Libra 2 Potential Libra 2 Purchase

[meeera]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Can I use the Libra 2 on permanent aeroplane mode? I don't have wifi (by choice) so need to download books to my laptop. I also need to be able to register the device without wifi. There's a possibility someone who lives over the road from me might let me use his wifi for registration, but he's been a hypochondriac since covid and hates having anyone in his house!:

Others have identified the Kobo Desktop solution. Other options include hot-spotting from a smartphone, or connecting to public wifi (library, cafe, shopping centre, etc etc).

[Barty]

Well I can say the Libra 2 light is the most even I've seen on any eink reader. The only problem is the LEDs can have a green tint. The first one I bought had noticeable green tint; I got another one and it's much better.

Battery is fine. Not outstanding in either good or bad way

Books tend to be cheaper on Amazon. Just buy them there, strip DRM, load on Kobo

You don't need to enter your friend's house. You could probably stand outside the house near the room where his WiFi router is and get a good enough signal to register. Or go to a Starbucks

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

It sounds complicated, but I'm sure this will all become clear.

I've bought the Libra 2 from the Kobo site. Hopefully it won't take long to arrive. Looking forward to reading on my new toy.

Enjoy your new purchase.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Barty

Books tend to be cheaper on Amazon. Just buy them there, strip DRM, load on Kobo

Other than Amazon exclusive books, if you find the book is more expensive at Kobo, you can use their price matching. See Price Match Guarantee on Kobo's website. The posted link is to the Canadian English page but you can also find the Price Match stuff at the bottom of Kobo's home page.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

A word of warning. The latest Kobo update (4.31) is rather buggy, especially with sideloading. Fortunately you can downgrade a Kobo device to a previous firmware version, unlike a Kindle.

I won't go into details right now, but if you experience freezing, rebooting, corrupted database and so on, let us know and we'll instruct how to downgrade. Of course it's possible Kobo will have released a fix by then, but we have been waiting for it a while now...

My new Libra is arriving tomorrow and I'd like to downgrade the firmware before I've put many books on it. I've been reading the thread about problems with the latest firmware.
How is the downgrade done? Is this a simple process?
Thanks.

[Quoth]

Simpler than this makes it sound!

From
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=576

Originally Posted by Quoth

Reverting FW:
1) Download version: https://pgaskin.net/KoboStuff/kobofirmware.html Go bottom of page and click show
2) Unzip the download
3) Connect ereader via USB (make sure at least 50% charged and on Home screen)
4) open two windows: One inside unzip folder and one inside .kobo On Mac & Linux you need to enable view hidden files/folders as a .prefix hides.
5) Copy the unzipped files into the .kobo window/folder/directory
6) Select eject/unmount etc OS command and only eject when OS says, or wait for Kobo Home screen.
7) Unplug USB, the Kobo will be rebooting.
8) Wait till it's all done and homescreen is back. Do not touch power button!
9) Do a power down & restart, then check version in settings.

Step 9 shouldn't be needed, but it doesn't hurt and was needed by me once.

[BookCat]

Thank you, Quoth. I'll do that after the Libra 2 arrives and has been registered.

(Sorry, can't give you more K.)

[BookCat]

It's arrived! I've registered him using the Kobo desktop and I'm please to see he's using firmware 4.30.18838. not the problematic one. I haven't had a chance to really play with him, but the lighting looks fine.

Strangely, investigating his Device information gives the 'software version' which I've given above, then 'Firmware information' which gives info I don't understand. The Kernel Version (?) is 4.1.15
Does anyone understand this?

I've turned off his wifi and will now try to read a freebie on him. If all goes well I'll purchase a third party cover from Amazon which has a silly graffiti design, sleep cover and stands the reader.

I'm surprised Rakuten don't have a downloadable User Manual for the Libra 2, but I've found a third party one.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

It's arrived! I've registered him using the Kobo desktop and I'm please to see he's using firmware 4.30.18838. not the problematic one. I haven't had a chance to really play with him, but the lighting looks fine.

Strangely, investigating his Device information gives the 'software version' which I've given above, then 'Firmware information' which gives info I don't understand. The Kernel Version (?) is 4.1.15
Does anyone understand this?

I've turned off his wifi and will now try to read a freebie on him. If all goes well I'll purchase a third party cover from Amazon which has a silly graffiti design, sleep cover and stands the reader.

I'm surprised Rakuten don't have a downloadable User Manual for the Libra 2, but I've found a third party one.

You've got better then a manual. You have us.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Strangely, investigating his Device information gives the 'software version' which I've given above, then 'Firmware information' which gives info I don't understand. The Kernel Version (?) is 4.1.15
Does anyone understand this?

Your Libra 2 runs Linux as it's operating system. What it is saying is that the Linux kernel version used in the firmware currently on your Libra 2 is 4.1.15. For a bit more information, check i.MX Linux kernel 4.1.15.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by BookCat

I'm surprised Rakuten don't have a downloadable User Manual for the Libra 2, but I've found a third party one.

See https://help.kobo.com/hc/en-us/artic...5-Kobo-Libra-2

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You've got better then a manual. You have us.

Thank you. That's so reassuring.

If anyone is interested, I downloaded the third party manual from here (I think he's a mobileread member).
https://kbdownload1-a.akamaihd.net/m...erGuide-EN.pdf

I don't always like to bother members with trivial things, like how to invert the buttons, so a manual is useful. The above helped me with this.

However, now that I've inverted the buttons so that the top button in portrait mode is the forward one, when in landscape the same button goes back to the previous page. Puzzling.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Your Libra 2 runs Linux as it's operating system. What it is saying is that the Linux kernel version used in the firmware currently on your Libra 2 is 4.1.15. For a bit more information, check i.MX Linux kernel 4.1.15.

Thanks, this clears up the two sets of information. So the 'software' refers to what we would normally call 'firmware'. That makes more sense with the number system.

How do I prevent my Kobo from trying to update the firmware each time it's connected to the desktop app? So far I've just stopped the update, but is there a way of disabling this?

[BookCat]

PeterT. I saw that when looking for user guides, but it's not downloadable. In the past I've always put the user manuals on my ereader then searched them when necessary.

I've ordered a cover for him; terrified of scratching the screen.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Thank you. That's so reassuring.



If anyone is interested, I downloaded the third party manual from here (I think he's a mobileread member).

https://kbdownload1-a.akamaihd.net/m...erGuide-EN.pdf

That's not a 3rd party manual; it's the real Kobo manual.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk