Kobo Libra Colour Support

[kovidgoyal]

Yes they can change usb ids in a firmware update.

[kovidgoyal]

@jackie: The method to get image settings could certainly probe the device in more detail but to do that someone needs to write the code for it with a device or two to test on. In the meantime on the theory that having the device downscale images is better than upscaling them, I have set it to use the Libra H2) settings for the 2024 devices.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

@jackie: The method to get image settings could certainly probe the device in more detail but to do that someone needs to write the code for it with a device or two to test on. In the meantime on the theory that having the device downscale images is better than upscaling them, I have set it to use the Libra H2) settings for the 2024 devices.

I agree about the upscaling/downscaling question. However, since my previous post, I've had a chance to look a bit further at the contents of the .kobo/version file on the Kobos I've owned. As far as I can tell the SerialNo (first of six values) isn't the best value to use, the last value looks to be exactly what we need.

This is the contents of my Libra2 (serial no. redacted):

N41818xxxxxxx,4.1.15,4.38.21908,4.1.15,4.1.15,00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000388

The last 3-digits, 388, say that it's a Libra2. I do believe this value has also been unique for all previous Kobo models, we just haven't needed to use it for calibre before.

@geek1011 has already posted over on GitHub what the unique values will be for the 3 new Kobos (and the 3 new Tolinos we believe are going to become "semi-Kobo" at some point)

Libra Colour: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000390
    Clara BW: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000391
Clara Colour: 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000393

It would obviously be less work if we knew that Kobo plan to allocate unique PRODUCT_IDs but if they don't I'm quite happy to contribute some code to query the .kobo/version file so that we know exactly which model is connected.

@Peter, if you would prefer to do it yourself I won't be offended

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

@Peter, if you would prefer to do it yourself I won't be offended

I'm more than happy to let you handle it. I'm a tad limited in easy access to a PC. Staying with friends and while there is a PC I can use IIN their computer room, it's a bit crowded with both of them in there many hours each day. I do also have a Chromebook but one major limitation is that USB devices aren't directly accessible by the Linux environment; only via the file system, so no real way of easily testing device recognition.

If you're interested though I'm more than willing to look over the code; while not a Python expert I do mostly grok it.


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[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by PeterT

If you're interested though I'm more than willing to look over the code; while not a Python expert I do mostly grok it.

I'll see what I can come up with in the next few days. As the baseline I'll use the latest version Kovid updated a few hours ago.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I'll see what I can come up with in the next few days. As the baseline I'll use the latest version Kovid updated a few hours ago.

If I can contribute then I am glad to help. I've been in the driver code a few times, both with @davidfor and by myself.

[PeterT]

I wonder if Kobo Desktop detects what model device is connected?

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[PeterT]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if Kobo Desktop detects what model device is connected?

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Well I tried using Procmon from sysinternals. Sure enough Kobo Desktop does read versions.txt. I'll try editting that tomorrow and see if I can alter the connected device name

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[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by PeterT

If you're interested though I'm more than willing to look over the code; while not a Python expert I do mostly grok it.

Originally Posted by chaley

If I can contribute then I am glad to help. I've been in the driver code a few times, both with @davidfor and by myself.

As I don't have any experience of using GitHub in push mode I'm attaching the updated KOBO/KOBOTOUCH driver here. I've tested it as best I can given I don't have access to one of the 2024 models.

A couple of notes:

1. I'm not sure what the rules about driver version update are so I've left this line as-is:

   version = (2, 5, 1)

2. @PeterT, I've changed supported_dbversion to 175 as you previously mentioned.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

As I don't have any experience of using GitHub in push mode I'm attaching the updated KOBO/KOBOTOUCH driver here. I've tested it as best I can given I don't have access to one of the 2024 models.

A couple of notes:

1. I'm not sure what the rules about driver version update are so I've left this line as-is:

   version = (2, 5, 1)

2. @PeterT, I've changed supported_dbversion to 175 as you previously mentioned.

Unless someone objects I will merge this code into calibre source and make a pull request for it.

@jackie_w: as far as I know the version is used only in debugging statements so we can be sure what code is running. It would matter much more if the driver was a "real" plugin instead of a built-in one. I will increment it to 2,5,2.

[chaley]

Here is the list of changes between the current version and @jackie_w's file, in the form if a "patch" file.

I decided to up the version to 2.6.0 instead of 2.5.2.

Let me know if I should create the git pull request for @kovid.

[kovidgoyal]

No need I have merged, adding some error handling for when the versions file is missing/corrupt

[JSWolf]

If the new version of the KoboTouch driver works, are the changes going to make it into the KoboTouchExtended driver?

[PeterT]

The Extended driver does not contain much device dependent code. There is a portion of the code that adds an optional device specific CSS file; apart fromn that there should be no issue.

[Croptop]

I have nothing of any value to contribute to this thread other than to say "Thank you" to each of you for sorting this out and getting the update into Calibre before the new readers have even started shipping (in volume).

It's nice to know that when I receive my Libra Colour (hopefully tomorrow), it'll already be supported by Calibre and the Kobo plugin.