Possible bug with opening a book in Android 11.

[kaufman]

I've got a Note 20 ultra that was updated to android 11 last week.

Since then, long pressing on a book no longer launches the book in moon reader +. It opens the app, but the book isn't loaded.

When I try to open a book file from a file manager, it does load as expected in moon reader+.

I also tried installing another book reader and got the same result.

Is anyone else seeing this with Android 11?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kaufman

I've got a Note 20 ultra that was updated to android 11 last week.

Since then, long pressing on a book no longer launches the book in moon reader +. It opens the app, but the book isn't loaded.

When I try to open a book file from a file manager, it does load as expected in moon reader+.

I also tried installing another book reader and got the same result.

Is anyone else seeing this with Android 11?

It could be a bug in Moon Reader+.

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It could be a bug in Moon Reader+.

I thought of that, but when I sent a book from my file manager (Solid Explorer) to Moon Reader+, it did open successfully.

And I installed some other book reader, and it also doesn't open the books. It launched the app, but no book.

Still, maybe both book readers have the same issue with Android 11. I'll message the Moon Reader folks and see if they have any ideas.

[Isurus]

I also have the Note 20 Ultra and have noticed the same issue since the update to Android 11. FBReader Premium cannot be called from Calibre Companion, though it runs fine from file explorers. Similarly, Calibre Companion fails to transfer the book to any of my PDF programs to read PDF files, including Acrobat, Drive PDF Viewer, Microsoft Office, CDisplayEx, ezPDF Reader.

I read somewhere that Android 11 has new policies on how apps access storage, but I have no idea whether new code is needed in Calibre Companion, or the readers, or both.

[Isurus]

Just tested Libera and Libera Pro. They can open epub and pdf files from Calibre Companion. So the problem seems to be with (many!) readers rather than CC.

[Isurus]

Another interesting observation about Libera Pro. After opening the book from CC, there is a menu option to send the book (and it works) to another application (eg, FBReader, Acrobat) which could not open the book directly from CC.

[JSWolf]

FBReader = Fairly Bad Reader. I suggest it be deleted it so it won't waste storage.

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by Isurus

Just tested Libera and Libera Pro. They can open epub and pdf files from Calibre Companion. So the problem seems to be with (many!) readers rather than CC.

Are you on Android 11? It worked with me until I upgraded my OS.

[kaufman]

A little more information. It looks like Calibre Companion might be sending a path that isn't strictly compatible with Android 11.

This is the path to the books in CC and the error message I get from Fbreader.

It looks like CC is using a base path of "/external" instead of "/storage/emulated/0"


For now, I am using Librera which is working, but I would love to go back to Moon+Reader

[PeterT]

I hate to say it but you might be stuck. There's been no sign of either Sam or his Project manager for some time.

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I hate to say it but you might be stuck. There's been no sign of either Sam or his Project manager for some time.

That's a bummer. He hasn't responded to email either.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by kaufman

That's a bummer. He hasn't responded to email either.

It's a well-known fact that some guys run away, disappear, go into hiding if for whatever reason they don't want to continue on a project that has been taken over but misjudged.
Unfortunately, I suspect that Calibre Companion could end with Android 10.

[Isurus]

Originally Posted by kaufman

Are you on Android 11? It worked with me until I upgraded my OS.

Yes. All my readers stopped working from CC after upgrade to Android 11. Libera is the only one (that I have tried) that works from CC on Android 11.

[pazos]

Originally Posted by Isurus

Yes. All my readers stopped working from CC after upgrade to Android 11. Libera is the only one (that I have tried) that works from CC on Android 11.

Indeed, since CC was updated by sam & co. to fit new google policies, it uses a non-standard file provider. Not only in Android 11 but on previous versions too.

Upgrading to Android 11 shouldn't affect CC at all, as it is still using the Target SDK of Android 10. But it can affect readers using non-standard ways of retrieving the path of the file descriptor that CC sends to them.

Even when CC could use a standard file provider that "help" apps to understand its intents, you need to blame reader apps, as they're not implementing the canonical way of consuming content.

The fact that Librera is still working showcases that's possible to copy a book stream from CC without problems, following Google best (and nowadays only practices)

The other way of workaround this is install the last version that Chaley did. That would still work on most readers, as long as they're built against Android 10 or were updated to manage all files in shared storage, required for Android 11.

Chaley version will stop working (and by working I mean: effectively delivering file paths to apps that can be consumed by them) on a year or so, on Android 11+, when Play Store will require targeting Android11 and most readers won't fill the whitelist form needed for apps to request manage all files. Or apps filled it but Google rejects them because of reasons.

Yup, Google is doing a mess.

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by pazos

Even when CC could use a standard file provider that "help" apps to understand its intents, you need to blame reader apps, as they're not implementing the canonical way of consuming content.

FWIW, I've also contacted the Moon+Reader developers in the hope that they do this.