Kobo Bug thread

[robko]

Originally Posted by Edi2D

Quick update : I've updated my Forma to the last software version (4.12.12111) and still have this problem. The touch controls are still offset when i go to landscape mode, even on normal mode after beeing on landscape.

That seems to be a device specific problem. I tried it on my Forma and I can't reproduce it despite multiple attempts.

[Edi2D]

Originally Posted by robko

That seems to be a device specific problem. I tried it on my Forma and I can't reproduce it despite multiple attempts.

That's super weird, it can't be a hardware malfonction because it's not consistent.. Maybe it has to do with the file that i am reading ? I'm trying this out..

[saifer]

Originally Posted by Edi2D

That's super weird, it can't be a hardware malfonction because it's not consistent.. Maybe it has to do with the file that i am reading ? I'm trying this out..

I've tried several times with kepub, pocket articles (so html, if I'm not wrong), comics format (cbz, cbr) and still the problem. Even the UI is with that offset. I agree with you and I'm quite sure is a firmware problem... maybe some device have a differente touch controller from majority of others, I don't know, but is strange that behaviour. Today I've sent my Forma for warrenty, when they'll receive it they'll send me a new one. I think I'll receive it in the new year...

[Lord KiRon]

There is a very very old bug not fixed by Kobo for years and present even in new Forma:

1. Load several books from same author. Let's say 5.
2. Go to authors view ("My books"->"Authors" tab) - you will see list of authors with number of books of this author on the right of the name.
3. Select (enter/click) the author
4. Delete some or even all books one by one (Press ... right of book name, select "Remove" and confirm).
5.Return back to the all authors view (by pressing the "back round arrow" button on the top left of the author's page .

- You will see that number of books not updated, moreover , if you deleted all books of this author , the author is still present and still shows same number of books (in our example case 5).

Simple stupid refresh view bug but very annoying from time to time.

[stuartjmz]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

There is a very very old bug not fixed by Kobo for years and present even in new Forma:

1. Load several books from same author. Let's say 5.
2. Go to authors view ("My books"->"Authors" tab) - you will see list of authors with number of books of this author on the right of the name.
3. Select (enter/click) the author
4. Delete some or even all books one by one (Press ... right of book name, select "Remove" and confirm).
5.Return back to the all authors view (by pressing the "back round arrow" button on the top left of the page .

- You will see that number of books not updated, moreover , if you deleted all books of this author , the author is still present and still shows same number of books (in our example case 5).

Simple stupid refresh view bug but very annoying from time to time.

Interesting. I've actually done this on my H2O2 several times in the last 2 weeks, deleting one or two books by several authors, and each time, the author count updated correctly straight away. count update

[Lord KiRon]

Originally Posted by stuartjmz

Interesting. I've actually done this on my H2O2 several times in the last 2 weeks, deleting one or two books by several authors, and each time, the author count updated correctly straight away. count update

If you go through main menu - (meaning do "My books"->"Authors" tab again) it updates, if you just press back - it remains.
Can't say it was on all Kobo , but it was this way on my Aura since they introduced this firmware with author tabs and option to remove (loong long ago ) .

One thing to note however, I do not buy ebooks from Kobo or sync with some drive. I just created a folder on Forma called "books" and copy my epubs (not kepubs) there from my PC over USB.
After I eject USB cable it just finds them.
Did exactly the same on Aura, so maybe it's somehow related.

[stuartjmz]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

If you go through main menu - (meaning do "My books"->"Authors" tab again) it updates, if you just press back - it remains.
Can't say it was on all Kobo , but it was this way on my Aura since they introduced this firmware with author tabs and option to remove (loong long ago ) .

One thing to note however, I do not buy ebooks from Kobo or sync with some drive. I just created a folder on Forma called "books" and copy my epubs (not kepubs) there from my PC over USB.
After I eject USB cable it just finds them.
Did exactly the same on Aura, so maybe it's somehow related.

The books I removed were all sideloaded, via Calibre, and I just went back, not through the main menu. Curiouser and curiouser

[Lord KiRon]

Strange, getting it 100% of time, looks like this:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


Had exactly same issue on my old Aura HD (N204B)

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

If you go through main menu - (meaning do "My books"->"Authors" tab again) it updates, if you just press back - it remains.

And I think it should stay that way, because the alternative is that it has to rebuild the author list when you hit back which means a time consuming database scan. If you want to do the time consuming database scan anyway, then hit home and then re-select the author list.

This can't be fixed without a painful time delay or properly indexing the database by author. I'm sure there's some reason they don't have an index there already that can quickly count the books by an author.

It's not just the author list that has this issue, but also the category list, for the same reason. Personally, I'd rather have a faster category list that doesn't include any counts unless I'm sorting by count.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by compurandom

And I think it should stay that way, because the alternative is that it has to rebuild the author list when you hit back which means a time consuming database scan. If you want to do the time consuming database scan anyway, then hit home and then re-select the author list.

This can't be fixed without a painful time delay or properly indexing the database by author. I'm sure there's some reason they don't have an index there already that can quickly count the books by an author.

It's not just the author list that has this issue, but also the category list, for the same reason. Personally, I'd rather have a faster category list that doesn't include any counts unless I'm sorting by count.

A lot of what you are seeing in the UI is done from memory. And, I'm pretty sure the author list is done this way. The delete will probably delete from the database and the memory structure. Rebuilding the list is still not a cheap action, so it might be deliberate not to do it. And it could be deliberate when sorting by the number of books. Any deletes would change the order. That can get confusing for someone going through the list.

Overall, it is one of this things that should be done, but I understand if the developers decide not to.

[Lord KiRon]

Originally Posted by compurandom

And I think it should stay that way, because the alternative is that it has to rebuild the author list when you hit back which means a time consuming database scan.

Just to compare try to do the other way around (meaning getting there from the menu). At least with about 30 authors there is no delay there and as davidfor already mentioned its all done in memory anyway, so as programmer I can tell you you do NOT have to rebuild database (which is modified anyway when you delete book) all that you need is to decrement book counter on the author "you are in" in memory and if it's 0 then remove author from "in memory" list displayed.
No interactions with database whatsoever and , unless you have like 10k authors should be without any delay.
I think it's just a bug, someone forgo to call update on that author, that's it.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Lord KiRon

Just to compare try to do the other way around (meaning getting there from the menu). At least with about 30 authors there is no delay there and as davidfor already mentioned its all done in memory anyway, so as programmer I can tell you you do NOT have to rebuild database (which is modified anyway when you delete book) all that you need is to decrement book counter on the author "you are in" in memory and if it's 0 then remove author from "in memory" list displayed.
No interactions with database whatsoever and , unless you have like 10k authors should be without any delay.
I think it's just a bug, someone forgo to call update on that author, that's it.

Without access to the code, it is hard to know what is actually happening (and I have no desire to decompile it). But, I wouldn't expect there to be an author object floating around. I would expect that the list is generated as needed by reading through the collection of books. But, if there is an author object, it is, hopefully, returning the count of books in it list rather than the value of a counter. And with that, it is the list not being redrawn rather than the objects behind it not being updated. Then it becomes a question of whether it is a bug or a design decision for performance optimisation. Or a "we'll do that in phase 2". Without access to the code, bug database and design, it's hard to know which.

But, if you think it is a bug, or needs to be changed, report it to Kobo. That is the only way they can know what is important to their users to fix or changed.

[Lord KiRon]

Yes it's hard to tell without looking at code , but let's not assume Kobo programmers are idiots, so it's either in memory or they use DB query.

[saifer]

Originally Posted by saifer

I've tried several times with kepub, pocket articles (so html, if I'm not wrong), comics format (cbz, cbr) and still the problem. Even the UI is with that offset. I agree with you and I'm quite sure is a firmware problem... maybe some device have a differente touch controller from majority of others, I don't know, but is strange that behaviour. Today I've sent my Forma for warrenty, when they'll receive it they'll send me a new one. I think I'll receive it in the new year...

First of all: happy new year!
Today finally arrived the replacement of my Forma. Turned on, updated to last firmware (4.12.12111) and downloaded books. Trying several times to reproduce the bug, this did not occur. I've tryied with all kind of formats (kepub, cbz, pocket articles,...) and no problems at all. My previous Forma was with an official affiliation of a book store, replacement is from Kobo instead (I've checked the affiliate.conf file in the device).

If you have my same problem I suggest to take contact with Kobo customare care via chat/email, as I've done, and tell them about this problem and ask for a replacement.

[Edi2D]

Originally Posted by saifer

First of all: happy new year!
Today finally arrived the replacement of my Forma. Turned on, updated to last firmware (4.12.12111) and downloaded books. Trying several times to reproduce the bug, this did not occur. I've tryied with all kind of formats (kepub, cbz, pocket articles,...) and no problems at all. My previous Forma was with an official affiliation of a book store, replacement is from Kobo instead (I've checked the affiliate.conf file in the device).

If you have my same problem I suggest to take contact with Kobo customare care via chat/email, as I've done, and tell them about this problem and ask for a replacement.

That's good to know ! I think i had a very bad luck with mine too, a white line appears vertically on the screen this morning. So i'm returning it for an exchange, hoping to get a better model. Thanks for bringing the news !