Dingleberry

So you picked up a BlackBerry PlayBook for $199 and now you’ve decided that you want to root the tablet so you can access protected files and settings, install the Android Market, or do other things that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion doesn’t really want you to do.

The Dingleberry tool makes the process relatively easy, but there are a couple confusing bits that you might need some help stepping through.

Update: Dingleberry 4.0 will work with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0… if and when it’s released. 

Update 2: Things aren’t looking food for Dingleberry 4.0. The dingleberry.it website now redirects to the jailbreak.me blog, with no indication that we’ll ever seen an update to handle the latest versions of BlackBerry PlayBook software. 

Before you start, you’ll need a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, the Blackberry Desktop software for Windows, and DingleBerry.

There’s one big asterisk here: Dingleberry currently only works on Windows. A Mac version is due soon, but for now you’ll need a Windows PC to root your BlackBerry tablet.


Prepare your tablet

1. Using BlackBerry Desktop, make a full backup of your PlayBook.

2.Head to your PlayBook settings screen > storage and sharing and turn on file sharing, wi-fi sharing, and make sure password protect is off.

3. Tap security and then tap development mode. Flip the off slider to on, and enter a password when prompted (jot it down or remember it, you’ll need it later).

4. Tap about, select network from the dropdown, and make note of your PlayBook’s Wi-Fi IP address.

Use Dingleberry to root the PlayBook

1. Download Dingleberry, unzip it, and then double-click dingleberry.exe.

2. Click continue after the main Dingleberry window appears and follow the instructions (I’ll list them here, too).

3. Enter the IP address and password you noted in previous steps.

4. Click the jailbreak button. Press continue once you’re prompted to do so.

5. Press the choose button to select the backup you made in step 1.

6. Dingleberry will modify that backup and create a new one in the same directory (typically under documents\Blackberry\backup).

7. Using BlackBerry Desktop, restore the Dingleberry-created backup to your PlayBook — choose custom, and make sure only settings is checked.

Voila! You’ve got a rooted PlayBook.

To see if the process was actually successful, click the Dingle SSH button to see if Dingleberry can establish a connection to your PlayBook. If the blue box reads like it does in the picture above, you’re good to go (you should also see a black SSH session window open and display a # prompt).

Now that your PlayBook has been rooted, you can move on to more exciting things. Next up: upgrade to the PlayBook OS 2 Beta if you haven’t already, so that you can install the Android Market on your PlayBook!

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Lee Mathews

Computer tech, blogger, husband, father, and avid MSI U100 user.

32 replies on “How to root a BlackBerry PlayBook with DingleBerry”

  3. am on os 2.0.0.7.9.1 and if i try to downgrade to 2.6 dingleberry will stopworking and will close what can i do

  5. “sh: /tmp/setuidgid: cannot execute – No such file or directory ”
    This disappeared, after discovering, that dingle.zip remained packed after unpacking the dinglberry.zip file and indeed unpacking it.

  7. The dingleberry goes to (Not responding) state the moment the backed up data is chosen to modify the data to root using dingleberry . Any help will be much appreciated.

    OS 2.0.0.4869 – downgraded from 2.0.0.6149
    File and wifi sharing – ON
    Password protect – OFF
    Development mode – ON

  9. biggest problem i had was when i reloaded the dingleberry settings file back on the PB, the pb restarts and after it powers up, you cant connect to it thru dingleberry, thats because it gets out of developers mode. you have to go back into it.

    1. With DM 610_b038
      Today nothing at all.
      “There is no Playbook at this address”
      Exactly the same environment.
      It’s a little bit frustrating… or, if you prefer, “che palle!”.
      Installing DM on eee and trying there.

  12. hi,
    dingleberry 2.1.1 on xp sp3
    playbook 1.0.8.6067
    usb ipv4 169.254.0.1
    wi-fi ipv4 192.168.0.3
    file sharing, wi-fi sharing (pw protect -> off), development mode -> ON
    after a lot of attempts bck patched and restored
    Now at SSH:
    “There is no Playbook at this address”
    Any advice?
    Thank you in advance

    1. oooops, sorry
      wi-fi must be on and the address is wi-fi one
      now better, but:
      sh: /tmp/setuid gid: cannot execute – No such file or directory

  13. Still trying and failing to get DingleBerry SSH to work.  I am using OS Version 1.0.8.6067 (The default after doing a factory reset).

    The payload deploys and I can successfully backup and restore the PB.  I reboot my PB (After the restore of settings) ensure I have developer mode turned back on and the IP address is correct.  But when I attempt SSH, it fails with the nebulous error of 
    sh: /tmp/setuidgid: cannot execute – No such file or directory

  14. gone through the procedure with no probs but verification shows it failed

    the only part i can think of is that i cannot keep wifi on during procedure
    Can this be why it fails?

  16. Got this error: Please help. We need to make rooting easier sh: /tmp/setuidgid: cannot execute – No such file or directory Jailbreak Failed $

    1. I finally got it so keep trying. I had the same error. There is another.tutorial that is 4 steps and it is.what I used last. A few tutorials get you logged in as a dev user and I did some tinkering. Can’t exactly remember what I did to get it but see my post below. Good luck

    2. Getting the same message
      sh: /tmp/setuidgid: cannot execute – No such file or directory Jailbreak Failed $

  17. DINGLEBERRY HANGS AT “SENT SSH”………..should go on to say running ssh, but instead gets to the Sent SSH Key and next line says Disconnected.  Have tried rebootng laptop winxp, restarting the Playbook, running with desktop manager on, with DM off, with a fresh security wipe of PB, and probably with standing on my head while drinking a soda.   HOW CAN I GET DINGLEBERRY TO WORK???  Running winxp, and OS 2.0.0.4869.  Have developer mode on, passwords off, wifi connected, bluetooth is off….

    1. I did it for two days….finally it worked…can’t tell what was different. I tried so many little things. I used a different computer. I redownloaded all the programs a d files. I downgraded Playbook to is 1 and reupgraded step by step. Security wipe was no good on os2. Remember to plug it back up after you restore it to the dingleberry file. I also used my wifi IP address and was quick to have winscp open and logging on when I SSH in dingleberry.

      Good luck..
      it is actually worth the trouble. Lots of apps do work. The market is on day 9 of 10 $.10 apps and the auto play books work nice on the Playbook.

  19. I get to step  5. Press the choose button to select the backup you made in step 1.
    and it gets stuck there I left it running for about 30 minutes gave up.. restarted playbook and pc and tried again with the same result…

    1. If it’s hanging there, try re-downloading Dingleberry…That’s just a Windows file operation, so it shouldn’t have anything to do with your PlayBook.

  20. I followed all ur steps 3 times and it kept saying Jailbreak Failedand “sh: /tmp/setuigid: cannot execute –  no such file or directory found” please helpppp

    1. Are you sure you’ve enabled developer mode? I got a similar message when my PB had flipped back after a restart.

      1. same here…had it rooted saturday but market wouldnt show after copying the files so I reverted to os1 and went through the steps again…hours spent trying and it says the same thing…tried two different computers…i hack android all day but dont know where to go from here

  21. I just cant seriously read these blackberry rooting articles with out laughing hard from that name.. juvenile maybe

    1. It is a rather odd name to give it, but could be inferring to RIM having missed something and how the author of the utility felt about the whole level of security to begin with…  Considering the actual definition of the name.

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