linux-2.12r.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/atk-1.26.0.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/uboot-1.3.0-rc3.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/pango-1.24.5.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/gstreamer-0.10.17.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/taglib-1.5.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/e2fsprogs-1.38_patch.tar.gz
      gplrelease/fuse-2.7.1.tar.gz
      gplrelease/libltdl-1.2.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/libol-0.3.18.tar.gz
      gplrelease/syslog-ng-1.6.11.tar.gz
      gplrelease/busybox-1.7.2.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/webkit-1.1.7.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/e2fsprogs-1.38.tar.gz
      gplrelease/wireless_tools.29.tar.gz
      gplrelease/mtd-utils-1.0.0.tar.gz
      gplrelease/pango-1.6.0.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/lrzsz-0.12.20.tar.gz
      gplrelease/gst-plugins-base-0.10.17.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/libvolume-id_092.ipk
      gplrelease/ifupdown_0.6.8.tar.gz
      gplrelease/gst-plugins-good-0.10.6.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/gst-plugins-base-0.10.6.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/linux-2.6.26-lab126.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/gnutls-2.8.4.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/module-init-tools-3.2.2.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/libgpg-error-1.4.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/DirectFB-1.2.0.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/libproxy-0.2.3.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/module-init-tools-3.2.2_patch.tar.gz
      gplrelease/glib-2.22.2.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/udev-112.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/alsa-lib-1.0.13_patch.tar.gz
      gplrelease/enchant-1.4.2.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/gtk+-2.16.5.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/libgcrypt-1.4.4.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/base-files_3.0.14.ipk
      gplrelease/alsa-lib-1.0.13.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/fuse-2.7.1_link.tar
      gplrelease/dosfstools-2.11.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/libsoup-2.30.0.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/procps-3.2.7.tar.gz
      gplrelease/procps-3.2.7_patch.tar.gz
      gplrelease/base-passwd_3.5.9.tar.gz
      gplrelease/powertop-1.10.tar.gz
      gplrelease/iptables-1.3.3.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/glibc-2.5.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/alsa-utils-1.0.13_patch.tar.gz
      gplrelease/alsa-utils-1.0.13.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/gdb-6.6.tar.bz2
      gplrelease/sysvinit-2.86.tar.gz
      gplrelease/cairo-1.8.6.tar.bz2

    5. Re:All of 'em by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Intrusive DRM?

      B&N is the one who locked the Nook Tablet's bootloader, tivoizing it. Not Amazon.

      I love how the article points out how easily hackable the Nook Touch was while ignoring the fact that B&N has made a major move towards lockdown with the Tablet - locked bootloader, plus it is partitioned so you can only use 1GB of the storage for sideloaded content. The rest is "B&N Content" only.

      --
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    6. Re:All of 'em by tlhIngan · · Score: 5, Interesting

      B&N is the one who locked the Nook Tablet's bootloader, tivoizing it. Not Amazon.

      I love how the article points out how easily hackable the Nook Touch was while ignoring the fact that B&N has made a major move towards lockdown with the Tablet - locked bootloader, plus it is partitioned so you can only use 1GB of the storage for sideloaded content. The rest is "B&N Content" only.

      It's apparently a requirement for Netflix.

      Sure every Android device can get Netflix, but what they stream is the SD version of the video. If you want the HD version, your device needs to be locked down.

      Compare Netflix on the old Color and the new Tablet and you'll see a difference in video quality. It's another reason why I wrote off the "Netflix on Fire is blurrier on Fire" comparison reviews - of course it is if Amazon didn't qualify for Netflix HD. (And yes, the Amazon version was noticiably blurrier as it was scaled up to the screen, whilst the Tablet was scaling down a higher-quality stream).

      And the Nook tablet having 1GB of user content - big whoop. Do what you do with every other Android device and stick an SD card in it.

      B&N feels more people would want higher-quality Netflix than the small crowd who wants to hack the device (they're a nice bunch, but not as big a group as those who just want to consume stuff).

    7. Re:All of 'em by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 4, Informative

      (And yes, the Amazon version was noticiably blurrier as it was scaled up to the screen, whilst the Tablet was scaling down a higher-quality stream).

      I think the HD stream is encoded with a higher bitrate (per pixel), and perhaps the Amazon scaler is crap. The HD/SD distinction isn't so much about resolution.

      Good SD video with competent upscaling ought to be plenty for a 7" screen. I watched a few DS9 episodes on my Nook Color (CM7 w/Netflix) and there was quite a bit of block aritfacting and quantization noise (and ... buffering delays). Playing a DVD-ripped AVI (mplayer IIRC) looked great.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  2. Remote removing by mwvdlee · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is the sourcecode sufficient to disable Amazon's ability to remotely remove ebooks?

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    1. Re:Remote removing by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yes if someone compiles a new OS and software package and delivers a "hack" that eliminates their control.

      I'm just betting the "ad supported" version will become the first target as someone compiles and makes a file that turns it into a normal kindle.
      Then we will hear of a federal bailout of the Executives as they will barely afford new Mercedes once a month anymore....

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    2. Re:Remote removing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Those already exist for most kindles, with the only requirement being a jailbreak. The kindle is built upon a linux system, with a java framework and a bunch of shell scripts. The shell scripts are the important bits which handle downloading the ads & and there was also a mod to revoke amazon's control entirely.

      Source: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=150

  3. Nook easy to hack? by mystikkman · · Score: 4, Informative

    The new Nook tablet comes with a locked bootloader, unike the Nook touch.

  4. Did they contribute? Is this actually full source? by ciaran_o_riordan · · Score: 4, Informative

    I downloaded the source for Kindle_src_3.3_611680021.tar.gz (randomly picked).

    The contents of their tarball is the below list of files. Which of these sub-tarballs contains the Amazon reader and interface software? Or are they just releasing the bare minimum required by the GPL and keeping their stuff proprietary? Can Kindle owners blank their devices and use the published tarball to restore all functionality?

    Put another way: is there a contribution here, or are they just doing what's necessary to avoid getting sued?

    • alsa-lib-1.0.13_patch.tar.gz
    • alsa-lib-1.0.13.tar.bz2
    • alsa-utils-1.0.13_patch.tar.gz
    • alsa-utils-1.0.13.tar.bz2
    • atk-1.26.0.tar.bz2
    • base-files_3.0.14.ipk
    • base-passwd_3.5.9.tar.gz
    • busybox-1.7.2.tar.bz2
    • cairo-1.8.6.tar.bz2
    • DirectFB-1.2.0.tar.bz2
    • dosfstools-2.11.tar.bz2
    • e2fsprogs-1.38_patch.tar.gz
    • e2fsprogs-1.38.tar.gz
    • enchant-1.4.2.tar.bz2
    • fuse-2.7.1_link.tar
    • fuse-2.7.1.tar.gz
    • gdb-6.6.tar.bz2
    • glib-2.22.2.tar.bz2
    • glibc-2.5.tar.bz2
    • gnutls-2.8.4.tar.bz2
    • gst-plugins-base-0.10.17.tar.bz2
    • gst-plugins-base-0.10.6.tar.bz2
    • gst-plugins-good-0.10.6.tar.bz2
    • gstreamer-0.10.17.tar.bz2
    • gtk+-2.16.5.tar.bz2
    • ifupdown_0.6.8.tar.gz
    • iptables-1.3.3.tar.bz2
    • libgcrypt-1.4.4.tar.bz2
    • libgpg-error-1.4.tar.bz2
    • libltdl-1.2.tar.bz2
    • libol-0.3.18.tar.gz
    • libproxy-0.2.3.tar.bz2
    • libsoup-2.30.0.tar.bz2
    • libvolume-id_092.ipk
    • linux-2.6.26-lab126.tar.bz2
    • lrzsz-0.12.20.tar.gz
    • module-init-tools-3.2.2_patch.tar.gz
    • module-init-tools-3.2.2.tar.bz2
    • mtd-utils-1.0.0.tar.gz
    • pango-1.24.5.tar.bz2
    • pango-1.6.0.tar.bz2
    • picocom-1.4.tar.gz
    • powertop-1.10.tar.gz
    • procps-3.2.7_patch.tar.gz
    • procps-3.2.7.tar.gz
    • syslog-ng-1.6.11.tar.gz
    • sysvinit-2.86.tar.gz
    • taglib-1.5.tar.bz2
    • uboot-1.3.0-rc3.tar.bz2
    • udev-112.tar.bz2
    • util-linux-2.12r.tar.bz2
    • webkit-1.1.7.tar.bz2
    • wireless_tools.29.tar.gz
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  5. Gain back supporters? by Kamiza+Ikioi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The remote book removal was 2 years ago, and helped shape Amazon (and much of the mobile tech industry) to be extremely weary of using kill switches. Frankly, I'm glad it happened. It immediately stopped the usual slow creep of increased user control.

    I don't think this helps "gain back supporters", but I do think it reinforces Amazon as a company moving in their new direction since then. I like the Amazon model which tries to take the best of Google and the best of Apple, and throw out the worst parts. Tight product integration, but if you want to hack it, why bother stopping you.

    --
    I8-D
  6. Re:Did they contribute? Is this actually full sour by marcosdumay · · Score: 4, Informative

    On the bright side, there seems to be enough stuff in there to port any Linux (including Android) system into the Kindle (or, saying that in another way, all the drivers seem to be there).

    On the bad side, no the reader is not there, and you won't be able to remove their capacity of remotely excluding your books (except if you remove the reader). It is also not more than they are required by the (L)GPL, and there is nothing telling if the boot loader will accept a user supplied system, or if you'll need to root it like any other tablet.

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    Rethinking email
  7. Nothing to see here. by Kufat · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's just a minimal GPL drop. No application level source. Unlike (for example) Netgear or Linksys, they don't even provide the object code and build tools to let you build your own usable device ROM image from a combination of proprietary and OSS components.