Firmware 4.31.19086

[mzel]

Am I correct to assume that I should block the FW updates until Kobo comes up with the fixes for all of the above while I am still on 4.30?

[Calenorn]

Originally Posted by mzel

Am I correct to assume that I should block the FW updates until Kobo comes up with the fixes for all of the above while I am still on 4.30?

That's my choice. Let the beta testers identify the bugs. There will eventually be a follow-on firmware release.

[black]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Specifically to get rid of 'find your next book' and 'shop kobo', go to nickel.yaml and look for 'Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen'.

Change 'Enabled: no' to 'Enabled: yes'

Alternately, you can change 'Remove footer (row3) on new home screen'. That will do the same thing without increasing cover size. But to me, once that row is gone, you need the larger covers or things look weird.

Just don't change both. Pick one or the other.

many thanks !!

[anacreon]

My reader just reinitialized without rhyme or reason: I had just turned it off then on after loading a few books, in order to update the metadata.
So again with the whole process of authorizing everything, setting my parameters, copying the dictionaries and screensavers, modifying the affiliate, and the most time-wasting, turning it repeatedly off then on so that I - hopefully - have most of my books visible again - presently it shows only 519 instead of 5917. Then I'll apply my patches and will be set? Hoping it doesn't happen again and again, like it did with Elipsa last summer, until a new firmware solved the problem.

I think I should return to 4.30 just in case the problem IS caused by the F/w like it was with Elipsa.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Deobulakenyo

I have the same kernel version. And yes i did update manually as the update was not showing at the time.

I have nickelmenu and a bunch of patches.

Would you know if reverting to 4.30 is just a simple downgrading of extracting the fw 4.30 in .kobo folder and updating/rebooting or do i need to factory reset?

Have you updated NickelMenu? There were several issues, some of which were fixed in v0.5.4.

There is also the issue with fonts that have been mentioned by several posters. For me, the worse case is when I use a font that has a large file size. Using Arial Unicode MS (22.2MB) as an example, if I have switched fonts a couple of time prior to trying to use that font I've managed to get my Sage to restart. Other times, I've gotten a popup that my font tester epub can't be opened due to DRM. My temporary workaround has been to used Code2000 for those times I need a font with a lot of Unicode glyphs for testing but even doing that has not saved me from seeing issues.

[cpimentel]

I have decided to keep my Elipsa as an e-reader only and never ever update it right after the update is released. Way better than lose money selling it.

Every new firmware is the same: lots of bugs, lots of us debugging, trying and fiddling with the device, which is something Kobo should have done before releasing a firmware to the public. We are not beta testers, at least I am not and I didn't sign to that. I do software development for living and honestly the last thing I wanna do after 8 to 10h working is to have to debug my e-reader.

Sideloading everything again is painless, but losing annotations and specially notebooks, it is unacceptable. I've lost 2h of studying after updating to the new firmware.

My takeaways since I got my Elipsa are:
- Notetaking is an extra feature and it is not something interesting for the main Kobo customer
- Updates are unreliable and break things that are not documented in the update log
- Never update right away

Sorry for my rant.

[JSWolf]

Most updates are good to go. It's the first time I've seen a firmware update have font trouble.

[cpimentel]

And here is what happened to me:
- Updated the device in the morning and continued to study
- Book is a PDF and had hand writing notes on it from before
- Added more notes to it
- Left the device and hours later turned it on again
- No notes from the study session after the update

So I queried the internal DB for annotations and figured out that PDF annotations are stored in the PDF itself, I didn't know that.

Since my device is set to turnoff after 1h, I think when it turned off automatically it didn't flush my notes into the PDF.

[cpimentel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most updates are good to go. It's the first time I've seen a firmware update have font trouble.

But it is not the 1st update where people lost their notes, handwritten to be more specific.

Honestly I think we don't have enough people using the note taking capabilities of Elipsa and Sage, so we don't hear that many people bringing up their problems.

Elipsa is an amazing device, I love the screen, but the note taking feature, not ready for customers IMHO.

[cpimentel]

Originally Posted by cpimentel

And here is what happened to me:
- Updated the device in the morning and continued to study
- Book is a PDF and had hand writing notes on it from before
- Added more notes to it
- Left the device and hours later turned it on again
- No notes from the study session after the update

So I queried the internal DB for annotations and figured out that PDF annotations are stored in the PDF itself, I didn't know that.

Since my device is set to turnoff after 1h, I think when it turned off automatically it didn't flush my notes into the PDF.

And I can replicate the problem. Exactly how I described.

The PDF reader only flushes the notes when you leave the reader or maybe after a few page swipes... but if you take notes, leave it open and wait it until it turns off automatically, it has the same effect as you turn the device off manually.

I will report to Kobo.

PS: maybe this also affects annotations in books.

[Deobulakenyo]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Have you updated NickelMenu? There were several issues, some of which were fixed in v0.5.4.

There is also the issue with fonts that have been mentioned by several posters. For me, the worse case is when I use a font that has a large file size. Using Arial Unicode MS (22.2MB) as an example, if I have switched fonts a couple of time prior to trying to use that font I've managed to get my Sage to restart. Other times, I've gotten a popup that my font tester epub can't be opened due to DRM. My temporary workaround has been to used Code2000 for those times I need a font with a lot of Unicode glyphs for testing but even doing that has not saved me from seeing issues.

Yes, i am using the latest nickelmenu.

Question: if i downgrade, can i still use the latest nickelmenu in 4.30 fw?

Another one, if i intend to keep my reading stats, can i use the sqlite file from 4.31 and use it on 4.30 after downgrade?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Most updates are good to go. It's the first time I've seen a firmware update have font trouble.

Well your memory must be terrible. It's by far not the first firmware with issues with epubs and fonts. And it always happens because Kobo is trying to fix a problem, one usually complained about here, and the solution is worse than the problem.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by cpimentel

But it is not the 1st update where people lost their notes, handwritten to be more specific.

Honestly I think we don't have enough people using the note taking capabilities of Elipsa and Sage, so we don't hear that many people bringing up their problems.

Elipsa is an amazing device, I love the screen, but the note taking feature, not ready for customers IMHO.

I’d be more suspicious of PDF, rather than Kobo. There’s multiple methods to create PDFs some of which deliver less than good files while appearing to be fine. I’m not trying to start a debate about PDF, epub has similar issues.

[cpimentel]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I’d be more suspicious of PDF, rather than Kobo. There’s multiple methods to create PDFs some of which deliver less than good files while appearing to be fine. I’m not trying to start a debate about PDF, epub has similar issues.

Hey @MGlitch! I managed to reproduce so is 100% in the software. Not sure if it was there before.

If you make a note on a PDF, leave the viewer open and your device turns off, by the energy saver or any other method, you just lose your notes.

The editor only writes to the PDF your notes when you leave the editor, or maybe after you change some pages.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by cpimentel

Hey @MGlitch! I managed to reproduce so is 100% in the software. Not sure if it was there before.

If you make a note on a PDF, leave the viewer open and your device turns off, by the energy saver or any other method, you just lose your notes.

The editor only writes to the PDF your notes when you leave the editor, or maybe after you change some pages.

Did you reproduce it in the same PDF, or a PDF from the same source, because that would mean nothing given the potential issues with PDF.

If it’s a different PDF from a different source then it’s possible it’s the software. But also possible it’s the file.