How to show games on Beta Features for Kobo Glo Hd

[pipcat]

I bought my e-reader to read not to play, but if games are already in source code I prefer they are not hidden ;-)

This patches are only for Kobo Glo Hd, who doesn't show games on Beta Features screen.

Inside nickel there are some compressed streams (.qm for translations, .png, .css, ...).
In one of those css, there is the code that causes games are not shown on GloHd:

Spoiler:

#boggleContainer[qApp_deviceIsAlyssum="true"],
#solitaireContainer[qApp_deviceIsAlyssum="true"],
#rushHourContainer[qApp_deviceIsAlyssum="true"],
#sudokuContainer[qApp_deviceIsAlyssum="true"],
#sketchPadContainer[qApp_deviceIsAlyssum="true"] {
qproperty-visible: false;
}

With a python script, I changed that code, with care to respect the same number of bytes. You can install the resulting nickel with attached KoboRoot.tgz, or you can execute attached python code to do by your own.

My first attempt blocked my e-reader because I forgot to set attribute executable on nickel file! But after a factory reset (thx davidfor!), I tried again with permission set and that's right ;-) Attached files are ok with that.

With nickel patch, games are shown on Beta Features, but only the first page (Sketch Pad, Sudoku, Web Browser, Unblock It). The second page (Solitaire, Word Scramble) is not available. That is because a check is done on libnickel, so we must reverse that check with a patch, that could be processed inside libnickel.so.1.0.0.patch (from GeoffR patching instructions).

Spoiler:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Show second page of Beta Features for Glo Hd`
patch_enable = `yes`
#
replace_bytes = 986010, 00, 01
</Patch>

Python script could be useful for other firmwares, but KoboRoot.tgz and Patch are only for 3.19.5671!

[tshering]

Nice idea! I adapted it for the "Modifications for bad eyes" patcher (link). I hope you do not mind.

[pipcat]

Thx tshering, well done!
If you have a "Trilogy" e-reader (Touch ?) that patch will do opposite effect, so it will hide games in Beta Features screen. Maybe it's a feature someone also wants ;-)

[surquizu]

Thanks pipcat, the patch works perfectly.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by pipcat

Thx tshering, well done!
If you have a "Trilogy" e-reader (Touch ?) that patch will do opposite effect, so it will hide games in Beta Features screen. Maybe it's a feature someone also wants ;-)

Yes it is. There's been at least one person asking how to hide the games.

[pipcat]

I realised that Word Scramble game is shown only for locales en, de, it, because it doesn't appears with my ca locale.
To show it for all locales we must apply a patch to libnickel.so.1.0.0 (only for fw 3.19.5761!)

Spoiler:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Show scramble game for all locales`
patch_enable = `yes`
#
# Scramble game is shown only for locales en, de, it. With this patch it's shown for all locales. (only for fw 3.19.5761!)
replace_bytes = 985FC6, 3E D0, 00 90
</Patch>

[Semwize]

Python script works fine

`Show second page of Beta Features for Glo Hd` firmware 4.2.8432 does not work, unfortunately

[tickyd]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I couldn’t find anyone giving these patches any love of late! 😅

After some investigation, I’ve discovered the updated offsets for the “show second page” patch is 7c46b0 as of v4.5.9587. So here’s an updated patch:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Show second page of Beta Features for Glo Hd`
patch_enable = `yes`
#
replace_bytes = 7c46b0, 00, 01
</Patch>

For future reference, this offset can be found by reversing libnickel.so and finding the offset of a “cmp r0, #0” instruction immediately following a “blx” call to a function with a label containing “isAlyssum”

EDIT: Reversing involved using objdump like this:

gobjdump --target=elf32-littlearm -f -S -d libnickel.so.1.0.0

The Kobo firmware includes a surprising amount of debug information, which is useful! You can then search through the output to find “isAlyssum” and find the “cmp” line.

Hope that helps someone out!

[m-p{3}]

Totally a noob regarding this, how would I apply that to my Kobo Glo HD on 4.5.9587?

EDIT: Nevermind, added the patch to the "Instructions for patching firmware 4.5.9587" package.

Sadly, page 2 is empty.

[philie]

Hello , Does anybody know an easy way to have the games on a Glo HD
by install like

KoboRoot.tgz and Patch for 4.5.9587 please help me

[m-p{3}]

Hi philie, I don't think this is possible anymore on firmware 4.x and newer.

[tickyd]

It’s definitely possible on 4.x, you just need both the first patch from the original post, and my updated version of the “Show second page of Beta Features for Glo Hd” patch. They work together.

[Semwize]

Originally Posted by tickyd

It’s definitely possible on 4.x, you just need both the first patch from the original post, and my updated version of the “Show second page of Beta Features for Glo Hd” patch. They work together.

On FW 4.6.9995 do not work, unfortunately: (

[tickyd]

Originally Posted by Semwize

On FW 4.6.9995 do not work, unfortunately: (

Yes, the offset will need to be found again for the new firmware using the instructions I posted previously.

[traycold]

Originally Posted by tickyd

Yes, the offset will need to be found again for the new firmware using the instructions I posted previously.

hi, I tried to find new offset with objdump on firmware 4.6.9995 (I used the command from the toolchain found on this post), but either I did something wrong or maybe the code of the library changed in a relevant way, I was not able to identify the new offset of the statement to patch.
Could you help?