Librerator - multi-format e-reader, fork of KPV

[knc1]

It should be obvious by the contents of the *.zip file.
I don't have one handy, you look at yours.

[Kindle3w_Pdfs]

Originally Posted by knc1

It should be obvious by the contents of the *.zip file. I don't have one handy, you look at yours.

Not sure what you mean by "it" since pronouns are vague. Assuming you mean either the location of the customupdates folder or whether we should extract the zip rather than copying it, I disagree that the answer is obvious to people who don't know the details of what LaunchPad will do when the user types "Shift Shift I".

A few minutes ago I updated my previous message, to note that I found a workaround for the "Shift Shift I" installation problem. Instead of copying the zip to customupdates and typing "Shift Shift I", I copied the zip to the Kindle's usb root folder and extracted its contents. (Then I typed "Shift Shift Space" to load the new .ini file that was extracted into the launchpad folder, and typed "Shift L L" to successfully launch Librerator. And I deleted the unneeded kite folder, which had also been extracted.)

I discovered that workaround by searching for installation instructions for other Launchpad apps until I found a terminal emulator app that was kind enough to provide alternate instructions:

"This file can be installed by using launchpad installation (copy to /mnt/us/customupdates and press shift shift I), or directly by unzipping under /mnt/us."

Based on your latest post in the LaunchPad thread, I'll guess the reason "Shift Shift I" fails is because I never installed the Kindlet jailbreak; I only installed one jailbreak (many years ago). Unless I overlooked it when I read the instructions earlier today, neither the Librerator instructions nor the LaunchPad instructions mention the need to install an extra jailbreak. The LaunchPad instructions don't mention jailbreaks at all.

If the user is willing to manually extract zip installation files, perhaps the Kindlet jailbreak isn't needed for anything.

[knc1]

"Obvious" in the sense that you should be able to find readable text files.
In addition to any directions or readmes, there is probably scripting that you can read which will show what directory tree(s) are being referenced vs those stored in the archive.

The Kindlet jailbreak is only required by Kindlets.
If your application isn't a Kindlet, you don't need it.
If you find any mention of a "Combined Developer's Keystore" -
that is an older name for it.
MKK is a newer name for it.

[Kindle3w_Pdfs]

I installed Librerator today on my Kindle 3. I want to change two of the default settings for pdf files, but I haven't found any documentation regarding the defaults.lua file. Where can we find the meanings of the settings variables, their range of values, and (in some cases) their units?

In particular, what changes to the defaults.lua file must be made to set landscape orientation (either clockwise or counter-clockwise) and fit-to-width for pdf files? The "essential use case" in the User's Guide suggests using the menu to change these two settings for each pdf document, one document at a time. Doing it one document at a time would be very tedious, so it makes sense to change both settings in the defaults.lua file if possible. (Or in some other component of Librerator, perhaps pdfreader.lua, if that would be easier.)

As an experiment, I changed DGLOBALZOOM_MODE from -1 to -2 in defaults.lua (using the -2 value described in the unireader.lua file), then relaunched Librerator, then opened a pdf file I hadn't opened earlier (so it wouldn't have any history). It still opened in fit-page mode, rather than the fit-width mode I hoped for.

Another generally useful option is automatic rotation to straighten page images that are slightly skewed. Is there a way to do this globally?

Thanks in advance.

[dhdurgee]

If you are going to get much more involved perhaps you should check out k2pdfopt and process the PDF files to your requirements. It can straighten pages and much more. Once the PDF file is processed for your kindle the provided reader works fine.

Dave

[Kindle3w_Pdfs]

Dave, thanks for the suggestion, but I don't want to manually tinker with hundreds of pdf files. Also, I don't see how that could solve the lack of a fit-width default setting. Some Android reader apps (example: EBookDroid) can automatically do what I want for each pdf file I open (fit-width, landscape and margins cropping, which together maximize the fontsize without significantly compromising ease of use), so why can't a Kindle pdf reader app do it automatically too? It's important with small screens (like the 6" screen of the Kindle 3).

I hope you're not implying there's no way to change Librerator's default settings to fit-width and landscape (with automatic cropping of margins). If it makes it easier to do, the new default settings wouldn't need to be for pdf only, because if necessary I could use a different copy of Librerator to view epub files. (Or I could continue to use my Android phone for epub. The word reflow that's hard to do properly with pdf and djvu is easy with other formats such as epub, so the epub fontsize can be large even on a very small screen, even the 3.5" screens of my old ZTE Zinger and Kyocera Hydro cellphones, which were $10 each when on sale at Target a few years ago.)

The Kindle's built-in reader can be set to default to fit-width (also known as fit-to-screen) and landscape orientation; its only significant problem (in my opinion) is that it won't automatically crop the margins of pdf files. I installed Librerator because I read that it can automatically crop margins. I wasn't expecting to lose the automatic fit-width and landscape features of the stock reader.

[knc1]

The reader is programmed in Lua.
The application is plain text files, you can read and edit them.
The public repository is at:
https://github.com/kai771/kindlepdfv...tor%3A-History

Just fork it and make your desired changes.

The forum for KOreader is at:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=276

Its public repository is at:
https://github.com/koreader/koreader
Its development is four years ahead of Librerator but should be still relatively easy to backport any of its existing features.
And of course is a good source of worked examples in coding.

Enjoy,
and be sure to let us know where your public repository is at.

[Kindle3w_Pdfs]

[QUOTE=knc1;3450700]Just fork it and make your desired changes./QUOTE]

I'll add it to my agenda. Hopefully by the time I get around to it, the code will be properly commented, so that people can make their desired changes without having to dissect it.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Kindle3w_Pdfs

I'll add it to my agenda. Hopefully by the time I get around to it, the code will be properly commented, so that people can make their desired changes without having to dissect it.

The author hasn't been here since last June and his last commit to the repository was four years ago.

I would strongly suggest that you don't hold your breath until somebody else modifies the sources to your satisfaction and/or standards.

If you want things changed, the thing to do is get started and hope the work attracts helpers willing to invest their time.
Criticism is not likely to get you much help, that is just the way of the world.

[Kindle3w_Pdfs]

I agree that criticism causes people to get defensive and become less willing to help. Still, someone needs to criticize, to let developers know that poor documentation deters users, deters others from helping, and in the long run is self-defeating. I may not receive help because I speak out, but it may benefit others in the long run, so speaking out seems the ethical thing to do.

Perhaps the reason some devs stop working is because they eventually forget how their code works, and don't have adequate documentation to remind them. When I code, I comment verbosely based on the assumption that several years later I'll have completely forgotten how the code works, and the notes will be needed. The size of my comments exceeds the size of the code.

My question was about finding documentation of the Librerator defaults.lua file, and whether editing that file is a way to globally set fit-width and landscape. After all, the sticky post claims: high configurability - almost everything can be changed/set editing defaults.lua configuration file. That claim is at best a half-truth if the defaults.lua file isn't documented, but it supported my assumption that forking should be unnecessary to make fit-width and landscape the global default settings. Perhaps the answer about Librerator's defaults.lua file will be provided if I ask nicely in the KOReader forum thread.

I looked at the KOReader webpage about changing its default settings but it doesn't include anything related to fit-width or landscape rotation.

I downloaded the most recent nightly build of KOReader and skimmed some of the source code, and I'm not impressed by its commenting. I also looked at its defaults.lua file, and it doesn't contain variables that appear relevant to fit and orientation, so I assume those default settings (presumably fit-page and portrait orientation) are somewhere in the code (poor design). Fixing KOReader thus presumably requires modifying its code, but perhaps Librerator merely requires editing of its defaults.lua config file.

Thanks for having taken the time for all your comments. I don't agree with all of them, but I appreciate that you've consistently been trying to help.

[knc1]

If you followed the repo link for Librerator that I posted, you would find on that page described the features you want, only for comics -

Next, check if comics uses the same 'engine' library as PDF -
If it does, you will know for certain that what you want is possible, even if not coded.

If you follow the PDF handling and find yourself at a different 'engine' library -
Then skip over to that library's repo and/or web-site to find if it supports the features you want.

That process should at least tell you how far down on your agenda the project should be.

[Kindle3w_Pdfs]

Thanks for discovering the features in the comics engine.

In the meantime, I'll settle for manually setting fit-content-width and landscape orientation for each pdf file I open. For the sake of other users with the same desire, the keyboard shortcuts are:

Shift S (fit content width, cropping margins)
Shift K (rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise)

(For each operation, press the Kindle keys one at a time, not simultaneously.)

[marinefox]

Hello, I was using Librerator for about 2 years until recelntly when the application cannot be started. When I press Shift + L + L on the bottom page it shows "Success" but without actually starting the application.
Afterwards I decided to install also KPV, same story - "Success" without the application.
Afterwards I returned the original Kindle 2 firmware and installed again the fw 3.2.1, launchpad and Librerator, and again the same story.

Do you know any remedy?

[dont_panic]

I just installed Librerator on my K4NT without any problems, works like a charm. Thank you!