Kobo mandatory update

[jackie_w]

I'm in the UK. I haven't had any emails from Kobo yet but I have connected 2 of my devices to Kobo Desktop (Windows 11) to see if anything happened.

One of the devices (AuraOne) is on Kobo's list and the other (Libra2) isn't. Both have been on fw 4.35.20400 since Dec 2022.

After the connection to Kobo Desktop I saw similar results for both devices:

1. Both devices remained on fw 4.35.20400.
   
2. Both devices had updated the Kobo database version (DbVersion table in KoboReader.sqlite) from 171 to 174
   
3. Both had a few changes to the config file, Kobo eReader.conf, in the [OneStoreServices] section. To summarise ...
   
   Before:

   kobo_subscriptions_enabled=False
   
   purchase_buy_templated=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/checkout/createpurchase/{ProductId}
   sign_in_page="https://authorize.kobo.com/signin?returnUrl=http://kobo.com/"
   
   subs_landing_page=
   subs_management_page=
   subs_plans_page=
   subs_purchase_buy_templated=

   After:

   googledrive_link_account_start=
   kobo_googledrive_link_account_enabled=False
   
   kobo_subscriptions_enabled=True
   
   purchase_buy_templated=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/checkoutoption/{ProductId}
   sign_in_page=https://auth.kobobooks.com/ActivateOnWeb
   
   subs_landing_page=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/plus
   subs_management_page=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/account/subscriptions
   subs_plans_page=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/plus/plans
   subs_purchase_buy_templated=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/Checkout/CreatePurchase/{ProductId}/{TierId}

As you can see, quite a lot of the changes appear to be KoboPlus-related, presumably because it's recently become available in the UK. I don't have a subscription. These are probably irrelevant to Kobo's email.

It looks like we might be getting a GoogleDrive option soon. With my kobopatch hat on, I've also seen signs of a couple of new widgets that look to be GoogleDrive-related in the nickel CSS code contained in fw 4.36.21095 which, so far, is only for the new Elipsa2E. However, the nickel CSS didn't appear to be restricted to only the Elipsa2E.

Which leaves the changes to the URLs for sign_in_page and purchase_buy_templated. I wonder if the former is relevant to Kobo's email?

[DNSB]

Thanks for the information. The database version update is a bit odd since my Sage definitely has not updated the database version despite using Kobo Plus since it was available in Canada.

Looking at the .conf file, I do not have the Google Drive bits but the purchase_buy_template, sign_in_page and subs_* match what you showed. This leads me to suspect that they are not related to Kobo's email.

OTOH, according to a usually well informed source, the email was sent to people who have registered ereaders that do not show an update past 4.12.xxxxx. In my case, likely one or more of my older Kobos that I don't use much anymore unless I'm looking at an issue and even then I tend not to update the firmware.

I tested using howsmyssl.com and the older firmware managed either a TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 connection while my Sage managed a TLS 1.2 connection.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Thanks for the information. The database version update is a bit odd since my Sage definitely has not updated the database version despite using Kobo Plus since it was available in Canada.

Looking at my 171 vs. 174 versions of KoboReader.sqlite, I noted:

• new table added, GDriveItem (3 cols), currently empty. Another indication of a GoogleDrive feature.
• table user has 2 new columns added, NotebookSyncTime, NotebookSyncToken. I don't own any pen-enabled devices but maybe your Sage already has these?

Originally Posted by DNSB

Looking at the .conf file, I do not have the Google Drive bits but the purchase_buy_template, sign_in_page and subs_* match what you showed. This leads me to suspect that they are not related to Kobo's email.

The reason I wondered whether the change to sign_in_page was significant is because sign-in is the first thing you have to do after a factory reset.

Originally Posted by DNSB

OTOH, according to a usually well informed source, the email was sent to people who have registered ereaders that do not show an update past 4.12.xxxxx. In my case, likely one or more of my older Kobos that I don't use much anymore unless I'm looking at an issue and even then I tend not to update the firmware.

I definitely don't have any devices with pre-4.12.xxxxx fw installed, so it's possible that's why I didn't receive any emails.

[DNSB]

Looking at the database on my Sage, I have the GDrive items but not the NotebookSyncTime and NotebookSyncToken columns. My notes say that I did a factory reset a week or so after playing with using a stylus.

[Strrav]

I received this mail from kobo for the first time since several years

You will need to perform a mandatory software update for your Kobo eReader by May 25, 2023.
We're rolling out a critical update to stay in step with global internet security standards. Without this update, your Kobo eReader will get stuck in the setup process after initiating a factory reset.

But I use koreader,and last kobo update has been a problèm to re install Koreader !
So I think I will not update this time .
Is it a problem ?


Nous lançons une mise à jour critique pour rester en phase avec les normes de sécurité Internet à l’échelle mondiale. Sans cette mise à jour, votre liseuse Kobo restera bloquée sur le processus de configuration après le lancement d’une réinitialisation des paramètres d’usine.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Strrav

I received this mail from kobo for the first time since several years

You will need to perform a mandatory software update for your Kobo eReader by May 25, 2023.
We're rolling out a critical update to stay in step with global internet security standards. Without this update, your Kobo eReader will get stuck in the setup process after initiating a factory reset.

But I use koreader,and last kobo update has been a problèm to re install Koreader !
So I think I will not update this time .
Is it a problem ?


Nous lançons une mise à jour critique pour rester en phase avec les normes de sécurité Internet à l’échelle mondiale. Sans cette mise à jour, votre liseuse Kobo restera bloquée sur le processus de configuration après le lancement d’une réinitialisation des paramètres d’usine.

I've had no issues installing KOReader on new Kobo firmware revisions though you do have to pay attention to the issues with some KOReader versions and Kobo hardware revisions and the changes needed to KOReader's setup and launching.

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by Strrav

I received this mail from kobo for the first time since several years

You will need to perform a mandatory software update for your Kobo eReader by May 25, 2023.
We're rolling out a critical update to stay in step with global internet security standards. Without this update, your Kobo eReader will get stuck in the setup process after initiating a factory reset.

I have to say that this is a complete farce.

Surely I am not alone in being the only Kobo owner who has NEVER received an email from Kobo - they do not have my email address.

As far as I can recall my Aura One has never been connected to the Internet, and still runs the firmware it came with.

So, if I had not read about this here I would have been none the wiser. Are they saying that if I have to perform a factory reset (doubtful as I never needed to do so) my Aura would be bricked?

From what I have read in this thread this is less about 'global internet security standards', and more about pushing unwanted adverts for Kobo+

[Quoth]

Famously The Tesco Hudl Tablet's Server was turned off when it still wasn't very only and then a reset bricked it.

I think in the case of Kobo they are saying that if the Factory Reset FW is too old then you can't register via WiFi (because protocol too outdated). But you can still select Connect to PC instead and then either edit so you don't need to register, or update FW or use Kobo desktop program.

It's not the same as being bricked.

There may also be adverts for some, but it does also seem to be about updating TLS version.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

[*]Both devices had updated the Kobo database version (DbVersion table in KoboReader.sqlite) from 171 to 174[

How do you find the SQLite version? I've got one Mini that I've linked (and got the Plus ad and menu) and one that I haven't synced and I'm curious if the SQLite versions are different.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Looking at my 171 vs. 174 versions of KoboReader.sqlite, I noted:

• new table added, GDriveItem (3 cols), currently empty. Another indication of a GoogleDrive feature.
• table user has 2 new columns added, NotebookSyncTime, NotebookSyncToken. I don't own any pen-enabled devices but maybe your Sage already has these?

Does this mean we need updated drivers because of these database changes?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

I have to say that this is a complete farce.

Farce?

Surely I am not alone in being the only Kobo owner who has NEVER received an email from Kobo - they do not have my email address...

So, if I had not read about this here I would have been none the wiser.

Seems like a problem you made for yourself.

From what I have read in this thread this is less about 'global internet security standards', and more about pushing unwanted adverts for Kobo+

Yes, that's it, I'm sure. Never mind that other ereader manufacturers have pushed similar updates for changing internet standards in the past. They must all be colluding to support Kobo Plus.

[rcentros]

Well, I got the email this morning about the Mini not connecting to the store after the 25th. I hope that's still not true, like it wasn't a couple years ago. But I guess I'll see.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Well, I got the email this morning about the Mini not connecting to the store after the 25th. I hope that's still not true, like it wasn't a couple years ago. But I guess I'll see.

I just got the email, also. I don't care about the store as in buying things from the device, but I do prefer to download directly. When Amazon took away functionality from some older devices, it was the first but not the second. I was hoping for similar, but it seems as if that's not what's in the cards.

That said, will manually updating a Mini to current firmware avoid the issue? Or are there hardware limitations?

If direct downloading is kaput, that puts my PRS-350s back into theoretical play. I'd better charge 'em up. Or maybe just download anything I think I might want to read on the Mini before the death date.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Ashjuk

I have to say that this is a complete farce.

Surely I am not alone in being the only Kobo owner who has NEVER received an email from Kobo - they do not have my email address.

As far as I can recall my Aura One has never been connected to the Internet, and still runs the firmware it came with.

So, if I had not read about this here I would have been none the wiser. Are they saying that if I have to perform a factory reset (doubtful as I never needed to do so) my Aura would be bricked?

From what I have read in this thread this is less about 'global internet security standards', and more about pushing unwanted adverts for Kobo+

So you haven't given Kobo an email address and are complaining that you did not receive any emails from them?

As for the adverts for Kobo Plus? Those would seem to be limited to people in the USA and UK where Kobo Plus was just introduced.

Your Aura One would not be bricked but you would need to use the Kobo Desktop app on MacOS or Windows to complete the setup. You would be unable to complete the setup using WiFi.

Contrary to your beliefs, it is about internet security standards. SSL and TLS 1.0 are dead, TLS 1.1 is on it's way out. Your device will need to support TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3 to be able to connect. If you feel up to being bored out of your mind, you can check the PCI DSS v4.0 documentation. PCI DSS 3.2.1 allowed earlier TLS versions but since TLS 1.0 and 1.1 have enough exploits to no longer being considered as secure, even with PCI DSS 3.2.1, they are severely discouraged.

BTW, PCI DSS is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. Kobo must comply to this standard if they want to accept payment cards over the Internet. See AT A GLANCE: PCI DSS v4.0 for the quick and simple guide.

[Crescendo63]

I live in Italy, and I got a Kobo Aura.
I'm subscribed to the Rakuten Kobo shop, and I received the update mail on 20/04/2023 (in Italian, of course).

I didn't try the update yet, since I'm afraid it could erase any side-loaded content, and most of my books are side-loaded (I do monthly backups of the Kobo).

The mail, of course, talks only about the Kobo Library books (the ones bought or downloaded from their store). They never cared about side-loaded content (of course, because there's no money in it for them).

Any opinion about the update and side-loaded content?