Libra 2 No Registration 2023, (FW 3.19 +)

[Idleaid]

Hi,
Thanks for the great forum. Lots of really good info, if a bit difficult to read due to such long threads and the ever shifing updates to firmware.

I've go a second hand Kobo Glo, which is very nice.
I use it with no registration on the factory firmware 2.1.4, and all is well. I do this by modifying the SQL file with 'foo' data in all the fields.

I have updated the firmware on a fresh install and when I go to update the SQL file on 3.19 and 4.5 firware, there are so many more fields under USER than in the 2.1.4 firmware.
Consequently, the registration does not work and the device does not go past the 'setup' page.

Can someone tell me whether the no registration hack works with recent firmware, and if so, what fileds etc do I need to fill in with what kind of data.

I am asking tis question with regards to the Libra 2 as I might buy one as the Glo is already great but 10 years old. I have all I need on the old firmware, but would be nice to update to try it out.

Cheers,

[rashkae]

You don't need to register to update the firmware, so I would suggest doing that first.

Registration can be bypassed with:
sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite "INSERT INTO user(UserID,UserKey) VALUES('1','');"

Since userID and UserKey are the only fields that actually nee to be given a value, this will work regardless of the number of other fields added.

However, that's not needed any more.. With recent version of the firmware (4.31 or newer), it's far more productive to use Sideloaded mode.

Edit /.kobo/Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf

And in the [ApplicationPreferences] section, add a line:
SideloadedMode=true

Important: On Windows, you need a text editor that will preserve Unix Line ending, I suggest downloading and installing Notepad++ for this.

[JSWolf]

You don't need to be paranoid. Just register. I've been registered with Kobo for over 7 years and I have not once had any problem.

The problem is that fake registering has been known to sometimes fail and reset your database and make you start over. It's happened three times so far and there is no guarantee it won't happen again.

[oyqy]

I recently bought a brand new Kobo Libra 2 and there's been no registration prompt at all. I've been using it without a Kobo account for a while now.

[JSWolf]

I don't get the paranoia against registering. There's no reason at all not to register.

[Quoth]

You can use a fake or real email address. No other details are asked for. I've used both. The real email address didn't get emails for 7 years and then only notifications of ebooks bought (Kobo added sales for Ireland).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't get the paranoia against registering. There's no reason at all not to register.

I'm not sure what difference it makes what you "don't get." Why not just accept certain folks don't want to register their Kobos and leave it at that? Why do you care what others want to do?

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't get the paranoia against registering. There's no reason at all not to register.

It's known as freedom of choice.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I'm not sure what difference it makes what you "don't get." Why not just accept certain folks don't want to register their Kobos and leave it at that? Why do you care what others want to do?

But one problem is nobody else is mentioning the fact that a fake registration can cause problems if some new firmware doesn't like the fake registration. This has happened 3 times.

If the people trying to fake it don't know this, then they can get screwed but good without knowing it.

[komali_2]

Thanks for those that offered tips on using the device without registering.

For those confused, "what's the big deal, just register!" :

Cory Doctorow says it better than I ever could. He gets into it a bit here https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/13/kitbashed/ but I also recommend his book "Chokepoint capitalism" https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

Basically, it's unjust to demand user's information in return for the right to use the device they already gave you money for. Once a company gets paid for hardware, that should be the customer's computer to do whatever they want with. This is the core belief of the open source movement.

It's not "just nothing." It's the equivalent of giving a company 400$ or whatever, them giving you a product, and then them demanding another 5$ to turn it on. Your email and attention have value (more than 5$ mind you), and it's unethical for companies to demand these of you.

I can't speak for kobos TOS but basically in 2023 if you give your email out, you're getting marketing email spam, not just from that company, but to all the companies they sell your email address to, or your reading habits or purchase history or whatever else. That's unethical. I don't want kobos friends to know anything about me. I want to give kobo 400$, get an e ink computer, shake hands, and never talk again. That should be the extent of our relationship. If other people want to engage in a further business relationship with them to buy ebooks, fine, but if I don't want to I shouldn't have to.

So it's not "just an email." It's another company with your contact information happy to give it away at the drop of a hat, it's another account waiting to be hacked, it's another password to keep track of. And also, who knows what kind of data analytics they're doing and cross associating with other places I use that email address (famously Facebook tracking is now so good they're aware of you even if you never VISIT the site, because of tracking data sharing).

No thanks. Customers should be able to hard opt out.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by komali_2

Basically, it's unjust to demand user's information in return for the right to use the device they already gave you money for. Once a company gets paid for hardware, that should be the customer's computer to do whatever they want with. This is the core belief of the open source movement. .

No, it's a corruption of the ideals of Opensource "not to register on a Kobo" because it doesn't even need a real email address. They also don't require any address or payment method.

OTOH even if you register a Kindle with a Gift card to avoid address & payment details, and Amazon has over 90% or English language ebook sales, you still need a real working email address.

The iOS and standard Android is worse.

I use Linux and have promoted Open Source soultions for twenty-five years. Fiddling with database and not simply putting a fake email address in a Kobo ereader is stupid.

Also unlike Apple, Amazon, Facebook/meta, Twitter, Microsoft, Google, Tesco and other Supermarket loyalty cards there is zero evidence that kobo shares even a working email address with anyone, though a totally fake non-functional one works. In many countries you can't get a phone SIM without confirmed personal details. In many more countries you can't open a bank account.

I agree that no-one should have to register any product, but in this case refusal to use a fake email is OTT.

Who are you protesting to?

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by Quoth

No, it's a corruption of the ideals of Opensource "not to register on a Kobo" because it doesn't even need a real email address.

That has to be one of the weirdest, most tortured statements not directly from JSWolf. It is a fundamental pillar of free software that freedom also means "freedom to change a program, so that you can control it instead of it controlling you."

The term open source does itself, not necessarily encompass the ideals behind free software, lets call it Stallmaninsm for fun. But to say 'Free Software" is a corruption of the ideals of Open Source illicits an what the actual heck from me.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by rashkae

The term open source does itself, not necessarily encompass the ideals behind free software, lets call it Stallmaninsm for fun. But to say 'Free Software" is a corruption of the ideals of Open Source illicits an what the actual heck from me.

Where do I write that?
We aren't talking about free software, but "registering" a piece of hardware, which doesn't need jail-breaked (unlike John Deere or Amazon Kindle) and doesn't even need a real email address.

I agree you shouldn't have to register, however how do you buy ebooks from Kobo without at least as a minimum a working email address, password, paypal and selecting a country?

If you are never going to buy ebooks from Kobo then fakename@fakedomain works. No need to fiddle with the database or complain. IMO it's the most open ereader on the market.

Public Domain books (and Cory Doctorow's free ebooks if you like his stuff) is enough justification to buy a Kobo ereader. Which is fine because the only anonymous way to buy books is on paper in a shop with cash, assuming they have no CCTV with facial recognition.

But additionally I've had massive spam due to an ISP being hacked, not using my email address to buy stuff. Now gone due to deletion of those accounts.

In seven years with also a real email on one Kobo and fake on another, I got zero emails. I've had hosting and my own domains for over 15 years so I can create new emails at existing domains for free and add new domains at the usual annual cost.

In the last few months since using a real email on one Kobo and buying ebooks from Kobo I have only got email receipts. Same oddly with Amazon.

Ebay & Linkdin can cause spam. I deleted email account Linkdin had.

I get almost no spam. Maybe less than one a week, and not on the emails that Amazon or have. I have no spam blocking on the hosting.

This is more an issue about anonymity for something designed to connect to the internet for purchases of the content. But unlike Andriod, iOS, Amazon Kindle or Libraries the Kobo is fully functional with a fake email address.
You can then shop with a real identity for ebooks anywhere assuming you get ones with no DRM (Baen, Ebooks.com and Smashwords?) or remove DRM from ebooks bought from Barnes&Noble (Nook), Kobo, Amazon or Google Play Books.

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Where do I write that?
We aren't talking about free software, but "registering" a piece of hardware, which doesn't need jail-breaked (unlike John Deere or Amazon Kindle) and doesn't even need a real email address.

I agree you shouldn't have to register, however how do you buy ebooks from Kobo without at least as a minimum a working email address, password, paypal and selecting a country?

If you are never going to buy ebooks from Kobo then fakename@fakedomain works. No need to fiddle with the database or complain. IMO it's the most open ereader on the market.

Public Domain books (and Cory Doctorow's free ebooks if you like his stuff) is enough justification to buy a Kobo ereader. Which is fine because the only anonymous way to buy books is on paper in a shop with cash, assuming they have no CCTV with facial recognition.

But additionally I've had massive spam due to an ISP being hacked, not using my email address to buy stuff. Now gone due to deletion of those accounts.

In seven years with also a real email on one Kobo and fake on another, I got zero emails. I've had hosting and my own domains for over 15 years so I can create new emails at existing domains for free and add new domains at the usual annual cost.

In the last few months since using a real email on one Kobo and buying ebooks from Kobo I have only got email receipts. Same oddly with Amazon.

Ebay & Linkdin can cause spam. I deleted email account Linkdin had.

I get almost no spam. Maybe less than one a week, and not on the emails that Amazon or have. I have no spam blocking on the hosting.

This is more an issue about anonymity for something designed to connect to the internet for purchases of the content. But unlike Andriod, iOS, Amazon Kindle or Libraries the Kobo is fully functional with a fake email address.
You can then shop with a real identity for ebooks anywhere assuming you get ones with no DRM (Baen, Ebooks.com and Smashwords?) or remove DRM from ebooks bought from Barnes&Noble (Nook), Kobo, Amazon or Google Play Books.

I do not disagree with any of this,, But I still fail to see how this relates to a corruption of open source ideals... (disregarding for the moment that since this had to do with Kobo Nickel software, which is neither 'free', libre, nor open source, doesn't really seem to be applicable anyhow.)

If anything, requiring account registatrion for a linux powered device *is* the corruption of open source ideals. That Kobo is, as you say, way better thern Amazon, Android, etc, doesn't change that simple.... subjective oppinion.

[Idleaid]

Originally Posted by rashkae

You don't need to register to update the firmware, so I would suggest doing that first.

Registration can be bypassed with:
sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite "INSERT INTO user(UserID,UserKey) VALUES('1','');"

Since userID and UserKey are the only fields that actually nee to be given a value, this will work regardless of the number of other fields added.

However, that's not needed any more.. With recent version of the firmware (4.31 or newer), it's far more productive to use Sideloaded mode.

Edit /.kobo/Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf

And in the [ApplicationPreferences] section, add a line:
SideloadedMode=true.

Thanks Rashkae, great info!