Wireless connection to calibre.

[eschwartz]

I wa looking at post #1.

[brianinmaine]

Originally Posted by knc1

Which is exactly what you want to do here.

Computer B (has USB device connected to it) - through a bunch of hoops, the kernel on B is faking a USB device with the storage area of /mnt/us (or, rather, its lowest level layer of /mnt/us).

Then, at the other end of the network connection - over any type of networking - is computer A ...

Which has to do the same as with any USB storage device connected to it - mount it into the file system.

So I was thinking about it even being possible to use USBIP over wireless. I don't see how, as I think that is not how this works. I could share a USB device connected to my host with the Kindle (assuming I could compile the needed modules). How could the Kindle get mounted? I'm just trying to wrap my brain around it... Any ideas?

[kocoman]

You can try i.e.: OpenWRT TP-MR11U taped to the back of the unit, and run virtualhere (hard name to remember..) server there, then run virtualhere client at OS X, etc.

but virtualhere is not open source(and commericalware), I think it used some usbip...

If kindle and virtualhere was open source then it may be possible.. if not then no one will bother..

I needed it because my motherboard USB is all broken

[brianinmaine]

usbip works like nfs does for folders - it just shares attached devices to the network. On my kindle I should be able to do anything to a usb drive attached to a host - mount/partition/format, or use perhaps a keyboard or mouse or any usb device (with drivers of course).

wireless is not the issue - doesn't matter. The kindle is not attached to anything so can't be shared on the network.

[eschwartz]

knc1 -- you indicated that /mnt/us/ is actually pretending to be a USB device. How do I see that for myself? Is this only when the device is connected via USB to a computer?

Details!

[NiLuJe]

There's a huge mess implemented for USBMS handling.

AFAIR (feel free to correct me):

mmc0blk4: userstore partition at the lowest level. Has a DOS partition table, first actual partition is at an offset.
Said first partition is vfat, loop mounted to base-us.
On top of that, there's a fusy proxy FS mounted as us. The framework mostly interacts with this top layer, this allows relatively easily to unmount it without completely breaking the framework, since for something to be exported over USBMS, it needs to be unmounted by the host OS.
That, it turns, means that base-us and/or mmc0blk4 is effectively what's exported over USBMS.

[eschwartz]

knc1 indicated it appears on the Kindle as a USB device? Hence being able to be exported over usbip?

Originally Posted by knc1

Which is exactly what you want to do here.

Computer B (has USB device connected to it) - through a bunch of hoops, the kernel on B is faking a USB device with the storage area of /mnt/us (or, rather, its lowest level layer of /mnt/us).

I am familiar with the fuse-mounting aspect.




It would be useful if there was a way to send the userstore over usbip in order to appear on the other computer as a USB device, Amazon vendor id and all.
If not, might as well not bother and just use sshfs and connect-to-folder.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

knc1 -- you indicated that /mnt/us/ is actually pretending to be a USB device. How do I see that for myself? Is this only when the device is connected via USB to a computer?

Details!

Hmm...

(I'll call the electronics a "chip" even if it is something built into the SoC).

On the external (world accessible) side of the chip is the USB connector on the case.
I don't think there is any software connection to that side of the chip from the Kindle.

On the internal side of the chip is Kernel USB storage module.
That (**should be**) controlling the USB functions of the chip AND providing the storage area (physically using partition 4) so that the combination looks like a USB storage device.

I haven't looked at the code (for ages), but that seems to be a reasonable description.

I __imagine__ that the usbip demon expects a **physical** USB device (not some virtual thingy, the wet dream of the kernel driver ).

I don't know if, on the Kindle side of the kernel driver, the *faked* USB storage device ever gets added to the USB device enumeration.
It would be simpler if it did - but I don't expect our life to be that easy.

So having given the situation the above, additional thought - -
I think we would have to modify the usbipd daemon to connect to the Kernel USB storage driver.

And modify the Kernel USB storage driver to have places for usbipd to hook into.

Not as easy as I thought it would be. Sorry.

[brianinmaine]

Originally Posted by kocoman

You can try i.e.: OpenWRT TP-MR11U taped to the back of the unit, and run virtualhere (hard name to remember..) server there, then run virtualhere client at OS X, etc.

but virtualhere is not open source(and commericalware), I think it used some usbip...

If kindle and virtualhere was open source then it may be possible.. if not then no one will bother..

I needed it because my motherboard USB is all broken

OK, this would be an option - using a small router to plug the kindle into, then have openwrt as the usbip server and connect it wirelessly to your host pc running calibre. Shouldn't be to difficult - I don't own the hardware or I might try it, but you should set it up and let us know how it goes. Openwrt is pretty easy to build and you can customize the kernel to make additional modules.

http://www.madox.net/blog/2013/01/04...-wireless-usb/
instead of usb printer, attach Kindle. Shouldn't even need to do anything to the kindle.

[kocoman]

some ideas..

would usb_gadget help?
what does the console log show when the hotplug script is run? (when plugged into usb)
(I haven't find 1.8v or 3.3v adapter to make console yet.. will try someday)

[brianinmaine]

are you thinking of using OTG?
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_USB_OTG

good luck - It is a nice dream...

[knc1]

Originally Posted by kocoman

some ideas..

would usb_gadget help?
what does the console log show when the hotplug script is run? (when plugged into usb)
(I haven't find 1.8v or 3.3v adapter to make console yet.. will try someday)

Ah, one of the very first KUAL extensions: dmesg ->> document button.

- - - -

Ah, a Kindle **is** a usb_gadget.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by brianinmaine

OK, this would be an option - using a small router to plug the kindle into,
- - - - -

Nice idea.

I do have a small (netgear) router that can export the file system of a USB storage device plugged into it.
(Sort of a poor-man's, NAS thing)

This router is physically close to one of the small piles of Kindles on my desk.
I'll connect the two together, set the router option, see what happens. (It should put the Kindle's USB mass storage on the network where it can be accessed by anything on my LAN).

If everyone can hold their breath for about 9 hours, while I run some errands first ....

Note: NetGear because they take the GPL seriously - the source they ship is ship'd in "ready to re-build" state (with build scripting and directions). But the above (NAS) feature is already built-in.
OH, and this model also has built-in Wifi (two of them) and built-in ADSL modem.

[eschwartz]

knc1 -- thanks for clarifying. Too good to be true, it seems.

Using a router could be an option. Not quite as nice as wirelessly connecting...


I suppose if I really was going to a ton of effort I would just override the connect to folder driver in calibre, and copy-paste the Kindle code over. After all, I run from source anyway! That would be one was to get sshfs working as well as a USB connection.

Really, usbip only has the one advantage that I can see (interfacing with software via USB vendor-ids).

[knc1]

Yup - I agree with you - keep it simple.
sshfs over wireless to pc hosting Calibre and use the "connect to folder" option.

This thread has turned into a discussion of:

- - - -

Reference 1: https://www.digitalocean.com/communi...stems-over-ssh
Specifically note the:

sudo sshfs root@xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:/ /mnt/droplet

If your droplet is configured for login via ssh key authorization, you will need to tell sshfs to use your public keys with the following command. You will be asked to enter the passphrase you used during the creation of your keys with ssh-keygen.

sudo sshfs -o IdentityFile=~/.ssh/id_rsa root@xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:/ /mnt/droplet

Reference 2:
The readme and other USBnetworking add-in documentation, that recommends using public key (pair) authentication with ssh (sshfs) over wifi.
Note that the same also works over the USB cable.

Reference 3:
Whatever documentation Calibre provides for the "connect to folder (/mnt/droplet)" case.

You have me on that one, I don't use Calibre.