KoboLauncher for standalone Qt apps

[Darth_Bane]

Originally Posted by sergeyvl12

Now you can launch any app and exit from the launcher.

script example:

#!/bin/sh

echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO # exit from launcher

# launch your app here

....

Originally Posted by michald

It is working well for me, nice!

I tried launching cr3 with the recipe above and it doesn't seem to work on my Touch. I tried both

#!/bin/sh
echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO
cr3/cr3 -stylesheet $STYLESHEET

and

#!/bin/sh
echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO
exec cr3/cr3 -stylesheet $STYLESHEET

in cr3.sh and Coolreader never launches; after clicking the launcher icon, it just goes back to the Kobo home screen. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by Darth_Bane

I tried launching cr3 with the recipe above and it doesn't seem to work on my Touch. I tried both

#!/bin/sh
echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO
cr3/cr3 -stylesheet $STYLESHEET

and

#!/bin/sh
echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO
exec cr3/cr3 -stylesheet $STYLESHEET

in cr3.sh and Coolreader never launches; after clicking the launcher icon, it just goes back to the Kobo home screen. Am I missing something? Thanks in advance.

try this:

#!/bin/sh
cr3/cr3 -stylesheet $STYLESHEET
echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO

cr needs launcher. launcher chould exit at cr finish.

[Darth_Bane]

Originally Posted by sergeyvl12

try this:

#!/bin/sh 
cr3/cr3 -stylesheet $STYLESHEET
echo "exit" > $VLASOVSOFT_FIFO

cr needs launcher. launcher chould exit at cr finish.

Thanks, that almost worked perfectly. When I exit CR for the first time however, I just get a completely blank screen, but when hit the HOME button on my Touch the home page reappears. After that, CR exits immediately to the home screen every single time, which is perfect. Whenever I reboot, I get the blank screen on first exit again.

Also, the launcher seems to always blank out the wifi and settings icons (top row or home page). Even if I run the launcher and exit immediately (i.e. I don't run any apps, only the launcher) the wifi and settings icons disappear and only a reboot will bring them back.

These two issues are minor for me, and I still use your Coolreader app daily.

Cheers!

[kobo.feb]

Originally Posted by clsdclsd

Here are the instructions for windows (Windows 7, but XP and 8 should be similar):

1. start the launcher
2. connect usb
3. tap usbnet
4. If nothing happens on Windows, you'll need the ntx driver instead of the freescale one. You can get it from the original firmware (KoboRoot.tar\drivers\ntx508\usb\gadget\), replace the arcotg_udc.ko and g_ether.ko files in .kobo\usbnet. Repeat steps 1-3.
5. Windows recognizes the new usb device but can not find the right driver for it.
6. Go to Device Manager (start -> search for programs and files, type "device manager") and find the device with yellow exclamation mark under "other devices".
Right click -> update driver software -> Browse computer for driver -> let me pick from a list -> network adapters -> Microsoft -> Remote NDIS Compatible Device ->install it regardless it's "not recommended".
7. Go to Network Connections (start -> search for programs and files, type "Network Connections") and right click on RNDIS/Ethernet gadget, choose Properties.
8. Choose Internet Protocol V4 -> properties -> use the following IP address: 192.168.2.100, subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 .

To test the connection, start a command prompt (start -> search -> cmd.exe) and type "ping 192.168.2.101"

For remote login, I tested Putty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PuTTY), works like a charm.

I have managed to make it work on my Kobo Glo under XP, but I had to make my own .inf driver file as XP/SP3 did not contain any generic driver.
So step 6. a bit different:

6. Go to Device Manager (start -> search for programs and files, type "device manager") and find the device with yellow exclamation mark under "other devices".
Right click -> update driver software -> Browse computer for driver -> let me pick from a list -> network adapters -> have disk -> download this zipped .inf file and unzip it to a directory and select it ->install it regardless it's "not recommended".

step 7. is the same
step 8. is the same, however Internet Protocol V4 is listed on my XP as TCP/IP protocol"

I also have tested with Putty and works OK.

This .inf file works on my Glo, but I am almost sure will not work on Aura/Touch, etc.

To make your appropriate .inf file for XP you can do the following (as I did):
1. Go this microsoft webaddress to get a generic RNDIS inf file: RNDIS template for XP

2. Copy the full content of the data in the bracket to notepad or any text editor and save it for example kobo.inf

3. In the device manager click on the RNDIS/Ethernet gadget item, choose Properties, choose "details" option and select "hardware IDs" from the pull down menu.

4. you will see something similar: USB\Vid_0525&Pid_a4a2&Rev_0326

5. copy this text (only this first line!) into your .inf file in your text editor and replace USB\VID_xxxx&PID_yyyy texts with it. (included 3 times in the file)

6. save your .inf file and now ready to install your Kobo device usb network with the steps above (including my modified step 6).

[sergeyvl12]

kobo.feb, thanks for detailed instruction. I'll link it in the first post.

[Leonatus]

Sergey,
I love your "Power-off"-button. Everytime when I close the reader, there appears your picture with some lightnings in the background. Great effect, even on my Touch that is only black-and white. Reading a book is nice, but thus, there is even a lot of joy finishing it.

My simpleton question: Can I simply substitute the default image by a png of my own (for example: old castle surrounded with fog; the lighting around must be awsome, I think)?

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by Leonatus

Sergey,
I love your "Power-off"-button. Everytime when I close the reader, there appears your picture with some lightnings in the background. Great effect, even on my Touch that is only black-and white. Reading a book is nice, but thus, there is even a lot of joy finishing it.

My simpleton question: Can I simply substitute the default image by a png of my own (for example: old castle surrounded with fog; the lighting around must be awsome, I think)?

I don't see any reason why not

[Leonatus]

O. k. Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I'm not committing a mistake.

[Alastair_S]

Thank you for this extremely useful tool, however USBnet will not work on my N905C Touch unless I first delete the following lines in usbnet.sh

if [ $DEVICE == TOUCH ]; then
    PLATFORM=freescale
fi

(Incidentally, for Windows users do not use Windows WordPad to edit any .sh file because it will save the file in a form that the Launcher cannot read. Instead use the Launcher's own Notepad to edit the file if you have no suitable alternative text editor.)

If I want to make an image of the SD when connected to a Linux computer will the following commands work and should I use the first line or the other three lines?

ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0" | dd of=image.img

ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p1" | dd of=image1.img
ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p2" | dd of=image2.img
ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p3" | dd of=image3.img

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by Alastair_S

Thank you for this extremely useful tool, however USBnet will not work on my N905C Touch unless I first delete the following lines in usbnet.sh

if [ $DEVICE == TOUCH ]; then
    PLATFORM=freescale
fi

(Incidentally, for Windows users do not use Windows WordPad to edit any .sh file because it will save the file in a form that the Launcher cannot read. Instead use the Launcher's own Notepad to edit the file if you have no suitable alternative text editor.)

If I want to make an image of the SD when connected to a Linux computer will the following commands work and should I use the first line or the other three lines?

ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0" | dd of=image.img

ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p1" | dd of=image1.img
ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p2" | dd of=image2.img
ssh root@192.168.2.101 "dd if=/dev/mmcblk0p3" | dd of=image3.img

Not all "Touches" are the same, Your N905C is a Mark4 device as I understand it. The earlier Touches are Mark3 devices and I guess it is those that need to use the "Freescale" driver.

Luck;
Ken

[sirzur]

I have read through the whole thread, and there are hints, but is it possible to boot (or power on) directly to the launcher without firing up nickel. If so, how do I achieve this?

Thanks

[sergeyvl12]

Originally Posted by sirzur

I have read through the whole thread, and there are hints, but is it possible to boot (or power on) directly to the launcher without firing up nickel. If so, how do I achieve this?

Thanks

It's possible. But you need to change your rcS file manually (start launcher before nickel). I can't provide such file because thay (kobo) change their's rcS in each firmware

[sirzur]

Thanks. I would guess that I need to put this line into the rcS file

/mnt/onboard/run.sh &

I am guessing that I can comment out the following line as it call nickel

/usr/local/Kobo/nickel -qws -skipFontLoad & (for Kobo mini & Glo) in the rcS

Should I then duplicate the launcher.sh file (from your vlasovsoft directory) that you have and rename it run.sh and locate in the same level directory as .kobo (maybe at the same time removing lines "killall -STOP nickel" and "killall -CONT nickel" ?). - As you can see, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing - for me anyway

Thanks

[jaredj]

Hi

Thanks Sergey for your work, this gives much more possibilities to people than just standard reader.

I have installed your KoboLauncher with no problems. Although now, when I start it, I have horizontal oriented screen, then when touching anything - it's not working. I can choose CoolReader or Exit, can't settings etc.
In CoolReader - can get menu - but then can't activate any option in the menu. I even couldn't exit CR, had to hard reboot.
Had read something about Koreader and inverted coordinates but the file to change is specific for Koreader. What to do with this in KoboLauncher?

My Kobo is Touch, N905C, serial number begin with N and software version is 3.2.0 dated 2/11/14.

Thanks for your help in advance.

[maryaie]

I had the KoboLauncher on my Kobo Touch and it was working well. Yesterday, I upgraded my device from 3.0.1 to 3.2.0 ... I re-installed KoboLauncher, but now it is horizontally and the touch doesn't work properly :-(