Instructions for patching firmware 4.29.18730

[geek1011]

This patch thread is for firmware 4.29.18730 (23d0731f4273538775397c75ba0ef2dd2028106d):

Instructions for patching on Windows, Linux, or macOS with kobopatch:

1. Download the Kobo firmware release
   You can find the download links here here.
2. Download and extract the patch zip
   Download and unzip kobopatch_4.29.18730.zip from here.
3. Copy the firmware file to the src folder
   Copy the original firmware you just downloaded into the kobopatch src folder.
4. Install the firmware if needed
   Install the firmware on your kobo BEFORE proceeding with the next steps. You can do this by extracting the contents of the firmware zip into the .kobo folder and ejecting.
5. Choose your patches from the files in the src folder
   Enable patches in the files in the src folder (or use the overrides in kobopatch.yaml to keep your options separate).
6. Run kobopatch
   Double-click kobopatch.bat on Windows, or run ./kobopatch.sh on Linux or macOS. On macOS, you can drag it into the terminal and press enter (you may need to go to System Preferences - Security and Privacy - General to confirm that you actually want to run it).
7. Install the patches by copying KoboRoot.tgz into the .kobo folder of your device
   If the patching succeeded, a file named KoboRoot.tgz will be created in the out folder. Copy it to the .kobo folder of your device. Safely remove your device once you are finished. On Linux, you may have to press Ctrl+H to show the .kobo folder.

Download

[geek1011]

Changes to the kobopatch zip:
v74 (2022-01-21): Improved "Unify font sizes" values (sherman), minor improvements to patch comments and descriptions (jackie_w, nkakouros).
v73 (2021-11-02): Backport "Unify font sizes" from 4.30.18838 (sherman), add note about "Replace adobe page numbers toggle with invert screen" in 4.28.18220+ (geek1011), update "Custom header/footer captions" footer position option for 4.29.18730+ (Semwize).
v72 (2021-10-21): Initial release for 4.29.18730.

Missing patches:
- None!

Removed patches in this version:
- geek1011: Change Browse Kobo home screen link target - Articles (this isn't possible anymore due to firmware changes)

New patches in this version:
- sherman: Unify font sizes (mostly replaces "ePub uniform font scale", fixes the font scaling in EPUBs to not be absurdly large on some devices and to be consistent with KEPUBs) (backported from 4.30.18838)

Other notes:
- I do not recommend mixing and matching kobo8/9 (Elipsa, Libra2, Sage) and kobo3-7 firmware. There are non-insignificant differences in the rootfs which may cause issues. For example, Foxit is used for PDFs on the Elipsa, but it isn't included at all on non-kobo8/9 packages.
- If you install kobo8/9 firmware on an older device, you may run into space issues (thanks for pointing this out, @davidfor).

[Almamida]

Thank you so much. Trying this on my Sage right now.

[Deobulakenyo]

Is this the hash: 23d0731f4273538775397c75ba0ef2dd2028106d

I looked at the hash of the patch from https://github.com/pgaskin/kobopatch...4.29.18730.zip and the hash is different.

When i use these overrides, no output file is generated:

overrides:
src/nickel.yaml:
Increase library cover size: yes
Reduce top/bottom page spacer: yes
Increase home screen cover size: yes
Increase Book Details synopsis area: yes
Increase library cover size: yes
Reduce new header/footer height: yes
Custom header/footer captions: yes
Series list increase cover thumbnails: yes
Increase headlines font: yes
src/libadobe.so.yaml:
src/libnickel.so.1.0.0.yaml:
Enable advanced settings for all fonts: yes
Set KePub hyphenation: yes
Swap reading header/footer: yes
Don't grab exclusive access to event0: yes
src/librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml:

when I delete the overrides, a KoboRoot file is generated.

NOTE: i followed the proper spacing, two spaces after each src.. and four after each override. SEE ACTUAL yaml file

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Deobulakenyo

NOTE: i followed the proper spacing, two spaces after each src.. and four after each override. SEE ACTUAL yaml file

Look again, more carefully.

1. You haven't indented the last line by 2 spaces

  src/librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml:

2. You have this line in twice. Remove one of them.

    Increase library cover size: yes

... and your post should have read:

NOTE: i followed the proper spacing, two spaces after BEFORE each src.. and four after BEFORE each override.

[Deobulakenyo]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

Look again, more carefully.

1. You haven't indented the last line by 2 spaces

  src/librmsdk.so.1.0.0.yaml:

2. You have this line in twice. Remove one of them.

    Increase library cover size: yes

... and your post should have read:

Thank you. will look at it again. Thanks

[MGlitch]

I'm guessing for
"Reduce top/bottom page spacer" we'll have to add entries for the Sage and Libra 2?

I'd think the following would work (I may be wrong one of the patch folks can correct me)

      # Sage: 56px --> 28px
      - Find:    "MediumVertSpacer[qApp_deviceIsCadmus=true] {\n  min-height: 56px;\n  max-height: 56px;\n}"
        Replace: "MediumVertSpacer[qApp_deviceIsCadmus=true] {\n  min-height: 28px;\n  max-height: 28px;\n}"

      # Libra2: 50px --> 25px
      - Find:    "MediumVertSpacer[qApp_deviceIsIO=true] {\n  min-height: 50px;\n  max-height: 50px;\n}"
        Replace: "MediumVertSpacer[qApp_deviceIsIO=true] {\n  min-height: 25px;\n  max-height: 25px;\n}"

Obviously I'm just guessing, merely because the Sage and Libra 2 aren't mentioned in the yaml file.

[Semwize]

delete

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Obviously I'm just guessing, merely because the Sage and Libra 2 aren't mentioned in the yaml file.

There are no specific MediumVertSpacer entries in nickel CSS for either the Sage or the Libra2.

• I'd expect the Sage to be using the same value as qApp_deviceIsDaylight.
  
• The Libra2 may be using the qApp_deviceIsStorm value or possibly the qApp_deviceIsDragon value.

.

P.S. I'm also guessing Hard to say without actually testing and I don't have either device.

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

There are no specific MediumVertSpacer entries in nickel CSS for either the Sage or the Libra2.

• I'd expect the Sage to be using the same value as qApp_deviceIsDaylight.
• The Libra2 may be using the qApp_deviceIsStorm value or possibly the qApp_deviceIsDragon value.

.

P.S. I'm also guessing Hard to say without actually testing and I don't have either device.

Yes, that is correct. Sage is daylight->cadmus, and the Libra2 is dragon->io.

Also, @MGlitch, I don't think it's IO as in Input/Output, it's Io as in the daughter of Inachus and Melia in Greek mythology (Kobo seems to have switched themes from mythical creatures).

[geek1011]

Originally Posted by Deobulakenyo

Is this the hash: 23d0731f4273538775397c75ba0ef2dd2028106d

That's the firmware source hash.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by geek1011

Yes, that is correct. Sage is daylight->cadmus, and the Libra2 is dragon->io.

Also, @MGlitch, I don't think it's IO as in Input/Output, it's Io as in the daughter of Inachus and Melia in Greek mythology (Kobo seems to have switched themes from mythical creatures).

Yeah, was in a rush this morning, Io makes more sense than IO, especially given Cadmus et. al.

[Deobulakenyo]

what is meant and what needs to be done when a patch failed :

could not apply patch "Custom header/footer captions": line 291: inst 4: ReplaceZlib: new compressed data is 2 bytes longer than old data (try removing whitespace or unnecessary css)
--> could not apply patch "Custom header/footer captions": line 291: inst 4: ReplaceZlib: new compressed data is 2 bytes longer than old data (try removing whitespace or unnecessary css)

[Semwize]

Originally Posted by Deobulakenyo

--> could not apply patch "Custom header/footer captions": line 291: inst 4: ReplaceZlib: new compressed data is 2 bytes longer than old data (try removing whitespace or unnecessary css)

Add these lines to the end of the patch:

        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"ja\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifJP, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}
        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"zh\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifZH-Simplified, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}
        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"zh-HK\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifZH-Traditional, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}
        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"zh-TW\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifZH-Traditional, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}

[Deobulakenyo]

Originally Posted by Semwize

Add these lines to the end of the patch:

        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"ja\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifJP, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}
        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"zh\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifZH-Simplified, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}
        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"zh-HK\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifZH-Traditional, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}
        - {Find: "#caption[localeName=\"zh-TW\"] {\n  font-family: Sans-SerifZH-Traditional, sans-serif;\n  font-style: normal;\n}\n", Replace: "\n"}

I'll be damned. It worked.

Could you explain what and why it solved the problem and why it is not there in the first place?