advboot: a new approach to launch nickel or koreader at startup

[DNSB]

A bit of quick checking showed that the rcS file in 3.11.0 is the same as the rcS file in 3.8.0 so if you already had an advboot/koreader setup, all you need is to re-add the modified rcS file. The KoboRoot.tgz inside the advboot_rcs.zip file attached to this message will take care of that change (copy the KoboRoot.tgz file to the .kobo directory, safely disconnect and wait for it to install). This has been tested on a Kobo Glo, Aura HD and Aura H2O with firmware 3.11.0 installed.

If you need to do the full advboot/script files install, the file attached to message #47 in this thread advboot message #47 will take care of that for you.

edit: Corrected copy/paste error in rcS files. Thanks to traycold for the sharp eyes!

[traycold]

Originally Posted by DNSB

A bit of quick checking showed that the rcS file in 3.11.0 is the same as the rcS file in 3.8.0 so if you already had an advboot/koreader setup, all you need is to re-add the modified rcS file. The KoboRoot.tgz inside the advboot_rcs.zip file attached to this message will take care of that change (copy the KoboRoot.tgz file to the .kobo directory, safely disconnect and wait for it to install). This has been tested on a Kobo Glo, Aura HD and Aura H2O with firmware 3.11.0 installed.

hi,
thanks for your useful script. However I think you made a small copy-paste error at the end of rcS, since it calls scripts in pre_run folder instead of post_run (see bold/red text below from your script), after launching nickel:

# advboot: scripts exectuted before nickel and hindenburg
for ADVFILE in /mnt/onboard/.kobo/advboot/pre_run/*.sh
do
    $ADVFILE
done

/usr/local/Kobo/hindenburg &
/usr/local/Kobo/nickel -platform kobo -skipFontLoad &
[ $PLATFORM != freescale ] && rm -rf /dev/mmcblk1* && udevadm trigger &
insmod /drivers/$PLATFORM/misc/lowmem.ko &
[ `cat /mnt/onboard/.kobo/Kobo/Kobo\ eReader.conf | grep -c dhcpcd=true` == 1 ] && dhcpcd -d -t 10 &

# advboot: scripts exectuted before nickel and hindenburg
for ADVFILE in /mnt/onboard/.kobo/advboot/pre_run/*.sh
do
    $ADVFILE
done

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by traycold

hi,
thanks for your useful script. However I think you made a small copy-paste error at the end of rcS, since it calls scripts in pre_run folder instead of post_run (see bold/red text below from your script), after launching nickel:

# advboot: scripts exectuted before nickel and hindenburg
for ADVFILE in /mnt/onboard/.kobo/advboot/pre_run/*.sh
do
    $ADVFILE
done

/usr/local/Kobo/hindenburg &
/usr/local/Kobo/nickel -platform kobo -skipFontLoad &
[ $PLATFORM != freescale ] && rm -rf /dev/mmcblk1* && udevadm trigger &
insmod /drivers/$PLATFORM/misc/lowmem.ko &
[ `cat /mnt/onboard/.kobo/Kobo/Kobo\ eReader.conf | grep -c dhcpcd=true` == 1 ] && dhcpcd -d -t 10 &

# advboot: scripts exectuted before nickel and hindenburg
for ADVFILE in /mnt/onboard/.kobo/advboot/pre_run/*.sh
do
    $ADVFILE
done

Ughh... you're right. I'll change that and upload the modified version. Thanks for the eyes!

[j0y]

David, thanks a lot!
Koreader is now running well in my H2O on firmware 3.11.0.
The reflow function is just amazing! Just to check, there is no free-zoom function, right? Either activated by touch or menu... because I couldn't zoom at all, just swtitch zoom modes.

Cheers

[Ebri]

I usually try koreader first, and if zooming is a better solution, I leave the parts to be zoomed, and after reading the parts, which I can read in koreader, I switch to nickel, and finish there. (But I mostly read PDFs made of PPT-s needed for my work, where zoomed, usually tabular information, and textual handled well in koreader are separate.) Actually I like the stock PDF solution also better than the one on my old kindle PW, and I think the nickel and koreader PDF readers are quite good together.

The other thing I did was adjusting margins, it also helps sometimes (if you cut off the complicated parts, handling the simpler parts can be much better).

[Allenkun]

Hi Shadoooo! I am a newbie in this forum. I have a Kobo Aura. I installed Advboot mentioned in this thread because I want the alternative Koreader for pdf: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...6&postcount=47 When I clicked the kobo, it just freeze, with progress bar running and all, nothing happens. It seems that now, the computer does not recognize the kobo aura. Is there a way to fix this? Thank you very much.

[Ebri]

I think you can only factory reset, I don't remember the keys to press, but if you do 3-4 reboots the Kobo will offer to factory reset it. It will erase all sideloaded books and everything else from the main memory (SD card remains intact).

I don't know if there is any other solution.

[libertango]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I've tried to simplify the installation for use with Kobo firmware 3.8.0. Basically, instead of the rcS file in one archive and the Koreader script files in another archive, I've generated a single file that installs both at the same time. In theory, this will work for the Kobo H2O as well but don't have one to test -- as yet.

So simplified install process:

Download the advboot_380.zip file attached to this message.
Download Koreader -- see the Koreader thread for location.

Connect your Kobo ereader to your computer.

Unpack the Koreader archive and copy the koreader directory to your Kobo's .kobo directory.

Open the advboot_380.zip file and copy the koboroot.tgz file to your Kobo's .kobo directory.

Safely disconnect your ereader from the computer and let it install. On power on, you should now see two buttons, one to run the Kobo firmware, the other to run Koreader.

Have fun...

edit0: added |dahlia in a couple of places so hopefully will run on the Aura H20 when it is released.

edit1: the rcS file for 3.7.0, 3.8.0 and 3.11.0 are the same so this will work with all of them.

edit2: when I added the |dahlia references, I also changed the last advboot entry to run pre-run instead of post_run scripts. That's now fixed up. Thanks for traycold for the sharp eyes!

Regards,
David

I tried this but I'm not happy with the result (stuck in File manager in Koreader mode, had to reboot).
I do I undo the installation please?
Kobo Touch at 3.8.0

[tshering]

Originally Posted by libertango

I tried this but I'm not happy with the result (stuck in File manager in Koreader mode, had to reboot).

You can try this to solve the Koreader problem.

Originally Posted by libertango

I do I undo the installation please?
Kobo Touch at 3.8.0

In the folder uninstall of the archive (advboot_380.zip), there is a file KoboRoot.tgz. Copy this file to folder .kobo of your reader, safely disconnect and eject the device.

[Frenzie]

Stuck in file manager sounds more like trying to use a version of KOReader that's too old. Any nightly from within the past two weeks should do the trick. (But I see no reason not to get the most recent one.) Or you could always manually implement these changes on any older version.

[Ken Maltby]

KOreader 921 version is working great, so far, but I had some similar problems with 903 & 907. I am launching with tshering's Kobo Start Menu, so there may be different issues involved.

Luck;
Ken

[libertango]

Originally Posted by Frenzie

Stuck in file manager sounds more like trying to use a version of KOReader that's too old. Any nightly from within the past two weeks should do the trick. (But I see no reason not to get the most recent one.) Or you could always manually implement these changes on any older version.

What if I delete the koboreader old version folder and copy the new version in? Because I've done that and I'm still stuck in the file manager.
Tell me if I have to disinstall and reinstall and I'll try that too.

[WS64]

@Frenzie, the "too old Koreader" issue is just for the new H2O, not for the Kobo Touch

@libertango, no deinstall necessary, just copy the files over the old ones. Does the filemanager itself work (can you open a menu or anything), or does it not react to any taps at all? Try even to tap on empty spaces, on the Touch there might be an issue with everything turned by 90 or 180 degree (we even have a workaround for that, but that just will work if Koreader reacts somehow at least)

[libertango]

Originally Posted by WS64

@Frenzie, the "too old Koreader" issue is just for the new H2O, not for the Kobo Touch

@libertango, no deinstall necessary, just copy the files over the old ones.

So, if the first is true, copying the files over the old ones couldn't anyway solve my issue, right?

Originally Posted by WS64

Does the filemanager itself work (can you open a menu or anything), or does it not react to any taps at all? Try even to tap on empty spaces, on the Touch there might be an issue with everything turned by 180 degree (we even have a workaround for that, but that just will work if Koreader reacts somehow at least)

No reaction, or just some reaction after many tries. Most of the time, simply stuck.
Thanks for helping.

[Ken Maltby]

If you copy/merge the koreader folder over the existing one, you can retain the settings and additions you may have added to koreader, like dictionaries, and fonts. Deleting the old folder before updating looses any such adjustments, including where you have set the reader.lua program to have File Manager open.

I use a hidden folder on my external uSD card, for my library so I have reader.lua /mnt/sd/.Koreader/Books/ as the argument passed to the program. Because I use the KSM to launch Koreader the call is in /.kobo/kbmenu/onstart/koreader_kobo.sh

Not sure how AdvBoot calls Koreader.

Luck;
Ken