Fake freezing on sideloaded kepubs (at least) - With solution

[arspr]

Hi, I'm going to post an issue that it randomly appears in my Aura HD.

I'm currently on 3.1.1 but this issue has been also present in older FWs.

Look at the attached screenshot ("Fake Loading crash.jpg"). That screen usually appears briefly when you open a book from home screen/library or when you perform chapter jumps from ToC viewer (or even when you finish one and open the next). But as I said it briefly appears while the chapter is being loaded and then it disappears and your new book page is rendered...

Well, as you can imagine, the issue is that it RANDOMLY stays forever. And my AuraHD seems completely frozen. I can touch whatever I want, the screen is always there. The only possible solution (which I always took till I discovered it was a FAKE crash) is holding power button for a long time till the device powers off, (still with the same screen), and then powering it on again. But then if I reopen the book, (it will appear as the last opened one in home screen), it is VEEEERY likely that I'll get the same fake crash.

And now the solution. The Aura HD is not crashed/frozen at all. The real issue is that this screen is kept on top of the normal rendering of the book. The real issue is that this screen is not removed. But I can remove it with the next procedure:

• Tap in the middle of the screen. Menu is actually called although I don't see it.
• Tap in the upper right corner (where the three bars are actually located). Menu is actually expanded and RENDERED. (Screenshot attached: "Loading crash being solved.jpg").
• Tap outside the menu. It is contracted AND the "Loading page" is removed.

So two questions:

• Can anybody confirm this issue in his/her device (even other models)?
• Do you know if it is a FW issue or a bug in kepub generation from epub?

[davidfor]

This bug has been discussed here for a couple of months with pretty much what you describe as the solution. What is the difference you are proposing? Your description of what you think is happening is interesting, but the screenshots are not there, so its hard to see if it is different. Also, you will get a very similar problem if you use the TOC to navigate to a different chapter.

This is definitely a firmware bug. It happens with both sideloaded and purchased kepubs. From memory, it started with 2.8.1.

One possible workaround is to select a font other than "Document default". All the books I have seen this happen with had embedded fonts. By blocking the use of the embedded font, the page is displayed immediately. Others have reported that it occurs under other circumstances, so this isn't all that is happening.

[thomasn75]

This sounds like very similar to what happened to mine. I did not know about this even after browsing forum. My aura is now somewhere in Holland hopefully being fixed by kobo. Thanks for info and i will remember for next time.

[arspr]

Originally Posted by davidfor

This bug has been discussed here for a couple of months with pretty much what you describe as the solution. What is the difference you are proposing? Your description of what you think is happening is interesting, but the screenshots are not there, so its hard to see if it is different. Also, you will get a very similar problem if you use the TOC to navigate to a different chapter.

This is definitely a firmware bug. It happens with both sideloaded and purchased kepubs. From memory, it started with 2.8.1.

One possible workaround is to select a font other than "Document default". All the books I have seen this happen with had embedded fonts. By blocking the use of the embedded font, the page is displayed immediately. Others have reported that it occurs under other circumstances, so this isn't all that is happening.

Ooops, sorry about the photos!!! First post updated.

And oooops, sorry about repeating a very known issue!!! I swear that I looked for it but I didn't find anything. (As proved I'm not very good as private investigator... with your explanation I can clearly see it in the very first issue in the second post of the Kobo bug thread). Again, my fault.

Although it can seem a bit foolish, I'm actually HAPPY knowing this is a common issue. Although there's an easy workaround to fix it, it's clearly a VERY serious bug as it can drive unaware users quite mad. It is so serious, (even more than pdf navigation broken in landscape mode), that I suppose Kobo will fix it soon...

OTOH and as a possible difference, both photos are taken from different books and NEITHER of them have embedded fonts. Nevertheless I can confirm that I'm using "Document default" font setting.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by arspr

Ooops, sorry about the photos!!! First post updated.

The thumbnail for the second photo is there, but the full sized isn't. The thumbnails showed what I expected.

And oooops, sorry about repeating a very known issue!!! I swear that I looked for it but I didn't find anything. (As proved I'm not very good as private investigator... with your explanation I can clearly see it in the very first issue in the second post of the Kobo bug thread). Again, my fault.

Although it can seem a bit foolish, I'm actually HAPPY knowing this is a common issue. Although there's an easy workaround to fix it, it's clearly a VERY serious bug as it can drive unaware users quite mad. It is so serious, (even more than pdf navigation broken in landscape mode), that I suppose Kobo will fix it soon...

I know what you mean. When you're the only person a problem is happening for, it is very frustrating. And I agree it is a bad problem.

OTOH and as a possible difference, both photos are taken from different books and NEITHER of them have embedded fonts. Nevertheless I can confirm that I'm using "Document default" font setting.

What happens when you choose a different font? If it isn't directly a font thing, it might be triggered by something in the book code. For me, I see a longer pause like you as the page is opened when the book is reopened. Opening the same book as an epub does not have the same pause. For the kepubs I have that I know have embedded fonts, that pause can be 10 seconds or more. If you have an example that shows the problem and can be downloaded, I'd be interested in looking at it.

[arspr]

Originally Posted by davidfor

The thumbnail for the second photo is there, but the full sized isn't. The thumbnails showed what I expected.

I don't follow you. I've just tested and I can open both photos fine. Is there any problem with the attached jpgs I should fix?

Originally Posted by davidfor

What happens when you choose a different font? If it isn't directly a font thing, it might be triggered by something in the book code. For me, I see a longer pause like you as the page is opened when the book is reopened. Opening the same book as an epub does not have the same pause. For the kepubs I have that I know have embedded fonts, that pause can be 10 seconds or more. If you have an example that shows the problem and can be downloaded, I'd be interested in looking at it.

The problem about providing an example is it randomly appears on every book I've read (IIRC). But I haven't found an exact trigger so far, other than happening usually on book opening (normally coming from another book) or happening after a ToC jump to other chapter. It haven't happened a single time (IIRC) while normally reading and going from one chapter to the next/previous.

I'm completely sure it happened with "Zones of Thought Trilogy" (which has embedded fonts in it), and with "The Carpet People" and "El tambor de hojalata" which haven't got.

Nevertheless, now that you mention it I remember the slow first loading time in "Zones of Thought" (with embedded fonts) which doesn't happen in my current "El tambor de hojalata" (without them).

EDITED ---------


HEY!!!, testing with "Zones of Thought" I've got ANOTHER similar issue which it isn't the same. (One issue that now I'm seeming to remember happening in the past, and not having posted... )

Look at the "This seems a different issue.jpg" picture.

It really seems like my first "Fake loading crash.jpg" but it isn't. Look at the footer. There's no "Loading" text and there's "Page xx of xx" instead of just "Page xx".

More over, the device doesn't even seem frozen at all. If I touch the screen, menu is called and rendered. (Look at "Being solved step 1.jpg"). And you can believe me that you can turn pages, (so Page 27 of 27, I've been fully silly: I haven't tested advancing another one to the next chapter; although this is a book where chapters are in the same HTML file, so probably there won't be a new file loading...).

So it would just seem that something has gone wrong with the book/font/text rendering but not with the device itself running (contrary to my original post)!!!

Workaround/fix: if I just change font size, the text reappears. (Look at "Being solved step 2.jpg" where the font size is just one step bigger).

Could you check if this is the trouble you refer about "embedded fonts"?

[Lady Stardust]

It's happening on my Aura HD with one book. It started happening ever since I first started using micro USB 32gbcard even though the book in question was not on the card (it's a kepubified ePub).
In the beginning I "solved" it by removing card. Today, as I took Aura and selected the book, it was frozen and there was nothing I could do. Sliding power didn't help, neither sliding power and holding light button. In the end, after holding both, it seems that Aura was reset and all books (and highlights) removed.
I've side loaded ePub and kepub of the said book again...let's see what happens. But I have to say that if this continues, this will be my first and last Kobo reader. I have 3 different Kindles, never had this happen. God forbid if I was on a holiday with Aura as my only reader...
I don't embed fonts, I am using Amasis on Kobo.

[arspr]

Originally Posted by Lady Stardust

It's happening on my Aura HD with one book. It started happening ever since I first started using micro USB 32gbcard even though the book in question was not on the card (it's a kepubified ePub).
In the beginning I "solved" it by removing card. Today, as I took Aura and selected the book, it was frozen and there was nothing I could do. Sliding power didn't help, neither sliding power and holding light button. In the end, after holding both, it seems that Aura was reset and all books (and highlights) removed.
I've side loaded ePub and kepub of the said book again...let's see what happens. But I have to say that if this continues, this will be my first and last Kobo reader. I have 3 different Kindles, never had this happen. God forbid if I was on a holiday with Aura as my only reader...
I don't embed fonts, I am using Amasis on Kobo.

If it happens again, test my psted "fix". As I say, in my AuraHD, it is not a true freeze.

Regarding the fonts. Your epubs can have them without you doing anything. The publisher/editor decides if the book contains its own set of fonts.

[arspr]

Originally Posted by davidfor

One possible workaround is to select a font other than "Document default".

Originally Posted by davidfor

What happens when you choose a different font?

@davidfor: I really think that both issues (blank pages but responsiveness with embedded fonts vs this pseudo-freezing) are different issues even if related somehow.

I've followed your hints and after some tests I've got the false freezing one with "Amasis". Look at the attached picture. It's from my current reading "El tambor de hojalata" which also appears in the first post, in that case with "Default Document".

[RobertJSawyer]

For me, tapping the upper right as if setting a bookmark refreshes the page quickly (and ends the "freeze"); I then tap again to remove the bookmark.

I've seen this bug repeatedly on my Kobo Glo and Kobo Aura HD.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Lady Stardust

I don't embed fonts, I am using Amasis on Kobo.

Unless you are editing the books yourself and adding fonts that are stored within the ebook, you wouldn't be embedding fonts. OTOH, quite a few ebooks come with fonts that were, so to speak, embedded at the factory. This is not the same as sideloading a font on your Kobo reader and then selecting that font from the Fonts menu.

For the most part, when I run into an ebook with embedded fonts, I remove them using Sigil -- if I really wanted to read an ebook using Times New Roman, I'd sideload it on my ereader.

Regards,
David

[arspr]

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

For me, tapping the upper right as if setting a bookmark refreshes the page quickly (and ends the "freeze"); I then tap again to remove the bookmark.

Thanks!!!

A faster method to "unfreeze" it.

Wow, my current reading "El Tambor de Hojalata" (Günter Grass's "The Tin Drum") is really prone to suffer this issue.

[GMFuller]

Originally Posted by arspr

Thanks!!!

A faster method to "unfreeze" it.

Wow, my current reading "El Tambor de Hojalata" (Günter Grass's "The Tin Drum") is really prone to suffer this issue.

I've noticed that if you bookmark the page you are on before closing the book, it seems to prevent the freeze when the book is re-opened.

[Lady Stardust]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Unless you are editing the books yourself and adding fonts that are stored within the ebook, you wouldn't be embedding fonts. OTOH, quite a few ebooks come with fonts that were, so to speak, embedded at the factory. This is not the same as sideloading a font on your Kobo reader and then selecting that font from the Fonts menu.

For the most part, when I run into an ebook with embedded fonts, I remove them using Sigil -- if I really wanted to read an ebook using Times New Roman, I'd sideload it on my ereader.

Regards,
David

Thanks for the reply. My problem is that I bought Kobo to enjoy epubs, only to learn (my mistake) that it's actually a kepub reader and that original epubs bought and downloaded via ADE from Kobo, run through Calibre only to disinfect, neither look good on Kobo nor do they have all "kepub" features.
Second reason I wanted Kobo is because I am using Kindle PW2 so I got tired of embedding fonts in Calibre and wanted a reader that offers fonts options. So I only convert to kepub and after side loading choose Amasis which exists on Aura HD. And the book was freezing...
Not to talk about me trying Aura for the sd card slot which PW doesn't have, only to discover that using sd card also causes bugs....I have to admit I am a bit disappointed, but the reason might be that I am too long Kindle user to be able to peacefully deal with all the bugs.
In any case thanks to you and other members here, I am still not throwing Aura into the wall

[buffaloseven]

For what it's worth, I had this same problem and resolved it by ensuring the JS file jgouen's driver needs was in the correct location. Worth a double-check!