PRSCustomizer: Customize and personalize your PRS505 Reader

[nightslide]

Hi there, I just got my PRS 505, and am excited to try PRS Customizer. When I tried it, it wouldn't work. I have looked through some of the pages here, and I can see that you can downgrade your firmware (I'm hesitant to do that. If I downgrade it, can up upgrade it again to the latest version, while still keeping the changes PRS Customizer made for me, I don't think so). It is the 1.1.01.25200, and I'm in Canada, so I'm assuming that would be the US/Canada firmware, right?

I also saw a message that development was frozen until a new version of the firmware came out. So I'm wondering, am I understanding correctly that a newer version of PRS Customizer may be coming out, and will just 'do' it for me automatically (using firmware 1.1.01.25200) without having to downgrade or anything?

Thanks so much, I appreciate your help, and I'll try not to be too much of a newb. This program looks great, and I'm really impressed by the MobileRead community so far. Thanks again!

d

[JeffElkins]

Originally Posted by nightslide

Hi there, I just got my PRS 505, and am excited to try PRS Customizer. When I tried it, it wouldn't work. I have looked through some of the pages here, and I can see that you can downgrade your firmware (I'm hesitant to do that. If I downgrade it, can up upgrade it again to the latest version, while still keeping the changes PRS Customizer made for me, I don't think so). It is the 1.1.01.25200, and I'm in Canada, so I'm assuming that would be the US/Canada firmware, right?

I also saw a message that development was frozen until a new version of the firmware came out. So I'm wondering, am I understanding correctly that a newer version of PRS Customizer may be coming out, and will just 'do' it for me automatically (using firmware 1.1.01.25200) without having to downgrade or anything?

Thanks so much, I appreciate your help, and I'll try not to be too much of a newb. This program looks great, and I'm really impressed by the MobileRead community so far. Thanks again!

d

I suppose it's logical to call the firmware change a "downgrade" since it's dropping to a lower sequenced number, but AFAIK, Sony has never put out a change list showing what's different for the various 505 firmwares. Personally, I think they're [the firmware numbers] primarily for marketing purposes. The big "loss" from the "firmware downgrade" is the possible change from a US date format to a UK/European one is the only change discovered thus far.

If Sony's next 505 firmware update (if any) is encrypted, PRSCustomizer will probably cease development, other than bug fixes.

[fantafrik]

Hello!

I have just tried the PRS customizer. It is just wonderfull! I don´t know why, but my device even seems to work faster.

I would like to ask some questions:
- Is it possible to increase/decrease the fonts with the volume buttons?
- If that is so, could be possible to change the landscape mode with the zoom button?

[dpierron]

Originally Posted by fantafrik

Hello!

I have just tried the PRS customizer. It is just wonderfull! I don´t know why, but my device even seems to work faster.

I would like to ask some questions:
- Is it possible to increase/decrease the fonts with the volume buttons?

It probably could be done, though I doubt the usefulness of this feature, when the zoom button has the same function...

Originally Posted by fantafrik

- If that is so, could be possible to change the landscape mode with the zoom button?

Already, if you press and hold the zoom button, the viewing mode will change from portrait to landscape and vice-versa (this is a documented feature of the non-customized firmware)

[fantafrik]

Thank you DPierron for the reply.

I didn´t remember the subject for keeping pressed the zoom button.

The utility on the volume for zoom is that usually I want to see in a bigger size, but if it reflows or is too bigger, for example, you can go back to the previous size without having to rotate between other sizes which is often too slow.

Even so, if this would be possible, only a click for the landscape mode would be good too, only for the fast response when you are changing the mode continuously.

[surquizu]

Original display:


Template:


My display:


Spanish manual

[pepak]

Bug report: The unicode monospace font has invalid "full font name" entered, rendering it unusable by Sony Reader. Details in this thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55543

[JeffElkins]

Originally Posted by pepak

Bug report: The unicode monospace font has invalid "full font name" entered, rendering it unusable by Sony Reader. Details in this thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55543

Thanks for the report. Has this been confirmed by other unicode users, and is a replacement font available?

[pepak]

As far as I know, I am the only one who discovered the problem and its fix, but I did do extensive testing so I am pretty sure of it.

Replacement font isn't necessary - all it needs is to update the current font's "full font name" to "Courier10 BT Roman" and it will work again.

[JeffElkins]

Originally Posted by pepak

As far as I know, I am the only one who discovered the problem and its fix, but I did do extensive testing so I am pretty sure of it.

Replacement font isn't necessary - all it needs is to update the current font's "full font name" to "Courier10 BT Roman" and it will work again.

If you would be so kind, how about posting the steps to repair the font and/or upload a "fixed" version.

[pepak]

Repair: You just follow the *VERY* detailed guide on changing default Reader fonts with one small addition: The Guide requires that you change font family to "Courier10 BT". That is correct, but in addition to that you should update full font name to "Courier10 BT Roman". That's all.

[BookCat]

I haven't read the entire thread, just the first 14 pages! When I clicked the customise button, this message came up: "An exception of class NilObjectException was not handled. The application must be shut down."

I hadn't selected any of the options because I just want the clock. I had, however put contact details and changed all the bits to the correct firmware etc. Please tell me what this error message means.

[Peto]

je je je

Muy bueno, Sergi

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by BookCat

I haven't read the entire thread, just the first 14 pages! When I clicked the customise button, this message came up: "An exception of class NilObjectException was not handled. The application must be shut down."

I hadn't selected any of the options because I just want the clock. I had, however put contact details and changed all the bits to the correct firmware etc. Please tell me what this error message means.

As mentioned elsewhere (and earlier in this thread), I rather suspect that your unzipping package hasn't unzipped the full archive but has skipped creating empty folders.

[radius]

Originally Posted by surquizu

Spanish manual

This looks *really* cool!

This is what Google Translate comes up with for the English translation of the PDF:

ADVANCED CUSTOMIZATION MANUAL PRS-505
The package installation hacks in the PRS-505 by the application of Flasher
Igorsk can add useful features to customize the reader and
icons, font type and size and the name, telephone and e-mail the owner at the
About screen reader "in the" Settings ".
It also documented the change of the logo "Reader" from the main screen for a
logo a user's taste.
You can find instructions for hacking the reader and change the logo on http://prs-
505.webcindario.com/personalizar.htm
This manual aims to go a little farther on customization, changing logos and
copyright texts on the screen "About Reader" for text and graphics
that the user wants.
Original screen display sample custom
Let me explain how it's done in three parts, change graphics, change text and
load the reader.
Changing graphics
We can start from the original graphics or creating new ones. The graphics file
is the original "kBookLogos.png.
This graph has a size of 210x280 pixels and consists of four graphs
interior size 210x70 pixels.
To edit or create a new,
need an editing program
Graphics (Photoshop, PaintShopPro, etc ...).
Open the file or kBookLogos.png
create a new blank image
210x280 pixels which will name
kBookLogos.png (respecting upper
sensitive).
Then create a new image and the target of 210x70 pixels and
insert inside the graphic or picture that we want to incorporate. We can
make up to four times.
Using the "copy and paste" insert the four graphs in the right order and one
after another in the kBookLogos.png. If you use the original file, put your
covering the original image you want. I'll have a picture with the four
graphics that are incorporated into the reader.
For now we keep this file and
we will modify the text.
?
?
Change text
To change the screen text "About Reader" must be replaced
original copyrights referred to by those of your own.
The texts are in the file "main.xml" and is the same file that incorporates
hacks and we carry the reader through the Flasher. For this customization
I modified the file (keeping the hacks) for greater convenience when
incorporate your own texts.
You will find the "main.xml" amended http://prs-505.webcindario.com/descargas.htm
Under "customize"
The first is to edit the "main.xml" with Notepad (right-click> Open
With> Notepad).
To locate the texts to replace, perform a search with the menu
Edit> Search or using the keys Ctrl + B. In the search text Put XXXX and give
to "find next".
You will find the first text to change. The rest are below. You have already
deduced that the amendment "main.xml" is to put "X" in the spaces
where there was the original text and now you have to do is change these X by
your data, phrases, ... and save the changes to the file "main.xml"
?
No problem to replace the X with sentences shorter or longer. Depending on the
text size that you put, the graphics are more or less separate or even
will text and graphics to a next page of "About Reader.
Load the reader
We already have two files with the changes in graphics (kBookLogos.png) and text
(main.xml) made.
We begin with the process of loading the hacks in the reader. Therefore we created the SD
with the directory structure and files downloading and following the instructions of
http://prs-505.webcindario.com/personalizar.htm
With the SD set, you ought to copy the files "kBookLogos.png" and "main.xml" on
folder "scripts".
For those of you 1.1.00.18040 firmware, the route is as follows:
H: \ files.505.1.1.00.18040 \ opt \ sony \ ebook \ application \ resources \ scripts (where H:
letter assigned to the SD).
For firmware 1.2.00.18050, the path is:
H: \ files.505.1.2.00.18050 \ opt \ sony \ ebook \ application \ resources \ scripts
You ought to replace the "main.xml" For the existing amended by you.
Finally, try to follow the same process to load the hacks. Insert the
SD on the reader, will open the Flasher. Press 5. When the success message, press 6.
With the success message, press 9 to remove the SD reader.
After restarting the reader will already be loaded graphics and text to your liking.
surquizu - September 2009
http://prs-505.webcindario.com