iLiad owner "b_k" has created (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7464) a Windows script for use with converting comics for reading on the iLiad.

Comic2iLiad (http://disflux.com/~bjoern/dw/doku.php?id=iliad:comic2iliad) "is a AutoIT-Script1) to generate HMTL-based content for the iRex iLiad. It is not a very small script and it is probably poorly written but it works. So far, it is good enough for me, however I’m always open for ideas to make this thing better."

There are some caveats, however. This script might not something that a computer newbie would want to use, and it looks like it's only for Windows. From the site:

* AutoIT has no UTF-8 support, so the HTML-pages are encoded in ANSI (should be no problem I think), as is the manifest.xml (this has to be converted to UTF-8 manually). So far, there is no sort of visualization of the on-going progress of the copied files or the generated HTML-files.

* The images you want to have processed should already be sorted by the filename. Something like YYYYMMDD.png or XXX.png (001.png, 002.png,....) should work. But there is nothing to sort the images before processing, it has to be done by yourself.

Thanks to Doctorow for bringing it to our attention in a forum post. (No, he's not "the" Cory Doctorow. Just a fan.)

I have another problem so far. Since iRex modified the usage of manifest.xml files I had problems with packages generated with that script.
Like I wrote in their bug-reporting section, I really have no idea, why the packages generated by that script don't work properly. I think it has something to do with the manifest.xml handling. I just can't figure out why it doesn't work. I compared the files I have, the working and the not working ones, and found no problems so far. From my point and the HowTo PDF, the files should be valid.
But the iLiad says me something else. :furious3:

clarification: the problem, I and other users experience in v2.6.1 (and maybe already v2.6) of the iLiads software, is that the link between the pages works (=pageflipping with the flip-bar) but the page indicator doesn't work. The total number of pages is displayed, but the current page just sticks on number 1, independent, what page of the document I'm really on.

i am not sure whether the software worked and i will have a try then we will get the answer.
i like cartoon very much, you can also make a simple newspaper with the same software .

Posted link above is gone here. I get "Not Found The requested URL was not found on this server." :(

Posted link above is gone here. I get "Not Found The requested URL was not found on this server." :(
Sorry. Forgot to update that here. Somehow my host has gone. :angry:

could you send the link address to my address ?

lufee.wang@gmail.com

waiting for your reply ,thanks.

Um, lufee, it's a really bad idea to post your e-mail like that -- you probably ought to edit the post and remove it. Unless you want to get an ocean of spam, that is. :)

Check out the Private Message feature for that sort of thing, it offers much better privacy/protection.

bk, you can attach it here if you like.

man, totally forgot about that. I will do it, but i think i have some bugs here that have to be removed before i upload it. (you know, pageflipping works, but not the page-indicator)

I have another problem so far. Since iRex modified the usage of manifest.xml files I had problems with packages generated with that script.
Like I wrote in their bug-reporting section, I really have no idea, why the packages generated by that script don't work properly. I think it has something to do with the manifest.xml handling.

I don't know if this is of any help to you, but my RSS tool "The Daily iLiadian" produces manifest.xml files to put a nice title on a feed and link to the index.html when you click on it. I've noticed that my iLiad will consistently not process the manifest.xml in some of my feeds (I carry 22 feeds now.)

The directory shows the naked name and when I click on it Content Lister shows the contents of the directory, including the manifest.xml file. If I click on the index.html file, all then works as it should.

I've inspected the manifest.xml's for the 3 feeds that malfunction and there's nothing wrong with those 3 files.

Um, lufee, it's a really bad idea to post your e-mail like that -- you probably ought to edit the post and remove it. Unless you want to get an ocean of spam, that is.

I've noticed the Google Mail SPAM filter works pretty well, lufee probably just doesn't worry about SPAM. :)

According to iRex it seems to have something to do with the enconding of the manifest.xml.
But I really don't understand it till now. Those files that I made by hand, and with the help of a RegEx capable editor and a filemanager that can give you a list of the selected files to the clipboard, usually work. The scripted solution makes me headaches, because the files look the same, the page indicator shows the right total number of pages, but it doesn't recognize the position in the bundle, so it stays at 1 all the time.
But I can't see the difference. Maybe I should compare a working and a not working manifest with a hex editor.

According to iRex it seems to have something to do with the enconding of the manifest.xml.

If you need help just toss me the two files via PM and I'll happily examine them for you. I do understand character set encodings.

Somehow I think the iLiad just doesn't interpret the manifest.xml correct. I tried around with some of my script-generated bundles and can only repeat the following symptoms:


Page-indicator shows correct total of pages
Link between the number in the page-indicator and the url in the manifest.xml works
Link between the pages works (pageflip-bar, but this is controlled by the <link rel="prev/next" ...> in the individual pages)
Current page number is not displayed correctly, but stays at 1

Well you can at least tell iRex it isn't charset encoding.

In addition to the iLiad not reading all the manifests correcting in my RSS feeds the Minimo browser regularly dies reading files that work perfectly well with other browsers.

I review my long list of bugs in xpdf and minimo and shake my head in sadness. I'll be pretty busy once they release the sources.

I review my long list of bugs in xpdf and minimo and shake my head in sadness. I'll be pretty busy once they release the sources.

Um... Have posted your list of bugs on the Irex forum...? I can't see it... At the very least it would help other developers...! :D

Um... Have posted your list of bugs on the Irex forum...?

iRex hasn't impressed me with their ability to fix bugs. I have deliberately not posted my bugs in order to keep them from breaking things while trying to fix them, as they've done with the Content Lister/xpdf exploit issues in past releases.

I feel Minimo and xpdf will only get stable on the iLiad once the maintainers of those projects can inspect, and repair as needed, the changes iRex made to their code.

iRex hasn't impressed me with their ability to fix bugs. I have deliberately not posted my bugs in order to keep them from breaking things while trying to fix them, as they've done with the Content Lister/xpdf exploit issues in past releases.

:huh: Um... Wasn't part of the reason Irex released the Illiad early to get feedback...? :blink:

I feel Minimo and xpdf will only get stable on the iLiad once the maintainers of those projects can inspect, and repair as needed, the changes iRex made to their code.

I fail to see how the maintainers would best know it would be adapted for a revolutionary type of display...! And how would these people know how to deal with properties of such a display (eg low refresh rate)...?

Personally, I'm quite astounded in how someone would knowingly with-hold information that can only be used by Irex to make the product better and more useful to all. Not to mention withholding this information to other developers who might be able to find work arounds...

What if iRex had hired scotty1024 to develop the iLiad via OSS, what would be different?

First off, my #1 priority would have been patches to X to produce an iLiad simulator. Right number of pixels X and Y, correct PPI if people cared, and the same API provided on the iLiad to trigger updates to the X display (think about it, how do they push the changes to the e-ink panel, somewhere in your code you call something that says "Update e-ink now" right???) A skin in the window with buttons to push with a mouse that produced the same events as the buttons on the iLiad.

Second, participation in Kernel/Minimo/xpdf development communities. I'd have developers assigned to participate in all those forums and get iLiad source checked in. No freakin' iLiad tar ball, but iLiad build paths that could be checked out and built by developers and used under the X simulator.

When people had feedback, and there would be far more people than just those with iLiads. After all, people could build the X code and run the iLiadian xpdf et al... My developers would work through the existing communities to process those suggestions into the code bases.

Instead of developers fruit-lessly bashing their skulls into desks and eeking out 5% to 10% improvements in power? I'd be kicking their metaphorical asses to get into the developer community and ask for help: "I'm trying to power down a XXXX but YYY is happening. Any one else seen that?"

I would have been leveraging the OSS community for as many man hours as I could mooch to help get the iLiad up to speed as quickly as possible. Bugzilla, Wiki, Subversion and a PHPBoard for my public developers... along with iLiad t-shirts, coasters, mugs and any other thing I could beg, borrow or steal out of the marketing department as a seducement for contributed code. Contribute enough significant items, I'd be going to management to ask for a free or subsidized iLiad for you.

I would have had maybe one kernel developer on ICE with the actual hardware. Application developers would have soft developer iLiad's with ROMulators and Desktops with the X simulator.

So no, no bugs for iRex, and I don't feel bad about that, I feel bad about what iRex could have done, and where we could have been today. :(

And I really don't feel they are the best people to be fixing other people's code at this point. After all, most of the code in the iLiad doesn't belong to iRex.

What I'd rather do when I find a bug is just check out the X simulator, the minimo code, and fix/submit the bug to the minimo project. Let iRex collect the new sources once every 2 or 3 months and push out a new OS release.

If you want to submit bugs to iRex, that's your choice.

Gee... I don't know enough to evaluate what you've suggested Scotty, but you've got my vote for iRex to check their budget and find the funds to hire you! ;)

So no, no bugs for iRex, and I don't feel bad about that, I feel bad about what iRex could have done, and where we could have been today. :(

So... Because Illiad didn't consult you on their development environment you're wasting both their time and the the time of everyone who develops for the Illiad...?

My attitude towards the Illiad is that perhaps they could've done things differently, and perhaps there are areas that could've been improved, but they're calling the shots and *this* is what we've got to work with. No point crying over spilt milk...! Lets just do the best we can with a very good, ground-breaking platform...!

What I'd rather do when I find a bug is just check out the X simulator, the minimo code, and fix/submit the bug to the minimo project.

I'm still confused as to why you would notify the minimo team for a bug in Irexs code... Irex have (probably) extended/changed parts of Minimo/xpdf and so those changes having nothing to with the Minimo/xpdf code base... Or perhaps they are coming up with their own e-ink device...? :D :blink:

Actually I'm just not wasting my time right now...

Gee... I don't know enough to evaluate what you've suggested Scotty, but you've got my vote for iRex to check their budget and find the funds to hire you! ;)

Thanks Bob.

But you know, its still not too late for them to push out that X simulator... :)

We could be compiling code under Linux, sharpening our apps until the iLiad compiler chain is released...

Anyway, enough day dreaming, onwards mighty proxy server!

And if I were the Minimo developer? I'd be getting a bit upset with iRex for a couple reasons.

1. Sony Reader, if I had the patches back from iRex I could be creating a Sony reader minimo. Lots of sizzle, good exposure and an existing Librie developer chain to get started with now...
2. I'm reading about minimo crashing on the iLiad. I'm thinking minimo may get some negative publicity about its stability and readiness to be a browser for a Sony Reader.

If anyone can really put the screws to iRex it would be the minimo team itself. After all, GPL is not copyright free, the minimo team owns the code, not iRex. If iRex makes them look bad enough they can yank iRex's chain: hard.

Hmm, submitting bugs to the minimo project might be a good way to turn up the heat on iRex...

What say you fellow iLiadians? Is it time to turn up the heat?

What say you fellow iLiadians? Is it time to turn up the heat?
Go!


The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 5 characters.

And if I were the Minimo developer? I'd be getting a bit upset with iRex for a couple reasons.

1. Sony Reader, if I had the patches back from iRex I could be creating a Sony reader minimo. Lots of sizzle, good exposure and an existing Librie developer chain to get started with now...
2. I'm reading about minimo crashing on the iLiad. I'm thinking minimo may get some negative publicity about its stability and readiness to be a browser for a Sony Reader.


Why...? From the FAQ...

Minimo is a free, open-source web browser for Windows Mobile (Also called Windows CE, Pocket PC 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2003se) and is based on the Mozilla codebase.

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/minimo/FAQ.html

And further on they state they aren't interested in porting to other OS's... (But a Treo version would be nice...! :D) There's a linux version in the works but all their work seems to be for Win CE... (Which would make sense for a Win CE browser...!)

It has been my experience that new opportunities can change FAQ entries and previously laid plans.