FBReader question

HarryT · 08-07-2007, 06:52 AM

A question about using FBReader on the iLiad:

At present, on the iLiad, I copy books into the "books/Mobipocket" folder and then simply opening the document loads it into MobiPocket Reader.

I see that FBReader also supports non-DRM MobiPocket files. How does it work if there are two applications on the machine which can handle ".prc" files? Would I explicitly run the FBReader application and then open books from within it, rather than just opening the document file?

Apologies for what's probably a stupid question - I can't, at present, see any way of actually starting an application on the iLiad rather than opening a document and letting the o/s "magically" decide how to display it! If I installed FBReader, would I have to browse to it in the folder view and then explicitly launch it?

Adam B. · 08-07-2007, 07:54 AM

At this point, yes, you do have to manually find it from FBReader. Fortunately, FBReader has a pretty good library function.

There are ways and hacks to get around that, but I'd rather not release them until everyone has unbricking support. There's a single configuration file that handles file associations, and all of the other settings for the contentlister (the "file browser" among other things). If that gets hosed, your iLiad's probably going to be making a return trip.

HarryT · 08-07-2007, 07:59 AM

Thank you Adam. I hope you don't mind what probably seem like obvious questions to you; although I am a professional programmer my background lies in Windows programming, so Linux/Unix is a bit of a "black art" to me at this point! I really appreciate your assistance.

Adam B. · 08-07-2007, 08:07 AM

That's no problem. Everyone has n00b questions when they start out, and unless you're digging into the internals and the OS, then it's a bit difficult to understand how everything works.

Perhaps we should compile a bunch of these questions into the wiki, and make a "new users: start here" link.

Feel free to continue asking. I love talking about the iLiad.

JSWolf · 08-07-2007, 10:33 AM

I have the perfect solution. Just send your iLiad to adam to have him put on all the programs.

nekokami · 08-07-2007, 10:38 AM

HarryT, think of the file AdamB is talking about as being like the registry in Windows. It serves much the same purpose... and is a potential source of infinite damage if tinkered with incorrectly. When you get shell access, this file is modified so that programs ending with .sh will execute when clicked from the Content Lister on the iLiad. Then you can run programs like FBReader which have been bundled with little shell scripts to start the software. But to have a document automatically start an application requires a modification to the Content Lister configuration file, which is risky. If an error is accidentally introduced to this file, it can keep any file from opening-- bad news. So we just open FBReader and then use it to open the file we want to read. As AdamB says, FBReader has a nice library function to keep track of files anyway.

HarryT · 08-07-2007, 11:30 AM

Thanks - that makes a lot of sense.

DeGodefroi · 08-08-2007, 12:15 PM

Yeah it is only a pain in the <beep> to find the books using the library browsing. And it goes slow, since it does not detect RTF files, so manually adding them.. (oooh the smal plus to expand the book list).
For the rest..FBreader rocks.

08-07-2007, 06:52 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	FBReader question A question about using FBReader on the iLiad: At present, on the iLiad, I copy books into the "books/Mobipocket" folder and then simply opening the document loads it into MobiPocket Reader. I see that FBReader also supports non-DRM MobiPocket files. How does it work if there are two applications on the machine which can handle ".prc" files? Would I explicitly run the FBReader application and then open books from within it, rather than just opening the document file? Apologies for what's probably a stupid question - I can't, at present, see any way of actually starting an application on the iLiad rather than opening a document and letting the o/s "magically" decide how to display it! If I installed FBReader, would I have to browse to it in the folder view and then explicitly launch it?

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08-07-2007, 07:54 AM	#2
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	At this point, yes, you do have to manually find it from FBReader. Fortunately, FBReader has a pretty good library function. There are ways and hacks to get around that, but I'd rather not release them until everyone has unbricking support. There's a single configuration file that handles file associations, and all of the other settings for the contentlister (the "file browser" among other things). If that gets hosed, your iLiad's probably going to be making a return trip.

08-07-2007, 07:59 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Thank you Adam. I hope you don't mind what probably seem like obvious questions to you; although I am a professional programmer my background lies in Windows programming, so Linux/Unix is a bit of a "black art" to me at this point! I really appreciate your assistance.

08-07-2007, 08:07 AM	#4
Adam B. Addicted to Porting Posts: 1,697 Karma: 7194 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Indianapolis, IN Device: iRex iLiad, Nokia 770, Samsung i760	That's no problem. Everyone has n00b questions when they start out, and unless you're digging into the internals and the OS, then it's a bit difficult to understand how everything works. Perhaps we should compile a bunch of these questions into the wiki, and make a "new users: start here" link. Feel free to continue asking. I love talking about the iLiad.

08-07-2007, 10:33 AM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,033 Karma: 129333114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I have the perfect solution. Just send your iLiad to adam to have him put on all the programs.

08-07-2007, 10:38 AM	#6
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	HarryT, think of the file AdamB is talking about as being like the registry in Windows. It serves much the same purpose... and is a potential source of infinite damage if tinkered with incorrectly. When you get shell access, this file is modified so that programs ending with .sh will execute when clicked from the Content Lister on the iLiad. Then you can run programs like FBReader which have been bundled with little shell scripts to start the software. But to have a document automatically start an application requires a modification to the Content Lister configuration file, which is risky. If an error is accidentally introduced to this file, it can keep any file from opening-- bad news. So we just open FBReader and then use it to open the file we want to read. As AdamB says, FBReader has a nice library function to keep track of files anyway.

08-07-2007, 11:30 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Thanks - that makes a lot of sense.

08-08-2007, 12:15 PM	#8
DeGodefroi Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 11 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: Kindle DX Graphite (had Illiad)	Yeah it is only a pain in the <beep> to find the books using the library browsing. And it goes slow, since it does not detect RTF files, so manually adding them.. (oooh the smal plus to expand the book list). For the rest..FBreader rocks.