Open up the source and let us make SD card images ourselves

JOCO_MKNZ · 07-26-2010, 05:57 AM

I wanted to open up this thread so that I can get the attention of Kobo developers to give us an SD card image option AND open up the source for the device.

Lets make this a productive and polite (but in your face thread) which hopefully will get us noticed by the developers and we can get an official answer on this topic.

zoran · 07-26-2010, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOCO_MKNZ

I wanted to open up this thread so that I can get the attention of Kobo developers to give us an SD card image option AND open up the source for the device.

Lets make this a productive and polite (but in your face thread) which hopefully will get us noticed by the developers and we can get an official answer on this topic.

Already done. More than once.
After rereading some older posts, I'm sure we all were
polite. And we still are. May we get the best option to
upgrade, please? SD card method, please?

zero10 · 07-26-2010, 11:46 AM

Thirded. After a 5+ hour long firmware update disaster Kobo is dangerously close to losing me as a customer (I am ready to sell mine on EBay and buy a Kindle). This all could have been avoided if I could have just flashed it using the SD card in the first place, instead of being lied to that the USB update method is perfectly safe and effective.

eythian · 07-31-2010, 10:22 PM

I believe that the kobo runs Linux, so they are obligated to give us the source for those parts that are GPLed, or they are committing copyright infringement. I guess I should ask them directly.

sabredog · 07-31-2010, 10:43 PM

Borders (Australia) will be making SD card firmware images available shortly.

JPenguin · 08-01-2010, 02:18 AM

Since the Kobo appears to use some Adobe software internally I doubt that we'll ever see the entire source for the Kobo firmware. Kobo will almost certainly not have a license to distribute Adobe's code as open source. While they will have to provide Linux source code they will not be under any obligation to release all source code so I don't think the GPL requires them to release an SD card update.

I don't really understand why there should be any correlation between an SD update release and the release of patch files for any GPL'ed or other open source software on the device . . . . .

zoran · 08-01-2010, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPenguin

Since the Kobo appears to use some Adobe software internally I doubt that we'll ever see the entire source for the Kobo firmware. Kobo will almost certainly not have a license to distribute Adobe's code as open source. While they will have to provide Linux source code they will not be under any obligation to release all source code so I don't think the GPL requires them to release an SD card update.

I don't really understand why there should be any correlation between an SD update release and the release of patch files for any GPL'ed or other open source software on the device . . . . .

Seen before, on bsd versions. It is called blob. Like it or not.
One thing is not the show the source, the other is not to give
correct upgrade method. Taking parts out of the device and
making exact copy is the same to me. Another options is not
to show the device itself to the user. Secrecy granted.

JOCO_MKNZ · 08-01-2010, 06:34 AM

zoran that you for reminding me of the blob openbsd song it has been a while since i thought of it :P

The device is plagued by a lot of software problems (usb firmwire upgrade,device lock up when going in sleep mode and activating from sleep mode.) These are not issues which are blob related and are showstoppers issues. I would love an sd card image to fix these but what I would love even more is......... the source AND the image so i can personalise the device.

That way I can tinker with the software add cylliric fonts(not embedding them), have a picture of darth vader when the device is turned off, have the device quote Arnold Schwarzenneger movie quotes when books are loading.

tpw · 08-01-2010, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOCO_MKNZ

... have the device quote Arnold Schwarzenneger movie quotes when books are loading.

I'd love to have mine drop such classics as "consider that a divorce" or "it's not a tumour"

zoran · 08-01-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOCO_MKNZ

zoran that you for reminding me of the blob openbsd song it has been a while since i thought of it :P

The device is plagued by a lot of software problems (usb firmwire upgrade,device lock up when going in sleep mode and activating from sleep mode.) These are not issues which are blob related and are showstoppers issues. I would love an sd card image to fix these but what I would love even more is......... the source AND the image so i can personalise the device.

That way I can tinker with the software add cylliric fonts(not embedding them), have a picture of darth vader when the device is turned off, have the device quote Arnold Schwarzenneger movie quotes when books are loading.

With SD card in hands it might be easy. Maybe the reason we still
cannot get it. Like removing free books. Adding processes to the
starting one.

eythian · 08-06-2010, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPenguin

Since the Kobo appears to use some Adobe software internally I doubt that we'll ever see the entire source for the Kobo firmware. Kobo will almost certainly not have a license to distribute Adobe's code as open source. While they will have to provide Linux source code they will not be under any obligation to release all source code so I don't think the GPL requires them to release an SD card update.

No, they certainly won't be able to release the Adobe stuff, but I'd like something that would let me run what I liked on the device. Maybe I could put OpenInkpot on it to replace the closed-source Adobe stuff, and so customise how things are displayed, or do other things that they didn't think of.

zoran · 08-06-2010, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eythian

No, they certainly won't be able to release the Adobe stuff, but I'd like something that would let me run what I liked on the device. Maybe I could put OpenInkpot on it to replace the closed-source Adobe stuff, and so customise how things are displayed, or do other things that they didn't think of.

I didn't try pdf files out, so cannot say for sure how it works.
All I like was converted to epub. My best guess is that it is
never too late to change mind and open source and go after
<insert-fond-app>. I assume we talk in vain.

eythian · 08-08-2010, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoran

I didn't try pdf files out, so cannot say for sure how it works.
All I like was converted to epub. My best guess is that it is
never too late to change mind and open source and go after
<insert-fond-app>. I assume we talk in vain.

As I understand it, Adobe supplies the file reading and display rendering code, so it applies to ePub as much as PDF. This is what OpenInkpot can replace.

Assuming they want to stay legal, we won't be talking in vain.

zoran · 08-08-2010, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eythian

As I understand it, Adobe supplies the file reading and display rendering code, so it applies to ePub as much as PDF. This is what OpenInkpot can replace.

Assuming they want to stay legal, we won't be talking in vain.

Nice thinking. The other question is if kobo shares the same goal.
I'm assured they need a group of testers/developers to move ideas
from "idea" to "feature". I have nokia 770 and was the part of the
community to improve the maemo version. Nokia was keen to have
that community. Aside being a gadget, 770 is real computer, with all
necessities I added to it. Possible on kobo? I don't know, since we have
no feed back.

07-26-2010, 05:57 AM	#1
JOCO_MKNZ Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo Ereader	Open up the source and let us make SD card images ourselves I wanted to open up this thread so that I can get the attention of Kobo developers to give us an SD card image option AND open up the source for the device. Lets make this a productive and polite (but in your face thread) which hopefully will get us noticed by the developers and we can get an official answer on this topic.

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07-26-2010, 11:46 AM	#3
zero10 Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo	Thirded. After a 5+ hour long firmware update disaster Kobo is dangerously close to losing me as a customer (I am ready to sell mine on EBay and buy a Kindle). This all could have been avoided if I could have just flashed it using the SD card in the first place, instead of being lied to that the USB update method is perfectly safe and effective.

07-31-2010, 10:22 PM	#4
eythian Member Posts: 18 Karma: 18 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo	I believe that the kobo runs Linux, so they are obligated to give us the source for those parts that are GPLed, or they are committing copyright infringement. I guess I should ask them directly.

07-31-2010, 10:43 PM	#5
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,629 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Borders (Australia) will be making SD card firmware images available shortly.

08-01-2010, 02:18 AM	#6
JPenguin Connoisseur Posts: 90 Karma: 42 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo EReader, Kobo for Palm Pre	Since the Kobo appears to use some Adobe software internally I doubt that we'll ever see the entire source for the Kobo firmware. Kobo will almost certainly not have a license to distribute Adobe's code as open source. While they will have to provide Linux source code they will not be under any obligation to release all source code so I don't think the GPL requires them to release an SD card update. I don't really understand why there should be any correlation between an SD update release and the release of patch files for any GPL'ed or other open source software on the device . . . . .

08-01-2010, 06:34 AM	#8
JOCO_MKNZ Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kobo Ereader	zoran that you for reminding me of the blob openbsd song it has been a while since i thought of it :P The device is plagued by a lot of software problems (usb firmwire upgrade,device lock up when going in sleep mode and activating from sleep mode.) These are not issues which are blob related and are showstoppers issues. I would love an sd card image to fix these but what I would love even more is......... the source AND the image so i can personalise the device. That way I can tinker with the software add cylliric fonts(not embedding them), have a picture of darth vader when the device is turned off, have the device quote Arnold Schwarzenneger movie quotes when books are loading.