[HOWTO] Create your own native development environment on your Kobo!

[NiMa]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is no need to bother extended support for firmware 2.6+. The current 4.25 firmware can be side loaded on the Mini. So @Elektron just has to download the correct firmware file for his Mini and side load it to update the Mini.

It's not the firmware, it's the Linux kernel. If you download a firmware update (aka KoboRoot.tgz), only the filesystem is updated, and the kernel version stays the same.
Example: My Kobo Glo HD is running latest 4.25 firmware, but with a 3.0 Linux Kernel. My Libra, which got released in 2019, runs 4.25 firmware with 4.1 Linux Kernel.

I think you can update the kernel itself but I've not tried that.

[NiMa]

Originally Posted by Elektron

@JSWolf: Kernel, not firmware. I'm running 4.25 on my Mini.



@NiMa: I'll see if it works. If it does, I can tell you tomorrow at the earliest.

Thanks ! And honestly, I think it will, I just put the 3.0 limit because I don't have a 2.6 device to test with me...
good luck!

[NiLuJe]

Originally Posted by NiMa

If you download a firmware update (aka KoboRoot.tgz), only the filesystem is updated, and the kernel version stays the same.

Nope, kernel and bootloader are included (in the upgrade folder) of the full zip update package (the KoboRoot tarball is only part of a FW update). They're just very rarely updated (unless the device was recently released), because the kernel appears to be mainly handled by the OEM (NTX), not Kobo. But the update process does flash 'em.

[NiMa]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Nope, kernel and bootloader are included (in the upgrade folder) of the full zip update package (the KoboRoot tarball is only part of a FW update). They're just very rarely updated (unless the device was recently released), because the kernel appears to be mainly handled by the OEM (NTX), not Kobo. But the update process does flash 'em.

Oh thanks, I didn't know that

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by NiMa

It's not the firmware, it's the Linux kernel. If you download a firmware update (aka KoboRoot.tgz), only the filesystem is updated, and the kernel version stays the same.

The firmware update is not just "KoboRoot.tgz". The full package includes the kernel in the "update" directories. Kobo does change these, but, not as frequently as the rest of firmware package. And they don't update the actual kernel version, or at least not the major version.

And if you only ever use the "KoboRoot.tgz" file to do updates, something will eventually break.

Edit: Beaten by @NiLuJe.

[NiMa]

Originally Posted by davidfor

The firmware update is not just "KoboRoot.tgz". The full package includes the kernel in the "update" directories. Kobo does change these, but, not as frequently as the rest of firmware package. And they don't update the actual kernel version, or at least not the major version.

And if you only ever use the "KoboRoot.tgz" file to do updates, something will eventually break.

Edit: Beaten by @NiLuJe.

Thinking of that... I updated my Glo HD after a hard factory restore with the full ZIP archive (upgrade folder, etc.) Kernel stayed at version 3.0---something
Do the Mark 6 devices are stuck at that kernel version? Because my Libra runs 4.1 with the same firmware...
Maybe a little off-topic, but I'd like to know, thanks!

[Elektron]

Hold up, so I CAN update the kernel on my Mini?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by NiMa

Thinking of that... I updated my Glo HD after a hard factory restore with the full ZIP archive (upgrade folder, etc.) Kernel stayed at version 3.0---something
Do the Mark 6 devices are stuck at that kernel version? Because my Libra runs 4.1 with the same firmware...

Honestly, I don't really pay attention to it. But checking various copies of the version file I have for different devices, Kobo isn't updating the kernel version for each device. I have a version file from my Glo HD when I first got it and the version is "3.0.35+". And that is the current version. But, there have been changes internally to fix things, or add function. The hardware in all these devices are different. They will need different kernels for the hardware in them. As @NiLuJe, the kernel is probably being produced by NTX. But, I know that Kobo is does fix bugs in it and add function. Or at least one Kobo developer does.

Also, don't put any stock in the "Mark". The grouping is pretty much meaningless and is mainly the order the devices have been released in. Kobo have been keeping the update package to less than 100MB. When they exceed that they go to a new mark. It isn't based on the hardware in the devices, purely on the package size.

[NiLuJe]

Yep, you're unlikely to see the kernel change versions. For i.MX devices, they're based on NXP's original tree, which is itself based on specific LTS releases.

(e.g., Mk. 7 kernels are probably based on https://source.codeaurora.org/extern....1.15_1.0.0_ga or https://source.codeaurora.org/extern....1.15_2.0.0_ga)

To my knowledge, the only device I've ever seen update a kernel patchlevel was the reMarkable, when they jumped from 4.1 to 4.9 on the rM1.

Close second would be Kindles, where lab126 has been working fairly actively on the kernels of their released devices in the past.

[NiMa]

@hobnail Your dream has (nearly) come true!
Well this was quite long. I'll post some screenshots here as well as in the main post, but I'll explain it all in detail tomorrow. It's nearly 1 A.M. here and I really need some sleep.
So what I did (yes I know, it's not the best technique) was to use Xvfb (fake video driver) to create a "fake" display (:1) and then capture a screenshot of the display with ImageMagick. After that, displaying it continuously with FBInk. No touch for now, but you can input things with xdotool on the SSH client.
It runs Fluxbox and I've installed XTerm and Firefox, worked quite well.

I'll continue that tomorrow !

[NiMa]

Posted instructions. Not the best technique but since I'm a total noob in C/C++/C# (but I know Python, though), I can't do much. I tried some things with /dev/fb0 but with no such luck. If someone wants to contribute, it would be very welcome and we could try to have full, real Xorg experience on our Kobos (still, I think it's possible to run that in standalone mode with Inkvt in the background and the image resolution set to low so we can see the keyboard... + a couple of shell scripts)
Please try it and report what it did for you, if you can (& want, of course!)

Thanks!

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by NiMa

@hobnail Your dream has (nearly) come true!

I'll continue that tomorrow !

Heh. Now if only Kobo would release a new Forma so I could retire the current one.

[NiMa]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Heh. Now if only Kobo would release a new Forma so I could retire the current one.

I did not quite understand that. What did you mean? (>>I'm a native French speaker, sorry if I don't always understand)

[hobnail]

Originally Posted by NiMa

I did not quite understand that. What did you mean? (>>I'm a native French speaker, sorry if I don't always understand)

Sorry; I need an old Kobo to try this on, the only Kobo I have is my Forma and I don't want to take the chance of bricking it.

[NiMa]

Originally Posted by hobnail

Sorry; I need an old Kobo to try this on, the only Kobo I have is my Forma and I don't want to take the chance of bricking it.

Oh ok! To my fair opinion I don't think you will brick it: I tested it on my Libra and nothing dangerous happened. After all, it runs in a chroot jail inside a disk image... There are not many chances that you'll brick it, but I understand. Especially with those soldered-storage devices; you always have to be very, very careful...