How to block games in Kobo

[cakepuller]

Davidfor, Tshering,
Thanks very much for the tips.
And now, to not-improve my son's mind (according to everyone else).

[H.Honnest]

Very important issue for me to disable the games. I tend to behave too addictive to games. I find myself too often not using the reader for reading but for playing 'stupid' games. So I have to somehow disable them...
The advices on how to do so look interesting, but... where do I find "/usr/local/Kobo" and "KoboRoot.tgz"?
I can't get there in the reader itself, can I?
If I approach the reader when attached to my Mac I can only find files with books... No basic software.
Would be great if anybody could provide me some guidance on this matter!

H. Honnest

[JimMcLaren]

Originally Posted by H.Honnest

The advices on how to do so look interesting, but... where do I find "/usr/local/Kobo" and "KoboRoot.tgz"?

In the developer's forum there's a thread "Direct Links to Kobo Firmware". Download the firmware matching your reader. Inside that .zip file is the KoboRoot.tgz file. You'll have to open it with something like 7Zip (or probably winrar). Remove most of the files, leaving the directories for the games. Replace the games with the files discussed in this thread. You can use that to patch your reader.

[Alastair_S]

Originally Posted by H.Honnest

If I approach the reader when attached to my Mac I can only find files with books... No basic software.

By default Mac OS X hides all directories that begin with a full stop. However there is a setting that changes this behaviour (not having a Mac I cannot tell you how to change this setting), after which you will be able to see additional directories on your device. You will need to place the modified KoboRoot.tgz file in the .kobo directory.

[docstupes]

Originally Posted by cakepuller

Does anyone know how to block or delete games on the Kobo Glo or Aura?
I'm willing to perform the hacks.
I want to give my 8-yr old son a Kobo Aura but would like to prevent him from being tempted from playing the games (chess, unblock it, etc) on it. Draconian me wants him to just read.

Don't listen to the others here. They just don't know how to do it.

Yeah I know this thread is old, but I found it recently and others will too.

Install KoReader on your device.

https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-Kobo-devices

Then browse the file system using KOReader. On my Kobo it had Solitaire on it. So find libsolitaire.so and rename it using KOReader's rename feature (just long press the file name).

Then when you try to launch the game, it does nothing.

There ya go. To anyone else reading this, your Kobo is once again an ereader and not a time wasting distracting games machine.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by docstupes

Don't listen to the others here. They just don't know how to do it.

Yeah I know this thread is old, but I found it recently and others will too.

Install KoReader on your device.

https://github.com/koreader/koreader...n-Kobo-devices

Then browse the file system using KOReader. On my Kobo it had Solitaire on it. So find libsolitaire.so and rename it using KOReader's rename feature (just long press the file name).

Then when you try to launch the game, it does nothing.

There ya go. To anyone else reading this, your Kobo is once again an ereader and not a time wasting distracting games machine.

Well, things have changes in the six years since this thread was started. And honestly, installing KOReader so that you can just remove a file from elsewhere. Seems a bit of overkill. Personally, the suggestions above are simpler. Though, I would just do it via telnet.

Of course, lots of other things have changed. Kobo added Parental controls to the firmware a while ago. Turning that on hides the Beta features plus some other functions.

And there are probably patches to do it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

And there are probably patches to do it.

The only thing that can be hidden from the beta section with patching is the browser.