Password Protection

[tshering]

I wrote a little password checker for kobo readers. The main idea is to intercept the start up script at a certain point and ask for the password. If the correct password is entered the start up script continues, if a wrong password is entered (you get three chances), the device is powered off.

The security level is rather low.

• I don't encrypt the password. If anybody has access to your running reader, he can find your password.
• Anybody can factory reset your reader. (S)he will be able to use your reader as (s)he likes, any personal information however will be deleted.
• If the device has a removable sd card, anybody with the necessary knowledge can open the device and grap any information from the sd.

As you see the protection level is not very high, but might suffice for some situations. As for the first security loophole, you might consider activating "Automatically power off after" in the Sleep & power settings.The second security loophole (factory reset) might actually be welcomed in case you forget the password.

[tshering]

It is possible to install this appliction on its own right. For the sake of simplicity, however, I treat it for the time being as part of the Kobo Start Menu. Therefore, install the Kobo Start Menu, and then activate the password protection.

Before activating the password protection, I would recommend, you check it out and get accustomed to its usage.

Testing
from the main menu go to "tools>activate>bouncer>test the bouncer.msh" (in some older versions of KSM: "scripts>activate>bouncer>test the bouncer.msh"); you should see something like the first image of this post.

• select "new PW"; now you should see something like the first image of the first post (black letters on white keys)
  • type the new password and press enter; you will be ask to repeat the password
    • if you succeeded in typing the same password, you will see the message "new password: YOUR PASSWORD"
    • if you didn't, you will see "FIRST PASSWORD and SECOND PASSWORD do not match"
• select "check PW"; now you should see something like the second image of the first post (white letters on black keys)
  • type the password and press enter
    • if the password matches, you will see the message "ok"
    • if the password does not match, you will get two other chances; if it still doesn't match, you will see the message "failed"
    • if there wasn't set any password to start with, the password checker will not be launched, and you will see the message "pass without checking"
• select "delete PW"
  • if you now select "check PW", you should get informed that you can "pass without checking"

Play around with this for some time and see whether it works for you. Only then proceed to the next step.

Activating
from the main menu go to "tools>activate>bouncer>settings.msh (in some older versions of KSM: "scripts>activate>bouncer>settings.msh"); you should see something like the second image of this post. Set a new password and check it as you did while testing. If you set a new password (and you don't delete it), the password protection is activated. After the next reboot, you cannot continue without typing the correct password. You can anytime call settings.msh in order to change or delete the password.
If you forget your password, you will have to factory reset your reader.

Note: the "%" key toggles between masked and un-masked display of the input text.


USE THIS APPLICATION AT YOUR OWN RISK

[tshering]

updated posts one and two

[Cecell3000]

lock screen kobo glo
work 3.1.1 , 3.2.0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v912S4I0jl4

[Ken Maltby]

I tried it and it seems to work, but not in Koreader.

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I tried it and it seems to work, but not in Koreader.

Luck;
Ken

How exactly did you try to use it in Koreader? Did you try to call it from Koreader's suspend shell script? If I am not mistaken this script is not used any longer. One could try to call the password protection from somewhere in the lua code.

[Ken Maltby]

I just used the powerslider flick into suspend. I haven't looked at adding your code to the reader ui, yet. It is not something I am in need of, but I have seen it asked for recently. I just started it in KSM, and checked for it in Koreader. It works fine in KSM and I suspect in Nickel. I'll take a closer look soon.

Luck;
Ken

[tshering]

I tried it. The problem is that the password check executable cannot read touch input while koreader has a lock on it. Since I do not speak lua, I cannot solve this.

EDIT: In case somebody wants to play around with this. This is what I did

Spoiler:

I modified \koreader\frontend\device\kobo\device.lua:

function Kobo:resume()
    os.execute("echo 0 > /sys/power/state-extended")
    os.execute("/mnt/onboard/.adds/kbmenu_user/scripts/tests/checkpw.sh")
    if self.powerd then
        if KOBO_LIGHT_ON_START and tonumber(KOBO_LIGHT_ON_START) > -1 then
            self.powerd:setIntensity(math.max(math.min(KOBO_LIGHT_ON_START,100),0))
        elseif self.powerd.fl ~= nil then
            self.powerd.fl:restore()
        end
    end

    Generic.resume(self)
end

checkpw.sh

#!/bin/sh

ksmroot=${ksmroot:-"/adds/kbmenu"}

pwfile="$ksmroot/kbbouncer/bouncerpw.txt"
if [ -e $pwfile ] && [ "$($ksmroot/onstart/checkbouncerinstall.sh)" == "ok" ]; then
  export KBBouncerMode=
  bouncer=$ksmroot/kbbouncer/kbbouncer.sh
  pw=$(cat $pwfile)
  answer=""
  pwcount=0
  while [ "$answer" != "passed" ] && [ $pwcount -lt 3 ]; do
    answer=$($bouncer "$pw")
    let pwcount++
  done
  if [ "$answer" == "failed" ]; then
    $ksmroot/onstart/poweroff.sh
  fi
fi

Be aware that this does NOT work. You will be offered the password check, but you cannot enter the password!

[barobach_so]

hi
tshering you said this patch can run on its own and not as a part of KSM
can u tell how to run it that way ?

[tshering]

Originally Posted by barobach_so

hi
tshering you said this patch can run on its own and not as a part of KSM
can u tell how to run it that way ?

I meant to say that it is possible if you know how to do it and that I do not support it.

I do not recommend to do this, but if you insist:

• You need the executable kbbouncer (from the KSM package; you will find the executable in kbmenu\kbbouncer\)
• You need also the Qt libraries provided in this package.
• Look at kbmenu\kbbouncer\kbbouncer.sh which variables you have to set and export, in order to run kbbouncer (note that you also have to point to a directory containing a usable font)
• call kbbouncer with the valid password as first argument
• If you enter the correct password, kbbouncer will print "ok". If you enter a wrong password, it will print "false".

Example (script fragment):

# ... set here variables and so on
# ...
answer=$(PATHTOEXECUTABLE/kbbouncer MYPASSWORD -qws)
if [ "$answer" == "failed" ]; then
    /bin/busybox poweroff
fi

Depending at which point you start the script, you might have to deal with screen rotation.

Note: Use only a-z, A-Z, 0-9 as part of the password!
Edit: You may also have a look at checkpw.sh in the spoiler of post #8.

[mkeles84]

Wonderful works!
But I have a little problem. If it was dark and no light in the room, how would I enter the password, I can not see without light and (kobo aura light button doesn't work Start menu 08)

[tshering]

@mkeles84
You could configure KSM to switch on the light at every start. To do that you would run (KSM home) configure, and select [general]startwithlighton=true.

[hounddog]

Originally Posted by Cecell3000

lock screen kobo glo
work 3.1.1 , 3.2.0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v912S4I0jl4

I can't get this to work. Then again it's my first attempt installing a mod.

I put the KoboRoot.tar in .kobo and ejected. No restart or anything.

[frostschutz]

If the file is still there it has the wrong name/is in the wrong location...

If the file is gone something else was wrong with it...

[tshering]

Originally Posted by hounddog

I can't get this to work. Then again it's my first attempt installing a mod.

I put the KoboRoot.tar in .kobo and ejected. No restart or anything.

You are supposed to copy KoboRoot.tgz to .kobo.