Kobo standalone? (never want to connect to Kobo, or activate)

[mutant_matt]

As far as I can tell, they do not place restrictions on how often you can download a title on a particular device. They may restrict the number of devices that you can download a title to different devices, but I've always been able to get around that by going to their device management tools and removing devices that I no longer use.

I read an article where someone discovered that on a per-title basis, there is a download limit. He also was none-too impressed when Amazon told him that this is set by the publisher, and there was nothing they could do about it. It's these types of not-your-device-really-to-control issues, that really get up my nose!

Originally Posted by l_macd

Yes that's sideloading, but I think you are remembering incorrectly. The Kindle only displays a text list of books, sorted either by author, title, or collection (unlike the Kobo & PRS-T1 it doesn't display book covers). For the first two, the titles of all your books are listed individually on the home page. If you sort by collection, the titles of your collections is shown, and you click to open a collection to view the books listed in it (just the same way you would do if it was a folder).

You can create a folder on the Kindle and load books into it, but they'll just show up as individual books on the home page, the folder itself is ignored. They won't appear in a collection unless you add them to the collection (either via the Kindle itself or using the Kindle Collection plug-in for Calibre).

So in short, the Kindle doesn't support folders, but if you use collections to sort your books, it tags your books with whatever collection title to you use, and it makes it look as if they are in folders.

Ok, thanks for that. I am pretty sure I created a folder on the device and then it appeared on the Home screen, but you presumably are correct, that I must have then "moved" the book, using the Kindle interface, "into" that collection.

The only thing I'll add to what BWinmill has said in reply to your other points is that regarding the removal of those books (Animal Farm & 1984) is that although Amazon refunded the money when they deleted them, they did concede that they handled it badly and in future, if something similar was to happen (i.e. the publisher didn't have the right to publish those books and they shouldn't have been sold in the first place), they wouldn't delete books without asking customers permission first, and if you refused, that'd be the end of it.

Except, they *can* do what they like with "your" device, if they so chose, and I don't hand control of devices I paid for, to 3rd parties, wherever possible. I judge individuals, and companies, by how they act, not by what they say. I just don't trust them to protect my best interests (theirs and mine only overlap only a little. IMHO ). That's kind of the point (which is also why I won't buy any Apple products, and others).

Anyway, if you'd prefer to use epub, this is probably all pretty immaterial

Indeed. Of course, now I realise the current lack of "collections" on the Kobo, I'm having second thoughts, so now I'll read up on the plugin stuff, and see if that suits.

Get yourself a Kobo, register it, then just don't the wi-fi on, I assume you can do that?

Apparently so. Also, I think the Linux hacks would be done early on in it's life, and a custon hosts file would "protect" against most of the stuff I would want to keep at bay, just in case!

Thanks for everyone's help and comments, once again,

Cheers,

Matt

[ewphoenix123]

The newer Firmwareversions have increased the user table, this one works.

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','xxxx@xxxx.xx','xxxx@xxxx.xx','2aaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaa==','aaa','FALSE');

And it works on the Aura as well.

[david8866]

iriver Story HD is another choice. The resolution is on the higher side 1024 x 768 (like Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Glo). You can use it without registration. Google Play Store is the default bookstore, but you don't have to use it.
iriver does not make new one any more, not official discontinue, either. The dictionary is a pain, otherwise a ok ereader. I don't usually suggest Story HD, it might fit your need.

[peyton]

Originally Posted by ewphoenix123

The newer Firmwareversions have increased the user table, this one works.



And it works on the Aura as well.

Is this still working on 3.20 FW?
Thanks

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by peyton

Is this still working on 3.20 FW?

There are two extra columns in the current user table. The following should work:

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','xxxx@xxxx.xx','xxxx@xxxx.xx','2aaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaa==','aaa','FALSE','FALSE','FALSE');

The statement is valid and produces a row in the database that should work. But, I haven't tested what the device does when it sees it.

[mahtin]

Good info: thanks a lot.
Helps me get ready for delivery of new Aura HD.

[Future Science]

Originally Posted by davidfor

There are two extra columns in the current user table. The following should work:

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','xxxx@xxxx.xx','xxxx@xxxx.xx','2aaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaa==','aaa','FALSE','FALSE','FALSE');

The statement is valid and produces a row in the database that should work. But, I haven't tested what the device does when it sees it.

I want to give my old Kobo Glo to my parents, therefore I want to delete my Kobo account.

I've tried to execute this command while using "Sqliteman" but it won't produce any row.

Then using sqlite3 on a terminal I get:
UNIQUE constraint failed: user.UserID

Are there any workarounds for my situation? (I've installed version 3.12 of the firmware w/o any patches).

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Future Science

I want to give my old Kobo Glo to my parents, therefore I want to delete my Kobo account.

I've tried to execute this command while using "Sqliteman" but it won't produce any row.

Then using sqlite3 on a terminal I get:
UNIQUE constraint failed: user.UserID

Are there any workarounds for my situation? (I've installed version 3.12 of the firmware w/o any patches).

I'm not familiar with what you are trying to do but can't you simply reset your Glo back to factory spec? That will remove your Kobo Account from the device and all the books. If you actually wanted to delete your Kobo account at Kobo then your do that via the website but then you'd lose all your books so i can't think thats your actual intention.

If you plan to side load books on to the Glo for your parents so they don't need a Kobo account an easy way is to add a fake email address when you register it for them, then skip the payment set up screen. Kobo don't do any validation on the email address and this works perfectly. I always do this when I get a new device as it speeds up registration then when I know the device is okay and works perfectly I just sign out of the fake email address and in with my actual account.

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by Future Science

Then using sqlite3 on a terminal I get:
UNIQUE constraint failed: user.UserID

...so a user with that id already exists?

to see what's in there, SELECT * FROM user;
to remove them all, DELETE FROM user;

[Future Science]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I'm not familiar with what you are trying to do but can't you simply reset your Glo back to factory spec? That will remove your Kobo Account from the device and all the books. If you actually wanted to delete your Kobo account at Kobo then your do that via the website but then you'd lose all your books so i can't think thats your actual intention.

If you plan to side load books on to the Glo for your parents so they don't need a Kobo account an easy way is to add a fake email address when you register it for them, then skip the payment set up screen. Kobo don't do any validation on the email address and this works perfectly. I always do this when I get a new device as it speeds up registration then when I know the device is okay and works perfectly I just sign out of the fake email address and in with my actual account.

Well there are some books that I've read and purchased that my parents will probably enjoy reading, so I don't want to delete all the contents of my Kobo.

I was thinking about removing my email address and using an empty one, like with the sqlite procedure.

[Kasper Hviid]

Originally Posted by Nietzsche

Kobo also offers free book offers every month once you activate your device which would normally costs you anywhere between 2-12 dollars.

I haven't visited their store much, so I didn't knew that! Where do I find those free books?

[haram]

Originally Posted by davidfor

There are two extra columns in the current user table. The following should work:

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','aaaaaaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa','xxxx@xxxx.xx','xxxx@xxxx.xx','2aaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaa==','aaa','FALSE','FALSE','FALSE');

The statement is valid and produces a row in the database that should work. But, I haven't tested what the device does when it sees it.

I just tried this on a new kobo touch, after unplugging usb it comes back saying that i need to set up, so it doesn't work.

Maybe the device field have to match the device.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by haram

I just tried this on a new kobo touch, after unplugging usb it comes back saying that i need to set up, so it doesn't work.

Maybe the device field have to match the device.

You need to look at the number and type of data fields there are in the "user" record. Then you replace the fields with fake data of that type. AlphaNumeric fields can be replaced with zeros (0), true/false are best replaced with false, url can be replaced with zero, as well. The quotation marks are required, in the INSERT INTO line.

This includes Tshering's old post:

If you just want to read your ebooks and do not want to use any of the sync features then you can use your Kobo device without registering. [This is what I have done all along. My memory may not be the greatest anymore but even I can find my place in a book I am reading on multiple devices. Sync is not of much use if you read a book from a single device.]

1. The tool you need.


2. I agree with David that you should do a "factory reset" before this kind of change in firmware.

3. After the reset it will ask if you want to register using WiFi or your computer - connect your USB cable and select computer. This should let you use the sqlitebrowser File>Open database function to find the "KoboReader.sqlite" file in the .kobo folder of your device.

4. Tshering's original description of the procedure:

"there are several explanations at this forum. I cannot find them myself right now. Anyway, in order to initialize the reader without registering you can add a new line to the "user" table of the database. Fill in any fitting values. Depending on your reset firmware version, the number of values varies.
Example for FW 1.9.12:

Code:
INSERT INTO user VALUES ("0", "0", "0", "0", "0");Example for FW 2.5.0:

Code:
INSERT INTO user VALUES ("0", "0", "0", "0", "0", "0","false")

I think you use the SQLite Database Browser. Right? Open the database file "KoboReader.sqlite". Select "Browse Data" and choose the table "user". Look at line 1 and try to establish whether the values of one of the two examples might fit or whether you have to make some modifications. I guess the second example might be correct for the Mini. Choose Execute SQL, enter the command "INSERT INTO user VALUES ..." and press "Execute query".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tshering"

For my user for AuraHD 3.1.1:

INSERT INTO user VALUES ("0", "0", "0", "0", "0", "0","false","false","false")

5. After you have a zeroed out user and have saved the file, just restart your device and you should be good to go.

Luck;
Ken

[haram]

Thanks Ken

I found a solution by chance, by removing the sd card which was bugging me each time i plugged in the reader on windows.
It seems that the presence of a SD card was kind of bugging the kobo.
I removed the sd card, but i also installed the kobo desktop on a Win7 computer, showing me that the device has an account xxxx@xxxx.xx, so i unplugged the kobo and it was working.
So i blame the sd card for all the problems and i won't look further.

[PeterT]

Why not for the insert use the named column approach:

INSERT INTO user (UserID, UserKey, UserDisplayName, UserEmail, ___DeviceID) values(list of 5 values)

This way the syntax need not change as tables change.