Random Screensaver

[davidfor]

I just found out today that firmware has hidden support for a random screensaver image. If you add a directory called "screensaver" inside the ".kobo" directory, images in it will be selected randomly to be used as the screensaver.

The steps needed to use a random image for the screensaver are:

1. In the ".kobo" directory, create a directory called "screensaver".
2. Put the images you want to see as screensavers in the new directory.
3. Disconnect the device.
4. In the settings, on the "Energy saving and privacy" screen, turn on "Show current read" and "Show book covers full screen".
5. Put the device to sleep and see one of the images. If there is only one image, it will always be used.

This came up in a discussion elsewhere that was sort of triggered by the current miniclock discussion. It has been in the firmware since 4.13.x without anyone noticing.

[NiLuJe]

Sneaky!

[frostschutz]

Thanks. Added a prominent notice in my ScreenSaver addon thread.

The addon is still useful regardless to anyone running older firmwares for whatever reasons.

Or if you like to have different pictures in Sleep vs. Poweroff states.

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Originally Posted by davidfor

This came up in a discussion elsewhere that was sort of triggered by the current miniclock discussion. It has been in the firmware since 4.13.x without anyone noticing.

Hai, I don't fire up strace every firmware update. How is anyone supposed to notice stuff like that. ;-)

And so far "screensaver" references in nickel were about the demo unit mode...

[Semwize]

frostschutz,
your mod gives the user a choice:
show or book cover or picture, and is included in the menu.

And the fact that Kobo has made no selection does not, just delete the folder or rename it, this is very bad.

So at the moment your mod is better.

I first removed the mod, looked what shows with the version by Kobo - returned mod.

[DrChiper]

When the folder screensaver is present, you loose the ability to show the infofield, even when it is checked in the settings.

[MGlitch]

I prefer this over the mod myself, but only barely.

Benefits of this method

1) it's faster on a sleep to draw the screen
2) it 100% of the time respects the orientation of the Kobo Forma (the mod does seem to randomly do this but I can not for the life of me figure out what makes it do so)
3) I imagine this will survive firmware updates without requiring any tinkering from frostschutz for who I know the mod is a bit of a side project and on the back burner to say nothing of the issues I know he's had of trying to fix issues on devices he doesn't have.

Cons of this method

1) It respects invert/night mode, which means you'll have to invert your image if you're going to use night mode and then exclusively use it. Or add an inverted option and cross your fingers you get the right one for the mode you're in. Personally I'm in night mode 99% of the time so this doesn't really affect me but it is an issue.

I don't use the info panel, so it not being there isn't a factor for me at all.

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I imagine this will survive firmware updates

It will... until they decide to remove it. Like chess. And like the log messages that my screensaver addon originally watched for, ages ago. It used to be so simple...

[codychan]

This is nice, thank you.

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by DrChiper

When the folder screensaver is present, you loose the ability to show the infofield, even when it is checked in the settings.

I will probably write a patch to allow it.

[geek1011]

Here is the libnickel patch. It's untested for now, as I'm doing it from my phone, but I'll test it later today and add it to the zips:

Allow showing info panel when using random screensaver:
  - Enabled: yes
  - ReplaceBytesNOP: {Offset: 0xA17E9C, FindBLX: 0x44D564}

Edit: That patch was for 4.16.13162. Here is the patch for 4.15.12920:

Allow showing info panel when using random screensaver:
  - Enabled: yes
  - ReplaceBytesNOP: {Offset: 0xA15C9C, FindBLX: 0x44AA28}

[Semwize]

Originally Posted by geek1011

patch for 4.15.12920

work perfectly

[JIPG-reader]

Originally Posted by geek1011

Edit: That patch was for 4.16.13162. Here is the patch for 4.15.12920:

Do you live in the future?

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by JIPG-reader

Do you live in the future?

Yes, in a way. That future will probably never end up existing though, according to davidfor. If you so happen to find it, the patches are here: https://github.com/geek1011/kobopatc...ons/4.16.13162.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by geek1011

Yes, in a way. That future will probably never end up existing though, according to davidfor. If you so happen to find it, the patches are here: https://github.com/geek1011/kobopatc...ons/4.16.13162.

I have since found out it is a version being released in Hong Kong for some devices. The only real change is to add support for the zh-HK locale. There are some changes in the layout of settings, but these are probably related the extra locale. I do not believe that there are any bug fixes or other function changes in it. It is extremely unlikely that it will be released anywhere else.

[Semwize]

delete