How to Revive a Bricked Remarkable Tablet Via SSH and Software Updates

The device was in a sorry state: it would not sync or update properly. Googling the error led to a forum post with what its author called “the fast solution”: SSH in, set the clock. After setting the time, I was able to download a software update.

After the first software update, cloud sync gave a different error: HTTP 400. The actual error message in the journal read: “Unable to sync. Please update this application to continue using the reMarkable cloud. The cloud was rejecting my obsolete system version.

Turns out the first update only brought the tablet to 3.11.2.5 and would not update further. Checking journalctl for swupdate.service showed Couldn't resolve host name” — after the post-update reboot, the updater had started before wifi/DNS was up and never retried. Restarting the update services made the Settings screen offer 3.27.3.0, and a second update brought the tablet to the latest available software version.

Starting with version 3.22 of the software, SSH over wifi is now silently disabled by the update, so port 22 refuses connections on the LAN. To regain access, SSH into the tablet via USB instead.