Instructions for patching firmware 4.12.12111

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by eenk

IMHO this would further simplify patching a lot. While I'm well versed with patching, having grown up on assembler, I really appreciate your work in making the process more convenient for the masses (me included). The internal web server would be for giving a local UI to configure the patches to apply, correct?

No problem! And yes, something like that. I'll put it on GitHub one I'm done the base server and the ability to apply a patch file.

I like the dedicated download page that links the most recent firmware by device model, and loathe the wiki page which is just terrible in that visitors first need to find out the mark from the device type, then have to hunt for the correct mark and most recent fw version.

No problem!

On a sidenote: would you think it sensible if kobopatch could also automatically install the final tgz to a mounted device? At least on Linux there's the ability to discover active mount points, from there on a check for direct .kobo subdirs could quickly discover mounted Kobo devices.

I'm not including that in kobopatch itself due to the possibility for easier mistakes and because that will also make people forget to install the firmware first (unless I detect that...maybe). For now, I do that using a combination of other tools I wrote (kobo-utils/kobo-utils, and some scripts in my kobopatch-config repo). I also use udev to do it automatically.

[jcn363]

Originally Posted by mobilemoxie

My patch list didn't have this option, but this is the exact thing I want.

Originally Posted by mobilemoxie

How do I incorporate that particular part (Only Reading and My Books) of jcn's forked patch back into the yaml file I'm using to switch on various patches--copy and paste? If that's not the way, please do tell.

For those of us who are new to this, we need instructions, which we'll follow step by step.

I think... you can find all what you need here. But, if you need some... don't hesitate.

Good luck.

[eenk]

Originally Posted by geek1011

I'm not including that in kobopatch itself due to the possibility for easier mistakes and because that will also make people forget to install the firmware first (unless I detect that...maybe).

I just noticed that the mounted subtree of a Kobo ereader's filesystem contains a ".kobo/version" text file. I don't know if it always has been there. It contains a single line of text with 6 fields, separated by ",". I would suspect that this file has been used all the time for the Kobo desktop software to decide on when to download new firmware and for which device mark type (but I may be wrong here). So this might aid in detecting whether a patched firmware can be applied or whether the user should update first to stock firmware.

1. model number plus ?? device serial number ??; for instance, N782.... Maybe someone has a better idea what the following information is?
2. ??
3. current firmware version, such as 4.12.12111
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???some kind of UID formatted in xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx format???

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by eenk

I just noticed that the mounted subtree of a Kobo ereader's filesystem contains a ".kobo/version" text file. I don't know if it always has been there. It contains a single line of text with 6 fields, separated by ",". I would suspect that this file has been used all the time for the Kobo desktop software to decide on when to download new firmware and for which device mark type (but I may be wrong here). So this might aid in detecting whether a patched firmware can be applied or whether the user should update first to stock firmware.

1. model number plus ?? device serial number ??; for instance, N782.... Maybe someone has a better idea what the following information is?
2. ??
3. current firmware version, such as 4.12.12111
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???some kind of UID formatted in xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx format???

Yep, I already use that file in some of my other tools. That's what I meant when I said I might detect it. BTW, that last field is the model ID used in upgrade checks. The first is the serial.

[mobilemoxie]

Thank you for all the assistance!

I figured out I really needed to just edit each of the 3 or 4 yaml files in the latest patch update and turn on (changing no to yes) on each of the options I wanted and then pasted in the extra "Only Reading & My Books" patch code at the end of the nickel.yaml file where the Home Screen Tweaks were listed and turning that option to yes.

It worked!

FYI, I tried out the reduce header & footer spacing patch, but didn't like my inability to easily select the menu icon with my fat fingers, with the reduced amount of space, nor my ability to easily set a bookmark instead of the page turning, so I changed it back to regular spacing for headers and footers.

[MeiGuddet]

First, thanks for the patches. I'm using them since 2 years now for my Kobo Aura (mark 5).
With this new update came the big top/bottom margins. So I want to use the patch "ePub fixed top/bottom margins" in libnickel.so.1.0.0.yaml. But I get an error and can't find the mistake. Can someone please help me and give me a hint?
Logfile is attached.

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by MeiGuddet

First, thanks for the patches. I'm using them since 2 years now for my Kobo Aura (mark 5).
With this new update came the big top/bottom margins. So I want to use the patch "ePub fixed top/bottom margins" in libnickel.so.1.0.0.yaml. But I get an error and can't find the mistake. Can someone please help me and give me a hint?
Logfile is attached.

`Remove recommendations (row1col2) from home screen` and `Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen` are conflicting. I really need to put them in the same patch group to give a better error.

[MeiGuddet]

Thank you! Strange is when I'm using "ePub disable built-in body padding-bottom", "Reduce top/bottom page spacer" and "Custom reading footer style" together with `Remove recommendations (row1col2) from home screen` and `Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen`it works. See logfile.

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by MeiGuddet

Thank you! Strange is when I'm using "ePub disable built-in body padding-bottom", "Reduce top/bottom page spacer" and "Custom reading footer style" together with `Remove recommendations (row1col2) from home screen` and `Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen`it works. See logfile.

Oh... now I see why . It's a race. It's to do with the order in which they are applied, and I made my remove row1col2 work fine even when applying other patches (and that's why I didn't put it in the home screen group when initially porting the patches), but the remove footer & increase size patch (not made by me) was not made to be as resilient (it searches for the whole css thing, not just the relevant selector). I'll see if I can fix this for the next release of the patches.

Edit: I have fixed the conflict. Will be released next week in v29 along with some other changes (and maybe a new patch from the request thread).

[MeiGuddet]

Thank you again @geek1011

[geek1011]

I have released patches v39 with 4 new patches, along with an additional replacement (by @lilymike) for the Hebrew keyboard. Also, this release fixes the conflict between `Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen` and `Remove recommendations (row1col2) from home screen`.

Only Reading and My Books (by @jcn363):
Shows only reading and my books (i.e. no current author/collection, no recommendations, no footer links).

Use old keyboard on all devices (by @geek1011):
Uses the old-style keyboard keyboard (the one with the key background, .com key, larger space bar, etc).

Hide browser from beta features (by @geek1011):
Hides the built-in browser from the beta features menu.

Remove beta features not supported text (by @geek1011):
Removes the beta features not supported text from the beta features menu. This saves space and allows more entries to fit on the first page.

[melodyh]

Good morning!

I have just successfully patched my KA1 with your newest patches. Thanks again! All is great!

I have one "wish list item" that I wanted to throw out there for future consideration. If this is not allowed or not posted in the correct place, please feel free to ignore.

I use the invert screen patch and toggle it several times daily. As you know, you have to press the screen to bring up the settings, then press the settings gear icon (which mostly just collapses the reading progress, so you have to press that again), then (as I always read in landscape mode) I have to swipe to the left to get to page 2 in order to be able to press the radio button to invert the screen. Inevitably, I miss the settings gear at least once (my Kobo is flaky that way) so this turns into 4-5-6 presses of things to toggle one thing.

My wish would be for the radio button for invert screen to appear at the top beside the button to change the orientation. Then, it would be two presses and done.

Can this be done without too much time and effort? I don't understand the underlying programming for Kobos so I cannot even attempt this myself.

If I'm asking too much, I apologize in advance. Thank you for considering this!

Melody (from Canada)

[forster01]

Thank you Geek1011, GeoffR, Davidfor and all the other contributors (sorry, but i cant remember who else was working on patch).

My KA1 has the same problem with touch recognition. when i started to update it with foma firmware it seemed to work quite rightly until i patch a sw. then touch screen pattern seems to be moved few-2-3mm up left. if i want to press on footnote for example i have to press few mm up and left away from the footnote link.
but that is small price to pay to have almost perfect reader (IMO).

@melodyh, check box (i think it's not radio button) for invert screen is just in place of "adobe page numbers toggle" check box. so if developers can think of another way to toggle it they will do it for sure. imho "adobe page numbers toggle" is completely right place for invert screen toggle. the trouble is when you reading in landscape (that KA1 wasn't meant to be) screen is too small to show it on the first page of reading settings. so for now, and i'm not intending to be sarcastic, just practice to toggle reading settings to open it right away.

[DoomGuy]

Does the 'slide to open' feature work on the Kobo Clara HD. I've just tried the patch but I can't get it to work. I am on the latest firmware - 4.12.12111

Here's what's the code looks like

Set slide to unlock:
  - Enabled: yes
  - Description: |
      Swipe to unlock is enabled by default for the Kobo Forma. This patch allows
      you to enable/disable swipe to unlock for any device.
  # In the subroutine where the AbstractPowerView (used for swipe to unlock) is instantiated:
  # pre-4.11.12111: change Device::isFrost() to a MOV instruction to set true/false
  # 4.11.12111+: change PowerSettings::getUnlockEnabled() (to override the hidden config setting [PowerSettings] -> UnlockEnabled)
  - ReplaceBytes: {Offset: 0x9CF344, FindBLX: 0x428304, ReplaceH: 4F F0 01 00}
  - ReplaceBytes: {Offset: 0x9CF346, FindH: 01, ReplaceH: 00} # 00 to disable, 01 to enable

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by melodyh

I have just successfully patched my KA1 with your newest patches. Thanks again! All is great!

No problem!

Inevitably, I miss the settings gear at least once (my Kobo is flaky that way) so this turns into 4-5-6 presses of things to toggle one thing.

My KA2v1 does that too. It was only fine for 2 versions (I can't recall exactly which ones), but it does get quite annoying.

My wish would be for the radio button for invert screen to appear at the top beside the button to change the orientation. Then, it would be two presses and done.

Can this be done without too much time and effort? I don't understand the underlying programming for Kobos so I cannot even attempt this myself.

Unfortunately, no. The top bar only has dropdowns, and I can't easily change a dropdown to a toggle.

Thank you for considering this!

No problem!

Originally Posted by forster01

Thank you Geek1011, GeoffR, Davidfor and all the other contributors (sorry, but i cant remember who else was working on patch).

No problem, and I think you meant jackie_w, oren64, and jcn363 instead of davidfor (he doesn't do patches) .

My KA1 has the same problem with touch recognition. when i started to update it with foma firmware it seemed to work quite rightly until i patch a sw. then touch screen pattern seems to be moved few-2-3mm up left. if i want to press on footnote for example i have to press few mm up and left away from the footnote link.
but that is small price to pay to have almost perfect reader (IMO).

Mine too (as I said above).