Kobo Start Menu

[tshering]

I updated the package in post #1.
Changes:

• corrected display orientation of Aura HD on start up
• added front light control (scripts > frontligth.msh)
• improved scripts menu
• added a poor man's terminal (admittedly not very useful)

[tshering]

To start the terminal, select "scripts > tools > start kbterminal.sh." Use "direct mode" for simple tasks (this means call an executable file, with arguments if applicable), like

cat /proc/cpuinfo

Use "file mode" for complexer tasks, like

x=$(cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep -i hardware); echo "see this: $x"

You can change the font size of the output field and the history list, for instance

kbt:fsize=45

You can change the timeout (how many milliseconds the application waits for the called process to finish), for instance

kbt:timeout=20000

The default value is -1 (no timeout).

[Ken Maltby]

I still get the 'File not found" message when launching Koreader after a boot. If I push on the external uSD card before selecting Launch KOreader I don't get the message and KOreader's File Manager opens in the folder of my external card that I told it to. If there was a way to simulate the external refresh it would save wear and tear on the socket/connector.

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I still get the 'File not found" message when launching Koreader after a boot. If I push on the external uSD card before selecting Launch KOreader I don't get the message and KOreader's File Manager opens in the folder of my external card that I told it to. If there was a way to simulate the external refresh it would save wear and tear on the socket/connector.

Luck;
Ken

The command is "udevadm trigger." Call it manually via a script file, or vie the terminal.
I will insert it somewhere. I do not know yet which is the best place.

[Ken Maltby]

Thanks much, it looks like the external SD is not initialized going to Nickel or Koreader, so it might be the same for Coolreader. If it were just before the menu is written, all the uses of the external SD would be available. If it were just KOreader I could put it in your koreader_kobo.sh. The reason that it is noticeable to me might be because I have KOreader's File manager start in my hidden folder on my external SD, others starting in the default ./mnt/onboard probably don't have the problem.

I will have to try your latest version, is there any advice on how to do it, Should I delete anything first? OOps, I just noticed the Uninstall instructions in the first post.

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Thanks much, it looks like the external SD is not initialized going to Nickel or Koreader, so it might be the same for Coolreader. If it were just before the menu is written, all the uses of the external SD would be available. If it were just KOreader I could put it in your koreader_kobo.sh. The reason that it is noticeable to me might be because I have KOreader's File manager start in my hidden folder on my external SD, others starting in the default ./mnt/onboard probably don't have the problem.

Right. I inserted the line into rcS and it seems to work. I do not know what side effects this might have. I leave it there and if I do not see any negative effects, I update the main package.

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I will have to try your latest version, is there any advice on how to do it, Should I delete anything first? OOps, I just noticed the Uninstall instructions in the first post.

No need to uninstall or delete anything! But I guess, you did it already.

[embryo]

I installed the "Kobo Start Menu" and it works as expected.
It is very useful, thank you!

Some notes:

- It would be nice if there was a button at the Home menu to toggle the light at a standard (custom?) value. It takes me 4 clicks at every boot (and when I'm 'playing', there are lots) to see the menu.

- How difficult is to change the order of the menu? Is it an editable file or something more cryptic?
I would like the readers at the top and some separators (see attached pic for a Mockup).
Just cosmetics ...

- ... and an impossible one!
If I install the menu and the patch for the Android dual boot, I lose the USB connection. I can't connect either from the Menu nor the Nickel. Of course I can no longer boot Android.
I tried to install the menu before and after the patch. No change. The Menu and the readers work fine but without USB support.
So, is this merging impossible? It will look really nice to have an Android option there ...

[tshering]

Originally Posted by embryo

- How difficult is to change the order of the menu? Is it an editable file or something more cryptic?
I would like the readers at the top and some separators (see attached pic for a Mockup).

Look at the function setoptions() in etc/init.d/rcS. There, the individual menu options are collected into the variable moptions. Here you can change the order. I don't have any idea yet about the separators.

Originally Posted by embryo

- It would be nice if there was a button the Home menu to toggle the light at a standard (custom?) value. It takes me 4 clicks at every boot (and when I'm 'playing', there are lots) to see the menu.

A quick solution would be to move the frontlight option to the main menu. In order to do this, add "frontlight:menu.png" to moptions. Then add after the line

   case $selection in

      frontlight )
        sh $kbmenudir/scripts/frontlight.msh
        ;;

This will take you with one click to the front light menu. You need one other click to select the light level, and another to return to the main menu. We can shorten this. In mnt/onboard/.kobo/kbmenu/scripts/frontlight.msh replace

    *)
     $frontlightprg "$selection"
      ;;

    *)
     $frontlightprg "$selection"
     selection="EXIT"
      ;;

Now you only need two clicks, one to open the frontlight menu, and the second to select the light level and return to the main menu.

Another possiblity would be to add two menu items to the main menu, say "light_on" and "light_off" (in rcS, moptions). In the case $selection in block, you could then call /mnt/onboard/.kobo/kbmenu/tools/frontlight with the argument "0" for "light_off", and once with "5" or whatever you think fit for "light_on." In this case it would need only one click.

I did not try any of this my self. So be warned. Be also aware that a mistake in the rcS file might force you to do a factory reset. I would at least make a syntax check (sh -n rcS) before installing it.

Originally Posted by embryo

- ... and an impossible one!
If I install the menu and the patch for the Android dual boot, I lose the USB connection. I can't connect either from the Menu nor the Nickel. Of course I can no longer boot Android.
I tried to install the menu before and after the patch. No change. The Menu and the readers work fine but without USB support.
So, is this merging impossible? It will look really nice to have an Android option there ...

Frankly, I have no idea.

[KevinShort]

I just tried this on my Glo. It works well, but telnet wasn't working. As soon as I uninstalled the start menu telnet worked again. I'm guessing something related to telnet got left out of your rcS file, tshering?

[embryo]

Originally Posted by tshering

Look at the function setoptions() in etc/init.d/rcS. There, the individual menu options are collected into the variable moptions. Here you can change the order. I don't have any idea yet about the separators.

Well,I tried it, but I had no luck.
As a completely programming ignorant, I could not find a way to move the info from the top. I could move all the others anywhere, but when I moved the info somewhere else, everything before that position disappeared.
Photoshop was easier ...

The light mod went even worst.
When I made it, I couldn't boot to the menu (or Nickel) at all.
I must mistyped something somewhere ...

I did not try any of this my self. So be warned. Be also aware that a mistake in the rcS file might force you to do a factory reset. I would at least make a syntax check (sh -n rcS) before installing it.

As I said, my programming skills are zero, so my security is the brute force of restoring the whole SD card image.
Since I haven't decided about the exact configuration of my Glo (I mostly use Android, but I play also a bit with Nickel), I keep the back of it open.

Anyway, thanks for the info ...

[tshering]

Originally Posted by KevinShort

I just tried this on my Glo. It works well, but telnet wasn't working. As soon as I uninstalled the start menu telnet worked again. I'm guessing something related to telnet got left out of your rcS file, tshering?

Very possible, but I don't know. I never used telnet myself, and have no idea what is needed. In my current version of the rcS (not uploaded) I call udevadm trigger before calling the menu, in order to recognize the external sd. do you think this might also have a favorable affect on telnet?

Originally Posted by embryo

Well,I tried it, but I had no luck.

I will have a look into it.

I am on the way to an extended weekend trip. I will be back on Monday or Tuesday.

[Ken Maltby]

Triggering the rules for devices with "udevadm trigger" works for all device rules, you can't pick a specific rule, but you can pick a device, or class of devices. (Assuming my limited understanding of Linux is accurate.)

I added "udevadm trigger" to the koreader_kobo.sh in the "on start" folder and it lets me recover from the "File not found" message without having to mess with the external uSD. (I just poke the screen and am back in the menu. From there I select KOreader again and it opens properly without the "File not found" message.)

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by KevinShort

I just tried this on my Glo. It works well, but telnet wasn't working. As soon as I uninstalled the start menu telnet worked again. I'm guessing something related to telnet got left out of your rcS file, tshering?

I am definitely doing something wrong here, but cannot figure out how to do it correctly.
Anyway, if you want to run telnet and having the start menu installed, you can start nickel by choosing "options > emergency exit" from the main menu (rather than from any sub menu), instead of "run nickel." This will skip my modifications and continue to run the rcS (almost) like the original.

Edit: I think the cause for telnet working when calling nickel via the emergency exit and not when calling nickel via the regular menu point is that I run the menu in a loop inside of the rcS, and some command that would be executed after rcS finishes are never executed. The emergency exit breaks the loop and rcS finishes.

[Ken Maltby]

Is there some advantage of simple telnet over SCP and/or puTTY? Haven't tried tshering's Terminal but would it provide most of what telnet gives you? Maybe we are just talking about a WiFi interface? I prefer Sergey's USBnet as opposed to the WiFi.

I am probably missing something.

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by embryo

The light mod went even worst.

I added front light on/off to the main menu. I set the level of "front light on" to "4". If you want to change the level, for example to 6, add to the usersettings.txt

frontlightOnLevel=6

Simply put the KoboRoot.tgz into .kobo.

Edit: I should mention that with this version, there is also no need to reinsert the external SD in order to be recognized by the device.