Kobo Start Menu 08

[tshering]

@pickyaxe, @rtiangha
Thank you for your reports. I actually had omitted one sub folder by mistake. I have uploaded a new version to the Auro One patch post. You can just install it. There is no need to uninstall the old version.

Originally Posted by rtiangha

So I installed 4.2.8283 on my GloHD. My process was to uninstall KSM, update the firmware, then reinstall KSM, taking the opportunity to update koreader to the latest nightly (build 818 at the time) while I was at it.

I would like to mention that unistalling KSM was not necessary.

Originally Posted by rtiangha

I installed KSM and then the KSM 4.2.8283 patch version that was available last night. I also made the emergency power off modifications mainly because I wasn't sure if they were actually required or not so I wanted to play it safe in case they were.

The emergency power off is not required. I just provide the possibility. I for one will possibly not use it. I am to lazy to modify myself each new version of KOReader that I install. And then I never let my device sleep for a long time.

Originally Posted by rtiangha

For now, I can just exit nickel completely when I want to switch to koreader, but it would be more convenient if it could work the way it used to where I could switch back and forth between the two without having to exit back to KSM to do so.

Originally Posted by rtiangha

Another thing is that if I try to switch to koreader from within nickel, koreader will crash, and then I'm not able to start koreader again at all from within KSM until I reboot the device.

This should be solved now too.

[pickyaxe]

USB mounting and KOReader switching now work for me. Thanks so much, tshering! You solved it so quickly.

[rtiangha]

Originally Posted by tshering

@pickyaxe, @rtiangha

This should be solved now too.

Hi tshering, thanks so much for all your hard work!

So I have a GloHD. In order to get the fix that allows switching to koreader from within nickel, do I need to install the Aura ONE patch? Or should I reinstall the KSM_patch_4.2.8283.zip? I only ask because it doesn't look like the 4.2.8283 patch has been updated since Jan 22, and I'm not sure if the Aura ONE patch is compatible with my device. Thanks!

[tshering]

Originally Posted by pickyaxe

USB mounting and KOReader switching now work for me. Thanks so much, tshering! You solved it so quickly.

Thank you for testing! I am glad it works.

[tshering]

Originally Posted by rtiangha

Hi tshering, thanks so much for all your hard work!

So I have a GloHD. In order to get the fix that allows switching to koreader from within nickel, do I need to install the Aura ONE patch? Or should I reinstall the KSM_patch_4.2.8283.zip? I only ask because it doesn't look like the 4.2.8283 patch has been updated since Jan 22, and I'm not sure if the Aura ONE patch is compatible with my device. Thanks!

I have removed the KSM_patch_4.2.8283.zip from the post, since it is included in the Aura One patch, which I consider fully compatible with all devices starting with Kobo Touch.

[JFeole]

A question..

This mornin i picked up my KA1 to read while sippin coffee, and it had drained battery..

So, i charged, and as it came up, it appeared to askin to be load latest 4.2.8283, update.

So i declined, and charged the device. When i rebooted later, it came up and automatically applied the kobo update, and asked me to reregister with Kobo, etc. So, i did this, and now have what appears to be a clean new installation.

Prior to this, I had ksm_08, koreader, coolreader installed and working well..

So , could the fact that i left wifi on, and i may have got a push download of the last update(even tho i had manually apllied when it was released) had caused the KA1 to do a factory reset?

I can reinstall KSM, but was just curious..

Thanks,
John Feole

[tshering]

Originally Posted by nook_nerd

A question..

This mornin i picked up my KA1 to read while sippin coffee, and it had drained battery..

So, i charged, and as it came up, it appeared to askin to be load latest 4.2.8283, update.

So i declined, and charged the device. When i rebooted later, it came up and automatically applied the kobo update, and asked me to reregister with Kobo, etc. So, i did this, and now have what appears to be a clean new installation.

Prior to this, I had ksm_08, koreader, coolreader installed and working well..

So , could the fact that i left wifi on, and i may have got a push download of the last update(even tho i had manually apllied when it was released) had caused the KA1 to do a factory reset?

I can reinstall KSM, but was just curious..

Thanks,
John Feole

There are several things strange. 1) One would not expect that nickel downloads a FW that is already installed. 2) One would not expect that a FW gets installed without your explicit consent, when KSM is running. 3) One would not expect that you have to newly register after a FW update.
at 2) I have to admit that I did not let nickel download a FW update since years. Therefore, I do not know whether things have changed; for instance, whethere there is another point at which an update gets applied besides right after booting. However, if KSM is configured to run only every second boot, then the FW would be applied without asking if it is nickel's turn,
at 3) This could happen if you bypassed the registration and your previous FW was less strict than the new one.
With each new FW things can change!

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by tshering

There are several things strange. 1) One would not expect that nickel downloads a FW that is already installed. 2) One would not expect that a FW gets installed without your explicit consent, when KSM is running. 3) One would not expect that you have to newly register after a FW update.
at 2) I have to admit that I did not let nickel download a FW update since years. Therefore, I do not know whether things have changed; for instance, whethere there is another point at which an update gets applied besides right after booting. However, if KSM is configured to run only every second boot, then the FW would be applied without asking if it is nickel's turn,
at 3) This could happen if you bypassed the registration and your previous FW was less strict than the new one.
With each new FW things can change!

Looking at nook_nerd post, I think nickel downloaded the update as part of a sync and prompted to do the install. nook_nerd said no. Then at some time powered off. The firmware was then installed during the power-on. This will also happen if you connect and disconnect to a PC.

I have seen firmware installed after a sync without a prompt when a sleep was involved. For some reason, the download to my Glo is very slow. It has gone to sleep while doing it and I woke it and download finished. Then it just did the install. This has only happened two or three times - just enough to know something is going on, but not enough to be completely sure of the pattern.

The other possibility here is if something was wrong. For example, if the database is corrupt, then a restart can take you through the setup. This will include downloading and installing firmware and the registration. There are probably other things that can trigger this, but the database is the one I know.

[tshering]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Looking at nook_nerd post, I think nickel downloaded the update as part of a sync and prompted to do the install. nook_nerd said no. Then at some time powered off. The firmware was then installed during the power-on.

KSM prevents that the relevant code of rcS is executed and asks the user for permission to apply the update, to do nothing or to remove the update files. Therefore, there should not have happened an automatic FW update at this point.

Originally Posted by davidfor

This will also happen if you connect and disconnect to a PC.

If am not mistaken nickel reboots the device when it detects the update files and starting from this point the same process as above happens.

Originally Posted by davidfor

I have seen firmware installed after a sync without a prompt when a sleep was involved. For some reason, the download to my Glo is very slow. It has gone to sleep while doing it and I woke it and download finished. Then it just did the install. This has only happened two or three times - just enough to know something is going on, but not enough to be completely sure of the pattern.

Generally, I think after downloading the firmware archive, nickel used to extract KoboRoot.tgz and so on from the downloaded zip file and then rebooted the device. Since I did not do this for a long time, I am not sure whether things have changed. I could be possible that nickel itself extracts KoboRoot.tgz etc. and only then reboots, instead of simply rebooting and letting rcS do the work. If this is the case KSM would be bypassed. (I know, my thoughts are not specifically related to nickel going to sleep while downloading, but rather with FW update via wifi in general.)

Originally Posted by davidfor

The other possibility here is if something was wrong. For example, if the database is corrupt, then a restart can take you through the setup. This will include downloading and installing firmware and the registration. There are probably other things that can trigger this, but the database is the one I know.

In the case of KSM, the restart that "can take you through the setup" would be the start of nickel by the KSM menu. According to nook_nerd's description ("When i rebooted later, it came up and automatically applied the kobo update, and asked me to reregister with Kobo, etc.") KSM seemed not be involved at all. But maybe nook_nerd skips some details in his description, and without these details it is difficult to know what really happened (or what one could have done in this situation).

[kido.resuri]

As I was reverse-engineering the nickel sync update process, I saw that some updates are forced, and 4.2.8283 is set to be a forced upgrade. But when I was working on this, it was only for the Beta affiliate. It may have moved to be the main update, so who knows. If I turn my laptop on, than I may check this.

[tshering]

Originally Posted by kido.resuri

As I was reverse-engineering the nickel sync update process, I saw that some updates are forced, and 4.2.8283 is set to be a forced upgrade. But when I was working on this, it was only for the Beta affiliate. It may have moved to be the main update, so who knows. If I turn my laptop on, than I may check this.

Actually, I do not know how a "forced" update is treated differently from a "required" update, once it is downloaded to the device. I admit that I also do know what difference it makes before it is downloaded.
Besides to beta, 4.2.8283 is currently delivered to bestbuyca, fnac, and maybe others.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by kido.resuri

As I was reverse-engineering the nickel sync update process, I saw that some updates are forced, and 4.2.8283 is set to be a forced upgrade. But when I was working on this, it was only for the Beta affiliate. It may have moved to be the main update, so who knows. If I turn my laptop on, than I may check this.

A with tshering, I don't know what you mean by forced. There are no options for downloading the firmware. If an update is found for the device, then it will be downloaded. There is an option for installing it. But that is "now" or "later". The "later" will be after the next sync or restart. The only other thing is you can't do sync until it is installed.

The affiliates and how they affect the firmware installed has been discussed plenty of times here. Kobo doesn't release the firmware to everyone at the same time. They release it by affiliate. They will release it to a small affiliate, usually one of the Canadian ones, then gradually add other affiliates. The is also some geographical bias to the releases as Australia gets the updates very late. And Japan, doesn't get every update. Overall, this can take about a month from release to the last group to have the update enabled for them.

[tshering]

@davidfor
With the information of the download link, there comes also a <UpgradeType>UpgradeRequired</UpgradeType>, or <UpgradeType>UpgradeForced</UpgradeType>. I am sure kido.resuri is referring to this.

I do not know which other values are possible. And I do not know how they effect the update.

[kido.resuri]

I missed that thread(s) discussing affiliates, but maybe I'll do a search on it. I just tested for Beta and Kobo, so don't know the others.

Anyway, there are actually 3 possible UpgradeTypes.
1 - Let's the user decide to update or skip it, and there is an option to view the release notes. If the user accepts the update, it will act as UpgradeRequired type.
2 - (UpgradeRequired) This type downloads and "prepares" the update (by unziping it), and lets the user decide to install it now or later. If the user selects later, then the update is done upon next boot. (KoboRoot.tgz sits in .kobo untill next restart.)
3 - (UpgradeForced) This type will download, prepare and install the update without asking the user. The install is done by a reboot, I guess the usual way, but without user interactions.

So if KSM is set to handle the updates, then nickel's update shouldn't bypass this mechanism, even with forced upgrade.


By the way, I made a hack for the Sync update, if you haven't checked it already in the "Replacing Bookstore" thread.

[JFeole]

Hi,

Thanks for trying to explain.. Luckily, with my backups, was easy to re-setup..
The evening before the behaviour, I had downloaded a reserved book via Overdrive on the Kobo, so had turned on wifi to get it. I usually don't leave wifi on, but i did forget to turn it off after getting the book, then i fell asleep.

When i woke up next morning, it was in the registration menu..

I figure it must have gotten a push of the 4.2.8283 latest(even tho i had already installed it the day after release).. Is there any setting i can put in the conf files that would disable it from accepting the push update when wifi is on?

Thanks,
John Feole