Instructions for patching firmware 3.8.0

[PeterT]

But what happens when a future device is released and is not supported by any of the legacy f/w releases?

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by PeterT

But what happens when a future device is released and is not supported by any of the legacy f/w releases?

Well, obviously then I'll have to invest aforementioned precious hours, but as long as there's no need...

[scoky]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

It looks like the advanced fonts control patch is not going to work with firmware 3.11.0.

`Unitless ePub line height` and `Remove system fonts in Reader list` these two patch still work? thanks for you patch and it makes kobo more better.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

It looks like the advanced fonts control patch is not going to work with firmware 3.11.0.

How disappointing I wish Kobo would just enable it themselves and promote it as a feature.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by PeterT

If adjusting the fonts is so important, why not use some of the PC tools available to edit the fonts on your computer, and then send the enhanced version to your device?

What tools would you suggest, and how would I go about making a font heavier?

I do apologize for asking here, I know I saw it somewhere on these forums but for the life of me I can't find the post. I did some googling and found Type Light, which did not seem to have the options I'd have needed, and FontForge but I'm not all that comfortable with Linux.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

What tools would you suggest, and how would I go about making a font heavier?

I do apologize for asking here, I know I saw it somewhere on these forums but for the life of me I can't find the post. I did some googling and found Type Light, which did not seem to have the options I'd have needed, and FontForge but I'm not all that comfortable with Linux.

You can use Sigil to change fonts, or include one with Calibre.
With calibre I process all my books,inserting Amasis font in it so the books css doesn't override that font in the reader,remove the text idents, align all text to the left, but it is an extra step to made (Calibre does keep a backup of the original epub).

[ectoplasm]

Will anyone share their patch settings that will get me close to the layout shown here (center device):
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...18&postcount=9

Basically full screen with some margin, no split paragraphs, page numbers in the footer area.

I have this on my Aura HD but it took a lot of experimenting which I'd rather avoid if possible.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by ectoplasm

Will anyone share their patch settings that will get me close to the layout shown here (center device):

Try this as your starting point, if you like. It needs to be unzipped first, of course.

Regarding the 'long paragraph bug'. It has been fixed, but if you still see small gaps at the bottom of the page you could also edit the default librmsdk.so.1.0.0.patch file to enable the first patch labelled

patch_name = `Fix page breaks bug`

If you read its comment it says:

# The long paragraph bug has now been fixed in the current firmware, however
# this patch also has the side effect of disabling widows/orphans processing.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by Nick_1964

You can use Sigil to change fonts, or include one with Calibre.
With calibre I process all my books,inserting Amasis font in it so the books css doesn't override that font in the reader,remove the text idents, align all text to the left, but it is an extra step to made (Calibre does keep a backup of the original epub).

Thanks, but I wasn't asking about changing the font used in the ebook, I was asking about altering the font itself to make it heavier because the advanced fonts feature is disabled for user fonts, and is currently unavailable via patching for 3.11.

[ectoplasm]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Regarding the 'long paragraph bug'. It has been fixed, but if you still see small gaps at the bottom of the page you could also edit the default ..

Thanks. I was testing fullscreen mode on the H2O with epubs, and there was sometimes 3 or 4 blank lines at the bottom. I thought I would need the patch to adjust that, but if I can tweak that with CSS widows/orphans, or other setting, I don't mind doing that. I always tweak a book in Calibre before sideloading anyway.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Thanks, but I wasn't asking about changing the font used in the ebook, I was asking about altering the font itself to make it heavier because the advanced fonts feature is disabled for user fonts, and is currently unavailable via patching for 3.11.

Yes, but when the css is pointing to fonts in the ebook,you can alter it on your device as much as you want,it will not use them.
When it does used the fonts in the reader,and patching cannot be done,the only simple way to get to your goal is by changing the fonts in your book.
That is why I change the fonts in the conversion progress to Calibre 30 and change the lines in the .css for font weight into bold, or into : font-weight: 900;
By pointing to fonts in the book and convert them into darker in the .css you bypass the fonts used in the reader and can make them heavier,because for now it is impossible to do it with the reader, the advantage of doing it "my way" is that the books will look the same in a non kobo reader.
Changing and embedding fonts in the ebook instead of the reader and force the reader to follow this,gives full access to the fonts no matter if they are patched or not in the device and make them "universal" for every reader.
yes it takes some space in the reader because the books are a bit bigger,but you can gain that most of the time by removing covers from the book and replace them.
I change the most of the time full colour covers,sometimes 3 times bigger then the resolution of the reader can display into one with 16 shades of grey ( no.. not an 18+ book ) compensating,make them even smaller then the bigger space they use for the embedded font.
If the mountain... because like you said : the advanced fonts feature is disabled for user fonts, and is currently unavailable via patching for 3.11.
Editing the build in fonts means you have to replace them again when the patch will come,if not in this,then in another version.
With other words,by converting the books the way that the fonts are already more heavvy, you don't need a patch for it,and they look the same on every reader you use..

/rethinking that,maybe it is possible to find a more heavvy font that fit your needs,rename it and put it back on the device ??

[MGlitch]

It seems 3.11 did not change the settings for the font I used, Minion Pro, it just doesn't let me change them.

I usually strip the CSS from my ebooks to make them play better with my footer settings. But maybe I'll try experimenting with embeding fonts at some point. I've just upgraded to 3.11 and patched the footer settings to my liking so I'm good for now. Though I do see the benefit to your method. Thanks again for your help.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

It seems 3.11 did not change the settings for the font I used, Minion Pro, it just doesn't let me change them.

Are your MinionPro font files .otf rather than .ttf, by any chance? If so, try converting them to .ttf before loading onto the Kobo. I had to do this with my MinionPro fonts. This is not a problem specific to 3.11, though.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

It seems 3.11 did not change the settings for the font I used, Minion Pro, it just doesn't let me change them.

I usually strip the CSS from my ebooks to make them play better with my footer settings. But maybe I'll try experimenting with embeding fonts at some point. I've just upgraded to 3.11 and patched the footer settings to my liking so I'm good for now. Though I do see the benefit to your method. Thanks again for your help.

The only "but" there is.. you have to be consequent... I use calibre to insert the font and extra .css lines and I did it on every book. (more then 2000 now but a lot of new ones are waiting to be added to )
Because in the beginning (no not from the bible.. I mean in my beginning) I got a sony prs-505 and my GF a Bebook mini,and she was always complaining that books on my 505 looks better then on her Bebook because the 505 was patched so I always ended up changing the books because her bebook could not be patched.
She has now my old sony 650, and I went by the Sony prs-t1,t2 and t3 and from there to Kobo.
I still patch my kobo's but only to get them full page and prevent it from updating,and the line page xx of xx pages.
The rest is done in the books, so I can change to any reader I want,the books are always the same, and I only sideload my e-books.
Once in a while I add new books to calibre,do a bulk conversion,and I added 2 colums telling me if I have read the book or not.
Because I converted all the books in the beginning,it never matters how the reader handles it (until certain height) it wil always be the same.
Lately I got a book of 3 MB only to find out that the cover itself was more then 2 MB.. I use the resolution for my Aura HD as guideline and convert all covers into that resolution,and make them 16 shades gray... it changed including the amasis font into one sized 300 KB, I do keep a copy of the original.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Are your MinionPro font files .otf rather than .ttf, by any chance? If so, try converting them to .ttf before loading onto the Kobo. I had to do this with my MinionPro fonts. This is not a problem specific to 3.11, though.

Sorry, I should have specified. I can change the font, I can't (and don't expect to until/unless a patch is found) change the weight of MinionPro. But that's not really an issue right now as 3.11 seems to have left the weight settings I'd set alone and just wont let me access them.