Instructions for patching firmware 4.33.19759

[BiliBug]

I find that my configured side loaded header font only works if it is the same as the reading font that I have chosen. If I change the reading font, it reverts to the system default.

[JSWolf]

I wonder if the code you could have used in the CSS to embed fonts that live in the fonts directory still works. I'll have to give it a try when I get a chance.

@font-face {
font-family: monospace;
font-style: normal;
font-weight: normal;
src: url("res:///fonts/normal/Dark Courier");
}
@font-face {
font-family: monospace;
font-style: normal;
font-weight: bold;
src: url("res:///fonts/bold/Dark Courier");
}
@font-face {
font-family: monospace;
font-style: italic;
font-weight: normal;
src: url("res:///fonts/italic/Dark Courier");
}
@font-face {
font-family: monospace;
font-style: italic;
font-weight: bold;
src: url("res:///fonts/bolditalic/Dark Courier");
}

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I wonder if the code you could have used in the CSS to embed fonts that live in the fonts directory still works. I'll have to give it a try when I get a chance.

It still works in epubs if you want to apply it per book. However, for epubs, it's always been more convenient to use the patch in librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml to achieve the same thing at system level, i.e. if you change your mind about which default mono font you want you wouldn't need to resend the books. Or, even easier, just sideload a font named Courier-something and you don't need patches or special CSS.

None of those options has ever worked for kepubs.

Pre fw 4.32 it used to be easy in kepubs. If you had a sideloaded "My Great Mono" font all you needed to do was code your book CSS as font-family:"My Great Mono" and the kepub reading app would find the relevant font in your sideloaded fonts directory. No @font-face code required at all.

Since fw 4.32 the only way I've found to use a specific mono font in a kepub is to embed it using the usual epub standards for embedding.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

It still works in epubs if you want to apply it per book. However, for epubs, it's always been more convenient to use the patch in librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml to achieve the same thing at system level, i.e. if you change your mind about which default mono font you want you wouldn't need to resend the books. Or, even easier, just sideload a font named Courier-something and you don't need patches or special CSS.

None of those options has ever worked for kepubs.

Pre fw 4.32 it used to be easy in kepubs. If you had a sideloaded "My Great Mono" font all you needed to do was code your book CSS as font-family:"My Great Mono" and the kepub reading app would find the relevant font in your sideloaded fonts directory. No @font-face code required at all.

Since fw 4.32 the only way I've found to use a specific mono font in a kepub is to embed it using the usual epub standards for embedding.

That code was from when we needed to embed a font for monospace. I do have Courier New installed in fonts. Does that work with KePub? I'm currently unable to test this until tomorrow.

[SusanReads]

Would downgrading and applying the patch work? Or am I going to encounter all kinds of other issues then?

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by SusanReads

Would downgrading and applying the patch work? Or am I going to encounter all kinds of other issues then?

Your patch (as in post #43) should work as long as you also download the correct version of the kobopatch package to match whatever fw version (pre-4.32.19501) you have downgraded to.

Personally, I'm not a fan of permanently marooning myself on an old fw. The choice about whether to downgrade or not is entirely yours to make. As always, risk vs. reward.

You might like to check with someone else about the safest way to do a fw downgrade on your particular Kobo model. I never offer technical advice about downgrading because I don't have enough practical experience of doing it to know if/when there are potential problems to avoid.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Your patch (as in post #43) should work as long as you also download the correct version of the kobopatch package to match whatever fw version (pre-4.32.19501) you have downgraded to.

Personally, I'm not a fan of permanently marooning myself on an old fw. The choice about whether to downgrade or not is entirely yours to make. As always, risk vs. reward.

You might like to check with someone else about the safest way to do a fw downgrade on your particular Kobo model. I never offer technical advice about downgrading because I don't have enough practical experience of doing it to know if/when there are potential problems to avoid.

Others on MR have downgraded 4.33 to 4.32 with no problem just by installing 4.32.

But before doing any firmware install, it's a good idea to copy everything from Kobo to the computer just to be safe.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That code was from when we needed to embed a font for monospace. I do have Courier New installed in fonts. Does that work with KePub? I'm currently unable to test this until tomorrow.

Actually, no. The code you posted was specifically aimed at *not* needing to physically embed a monospace font in epubs if the epub contained font-family:monospace somewhere in its CSS file. As I've already said it probably still works but these days there are easier ways to achieve the same result.

Font handling in kepubs has always been completely different. Everything I know about monospace in kepubs I've already written in post #48.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Actually, no. The code you posted was specifically aimed at *not* needing to physically embed a monospace font in epubs if the epub contained font-family:monospace somewhere in its CSS file. As I've already said it probably still works but these days there are easier ways to achieve the same result.

Font handling in kepubs has always been completely different. Everything I know about monospace in kepubs I've already written in post #48.

Some of this you may have already said.

I've done some testing. The code to embed a font in the fonts directory works in ePub. But when I just referenced the font's internal name, it did not work.

One thing I did not know. The eBook I was testing has an embedded font referenced with a span. When I changed the weight of the font I has selected in the font menu, the embedded font also has the weight changed. This can be the real embedded font or the embedded font referenced from the fonts directory.

As for KePub, you do have to actually embed the font.

A couple of things I forgot to test. Does ePub's font-family: monospace; still work for Courier Prime without the need to embed? Does monospace work for kePub or does a monospace font have to be embedded.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does ePub's font-family: monospace; still work for Courier New without the need to embed?

Supposedly. You'd need to try it yourself to be absolutely sure. On my own Kobos I've sideloaded a copy of Courier Prime which I'd previously used a font editor to change its internal font name to simply Courier. That definitely works, but I never bothered to check whether the font editor renaming was actually superfluous.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does monospace work for kePub or does a monospace font have to be embedded.

This is what *you've* already said:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As for KePub, you do have to actually embed the font.

This is what *I've* already said:

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Since fw 4.32 the only way I've found to use a specific mono font in a kepub is to embed it using the usual epub standards for embedding.

Haven't we both just said the same thing? IOW if you want to use a monospace font in a kepub, since fw 4.32 there are no fancy tricks remaining which avoid you having to physically embed the font.

More generally (unless I've missed something) no sideloaded font can be referenced from within a kepub except when you choose your main font from the [Aa] menu.

As an aside, no specific action is required for the generic font-family:sans-serif; to work for both epub and kepub. Both will use the built-in system font Avenir.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Supposedly. You'd need to try it yourself to be absolutely sure. On my own Kobos I've sideloaded a copy of Courier Prime which I'd previously used a font editor to change its internal font name to simply Courier. That definitely works, but I never bothered to check whether the font editor renaming was actually superfluous.

I have Courier Prime loaded on my Kobo. I tried font-family: monospace; and it did not work with 4.33. I used to work. I have 4.29 on my H2O and it used to work. Now it works if the font is named Courier. So your renaming is not superfluous any longer. It's what works in ePub.

When I try this in KePub, I get a really small font. Smaller then 1em. It could be Georgia.

IMHO, I think if the eBook is using monopsace, use ePub if you have Courier (or a font internally named Courier) in fonts. Otherwise, you'll have to do a full font embed. Even if you don't have Courier in fonts, you can do the pseudo embed (where you can specify the font that lives in fonts) for monospace.

So basically, after the font system change, Kobo made KePub worse because using monospace just became more difficult. And if monospace is used, you'll have a basically unreadable (too small) font that's not monospace (I think it's Georgia).

A good example of where this will be a problem is in the eBook of Planetfall by Emma Newman. It specifies monospace for text messages. If you load this as KePub, it will have sections of the book that are not readable or hard to read. If it's loaded as ePub and you don't have a Courier font in font's, you'll get the same font as your selected font.

This really is a mess for those who do not know the fixes. If someone buys books from Kobo and syncs, any books that specify monospace without any embedded font, will not be happy.

So it means that the patch Default ePub monospace font: won't work any more.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I have Courier Prime loaded on my Kobo. I tried font-family: monospace; and it did not work with 4.33. I used to work. I have 4.29 on my H2O and it used to work. Now it works if the font is named Courier. So your renaming is not superfluous any longer. It's what works in ePub.

When I try this in KePub, I get a really small font. Smaller then 1em. It could be Georgia.

IMHO, I think if the eBook is using monopsace, use ePub if you have Courier (or a font internally named Courier) in fonts. Otherwise, you'll have to do a full font embed. Even if you don't have Courier in fonts, you can do the pseudo embed (where you can specify the font that lives in fonts) for monospace.

So basically, after the font system change, Kobo made KePub worse because using monospace just became more difficult. And if monospace is used, you'll have a basically unreadable (too small) font that's not monospace (I think it's Georgia).

A good example of where this will be a problem is in the eBook of Planetfall by Emma Newman. It specifies monospace for text messages. If you load this as KePub, it will have sections of the book that are not readable or hard to read. If it's loaded as ePub and you don't have a Courier font in font's, you'll get the same font as your selected font.

This really is a mess for those who do not know the fixes. If someone buys books from Kobo and syncs, any books that specify monospace without any embedded font, will not be happy.

How is that truly changed? It has always been the case, that if a book needed a specific font, it should be embedded. That is the only save way to do it. Sure, Kobo changed things to support using a sideloaded monospace font if it was installed, but, they also never advertised the fact. It was pretty much only people who visited this forum that knew about it. Plus those who read blogs by people who source their information from here.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

How is that truly changed? It has always been the case, that if a book needed a specific font, it should be embedded. That is the only save way to do it. Sure, Kobo changed things to support using a sideloaded monospace font if it was installed, but, they also never advertised the fact. It was pretty much only people who visited this forum that knew about it. Plus those who read blogs by people who source their information from here.

But the problem is that if the eBook specifies monospace without an embedded font then that may not work. And for a lot of people, there is no embedding a monopace font. Kobo really should fix this bug even if means adding a monospace font to the system fonts.

Sure, we know what to do. But most won't know what to do or even about removing DRM so they can fix it or even that the eBook needs fixing.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But the problem is that if the eBook specifies monospace without an embedded font then that may not work. And for a lot of people, there is no embedding a monopace font. Kobo really should fix this bug even if means adding a monospace font to the system fonts.

Sure, we know what to do. But most won't know what to do or even about removing DRM so they can fix it or even that the eBook needs fixing.

No, the problem is that you seem to think that something has changed. Monospace has never been supported on Kobo devices without them either being embedded or sideloaded. This is still unchanged. And, it is unlikely to change. And for reasons that have been discussed: The number of books that actually use monospace is tiny. I might have a couple of programming type text books, but, I can't think of any other book having monospace fonts. Except completely artificial test books.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by davidfor

No, the problem is that you seem to think that something has changed. Monospace has never been supported on Kobo devices without them either being embedded or sideloaded. This is still unchanged. And, it is unlikely to change. And for reasons that have been discussed: The number of books that actually use monospace is tiny. I might have a couple of programming type text books, but, I can't think of any other book having monospace fonts. Except completely artificial test books.

The eBook Planetfall by Emma Newman does have some fair use of monospace for text messages. There is no embedded font. So as ePub, given a have a font named Courier, it will display. But in KePub, it's going to display what should be monospace in a tiny font size in Georgia. So this is more an issue then just ignoring monospace if the eBook is in KePub.

If you want, I can show a screen cap of the monospace problem with KePub.