Aura H2O Sideload using Linux

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

Do I need special software to patch the firmware or will the over the air firmware updates take care of everything?

Two separate items.

The firmware files from Kobo can be downloaded directly by your ereader or you can download them from the links posted in the Direct Links to Kobo Firmware thread, unpack the .zip file and copy the contents to your Kobo -- you have to access the .kobo folder which is hidden under Linux/Mac OSX so one extra step.

The patch files that Geoff was referring to can be located in various threads in the Kobo Developer's Forum. The current firmware patches are in the Instructions for patching firmware 3.19.5761 thread. There are batch/script files for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX included to automate much of the process.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

If I make the switch I'll look for your package in the AUR. Don't know when I'll make the switch as the install process seems really involved. Like really involved.

It really is less imposing than it sounds.

As long as you have a working knowledge of the command line, anyon can do it.
You just partition the hard drive (Protip: lots of people cheat and partition from a Ubuntu LiveUSB to use the gparted GUI ), install the "base" group of packages, run grub-install to set up the bootloader (or syslinux or efibootmgr if you choose), then edit the text files which contain your hostname, locale, keyboard, etc.
Reboot, add a regular user, choose your DE...

Most of this stuff is just filling out information via the command line rather than in a GUI installer.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

Do I need special software to patch the firmware or will the over the air firmware updates take care of everything?

I didn't mean to imply that patch program was necessary, it is just one of the programs I use. You can update the firmware either via wi-fi direct from the device, or manually via a USB connection. If you choose to patch then that is a seperate operation from updating the firmware.

The Kobo desktop program can also update the firmware, but even if you didn't have wi-fi there would be no need to use it for that, because it is very easy to do manually just by downloading the firmware from Kobo and copying it to the right place on the ereader.

[effnflowers]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Two separate items.

The firmware files from Kobo can be downloaded directly by your ereader or you can download them from the links posted in the Direct Links to Kobo Firmware thread, unpack the .zip file and copy the contents to your Kobo -- you have to access the .kobo folder which is hidden under Linux/Mac OSX so one extra step.

The patch files that Geoff was referring to can be located in various threads in the Kobo Developer's Forum. The current firmware patches are in the Instructions for patching firmware 3.19.5761 thread. There are batch/script files for Windows, Linux and Mac OSX included to automate much of the process.

Cool, it's nice to know there are options. I'll probably just do the OTA update.

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It really is less imposing than it sounds.

As long as you have a working knowledge of the command line, anyon can do it.
You just partition the hard drive (Protip: lots of people cheat and partition from a Ubuntu LiveUSB to use the gparted GUI ), install the "base" group of packages, run grub-install to set up the bootloader (or syslinux or efibootmgr if you choose), then edit the text files which contain your hostname, locale, keyboard, etc.
Reboot, add a regular user, choose your DE...

Most of this stuff is just filling out information via the command line rather than in a GUI installer.

I'm okay with the command line so one of these days I might give a try on my old Dell laptop. I use it as my test bed. So if I already have it partitioned for root, swap and home do I need to repartition or will the Arch install just over write everything?

I've also been thinking about giving Korora 24 a try. Have you taken a look at it?

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I didn't mean to imply that patch program was necessary, it is just one of the programs I use. You can update the firmware either via wi-fi direct from the device, or manually via a USB connection. If you choose to patch then that is a seperate operation from updating the firmware.

The Kobo desktop program can also update the firmware, but even if you didn't have wi-fi there would be no need to use it for that, because it is very easy to do manually just by downloading the firmware from Kobo and copying it to the right place on the ereader.

I'm still a little confused. So does patching fix things that a regular OTA update doesn't?

[the.Mtn.Man]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

Thanks for the tip. I still have money sitting in my Google Play account from a credit I received when I bought my Nexus 5X that I thought I'd use for some books but it sounds like I'll have to spend it on something else before it expires.

The irony is that the same book is available DRM free directly from the publisher (Delphi Classics)! Like I said, the only reason I bought it from Google is because they gave me $5 credit as a free promotion.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

I'm okay with the command line so one of these days I might give a try on my old Dell laptop. I use it as my test bed. So if I already have it partitioned for root, swap and home do I need to repartition or will the Arch install just over write everything?

That falls under the category of "pre-partitioned, you just need to reformat the partitions to clean them up".

I've also been thinking about giving Korora 24 a try. Have you taken a look at it?

I am quite happy with Arch and see no need to distro hop, and besides I don't really see what the point of most remixes are.

I'm still a little confused. So does patching fix things that a regular OTA update doesn't?

Patching is done when the vendor software does things that users disagree with. You'd have to look up the patches available and see if any of them accomplish changes that you desire to have.

...

Also known as "hacks". I assume the Kobo developers community calls them "patches" rather than "hacks" because it doesn't imply a need to jailbreak (since the Kobo doesn't, after all, require a jailbreak).

[effnflowers]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

That falls under the category of "pre-partitioned, you just need to reformat the partitions to clean them up".



I am quite happy with Arch and see no need to distro hop, and besides I don't really see what the point of most remixes are.



Patching is done when the vendor software does things that users disagree with. You'd have to look up the patches available and see if any of them accomplish changes that you desire to have.

...

Also known as "hacks". I assume the Kobo developers community calls them "patches" rather than "hacks" because it doesn't imply a need to jailbreak (since the Kobo doesn't, after all, require a jailbreak).

I'm still looking for a distro I'm really happy with. MATE is okay but the Ubuntu updates are slow, especially for Chromium.

Now I get the difference between patching and OTA updates. Thanks for taking the time to explain it. What is the best way to patch when running Linux?

The H2O shipped today which gives me plenty of time between now and Monday to do some researching so I can hit the ground running.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

I'm still looking for a distro I'm really happy with. MATE is okay but the Ubuntu updates are slow, especially for Chromium.

MATE isn't a distro, it's a DE.

The Arch Linux maintainer for MATE left, and there has been some discussion about the future of MATE on Arch -- it is currently lagging at 1.12 but several community members have posted their efforts on updated PKGBUILDs. See the thread in the Arch subforum "Community Contributions".

Personally i am happy with Cinnamon.

Now I get the difference between patching and OTA updates. Thanks for taking the time to explain it. What is the best way to patch when running Linux?

The H2O shipped today which gives me plenty of time between now and Monday to do some researching so I can hit the ground running.

I am not a Kobo user, I wouldn't have any experience with that...


I assume you check the thread where Kobo thirdparty patches are listed, where they have further instructions.

[effnflowers]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

MATE isn't a distro, it's a DE.

The Arch Linux maintainer for MATE left, and there has been some discussion about the future of MATE on Arch -- it is currently lagging at 1.12 but several community members have posted their efforts on updated PKGBUILDs. See the thread in the Arch subforum "Community Contributions".

Personally i am happy with Cinnamon.



I am not a Kobo user, I wouldn't have any experience with that...


I assume you check the thread where Kobo thirdparty patches are listed, where they have further instructions.

Yeah I was to lazy to type Ubuntu MATE 16.04 like I did the OP so here I am typing much more than that now.

Sorry about that I think I confused you with someone else in the thread.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

Cool, thanks for the info. If I decide to buy some Google Play books it sounds like there is work around that isn't to cumbersome. Although I'll probably run ADE in a Windows VM.

I do have wi-fi so I'm good to go there. I ordered the H2O a little bit ago so now I just have to wait for it to arrive.

Do I need special software to patch the firmware or will the over the air firmware updates take care of everything?

To be able to download eBooks from Google Play, you need to be running at least ADE version 2.0.1. Any earlier version of ADE will not work.

[effnflowers]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

To be able to download eBooks from Google Play, you need to be running at least ADE version 2.0.1. Any earlier version of ADE will not work.

I think that's what I need to get books from the library so I might be okay then. Thanks for the help.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by effnflowers

I think that's what I need to get books from the library so I might be okay then. Thanks for the help.

It's only Google Play books that I know needs 2.0.1. Since I do not have any earlier version than 2.0.1, I have no way to know what needs it.

[ottdmk]

My library requires 2.01, just to mention.

[rashkae]

Huh? I was able to download a book from Google play just with with ADE 1.7.2

ADE couldn't actually open the book, but it downloaded and decrypted just fine.

Edit: never mind. I can't find any DRM books in my Play account. I must have gotten confused.