Unofficial Patches for 4.43.23418

[JSWolf]

A lot (I think most but) of the patches now work for the 4.43.23418 firmware.

Here is a list of what works and what doesn't work based on testing the patches I apply. Look for the names of the patches under the comment ## Does not work. Those do not work. All others with no I have no tested. But all the ones with yes I have test and they apply.

## Works with kobopatch v0.15.0 and later.
## You can update kobopatch by downloading the latest release from https://github.com/pgaskin/kobopatch/releases. 
version: 4.43.23418
in: src/kobo-update-4.43.23418.zip
out: out/KoboRoot.tgz
log: out/log.txt

patchFormat: kobopatch

patches:
  src/nickel.yaml: usr/local/Kobo/nickel
  src/nickel_custom.yaml: usr/local/Kobo/nickel
  src/libadobe.so.yaml: usr/local/Kobo/libadobe.so
  src/libnickel.so.1.0.0.yaml: usr/local/Kobo/libnickel.so.1.0.0
  src/librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml: usr/local/Kobo/librmsdk.so.1.0.0
  src/cloud_sync.yaml: usr/local/Kobo/libnickel.so.1.0.0
  
## You can put lines in the following section to override the enabled state of patches.
## The indentation matters! Each override should be indented by 4 spaces. Add to the 
## section below. This section can be copy and pasted into newer patch versions to
## keep your selections.
##
## Example of how it should look:
## overrides:
##   src/nickel.yaml:
##     Custom synopsis/details line spacing: no
##     Whatever the yaml is called: no
##   src/libadobe.so.yaml:
##     You get the idea: no
overrides: 
   src/libadobe.so.yaml:
     Remove PDF map widget shown during panning: no
   src/libnickel.so.1.0.0.yaml:
     test Pop-up footnote main text font-size: no
     My 10 line spacing values: no
## Does not work
     My 24 line spacing values: no
     Custom left & right margins: no
     Custom font sizes: no
     ePub fixed top/bottom margins: no
     ePub disable built-in body padding-bottom: no
     Custom kepub default margins: no
     Block WiFi firmware upgrade: no
     Custom Sleep/Power-off timeouts: no
## Does not work
     Set KePub hyphenation: no
     Force user line spacing in KePubs: no
     Force user line spacing in ePubs (part 1 of 2): no
     Un-force font-family override p tags (std epubs): no
     Force user font-family in ePubs (Part 1 of 2): no
     ePub constant font sharpness: no
     Un-Force user text-align in div,p tags in KePubs: no
     Un-Force user font-family in KePubs: no
     Un-force link decoration in KePubs: no
     Dictionary text font-family/font-size/line-height: no
     Custom navigation menu page number text: no
     KePub stylesheet additions - text justify: no
     KePub stylesheet additions - word-spacing: no
     Shorten dictionary entry not found message: no
     Change Wikipedia search language: no
     Cyrillic Keyboard (GloHD/ClaraHD/AuraOne/H2O2): no
     Greek Keyboard (GloHD/ClaraHD/AuraOne/H2O2): no
     Bulgarian Phonetic Keyboard (GloHD/ClaraHD/AuraOne/H2O2/Forma/Libra): no
     Don't grab exclusive access to event0: no
     Both page turn buttons go next: no
     Both page turn sides go next: no
     Increase page navigation history: no
## Does not work
     Replace adobe page numbers toggle with invert screen: no
     Always show confirmation dialog before upgrading: no
     Allow USB storage even when device locked: no
## Does not work
     Hide browser from beta features: no
     Remove beta features not supported text: no
     Disable all tutorial dialogs: no
     Remove recommendations (row1col2) from home screen: no
     Rename new home screen footer: no
     Remove line from bottom tab bar: no
     Change Browse Kobo home screen link target - Activity: no
     Set visible SmartLink: no
     Only show Pocket SmartLink: no
     Only show stats SmartLink: no
     Never show Kobo Plus, wishlist, and points SmartLinks: no
     Allow showing info panel on random screensaver: no
     Remove title from reading header/footer: no
     Larger Sleep/Power-off timeouts: no
## Does not work
     Allow rotation on all devices: no
     Don't uppercase header/footer text: no
     Custom header/footer page number text: no
     Don't uppercase header/footer text and change page number text: no
     Swap reading header/footer: no
     Customize ComfortLight settings: no
     FeatureSettings - BookSpecificStats: no
     FeatureSettings - ShowFacebookShare: no
     FeatureSettings - FullScreenBrowser: no
     FeatureSettings - MyWords: no
     FeatureSettings - ExportHighlights: no
     DeveloperSettings - AutoUsbGadget: no
     PowerSettings - UnlockEnabled: no
     Unify font sizes: no
   src/librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml:
     Disable orphans/widows avoidance: no
     Default ePub serif font (Amasis): no
     Default ePub sans-serif font (Gill Sans): no
     Default ePub symbol font (Symbol): no
     Force user line spacing in ePubs (Part 2 of 2): no
     Force user font-family in ePubs (Part 2 of 2): no
     Ignore ePub book Adobe XPGT stylesheet (page-template.xpgt): no
     Ignore ePub book CSS and Adobe XPGT stylesheets: no
     Ignore ePub TOC navpoints: no
     Default ePub monospace font: no
   src/nickel.yaml:
     Reduce top/bottom page spacer: no
     Custom synopsis details line spacing: no
     Custom synopsis font size: no
     Increase home screen cover size: no
     Dictionary pop-up - increase available text area: no
     Increase Book Details synopsis area: no
     Increase library cover size: no
     Custom collection/author header title font: no
     Reduce new header/footer height: no
     Custom header/footer captions: no
## Does not work
     Custom page navigation scrubber: no
     Customise Header back button: no
     Series list increase cover thumbnails: no
     Increase headlines font: no
     New home screen subtitle custom font: no
     Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen: no
     Remove footer (row3) on new home screen: no
     Show all games: no
     Remove forgot pin button from lock screen: no
## Does not Work
     Increase size of kepub chapter progress chart: no
     Change TOC level indentation: no
   src/nickel_custom.yaml:
## Does not work
     jackie_w Screensaver full: no
     beta Increase width available for book Title in Booklists - Storm only: no
   src/cloud_sync.yaml:
     Unlock Dropbox and Google Drive support: no

## TRANSLATIONS ##
# Optional, use only if lrelease is not in PATH and if translations are needed
# lrelease: /path/to/lrelease

# Uncomment the following to add translations (replace lc with the language code)
# translations:
#   src/whatever.ts: usr/local/Kobo/translations/trans_lc.qm
## ADDITIONAL FILES ##
# Uncomment the following to add additional files to the tgz (like init scripts or hyphen dicts)
# The files will be root-owned, and world readable, writable, and executable (0777)
# files:
#   src/whatever.txt: usr/local/Kobo/whatever.txt
#   src/whateverToPutInMultiplePlaces.txt:
#     - usr/local/Kobo/location1.txt
#     - usr/local/Kobo/location2.txt

All of the patchers have been updated thanks to @geek1011

I would like to thank @aardvark for the original updated Windows .exe, geek1011 for fixing all of patchers and @jackie-w for help in updating some patches.

Use the file kobopatch.yaml to override the no to yes for each patch you want to apply. I cannot say all the patches work. Most of them do apply. If you have any issue with any of the patches, just post about the issue.

This is the same format as the unofficial patches for 4.38.23171.

In kobopatch.yaml, do not try to apply any of the patches that are under the comment ##Does not work as they do not work.

[Phil_C]

FYI the offset for "Remove line from bottom tab bar" needs to be changed from 326 to 866 for the patch file to be successfully created.

However, the line remains on the Clara BW screen. IIRC, this patch never worked on the BW.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Phil_C

FYI the offset for "Remove line from bottom tab bar" needs to be changed from 326 to 866 for the patch file to be successfully created.

However, the line remains on the Clara BW screen. IIRC, this patch never worked on the BW.

Do you know if this patch worked on other models?

[Phil_C]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do you know if this patch worked on other models?

Yes, this patch always worked on the Clara HD and the Clara 2E.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Phil_C

Yes, this patch always worked on the Clara HD and the Clara 2E.

I'd like to know if this works on the color models with this firmware so I can mark it not working on the Clara BW and working on the other or just not working.

[librarianne]

Hi there.

I'm a middle school librarian, and I recently purchased several Kobo Claras (BW and Color) to circulate in my library. The kids love them, the parents love them, but our tech department found out about the beta browser and is worried that students will have unsupervised/uncensored access to the internet.

We have tried using the parental control to turn off wifi, but students lose the ability to browse their Sora account for new books.

I am not having luck patching using the methods I've found on here.

I am updated to 4.43.23418.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Aleron Ives]

There is a patch to hide the browser from the beta features, but AFAIK you can't get rid of the browser completely. If a book has a hyperlink in it, you can tap the link to launch the browser and access the web that way.

As you've already noted, enabling parental controls is more restrictive than what you're looking for.

You could restrict Internet access by adding rules to the Wi-Fi routers on campus, so when a student connects with a Kobo device, only certain websites are allowed. This would probably be your best bet.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

There is a patch to hide the browser from the beta features, but AFAIK you can't get rid of the browser completely. If a book has a hyperlink in it, you can tap the link to launch the browser and access the web that way.

As you've already noted, enabling parental controls is more restrictive than what you're looking for.

You could restrict Internet access by adding rules to the Wi-Fi routers on campus, so when a student connects with a Kobo device, only certain websites are allowed. This would probably be your best bet.

Does the patch to hide the beta features work? I've not tested it to see if it applies.

[librarianne]

In the beginning of this thread, the browser blocking patch is reported under the "does not work" category.

I have never successfully done a patch for the Kobo, so I'm not sure how to fix it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by librarianne

In the beginning of this thread, the browser blocking patch is reported under the "does not work" category.

I have never successfully done a patch for the Kobo, so I'm not sure how to fix it.

It wasn't marked as Does not work until now. I just tested it and it doesn't work. I just updated the first post and the patches to show it's not working.

The only option you have is to hope someone can fix it.

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by librarianne

I'm a middle school librarian, and I recently purchased several Kobo Claras (BW and Color) to circulate in my library. The kids love them, the parents love them, but our tech department found out about the beta browser and is worried that students will have unsupervised/uncensored access to the internet.

We have tried using the parental control to turn off wifi, but students lose the ability to browse their Sora account for new books.

I am not having luck patching using the methods I've found on here.

I am updated to 4.43.23418.

Any help would be much appreciated.

If parental controls mostly does what you want, it's pretty easy to make a patch to replicate part of it. Basically look for xrefs to the parental controls option in libnickel, and replace some of them with fixed mov r0, #0x1 instructions. Ones which aren't mostly cosmetic or otherwise standalone may need some other changes as well.

Hiding arbitrary menu items or other UI elements is a little bit harder, but still relatively easy. For this, look for where it's added (usually in the setupUi methods), then replace one of the setters with a call to change the visibility to hidden.

I might throw together a new patch for this if I have some spare time.

Note that a determined student might be able to find a way to browse the web using links on the captive portal or sign-in pages to eventually get to a search engine or something similar.