Kobo Patcher

[jackie_w]

Re: Full screen

It looks to me as if there is also a full screen option available. The config file also contains this option:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Disable reading footer style`
patch_enable = `no`
replace_bytes = 9B9444, 0E F7 22 E4, 00 46 00 46
</Patch>

I haven't tested it but I imagine if you enable this one then you should also disable the `Custom reading footer style`

[nesler]

What settings are Mini users using?

[evanft]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Re: Full screen

It looks to me as if there is also a full screen option available. The config file also contains this option:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Disable reading footer style`
patch_enable = `no`
replace_bytes = 9B9444, 0E F7 22 E4, 00 46 00 46
</Patch>

I haven't tested it but I imagine if you enable this one then you should also disable the `Custom reading footer style`

I'd love to know this, too. A complete full screen mode would be AMAZING for the Aura HD.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by evanft

I'd love to know this, too. A complete full screen mode would be AMAZING for the Aura HD.

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I tried enabling 'Disable reading footer' on the Aura. The footer is reduced to 2-3mm and the Page x of y is in miniscule writing (<1mm tall). See attached.

An interesting experiment, but not one I'll be keeping

P.S. In case anyone is wondering, the top margin you see in the pic has been deliberately added by me. The standard Kobo top margin in fw2.8.1 is very small for standard epubs.

[evanft]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Just to satisfy my own curiosity, I tried enabling 'Disable reading footer' on the Aura. The footer is reduced to 2-3mm and the Page x of y is in miniscule writing (<1mm tall). See attached.

An interesting experiment, but not one I'll be keeping

P.S. In case anyone is wondering, the top margin you see in the pic has been deliberately added by me. The standard Kobo top margin in fw2.8.1 is very small.

Using 04, that is what it looks like on my Aura. I wonder if there is a way to eliminate the page number all together and get an extra line or two of text.

[henriquemaia]

jackie_w, but to achieve that results, you're using normal epubs, not kepubs, right?

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

If you apply the patch with customised footer enabled then don't be too quick to decide that the values you have chosen are wrong. Once the Kobo has rebooted and a book is opened you may find that the 'Page x of y' runs slightly off the bottom edge of the screen. If you then open the font menu and close it again (no need to change any sliders) the font used for Page x of y should change to the one selected in the font menu. This should raise the 'Page x of y' above the bottom edge. If you then do a normal page turn the 'Page x of y' rises a little more... and then stays in the same place for all subsequent page turns.

Thanks for this!

[ibu]

Originally Posted by treadlightly

I still want the Page # of # at the bottom, so I wasn't trying to remove it, but I used the 60/60/10 suggested by DNSB and the screen is one line short of full.

Thanks @all for the feedback.
I will try to get the patch working on my device.

At the moment I don't know, if I get used to a view without any information about the "progress".
I only know, that I don't like to see the page numbers on tiny screen near to the text.

But if I could choose, I would like to see a visualization of the progress in form of a tiny noncommitel bar at the bottom of the page.

For those who set the margin bottom so low, that no page number is seen:

How can you get to the main menu than?
Still by a tap in the middle of the bottom?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ibu

Thanks @all for the feedback.
I will try to get the patch working on my device.

At the moment I don't know, if I get used to a view without any information about the "progress".
I only know, that I don't like to see the page numbers on tiny screen near to the text.

But if I could choose, I would like to see a visualization of the progress in form of a tiny noncommitel bar at the bottom of the page.

For those who set the margin bottom so low, that no page number is seen:

This patch is just hacking values that are stored in compiled program that presents the GUI on the device. It can't add extra function if it isn't there already. Kobo had a bar like you want in the 1.9.x firmware version. It could be displayed in 2.0.0 and maybe 2.1.x, but has been removed.

How can you get to the main menu than?
Still by a tap in the middle of the bottom?

The change i only affecting the display of the book. You will be able to tap in the same place as before to display the menu. When it is displayed, it will be in the same place and cover some text.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by henriquemaia

jackie_w, but to achieve that results, you're using normal epubs, not kepubs, right?

Yes. I've edited my earlier post to make that clearer.

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by davidfor

This patch is just hacking values that are stored in compiled program that presents the GUI on the device. It can't add extra function if it isn't there already. Kobo had a bar like you want in the 1.9.x firmware version. It could be displayed in 2.0.0 and maybe 2.1.x, but has been removed.

The really clever thing about the hack is not really the process of poking the new values into the binary, but finding out what the values should be, and more importantly, where they need to go (the byte offsets). This is especially more difficult now that parts of the binary are now compressed. So hats off to Metazoa.

And in case anyone is not aware, the patch configuration is firmware specific. So next time Kobo releases a new firmware, we will very likely need new byte offsets in the patch configuration, which could take someone some time to work out. The great thing about Metazoa's patch though, is that it is configurable--we're not reliant on Metazoa releasing a new patch exe for each firmware.

[ectoplasm]

Originally Posted by ShellShock

... to work out. The great thing about Metazoa's patch though, is that it is configurable--we're not reliant on Metazoa releasing a new patch exe for each firmware.

We may not be reliant on Metazoa assuming someone else is capable of figuring out the byte offsets. I'm grateful to Metazoa but I'm a bit unhappy with Kobo for making it so difficult to customize the devices we spent money for. In this case, it sounds like a CSS text file that could have been stored in a user accessible location. Are they deliberately trying to obfuscate it?

Personally I'll avoid any firmware updates until I have time to see that Metazoa's patch works.

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

In case it helps anyone else, I'll also pass on this snippet. If you apply the patch with customised footer enabled then don't be too quick to decide that the values you have chosen are wrong. Once the Kobo has rebooted and a book is opened you may find that the 'Page x of y' runs slightly off the bottom edge of the screen. If you then open the font menu and close it again (no need to change any sliders) the font used for Page x of y should change to the one selected in the font menu. This should raise the 'Page x of y' above the bottom edge. If you then do a normal page turn the 'Page x of y' rises a little more... and then stays in the same place for all subsequent page turns.

I have not been able to reproduce this effect. Anyone else have an luck?

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by ShellShock

I have not been able to reproduce this effect. Anyone else have an luck?

I've attached 3 screencaps of the effect I see.
From left to right:
1. Immediately after installing patch and opening a book.
2. Go into font menu and out again, changing nothing.
3. Turn the page.

Between 1 and 2 - 'Page x of y' change of font used from ??? to same as rest of text (Linux Libertine). This time around the 'Page x of y' is still slightly below the bottom of screen so I have to conclude that positioning for pic 2. is font dependent. I was using Garamond in my book when I did the initial tests.

Between 2 and 3 - Better space between 'Page x of y' and bottom of screen, no longer cut off.

[kslaght]

Hi everyone

Thanks for getting this info out there, and for reformatting and coloring the config file, treadlightly.

I cannot, however, get this to work on my Glo with 2.8.1.
I copied treadlightly's config file and then changed only the 3 numbers in green to 60,60,10 (as mentioned a few times), but didn't see any results after updating. Same results with different numbers.

I then enabled the 'Disable reading footer style' patch, and it worked. I don't want to get rid of the page numbers, but at least I know my updates are being applied.

I tried using the original config file, just in case I copied it poorly, which didn't work either.

Am I missing something here? I believe I've done this all properly, but perhaps someone can provide my missing link.

Thanks a lot
Keith