Unofficial russian software ;3

[grooks]

If you run this thread http://www.the-ebook.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12053 through Google Translate, beneath the 600 screen shots you will see a Rapidshare link for the Russification file. I think there may be a readme file in the zip which gives instructions in english. Once you understand the instructions, run the exe file and the process takes just a few minutes.

The link I posted is for the amutin version as that is the one I used and it worked very well for me. Been using my clock for almost 2 weeks now.

I believe there are further instructions if you are using Windows 7 but that was not a problem for me as I'm using XP.

If you need further help just send me a pm and I can walk you through it.

[jlbfoot]

After considerable thought, I decided to go ahead and try to flash my 300 with the Boroda method, using the file that only gives the clock and Unicode fonts. I unzipped the file, copied and pasted the "Sony Reader" folder into the root 300 drive that had "database" on it, and pulled the USB plug. The reader appeared to go through the screens, as it was supposed to, then rebooted. That is where I got stuck. I get the "Opening Book..." screen, then a message that "Firmware update did not complete successfully. Please try again".

I've tried the multiple resets in succession without success. The only thing I can see on my readers drive is a file called "protected!!" and I can't access the drive on the reader.

Any suggestions, beside get a new reader. I will if I must, and I knew the risks. Just have to borrow my wife's reader until I get this fixed, or I make it back to the States. Thanks!

[grooks]

Try to send a private message to 'porkupan'. I don't know how to fix it but hopefully someone will be able to answer your question?

[jlbfoot]

Just to let you know grooks, I PM'ed him and he got me sorted. Now I have my reader functioning, and with a clock to boot!

[grooks]

Good to hear. Glad it is now working and you have the clock.

[scottjl]

well. i just tried this on my new 600 (crazy, i know). it was as simple as downloading the flash utility from here, uncompressing it on my computer and starting the .bat file. it needed the 600 attached (but no library manager running). it asked my language, flashed my 600, and rebooted it. there weren't any viruses (and being an IT guy, i checked) or anything else nasty in the archive.

now i have a clock in the lower right corner (very useful) and it replaced dutch with russian. since i don't read russian, nor dutch, it's a wash.

if i want to go back to the official sony firmware i guess i'd just run their updater.

the only downside i can think of, is since the clock is running, it's going to keep updating the screen every minute, draining the battery faster. update it doesn't drain the battery any faster, the clock only updates when the page is refreshed by you (turning pages, menus, etc). so no extra battery drain, but also no auto-update of clock.

there are two warnings..

first is make sure your reader is fully charged before attempting the flash.

second is that the eBook Library application won't work unless it also has been "russianified", you can download that version here.

i've just tested the flashed 600 with the non-russianified reader (3.0.01.10191) and it seems to have no problems at all. i can transfer media back and forth.

[jlbfoot]

Originally Posted by scottjl

the only downside i can think of, is since the clock is running, it's going to keep updating the screen every minute, draining the battery faster. update it doesn't drain the battery any faster, the clock only updates when the page is refreshed by you (turning pages, menus, etc). so no extra battery drain, but also no auto-update of clock.

My version has the option to set the clock to off, 24 hour, 24 hour-tick, am/pm, and am/pm-tick. The "tick" options update the clock every minute without a manual page change. I thought that was very cool...until I saw that my battery had gone from a full charge to a half charge sitting idle for about 12 hours. I have since chosen the option "am/pm" without the "tick".... it's not that cool!

[porkupan]

Yes, the "ticking" clocks don't let the CPU fall asleep, so they drain the battery very fast. I don't recommend that anyone runs with those.

[lukasfikr]

Porcupan - is there any chance to switch from russian to czech WinPage 1250 (Central European)? I.e. change fonts, code page, keyboard (or add czech as another language, because I could use russian too - we were forced to learn russian after Soviet occupation in 1968 ...).

Thanks.

[scottjl]

Originally Posted by jlbfoot

My version has the option to set the clock to off, 24 hour, 24 hour-tick, am/pm, and am/pm-tick. The "tick" options update the clock every minute without a manual page change. I thought that was very cool...until I saw that my battery had gone from a full charge to a half charge sitting idle for about 12 hours. I have since chosen the option "am/pm" without the "tick".... it's not that cool!

interesting. where'd you get your version? mine doesn't have that option anywhere i can find. no options for the clock anywhere i can see.

[grooks]

Originally Posted by scottjl

interesting. where'd you get your version? mine doesn't have that option anywhere i can find. no options for the clock anywhere i can see.

Do you know which version you are running, the amutin or boroda version?

I used amutin's file and only have the option for 12 or 24 hour clock, which is just fine for me. Don't need the additional options for 'tick'.

[jlbfoot]

Originally Posted by scottjl

interesting. where'd you get your version? mine doesn't have that option anywhere i can find. no options for the clock anywhere i can see.

On my version, if you go to "Settings/About" there is an option to change the clock with the 0 button, change pages with the 5/6/7/8 buttons selected with the 1 button, and change the function of a long enter key press ( I have mine set to power down the reader) with the 2 button, if I remember correctly. I am quite happy to have those options on my 300, especially the clock and the page forward/back set to the 7/8 key.

[scottjl]

that must be it then. i must be running the version w/o the options, which is fine. i'm glad to have a clock, don't need it ticking and killing the battery. less is more.

[porkupan]

Sorry about the occupation - I had no part of it, as I was born only in 1969. And I was never a Communist believer, although I was a "Young Pioneer" and a Comsomol member for a couple of years in high school, when everyone was required to join.

As far as adding a new language, it is not very simple. The languages and keyboards are "hardcoded" in the JS bytecode, and they are quite a pain to extend. I replaced Dutch with Russian - that was the easiest thing to do. You can replace German or French with Czech, if you wish to keep Russian. I think your Czech compatriots will appreciate if you replace Russian with Czech and keep the other three languages. Getting rid of the Russian menu will not preclude you from reading Russian books, of course.

You would have to unpack the FW image and do all the changes yourself. The Chinese and the Thai are already running with it, so you should be able to, if you want to.

As far as changing the default codepage for the non-unicode files, you can do it yourself (I provided the source code for the little DLL that modifies the default codepage to Win1251).

The fonts in my version already include East European character sets, so you shouldn't need to replace those. But you have to be very careful with loading new images into the PRS-600, especially if you don't have experience with making FW images for Sony Readers. The 10-reset method of forcing the Recovery mode doesn't work on PRS-600 (for some reason Sony didn't include it in their bootloader this time). The firmware supports some autorun, so you should test your images before flashing.

Here is how to do the autorun testing:

1) You need to install one of my firmwares

2) You need to copy the autorun files (test directory) into the Reader's main storage and reboot the Reader

3) The autorun should then be redirected to the /Data/test

4) If you insert one of the autorun cards (an SD card that has a Sony Reader/software/autorun.xml file on it, doesn't matter what's in this file) while holding the Vol+ and Home buttons, the Reader should execute autorun menu from the /Data/test directory.

5) The only option there that works is (+) - Load test firmware.

Best of luck to you!

Originally Posted by lukasfikr

Porcupan - is there any chance to switch from russian to czech WinPage 1250 (Central European)? I.e. change fonts, code page, keyboard (or add czech as another language, because I could use russian too - we were forced to learn russian after Soviet occupation in 1968 ...).

Thanks.

[lukasfikr]

Thanks for reply - I will try. I think I will replace German - 'cause now I live in Canada and replacing French could be against language laws in Quebec ...
Other question is - If I do not need Czech menu (which I really do not neen) and my documents are Unicode - do I need to do any changes with your firmware to read Czech/Slovak texts? Only problem would be a keyboard.
I was born in 1969 and I was young pioneer and after that a member of Socialist Youth Union (same as your Komsomol) too ...