Syncthing for Kobo? - Page 2

eschwartz · 01-19-2016, 10:57 AM

Um, possibly stupid question, but why doesn't it work natively on the Kobo?

Or is there still no one who actually knows how to write a launcher stub for running commands from an easy GUI menu on the Kobo?

...

Can't you add custom scripts to Kobo Start Menu or something??? This should not be so complicated...

As I said before -- I don't own a Kobo and am not familiar with how to hack it, but it does sound like Kobo Start Menu is equivalent or has similar functionality to KUAL (i.e. you use it to launch custom actions by way of shell scripts).

If it takes five minutes to write a simple JSON description for KUAL, I imagine it should take about the same time to package a hack for the Kobo.
I refuse to believe that this is the first time anyone thought of running custom shell scripts on demand on the Kobo.

Ken Maltby · 01-19-2016, 12:12 PM

If it has a user interface that works on the Kobo, reads the touchscreen, displays properly on the device, then it would not be hard to add it to tshering's Kobo Start Menu. The script to launch it, isn't the hard part.

Luck;
Ken

gummihuhn · 01-20-2016, 04:08 PM

Well, based on the nudge from eschwartz and Ken, I took a look at this. And it is definitely a bit more complicated than:

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

If it takes five minutes to write a simple JSON description for KUAL, I imagine it should take about the same time to package a hack for the Kobo.
I refuse to believe that this is the first time anyone thought of running custom shell scripts on demand on the Kobo.

If I can get Syncthing running on the Kobo via SSH, I guess I can reverse engineer how to hack the relevant menu entries, or in the worst case ask someone for help.

Granted, before today I've not done anything more tricky on the Kobo than install Koreader and KSM. So it could just be inexperience on my part. I've now installed dropbear on the Kobo and put Syncthing on it. But I'm getting an error saying that the Kobo is refusing to let Syncthing open a port, similar to https://forum.syncthing.net/t/16-32-...-address/668/4

Poking around on the Kobo and about 1/2 an hour of internet searches hasn't clued me in to what the problem might be. I don't see any firewall rules (iptables or otherwise) on the Kobo. Maybe I need to add some lines to /etc/inetd.conf.local (and perhaps /etc/services)? I'm afraid I don't have any experience with inetd. I probably just need to read through some man pages (maybe if I get some time this weekend) but any tips in the meantime are welcome.

frostschutz · 01-20-2016, 04:37 PM

the kobo by default has no local interface so you might need an `ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1` if you want to bind stuff to that address. or you could install my webportal mod which does something similar.

tshering · 01-20-2016, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gummihuhn

If I can get Syncthing running on the Kobo via SSH, I guess I can reverse engineer how to hack the relevant menu entries, or in the worst case ask someone for help.

Granted, before today I've not done anything more tricky on the Kobo than install Koreader and KSM. So it could just be inexperience on my part. I've now installed dropbear on the Kobo and put Syncthing on it. But I'm getting an error saying that the Kobo is refusing to let Syncthing open a port, similar to https://forum.syncthing.net/t/16-32-...-address/668/4

Poking around on the Kobo and about 1/2 an hour of internet searches hasn't clued me in to what the problem might be. I don't see any firewall rules (iptables or otherwise) on the Kobo. Maybe I need to add some lines to /etc/inetd.conf.local (and perhaps /etc/services)? I'm afraid I don't have any experience with inetd. I probably just need to read through some man pages (maybe if I get some time this weekend) but any tips in the meantime are welcome.

This is how I start syncthing on the Kobo.

Code:

#!/bin/sh
syncthing_log=/mnt/onboard/syncthing_extern.log

ifconfig lo | grep -q addr:127.0.0.1 || ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1
/adds/syncthing/syncthing -no-browser -gui-address=0.0.0.0:8384 >> $syncthing_log 2>&1

This lets me connect to the GUI from the nickel webbrowser (http://127.0.0.1:8384), and from my pc (http://10.0.0.3:8384. Take your IP.)
As you see from the script, I put the executable syncthing to /adds/syncthing/. So you have to change this, if you put it another location. The logging is not necessary, of course. But I am still testing, since I did not know syncthing before.

It might be a good idea, if execute the commands from telnet while you are testing things. I will update KSM (maybe this weekend) in order to make it easier to ran scripts in the background so that the menu is not blocked. Then it will be really easy to start and kill syncthing.

gummihuhn · 01-21-2016, 01:06 AM

Thanks frostschutz and tshering!

tshering's script did the trick for me. I haven't played around with it much yet, but Syncthing now appears to be working properly on the Kobo. I can now sync wirelessly directly with my other computers and my Android device, and manage the sync settings via a web browser.

gummihuhn · 01-21-2016, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tshering

I will update KSM (maybe this weekend) in order to make it easier to ran scripts in the background so that the menu is not blocked. Then it will be really easy to start and kill syncthing.

That would be great!

tshering · 01-21-2016, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gummihuhn

Quote:

Originally Posted by tshering

I will update KSM (maybe this weekend) in order to make it easier to ran scripts in the background so that the menu is not blocked. Then it will be really easy to start and kill syncthing.

That would be great!

I have changed my mind. I think it is better I provide an install package for syncthing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gummihuhn

I can now sync wirelessly directly with my other computers and my Android device, and manage the sync settings via a web browser.

Did you try to manage the sync settings via the web browser on the Kobo device? How does it work for you? For instance, I cannot add a folder. With the stock web browser, the input mask is so distorted, that I cannot make head or tail of it. With my own web browser, I can at least fill in the data, but the safe button does not work. The cancel button, however, works, great.

gummihuhn · 01-21-2016, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tshering

I have changed my mind. I think it is better I provide an install package for syncthing.

Sounds great!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tshering

Did you try to manage the sync settings via the web browser on the Kobo device? How does it work for you? For instance, I cannot add a folder. With the stock web browser, the input mask is so distorted, that I cannot make head or tail of it. With my own web browser, I can at least fill in the data, but the safe button does not work. The cancel button, however, works, great.

I guess you mean the nickel web browser. I don't use nickel (don't even bother to register and set it up), so no, I haven't tried it on that. I've just been managing it via my laptop's browser (http.//<ip_of_kobo_here>:8384). You can add a folder by directly editting the Syncthing config.xml file if you prefer, either on the Kobo or via telnet/ssh.

I guess for most use cases, the Syncthing settings and synced folders on the Kobo won't change very often, so I figure most people won't mind configuring these from a browser on another device.

Ken Maltby · 01-21-2016, 12:44 PM

Might this fit in the picture? Perhaps a Frostschutz/Tshering collaboration. is in order?

Luck;
Ken

tshering · 01-21-2016, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gummihuhn

I guess for most use cases, the Syncthing settings and synced folders on the Kobo won't change very often, so I figure most people won't mind configuring these from a browser on another device.

This is my guess too. I have uploaded the install package to the KSM thread (here).

eschwartz · 01-21-2016, 02:41 PM

So tshering -- that would be an example of how to add custom script actions to the Kobo using KSM, similar to the Kindle Unified Application Launcher extensions?

tshering · 01-21-2016, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

So tshering -- that would be an example of how to add custom script actions to the Kobo using KSM, similar to the Kindle Unified Application Launcher extensions?

This is how one can do it, if files have to be copied to the system partition, or if a lot of files are concerned. If only some scripts that can be run from the user partition are concerned, one can simply copy them to certain sub folders of KSM.
As for KUAL, I do not know. I have never seen it.

tshering · 01-22-2016, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

So tshering -- that would be an example of how to add custom script actions to the Kobo using KSM, similar to the Kindle Unified Application Launcher extensions?

I guess, my answer yesterday was beside the point, since you did not ask how to get stuff on the Kobo in general.
Having looked at your "simple JSON description" I understand your question better now. KSM has some dedicated folders where you can put your sh script files directly, or in sub folders if you like. Then you can browse through these folders and select the script you want to execute.

akamaus · 01-20-2019, 02:06 PM

I found this thread with google and later discovered there is a readily available solution hidden here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=82

I recreated the archive replacing old syncthing binary with current version
available on github. Installation instructions from original post work.

Many thanks to original author.

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01-19-2016, 10:57 AM	#16
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Um, possibly stupid question, but why doesn't it work natively on the Kobo? Or is there still no one who actually knows how to write a launcher stub for running commands from an easy GUI menu on the Kobo? ... Can't you add custom scripts to Kobo Start Menu or something??? This should not be so complicated... As I said before -- I don't own a Kobo and am not familiar with how to hack it, but it does sound like Kobo Start Menu is equivalent or has similar functionality to KUAL (i.e. you use it to launch custom actions by way of shell scripts). If it takes five minutes to write a simple JSON description for KUAL, I imagine it should take about the same time to package a hack for the Kobo. I refuse to believe that this is the first time anyone thought of running custom shell scripts on demand on the Kobo.

01-19-2016, 12:12 PM	#17
Ken Maltby Wizard Posts: 4,466 Karma: 6900052 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Heart of Texas Device: Boox Note2, AuraHD, PDA,	If it has a user interface that works on the Kobo, reads the touchscreen, displays properly on the device, then it would not be hard to add it to tshering's Kobo Start Menu. The script to launch it, isn't the hard part. Luck; Ken

01-20-2016, 04:37 PM	#19
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,282 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	the kobo by default has no local interface so you might need an `ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1` if you want to bind stuff to that address. or you could install my webportal mod which does something similar.

01-21-2016, 01:06 AM	#21
gummihuhn Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 28904 Join Date: Aug 2015 Device: none	Thanks frostschutz and tshering! tshering's script did the trick for me. I haven't played around with it much yet, but Syncthing now appears to be working properly on the Kobo. I can now sync wirelessly directly with my other computers and my Android device, and manage the sync settings via a web browser.

01-21-2016, 12:44 PM	#25
Ken Maltby Wizard Posts: 4,466 Karma: 6900052 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Heart of Texas Device: Boox Note2, AuraHD, PDA,	Might this fit in the picture? Perhaps a Frostschutz/Tshering collaboration. is in order? Luck; Ken

01-21-2016, 02:41 PM	#27
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	So tshering -- that would be an example of how to add custom script actions to the Kobo using KSM, similar to the Kindle Unified Application Launcher extensions?

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