[Fire TV Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] emkorial:
So instead of spamming the forums, I thought I would just make on consolidated post asking for help

Background: I have suffered from a visual disability for over 20 years. There are many facets to it but the one that is relevant here is that some displays trigger instant eye strain and migraines when I view them. I have been to over 27 specialists in 7 states over 2 decades and no one has been able to find out exactly what us causing it. All we know is the issue isn't really caused by the display, but what is driving the display, and seem to be related to colors somehow.

Anyway, I ordered a 4k Fire Stick on July 15, 2019. SO looking at https://xdaforums.com/t/fire-tv-stick-4k-mantis-prerooted-stock-images-6-2-8-0_r1.3983091/, it looks like my Fire Stick came with OS 6.2.6.5_r1. I do not recall it ever asking for updates before this, so I do not know if it ever updated to 6.2.7.7_r1 (which is the last update prior to the UI update). I would like to flash OS 6.2.6.5_r1 which is the closest ROM I can find to what was on the stick when I first bought it and it worked.

I also have an unopened 4k Fire Stick I purchased on Nov 29, 2019. This is still sitting new in the box and have never been opened or plugged into anything.

So here is where my questions start

General Questions

1. Are the sticks I ordered the "mantis" one? So I would look for "mantis" instructions for working with it? Can someone provide a stock Mantis 6.2.6.5 ROM, I really don't care too much about being rooted honestly.

Questions for upgraded stick (that I cannot use right now due to disability)

1. Is there any hope for this device? As I understand it there is an eFuse blown during the 6.8 upgrade preventing downgrades.

2. Is there any work going on that will allow that blown eFuse to be bypassed (like a modified 6.2.6.x ROM that doesn't check the eFuse status)?

Questions for unopened stick

1. Is there any way to block the updates while setting up the device (prevent auto update)?

- 1a: I know there is a "BlockUpdate.apk" that can be sideloaded and run, but to do that I would need to have the device up and running to enable ADB Debugging and connect to the device, so I would have had to go though the initial setup, which will update the device, making it to late to install the APK and block the update

- 1b: I know you can also install Remote ADB Shell on the stick and use the PM disable user commands to block OTA updates, but again, you can't get to the point where you can turn on ADB Debugging and install those apps before going though the initial setup, which will update the device, making it to late to block the updates

2. I saw there were some methods where people were using their routers to block access to certain Amazon and/or akamai servers so you could activate the stick but the update check would fail, but all those guides seem to be for Fire TV's, not Fire Sticks, and are all from 2016-ish. Do these still work?

Questions for Rooting device

1. I saw the aluminum foil trick, but all the guides I see seem to start after a point where the device has been activated, which would have forced the update and would be to late for me. Can you root BEFORE the device is activated?

2. How do you connect a Fire Stick to a PC to allow the Linux scripts to see it and root it? I can't connect to the TV and then to my wifi, cause once it connects to wifi, it auto updates, and we're stuck again.

So can anyone help me out? My end goal is to have my upgraded Fire Stick downgraded to the 6.2.6.5 version and will NEVER install a system update, and/or have my unopened FireStick activated and working and NEVER install an update. I don't really care about any enhanced "debloating" or anything after that.

Many thanks up front.