Kobo Patcher

[icallaci]

GeoffR, it worked as far as creating the KoboRoot.tgz file with no errors, but the font-size and margin for the Page Number footer didn't change. So I think I will just use the code that is working for me, which is much better than Kobo's defaults. It might be because the font-size property for the Aura HD looks like it is in a separate section from the other properties, but I don't have time today to play with it. I thank you for your help, and when I get more time, I will try to figure it out. Thanks again.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by tshering

I guess another way to achieve this (without counting) is adding \x58 to the replacement string.

Ah, I didn't know it accepted that way of specifying characters. But the terminating character needs to be zero in the plain string, the replace_xor_58 will encode it. So if it is allowed to include a null in the string (this would cause problems in C, maybe Python allows it?) then the solution would be to add \x00 as the last character in the string, e.g. icallaci's example would become:

`ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 40px;\n\tmax-height: 70px;\n\tfont-size: 26px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 15;\n}\n\n\x00`

[GeoffR]

duplicate post deleted

[tshering]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Ah, I didn't know it accepted that way of specifying characters.

I didn't know it myself with certainty (that is why I said "I guess"). I did a test now, and it works.

Originally Posted by GeoffR

But the terminating character needs to be zero in the plain string, the replace_xor_58 will encode it.

You are completely right, this was a stupid error of mine. I correct it in the original post in order to prevent harm.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by icallaci

GeoffR, it worked as far as creating the KoboRoot.tgz file with no errors, but the font-size and margin for the Page Number footer didn't change. So I think I will just use the code that is working for me, which is much better than Kobo's defaults. It might be because the font-size property for the Aura HD looks like it is in a separate section from the other properties, but I don't have time today to play with it. I thank you for your help, and when I get more time, I will try to figure it out. Thanks again.

OK perhaps this will work as your replacement string (using tshering's idea for \x00 as the terminating null instead of a separate replace_bytes line):

`ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 40px;\n\tmax-height: 70px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 15;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 26px;\n}\n\n\x00`

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I mean the replacement string is not terminated by a null character. Would the two LF's be enough to tell the CSS interpreter to stop processing the rest of the string? I don't think so, as the original footer string is structured like

ReadingFooter { ... }\n\n ReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="dragon"] { ... }\n\n

which I think means that the first clause is applied to all devices, then the second is read but only applied for AuraHD devices. So if the replacement string was the right length to overwrite the first clause but leave the second intact, and there was no terminating null to end the string, then the second clause from the original string would still be applied to AuraHD devices, possibly overriding the first clause.

Edit: I added code to my own program to test, if I terminate the replacement string with a null then I get binary output that differs from what kpg.exe produces, but if I don't terminate the string then I get output identical to kpg.exe.

When I looked at the original Kobo code, it is terminated with a } followed by a null character. I tried adding \x00 to the end of the replacement string I'm using to add a null terminator and it didn't make any difference in what I saw on my Aura HD with the original MZ replacement string. One member sent me a couple of attempted changes which didn't work despite looking okay. I fiddled with changing what was in the replacement string to change it's length and found some odd things happening which did not happen when the null was added. It appears that if the replacement string has the right length to leave a valid looking css style after it, the rest of the original string will be processed.

As an example, here's a setup I was sent that didn't work until a \x00 was added:

Original string:
ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 70px;\n\tmax-height: 70px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 40;\n}\n\n
Replacement string:
* {\n\tmin-height: 50px;\n\tmax-height: 50px;\n\tfont-size: 34px;\n\tfont-family: Amasis\n}\n\n

Regards,
David

[jackie_w]

Thank you, guys, for your insights on the rather awkward Footer patch. It kind of explains why the code I posted in #565 works for me - purely by accident, my 'new value' was pretty much the same string-length as the 'old value' - so no nasty surprises.

Using your new info about the terminating \x00 character, the following works for me on my Glo and AuraHD, plus I think it allows customisation of:

• footer height (using min-height and max-height values)
• font-size of 'Page x of y' (using font-size value)
• amount of space between 'Page x of y' text and bottom of screen (using padding-bottom value)
• I still don't know what qproperty-footerMargin actually does (if anything) so I've kept the new value the same as the old value.

Replacement string for Glo (and hopefully Aura6" but I can't test):

`ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 40px;\n\tmax-height: 40px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 15;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n\tpadding-bottom: 5px;\n}\n\n\x00`

Replacement string for AuraHD:

`ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 50px;\n\tmax-height: 50px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 20;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 26px;\n\tpadding-bottom: 8px;\n}\n\n\x00`

[neil74]

So I'm successfully patched and happy on 2.10. If I connect to wifi will it auto update?

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by neil74

So I'm successfully patched and happy on 2.10. If I connect to wifi will it auto update?

Maybe... All depends on whether updates have been enabled by Kobo for your device.

[icallaci]

Yes, that's it! Thank you, GeoffR and Jackie_w! The patch finally works perfectly. This is what I ended up with:

{\n\tmin-height: 40px;\n\tmax-height: 60px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 10;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 26px;\n\tpadding-bottom: 10px;\n}\n\n\x00`

Everything is exactly the way I wanted it, and my Aura HD is the perfect ereader now. Karma to both of you.

[icallaci]

Quick question: is there a reason all the numeric properties are expressed in pixels (px) except qproperty-footerMargin, which is just a plain number?

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by icallaci

Quick question: is there a reason all the numeric properties are expressed in pixels (px) except qproperty-footerMargin, which is just a plain number?

If anyone knew what qproperty-footerMargin was supposed to do at all, that might be an easier question to answer

Glad you finally found your 'perfect settings'. Incidentally. I see you have made min-height and max-height two different values. For my own interest, did your testing show that doing this had some advantage?

[icallaci]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Glad you finally found your 'perfect settings'. Incidentally. I see you have made min-height and max-height two different values. For my own interest, did your testing show that doing this had some advantage?

Giving min-height and max-height two different values seems to reduce the space between the text and the Page Number footer on most pages, but if min-height is set too low (30px, for example), then on some pages the descenders of letters would be cut off. 40px for min-height seems to work for now, at least with my current font-size settings.

[norbusan]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Here is the Wifi insomnia patch for 3.1.0 (d1b2f00933), I haven't tested it because I don't know exactly what it is supposed to do, so post here with the result if you try it.

Thanks, will try in a minute. Normally the Kobo WiFi turns itself off after some time (when not downloading or browsing the shop or so). This patch disables the turn off behaviour. For most people the auto-turn-off is a good property, since it saves battery. But when you ssh into the kobo to play around there it is a pain ;-)

Thanks

[aceflor]

For anyone interested : with Jackie's help I modified the Footer patch for the Mini under 3.1.0. It's working for me.

Here goes:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Custom reading footer style`
patch_enable = `yes`
# CSS. Then CSS over zlib. Then CSS over XOR "crypto". Then CSS over XOR+NOT "crypto". Kobo managers, are you wacky ???
#
# Disable footer example
#replace_xor_58 = 13FA550, `ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 70px;\n\tmax-height: 70px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 40;\n}\n\nReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="kraken"], \nReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="phoenix"] {\n\tmin-height: 82px;\n\tmax-height: 82px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 15;\n}\n\nReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="dragon"] {\n\tmin-height: 120px;\n\tmax-height: 120px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 20;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 16px;\n}\n\n[deviceCodeName="kraken"], \n[deviceCodeName="phoenix"] {\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n}\n\n[deviceCodeName="dragon"] {\n\tfont-size: 26px;\n}\n\n[localeName="ja_JP"] {\n\tfont-family: A-OTF Gothic MB101 Pr6N;\n}`, `* {\n\theight: 5px;\n\tfont-size: 1px;\n\tcolor: transparent;\n}\n\n`
# Decrease footer example
replace_xor_58 = 13FA550, `ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 70px;\n\tmax-height: 70px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 40;\n}\n\nReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="kraken"], \nReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="phoenix"] {\n\tmin-height: 82px;\n\tmax-height: 82px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 15;\n}\n\nReadingFooter[deviceCodeName="dragon"] {\n\tmin-height: 120px;\n\tmax-height: 120px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 20;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 16px;\n}\n\n[deviceCodeName="kraken"], \n[deviceCodeName="phoenix"] {\n\tfont-size: 20px;\n}\n\n[deviceCodeName="dragon"] {\n\tfont-size: 26px;\n}\n\n[localeName="ja_JP"] {\n\tfont-family: A-OTF Gothic MB101 Pr6N;\n}`, `ReadingFooter {\n\tmin-height: 30px;\n\tmax-height: 30px;\n\tqproperty-footerMargin: 10;\n}\n\n* {\n\tfont-size: 16px;\n}\n\n[localeName="ja_JP"] {\n\tfont-family: A-OTF Gothic MB101 Pr6N;\n}`
</Patch>