Instructions for patching firmware 3.17.3

[outlandos]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

The Dutch hyphenation dictionary hyph_nl.dic that comes with the firmware contains two faults:

1. Although marked as UTF-8, hyph_nl.dic is actually encoded as ISO8859-1. I am not sure if this creates an actual problem in practice, but my guess is it could cause problems for words which contain non-ascii characters. The hyphenation dictionaries for all other languages are correctly encoded as UTF-8.

2. The LEFTHYPHENMIN and RIGHTHYPHENMIN settings are missing from hyph_nl.dic. This probably means that these settings default to 2, which results in extremely aggressive hyphenation, and is more likely to expose any faults in the dictionary or hyphenation algorithms. Most other languages have them set to 5.

AFAIK these faults have been present in the hyph_nl.dic in all firmware versions, but with the changes to the KEPUB hyphenation in firmware 3.16.0 they may have become more noticable.

I've attached a copy of a patched hyph_nl.dic which fixes these two problems. Because the hyph_nl.dic that comes with the Kobo firmware is identical (apart from being incorrectly marked as UTF-8) to the one available from OpenTaal.org I think it is okay to distribute a modified version from OpenTaal.org here. I have included the licence in Dutch and English. The only modifications I have made to hyph_nl.dic are to encode it as UTF-8 using iconv, and to add LEFTHYPHENMIN 5 and RIGHTHYPHENMIN 5 lines.

All you need to do to replace the hyph_nl.dic on your device with the patched one is to extract the attached ZIP file and copy the KoboRoot.tgz it contains into the.kobo directiory of your device and safely eject. It is safe to use this file on older firmware versions too.

Im sorry but your patch does not work on 3.17.3, as i get incorrect hyphenation again:

http://static.tweakers.net/ext/f/2q8...NM0WH/full.jpg

I did change the value to 4 and 4 with Notepad++, without changing anything else. But I don't believe thats causing it to make errors.

Could you please look into this? It really does make the reading experience a lot less solid.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by outlandos

Im sorry but your patch does not work on 3.17.3, as i get incorrect hyphenation again:

http://static.tweakers.net/ext/f/2q8...NM0WH/full.jpg

I did change the value to 4 and 4 with Notepad++, without changing anything else. But I don't believe thats causing it to make errors.

Could you please look into this? It really does make the reading experience a lot less solid.

There is nothing more I can do about the hyphenation dictionary, the patched dictionary fixes the two structural problems present in the Dutch dictionary that are not present in the other dictionaries, but if there are any problems with the content of the Dutch dictionary then someone who knows Dutch will have to fix them.

I have not noticed any change in the KePub kyphenation since version 3.16.0 nor any change to the ePub hyphenation since 3.15.0 while reading in English.

There are some differences between KePub and ePub hyphenation, the most obvious one is that the KEPUB reader misreads the LEFTHYPHENMIN and RIGHTHYPHENMIN values as being 1 less than they should be. So if you are reading only KePubs you should INCREASE the value of LEFTHYPHENMIN and RIGHTHYPHENMIN by 1 in the dictionary to get the same results as for ePubs.

Edit: Note that although the the hyphenation dictionary should work with all firmware vesions, it needs to be re-installed after each firmware update. Could that be the problem? I'll edit my original post to make this clear.

[bighead]

After I followed the steps to patch, I didn't see any difference in my version 3.17.3.


What does edit mean? How to do it?
3. Read and edit all the *.patch files in the 3.17.3_source/ subdirectory in order to: choose which patches to enable (patch_enable=`yes`) or disable (patch_enable=`no`); and to change some of the replacement values to suit your device and preferences.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by bighead

After I followed the steps to patch, I didn't see any difference in my version 3.17.3.


What does edit mean? How to do it?
3. Read and edit all the *.patch files in the 3.17.3_source/ subdirectory in order to: choose which patches to enable (patch_enable=`yes`) or disable (patch_enable=`no`); and to change some of the replacement values to suit your device and preferences.

This thread explains what some of the patches do, but you'll have to read the patch files in 3.17.3_source/ to see what the others do.

Most of the patches are not enabled by default. If you don't edit the patch files the only ones that will be applied with this version are:

`Fix page breaks bug` -- This patch is misnamed now, but it disables the widows/orphans avoidance code, which prevents the extra blank lines that sometimes appear at the bottom of a page in ePubs.

`Default ePub monospace font (Courier)` -- The effects of this patch are explained here. It won't have any effect unless you have sideloaded a suitable Courier font.

`My 15 line spacing values` -- The effects of this patch are explained here. The default values allow much narrower line spacings to be set compared to the unpatched firmware.

`Custom left & right margins` -- This patch changes the margin adjustment slider to allow finer adjustment of the margins (0% - 8% in 1% steps, instead of 0% - 16% in 2% steps.)

`Brightness fine control` -- Allows finer adjustment of the frontlight brightness when using the sun symbols at the ends of the slider on the popup adjustor. (Defaults to 1% steps instad of 10% steps.)

`Search in Library by default` -- Preselects the device library instead of the bookstore when activating search from the homescreen.

There are many more patches, but you will need edit the patch files in 3.17.3_source/ to enable them, and you should make sure you understand what each patch that you enable does, because some can have unwanted side-effects. Edit: To enable a patch, just change the line patch_enable = `no` to patch_enable = `yes`.

But first you should probably ask yourself "Why do I want to patch?" What problem is it that you want to solve? There is no point patching just for the sake of it, if you are happy with the way the device works already then don't patch it.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by bighead

After I followed the steps to patch, I didn't see any difference in my version 3.17.3.


What does edit mean? How to do it?
3. Read and edit all the *.patch files in the 3.17.3_source/ subdirectory in order to: choose which patches to enable (patch_enable=`yes`) or disable (patch_enable=`no`); and to change some of the replacement values to suit your device and preferences.

With my dyslectic "capability's" i Think I know what you mean, edit is change.
You load the file into by example the editor program notepad++ program, then change the options by changing no into yes as Geoffr explains.
Then start the batch program 3.17.3.bat and it reads the changes you made in the patch files and create a file in the target directory, that file (koboroot.tgz) must be copy'd to the .kobo directory of your e-reader by hand.
So it is not that you attach a reader to your usb port, run the file and then your reader is patched.
(i hope I don't offend or bypass you here geoffr) but basically you do the following thing:

1. Unzip the patch file to a local harddrive of your computer, it has 2 files and two directory's in it.
2. Go to the directory 3.17.3_source.
3. Download the right firmware file for your device here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...69&postcount=1
4. After download you find a file named: kobo-update-3.17.3.zip
Don't unzip it, but place it (copy) in the directory of the patch: 3.17.3_source
5. After copy it there, your 3.17.3_source directory contains:
librmsdk.so.1.0.0.patch
libadobe.so.patch
libnickel.so.1.0.0.patch and
kobo-update-3.17.3.zip
6. Open the 3 following files one by one with the editor program notepad++
(that can be found here: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/v6.8.2.html )
librmsdk.so.1.0.0.patch
libadobe.so.patch
libnickel.so.1.0.0.patch
7. Read carefully what Geoffr told you above this post to see what patches you want, you must change the value no into yes, by example:
<Patch>
patch_name = `This is the option you want to change`
patch_enable = `no`
Change it into
<Patch>
patch_name = `This is the option you want to change`
patch_enable = `yes`
8. Do that with every option you want to enable and save the file.
do the same with the 2 other files in that directory and leave the kobo-update-3.17.3.zip untouched.
9. Then go back to the first part and doubleclick on the 3.17.3.bat file (for windows)
It will read your changed (edited) patch files and makes a new directory:
3.17.3_target
10. In that directory you find a file named Koboroot.tgz
That must be copy'd to your kobo reader and have to be placed in the .kobo directory of the e-reader.
11. Safely eject it and pull out the usb cable,your device will restart and reads the koboroot.tgz files and appy the patches.. done.

[valery]

The "Custom reading footer style" has changed since v3.12.1 and I am a little lost now. There are 3 types of devices uncommented - should I just leave the Glo/Aura lines uncommented and comment out the rest? Or maybe I can leave it as it is?

# Replacement footer height values: Touch/Mini
replace_string = 0011, `min-height: 70px;`, `min-height: 32px;`
replace_string = 0024, `max-height: 70px;`, `max-height: 32px;`
# Replacement footer height values: Glo/Aura
replace_string = 0085, `min-height: 82px;`, `min-height: 28px;`
replace_string = 0098, `max-height: 82px;`, `max-height: 28px;`
# Replacement footer height values: AuraHD/H2O/GloHD
replace_string = 00DA, `min-height: 120px;`, `min-height: 052px;`
replace_string = 00EE, `max-height: 120px;`, `max-height: 052px;`

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by valery

The "Custom reading footer style" has changed since v3.12.1 and I am a little lost now. There are 3 types of devices uncommented - should I just leave the Glo/Aura lines uncommented and comment out the rest? Or maybe I can leave it as it is?

# Replacement footer height values: Touch/Mini
replace_string = 0011, `min-height: 70px;`, `min-height: 32px;`
replace_string = 0024, `max-height: 70px;`, `max-height: 32px;`
# Replacement footer height values: Glo/Aura
replace_string = 0085, `min-height: 82px;`, `min-height: 28px;`
replace_string = 0098, `max-height: 82px;`, `max-height: 28px;`
# Replacement footer height values: AuraHD/H2O/GloHD
replace_string = 00DA, `min-height: 120px;`, `min-height: 052px;`
replace_string = 00EE, `max-height: 120px;`, `max-height: 052px;`

Only the explanations are commented, the patch changes Touch,Mini, Glo/Aura and AuraHD/H2O and GloHD all in one.
If you apply the patch (set to yes) you don't have to change (comment or uncomment) anything.
It is a multi device patch,your device will ignore the patches for the other devices.

[valery]

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

Only the explanations are commented, the patch changes Touch,Mini, Glo/Aura and AuraHD/H2O and GloHD all in one.
If you apply the patch (set to yes) you don't have to change (comment or uncomment) anything.
It is a multi device patch,your device will ignore the patches for the other devices.

Great, thanks

[norbusan]

Dear all,
here is my mega-update for 3.17.3, which includes the following addons:

• KSM8 - to fix database corruptions with Calibre and kepub driver
• Metazoa patches - this thread
• KOreader
• pbchess and CoolReader - the vlavasoft stuff
• ssh server from the kobohack project
• support for custom dictionaries across syncs
• several side-loaded fonts

Please see detailed explanations here:
http://www.preining.info/blog/2015/0...tch-ssh-fonts/

Norbert

PS: I would like to make a separate thread, but that was rejected by admins. Sorry for that.

[PeterT]

I'd say just go ahead and make a thread; maybe title it Mega Update; keep the first post updated with links to the various mega-update releases and just go for it.

[bighead]

I got that, thanks for Nick_1964 and GeoffR

It is working now (patching :3.17.3, kobo glo hd)

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

With my dyslectic "capability's" i Think I know what you mean, edit is change..

[Dryhte]

Thanks GeoffR for a very easy and well explained process! The only thing that really bugged me was the pinch-to-zoom which couldn't be turned off, I'm so happy that it's gone.

[Dryhte]

Hi GeoffR,

do you think it is possible to find a patch to create something like a 'minimum swipe distance' of, say, 1cm? I think that would be a real improvement to the user experience...

Currently if you touch the screen and accidentally move your finger 1mm it sometimes registers as a swipe.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Dryhte

do you think it is possible to find a patch to create something like a 'minimum swipe distance' of, say, 1cm? I think that would be a real improvement to the user experience...

Currently if you touch the screen and accidentally move your finger 1mm it sometimes registers as a swipe.

It might be possible, but I don't know how to do it, sorry.

[Dryhte]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

It might be possible, but I don't know how to do it, sorry.

Let's keep it on the wish list then