Can I convert a Tolino into a kobo?

[Redundantant]

Originally Posted by Laen

I test on shine 5, shine color and vision Color the switching to kobo.
It only works on Firmware 5.0.175773.
Any newer Firmware doesnt show the development Menü.
The Firmware was in the Kobo settings even after the newest Kobo Update.
Login in in the Kobo account works without problem.
What i found is to make a second Factory Reset after Switching because then the reader shows all full features under Kobo.

Adding Software? You mean like Nickelmenu or Koreader?
Thats the work of the Programmer to support newer Firmwares.

Sideload over calibre works without problems

Thanks for your response.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as long as I'm on 5.0.175773 I can switch to the Kobo version and it stays that way when I update, right? And it continues to get updates for Tolino?
Or would I have to get the Kobo updates?
I know I would have to downgrade every time I would want to switch.


Yeah, I meant something like KOReader. I utilized it already on my Shine 4 (it was the leanest, expansive reader you could get on a burdened Android).
I worry that I'm missing some features on stock firmware I got used to, although I was not a power-user anyway.
I'm concerned the firmware offsets or functions become so different on Tolino flavored firmware that there might be less (if any) development happening.

But given the prize and my location, I'm hard-pressed to find an alternative to the Shine 5, so I'll probably just get it.

[Laen]

You can everytime downgrade the fiirmware to 5.0.175773.
Iff the Settings will be at Kobo in Future can no one say.
To the Today Newest Firmware 5.2.190625 the Settings will be at Kobo after the Updates.

Koreader must make from the coder kompatible. if it is today i dont new because i dont use it.
that must you look on the Koreader Pages.

I dont knew was features you miss on stock firmware.


I run a tolino Vision color as libra colour and to test the same with kobo settings on shine 5 and shine color

[Laen]

A Video that show how to switch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Ir...ature=youtu.be

[Dirk-71]

Would it also be possible to patch a Tolino device with Kobo Patch?

[Laen]

not at the momenT.
Kobos runs on Patch 4.38/40 and tolinos on 5.3 Firmware.
Perhaps its possible but that must someone try or its possible when kobo goes to firmware 5.X too

[Quality]

Just wanted to update everyone that it still works with the for now latest version of 5.4.197982 from 30th October 2024.

I would also recommend to after switching to the Kobo firmware to go to the settings, device information and factory reset the device. I think afterwards the shop displayed normally, but not too sure about the reset haven't played with it too much since I only switched from Tolino to Kobo once. But since after switching all of the things are deleted anyways, it doesn't hurt to do the factory reset.

At first I had a bug where the covers were not showing during sleep mode and during the loading animation of opening a book (otherwise they showed). So I downgraded from the latest version to 5.2.190625 thinking that that might be the cause, but the bug still presided. After some tinkering with Calibre device settings the bug disappeared, and switching to the latest version of 5.4.19 it didn't return. I returned the Calibre device settings to default and the bug didn't come back even after a factory reset. So not sure if it went away on its own or what.

Besides that also wanted to mention that I tried sending a .mobi book to the device and for that I had to change Calibre device settings. After opening the Book I notied the text formatting was all messed up. Going back on Calibre I noticed that the format of the book was changed from .mobi to mobi.epub. (I was sending mobi files to my device when previously testing if the cover would show on that format)

Afaik the Kobo devices support Mobi on the 4.x firmware, while the Tolino devices say they don't support it on the 5.x firmware. I though it was just because of the Tolino Software but it seems that its the Kobo 5.x firmware that doesn't support it (which makes sense). So it just converts the mobi to epub.

One bug I noticed with the 5.x firmware in general is that I can't highlight across pages, I'm coming from a Kindle PW and don't know if it works on the 4.x firmware but yea.

[Quality]

Also one thing I have noticed is that for the software versions above 5.0.175773 the translation of words doesn't work as it should (if you switched on the Kobo Software). Usually if you long hold a word it will mark it and open the dialog box. In the versions above 5.0.175773 the dialog box for translations is empty and only if you press the expand button will the translation show.

The translation would sometimes appear only for a moment but with a very small font and then disappear after I assume the font size is automatically adjusted. Scrolling down on the dialog box doesn't show any text. If you click a wrong dictionary where the word can't be found sometimes it will notify you of that in the dialog box.

I also noticed that the versions above 5.0.175773 also have a different look for the dialog box compared to 5.0.175773.

[Falkor]

I'm on 5.4.197982. I use the dictionary a lot, but I'm not familiar with the issue you're describing. It does have one major problem: Using it will make the device crash quite often. But it can be avoided. The trick is to turn the device off and back on if the content doesn't load.

[Quality]

Originally Posted by Falkor

I'm on 5.4.197982. I use the dictionary a lot, but I'm not familiar with the issue you're describing. It does have one major problem: Using it will make the device crash quite often. But it can be avoided. The trick is to turn the device off and back on if the content doesn't load.

Are you using the Kobo firmware on Tolino or the stock Tolino one? On the Tolino software the dictionary works fine but it does crash from time to time as you have mentioned. But on the Kobo software the dictionary didn't work for me as I explained above.

[Falkor]

Ah, right, I'm using the stock one. I had tried the Kobo setting, hoping that it would fix some of the issues I'm having with the stock Tolino's default renderer, but it's basically the same firmware with a slightly different user interface.

[Marek]

You can enable dev mode on latest tolino firmware with this.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=216

[Marek]

Okay so ive made a working down/upgrade to actual kobo firmware for the libra colour / vision colour if you want to try it contact me either here in PMs or on discord @notmarek

[Quality]

Originally Posted by Marek

Okay so ive made a working down/upgrade to actual kobo firmware for the libra colour / vision colour if you want to try it contact me either here in PMs or on discord @notmarek

I have tried downgrading my Tolino Shine 5 (Kobo Clara BW) using the steps described on your Github. Well it didn't work for me, after switching to the Kobo, doing the factory reset and afterwards moving the update.tar file in .kobo.

The device did restart and update, but after I checked the version was still 5.x.

[Quality]

One thing I also noticed is that after updating using your file @Marek, I couldn't enable developer mode by typing "devmodeon". So I downloaded the official first 5.x firmware from the Tolino website and after the update the developer menu opened by itself when I went to the menu tab.

[Marek]

Originally Posted by Quality

I have tried downgrading my Tolino Shine 5 (Kobo Clara BW) using the steps described on your Github. Well it didn't work for me, after switching to the Kobo, doing the factory reset and afterwards moving the update.tar file in .kobo.

The device did restart and update, but after I checked the version was still 5.x.

Ive accidentally copied the wrong file (the official 5.0.17337 or something update), it should be correct now