Instructions for patching firmware 4.23.15548

[geek1011]

This patch thread is for firmware 4.23.15548 (c8e55ad06855e989bc1a7aa552c6530e140a6a68):

Instructions for patching on Windows, Linux, or macOS with kobopatch:

1. Download the Kobo firmware release
   You can find the download links here here.
2. Download and extract the patch zip
   Download and unzip kobopatch_4.23.15548.zip from here.
3. Copy the firmware file to the src folder
   Copy the original firmware you just downloaded into the kobopatch src folder.
4. Install the firmware if needed
   Install the firmware on your kobo BEFORE proceeding with the next steps. You can do this by extracting the contents of the firmware zip into the .kobo folder and ejecting.
5. Choose your patches from the files in the src folder
   Enable patches in the files in the src folder (or use the overrides in kobopatch.yaml to keep your options separate).
6. Run kobopatch
   Double-click kobopatch.bat on Windows, or run ./kobopatch.sh on Linux or macOS. On macOS, you can drag it into the terminal and press enter (you may need to go to System Preferences - Security and Privacy - General to confirm that you actually want to run it).
7. Install the patches by copying KoboRoot.tgz into the .kobo folder of your device
   If the patching succeeded, a file named KoboRoot.tgz will be created in the out folder. Copy it to the .kobo folder of your device. Safely remove your device once you are finished. On Linux, you may have to press Ctrl+H to show the .kobo folder.

Download

[geek1011]

Changes to the kobopatch zip:
v66 (2020-08-19): Initial release for 4.23.15548.

Missing patches:
- None!

Notes about this firmware version:
- No significant changes.

New patches in this version:
- None yet.

[geek1011]

reserved

[MGlitch]

I’ve not checked the patches so ignore if this was done already but could you add the patch to prevent dictionaries getting overwritten to the official patches?

If it was in the previous version I missed it entirely even after several look throughs.

[JSWolf]

Can we please have a version if the Sickel patch that works with 4.23.15548? Thanks.

Ans Thank You for the new patches.

[ecognito]

What is the procedure for updating your firmware when you already have patches applied? Do you need to uninstall the patches first, then do a Sync on the Kobo to update, then reapply with the updated patch?

Thanks.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ecognito

What is the procedure for updating your firmware when you already have patches applied? Do you need to uninstall the patches first, then do a Sync on the Kobo to update, then reapply with the updated patch?

Thanks.

The patches will be removed by the update. So update, apply the version of patches that matches the firmware version.

This is where having the patches applied from overrides in the kobopatch.yaml file works since you can copy/paste those into the new kobopatch.yaml. Just check for any new or removed patches and update as needed.

[droopy]

# The next 2 patches are alternatives.
# Beware that the KePub reader has problems with its page break position
# when narrow line spacings are selected, depending on which font is used.
# You can increase the replace_float values at the bottom of each patch to
# avoid those problems, or else simply refrain from selecting narrowest
# line spacings when reading KePubs.

Which gets me narrower line spacings without cropping text horizontally?
A) Increasing the replace_float values
or
B) simply refraining from selecting narrowest line spacings?

[droopy]

Question about "KePub stylesheet additions"

Spoiler:

KePub stylesheet additions:
- Enabled: no
- Description: Makes room to add some additional CSS to the default KePub stylesheet.
# See replacement CSS below for examples.
- FindBaseAddressString: ".KBHighlighting, .KBSearchResult {"
- ReplaceString: {Offset: 0, Find: ".KBHighlighting, .KBSearchResult { background-color: #C6C6C6 !important; } \t", Replace: ".KBHighlighting,.KBSearchResult{background-color:#C6C6C6!important}.KBSearch", MustMatchLength: yes}
- ReplaceString: {Offset: 76, Find: ".KBSearchResult, .KBAnnotation, .KBHighlighting { font-size: 100% !important; -webkit-text-combine: inherit !important; } \t", Replace: "Result,.KBAnnotation,.KBHighlighting{font-size:100%!important;-webkit-text-combine:inherit!important}.KBAnnotation[writingM", MustMatchLength: yes}
- ReplaceString: {Offset: 199, Find: ".KBAnnotation[writingMode=\"horizontal-tb\"] { border-bottom: 2px solid black !important; } \t", Replace: "ode=\"horizontal-tb\"]{border-bottom:2px solid black!important}.KBAnnotation[writingMode=\"ver", MustMatchLength: yes}
- ReplaceString: {Offset: 290, Find: ".KBAnnotation[writingMode=\"vertical-rl\"] { border-right: 2px solid black !important; } \t", Replace: "tical-rl\"]{border-right:2px solid black!important}.KBAnnotation[writingMode=\"vertical-lr", MustMatchLength: yes}
- ReplaceString: {Offset: 378, Find: ".KBAnnotation[writingMode=\"vertical-lr\"] { border-left: 2px solid black !important; }", Replace: "\"]{border-left:2px solid black!important}/******************************************/", MustMatchLength: yes}
#
# Replacement value: CSS string of exactly 44 characters in length:
#
# Example 1: Make full justification the default:
# - FindReplaceString: {Find: "/******************************************/", Replace: "body{text-align:justify }", MustMatchLength: yes}
#
# Example 2: text-renderingptimizeSpeed: Disables kerning, but fixes some
# rendering problems that affect fully justified text.
# - FindReplaceString: {Find: "/******************************************/", Replace: "body{text-renderingptimizeSpeed }", MustMatchLength: yes}
#
# Example 3: text-renderingptimizeLegibility: Enables ligatures, but causes
# some additional rendering problems for fully justified text.
# - FindReplaceString: {Find: "/******************************************/", Replace: "body{text-renderingptimizeLegibility }", MustMatchLength: yes}
#
# Example 4: Make KePub font sizes match ePub font sizes: ePubs render with
# 1.5 times the font size of KePubs by default. With this enabled they match.
# - FindReplaceString: {Find: "/******************************************/", Replace: "#book-inner{font-size:1.5em }", MustMatchLength: yes}

If I enable this patch, what differences will there be? Does anyone have a few "before and after" screenshots?

[droopy]

What differences in performance is there between
enabling both
1. Don't uppercase header/footer text
and
2. Custom header/footer page number text
individually

VERSUS

enabling
Don't uppercase header/footer text and change page number text
?

Spoiler:

Don't uppercase header/footer text:
- Enabled: no
- Description: Prevents the text in the reader header/footer from being uppercased.
- PatchGroup: Header/footer page number text
# Replace QString::toUpper call with QString::trimmed (to copy the string, and
# not need to add a mov instruction and NOP the destructor):
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::getChapterTitle()"
Offset: 282
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::updateFooter()"
Offset: 26
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
# Page number text:
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1 OF %2", Replace: "%1 of %2"}
# Percent read text (this string is only used by ReadingView::getChapterPercentProgressText,
# and the home screen one is already lowercase):
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1% READ", Replace: "%1% read"}

Custom header/footer page number text:
- Enabled: no
- PatchGroup: Header/footer page number text
- Description: Changes the page number text format in the reading header & footer
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1 OF %2", Replace: "%1 / %2"}

Don't uppercase header/footer text and change page number text:
- Enabled: yes
- Description: Combines the previous two patches.
- PatchGroup: Header/footer page number text
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::getChapterTitle()"
Offset: 282
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::updateFooter()"
Offset: 26
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1 OF %2", Replace: "%1 / %2"}
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1% READ", Replace: "%1% read"}

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by droopy

What differences in performance is there between
enabling both
1. Don't uppercase header/footer text
and
2. Custom header/footer page number text
individually

VERSUS

enabling
Don't uppercase header/footer text and change page number text
?

Spoiler:

Don't uppercase header/footer text:
- Enabled: no
- Description: Prevents the text in the reader header/footer from being uppercased.
- PatchGroup: Header/footer page number text
# Replace QString::toUpper call with QString::trimmed (to copy the string, and
# not need to add a mov instruction and NOP the destructor):
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::getChapterTitle()"
Offset: 282
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::updateFooter()"
Offset: 26
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
# Page number text:
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1 OF %2", Replace: "%1 of %2"}
# Percent read text (this string is only used by ReadingView::getChapterPercentProgressText,
# and the home screen one is already lowercase):
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1% READ", Replace: "%1% read"}

Custom header/footer page number text:
- Enabled: no
- PatchGroup: Header/footer page number text
- Description: Changes the page number text format in the reading header & footer
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1 OF %2", Replace: "%1 / %2"}

Don't uppercase header/footer text and change page number text:
- Enabled: yes
- Description: Combines the previous two patches.
- PatchGroup: Header/footer page number text
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::getChapterTitle()"
Offset: 282
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
- ReplaceBytes:
Base: "ReadingView::updateFooter()"
Offset: 26
FindInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::toUpper() const"}
ReplaceInstBLX: {SymPLT: "QString::trimmed() const"}
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1 OF %2", Replace: "%1 / %2"}
- FindReplaceString: {Find: "%1% READ", Replace: "%1% read"}

Both the separate patches are in case you only want one of them. The combined patch enables both. You could enable both the separate patches and not the combined for the same thing.

There is no performance difference no matter which way you go.

[droopy]

There isn't a row3 anymore in the newest firmware, right?
If so, how come there are still several patches that have to do with row3 stuff?
For example,
> Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen
> Remove footer (row3) on new home screen:

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by droopy

There isn't a row3 anymore in the newest firmware, right?
If so, how come there are still several patches that have to do with row3 stuff?
For example,
> Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen
> Remove footer (row3) on new home screen:

Row three is still there

Row 1) your current reads
Row 2) "my books" and random thing between collections, author, etc etc
Row 3) Find your next great read (kobo shop) can also be overdrive search, and news on a specific feature and how to use it (possibly other stuff idk I patch this row out I'm speculating based on the home screens of my 8gb forma and aura h2o v1.

[JSWolf]

I'm reading to patch my H2O after I install this firmware. I just have to give my H2O a charge and tomorrow I'll be ready to go.

[dragoworld235]

I patched my kobo a long time ago. Now I'm looking for the patch so the search on the home screen is in my books by default instead of in the kobo library, but I can't find it. Does it not exist anymore?