Index to the Metazoa firmware patches

[GeoffR]

(Note: From firmware version 3.19.5613 these three individual patches have been replaced by the single patch `Fix three KePub fullScreenReading bugs`.)

Firmware since version 3.3.0 has an undocumented FullScreenReading feature. (See Enabling undocumented features.) Full-screen reading mode works well with the EPUB reader, but there are three problems that affect the KEPUB reader:

Problem 1. If the kepub book's stylesheet has non-zero margin or padding on the body element, then the text is shifted to the right, possibly resulting in text being cut off at the right hand side.

For sideloaded kepubs this problem can be fixed without patching by adding body { margin: 0 !important; padding: 0 !important; } to the book's stylesheet (which can be done automatically when sending the book from Calibre by using the "Modify CSS" feature of the KoboTouch/KoboTouchExtended driver, or for selected books by using the "Append extra CSS" option of the Modify Epub plugin.)

For all kepubs both sideloaded and synced from Kobo, enabling the `KePub zero body margin/padding` patch will modify the device's built-in KePub stylesheet instead. The following screenshots (Glo, 3.12.1) show a kepub book synced from Kobo which exhibits this problem:
1. Unpatched,
2. Patched.



Problem 2. For some fonts, characters with a large side-bearing value (such as Georgia italic f, J, etc.) get cut off if they appear at the end of a line. This problem can also affect kepubs in normal reading mode if the margin adjustment slider is set at minimum.

For sideloaded kepubs created by recent versions of Calibre's KoboTouchExtended driver, this problem can be fixed without patching by adding div#book-columns { padding: 0.2em !important; } to the book's stylesheet.

For most kepubs synced from Kobo or created with older versions of the KoboTouchExtended driver, the `Fix kepub side bearing font cut-off bug` patch can be used to add the appropriate padding to the device's built-in stylesheet instead. (Some changes to the default patch settings will be necessary for use with books in vertical languages such as Japanese, or ones created with old versions of the KoboTouchExtended driver.)

The following screenshots (Glo, 3.16.0) show a kepub book synced from Kobo in full-screen reading mode with a large font size to demonstrate the cut-off effect. Look at the letter f at the left of the fourth line from the bottom and at the right of the line above that to see the problem.
1. Unpatched
2. Patched



Problem 3. Images which are supposed to be displayed inline (flowing with the text) are instead displayed centred on a seperate line.

This problem is can be fixed by applying the `Disable KePub FullSceenReading block img style` patch.

These screenshots (Glo, 3.18.0) show a page from this book which uses small bitmaps to represent some Hebrew letters. Note the second-to-last line of the page:
1. Unpatched
2. Patched

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

The configuration file is a plain ASCII file with unix line breaks. When editing it, it is important to use an editor that doesn't change the file type or line break style. Most Linux and Mac text editors should be okay, but don't use Notepad or Wordpad in Windows: use an editor such as Notepad++ instead.

WordPad does work, Geoff. You can't create new LF-only ('Unix-style') text files with it (which you can do with Notepad++), but it will respect the line break style of existing files.

Notepad is indeed a no-no.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

WordPad does work, Geoff. You can't create new LF-only ('Unix-style') text files with it (which you can do with Notepad++), but it will respect the line break style of existing files.

Although Wordpad preserves the line breaks, I think it adds a useless byte order mark when saving ASCII files, which means they are no longer ASCII files. This can trip up programs that expect plain ASCII input.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Although Wordpad preserves the line breaks, I think it adds a useless byte order mark when saving ASCII files, which means they are no longer ASCII files. This can trip up programs that expect plain ASCII input.

OK, I didn't know that. I have used WordPad to edit Unix-style text files a few times in the past without mishap, but better safe than sorry. Notepad++ it is then (it's my default text editor anyway, nowadays).

[GeoffR]

The keyboard in the unpatched firmware has a keypad of extended Latin letters that is accessed by tapping the ÉÀÇ key:


It is possible to change the extended Latin letters to other letters with a custom keyboard patch. There are patches for Cyrillic, Arabic, Hebrew, and Turkish, or you can make up your own keypad just by replacing the letters in one of these patches:

Cyrillic (lower and upper case) and Arabic:


Note that the glyphs for Arabic and Hebrew are not available when the device first boots, so the keyboard will just show blank squares until the first time the Aa menu inside a book is opened.

The screenshots above are from my Glo (fw 3.16.0), the keyboards on other devices are a little different.

[avresbo]

Are these patches good for a Glo hD?
I own a GLO HD with update 3.16.0

Thank you very much in advance.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by avresbo

Are these patches good for a Glo hD?
I own a GLO HD with update 3.16.0

Thank you very much in advance.

Yes, they will work with the Glo HD. If you haven't already found it, check the Instructions for patching firmware 3.16.0 thread for more information.

[pickyaxe]

Patch request, hopefully this is possible. Thanks!

when you select "remove" for a Pocket article, either by touch and holding from the article list or by selecting it from the reading screen, you get a confirmation box that says "Remove from..." with two checkboxes: "eReader" and "Pocket account".
By default the "eReader" checkbox is always checked and "Pocket account" always unchecked, and whether or not each checkbox is checked is not remembered between subsequent deletes (very frustrating).
I want both to be checked by default, because when I'm removing it is always because I want to remove from my account.

[mortimer7]

Great job GeoffR!
Can You add an indicator like FBReader?

[PeterT]

@Mortimer7: you do realize that these are just patches to the supplied code; ie: overriding a few instructions or data values in the supplied Kobo code; NOT totally adding major functionality (ie the display across the bottom of the screen).

Also, as has been discussed previously, displaying a changing clock on an eInk device is not overly practical or efficient.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Also, as has been discussed previously, displaying a changing clock on an eInk device is not overly practical or efficient.

1st of all, I understand the difference between adding things to code that are totally new, and patch things by altering values that are already there.
Having said that,there is a clock displaying at the top for a couple of seconds when you use the settings bar at top of bottom.
So kobo also thinks that a clock adds something.
Sure I would not use it to wait for my train or plane, but as indication such an option would be nice.
Sure I understand that only when you tap for a new page the clock would be updated so if you are on a page for 10 minutes,the clock stands still that 10 minutes.
But also for the guys who made patches and hacks they provide the Sony readers with such a function.
But again,that is not a question for a patch topic,as you point out correctly.
But,it is there at the top,hidden,visible at the moment you use the options on the reader for 5 or 10 seconds..so there is some code..

The problem would be,if you make it 100% visible at all times on the top,it must disappear when using the options or you get a sort of "subtitles over subtitling effect".
So I would not use it for boiling an egg, but if you are reading in night,only using the light of the reader,some time indication can be handy.
My watch (also e-ink) isn't lighted,neither as my clock or phone.
So I have to enter the options part and leave it to see the time for that couple of seconds and those extra steps are distracting me.
So I understand the question and I would like something to,but I would ask it in a new topic in the dev corner for some programmer to read it,and hope it would not end in a debate if it is handy or not.

[Alan_S]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Also, as has been discussed previously, displaying a changing clock on an eInk device is not overly practical or efficient.

Clock is a kind of must have for myself. On all my Sony ebook readers I had clock. It wasn't always "live" (changing time as time changes, not with page turns), but it was there.

Now on Kobo, I know that you can have clock with koreader and coolreader (not live ones though).

From programing point of view, I'm sure it could be done with live clock also. Not that I myself know how to do that, but seeing how ebook software works, I'm sure it could be done, to change small portion of screen where clock is to place new information every minute (it actually could be possible to change it every second from technical point of view, but that's a bit overkill).

Having clock is one of reasons why now I use koreader exclusively. And I'm happy with it. Of course, that's just my opinion and how I look on question of having clock visible in footer versus not having clock and need to go and find it somewhere in menus.

[pickyaxe]

You don't need to find the clock in a menu. A single tap reveals the top and bottom toolbar. The clock is displayed in the middle of the toolbar. Then, a second tap hides it.

This is very fast, about as fast as turning your wrist and looking at your watch. Plus it doesn't take space for a persistent HUD like KOreader/Coolreader (I can't comprehend how anyone would ever want a persistent HUD, but to each his own).



Respectfully, I'm asking for the remove from Pocket checkboxes patch one more time

[Alan_S]

Well, we are talking about preferences. With koreader, you can remove status bar (you call it HUD). On the other hand, I'd like to keep my eye on a clock. It just takes quick glance with my eyes.

I guess that's my wee obsession.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by mortimer7

Can You add an indicator like FBReader?

In short, no.

Changing the progress indicator from "Page X of Y" into a horizontal bar of width (X/Y*100) percent of the screen width might be possible, but even that would be a lot of work and not something I would want to spend the time on for a feature I would never use (someone else might if they wanted it enough.)

Adding the chapter marks would be a whole different level of difficulty though, it would probably be much easier to convince Kobo to add the feature than it would be to make a patch.

Originally Posted by pickyaxe

Patch request, hopefully this is possible. Thanks!

when you select "remove" for a Pocket article, either by touch and holding from the article list or by selecting it from the reading screen, you get a confirmation box that says "Remove from..." with two checkboxes: "eReader" and "Pocket account".
By default the "eReader" checkbox is always checked and "Pocket account" always unchecked, and whether or not each checkbox is checked is not remembered between subsequent deletes (very frustrating).
I want both to be checked by default, because when I'm removing it is always because I want to remove from my account.

That is probably a simple patch once the location in the code controlling the tickbox is found, but finding it in the first place can take time. I don't use Pocket myself, but it sounds like the same popup that appears when you delete a synced kepub.