Installation Instructions for Kobo-1, Release 1.8.1

[taming]

Are you saying that within the .kobo folder on your 1.8.x reader there is no kepub file folder?

[MrGammaRay]

Originally Posted by taming

Are you saying that within the .kobo folder on your 1.8.x reader there is no kepub file folder?

Hi Taming:

Yes. That is what I am saying. I had the 1.4 firmware upgrade with 4 or 5 books and 5 pdf files loaded with Calibre. I deleted the books, but forgot to get the pdf files. Next was a factory reset and upgrade to 1.8.1 using the desktop application. All 100 pre-loaded books were in the I'm Reading section with the pdf files listed but not there and couldn't be deleted. So I thought a fresh db might be in order. So I downloaded kobo-database-1.8.zip. Using windows explorer I replaced the images folder in .kobo directory as well as KoboReader.sqlite. But the .kobo directory did not have a kepub folder. Couldn't find the kepub folder anywhere on my reader. So I just copied the kepub folder into the .kobo directory.

Used Calibre to load a book and it seems fine. The book is the only one in the I'm reading section. Happy about that. So everything seems to be working fine.

So I guess I'm good to go?

Thanks,

-steve-

[taming]

Well, as long as there is a kepub directory now, you should be OK. If you have any further problems, you could try the 1.8.2 update.

[kmwott]

I have messaged Kobo about this but have got better and faster info from this forum. I upgraded my Kobo and my mother's yesterday (both originals). The process went ok. In both cases the books that we had been reading were still shown. On my mother's I use my account so we share the purchases. I synchronized new content to hers after the upgrade. It took less time but rearranged things . New content did get added but some things previously added but not yet opened are now Locked. Following Kobo's suggestion to Refresh the library has not made a difference.

On my own device I have not added new content since upgrading. On mine the book I'm reading seems to be quite messed up. Text looks normal but I keep re-reading passages that I just read. With some books, on both devices, looking at the Table of contents shows that is out of order too. Things don't look to be completely corrupted but they sure are not normal. This is not what I was hoping for! Suggestions appreciated.

Kathy, Ottawa, Canada

[taming]

Kathy, you are not supposed to have to do a factory reset with 1.8.2, but I would try that. If you load books using ADE, you may have to reauthorize.

[windowsrefund]

Originally Posted by taming

Part of the problem has been that there are so many distros out there. That could make it really hard on customer support (which, as we know, is pretty much overwhelmed as it is). Kobo staff talked about perhaps having more official support for Ubuntu down the road. At this point, it is an idea, not a plan.

It would be a really poor decision to go off and "support" a particular distro when all that's needed is to embrace standards like LSB and the File Heirarchy Standard (FHS). As it is, you're already supporting several versions of blackbox proprietary operating systems. Supporting GNU/Linux properly should be a breeze.

[CaroB]

Thanks so much for all your great instructions and help here! I am completely non-techie, but have managed to upgrade the software on my Kobo and have it working better than ever before!
My only question is what are the risks if I were to remove the pre-loaded books from the new db? I'm hoping it will improve page turn time.

[taming]

CaroB--I don't know which Kobo you have, but for the WiFi, the books are not in the Db--they are kepub files. You will find the folder in the .kobo directory. For the updated Kobo-1, if you replace the Db, images, and kepub directory you will get the preloaded books as kepub files, like in the WiFi. There are directions in the sqlite replacement sticky.

[CaroB]

Originally Posted by taming

CaroB--I don't know which Kobo you have, but for the WiFi, the books are not in the Db--they are kepub files. You will find the folder in the .kobo directory. For the updated Kobo-1, if you replace the Db, images, and kepub directory you will get the preloaded books as kepub files, like in the WiFi. There are directions in the sqlite replacement sticky.

Thanks Taming!

[angiemi]

Originally Posted by taming

Installation of 1.8.1 Original Kobo

I am updating this as things come up. Please read the whole (very long) post before you begin.

This update is only for the original Kobo--not the WiFi version.


On December 21, Kobo released 1.8.2 which addresses the problems people were having with Adobe DRM books. Please see JC Kobo's post for more information. Note that he recommends this update to anyone who is having related issues with 1.8.1. If all your problems are resolved, you can pass on this one, if you wish.

It works best if you to do a factory reset (in settings--advanced) before doing the update. If you pass on this, and have strange things happening, try a factory reset at that point.

If you have sideloaded books (books not added through sync with the desktop reader), things go more smoothly if you remove them if they are still on your reader after the factory reset.

The 0.7.34 Calibre version is Kobo 1.8.1 friendly. If you ran 1.8.1 with earlier versions, you may have a corrupted data base. There are other reasons, of course that folks sometimes have a corrupted Db.

If you do have a corrupted Db, then instructions for replacing it can be found here. . Please note: when you are installing a new database, in 1.8 you will replace 3 things: the entire images directory, kepub directory, and database. this is different than 1.4 which did not have a kepub directory. Your preloaded books will have dictionary support after you replace these files.

One MR user stated that after she did the update she replaced the db and re-synced. All of her Calibre loaded books were still there and she didn't have to re-authorize ADE at all. Since my reader is fine, I can't repeat this to confirm.

When you have done a factory reset you will have to reauthorize your Kobo reader with Adobe Digital Editions (if you load ePUB files).If you run out of authorizations in ADE, go to this page in Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/support/digitaleditions/. Look to your left, you will see "submit a web case". Make a request to have your authorizations reset. They seem to do this fairly quickly. The reader will appear to work without an authorization and not need a de-authorization and then a re-authorization, but it does. Instructions are in the WiKi for doing this.

Some Windows user may have to try the update twice. On some machines, the finding new hardware script interrupts the update. It looks like the script then completes, so the 2nd attempt at the update goes through just fine.

There is a small group of people that have downloaded the 1.8 firmware. Those people will have to do press Control+Shift+U (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+U (MAC) when the desktop application opens to get upgrades.

Anyone who has the 1.8 desktop will get the upgrade prompt if they plug in a 1.0 or 1.4 Kobo Reader.

Any Kobo Wi Fi users will get the new Desktop at the same rate as original Kobo users. They'll get the new Desktop features but there won't be any change to their Kobo Wi Fi's.

I asked Kobo staff about partners like Borders AU and they said: "We will be updating those partners soon. Right now the only people who are getting the 1.8 upgrades are those that see pink and teal in their desktop apps."

An unofficial Linux desktop application is now available. It is in the ongoing Linux thread here. Note: Kobo does not officially support Linux and this update is for Ubuntu.

The dictionary works on kepub files only. Books that are on your reader in the old kobo format will not have dictionary support. That means if you are doing an update from 1.0 or 1.4, any of the books that were on your reader before the update and stayed on the reader after it was done will NOT have dictionary support as they continue to be on in the old kobo format.

If Calibre sideloaded books stay in "I'm Reading", remember that you can change their status from the Calibre application. With the kobo plugged in and detected, go into "show books in main memory of the device" or "show books in storage slot a", depending on where the books are, and set the flag for "collections" to blank if they are showing up as "Im_reading". Setting the status as "Read" also works.

I missed so much my Kobo!!! I was deseperately waiting for help from technical support and I saw your thread... and it works now!

[AHarbin]

I dont know what the new version does but it did not work properly for me. The preloaded books were fine and in the new format for dictionary use. I updated from 1.4 without problems seemingly but all of my other KOBO books were scrambled (chapters repeated and pages repeated). I resynced twice, loaded the new firmware twice by forcing on and reloaded desktop software but nothing worked. ADE still was working.

I contacted KOBO help online and got a response to factory reset within two days. This did work. I resynced my KOBO (ADE DRM) purchased books. re authorized the reader on ADE, loaded other books purchased through Sony (ADE DRM) and also some epubs (no DRM) and purchased a new KOBO book. All seems to be working now. Having to do a factory reset to load new firmware is a real pain even if the upgrade process is an improvement over 1.4

[taming]

As far as I can tell, people who have 1.8 or 1.8.1 or 1.8.2 or 1.8.3 working properly need not do any new updates (in the 1.8.X series) if the reader is working well. Each of those incremental updates past 1.8.0 were created, to address difficulties people were having with the 1.8.0 update (and beyond). The features and function are the same for all of them.

As the issue of preloaded books as kepub files was raised, I checked this out to be sure. This is what Kobo staff told me:

There is no change regarding the preloaded books. Users who upgrade from 1.4 will have KXML preloaded books and users who install via SD card will have Kepub preloaded books.

The 1.8.3 release addresses an issue where KXML books were having repeating pages (this was the only change made from 1.8.2).

[JimPuchai]

I used the Borders Australia site to update mine (1.8.3). It seemed to go OK and I am not concerned that it didn't keep my side loaded books.

What does trouble me, is that it does not appear to be charging and insists I plug in a charging cord.

Been there and done that twice - once on the Manage Library option for two hours and then on the Keep Reading option.

I have also done a pinhole reset but nothing seemed to change.

Any ideas?

[JimPuchai]

Originally Posted by JimPuchai

I used the Borders Australia site to update mine (1.8.3). It seemed to go OK and I am not concerned that it didn't keep my side loaded books.

What does trouble me, is that it does not appear to be charging and insists I plug in a charging cord.

Been there and done that twice - once on the Manage Library option for two hours and then on the Keep Reading option.

I have also done a pinhole reset but nothing seemed to change.

Any ideas?

The poor bedevilled thing has taken to intermittently flashing the violet led combination and alternating between a full black screen or a full white screen at about a 2 second rate when it is connected via USB. It show no print or cover art.

I get the feeling that 1.8.3 has made some inroads into bricking my Kobo. It was working when it began it's dialogue with the Borders software but it appears that they had a falling out of some kind.

It would be nice to recover it without putting it into a repair stream to wherever the Kobo resuscitation crews hang out. For all it's faults it does amazing things with reducing dead-tree book clutter

[taming]

You might try forcing it to do the update again. When at the desktop, press control+U+shift (or for Mac Command +U+Shift) and see if it will download the update again.