Skipping registration

[h3ct0r]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Have a look at this from another thread.

OK thanks man that seems to be a viable solution. But I don't know how to get a virgin database file, I need to purge my database of all the rubbish I injected in there I'm still not 100% clear on how to do that. If kobo find out they'll probably wipe my device, they're not as bad as Amazon but I still wouldn't put it past them to be doing this deliberately

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

OK thanks man that seems to be a viable solution. But I don't know how to get a virgin database file, I need to purge my database of all the rubbish I injected in there I'm still not 100% clear on how to do that. If kobo find out they'll probably wipe my device, they're not as bad as Amazon but I still wouldn't put it past them to be doing this deliberately

Kobo will not wipe your device. But a firmware update could wipe the device because of the hack. If you had registered properly, there would be no risk of losing it all.

I suppose if you can move everything that's not part of the registration part of the database to a clean database, you could keep all of your data.

[h3ct0r]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Kobo will not wipe your device. But a firmware update could wipe the device because of the hack. If you had registered properly, there would be no risk of losing it all.

I suppose if you can move everything that's not part of the registration part of the database to a clean database, you could keep all of your data.

Thanks man, ill see how i go, if it doesnt work I might just do a factory reset, that way I can get a virgin database file and use the method you described. Don't want to take any chances

[issybird]

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

If kobo find out they'll probably wipe my device, they're not as bad as Amazon but I still wouldn't put it past them to be doing this deliberately

Please don't spread FUD based on no evidence whatsoever.

[John F]

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

Thanks man, ill see how i go, if it doesnt work I might just do a factory reset, that way I can get a virgin database file and use the method you described. Don't want to take any chances

If you are going to do a factory reset, why not wait until a problem actually occurs? And in the meantime, you can still set SideloadedMode=true if you want to try it (assuming you have a newer firmware).

You might want to ask Jon when the last time that one of these "resets" happened?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Here's what to do. Make a copy of everything on the Kobo when it's plugged into the USB port. Then log out and start over. When the new database, see what's in it and copy that it the old database getting rid of the rubbish you put in. When that is done, copy everything back to the Kobo and reboot. That should get you back up and registered and no chance of losing it all.

So if you keep the rubbish in your database, one day it will all be deleted by Kobo.

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

Are kobo doing this deliberately? If so that would be highly questionable on ethical grounds

Since modifying the database to insert a fake user is not a Kobo supported operation, it is not all that surprising that firmware updates which can and do modify the database user entry could consider that user modified database entry as being a sign that the database has been corrupted. Since using a fake email address* has always worked just fine, I never worried about faking registration any other way. Oddly though when using real email addresses, I have never gotten any spam suggesting that Kobo has sold that address.

One note is that there have been only two Kobo firmware updates that would trigger that database reset from the many updates that Kobo has released. One I tested and it triggered the reset on my test Kobo, the other I never bothered to test. Both of them required a modification to the fake registration entry to allow updating without triggering that reset.

* Basically, any string that parses as an email address will be accepted so fakeuser13@nehwon.isp would work.

I would not agree that an unauthorized user modification to the database might trigger a database wipe as being highly unethical. Any unauthorized modification has it's risks.

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

Does the sideloadmode=true actually allow you to fully bypass the registration? That's my main concern because Amazon have been caught out big time and I'm not willing to take my chances with kobo

I've only used sideloadmode for testing. In that limited testing, it did keep me from using some features that require registration such as syncing library loans so library books would require downloading with ADE or calibre's ACSM plugin and then transferring to the Kobo (you can authorize the Kobo from ADE).

I have lost books on my Kobos but sadly, I have to blame my own actions for those instances. I have never seen any instances where sideloaded books were removed remotely by Kobo such as has happened on my Paperwhite 4.

[Sirtel]

My Kobos are registered, because sideloaded mode didn't exist yet when I bought them (3 years ago) and I couldn't be bothered to hack the database or even use a fake email. All my books are sideloaded and wifi is almost always off (usually I only switch it on when I want to update the firmware a couple of times per year). No deleted books or spam.

[h3ct0r]

Originally Posted by DNSB

One note is that there have been only two Kobo firmware updates that would trigger that database reset from the many updates that Kobo has released. One I tested and it triggered the reset on my test Kobo, the other I never bothered to test. Both of them required a modification to the fake registration entry to allow updating without triggering that reset

Can you remember which modification was required?

Originally Posted by DNSB

I would not agree that an unauthorized user modification to the database might trigger a database wipe as being highly unethical. Any unauthorized modification has it's risks.

.

I meant that in the context of if kobo were deliberately targeting people who used this method. But yes I agree that there are risks and I accepted those risks at the time and I would do it again. But if they were deliberately targeting people who artificially manipulated their databases I would classify that as highly malicious activity on their part. I don't know if they do it I HIGHLY HIGHLY doubt it but if it was amazon it wouldn't surprise me at all. They are superpredators.

Originally Posted by DNSB

I have lost books on my Kobos but sadly, I have to blame my own actions for those instances. I have never seen any instances where sideloaded books were removed remotely by Kobo such as has happened on my Paperwhite 4.

Yeah its garbage like this which prevents me from registering my device or even connecting it to the internet. I paid good money for my device and good money for my literature I'm not going to be a Guinea pig milked for all my data or have my literature tampered with at any time or for any reason. I know kobo is no where near as bad but I'm not even going to take the chance

[h3ct0r]

Originally Posted by John F

If you are going to do a factory reset, why not wait until a problem actually occurs? And in the meantime, you can still set SideloadedMode=true if you want to try it (assuming you have a newer firmware).

You might want to ask Jon when the last time that one of these "resets" happened?

Yeah that's a good point and I keep all my stuff backed up anyway, so its not the end of the world. Plus I have no intention of updating the device so unless kobo have some sort of backdoor into an unconnected unregistered device I'd say the chances are pretty slim that anythings going to happen

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

Yeah that's a good point and I keep all my stuff backed up anyway, so its not the end of the world. Plus I have no intention of updating the device so unless kobo have some sort of backdoor into an unconnected unregistered device I'd say the chances are pretty slim that anythings going to happen

What firmware are you running? You could have bugs that have been fixed since then. Saying you'll never update again seems a bit silly. There have been bug fixes, enhancements that make using your Kobo better.

So really, not updating when there are things worth updating for is not a good idea.

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by h3ct0r

OK thanks man that seems to be a viable solution. But I don't know how to get a virgin database file, I need to purge my database of all the rubbish I injected in there I'm still not 100% clear on how to do that. If kobo find out they'll probably wipe my device, they're not as bad as Amazon but I still wouldn't put it past them to be doing this deliberately

You can get a virgin database file by "signing out" in device options, or, failing that, just delete the file and re-boot the device.

[DNSB]

For myself, I make use of the Kobo Utilities Save/restore current bookmark and and Update metadata in device library tools for when I've had to do a factory reset. Some of those resets have been due to my own screwups and others have been due to regression and other errors in non-release firmware updates.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rashkae

You can get a virgin database file by "signing out" in device options, or, failing that, just delete the file and re-boot the device.

But before doing this, use Kobo Utilities with calibre to save the reading positions. You can restore the reading positions after you database is sorted.