PW4 Sox Media Player v2 KUAL extension

[honeylemon]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

Sox V2 requires Python as that is how it creates the new menus. Without Python you cannot use the Sox V2 extension. If you have not installed Python do so and try again. Be sure to install the appropriate Python package.

The original Sox player does not require Python as the menus are static.

I still don't know at this point if there needs to be a HF version of the Sox binaries. If this is needed then neither version will work on the latest firmware.

Dave

So, um... I'm not what I did but I somehow bricked my KUAL – can't open it at all, application error so I probably need to fix that later.....
But I did install Python, I put it in my extension folder. Is that the right way?

Also, my kindle PW5 is a 5.17 firmware

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

If the binaries aren't there something went wrong with the install from the zip file. I suggest you inspect the zip file and if it is damaged or incomplete download a fresh copy. Then copy the missing files from the zip to your Kindle. Here is a test output from the zip:

dhdurgee@A31524PT:~/Downloads$ unzip -t sox-0_2.zip 
Archive:  sox-0_2.zip
    testing: music/                   OK
    testing: extensions/              OK
    testing: extensions/sox/          OK
    testing: extensions/sox/README.txt   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/bookmark.sh   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/config.xml   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/killsox.sh   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libFLAC++.so.6   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libFLAC.so.8   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libgsm.so.1   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libid3tag.so.0   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libltdl.so.7   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libmad.so.0   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libmagic.so.1   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libmp3lame.so.0   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libpng12.so.0   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsndfile.so.1   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox.so.2   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_amr_nb.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_amr_wb.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_caf.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_fap.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_flac.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_gsm.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_lpc10.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_mat4.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_mat5.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_mp3.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_paf.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_pvf.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_sd2.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_sndfile.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_vorbis.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_w64.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_wavpack.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libsox_fmt_xi.so   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libtwolame.so.0   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libvorbis.so.0   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libvorbisenc.so.2   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libvorbisfile.so.3   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/library/libwavpack.so.1   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/menu.json   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/playall.sh   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/playfile.sh   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/playinternetradio.sh   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/silence.wav   OK
    testing: extensions/sox/sox       OK
    testing: extensions/sox/soxi      OK
No errors detected in compressed data of sox-0_2.zip.
dhdurgee@A31524PT:~/Downloads$

Note that both sox and soxi are there as well as an entire library subdirectory.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Just wanted to give you an update after going through everything again on my Kindle Paperwhite 4 (10th Gen), running firmware 5.16.2.1.1 (HF).

I reinstalled the Sox v1 package and confirmed that all the expected files are there, including sox and soxi in /mnt/us/extensions/sox/. However, when I try to run either of those binaries from the terminal, I get this error:

-sh: /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox: not found

Even though the file exists and has execute permissions, the system refuses to run it. I also checked for /lib/ld-linux.so.3, which might be needed to run the binary, and it’s not present on the device.

So at this point, I have the files in place, but the sox binary itself won’t run at all. This might be due to how it was built, or maybe there’s something in the HF environment that prevents it from loading properly.

Let me know what you’d like me to try next. I’m happy to test anything or provide more info if needed.

Thanks again for your help!

—Hubris

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by Hubris

Hi Dave,

Just wanted to give you an update after going through everything again on my Kindle Paperwhite 4 (10th Gen), running firmware 5.16.2.1.1 (HF).

I reinstalled the Sox v1 package and confirmed that all the expected files are there, including sox and soxi in /mnt/us/extensions/sox/. However, when I try to run either of those binaries from the terminal, I get this error:

-sh: /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox: not found

Even though the file exists and has execute permissions, the system refuses to run it. I also checked for /lib/ld-linux.so.3, which might be needed to run the binary, and it’s not present on the device.

So at this point, I have the files in place, but the sox binary itself won’t run at all. This might be due to how it was built, or maybe there’s something in the HF environment that prevents it from loading properly.

Let me know what you’d like me to try next. I’m happy to test anything or provide more info if needed.

Thanks again for your help!

—Hubris

You could try running "ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox" and see what if any missing libraries are reported.

You could also run "uname -a" and tell me what it shows.

Here on my PW4 with an earlier firmware it shows:

Linux kindle 4.1.15-lab126 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue Nov 27 03:27:44 PST 2018 armv7l GNU/Linux

I would expect yours to be different on HF firmware.

Dave

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

You could try running "ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox" and see what if any missing libraries are reported.

You could also run "uname -a" and tell me what it shows.

Here on my PW4 with an earlier firmware it shows:

Linux kindle 4.1.15-lab126 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue Nov 27 03:27:44 PST 2018 armv7l GNU/Linux

I would expect yours to be different on HF firmware.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks again for the guidance. I’ve continued investigating why Sox isn’t launching on my PW4 running HF firmware (5.17.1.0.3), and I think I’ve narrowed things down.

I ran `strings` on the `sox` binary and saw that it expects `/lib/ld-linux.so.3` as its dynamic loader:

strings /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox | grep ld-linux
→ /lib/ld-linux.so.3

That file doesn’t exist on HF firmware:

ls /lib/ld-linux.so.3
→ No such file or directory

However, I did find a few similar linkers on the system:

/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3
/usr/bin/chromium/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3

I tried launching Sox using them like this:

/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 --library-path /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox --version

…but that results in:

/mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox: error while loading shared libraries: /mnt/us/extensions/sox/sox: internal error

So, the linker is working, but the binary still fails to load — probably due to an instruction set or ABI mismatch. In short, I think the binary just isn’t compatible with the PW4 on HF firmware.

Kernel version for reference:
Linux kindle 4.1.15-lab126 #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Nov 28 11:38:31 UTC 2024 armv7l GNU/Linux

Do you think it might be worth trying a rebuilt Sox binary with minimal CPU requirements, or even statically linked? I’m happy to test anything you put together.

Appreciate all the help as always.

—Hubris

[dhdurgee]

Interesting that it shows the same kernel as mine with only the build date differing. Perhaps that means that only the libraries are HF dependent.

Your results seem to confirm that a set of HF binaries will be required. As I noted earlier, I simply pulled the binaries I needed from the Raspberry Pi repository for the release that matched the kernel level for my Kindle. Putting together a new set will require doing so again, this time with HF binaries. Assuming there is a one-to-one mapping the complete list is above.

I'm going to have to check back in the original thread developing the extension, as I seem to recall there was a need to patch a path in the sox binary, but I don't trust my memory at this point.

If you are feeling adventurous you could locate a sox binary in an HF repository and see what ldd shows you for it and if you get further than you did with the provided one.

Dave

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

Interesting that it shows the same kernel as mine with only the build date differing. Perhaps that means that only the libraries are HF dependent.

Your results seem to confirm that a set of HF binaries will be required. As I noted earlier, I simply pulled the binaries I needed from the Raspberry Pi repository for the release that matched the kernel level for my Kindle. Putting together a new set will require doing so again, this time with HF binaries. Assuming there is a one-to-one mapping the complete list is above.

I'm going to have to check back in the original thread developing the extension, as I seem to recall there was a need to patch a path in the sox binary, but I don't trust my memory at this point.

If you are feeling adventurous you could locate a sox binary in an HF repository and see what ldd shows you for it and if you get further than you did with the provided one.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your suggestions and for clarifying the next steps.

You mentioned trying to locate a sox binary in an HF repository and seeing what ldd shows on it. I wanted to update you on what I found:

I searched through various HF-related repositories and sources for a sox binary that might work with the newer firmware. Unfortunately, everything I found either wouldn’t run at all on my PW4 (HF firmware).

So, in short:
I’ve tried the step you suggested, but there just don’t seem to be any prebuilt HF-compatible sox binaries out there that will even launch on my device. If there are other places you’d recommend looking, I’m happy to try, but I think this really confirms the need for a proper HF build.

If you have the time or ability, would you be willing to put together a compatible set of sox binaries (and any needed libraries) for the HF firmware? I’d be very happy to test anything you put together and provide feedback. Your help has been invaluable, and I really appreciate all your effort!

Thanks again,
—Hubris

[dhdurgee]

I will take a stab at creating a version for HF using the same approach I did with the original one. This will involve pulling binaries from the Debian Jesse repository and patching one of the libraries that has hard-coded information that is not correct for the Kindle environment.

As I don't have a Kindle with HF firmware I will not be able to directly test it, but I will make it available in this thread for those with HF firmware to try.

This might require a few iterations to get a working version, as the hard-coded information likely differs between the HF and older firmware.

In the end we will either have a working version or know that someone with more skill than mine will need to tackle this problem.

If it is truly important to have this extension working you may have another option, downgrade your firmware to a version prior to 5.16.3 where it will work. Of course if the initial firmware for your device is HF this is not a possibility without risking a brick.

Assuming that I can create a working HF version I will add that to the original sox thread along with the previous version for earlier firmware.

Dave

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

I will take a stab at creating a version for HF using the same approach I did with the original one. This will involve pulling binaries from the Debian Jesse repository and patching one of the libraries that has hard-coded information that is not correct for the Kindle environment.

As I don't have a Kindle with HF firmware I will not be able to directly test it, but I will make it available in this thread for those with HF firmware to try.

This might require a few iterations to get a working version, as the hard-coded information likely differs between the HF and older firmware.

In the end we will either have a working version or know that someone with more skill than mine will need to tackle this problem.

If it is truly important to have this extension working you may have another option, downgrade your firmware to a version prior to 5.16.3 where it will work. Of course if the initial firmware for your device is HF this is not a possibility without risking a brick.

Assuming that I can create a working HF version I will add that to the original sox thread along with the previous version for earlier firmware.

Dave

Awesome!!! Let me know if there's anything I can help you with!

[dhdurgee]

Just thought of one thing that might be a problem if you are trying to use sox from a terminal session. Don't forget you need to update the LD_LIBRARY_PATH or it won't work. For example you can do it as follows:

[root@kindle sox]# LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ./sox --version
./sox:      SoX v14.4.1
[root@kindle sox]#

Alternatively, you can update and export LD_LIBRARY_PATH in your session.

Dave

[dhdurgee]

Attached find my first shot at an HF release. You will want to delete the sox folder in extensions to be sure to have only this version installed.

If you have access to a terminal window I would suggest trying the playfile.sh script first and seeing what happens.

Dave

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

Attached find my first shot at an HF release. You will want to delete the sox folder in extensions to be sure to have only this version installed.

If you have access to a terminal window I would suggest trying the playfile.sh script first and seeing what happens.

Dave

IT WORKS!
VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by Hubris

IT WORKS!
VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!

Glad to hear it. I will make a few additional minor tweaks to this package and the original package, as the internet radio URLs have changed and need to be corrected. I will also want to update the README.txt to note which release should be used for with firmware.

I might also PM the author of the v2 release to let him know to update his files as well.

Dave

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

Glad to hear it. I will make a few additional minor tweaks to this package and the original package, as the internet radio URLs have changed and need to be corrected. I will also want to update the README.txt to note which release should be used for with firmware.

I might also PM the author of the v2 release to let him know to update his files as well.

Dave

Hi Dave,
Just a quick update. WAV playback works — I can hear audio through the speaker, and pause/resume via the UI, which is great. MP3 playback, though, isn’t working. When I run sh playfile.sh /mnt/us/music/music.mp3, Sox reports “no handler for file extension mp3,” and GStreamer throws some plugin and caps-related warnings. No audio plays in the end.
WAVs are fine, so audio output itself seems functional. I’m guessing the Sox build is missing MP3 support.
Thanks again for all your work on this!


—Hubris

[dhdurgee]

Originally Posted by Hubris

Hi Dave,
Just a quick update. WAV playback works — I can hear audio through the speaker, and pause/resume via the UI, which is great. MP3 playback, though, isn’t working. When I run sh playfile.sh /mnt/us/music/music.mp3, Sox reports “no handler for file extension mp3,” and GStreamer throws some plugin and caps-related warnings. No audio plays in the end.
WAVs are fine, so audio output itself seems functional. I’m guessing the Sox build is missing MP3 support.
Thanks again for all your work on this!


—Hubris

MP3 support should be there, so something is up. Perhaps somehow I missed a dependency of one of the supporting modules. Could you try the following for me:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmp3lame.so.0

and

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmad.so.0

to see if they show any missing dependencies. If so, inform me so I can locate and add them.

If not, then edit the playfile.sh command to add a "-V4" option to the sox command line to produce debugging information.

Dave

[Hubris]

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

MP3 support should be there, so something is up. Perhaps somehow I missed a dependency of one of the supporting modules. Could you try the following for me:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmp3lame.so.0

and

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmad.so.0

to see if they show any missing dependencies. If so, inform me so I can locate and add them.

If not, then edit the playfile.sh command to add a "-V4" option to the sox command line to produce debugging information.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I ran ldd on the bundled libmp3lame.so.0 and libmad.so.0 libraries as you suggested. Both of them are looking for newer versions of glibc than what’s on the HF Kindle:

libmp3lame.so.0 requires glibc 2.27

libmad.so.0 requires glibc 2.28

The Kindle firmware only has an older version of glibc, so these libraries aren’t actually usable, which probably explains why MP3 playback isn’t working even though the files are present. I’m guessing they were built on a newer system.

It looks like we’ll need a set of these libraries (and possibly sox itself) that are compiled against an older glibc version—something compatible with what the Kindle HF firmware provides.

Let me know if I can help with testing any builds or if you need more info from my end!
—Hubris
P.S. It would be amazing if you could enhance the UI by adding more controls—like the ability to choose a specific recording or browse through folders. This would make it much easier to jump to a particular audiobook or chapter, streamlining the listening experience for users who have a large library.

#
[root@kindle sox]# LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PA
TH ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmp3lame.so.0
/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmp3lame.so.0: /lib/libm.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.27' not found (required by /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmp3lame.so.0)
linux-vdso.so.1 (0x7ed68000)
/usr/lib/libenvload.so (0x76ed4000)
libm.so.6 => /lib/libm.so.6 (0x76e4f000)
libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0x76d1c000)
/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 (0x54aff000)
libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x76cf8000)
[root@kindle sox]# LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library:$LD_LIBRARY_PA
TH ldd /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmad.so.0
/mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmad.so.0: /lib/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.28' not found (required by /mnt/us/extensions/sox/library/libmad.so.0)
linux-vdso.so.1 (0x7ee72000)
/usr/lib/libenvload.so (0x76f5d000)
libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0x76e18000)
libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/libgcc_s.so.1 (0x76df4000)
/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3 (0x54b9e000)
[root@kindle sox]#