Kobo Start Menu

[tshering]

Originally Posted by Elaxon

Doesn't work I've finished viewing all the thumbnails but it still doesn't work to press start nickel. Only works without fmon started.

Strange! You could try and open some books, so that the KSM pngs are not any longer shown on the home screen. I hope you can then start nickel with fmon.

[Elaxon]

Originally Posted by tshering

Strange! You could try and open some books, so that the KSM pngs are not any longer shown on the home screen. I hope you can then start nickel with fmon.

It works but it is not related I think. But when I plug it into my pc and get the standby screen my kobo frontlight doesn't go off.

EDIT: Fixed as well database was corrupt. Thanks a lot for your help and time with the start menu!

EDIT2: The standby issue isn't fixed and still happens. It seems to work after I factory reset first time and after that it stops. Also I noticed if I don't add any books the KSM works first time cause I just reinstalled it. But is there anyway to make it turn off frontlight when plugged into pc?

[tshering]

Originally Posted by Elaxon

It works but it is not related I think. But when I plug it into my pc and get the standby screen my kobo frontlight doesn't go off.

EDIT: Fixed as well database was corrupt. Thanks a lot for your help and time with the start menu!

EDIT2: The standby issue isn't fixed and still happens. It seems to work after I factory reset first time and after that it stops. Also I noticed if I don't add any books the KSM works first time cause I just reinstalled it. But is there anyway to make it turn off frontlight when plugged into pc?

I am glad you can use again nickel!

As for the light, I think I found a convenient solution. But since I plan to do some further changes, I will upload the files only in some days, I guess.

[tshering]

Any proposals for the preset value of kobomenuFontsize for H2O?

Of course everybody can change the value in usersettings herself. But I would like to make it a better first time experience for new users, at least for the next version of KSM.

And any proposals for kobomenuMenuBarFontsize? Different from what the name suggests, this controls the font size of the small info text that appears on some screens.

[tshering]

Would any H2O or HD user like to test, whether these devices can exit from nickel back to a working KSM with the changes I did?

• Copy start_nickel_no_reboot.sh (which you can find in the uploaded library) to .kobo\kbmenu\scripts
• Eject the reader and disable usb
• Select i(KSM home) "scripts > start nickel no reboot.sh"
• From nickel select exit_nickel.png in order to exit nickel

If KSM is unresponsive or shows some other strange behaviour, force the device to power down (by keeping the power slider in the off position for 20 seconds), and then power on again.

[boriar]

YEAAAHHH! Here H2O FW3.12.0 and all go perfect!
THANKS MAN!

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by tshering

Would any H2O or HD user like to test,
If KSM is unresponsive or shows some other strange behaviour, force the device to power down (by keeping the power slider in the off position for 20 seconds), and then power on again.

For my AuraHD it seems to work, the exit returned me to the KSM Scripts menu. (Which makes me want to take a look at your script. The return looks to be very clean. Oh, this is on FW3.0.5

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Thank you for testing and reporting, Boriar and Ken! This is good news. I owe the solution to Frostschutz:

Originally Posted by frostschutz

Because for some strange reason, the value you set is the opposite of the value you get.

I will pack this together with the new front light handling and upload it tomorrow or so. Maybe before that we could also test the koreader-nickel nickel-koreader switch, but not earlier than tomorrow.

[jshzh]

Hi Tshring and Ken,

I had been using this start menu (same version) since last fall and everything was fine till yesterday when I tried the "pocket" app in the nickle and was asked to update before syncing articles. Unfortunately, after the updating (the menu turned up first, I chose full update from the menu - I didn't know what I was doing in fact) the device don't go to the menu when powered up. I have only access to a regular Kobo Aura HD now, no access to the menu or Koreader.

I noticed that there had been many updates for the Koreader and menu since last auguest. Should I follow Ken's tutorial and reinstall everything new or do I need to reinstall anything before doing it?

Since I need to go through this whole treatment, I am wondering if I could add a regular android app via the menu as well, for instance Greader (for fetching articles and news from websites) or even the Pocket into the menu? I found the Pocket in nickle is not a regular version. It cannot fetch webpages in certain formats but the Pocket in my old crappy smartphone could. I am guessing the aura is just android OS with a kobo interface and functions - that is why using a launcher could introduce more apps into it. I need some news downloading and reading apps - nothing involves heavy animation or video playback. Is this possible under this menue? Or do I need to investigate this tutorial?

I have only limited experience with apk and zip application in my HC phone so will wait for your advice and instruction before taking any actions.

Thank you.

[PeterT]

I can't answer the details of reinstalling but I can answer the question regarding Android apps.

Simply put an emphatic NO.

This is not an Android device (however if you really want to you can blow away all aspects of Kobo functionality and install an Android build and forgo Nickel, KoReader, Kobo Start Menu, etc).

[Ken Maltby]

The Firmware update would have removed the KSM startup code, if you did the full update. The partial update option keeps the KSM code in place while the rest of the firmware update is applied. So you could follow the instructions at the KSM6 page to uninstall what is there now and install KSM6.

Both Koreader and KSM have been greatly improved since Aug 2014. There is KSM6 and Koreader has many improvements (it also just now has been ported to run on PocketBook). If I were in your position, I would first make sure my library was backed up to my PC, then do a factory reset and start over clean.

I don't know if the Android Koreader apk runs on any of the Android hacks/mods for the Kobo AuraHD.

Luck;
Ken

[jshzh]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I can't answer the details of reinstalling but I can answer the question regarding Android apps.

Simply put an emphatic NO.

This is not an Android device (however if you really want to you can blow away all aspects of Kobo functionality and install an Android build and forgo Nickel, KoReader, Kobo Start Menu, etc).

Thanks, Peter. In fact, the tutorial I linked to says it is a dual boot system, which means the original kobo and android can both be used, just not at the same time. This video review shows some of its features. The reviewer is not the developer so I guess it might not be as bad as he implied.

I have been thinking to get a Kobo Arc HD 10 recently because my crappy android phone didn't work well and the ARC HD are often on sale - the 10" once was sold for 100 CAN$. But getting many devices doesn't sound too appealing. And the screen is not really easy on the eyes. It took me more than 24 working hours to successfully install a new rom and bring everything back to life and ad-free on this HTC Wild Fire S (in the hall of shame of smartphones)! Did learn something tough - at a very high price.

[jshzh]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

The Firmware update would have removed the KSM startup code, if you did the full update. The partial update option keeps the KSM code in place while the rest of the firmware update is applied. So you could follow the instructions at the KSM6 page to uninstall what is there now and install KSM6.

Both Koreader and KSM have been greatly improved since Aug 2014. There is KSM6 and Koreader has many improvements (it also just now has been ported to run on PocketBook). If I were in your position, I would first make sure my library was backed up to my PC, then do a factory reset and start over clean.

I don't know if the Android Koreader apk runs on any of the Android hacks/mods for the Kobo AuraHD.

Luck;
Ken

Thank you, Ken. I think I will get a fresh start then since I need to learn the whole process from scratch anyways.

As to Koreader on Pocketbook, does the font darkness adjustment work? I always think the software on Pocketbook is perfect except one thing - the font color can't be changed - which may be a problem for some scanned PDF books.

[jshzh]

I found 2 Chinese threads talking about running Kobo native ereader, koreader, and android on Kobo Aura HD. People say it is easy to switch from one to another smoothly. Unfortunately, I am technologically challenged so I couldn't figure out how it was done - there is no details (not enough for me) in the discussion. I am posting these two links here for people who can read Chinese and know android system. Here and here.

And this blog article about Debian/Android DualBoot for Kobo Aura HD, also in Chinese. There is some "boot setting" in a screen shot, kind of similar to the idea of a menu.

[tshering]

@jshzh
I have no knowledge about Android at all, never had any Android device in my hands, ... Sorry, I cannot help you with that.