Instructions for patching firmware 3.15.0

[cramoisi]

Hi !

About the "My 15 line spacing values"

# Note that the kepub reader can have problems when the line spacing value is
# below about 0.85 (depending on the font family), resulting in the top line of
# text being cut off and the cut-off part showing at the bottom of the previous

I never noticed an issue but applied the patch anyway. Then i noticed this issue, but only after applied the patch, for all line-spacing slider positions before 50%. So i disabled this patch. Is anything I've done wrong ?

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by cramoisi

About the "My 15 line spacing values"

I never noticed an issue but applied the patch anyway. Then i noticed this issue, but only after applied the patch, for all line-spacing slider positions before 50%. So i disabled this patch. Is anything I've done wrong ?

No problem, that is expected. The reason there isn't a problem without the patch is that without the patch the minimum line spacing is 1.0.

If you read epubs then you can use any line spacing value without a problem, but if you only read kepubs then you might want to change the replacement values in the patch to avoid the smaller ones that cause problems for the kepub reader. Which minimum value to choose will depend a bit on the font you use.

For example if you use the Kobo Nickel font, which has an extremely wide line spacing, then you might use a value of 0.75 without problem. If you use Georgia then you might have problems with values smaller than 0.85.

Here is a set of more conservative replacement values that should avoid problems with most fonts in kepubs:

# 15 values for replacement:
replace_float = 604A48, 1.0, 0.9
replace_float = 604B10, 1.05, 0.92
replace_float = 604B18, 1.07, 0.94
replace_float = 604B20, 1.1, 0.96
replace_float = 604A50, 1.2, 0.98
replace_float = 604B28, 1.35, 1.0
replace_float = 604A58, 1.5, 1.05
replace_float = 604B30, 1.7, 1.1
replace_float = 604B38, 1.8, 1.15
replace_float = 604A60, 2.0, 1.2
replace_float = 604B40, 2.2, 1.25
replace_float = 604B48, 2.4, 1.3
replace_float = 604B50, 2.6, 1.35
replace_float = 604B58, 2.8, 1.4
replace_float = 604A68, 3.0, 1.5

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by booklover6

It's very squished on the Glo HD. There are 11 book tiles. (On my Glo there are 8)

The `Compact homescreen layout` patches are for the Glo and Aura only, I wouldn't expect them to work properly on the GloHD or any other devices.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

The `Compact homescreen layout` patches are for the Glo and Aura only, I wouldn't expect them to work properly on the GloHD or any other devices.

Ok, thanks, I realized that.

I re-ran the patch with the compact layout disabled, but the home screen didn't change. Of course, now I don't remember how many tiles were on it originally.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Ok, thanks, I realized that.

I re-ran the patch with the compact layout disabled, but the home screen didn't change. Of course, now I don't remember how many tiles were on it originally.

Someone else had this happen, the problem seems to be that on devices other than Glo/Aura the cover images get resized smaller to fit the patched layout, but are not resized again when the patch is removed. You might need to delete the books that had their cover images resized, reboot the device, then load the books again. (Edit: Or if you use calibre to send covers, just resend them for those books using the KoboUtilities plugin.)

I should add a warning about this in the patches.

[Nick_1964]

Originally Posted by booklover6

Ok, thanks, I realized that.

I re-ran the patch with the compact layout disabled, but the home screen didn't change. Of course, now I don't remember how many tiles were on it originally.

It was me, I had the same, it is the best to put on the unpatched firmware again,then disable it in the patch and then run the patch again.
After that you use the extended plugin to send the covers again to the device.
For some reason,just disable it and re-patch doesn't returns it to the original state.
It also renders some covers that where on the homescreen,they remain small in the library screen to,so that is why I re-upload the pictures with Calibre and the extended plugin.

[cramoisi]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

No problem, that is expected. The reason there isn't a problem without the patch is that without the patch the minimum line spacing is 1.0.

If you read epubs then you can use any line spacing value without a problem, but if you only read kepubs then you might want to change the replacement values in the patch to avoid the smaller ones that cause problems for the kepub reader. Which minimum value to choose will depend a bit on the font you use.

For example if you use the Kobo Nickel font, which has an extremely wide line spacing, then you might use a value of 0.75 without problem. If you use Georgia then you might have problems with values smaller than 0.85.

Here is a set of more conservative replacement values that should avoid problems with most fonts in kepubs:

# 15 values for replacement:
replace_float = 604A48, 1.0, 0.9
replace_float = 604B10, 1.05, 0.92
replace_float = 604B18, 1.07, 0.94
replace_float = 604B20, 1.1, 0.96
replace_float = 604A50, 1.2, 0.98
replace_float = 604B28, 1.35, 1.0
replace_float = 604A58, 1.5, 1.05
replace_float = 604B30, 1.7, 1.1
replace_float = 604B38, 1.8, 1.15
replace_float = 604A60, 2.0, 1.2
replace_float = 604B40, 2.2, 1.25
replace_float = 604B48, 2.4, 1.3
replace_float = 604B50, 2.6, 1.35
replace_float = 604B58, 2.8, 1.4
replace_float = 604A68, 3.0, 1.5

It's working ! Thanks a lot for your help.

[Rizla]

Is there a description of what functionality this patch adds?

[GERGE]

It is explained within the patch files.

[Rnway]

I'd like to replicate the dicthtml->micthtml replacement from the 3.12.1 patcher for 3.15 (This prevents the Kobo from overwriting custom dictionaries in the micthtml files.)

What tools do you use to find the right places to patch?

The code below is for 3.12.1:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Change dicthtml strings to micthtml`
patch_enable = `yes`
# `%1/dicthtml%2.zip` --> `%1/micthtml%2.zip`
#replace_string = C94734, `%1/dicthtml%2.zip`, `%1/micthtml%2.zip`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = C9B834, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `dicthtml` --> `micthtml`
replace_string = C9B87C, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0`
# `dicthtml*` --> `micthtml*`
#replace_string = C9B9B8, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = C9BD54, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = C9BDB8, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = C9BE1C, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `%1/%2/dict/dicthtml%3` --> `%1/%2/dict/micthtml%3`
replace_string = C9BE80, `%\01\0/\0%\02\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\03\0`, `%\01\0/\0%\02\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\03\0`
# `dicthtml*` --> `micthtml*`
#replace_string = CA98AC, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`
# `dicthtml%1` --> `micthtml%1`
#replace_string = CC26D0, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\01\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\01\0`
</Patch>

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Rnway

I'd like to replicate the dicthtml->micthtml replacement from the 3.12.1 patcher for 3.15 (This prevents the Kobo from overwriting custom dictionaries in the micthtml files.)

Here is that patch updated for firmware 3.15.0. Some said that this patch doesn't work, and I don't use custom dictionaries myself so I've just updated the locations, it hasn't been tested.

Spoiler:

<Patch>
patch_name = `Change dicthtml strings to micthtml`
patch_enable = `yes`
# `%1/dicthtml%2.zip` --> `%1/micthtml%2.zip`
#replace_string = B7EF88, `%1/dicthtml%2.zip`, `%1/micthtml%2.zip`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = B8423C, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `dicthtml` --> `micthtml`
replace_string = B84284, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0`
# `dicthtml*` --> `micthtml*`
#replace_string = B843A8, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = B84624, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = B84688, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `%1/dicthtml%2` --> `%1/micthtml%2`
replace_string = B846EC, `%\01\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`, `%\01\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\02\0`
# `%1/%2/dict/dicthtml%3` --> `%1/%2/dict/micthtml%3`
replace_string = B84750, `%\01\0/\0%\02\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\03\0`, `%\01\0/\0%\02\0/\0d\0i\0c\0t\0/\0m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\03\0`
# `dicthtml*` --> `micthtml*`
#replace_string = B8A654, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0*\0`
# `dicthtml%1` --> `micthtml%1`
#replace_string = B8C6D8, `d\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\01\0`, `m\0i\0c\0t\0h\0t\0m\0l\0%\01\0`
</Patch>

What tools do you use to find the right places to patch?

For patches like this one where it is just text strings I just use a hex editor (Emacs in hexl-mode, but any hex editor would do.) If you have GNU binutils you could also use the 'strings' command.

For patches which alter the code itself I use a disassembler ('objdump' from GNU binutils.)

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Is there a description of what functionality this patch adds?

I've started working on it in the Index to the Metazoa firmware patches thread, but it will take time, like many programming related things it seems to take more effort to explain what something does than it takes to create it in the first place.

That thread will link to the 'Instructions for patching firmware ...' thread for the latest firmware version, and eventually will have a post explaining what each patch does, with screenshots etc.

Idealy that thread will be the only sticky one, and this and other 'Instructions for patching ...' threads it links to could be unstuck.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I've started working on it in the Index to the Metazoa firmware patches thread, but it will take time, like many programming related things it seems to take more effort to explain what something does than it takes to create it in the first place.

That thread will link to the 'Instructions for patching firmware ...' thread for the latest firmware version, and eventually will have a post explaining what each patch does, with screenshots etc.

Idealy that thread will be the only sticky one, and this and other 'Instructions for patching ...' threads it links to could be unstuck.

I never had problems following your patch instructions, but this new structure will be great !

[Thor]

Indeed the new instructions are very helpful! Thanks for the explanations! :-)

[mamado]

Many thanks GeoffR for the patches and instructions.

You had a patch previously to change book titles style from Italic to Normal, so that it works for Arabic
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=17

I couldn't find it in the new patch files, and when I tried to use it, I got an error, can you please let me know how to update it?

Thanks.

Just noticed you mentioned that this patch was hard in #8, sorry to hear that, I am not sure if I can be of any help. Thanks again for your efforts, and please let us know when you are able to fix it.