01-30-2011, 11:57 AM | #1 |
Junior Member
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Device: nookColor
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FBSync - FBReader Sync App w/ Dropbox
Hello all!
Recently I've started using two seperate Android devices to read books using FBReaderJ for Android, a NookColor, and my phone, a Sprint EVO 4G. Very quickly, I ran into a problem. I read the same books on both devices, so I ended up spending a lot of time looking for my place whenever I switched devices (I used the NC at home, and my phone everywhere else). I imagine that this must be a problem quite a few people are having, or will be having as android devices become more popular. So, I wrote an android app to synchronize my place in each book between the two devices. I also added a Dropbox interface so you can sync your actual book files between devices using your own Dropbox account! App Name: FBSync Current Version: v1.0.14 beta Requirements: 1) Root. Your devices must be rooted. This application only uses root for two things. First, it uses root to get access to the FBReaderJ books database, and second, it uses root to kill the FBReaderJ process before it syncs the data (it has to kill the process to force FBReader to reload the database). 2) FBReaderJ must be installed on the device (you will be prompted to install it if you haven't already when you load my app) 3) You must have already opened FBReaderJ at least once, and viewed it's library (Menu button, "Library"). This creates the databases that my application needs. Download: It's been posted to the market, so just search for FBSync and you can find the latest version! Instructions for Use: After you install it, go into the settings (blue icon, or menu/ settings), and enter an email (doesn't have to be an email, any unique string will work) and numeric pin # (this isn't secure, so don't use a pin you care about). The email/pin is just to uniquely identify you. You should use the same email/pin on each device. On the same screen, you can choose to sync the actual book files as well as their positions. Only your account can access the books, if you choose to sync them. It only uploads/downloads the books when it needs them, so it may take a while the first time you sync, but after that it shouldn't take more than a minute MAX (my typical sync times for 90 books is about 5-10 seconds) Click the middle, orange icon, to begin the sync process. It first uploads, then downloads. It only updates the book's "place" on the web if it's farther ahead than the web's "place" for the book. Miscellaneous Info: This program is still in beta. I have used and tested it extensively, but I'm not liable if you manage to break it somehow. Since it does alter the data in FBReader's databases (it does not, and never will, alter the database structures), it is possible, but very unlikely, that it could lose your book's places. I would suggest that you back up FBReaderJ using something like Titanium Backup before you start using FBSync, just to be on the safe side. The synchronized data is currently hosted on my personal web server, but I've had people suggest syncing it with Google. As of right now, I don't have any plans to change the way it syncs, but if enough interest is shown, I would be willing to consider almost anything. Please let me know of any issues you find, or any improvements you want. Thanks, Scott |
01-30-2011, 05:42 PM | #2 |
Zealot
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Device: NookColor (CM7); OLPC XO (Ubuntu 8.10); HTC Thunderbolt (CM7)
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I've been playing around with this a bit and it works well. If you use FBReader on multiple Android devices, you need this app.
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02-01-2011, 08:00 AM | #3 |
Groupie
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Device: samsung 8.9, galaxy note 10.1, galaxy note 2, nook hd+, ipad
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works wonderfully!
i use my phone with droid vnc to read at my desk, then sync and continue at night with my nook color. i wish i'd have know about this earlier. great work! |
02-01-2011, 11:39 AM | #4 |
Wizard
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Device: Galaxy S, Nook w/CM7
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Love this concept. I'm wondering however if it can be extended to be more than an FBReader feature. Like supporting kindle (mdp) sync or sync for Moon+.
=X= |
03-08-2011, 07:01 AM | #5 |
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Device: Pandigital Novel
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I love this app but suddenly I can't use it on one of my android devices and so it does me no good. I'm getting the error:
Status: Cannot Read Database (db) It works fine on the other device. Please help. |
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03-08-2011, 05:46 PM | #6 |
The Dank Side of the Moon
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Sounds great except for the rooting thing.
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03-09-2011, 08:22 AM | #7 |
Groupie
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Device: samsung 8.9, galaxy note 10.1, galaxy note 2, nook hd+, ipad
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launch fbreader first then try syncing again. it may be that your db file was deleted and you need to recreate it with fbreader.
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03-09-2011, 12:03 PM | #8 |
Illiterate
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03-09-2011, 12:27 PM | #9 |
Wizard
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Not possible to do this without rooting as for security reasons android normally does not allow one app to mess with another. Only way you could get it is if the author of fbsync forks a version of fbreaderj and put fbsync into it. Or if fbreader saves its settings and last read etc to sdcard where all apps can access it.
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03-11-2011, 12:42 AM | #10 |
Junior Member
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Device: Pandigital Novel
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Tried that already. I've tried uninstalling fbreader, reinstalling, running fbreader then fbsync and no matter what I do I get the same error message.
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03-11-2011, 05:31 PM | #11 | |
Junior Member
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Device: nookColor
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Quote:
Scott |
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03-11-2011, 05:34 PM | #12 | |
Junior Member
Posts: 8
Karma: 214
Join Date: Jan 2011
Device: nookColor
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Quote:
Scott |
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03-11-2011, 05:47 PM | #13 |
Orisa
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Location: Ireland
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I have two rooted devices, and certainly I'm your target because I read in both. I'll try it out and see what comes out.
*Edit* What should we do in case we receive an error in a Pop-Up? The content is not easy to copy Should we use Logcat logs? Last edited by Logseman; 03-11-2011 at 07:40 PM. |
03-11-2011, 08:34 PM | #14 |
Illiterate
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Since getting my Galaxy Tab, I find that I have no desire to read on any other device. My HTC EVO 4G has suddenly become too small (imagine that) and my PC too restrictive as I can't carry it around, e.g. to the bathroom or the layback chair or to bed. So my need for a sync feature has gone away.
Thanks for the effort in any case delvorak, I still think WhisperSync is the best part of Kindle. If it only would work with side loaded books. |
03-11-2011, 08:47 PM | #15 |
The Dank Side of the Moon
Posts: 35,872
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Location: Denver, CO
Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire
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I'm finding I'm doing more and more on my Xoom - reading (kindle app), browsing, email ... it's just so damn convenient!!!
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Tags |
android, fbreader, root, sync |
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