Kobo Aura HD - Linux Walkthrough - Registration bypass

[linux.kobo.user]

Come home happy with your new Kobo Aura HD and Unbox your device

Try to download the Linux Kobo Client,
be pissed because there is no Linux Kobo Client,
Call and email all Kobo numbers/emails addresses and complain

Have a thee to calm down, and charge your device meanwhile

Take your Kobo Device again in your hands, and connect it to your linux machine via USB

Select "Language"

Select "Setup over Computer"

(before this selection the devices can not be mounted on your linux machine)
Just after that selection the device pops up as a VFAT device with the name KOBOeReader on your Linux machine

(if you do a mount command you see something like)

/dev/sdc on /run/media/myuserID/KOBOeReader type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask= 0022,dmask=0077,codepage=437,iocharset=ascii,short name=mixed,showexec,utf8,flush,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2)

If you now browse with nautilus or nemo to the /run/media/myuserID/KOBOeReader folder it appears empty but it really contains 2 hidden folders

.adobe-digital-editions
.kobo


open a terminal and verify the 2 hidden folders with
> ls -la

and now go into .kobo/ folder


> cd /run/media/myuserID/KOBOeReader/.kobo/
> ls

you will see a KoboReader.sqlite file that we need to edit

but we like to have a backup copy of the KoboReader.sqlite as it came with the device,
just in case we make an error

> cp KoboReader.sqlite BackupKoboReader.sqlite

We will be using the sqlite tool, so make sure sqlite isinstalled on your system.
Use your package manager to install sqlite first or use something like

yum install sqlite
(on a Fedora/RHEL/CentOS machine as root user)

Now we are going to edit the KoboReader.sqlite,
put in some fake information so that the device works under Linux,
and we will never buy a Kobo book from their store until they have a Kobo Linux Client


But first let's see what info is already in the database :

> sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite '.dump user'


This is the result:
<start here
PRAGMA foreign_keys=OFF;
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
CREATE TABLE user(UserID TEXT NOT NULL,UserKey TEXT NOT NULL,UserDisplayName TEXT,UserEmail TEXT,___DeviceID TEXT,FacebookAuthToken TEXT,HasMadePurchase BIT DEFAULT FALSE,PRIMARY KEY (UserID));
INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('61df00a6-XXXX-48XX-b349-4367651fcab5','e2015759-a200-42e4-b58c-XXXX','trilogybundle@kobo.com','trilogybundle@kobo .com','11:22:33:44:55:66',NULL,'FALSE');
COMMIT;
ends here>


Now add some fake ID stuff, enter sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite

> sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite
SQLite version 3.7.17 2013-05-20 00:56:22
Enter ".help" for instructions
Enter SQL statements terminated with a ";"
sqlite>


you now have a sqlite prompt where you can insert that magic string with garbage registration info,
so copy and paste the next line after the sqlite> prompt

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('Linux User','Linux User','LinuxUser@mailinator.com','LinuxUser@mailin ator.com',NULL, NULL,'false');


finish off with a .quit command to get back to your bash prompt

Admire your work with a new dump of the database

sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite '.dump user'

sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite '.dump user'
PRAGMA foreign_keys=OFF;
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
CREATE TABLE user(UserID TEXT NOT NULL,UserKey TEXT NOT NULL,UserDisplayName TEXT,UserEmail TEXT,___DeviceID TEXT,FacebookAuthToken TEXT,HasMadePurchase BIT DEFAULT FALSE,PRIMARY KEY (UserID));
INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('61df00a6-XXXX-48XX-b349-4367651fcab5','e2015759-a200-42e4-b58c-XXXX','trilogybundle@kobo.com','trilogybundle@kobo .com','11:22:33:44:55:66',NULL,'FALSE');
INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('Linux User','Linux User','LinuxUser@mailinator.com','LinuxUser@mailin ator.com',NULL,NULL,'false');
COMMIT;


umount the kobo via nautilus or umount and disconnect your kobo device


It will now come back with the "meet your eReader" and your are done

[jgoguen]

This is not just for the Aura HD, but also works for the Glo and the new Aura.

[PeterT]

This is a well known trick and has been used by people from the earliest Kobo models.

[linux.kobo.user]

Sure,

it's a known trick but I needed a walk-trough that an non technical user can follow and that also reminds people to call and email the Kobo folks and demand a Kobo Client for Linux.

I should have mentioned even how to install sqlite on the system, something like
yum install sqlite
on a fedora/RHEL/CentOS linux distribution.

[jgoguen]

I would suggest not 'demanding' anything. Linux users are, unfortunately, a very small percentage of users. I'm one of them, but if Kobo supports Windows and Mac they probably have support for at least 98% of their users in general and 99.5% or more of their users who would need the Kobo desktop client anyway. I'd argue that the desktop client is superfluous anyway; my wife, who will probably never even consider "not Windows", has had no need of it for her Glo; everything she needed for setup (whether she wanted to fake registration or not, which she didn't) she could do without it. Sync books? Wireless. Firmware upgrade? Wireless. Recommendations? Pulled down over wireless with every sync. Books from non-Kobo sources? Calibre, and the Kobo desktop client doesn't allow it anyway. Reading books? Kinda the point if the device

If you really want a Linux client, then you'd be much better to ask people to write to Kobo (snail mail, with real paper and ink and envelopes and everything) politely requesting Linux support. Maybe explain the benefits to all users (never just for your benefit) that would make it worth their time to spend developing a Linux client, and possibly also spending money on hiring a couple Linux developers.

And maybe you could explain to me why a Linux desktop client would be helpful, because I honestly don't see any reason to have the desktop client at all unless you don't have a wireless network. But if that is the only reason, why not spend the time to improve the device user interface and improve the experience for all users instead?

[freekobo]

just use WINE you whiner.
(I had to say it..lol..not sure if it actually works)
besides the kobo desktop software is useless...unless you actually buy books

[ottdmk]

While the Kobo desktop user to work under WINE, versions from the past while (six months to a year) have had problems.

[samhy]

It never worked for me with WINE. I could install it and set my account but from there it was trying to sync endlessly (several hours). In the end, I removed it and I'm dealing wirelessly with everything.

[linux.kobo.user]

Originally Posted by freekobo

just use WINE you whiner.
(I had to say it..lol..not sure if it actually works)
besides the kobo desktop software is useless...unless you actually buy books

If nobody demands, asks, asks polity, begs or whines for a Kobo Linux Client the Kobo folks will continue to say that there is no demand for a Linux.

The day a new firmware update or a new device breaks the bypass what will you do ?
(it's also not really easy for a non-technical user btw)

Don't forget Kobo is using a lot of Linux and busybox infrastructure in both the device and their server infrastructure. The decent thing would be some acknowledge of this and a least a how-to on the activation/registration on their website ?

As a new Kobo linux customer, you are stuck in the initial registration process unless you find this website and actually want to risk damaging a brand new 200 dollar device.

If you installed Linux on your parents computer because you don't want every holiday to be a windows fixing / reinstalling holiday, your partners will get stuck with a non-working paperweight after buying a Kobo device.

Until Kobo has some Linux support I will buy my 5 books a month elsewhere.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by linux.kobo.user

As a new Kobo linux customer, you are stuck in the initial registration process unless you find this website and actually want to risk damaging a brand new 200 dollar device.

Or you have WIFI. Neither of my devices came close to a Windows computer and they're working just fine

[jgoguen]

I'm mobile on a small-screen phone with a sleeping baby on one arm so please forgive the lack of quoting. Very difficult right now

I believe that demanding anything is only counterproductive. Send in support requests or feature requests, send letters, but do it politely and make it clear that documentation, information, and the ability to do it ourselves is equally as good; if it's truly that important to you and you want to make a statement to Kobo, vote with your wallets and mail them your reader with a polite letter explaining why you won't be buying their hardware. The OpenBSD folks are, IMO, a shining example of how well this works. Linux on the other hand, again in my opinion, tends to have mostly people who not only expect not that they should get what they need to have someone make it work, but rather that companies should do it for them and why isn't it already done!

I'm still not convinced of the utility of having a desktop client, but with sufficient information to do it ourselves I'd be happy to contribute patches to calibre to make it happen. Unless davidfor got to it before I did Regardless, I think the best first step would be for Kobo to allow setting an account without a network at all, including saying "no thanks, no account for me".

As for this being difficult for non-technical people, how hard would it really be for a developer to write a quick Python script to do it for you? All behind the scene, all the end user does is run the script and say "this drive right over here is my Kobo". If an end user can get online to purchase ebooks, I think it's completely reasonable to expect them to be able to download and run an installer package.

As a technical Linux user, I understand the difficulty in supporting different Linux distros. Debian and Fedora and Ubuntu and Mint and Arch, all different (and yes, Mint is based on Ubuntu or Debian and Ubuntu is based on Debian, but it's not all the same, especially not with Ubuntu's "we have to do it ourselves" mentality) and all requiring ever so slightly (or quite different) instructions. I completely understand their decision to not support Linux. What I didn't mention above, not only do they need to hire Linux developers, they also need to train all their support techs on Linux. Expensive, for dubious business benefit. As much as I (and probably no other Linux user) enjoy, it's the business benefit that will rule. Hence the need for polite information.

[ivys]

Originally Posted by linux.kobo.user

you now have a sqlite prompt where you can insert that magic string with garbage registration info,
so copy and paste the next line after the sqlite> prompt

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('Linux User','Linux User','LinuxUser@mailinator.com','LinuxUser@mailin ator.com',NULL, NULL,'false');

Happy new year!

I have just inserted "that magic string with garbage registration info" and have done the new dump to double check if everything was ok before ejecting my kobo aura 2013 from my desktop (I am an ubuntu user)

the result is correct except for an extra space in the second mail address (due to the copy and paste from the website) unfortunately

.....,'LinuxUser@mailin ator.com',NULL, NULL,'false');

how can I fix it?

thanks in advance

[ivys]

found on internet "SQLite Database browser" and fixed it!

[electron libre]

Here is the full story: my in-laws wanted to buy me an e-reader for Xmas and asked my wife to do it. We have Linux at home and my wife asked the sales guy in FNAC (we live in France) if the reader she wanted was compatible with UBUNTU. Guess what. The guy said of course it is. And I went through what you described at the beginning of your post. I tried what you said and got an error because 13 parameters were expected instead of 7. I completed with the existing parameters and it worked. Many thanks for your crystal-clear indications. Michel

[CatRovacer]

I tried connect Kobo Aura HD to PC (Win7) and use sqlite3

Launch:
sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite
copypaste in sqlite3 console directives
====

PRAGMA foreign_keys=OFF;

BEGIN TRANSACTION;

drop  table if exists user;

CREATE TABLE user(UserID TEXT NOT NULL,UserKey TEXT NOT NULL,UserDisplayName TEXT,UserEmail TEXT,___DeviceID TEXT,FacebookAuthToken TEXT,HasMadePurchase BIT DEFAULT FALSE,PRIMARY KEY (UserID));
INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('61df00a6-XXXX-48XX-b349-4367651fcab5','e2015759-a200-42e4-b58c-XXXX','trilogybundle@kobo.com','trilogybundle@kobo .com','11:22:33:44:55:66',NULL,'FALSE');
INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('Linux User','Linux User','LinuxUser@mailinator.com','LinuxUser@mailin ator.com',NULL,NULL,'false');

COMMIT;

.quit
====

After savety reject Kobo storage ereader say:
"Critical Error"

And user table no consist any data.

But possible see pure main sceen. Like on "registered" reader.

I removed the table 'user' because of the fact that the basis of the sample table the user had 13 fields, while the directive INSERT has the values of only for 7 fields.

I tried to fill in the 'user' table with values 'foo'. Without success.