Firmware 4.29.18730 available

[sherman]

New devices, new firmware release. For some reason, @geek1011 firmware download page hasn't yet picked this up.

https://kbdownload1-a.akamaihd.net/f...4.29.18730.zip

This appears to be a release for the new devices only (and maybe Elipsa?). If it's like any other time a new device is released, this particular version will NOT be released for older devices.

[davidfor]

How did you find that? I don't see it for the Elispa. And I don't have the identifiers for the Sage or Libra 2 to check those. And that is probably why @geek1011's page didn't find it.

[sherman]

I did a random lets try a URL and see if it works...

Basically took a known good URL, changed the date and FW version, and gave it a go.

[Rid]

I think we might be in for a bumpy ride for the next few months on further firmware release issues. As the Elipsa was not included in the 4.28.18220 version and we should expect further updates on the 2 newer devices in the short term as kobo get a larger 'test' group....

I am still waiting for the epub vs kepub font size issue to be fixed!! (the above comment was really just me trying to console myself in case it does take longer.. )

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Rid

I am still waiting for the epub vs kepub font size issue to be fixed!! (the above comment was really just me trying to console myself in case it does take longer.. )

That is not a new problem. As far as I remember it has always been there. It doesn't seem to be something that Kobo thinks needs to be fixed. But, make sure you tell them it is a problem for you. The more people who complain to them, the more likely it will be seen as an issue that needs to be fixed.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Rid

I am still waiting for the epub vs kepub font size issue to be fixed!!

There is a patch for this.

[Rid]

Originally Posted by davidfor

That is not a new problem. As far as I remember it has always been there. It doesn't seem to be something that Kobo thinks needs to be fixed. But, make sure you tell them it is a problem for you. The more people who complain to them, the more likely it will be seen as an issue that needs to be fixed.

I think your right will let them know.

The formats and easy sideload was the main reason I bought a Kobo.

[Rid]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

There is a patch for this.

You forgot the link

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Rid

You forgot the link

I think that was deliberate. You need the patches for the firmware version you are running and then enable the patches you are interested in using. There is a thread in the Developers sub-forum for the patches for each firmware version as they become available. But, the patches for this firmware won't be available yet.

[sherman]

Ok, this is the information I've managed to glean for the new device regarding device ID's and code names:

ID    codeName(QString) codeName(bool) Name
383   daylight          Cadmus         Sage
388   dragon            Io             Libra 2

This information is from libnickel in the firmware.

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by sherman

New devices, new firmware release. For some reason, @geek1011 firmware download page hasn't yet picked this up.

https://kbdownload1-a.akamaihd.net/f...4.29.18730.zip

This appears to be a release for the new devices only (and maybe Elipsa?). If it's like any other time a new device is released, this particular version will NOT be released for older devices.

Originally Posted by davidfor

How did you find that? I don't see it for the Elispa. And I don't have the identifiers for the Sage or Libra 2 to check those. And that is probably why @geek1011's page didn't find it.

That is indeed why. Although, once sherman told me about this release, I triggered a full scan from kfwproxy, and it found this kobo9 link for 388:

For kobo9: https://kbdownload1-a.akamaihd.net/f...730-TF6408.zip.

@sherman then did my usual work of checking the firmware for the device info (I am extremely busy right now) and found:

Originally Posted by sherman

ID    codeName(QString) codeName(bool) Name
383   daylight          Cadmus         Sage
388   dragon            Io             Libra 2

I've done some quick checks on the first codename to ensure it's consistent with the usual convention for device classes (mostly around screen resolution from what I've seen), and it appears to be correct.

Also, note that 388 is kobo9.

Originally Posted by Sirtel

There is a patch for this.

Yes, but it hasn't been rewritten for 18220+ yet since I haven't had time and @jackie_w isn't available for testing for the foreseeable future.

Originally Posted by davidfor

I think that was deliberate. You need the patches for the firmware version you are running and then enable the patches you are interested in using. There is a thread in the Developers sub-forum for the patches for each firmware version as they become available. But, the patches for this firmware won't be available yet.

Regarding the patches, I will not have any time to work on them for this or the last version until next week at the absolute earliest. I've been extremely busy with other commitments. Also, this release makes some changes which will require quite a bit more work and research to account for (and it'll also likely need a new kobopatch version for certain patches).

As usual, you can still use patches from the previous version if they apply successfully. There are slightly more (~4 patches) patches which broke with this release, most notably the PDF Map hiding one, but the majority of the most popular ones still apply thanks to the universal patch logic I developed for kobopatch over the last two years.

If anyone's interested in attempting to update the patches themselves (maybe @Semwize or @sherman?), I'll be able to answer quick questions and review the final patches on most days.

NickelMenu will work as-is in this firmware version too. The night mode / invert screen bug is known, but I just haven't got around to fixing it. Everything else should work as expected.

If you would like to discuss the patches in the meantime, please create a new thread in the dev corner forum so this thread doesn't get derailed like the previous version.

Again, I apologize for the delay in kobopatch/kobopatch-patches/NickelMenu/dictutil development caused by my lack of time. I will get to it as soon as possible (in that order).

[Rid]

Originally Posted by geek1011

Again, I apologize for the delay in kobopatch/kobopatch-patches/NickelMenu/dictutil development caused by my lack of time. I will get to it as soon as possible (in that order).

You should just say f%$#it and take some time off! Kobo are going to be chasing their own tails for a while now. No need to work on 1 firmware version when another comes out a week later... Go fishing!

[mbovenka]

I decided to take one for the team and run my usual set of patches against 4.29.18730:

overrides:
src/nickel.yaml:
Reduce new header/footer height: yes
Remove footer (row3) and increase cover size on new home screen: yes
src/libnickel.so.1.0.0.yaml:
Don't uppercase header/footer text: yes
FeatureSettings - BookSpecificStats: yes
PowerSettings - UnlockEnabled: yes
My 10 line spacing values: yes
Custom font sizes: no
Enable advanced settings for all fonts: yes
Custom kepub default margins: yes
Set KePub hyphenation: yes
KePub stylesheet additions - text justify: yes

All these applied cleanly and seem to work. Here Be Dragons and YMMV and all that.

[mbovenka]

What doesn't seem to work anymore in 4.29.18730 is '[Power Options] -> FullscreenCoverStretch=true' in the ereader.conf. That worked in the previous version on my Forma.

[Calenorn]

Does this firmware remove the Beta Features?