Firmware Images, Customizing the Tolino, & More

[Peripathetic]

Originally Posted by lu4t

I am unable to PM anyone neither... maybe it is because I just signed in and I have to wait for some time to be able to send PMs

If anything it's because you haven't made enough posts (I don't know the settings here but 10 is a common requirement).

Originally Posted by Grzesiek

I'd like to ask- is it possible to install a Kobo Clara HD firmware on a Tolino Shine 3? If it is- how to do it? Both readers have practicaly the same hardware. I think it should be possible to write a Kobo's system image on a sd card and replace the card in a Tolino, but if it will work?

It shouldn't work out of the box, the SoC (CPU) is different. You might be able to make it work though if you compile your own kernel. Seems kernel support for the Tolino Shine 3 was added last year.

Not sure why you'd want to that though: Tolino's Android-based platform seems like a much better choice for customization.

[Waldy]

@lu4t
Now it works, I answered you in pm.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by Grzesiek

Hello,

I'd like to ask- is it possible to install a Kobo Clara HD firmware on a Tolino Shine 3? If it is- how to do it? Both readers have practicaly the same hardware. I think it should be possible to write a Kobo's system image on a sd card and replace the card in a Tolino, but if it will work?

Best regards :-)

Both use different CPUs and are not compatible. Also, the equivalent is Kobo Libra H2o.

EDIT
I am an idiot, you're right. The Kobo Libra H2o is the equivalent of Vision 5.
Doesn't matter though, they still use different CPUs.

[Grzesiek]

Originally Posted by Peripathetic

If anything it's because you haven't made enough posts (I don't know the settings here but 10 is a common requirement).

It shouldn't work out of the box, the SoC (CPU) is different. You might be able to make it work though if you compile your own kernel. Seems kernel support for the Tolino Shine 3 was added last year.

Not sure why you'd want to that though: Tolino's Android-based platform seems like a much better choice for customization.

Thank you. Now I understand, but I don't know how to unblock the Tolino's Android. I've found the instruction:

https://allesebook.de/anleitung/toli...-video-978782/

but it seems that it works for the 12.1.0 firmware only and I've got an another firmware on my TS3.

The second reason is that on Kobo's Linux it is possible to instal the Vlasovsoft bundle. And Vlasovsoft's Cool Reader is IMHO the best e-book reader app ever done.

Regards :-)

[Peripathetic]

Originally Posted by Grzesiek

Thank you. Now I understand, but I don't know how to unblock the Tolino's Android.

Have you seen this thread (by me): Customizing the Tolino? It's all there.

Originally Posted by Grzesiek

Vlasovsoft's Cool Reader is IMHO the best e-book reader app ever done.

I'm not familiar with that version but standard Cool Reader is available for Android. You can also check out this fork (haven't tried it personally but there's been a lot of recent development activity): https://github.com/plotn/coolreader/releases

[Grzesiek]

@Peripathetic

Thank you

[letrot]

just in case and to make a "link" between the different options for the tolinos, here is another (maintained?) alternative firmware which (for me on a tolino vision 4 HD) was "a piece of cake" to install.

I've furhter sideloaded "onleihe" and "pocketbook reader" and am extremely happy with that setup for my limited needs.

[AnimalOfArt]

Does anybody have a copy of that Tolino Shine 3 stock image?

[thaiphd]

I just bought a second hand Tolino Vision 4 HD. I felt really pissed off because it forced me to connect to wifi and forced me to upgrade it to 14.1.0 immediately after I power it on.

Currently I want to install twrp.img on it but I'm stuck at recovery mode and somehow my Linux machine won't recognize it (adb devices and fastboot devices show nothing). Using the same command I could see my android phone so it's I don't think it is an issue on driver, permissions, etc...But obviously I did something wrong here.

Anyone had this issue before? Or does Tolino do some magic with 14.1.0?

[AnimalOfArt]

Found my image here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=12

Originally Posted by thaiphd

Anyone had this issue before? Or does Tolino do some magic with 14.1.0?

I guess no. Using my windows machine with "Minimal ADB and Fastboot" installed I can start TWRP on my Tolino Shine 3 with 14.1.0 without any problems.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by thaiphd

Currently I want to install twrp.img on it but I'm stuck at recovery mode and somehow my Linux machine won't recognize it (adb devices and fastboot devices show nothing). Using the same command I could see my android phone so it's I don't think it is an issue on driver, permissions, etc...But obviously I did something wrong here.

Anyone had this issue before? Or does Tolino do some magic with 14.1.0?

To be honest, I have never been able to connect using fastboot method via macOS or Linux, it only works with the correct Windows drivers. And that seems to be the problem, the correct drivers.

[thaiphd]

Last night I was able to install the twrp recovery image to my Tolino Vision 4 HD. The trick is exactly like you said, have to be on Windows with correct drivers. I really don't understand why Linux would not work but apparently I only have to install recovery once (right?). What is so weird is Linux does not even recognize there is a usb device connected to it if Tolino is in fastboot mode.

[hins]

Originally Posted by roffinator

Hi guys
I would like to jailbrake/root my tolino shine. But for the method I have found (via recovery-file) the software on the tolino needs to be on v1.0 or 1.1, mine is still on 1.2.0 after factoryreset. Can anyone help me with finding some way of further downgrading it?
maybe @waldy , it seems you have something helpful

on the other hand, if someone knows a way of rooting with newer versions of the software, I'd give it a shot as well

thank you in advance

I have a shine too,and it on 1.2.4 ,may I need the lower version or the img that have been jailbroken. Have you solved the problem now?

[Waldy]

@hins
To install your own applications on the Tolino Shine (1), you have to open the Tolino.
Maybe there is another way, but I don't know of any other way.
Shine (1) has two types of motherboards.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...1&postcount=10
When you decide to open tolino, write down which motherboard you have.

[uboot]

FYI: I successfully connected my Epos 2 (running latest official firmare v14.1) via fastboot on (Arch)Linux! It's easy, no special drivers required:

1.) Connect device via usb and then power it off.
2.) Run the fastboot command now!! It will wait until the device is available...
3.) Turn on and keep power button pressed until you see progress from fastboot.

That's it.

The problem is: the usb fastboot device will be visible only for a the short time (mabe 5 seconds):

[33875.750154] usb 3-1: USB disconnect, device number 59
[33914.076001] usb 3-1: new high-speed USB device number 60 using xhci_hcd
[33914.216611] usb 3-1: New USB device found, idVendor=18d1, idProduct=0d02, bcdDevice= 3.11
[33914.216623] usb 3-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[33914.216627] usb 3-1: Product: i.mx6sl NTX Smart Device
[33914.216630] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: Freescale
[33914.216633] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If no fastboot connects during that time, the usb device will vanish and it boot normally as mass storage device:

[42958.272368] usb 3-1: new high-speed USB device number 82 using xhci_hcd
[42958.421663] usb 3-1: New USB device found, idVendor=1f85, idProduct=6052, bcdDevice=99.99
[42958.421682] usb 3-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=2, Product=3, SerialNumber=4
[42958.421686] usb 3-1: Product: tolino
[42958.421689] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: Rakuten Kobo Inc.
[42958.421692] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[42958.429295] usb-storage 3-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected

I booted into an ADB-enabled image this way and then I permanently enabled ADB via Android Developer Settings. No need to flash and brick anything.

Now I'm very happy with KOReader on the device :-)

Setting up ADB might be a bit more complicated on Linux though. Had to create proper udev rules specifically for the device following the guide here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Android_Debug_Bridge