Aura HD Replacing internal SD card?

[maxlawman]

Has anyone experimented with replacing the internal SD card in an Aura with one of a higher capacity? I have done this with my Glo, but was wondering how easy the same process is to do on an Aura.

No, but I've done some research that may help you out.

Getting into the Aura is tricky to do without causing cosmetic damage, but can be done without causing structural damage. Once the back cover has been removed, the internal microSD card is easy to access.

The SD card uses a standard partition table (MBR scheme, though presumably it uses a different boot strap), so modifications can be done using the standard partitioning tools for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows.

There are two ext4 partitions (root and recovery) that contain a copy of the systems' software. There is a third FAT32 partition that is user accessible.

About 10 MB of space is unclaimed in the partition map. This may be used by the system. I don't know.

I'm guessing that you can do a raw copy from the Aura's low capacity card to a higher capacity card (e.g. using dd) then using a partitioning tool to enlarge the FAT32 partition. Just don't overwrite the 10 MB of unclaimed space at the start of the media to be safe.

EDIT: incidentally, it uses the same firmware as the Glo so everything should work in the same way.

[Ken Maltby]

Actualy, I have. I have an 8GB uSD in mine now. I basically just followed the thread
for upgrading the Glo. It was the easy to do.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=209122

Luck;
Ken

If you decide to spray paint the case while you have the electronics out,
make sure you don't get any on the black plastic inside the bezel.

[theonna]

Can you explain, how can you efficiently use expanded card?
Even with regular size, fully filled internal card would take around 4 thousand books, and take hour and a half indexing them...Is there some secret way to load a double and have it be functional, without needing to manually assign collections? Or have let's say 50 collections and not have it slow to a crawl?

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by theonna

Can you explain, how can you efficiently use expanded card?
Even with regular size, fully filled internal card would take around 4 thousand books, and take hour and a half indexing them...Is there some secret way to load a double and have it be functional, without needing to manually assign collections? Or have let's say 50 collections and not have it slow to a crawl?

First, you don't have to put more on the card if you don't want to.

Second, I may be an optimist but it may someday be corrected by a
firmware upgrade.

Thirdly, because I can.

And... being reasonable gets boring, sometimes.

Luck;
Ken

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

And... being reasonable gets boring, sometimes.

Luck;
Ken

Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change ready.

Regards,
David

[maxlawman]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

Getting into the Aura is tricky to do without causing cosmetic damage, but can be done without causing structural damage. Once the back cover has been removed, the internal microSD card is easy to access.

As compared to the Glo, how hard is it? That is, how do you remove the back of the Aura, and what damage did you do when you did yours?

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by theonna

Can you explain, how can you efficiently use expanded card?
Even with regular size, fully filled internal card would take around 4 thousand books,

4000 1MB books, or 400 10MB books, or 40 100MB books, .... Many books are larger than 1MB.

[theonna]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

4000 1MB books, or 400 10MB books, or 40 100MB books, .... Many books are larger than 1MB.

We can do it forever, plenty of books are larger, still plenty of them are smaller, hence "around" or "about" 4000 books. Problem, obviously, that as it is now, Kobo soft cant handle that many.

Also are there maybe photos on how to remove the cover, or it can not be done without some breaking?

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by theonna

We can do it forever, plenty of books are larger, still plenty of them are smaller, hence "around" or "about" 4000 books. Problem, obviously, that as it is now, Kobo soft cant handle that many.

I have 460 books, occupying about 1.1GB (including database and cover images), so if I had a 4GB card I would expect to run out of space at about 1400-1500 books. Others have had over 4000 books on a Mini, the Aura is faster so should be able to handle more than that.

Originally Posted by maxlawman

As compared to the Glo, how hard is it? That is, how do you remove the back of the Aura, and what damage did you do when you did yours?

I can only compare it to a Kobo Touch. I would say that it took more time to open the Aura since the plastic is thinner (and seems softer) while the gap between the bezel and back case is trickier to get into in order to pry it apart.

The case is held together by plastic clips. There are six on each side and they are spaced evenly. Now that I've been inside a couple of times, I can simply force my fingernails into the seam between the bezel and back case, pry it upwards a little bit, use another fingernail to pry the side of the back case outwards, then just run the second fingernail down the edge until it pops open. I worked from a corner, doing a long edge first then a short edge. Even with the four edges free, the bezel is attached to the screen with tape. The two sided tape runs all of the way around the opening. Just pry it apart slowly with your fingers.

Opening it the first time seemed harder. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't know what to expect or if it's because the plastic was stiffer. (Ken Maltby offered good advice, but I'm more of a tactile person.) Either way, I found myself using a small screw driver to do the initial prying apart at the corner and using a piece of stiff plastic to run along the edge. The screwdriver definitely dinged the plastic in the corner. Then again, the plastic is soft enough that my fingernails wire nibbling away at the edges when prying.

[Ken Maltby]

I must have stronger thumbnails, no screwdriver needed (although a sonic one might
come in handy). When you open it the first time the tape needs to come off the slick
plastic screen surface and stay on the bezel, that is what it naturally wants to do, so
just take your time prying the bezel off and you should be fine.

I've had my first one apart and back together more than half a dozen times and the
clips are still working, the tape is even still a little sticky.

Luck;
Ken

[jlynton]

A thin guitar plectrum would do the job nicely.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by jlynton

A thin guitar plectrum would do the job nicely.

Of course we who are more plebeian would just use a guitar pick.

Luck;
Ken

[jlynton]

English: plectrum
U.S. English: pick

Take your pick :-)