Sage Fnac

[avresbo]

I own a Sage Fnac version . Can I run the "regular" Kobo? What´s the diference between the two versions?

Thank´s in advance.

[Cactus Chef]

I believe it's just a flag in the affiliate.conf file, isn't it? You could turn it off and it would be a "stock" Kobo:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Affiliate.conf

[DNSB]

If you look on your Sage in the .kobo directory, you will see a file called affiliate.conf. In that file, you will find a line reading affiliate=<affiliate name>. Using kobo as the affiliate name and restarting will remove the FNAC customization.

You can check the MobileRead WIKI Affiliate.conf entry for a more or less complete list.

[bluepeter]

Editing the affilliate.conf file might not work.

I bought a Libra H2O on eBay a while back, and it turned out to be a fnac version. I was unable to connect it to my Kobo account. The seller suggested editing the affiliate.conf file, which I did. However, something then overwrote it when I rebooted, making it again an fnac version that wouldn't allow connection to my Kobo account. I ended up returning the e-reader for a refund.

[DNSB]

Interesting. I've switched affiliates multiple times. I do have a vague memory of reading that the FNAC affiliate will re-appear after a firmware upgrade but that about all I can recall.

[bluepeter]

In the case of my Libra, it didn't even involve a firmware upgrade. I've been able to find the exchange of e-mails between me and the seller. It reads like this:

Seller -

Please try this, and hopefully, this should work. If not, then open the return.

Finally, there's the FNAC splash screen on loading, and the FNAC screensaver when it's in sleep mode; this can be changed by plugging your Kobo into a computer, opening the .kobo folder and editing affiliate.conf so that "affiliate=fnac" reads "affiliate=" (just delete the "fnac", and then rebooting. This will tell the reader that you bought it straight from Kobo, instead of from an affiliate reseller. (That was the first "hack" I did when I bought my first Kobo from Walmart, and it got me hooked into what tweaks I could do to make the Kobo even better)

Me -

I'm sorry to say that it didn't work.

I found the affiliate.conf file, edited as instructed, saved it and rebooted. Attempts to register the e-reader to my Kobo UK account failed in the same way as yesterday: error messages involving fnac. Examining the affiliate.conf file revealed that something had rewritten it, returning it to its previous state - i.e., it again reads "affiliate=fnac". I went round the loop three times, just to make sure that I hadn't done something wrong (not that there's a lot of scope for it), with identical results. The only change is that the fnac logo has gone from the Powered off screen.

(The seller was as good as gold over the return and refund after this. One of the better eBay sellers.)

[John F]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

In the case of my Libra, it didn't even involve a firmware upgrade. I've been able to find the exchange of e-mails between me and the seller. It reads like this:

Seller -

Please try this, and hopefully, this should work. If not, then open the return.

Finally, there's the FNAC splash screen on loading, and the FNAC screensaver when it's in sleep mode; this can be changed by plugging your Kobo into a computer, opening the .kobo folder and editing affiliate.conf so that "affiliate=fnac" reads "affiliate=" (just delete the "fnac", and then rebooting. This will tell the reader that you bought it straight from Kobo, instead of from an affiliate reseller. (That was the first "hack" I did when I bought my first Kobo from Walmart, and it got me hooked into what tweaks I could do to make the Kobo even better)

Me -

I'm sorry to say that it didn't work.

I found the affiliate.conf file, edited as instructed, saved it and rebooted. Attempts to register the e-reader to my Kobo UK account failed in the same way as yesterday: error messages involving fnac. Examining the affiliate.conf file revealed that something had rewritten it, returning it to its previous state - i.e., it again reads "affiliate=fnac". I went round the loop three times, just to make sure that I hadn't done something wrong (not that there's a lot of scope for it), with identical results. The only change is that the fnac logo has gone from the Powered off screen.

(The seller was as good as gold over the return and refund after this. One of the better eBay sellers.)

Maybe this will help:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...8&postcount=40

[Cactus Chef]

Interesting. That would imply that the affiliate is being stored somewhere other than the affiliate.conf? Otherwise how would the Kobo "know" that the affiliate.conf is wrong and revert it?

[PeterT]

I think that it's a periodic reset of the affiliate. I seem to recall posts by the late @davidfor regarding this change, along with suggestions as to how to get around it.

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[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

Interesting. That would imply that the affiliate is being stored somewhere other than the affiliate.conf? Otherwise how would the Kobo "know" that the affiliate.conf is wrong and revert it?

Yes, it does appear to. And maybe that "somewhere" isn't even on the device itself? I've no idea what information is exchanged when the device connects, but was wondering if it transmits, say, its serial number. In this case, the server might know that it's in a range belonging to a particular affiliate, and send an update to affiliate.conf.

(This is all pure idle speculation. I have absolutely no relevant knowledge.)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

Yes, it does appear to. And maybe that "somewhere" isn't even on the device itself? I've no idea what information is exchanged when the device connects, but was wondering if it transmits, say, its serial number. In this case, the server might know that it's in a range belonging to a particular affiliate, and send an update to affiliate.conf.

(This is all pure idle speculation. I have absolutely no relevant knowledge.)

When your Kobo contacts for a firmware update, the serial number and affiliate is used to determine if you get the update until it is rolled out to all. I also remember davidfor and a discussion from mid-2020 about the affiliate.conf being reset. A quick search for 'davidfor affiliate.conf site:mobileread.com' came up with a good hit for his suggestion to change the LastAffiliateSyncTime to a future data. See this thread FNAC affiliation reset on newer firmware (4.23.15548, maybe before) specifically message #43 in the thread.

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by DNSB

When your Kobo contacts for a firmware update, the serial number and affiliate is used to determine if you get the update until it is rolled out to all. I also remember davidfor and a discussion from mid-2020 about the affiliate.conf being reset. A quick search for 'davidfor affiliate.conf site:mobileread.com' came up with a good hit for his suggestion to change the LastAffiliateSyncTime to a future data. See this thread FNAC affiliation reset on newer firmware (4.23.15548, maybe before) specifically message #43 in the thread.

Interesting. Thank you.

[John F]

Originally Posted by DNSB

When your Kobo contacts for a firmware update, the serial number and affiliate is used to determine if you get the update until it is rolled out to all. I also remember davidfor and a discussion from mid-2020 about the affiliate.conf being reset. A quick search for 'davidfor affiliate.conf site:mobileread.com' came up with a good hit for his suggestion to change the LastAffiliateSyncTime to a future data. See this thread FNAC affiliation reset on newer firmware (4.23.15548, maybe before) specifically message #43 in the thread.

And a reminder to use an appropriate editor. See the link in my previous post.

[Cactus Chef]

Originally Posted by DNSB

When your Kobo contacts for a firmware update, the serial number and affiliate is used to determine if you get the update until it is rolled out to all. I also remember davidfor and a discussion from mid-2020 about the affiliate.conf being reset. A quick search for 'davidfor affiliate.conf site:mobileread.com' came up with a good hit for his suggestion to change the LastAffiliateSyncTime to a future data. See this thread FNAC affiliation reset on newer firmware (4.23.15548, maybe before) specifically message #43 in the thread.

Makes me wonder now what will happen to my Walmart-branded Clara HD after the affiliate partnership officially ends. Right now it still shows the Walmart splash screen (because I never bothered to change it). I wonder if Kobo will leave it indefinitely, or if they'll push out a firmware update that removes it from the affiliate.conf.

[PeterT]

I doubt an update would be needed. I think they could just update the backend servers to associate devices with affiliate Walmart to have another one.

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