Kobalt: an alternative reader app for Kobo devices

[PeterT]

Using the beta Android build I'm unable to set KobAlt as the default reading program for Epub files.

[MrSilverstrike]

Originally Posted by dhampny

Just installed Kobalt on my Libra Color. Very easy to install and your introduction is a great aid to getting up and running. Very impressive! Thanks for this.

I see in your Walkthrough that you have the book title in the header. I'm only able to see the chapter title. How can I change that?

Ah, you can't: that's actually the chapter title because it's the intro of the book... I do plan to make it configurable.

Originally Posted by PeterT

Using the beta Android build I'm unable to set KobAlt as the default reading program for Epub files.

Ah, that may be possible. Android's a really early build... it needs work. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Dal Bhat]

Books in Calibre that were azw3 for reading on Kindle, when converted by Calibre to epub, won't open in Kobalt. They are all drm-free and sideloaded. Kobalt message says it can't open them. Clara BW.

No problem with files that came in as epub.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Dal Bhat

Books in Calibre that were azw3 for reading on Kindle, when converted by Calibre to epub, won't open in Kobalt. They are all drm-free and sideloaded. Kobalt message says it can't open them. Clara BW.

Have you tried using KindleUnpack to convert azw3/KF8 to epub?

[mrmikey]

Mornin'.
I've installed the latest version, beta 2 and I have a font problem. I can change fonts but all of them be it from the first 'recommend font' page or the second 'sideloaded font' page. capitalize the first letters of each word regardless of the font.
The only .epub that works correctly with all the fonts was the one I was reading before I installed beta2. Any new .epub I open will capitalize the first few letters of each word regardless of the font selected.
All the .epubs were loaded with Calibre and none of them have or have had DRM.
Clara HD.
**edit**
And bionic reading is off, I've tried turning it on, reloading the book and then turning it off, same result.

[MrSilverstrike]

Originally Posted by mrmikey

Mornin'.
I've installed the latest version, beta 2 and I have a font problem. I can change fonts but all of them be it from the first 'recommend font' page or the second 'sideloaded font' page. capitalize the first letters of each word regardless of the font.
The only .epub that works correctly with all the fonts was the one I was reading before I installed beta2. Any new .epub I open will capitalize the first few letters of each word regardless of the font selected.
All the .epubs were loaded with Calibre and none of them have or have had DRM.
Clara HD.
**edit**
And bionic reading is off, I've tried turning it on, reloading the book and then turning it off, same result.

Capitalize or bold? It's surprisingly easy to accidentally turn on bionic reading in Calibre, and then it bakes in bionic reading into the epub it puts on your device. Wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened.

Try copying the original epub (find it via Calibre) via file explorer and see if it still has this issue!

[fogice]

Originally Posted by Strether

I do like seeing the clock and the amount left on the battery.

Where do you see the option to display battery? I only see Clock listed under Layout. (I'm on a Libra 2 if that matters.)

Also, the patch kobo-tweaks has a nice option where the battery only displays on the reading screen once it drops below a specified limit (I use 20%). That way it works like a warning light on your car dashboard... oh, maybe that's why I don't see the battery, since I'm at 85%? I wouldn't think that patch would affect Kobalt, but you never know...

[mrmikey]

You are correct, it is bold, I misspoke.
As a trial I deleted one of the bolded books in my Clara and drug the original .epub via file explorer back into my reader and indeed the bolding was gone. The book opened fine in Kobalt
So then I took another different bolded .epub and removed the bolding via Quality Check in Calibre and the book will now not open in Kobalt but only in the original Kobo reader.
I don't mind removing the bolding via Kobalt per book as I read the book but it doesn't. I assume that's what you mean by 'bakes in....'

[fogice]

Originally Posted by mrmikey

You are correct, it is bold, I misspoke.
As a trial I deleted one of the bolded books in my Clara and drug the original .epub via file explorer back into my reader and indeed the bolding was gone. The book opened fine in Kobalt
So then I took another different bolded .epub and removed the bolding via Quality Check in Calibre and the book will now not open in Kobalt but only in the original Kobo reader.
I don't mind removing the bolding via Kobalt per book as I read the book but it doesn't. I assume that's what you mean by 'bakes in....'

The bake-in is referring to 'bionic reading', which bolds the beginning of words, and some believe it enhances reading speed and comprehension. It looks like this:

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

[Dal Bhat]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Have you tried using KindleUnpack to convert azw3/KF8 to epub?

No help there.

[mrmikey]

It may enhance some peoples reading but not mine, I'd go crosseyed :-)
If I can't get rid of the bolding it'll unfortunately kill Kobalt for me as I don't plan on re-downloading all my books, wiping my Clara and reinstalling.
If it's been permanently added to a rewritten .epub, how does it not show up when I open the book in Calibre's reader or any other reader. Not trying being argumentative, just curious.

[mrmikey]

Is it possible that installing beta 2 over beta 1 without uninstalling did something it shouldn't have?
I've just uninstalled B2, rebooted the Clara so there's no mods to the original O/S, reinstalled B2, rebooted it now all is fine, no bolded text.
The default text nor any mods to it, size, thickness or spacing will not carry over from book to book but they will stay unique to that book. I.E Any mods made to the text will stay with whatever book they're made in and not populate from book to book.

[MrSilverstrike]

Originally Posted by fogice

Where do you see the option to display battery? I only see Clock listed under Layout. (I'm on a Libra 2 if that matters.)

The battery currently only shows when you bring up the menu

Originally Posted by mrmikey

The default text nor any mods to it, size, thickness or spacing will not carry over from book to book but they will stay unique to that book. I.E Any mods made to the text will stay with whatever book they're made in and not populate from book to book.

This is currently working as intended, the settings are unique per book. This something I plan to address in the future with presets.

Also, I plan on adding something to the next beta that will make it easier to send me logs with useful information when books won't load.

[mrmikey]

This is currently working as intended, the settings are unique per book. This something I plan to address in the future with presets.

Perfect :-)
Would uninstalling the previous version be a better alternative rather than overwriting with a new install?
Thank you for the work you're doing, it beats the OE version hands down.

[MrSilverstrike]

Originally Posted by mrmikey

Perfect :-)
Would uninstalling the previous version be a better alternative rather than overwriting with a new install?

No need to uninstall. Upgrading is supposed to work just fine, but I don't believe beta 2 cleared the cache, so that may explain why you still had issues initially. That's resolved in the upcoming beta 3.