Introduction

This project aims at creating an open-source firmware and enhancing the capabilities of the Samsung E60 eReader device.

The project started when we found a way to create a custom firmware for this device.

Then, we learned how to replace the original firmware by a custom firmware using the built-in upgrade procedure.

Eventually, we have now a way to recover safely a "bricked" E60 device, thanks to Samsung's official answer describing how to access the built-in recovery mode

So, here are our greatest achievements so far:

Custom Firmware

Using our FoxFirmware 2.1, it is now possible to:

• browse the Internet using a Wifi connection with a custom home page replacing the default book store page
• change the icons, thanks to the theme support
• add a boot sound
• get enhanced icons and translations
• play music using the command line using XMP
• launch custom Shell scripts once or at every boot
• connect to a command line Shell using either telnet or SSH
• mount a TCP/IP network over USB

Hardware

Regarding the hardware:

• we obtained invaluable information from the "service manual" and the slideshow found on one Samsung support website
• we performed a complete E60 teardown (also here without pictures)
• we analyzed most of the E60 electronic components and PCB
• we found where to connect on the PCB to get a U-Boot bootloader/Linux serial console access

Software

As for the software:

• we found how to access the built-in U-Boot bootloader and how to test a kernel from it
• we found the way to access the interesting devices from Linux (including the display, the touchscreen ,the USB port, the LEDs and the keypad)
• we have access to the device system logs
• we know how to setup a toolchain to compile software for the E60
• using the Samsung provided instructions, we know how to rebuild and reinstall the Open Source part of the original firmware
• we know how to cross-compile a QtEmbedded toolchain, as this is the framework used by the device's main application software
• we know how to debug an executable on the E60 device using either gdb remote or strace

TODO

Despite all the progress that has been done, there are still a lot of things to do in order to get a fully opened firmware for the Samsung E60 device:

• as of today, we still don't know how to replace the closed-source main QtEmbedded application, in charge of the user interaction, device management and eBook display (including the dreaded DRMs...)
• we also haven't succeeded yet to replace the obsolete 2.6.29.4 original kernel by a more modern Linux kernel that includes both the mainstream broadsheet eInk display video driver and the Samsung E60 platform-specific patches

As it is today, this project is still a work in progress, and you are welcome to contribute to it!