Kobo Aura H2O Full Screen Browser? - Page 2

Bob Brunius · 02-26-2015, 03:03 AM

Thanks David, that worked.

How did you come by this wealth of knowledge?

davidfor · 02-26-2015, 04:27 AM

Curiosity and a reasonably good memory. I've been using a Kobo ereader for a little more than three years, and from the first time I connected it to my PC I started to look into how it worked. And I've spent far to much time here that should have been spent reading

And I suppose I should point to Kobo Device Driver Update and Kobo Utilities.

Bob Brunius · 03-06-2015, 12:17 PM

Using the Kobo Aura browser I see a momentary screen color reversal happen once a minute. Whites become black and blacks become white. It's distracting. I'm not sure if this is related to being put to full screen or not. I'll turn it back to being not full screen and see if it still happens.

frostschutz · 03-06-2015, 01:34 PM

If you do any updates (through JavaScript or whatever) the browser would feel obligated to refresh the screen from time to time to avoid ghosting issues. Not sure if the Kobo Patcher and the screen refresh settings affect this in any way...

Bob Brunius · 03-08-2015, 12:42 AM

I refresh some numbers on the the screen once a second using javascript. It's just once a minute the the screen flashes the reversal on the H2O. It does not happen on regular browsers and it does not happen with the Kindle Paper White experimental browser.

Bob Brunius · 03-25-2015, 01:34 PM

Does anyone know of a way to kill the browser and/or start the browser from the command line - using a WiFi telnet connection or usb network.

KevinShort · 03-26-2015, 01:33 PM

I thought of a way you could start the web browser from the command line. As long as nickel is running, you could simulate the touch events needed to launch the browser. In this post joris_ explains how to simulate touches.

frostschutz · 03-26-2015, 02:18 PM

The touch method works fine. I'd not use echo, just record each sequence with cat to a file and then cat the file back to replay.

But it's quite a sequence if you want it to be reliable. Since the web browser tab might move around, you have to go through menu -> settings -> beta features -> web browser.

And that's only if you're currently in a place where the menu is available. I.e. not when reading a book, where you first have to tap the menu zone. And if the menu zone was already open, well... so you have to do this twice to be sure. And that's not considering other strange apps like sudoku where you'd have to hit the lower right corner to quit.

And if you want the browser to go to a specific URL... ah well, you can actually set a home URL so that's one less headache.

Bob Brunius · 03-26-2015, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinShort

I thought of a way you could start the web browser from the command line. As long as nickel is running, you could simulate the touch events needed to launch the browser. In this post joris_ explains how to simulate touches.

This could be a way for me Kevin but I couldn't make any sense from that one post. We're simulating and X Y coordinate for the finger press apparently?

Is there some documentation somewhere on what the content format is for what is needed to placed in event0?

Bob Brunius · 03-26-2015, 03:14 PM

@frostschutz It all sounds unreliable doesn't it. I may not have access to the touchscreen but I will have access to the power button so in the case of a power up the H2O should be in the same starting point always so maybe it works until a software revision is pushed?

It's just hard to accept that there isn't a CL command that would cause the browser to start. I guess if there was one someone would know it by now. I have no idea how to even look.

frostschutz · 03-26-2015, 03:15 PM

You run this command:

Code:

cat /dev/input/event1 > /tmp/input.data

Then you tap the screen. Then you break the cat with CTRL-C.

Now that tap is recorded in /tmp/input.data and you can re-play it:

Code:

cat /tmp/input.data > /dev/input/event1

So to start the browser you have to record the home tap (that brings you to the home screen if you were elsewhere), followed by the menu tap, settings tap, beta features tap, web browser tap. Re-played in sequence (with a 1-2 second delay between them) it should get you into the browser.

I used the same technique here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=257511

The page flip is achieved by re-playing a next page tap I previously recorded...

PeterT · 03-26-2015, 03:23 PM

Remember this device was not really intended for the type of hacking you are attempting; it was never meant as an environment where someone might want to launch the browser (or any other component) from a command line.

The browser is just a portion of the main application on the device, Nickle.

Bob Brunius · 03-26-2015, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frostschutz

You run this command:

Code:

cat /dev/event/input1 > /tmp/input.data

Then you tap the screen. Then you break the cat with CTRL-C.

Now that tap is recorded in /tmp/input.data and you can re-play it:

Code:

cat /tmp/input.data > /dev/event/input1

So to start the browser you have to record the home tap (that brings you to the home screen if you were elsewhere), followed by the menu tap, settings tap, beta features tap, web browser tap. Re-played in sequence (with a 1-2 second delay between them) it should get you into the browser.

I used the same technique here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=257511

The page flip is achieved by re-playing a next page tap I previously recorded...

This is very promising thanks! One small adjustment/typo to mention for others:

Code:

cat /dev/input/event1 > /tmp/input.data

Bob Brunius · 03-26-2015, 04:20 PM

What is the difference between event0 and event1?

frostschutz · 03-26-2015, 04:52 PM

event0 is mxckpd, event1 is zForce-ir-touch

in other words, I have no clue :P

kpd could be keypad so maybe if a device had hardware keys they'd register there

03-26-2015, 03:15 PM	#26
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	You run this command: Code: cat /dev/input/event1 > /tmp/input.data Then you tap the screen. Then you break the cat with CTRL-C. Now that tap is recorded in /tmp/input.data and you can re-play it: Code: cat /tmp/input.data > /dev/input/event1 So to start the browser you have to record the home tap (that brings you to the home screen if you were elsewhere), followed by the menu tap, settings tap, beta features tap, web browser tap. Re-played in sequence (with a 1-2 second delay between them) it should get you into the browser. I used the same technique here https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=257511 The page flip is achieved by re-playing a next page tap I previously recorded... Last edited by frostschutz; 03-26-2015 at 04:48 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Aura H2O Broken Kobo Aura H2O Screen	xtine	Kobo Reader	52	06-03-2021 07:58 PM
KOBO AURA H2O	Kle	Kobo Reader	1	02-08-2015 07:53 PM
Buy Kobo Aura and/or Aura H2O	kobayashi	Flea Market	4	02-04-2015 11:03 PM
Bricked Aura H2O (and broken/faulty screen)	libertango	Kobo Reader	5	12-03-2014 10:23 AM
Replacing Nook Simple Touch: Onyx T68 vs Kobo Aura vs Kobo Aura H2O	iNovelReader	Which one should I buy?	0	10-28-2014 01:40 AM

02-26-2015, 03:03 AM	#16
Bob Brunius Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Orcas, WA Device: Kindle PW & Kobo H2O	Thanks David, that worked. How did you come by this wealth of knowledge?

02-26-2015, 04:27 AM	#17
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,907 Karma: 47303748 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	Curiosity and a reasonably good memory. I've been using a Kobo ereader for a little more than three years, and from the first time I connected it to my PC I started to look into how it worked. And I've spent far to much time here that should have been spent reading And I suppose I should point to Kobo Device Driver Update and Kobo Utilities.

03-06-2015, 12:17 PM	#18
Bob Brunius Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Orcas, WA Device: Kindle PW & Kobo H2O	Using the Kobo Aura browser I see a momentary screen color reversal happen once a minute. Whites become black and blacks become white. It's distracting. I'm not sure if this is related to being put to full screen or not. I'll turn it back to being not full screen and see if it still happens.

03-06-2015, 01:34 PM	#19
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	If you do any updates (through JavaScript or whatever) the browser would feel obligated to refresh the screen from time to time to avoid ghosting issues. Not sure if the Kobo Patcher and the screen refresh settings affect this in any way...

03-08-2015, 12:42 AM	#20
Bob Brunius Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Orcas, WA Device: Kindle PW & Kobo H2O	I refresh some numbers on the the screen once a second using javascript. It's just once a minute the the screen flashes the reversal on the H2O. It does not happen on regular browsers and it does not happen with the Kindle Paper White experimental browser.

03-25-2015, 01:34 PM	#21
Bob Brunius Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Orcas, WA Device: Kindle PW & Kobo H2O	Does anyone know of a way to kill the browser and/or start the browser from the command line - using a WiFi telnet connection or usb network.

03-26-2015, 01:33 PM	#22
KevinShort Addict Posts: 348 Karma: 209937 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Virginia, US Device: Kobo Wifi, Kobo Glo	I thought of a way you could start the web browser from the command line. As long as nickel is running, you could simulate the touch events needed to launch the browser. In this post joris_ explains how to simulate touches.

03-26-2015, 02:18 PM	#23
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	The touch method works fine. I'd not use echo, just record each sequence with cat to a file and then cat the file back to replay. But it's quite a sequence if you want it to be reliable. Since the web browser tab might move around, you have to go through menu -> settings -> beta features -> web browser. And that's only if you're currently in a place where the menu is available. I.e. not when reading a book, where you first have to tap the menu zone. And if the menu zone was already open, well... so you have to do this twice to be sure. And that's not considering other strange apps like sudoku where you'd have to hit the lower right corner to quit. And if you want the browser to go to a specific URL... ah well, you can actually set a home URL so that's one less headache.

03-26-2015, 03:14 PM	#25
Bob Brunius Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Orcas, WA Device: Kindle PW & Kobo H2O	@frostschutz It all sounds unreliable doesn't it. I may not have access to the touchscreen but I will have access to the power button so in the case of a power up the H2O should be in the same starting point always so maybe it works until a software revision is pushed? It's just hard to accept that there isn't a CL command that would cause the browser to start. I guess if there was one someone would know it by now. I have no idea how to even look.

03-26-2015, 03:23 PM	#27
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,167 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	Remember this device was not really intended for the type of hacking you are attempting; it was never meant as an environment where someone might want to launch the browser (or any other component) from a command line. The browser is just a portion of the main application on the device, Nickle.

Advert

Advert

03-26-2015, 04:20 PM	#29
Bob Brunius Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Orcas, WA Device: Kindle PW & Kobo H2O	What is the difference between event0 and event1?

03-26-2015, 04:52 PM	#30
frostschutz Linux User Posts: 2,279 Karma: 6123806 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Heidelberg, Germany Device: none	event0 is mxckpd, event1 is zForce-ir-touch in other words, I have no clue :P kpd could be keypad so maybe if a device had hardware keys they'd register there