Firmware 4.31.19086

[ownedbycats]

I do hope the next version fixes it. Is there any way we know if Kobo is thinking of pulling it?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I do hope the next version fixes it. Is there any way we know if Kobo is thinking of pulling it?

Probably not. I check https://pgaskin.net/KoboStuff/kobofirmware.html though likely there would be a new thread in this forum if a new version arrives.

SW changes with testing & debugging are slow. Really slow.

Almost everyone now seems to be releasing betas and letting the users test. Amazon's releases and later remote enabling of features is stupid. Windows updates are hardly tested (The Insider scheme needs scrapped and replaced by a QA dept) & Android updates have stupid descriptions.

I use Linux Mint now as Ubuntu is too leading (bleeding?) edge. Years ago I would have updated to "latest versions" of OS (windows from 3.0 to NT and Win7, skipped Win2K & Vista), Programs etc. Not now. So I'm on an LTS 20.1 of Mint instead of 20.3 and don't have latest LibreOffice. I wait a few weeks and read descriptions of bug fixes/features on Calibre or plugins on website & forum.

The biggest security issue is now the Browser. I have script blocking. Email is desktop and never loads ANY remote content. I don't open attachments or click on links unless verified with sender.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I likely left it the same way. I checked Extended, but not Tools.

But if I left it as *Any Device then I wouldn't have to reset it to match my reset Kobo, would I?

Sorry, but people are mixing things up. The configuration @DNSB referred to in the Kobo Utilities plugin has nothing to do with the driver. It is used purely within the plugin and is not used in any way by the two functions that have anything to do with collections. And those two functions are completely unrelated to any issues you are having with collections. @mathil's suggestion to use the Kobo Utilities to remove collections is completely wrong as there is no function in the plugin to do that.

Unfortunately, I haven't had time to discuss this due to work issues (I wish people would stop breaking things, blaming me and then being surprised when I demonstrate quite clearly that it was broken somewhere completely outside my control).

From what I can see, the suggestions made for handling this have either been pointless, or may make things worse. These include:

Running the "Update cached metadata on device". This is pointless. It is the same as the "Send metadata to device" job that is run when the device is connected, or you send a book to the device or you delete a book from the device. The only reason to run it is if you need to manually match books on the device to books in the library. After that you should run it as it will update the "metadata.calibre" file on the device for calibre to use later.

Deleting and sending books to the device is almost pointless. The collection management does not differentiate between books on the device and books being sent for the first time. It will act in the same way. If it is working, it is working. The only reason to consider it is if calibre has not matched the books on the device to books in the library. And then it is only going to be useful if the metadata in the books has changed significantly, or you want to change how the files are arranged on the drive.

Removing all collections and starting again. This is a problem because firstly, the only way to do it is to fiddle with your collection management configuration in calibre and let it do its thing, which apparently it isn't, or manually doing it on the device (after disabling collection management in calibre) or one of the apps and then syncing. After that you need to recreate the collections somehow. Which means putting the configuration back in calibre and letting it do its stuff.


From where I am sitting, this is hard to debug, because it is working for me. I have checked several of my devices and any changes I make in the collections via calibre are on the device when I look. That means new books appearing in collections, and books being moved between collections as intended.

Validating the calibre configuration is the first thing to do. Are the collection management options set in the driver? Do you have the correct driver configured? On the "Sending books to devices" page, is the "Metadata management" option set to automatic?

When connected, are the books showing as on the device?

On the device, can you add books to a collection? Does it survive a connection to the device and calibre? Does it survive a restart?

It shouldn't be a calibre issue, but, seeing a debug log from the connection would help to eliminate that. From it, I can see what happened and whether calibre thinks it did something or not. If you can produce one, either post it or upload it somewhere and PM me the link.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Sorry, but people are mixing things up. The configuration @DNSB referred to in the Kobo Utilities plugin has nothing to do with the driver. It is used purely within the plugin and is not used in any way by the two functions that have anything to do with collections. And those two functions are completely unrelated to any issues you are having with collections. @mathil's suggestion to use the Kobo Utilities to remove collections is completely wrong as there is no function in the plugin to do that.

It may just be that the conversation got too convoluted to follow.

To be clear: Aside from the collections issue, I was mentioning that I lost all of my Kobo reading data.

It was suggested I check the device profiles for both plug-ins, KoboTouchExtended and Kobo Utilities. I mentioned I didn't see device specific options in Extended and DNSB was pointing out that while there are such options in utilities, it is by default set to *any device.

At any rate, Kobo Utilities is not really a concern. Just a sideline.

Running the "Update cached metadata on device". This is pointless. It is the same as the "Send metadata to device" job that is run when the device is connected, or you send a book to the device or you delete a book from the device. The only reason to run it is if you need to manually match books on the device to books in the library. After that you should run it as it will update the "metadata.calibre" file on the device for calibre to use later.

It was a simple thing to try.

Deleting and sending books to the device is almost pointless. The collection management does not differentiate between books on the device and books being sent for the first time. It will act in the same way. If it is working, it is working.

I can only say it worked.

Validating the calibre configuration is the first thing to do. Are the collection management options set in the driver?

As per my attached screenshots, yes.

Do you have the correct driver configured?

I am using KoboTouchExtended

On the "Sending books to devices" page, is the "Metadata management" option set to automatic?

Yes

When connected, are the books showing as on the device?

Yes

On the device, can you add books to a collection? Does it survive a connection to the device and calibre? Does it survive a restart?

Those I did not try.

It shouldn't be a calibre issue, but, seeing a debug log from the connection would help to eliminate that.

I very much doubt it was a Calibre issue, as everything worked properly before the Kobo reset.

After the reset, my books remained on the device. Kobo slowly rebuilt the database.

When connected, Calibre saw the books and I had green checkmarks indicating the books were on the device.

Anyway, I distracted enough from the main 4.31 discussion. The only reason I replied was:

I wish people would stop breaking things, blaming me...

It was not my intention to blame you, your plug-in, Calibre or any of the other software. It is clearly something on my device as my device is the only thing that changed.

The long and the short of it: Don't use 4.31.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

It may just be that the conversation got too convoluted to follow.

To be clear: Aside from the collections issue, I was mentioning that I lost all of my Kobo reading data.

It was suggested I check the device profiles for both plug-ins, KoboTouchExtended and Kobo Utilities. I mentioned I didn't see device specific options in Extended and DNSB was pointing out that while there are such options in utilities, it is by default set to *any device.

At any rate, Kobo Utilities is not really a concern. Just a sideline.

But yet it has been mentioned more than once in this thread as a way to solve the issue. It's a general issue for me. Far to many times someone says to use the Kobo Utilities plugin for something that it doesn't do.

As per my attached screenshots, yes.



I am using KoboTouchExtended

And I always ask people to check. It's amazing how many people configure the wrong driver.

It was not my intention to blame you, your plug-in, Calibre or any of the other software. It is clearly something on my device as my device is the only thing that changed.

That comment was about my work and why I had been busy. I spend far to much of my time proving to other developers that the error is in their system rather than mine even though the error messages clearly show where it is.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by compurandom

I think blaming sqlite for this issue is just distracting. The real issue is the filesystem sqlite is sitting on and its lack of proper shutdown at USB plugin.

Yesterday, I powered on and plugged in my '30 firmware device, and noticed there was a long delay before it would detect the USB, even with the force USB option in NickelMenu. I wonder if something has gone wrong with that detection and '31 is allowing it to connect too early.

I've said a couple of times I've had database corruption on firmware versions prior to '30, but I didn't have '30 installed long enough before it upgraded to '31 to see one there.

I'm finding that with the Libra 2 and 4.30, that I'm getting a double connect. I get the cancel/connect buttons on screens and the they go away and come back and I can continue.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tschucha

Wow - As many problems as 4.31 has I am still using it for one reason and one reason only. Sideload mode. I don't like having to register the device and I sideload all of my books. 4.31 is the only version that allows this. But I sure would like to see a new version that fixes the power LED bug.

Why don't you want to register? I've been registered with Kobo for about eight years. My Kobo Aura H2O has been registered for over six years. I've never had any problems. I don't see any reason not to register your Kobo.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Well, it's now back up to 4208 books. That's likely all of them. I just plugged the Kobo back in and had Calibre refresh the metadata. Series are filled in again. But all my tags still show 0. Not sure why that is.

You should (IMHO) use Kobo Utilities to back up your database. Then you could have restored the database when 4.31 went wonky and then done the firmware downgrade.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I promise, I am not purposely being obtuse here. But I do not understand what you are saying.

Collections worked fine on the Kobo until 4.31 caused it to crap the bed earlier today.

Now Collections are all empty.

I updated cached metadata which I thought would send the tag info back over to update collections.

If that doesn't work, what can I do to get collections updated, short of deleting all content from the Kobo and sending it back?



As mentioned, I already have Calibre set up to manage collections and have done so for years. Screenshot attached in my earlier post.

I'm hoping I've figured out your problem with your collections.

1. Go to Preferences
2. Select Sending books to devices
3. Make sure that Metadata management is set to automatic.

That should fix your collections when you next plug in your Kobo.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm hoping I've figured out your problem with your collections.

1. Go to Preferences
2. Select Sending books to devices
3. Make sure that Metadata management is set to automatic.

That should fix your collections when you next plug in your Kobo.

I think ZodWallop already had metadata management set to automatic. Even if it wasn't, update cached metadata should have restored the collections from the set column.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I think ZodWallop already had metadata management set to automatic. Even if it wasn't, update cached metadata should have restored the collections from the set column.

I would also suggest trying to delete a few books and try adding them back and see if the collections are working for those eBooks. This would say if there is something wonky with the database or not.

If it is the database, copy all the books off the Kobo, log out, log back in, put the books back, plug into Calibre and let the collections & series be rebuilt.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would also suggest trying to delete a few books and try adding them back and see if the collections are working for those eBooks.

You didn't read ZodWallop's posts, then?

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You should (IMHO) use Kobo Utilities to back up your database. Then you could have restored the database when 4.31 went wonky and then done the firmware downgrade.

I wish that was 100% true, but I've found that the database corruption can be subtle and not immediately detected, and the most recent backup may also be corrupt.

[ownedbycats]

Thankfully, in 4.31's case, its not a problem wiht the database, but with the filesystem dismounting before it should. So restoring the backup should work.

[ZodWallop]

My collections are still not quite right.

At this point, I've removed and re-added all of my books to the Clara. It did repopulate my collections. But I have a few where I removed the tag in Calibre, but it persists on the Clara.

At this point, I'll likely let it go. Everything isn't back to zero. So good enough.