KOReader running on BQ/Fnac devices

[Frenzie]

It'd be best to backup the old (settings) files first unless you don't mind wiping them all. That far back there's bound to be incompatibilities.

[NiLuJe]

Does this commit fix it, by chance?

[pazos]

Originally Posted by mitseas

That is as easy as ssh from within KOReader and unziping that version in /mnt/private?

That should work.

You can also use the safemode tool included as part of the platform instructions (press the home button at boot, when the little dots are displayed).

You should see an image like https://github.com/pazos/cervantes-s...ges/usbnet.png and be able to connect to telnet as usual.

In that mode calling the program will show you logs and block your terminal until the program is closed.


If you try this way you can uncompress the old version in a different directory and call koreader.sh from there.

Originally Posted by mitseas

By the way before trying KOReader the stock reading app was crashing (on developer's firmware) on every page turn.

Yup, it was fixed in master (see https://github.com/bq/cervantes/pull/9) but never hit a release.

Originally Posted by mitseas

Now that I am already in the developer's mode can I reset the device to an "almost" original state to check the Frontlight and the stock reading app?

Stock doesn't matter anymore . If you're serious documenting the behaviour please read https://github.com/koreader/koreader...ment-439700537

try to reproduce, write different (in range) values to the sysfs nodes and see if you find a particular pattern.


You can also see their github repo and find the way they do the pattern correction, if there's any.

Anyhow, we're doing the proper thing with the hardware (writting to the right nodes within the proper ranges). Also the code that does light is under a HAL, so implementing pattern correction for a specific platform might not be as easy as it sounds.

Originally Posted by mitseas

All the files I used are from the archive dot org so they may not be the latest. Do you maybe have those?

I do, it's named "hackers_update_Cervantes4_702.zip". It should be exactly the same you're currently at.

[pazos]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Does this commit fix it, by chance?

Oh, that's right. NL isn't restored when the program starts. I do get a reminder each time I update KO, which means less than once a year

[NiLuJe]

Originally Posted by pazos

Oh, that's right. NL isn't restored when the program starts

Yeah, I noticed that bit of logic was also missing.

I refrained from further meddling as the existing codepath on the Kobo side does a lot of funky stuff related to keeping stuff in sync with Nickel, so it's not necessarily a quick copy'n paste job .

[JSWolf]

Why is this thread stickied? I don't actually see a reason for it to be.

[Ken Maltby]

Those interested in " KOReader running on BQ/Fnac devices" might not agree.

[NiLuJe]

Especially given the lack of BQ/Cervantes section on MR.

[mitseas]

1. Open your device and go to Settings > Device Information and write down your Device ID.
2. Shut down the device, remove the microSD card and use a prying tool or your fingernail to separate the plastic top cover (it has glue around the screen so be careful and patient).
3. The 4 holes on the top left are for debugging and provide a serial connection to the device. From left to right they are Ground, Tx, Rx, Volt. You can use a USB to TTL(Serial) device like I have but I believe that you can use an arduino too. Connect your device as follows: Ground to Ground, Tx to Rx, Rx to Tx and 5V to Volt. The led should light up on the device.
4. Connect the USB to TTL device on your computer and open a terminal and write

   sudo screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

   changing the device name with the appropriate one.
5. Power on the ereader and you should see a flood of messages as the device boots, you have to press Esc repeatedly to pause the normal boot process and drop yourself to a uboot prompt denoted by "eBR-1A #".
6. Type printenv to check the variables and use setenv to change one of them to include init=/bin/bash, I usedsetenv bootargs_base = setenv bootargs console=ttymxc0,115200 rootwait rw no_console_suspend init=/bin/bash then use the run bootcmd_mmc command to start the normal boot process which should throw you to a root prompt.
7. Run vim /etc/passwd and delete the characters between the first and second : on the first line that read root:blah blah:0:0:.... you should remove the blah blah so that it reads something along the lines of root::0:0:... thus removing the need for a password for the root account
8. You should use the power button to shut down the eReader and start it again. You should get a login prompt. Insert root and it will log you in without a password. You should touch /mnt/private/hackers_e60q22_ok /mnt/private/hackers_ok that will write two empty files in the /mnt/private folder. The e60q22 worked for me but for good measure you can write them both.
9. Insert the microSD card to a computer, access it and extract the hackers_update_Cervantes4_702.zip in the root folder of the card along with a text file with the name of I_WANT_TO_BE_A_HACKER with no extension that should contain only the line SN-DEVICEID which we wrote down in step 1.
10. After you insert the card in the eReader you should get a popup saying "The device is now authorized for the installation of firmware for developers".
11. Power off the device and press and hold the button below the screen. While holding it power on the device and release the power button as soon as the green led lights up while still holding the "HOME" button.
12. It will check the signatures of the upgrade and start the process
13. You will see a progress bar filling up as the upgrade takes place both on the device itself and in the terminal if you are still connected with the serial connection.
14. When the upgrade completes it will power off the device automatically.
15. Now you are running the developer's firmware which you can verify by going to Settings > Development options and enabling both USB debugging and telnet access.
16. Now we have two options depending on if you still have the serial connection or you don't. If you have closed the device and not have access to the serial interface you should change the IP of your computer to one in the range of 192.168.4.2-254, some other than the 192.168.4.1 that the ereader uses. Then connect using telnet 192.168.4.1 while having connected the ereader to your computer using a usb cable.
17. Get the files of the second post on this thread and the latest koreader release from the github page write it on the microSD card again and insert it in the ereader.
18. Using either serial or telnet
    
    

    mv /mnt/sd/ko* /mnt/private
    cd /mnt/private
    tar -xvf ko-deps.tar.gz
    tar -xvf ko-deps-safemode-latest.tar.gz  
    dpkg -i *.deb

    and if you get an error on iproute use another package to install it correctly. Unzip the koreader latest release unzip koreader-cervantes*.zip
19. To run koreader you simply run /mnt/private/koreader/koreader.sh and that should start koreader on your device.
20. To automatically start koreader every time you power on the device you should also
    

    cp /etc/rc.local /etc/rc.local.backup
    cp /mnt/private/koreader/koreader-standalone.sh /etc/rc.local

I have written this in Markdown with images on almost every step, but here I tried to format it as best I could without images for brevity and readability. I have also another iproute.deb file that worked for me if it is needed (or change the one in the zip files from the og post #2). If you need further info just throw a reply.

Credits go to pazos and QuixoteDon.

[mitseas]

Unrelated to the post above. I believe that my replacement screen just doesn't support warm leds altogether and bought another one. When that arrives I will test and then try the aforementioned sysfs tries to figure out if something is not working as intended.

[pazos]

Originally Posted by mitseas

[LIST=1]

I have written this in Markdown with images on almost every step, but here I tried to format it as best I could without images for brevity and readability. I have also another iproute.deb file that worked for me if it is needed (or change the one in the zip files from the og post #2).
.

Thank you very much. If you can send me both via private messages I can take care of the rest.

[kitsuun]

I have Cervantes 3 i want to use KOReader , can y send me Developers edition firmware and show me how to use it

[Chen2024]

Could you ：谢谢：pass me the link please你能

[pazos]

Originally Posted by Chen2024

Could you ：谢谢：pass me the link please你能

Here's a link that's valid for 24h: https://fs.pazos.eu/share/7hFepRDc

[Tirwal]

Hi:

I've got koreader installed on Cervantes 4, but last versions give me an error when run. I try with older versions and it works. I don't know what's happening.

Thanks