A homebrewed program for viewing image archives (cbz, cbr,...)

[georgevalua]

Originally Posted by rkomar

To start, would you tell me what the Device Model and firmware version is? You can find that information in the Settings->About_Device menu.

The copy in the applications directory is for looking at jpeg/png/tiff/... images that are stored in their own files. If you start it, you should see a Directory Chooser widget come up for selecting the directory the images are in. If that doesn't come up, then there definitely is some kind of binary incompatibility.

The copy in system/bin is automatically used by the Library app when you select an archive file (CBZ, CBR,...) to view. If you set up the extensions.cfg file correctly, then you should be able to see the archive files within the Library app, and if you do a long press on the archive file, you should see a menu with "Open" as one of the items. If you don't see that, then the extensions haven't been defined properly yet. If you do see that, then the Library app will try to launch system/bin/pbimageviewer.app to read the archive if you select it. However, if the copy in applications won't launch, then it's likely that the one in system/bin won't work either via the Library app.

Do you have WiFi access to your device? If so, are you willing to try to do some debugging via a telnet session to the reader?

Dear Author,
Here is info as requested:
-PocketBook 623
-Hardware type: ep7a
-Software version: WL623.4.4.176
-Release date: 20131028_150736
Re files of these different formats, I just do not see them at all, therefore cannot even try to open them, i.e. I copied a zip file to the device but I do not see this file at all when I try to see it via Library. If I do not see it I cannot open it.
I tried to open your applications thinking there is an internal browser in the application but I cannot open application, the screen refreshes and nothing. I make a long click on Home button to see open applications, your application in not in the background.
I have wifi in this model, eventually we could try to set up things via remote access.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by georgevalua

Dear Author,
Here is info as requested:
-PocketBook 623
-Hardware type: ep7a
-Software version: WL623.4.4.176
-Release date: 20131028_150736
Re files of these different formats, I just do not see them at all, therefore cannot even try to open them, i.e. I copied a zip file to the device but I do not see this file at all when I try to see it via Library. If I do not see it I cannot open it.
I tried to open your applications thinking there is an internal browser in the application but I cannot open application, the screen refreshes and nothing. I make a long click on Home button to see open applications, your application in not in the background.
I have wifi in this model, eventually we could try to set up things via remote access.

Those version numbers are very close to what I have on my 623, so I'm surprised the program doesn't run for you when you select it from Applications.

zip files are ignored by the Library, so it doesn't work if you copy them to the device with ".zip" appended to the name. Try renaming the file with ".cbz" (since a CBZ file is essentially a ZIP file). For example, my_comix.zip should be renamed to my_comix.cbz. Then see if they show up in the library and can be opened with pbimageviewer.

If that doesn't work, search for the utelnetd thread in this Pocketbook forum, and then download and install that application to your 623. When you start that application, you should be able to telnet to your reader from your PC via port 10000. From the telnet command line, go to the /mnt/ext1/system/bin directory and start the viewer program by hand. If it crashes right away, you should see some error messages explaining why:

PC> telnet <reader-IP-address> 10000
623> cd /mnt/ext1/system/bin
623> ./pbimageviewer.app

[luigibrosse]

Hi rkomar,

I got some trouble with several archives lately. When reaching the last image of the archive, pbimageviewer crashed and closed itself. This happened for specific files every time I tried.
After some debugging, I found out that it was due to the presence inside of a _MACOSX hidden folder inside. Other files without this folder were behaving as usual. You can find an example of such file at link removed if you want to try it.

Thanks for your help

[rkomar]

Thanks for the bug report. It looks like there are files inside the archive that have names that end in '.jpg', but they aren't actually image files. I'll have to figure out how to do some image file checking to fix this problem, and then figure out how to handle it with respect to the UI. It's not an easy fix, so it may take a few days to figure out.

[gyeben]

When I start pbimageviewer, it immediately crashes with a segmentation fault. What can be the problem?

The details of my device:
Pocketbook 614W / Pocketbook Basic 2
Software version: W614.4.4.661
Release date of software: 20140318_141137

[Tehel]

Hello rkomar,

I've got exactly the same issue as immediately above. Juste a black blink when trying to start pbimageviewer.app from the application drawer or by trying to open a .cbz, and an immediate "Segmentation fault" when running it from pbterm.

I'm running the version "pbimageviewer.app-Pro-360+" from 30-Mar-2014 23:36, as downloaded from http://www3.telus.net/rkomar/pbimageviewer/

I also tried the version downloadable from the first post of this topic which seems to be a bit older, with the same result.

I also added the "626.cfg" file in system/share/pbiv, but that didn't change anything.

My (brand new) device is a:
PocketBook 626 (aka "Touch Lux 2").
Firmware: W626.4.4.693
Release date: 20140404_112517
/proc/cpuinfo: ARMv7 Processor rev 2 (v71)

Please tell if there's anything I can do to help you help us I looked for but didn't find a Coredump, nor any log (/var/log is empty, gdb is nowhere to be found).

[rkomar]

Hi Tehel.

gyeben has already helped figure out the problem (which occurs for new models of readers). I am just waiting for a couple of translations for a new feature to make the next release. I'll put out the new version no later than Saturday, whether the new translations arrive or not.

[Tehel]

Thanks a lot, for the quick answer and quick (future) release !

In the meantime I visited your gdb thread, installed and ran it, but didn't get anything more useful than "Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault". It's been a while since I tried to debug anything on command-line, I admit.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by Tehel

Thanks a lot, for the quick answer and quick (future) release !

In the meantime I visited your gdb thread, installed and ran it, but didn't get anything more useful than "Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault". It's been a while since I tried to debug anything on command-line, I admit.

I gave gyeben a version of the program with the debugging symbols left inside. The default builds have all that stripped out. Once I get this release out, I'll add debug versions to the website, in case someone like you wants to take the initiative on locating bugs.

[rkomar]

I've uploaded a new version of the program to the first post in this thread. The file magic is now checked before loading images to avoid the kind of crashes seen with the __MACOSX metadata files. The magic is also checked when a CBZ archive or image directory is first opened, so that only valid images get added to the list to be viewed. Checking the magic is a bit slow with CBR archives, so the opening check is left as a configuration option in that case. If this is disabled and there are invalid files in the CBR archive, they will just appear as blank images when they are loaded (rather than crashing the program as before).

PocketBook seems to be coming out with new models at a brisk pace, and it's getting tiresome trying to keep up with them and guessing the capabilities of the new devices without having them in my hands. So, I've added the ability to provide a configuration file with the capabilities of new devices, so that the program can work properly on them without needing to be rebuilt. The new configuration files are named after the device model numbers (e.g. 626.cfg), and are placed in the /system/share/pbiv/ folder. I've added configuration files for the new 614, 624 and 626 devices to the device_cfg.zip file in the first post. Instructions for creating new configuration files are available in the zip file, as well as at the website, so users of new devices (like, say, the Aqua) can get the program running without waiting for me to release a new version. New files can be posted here and included in future zip files for everyone's convenience. Older devices are supported internally by the program, and no configuration file is necessary for them, although a file can be used to override the hardcoded capabilities if desired.

@gyeben has added a Hungarian translation, and the French, Portuguese, German, Dutch and Japanese translations have been updated for the latest features by their translators (PascalV, seichiro118 and dtanis). Many thanks to them for their contribution, as well as to @runiterium for redoing the German translations to fit within the smaller new devices..

[Tehel]

You made my day. And the following too.

The latest version works perfectly on my PB 626. I got it on sunday morning and have been using it extensively for two days now to read mangas, with zero issues.

Thanks a lot for the quick update and great support. It definitely adds a lot of value to the device (which was already very good).

[simplex3]

Hi,
first of all: Thank you very much for this great app! It's really good working on my PB Color Lux and it is great not to have converting all my cbr and cbz to pdf!

The only issue i have is that i have to close pbimageviewer bevore loading next file. If not the new book is'nt in color.
Does there exist an solution?

Once again: THX for this app!!!

[rkomar]

Would you please give me some more details about this? Are you just going to the Library app or home screen while pbimageviewer is still open and choosing a new ebook? Or is this when you get to the end and the dialog to open the next book automatically comes up?

You can enable logging in the configuration. Open the first ebook, enable logging, then go through the steps to open the next ebook. After that, close the program, and post the log file to me (attach it here or send me a PM with information on how to get it). Maybe I can see what the problem is from that.

[Hebustroll]

Hello

I need your help.

I've installed the application on my color lux but i've the problem :
- the files cbr/cbz don't appear in the library
- the application can't find my cbr files

I've done this to install the application :
- copy of pbimageviewer.app (pro-360+ version) in the directories :
- \applications\
- \system\bin\
- copy of the extension.cfg into : \system\config\
- creation of a file 801.cfg into : \system\share\pbiv\

The extension.cfg file is :
cbz:@ZIP_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
cbr:@RAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
atar:@TAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
tar.gz:@TAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
tgz:@TAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
tar.bz2:@TAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
tbz2:@TAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
zip:@ZIP_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG
rar:@RAR_file:1: pbimageviewer.app:ICON_JPG

The 801.cfg file is :
has_dpad_buttons=0
has_mag_buttons=0
has_volume_buttons=0
has_back_button=1
has_touchscreen=1
has_new_config_struct=1
max_screen_depth=24
pagemap_margin=0
pagemap_width=24
pagemap_height=32
pagemap_clear=255
pagemap_back=85
pagemap_fore=0

I don't have a sd card with my ereader.
The files are in UTF-8 (without BOM).

I don't know why i can't find my cbr files.

Thanks for your answers.

[rkomar]

Hi @Hebustroll,
from your description it looks like you have done most of everything right. If the Library app isn't showing the CBR/CBZ files, then perhaps it is a problem with the extensions.cfg file. I see in your comment that you called it "extension.cfg" instead of "extensions.cfg" (with the 's' in the name). If so, try renaming it with the latter name. Also, I believe that the file must be created with Unix line terminations (i.e. with LINEFEED only). If you created the file with a Windows program, make sure that it writes it out with the Unix format. If that's not possible with your current editor, then use a program like Notepad++ to do it, since it has that functionality.