Tutorial for Onyx Boox M92

[Lode]

Hi!
After having used my M92 with the original firmware it came with over a year ago, I recently updated it with the latest firmware, with the friendly help of Waledemar from http://ereader-store.de/en/, who mailed me these instructions:
.................................................. ...................
Hello,
please download and install this update first:

http://www.ereader-store.de/DATA/update-20121113.zip

Copy the file to a sd card and put it into your device.
Just for case if your battery is not charged properly connect the reader to the wall charger (or USB Port of your PC)
switch off the reader
hold the ok /joystick button pressed and switch on the device.
Wait approx. 10 minutes till the device restarts

Afterwards please install the new patch. It fixes most important bugs in the new PDF Reader

Please download this file:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/23593310/pd...f%20reader.rar

Unzip it and copy those three files from archive to the internal memory of your device. In your device click on update.oar and the last update for PDFReader will be installed.
The device will reboot.

Best Regards,
Waldemar
Customer service
.................................................. ................

Because it might help some others too, I would like to say this:

Because Waldemar did not mention anything about unzipping the update, I just copied it to an sd card and from there on my M92 as he instructed. It did work exactly as he said.

But to unzip the PDF Reader patch I first downloaded/installed WinRAR (64) as I have Windows 7, 64 bits:
http://download.cnet.com/WinRAR-64-b...-10965579.html
This is the free trial version.

Waldemar said: "Unzip it and copy those three files from archive to the internal memory of your device."

When I open the "pdf reader.rar" 3 items appear:

The one on top has under "Name" has only ".." (2 dots) and under "Type" it has "Filemap". The rest there is blank.
The second one has: under "Name": "onyx_pdf_reader" and after that more data.
The third one has "update.oar" and also more data.

In my "Downloads" I right-clicked on "pdf reader - WinRar archive" > "Copy to" > "books (G)". So I did not copy those 3 files separately.

Waldemar said:
"In your device click on update.oar and the last update for PDFReader will be installed. The device will reboot."

But I don't see "update.oar" on my device to click on. Did I do something wrong?

[yayo]

I'm using Winrar and all the files you linked appear correctly when downloaded, probably your download got corrupted or you attempted to open it before the download finished 100%. Retry downloading the corrupted archive. The first update, the firmware for your device you don't have to unpack, just copy it to the micro sd card, your ereader will do the rest. The pdf reader update needs to be unpacked and copied to the root directory of your device. Unpack in a folder on your PC (the "extract to" command). There should be two files: onyx_pdf_reader and update.oar. Then copy/paste to the reader's main memory via the usb cable. Disconnect the ereader from the pc! Perform the update by clicking on the update.oar file (by using your ereader buttons) delete the two files.

EDITED post, please check the final version, I apologize for the confusion

[pepe_alter_ego]

And note that there are two updates for the new "beta" PDF Reader.
You need to apply "UPD. 12.12.12" first and then "UPD 2013.01.02".

[Lode]

@yayo
Thank you.

I downloaded the pdf reader update again (using the above link I posted) and this time had it unpacked and the 2 files -"onyx_pdf_reader" and "update.oar"- transfered again to my M92 this way after connecting the device to my laptop: "Copy to" > "books (G)".
(I guess that is what you meant by "copy/paste to the reader's main memory via the usb cable.")

I did disconnect it from my pc afterwards. But on my M92 I still do not see where the "update.oar file" is, let alone both files to remove them.

@pepe_alter_ego
Thank you too.

I think at this stage I better not even try to get into "beta" versions...

[pepe_alter_ego]

There's something you missed ... the "new PDF Reader" that you are talking about is EXACTLY THE SAME as what I call the "NEW / BETA" PDF Reader.

You do need both updates (applied in the specific order -> the first update "UPD. 12.12.12" contains 3 files, the second update "UPD 2013.01.02" contains 2 files).

For each of these updates, make sure that the unpacked files are present in the MAIN directory of the "Internal Storage" (you MUST NOT unpack these files into any "sub-directory" there).
Then disconnect your M92 from USB, open the "Internal Storage" and click the "update.oar" icon (the device should reboot automatically when applying the first update but not for the second one).
Afterwards, you can delete all these update files.

Note: you are NOT allowed to put them on your SD card -> use "Internal Storage".

Note also: you need to turn it on using "Settings" -> "Preferred Applications" -> "try new Pdf Reader (beta)".

[vvilmos]

The update for the pdf reader works only if the files
are decompressed in root of the internal flash.
That is because the content of the installer is:

#!/bin/sh

cp /media/flash/libonyx_ui.so /opt/onyx/arm/lib/
cp /media/flash/onyx_pdf_reader /opt/onyx/arm/bin/
reboot

I would suggest that the installer of the future patches
be modifided to something like:

#!/bin/sh

cd `dirname $0`
cp libonyx_ui.so /opt/onyx/arm/lib/
cp onyx_pdf_reader /opt/onyx/arm/bin/
reboot

In this way, the files could be decompressed anywhere
(including the SD).

[Lode]

Thank you all very much.

After installing the new firmware, I see that the books are now appearing alphabetically by title. And that there are other options for display of the list as well. Handy improvement. I leave it on book titles.

At first I had many of the PDFs appear all weird -just a few huge words and letters, and then the texts partially off-screen when I augmented the font size, right after installing this new firmware, but by hitting a few of the magnifying glasses and then font sizes the texts look perfect now.

The Kindle and other books look perfect as they did before.

So I wonder if I really need those pdf patches... it looks rather complicated and like a quite bit of work to get that together.

I have a few more questions:
1. What do those patches accomplish or correct?
2. Can I disable the "This book will be closed. Are you sure?" messages?
3. How do I set the clock to the right time?

[Mono]

2. No, but it will be possible in future firmware releases.
3. Settings\Date

[Randy11]

Originally Posted by Lode

At first I had many of the PDFs appear all weird -just a few huge words and letters, and then the texts partially off-screen when I augmented the font size, right after installing this new firmware, but by hitting a few of the magnifying glasses and then font sizes the texts look perfect now.

Hi,
Try to reset the page setting. I suppose that this problem is only with the files allready opened, no ?

[Lode]

@Mono
Thanks.

@Randy11
Thank you too. I'll try page settings.
Otherwise, so far I only have had to hit around a bit on those magnifying glasses and font sizes the first time now I open a document after the upgrade if it looks weird. From then on it's set the way I like it every time I open it.

...............................................
With some documents I now open no tool bar appears. The few documents I checked where this was the case looked good, so it doesn't matter with them. But knowing how to get the tool bar back might be handy for some documents when you want to change font size in them for example.

1. Anyone knows how to do that? I didn't find the option so far.

With the original firmware I didn't have those "This book will be closed. Are you sure?" messages appear. But no biggie; it's only one push with the stylus to affirm my wish. Although that means I now must have that stylus at hand and use it for something I didn't need it for before. So the option to disable it would be nice.

[Mono]

There are 3 readers, probably only pdf reader has a toolbar. I do not use the other two. So, I guess, that if toolbar disapears you use type of document that is openned by one of two others readers.

Also might be possible, if this happens in pdf reader, that you somehow entered fullscreen mode (statusbar with toolbar buttons is hidden). It used to be possible to go to fullscreen, than it was not possible in some firmwares and now it is possible again (or will be in future firmware release - I am not sure right now)

"This book will be closed. Are you sure?". It was introduced, because it was anoying if one pressed Escape instead of Menu and unintentionaly left the document...

You do not need to use a pen for confirmation. Pressing OK (press 4-way switch) will do the same job.

[Lode]

Thank you.

[Pooh_]

Some Tips & tricks..

'txt', 'rtf', 'doc', 'htm', 'html' files can be opened using Coolreader application with the loss some of formatting, but, faster than through the default programs. Moreover, you can use citations (if it is possible in your firmware) and other settings, which are available in Coolreader for these files.

Usually we can't change these file bindings. But there is a workaround...

These settings are stored in the \root\system_config.db file. So we can copy it (using OTFM), edit in sqlitebrowser или Sqliteman, then copy it back.

Or another way:
1. Download the filebind.zip and the sqlite.zip(you can download sqlite.zip from this post, many thanks to kodomo!)
2. Unpack it to some place on your onyx boox
3. Run file sqlite/install_sqlite.oar
4.
4.1. Run setCoolReader.oar if you want to set the Coolreader as the default application for 'txt','rtf','doc','htm','html' files
4.2. OR Run setFBReader.oar if you want to set the FBReader as the default application for 'txt','rtf','doc','htm','html' files
4.3. OR Run delbind.oar if you want remove the previously made setting and set the default behavior for these type of files.
5. (optional) Run sqlite/uninstall_sqlite.oar to uninstall the SQLite if you don't plan to use it anymore
6. Reboot your onyx (turn it OFF(NOT to a sleep mode!) and then ON) and see the result

If you want to set binding for only one of these file extensions, just edit these scripts - comment or remove unneeded lines (one line for one file extension)

And remember: you doing this at your own risk!

[Lode]

I would like to say something about the battery:

After more than a year of use, the battery of my M92 seems to still work for about as long as when it was new. It might have to do with me leaving the charge somewhere between 60 to 40%. Meaning that I usually have between 4 and 2 bars in the battery icon.

I'm just guessing these percentages with the bars, and I'm not sure the battery still lasts as long as when it was brand new, but it last a very long time. Weeks. When I see 2 bars left I recharge, and not to completely full, only to 4 bars. (When I pay attention to it, sometimes I forget and it charges fully.)

The reason I'm doing this is that on a site called "BatteryUniversity" it says:

"Lithium-ion must be stored in a charged state, ideally 40 percent."

This and more information on this battery business is here and on other pages:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...tore_batteries

It is true that using the battery is not exactly the same as just storing it, but in a way it is stored. And because this way I still only have to charge it once every so many weeks, it does not get worn out much, which often charging does.

Maybe I'm mistaken about this, in which case I apologize, but it is true that my battery charges still last a very long time.

PS:
It works with my notebook battery too. I leave it charged at 40%, and leave it out of my notebook, only putting it in when I move the notebook to another place for which I have to unplug it from the AC current. As soon as I'm close to an AC outlet, I plug it in again, and take the battery out. This way after more than a year my notebook battery is still working as new or nearly new.

[Lode]

Changing the font size in a pdf I must have done something which makes a gray dotted line appear here and there right through the text. (Maybe with page settings.) No matter what I tried, I haven't been able to get rid of it.

Any suggestions?

PS:
After a reboot the dotted line appeared at the end of the pages, so that is already a lot better. Then I changed the font to 100%, and that size is fine it turns out, and the dotted lines are gone.

Still don't know how it all works with so many icons for options... but I seem to get it the way I like it by trial and error anyway.