Android for Kobo v2 - improved reading mode

[MarekGibek]

Hi!

If anyone is in doubt if Android can fully replace original Kobo software for reading I did a few changes to give you best reading experience!

1. Modified version of coolreader3 has full screen refreshes after (configurable) number of page turns. No more "ghosts" during reading!!
2. You can modify any other open source reader software (like FBReader) to behave the same - to know how to do it just look at my changes to coolreader on git-hub.
3. For not open sourced software (MoonReader etc.) - there is a new option in the kobo service (you can open kobo service using "photo" button) to enable/disable full refreshes for every screen update. It works pretty good when reading (no ghosts) but is very disturbing in other places (too much flickering).
4. Experimental monochrome and monochrome dithered modes.
5. USB Mass-storage support.

Sample SD card images:

• For Kobo Touch: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8pfqgriu85...ouch_public.7z
• For Kobo Glo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ffpkf15ck..._Glo_public.7z

Note! There may be accidentally left commercial software in the sample images for which you may not have license so either buy it, uninstall it or replace it with a free version.

Source codes:

• Kernel: https://github.com/marek-g/kobo-kernel-2.6.35.3-android
• Kobo Service: https://github.com/marek-g/kobo-service
• CoolReader3: https://github.com/marek-g/coolreader3/tree/marek

Look at my changes to CoolReader3 and make your favorite Android application e-Ink optimized !!!

[Lucas Malor]

Hi Marek! This is a very good new. I tried Android on my Glo some days ago and I was impressed. I played with it a little, but I returned to the "Kobo OS" also because readers had many ghost problems.

But it was not the only trouble. I see many problems with Android on Kobo:

1. GUI is confusing: nickel GUI is minimalistic and black-on-white.
2. Too much scrolling: in nickel you open a window or turn a page
3. too much refreshes: nickel is more conservative, it do a full refresh only when you really needs it

Do you plan to do some modification to the Tolino GUI? If so, I'll be happy to give you my modest contribute.

[am9]

I run kobo v2 last night,looks good but a little bugs

[am9]

Hello Marek! thank you for developing the new android rom of kobo glo,I wirte it into the internal SD and it runs, the new UI and kobo service are awsome,I enjoy it ,and the ghost shadow less than before as you say,I can see the character and pichtur are sharper and darker than before, I expect this android can work together with kobo OS,and I try to run 2 patch which can run andriod in external SD,but failrue，I hope you can make the k2 run in the external SD and doual boot with the kobo OS ,and fix some bugs such as LED can't turn off, front light can't turn off,at your next update ,thank you very much!

[embryo]

Hi Marek,
I checked your new image and I saw some interesting things there.
The most important for me is the Kobo Service_v2.0.apk
As I understand it, this is an updated Kobo Rotate_v1.1.apk with some very nice additions.
I installed it to my system and although the USB portion worked, the other parts (rotation and refresh) didn't.
BTW Can you explain a little about the monochrome and monochrome dithered modes.

My reader is configured to Dual boot Android and the 'Kobo Start Menu', and it would be nice to use the Kobo Service_v2.0.apk, but I have a hunch that is a bit more complicated than just an installation...

Starting from your older image for Glo, I could copy over these files, and have an image I could dual boot.
This is not working with your new image.

Anyway, its nice to know that you're still working on the Android version for Kobos.

[lekofraggle]

Hello,
Thank you for this. It certainly is good news. I tried to run the Kobo glo sd image, but It kept bootlooping. Any idea why? I burned your older image to my sd, and it worked fine.

~Leko

[Haugor]

Thank you for the work. I just update from the Version 1 to V2, there are many great improvements! I especially interseted in the option 'monochromatic dithered' of "Kobo service".

[MarekGibek]

Originally Posted by Lucas Malor

Do you plan to do some modification to the Tolino GUI? If so, I'll be happy to give you my modest contribute.

Thanks Lukas! What you are asking of requires modification of every app. I've modified coolreader3 and I'm very happy with the results. I'm spending 80% of time reading with it and 20% in news reader/web browser so the rest is not very important for me. Changing web browser to page based is too hard probably. So for now I'm not planning to make more UI changes.

Originally Posted by am9

I expect this android can work together with kobo OS,and I try to run 2 patch which can run andriod in external SD,but failrue，I hope you can make the k2 run in the external SD and doual boot with the kobo OS ,and fix some bugs such as LED can't turn off, front light can't turn off,at your next update ,thank you very much!

I never tried dual boot. Also I don't have kobo glo (but kobo touch) - that's why I didn't setup front light. And kill me but I like the blinking LED - it's an indicator if the device is really sleeping for me.

However, the changes in v2 version should be compatible with all changes proposed for v1 by other people - including dual boot, turning off LED and installing software for front light. Please try to do it yourself - you should succeed.

Originally Posted by embryo

Hi Marek,
I checked your new image and I saw some interesting things there.
The most important for me is the Kobo Service_v2.0.apk
As I understand it, this is an updated Kobo Rotate_v1.1.apk with some very nice additions.
I installed it to my system and although the USB portion worked, the other parts (rotation and refresh) didn't.

Yes, Kobo Service 2.0 is newer version of Kobo Rotate service. You need only one. It communicates with modified kernel and to make it fully working you need to upgrade the kernel, too (copy image bytes from 0x100000 - 0x6FFFF0).

Originally Posted by lekofraggle

Hello,
Thank you for this. It certainly is good news. I tried to run the Kobo glo sd image, but It kept bootlooping. Any idea why? I burned your older image to my sd, and it worked fine.

No, sorry. It's working for am9 on Kobo Glo. Maybe try again with different SD card? In which moment is it rebooting? Do you see booting animation? If yes, you can connect it to PC to USB port and look at logcat logs ("adb logcat" command during booting).

Originally Posted by Haugor

Thank you for the work. I just update from the Version 1 to V2, there are many great improvements! I especially interseted in the option 'monochromatic dithered' of "Kobo service".

Thanks! I was hoping it will allow me to play games but unfortunately my implementation is too slow

[Lucas Malor]

Ok, I understand. It was not my intention to touch every app, "only" the X. If you change opinion, rattle my cage I'll be very happy to waste my free time to help you to waste your free time.

[embryo]

Originally Posted by MarekGibek

Yes, Kobo Service 2.0 is newer version of Kobo Rotate service. You need only one. It communicates with modified kernel and to make it fully working you need to upgrade the kernel, too (copy image bytes from 0x100000 - 0x6FFFF0).

The eInk part works fine with the new kernel.
The USB part is also OK (worked with your older kernel too).
The rotation part still half working as before.
The screen rotates but the touch control does not, so your tap in one place triggers an event 90 decrees off.

BTW what are the differences of the new kernel compared to the old?

[lekofraggle]

Marek, Thanks again. After doing the adb dump I realized my issue was that I was using your internal image on my extsd without making any changes. I do not have a linux box at the moment so, I made the required changes through adb. It works like a charm.

[HaoZeke]

I hope this isn't an inappropriate or overtly dumb question but, any ideas/advice to getting this to work on the aura HD?

[lekofraggle]

Hello again, I was wondering if anyone got the play store to work on this build. I keep getting the dreaded "cannot connect to server" error.

I have set my date and time,
Edited my hosts file
Cleared cache and data on Google play and services framework
Even tried reset to factory (do not try this, it breaks the install)
I get the issue in both the play store and gmail.

What am I missing?

~leko

Edit, it is not a WiFi issue, dolphin connects to the Internet. As does Dropbox.

[lekofraggle]

So, I got a new error on this build. I got a "Your license is invalid message." I think the app that was having trouble is my copy of Mantano pro. I wonder if the issue is that this copy of the Play store and its associated certs are set to yours. How do we change that?

~Leko

[JimMcLaren]

Originally Posted by HaoZeke

I hope this isn't an inappropriate or overtly dumb question but, any ideas/advice to getting this to work on the aura HD?

I wouldn't think the question is either since I have the same question. That makes two of us (and probably many more).