Libra 2 Active pen support

[chris33]

Hi,
I saw that someone used a Microsoft active pen on the libra 2, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmVSDzVr6d8
It was posted in april 2022.
I have tried with all firmware versions since that time from 4.32.19501 to latest 4.35.20400.
And the sketching app never worked with my MS pen.

But.... When resetting my Libra 2, before setting or bypassing the user account creation the pen does work on the interface.

How can this be ?
It looks like the libra 2 hardware supports this type of pen.
But when creating a user then the pen gets disabled.

How can it be re-enabled ?
is there a DB, FW, conf file... hack for this ?

Also I see that the FW is the same as for the sage and elipsa.
Can the FW be hacked to have the same features of the sage/elipsa on the libra 2 ?

Thank you for your help

[dreambeat]

I don't have a Microsoft pen to test it with, but adding SideloadedMode=true under ApplicationPreferences to your conf file might work, since it appears to disassociate your ereader from a kobo account.

As for running Sage/Elipsa firmware on the Libra 2 - The Sage and Elipsa run on a different hardware version than the Libra 2. This means that it's very, very unlikely that firmware for either will work on the Libra 2. I suspect that trying to add it will result in either a failed upgrade or a bricked ereader.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by dreambeat

I don't have a Microsoft pen to test it with, but adding SideloadedMode=true under ApplicationPreferences to your conf file might work, since it appears to disassociate your ereader from a kobo account.

As for running Sage/Elipsa firmware on the Libra 2 - The Sage and Elipsa run on a different hardware version than the Libra 2. This means that it's very, very unlikely that firmware for either will work on the Libra 2. I suspect that trying to add it will result in either a failed upgrade or a bricked ereader.

It's been tried. The result using Sage firmware on a Libra 2 was a bricked device. It took writing a Libra 2 µSD card image to revive the Libra 2.

[Quoth]

The Kobo or MS compatible Pen (without One Note BT) works fine in the Sketchpad on Libra 2 with it logged in. One button is fat marker and other is erase.

The Sage & Elipsa use extra software for the Notebooks. On the Sage it's not installed at all till you first use a pen/stylus and then downloaded from a different server to regular Kobo sync.

The pen/stylus is some use for PDFs on Sage/Elipsa, but no handwriting to text conversion, just an image layer added on a page.

The pen/stylus is pointless for epub. It creates a separate kind of annotation with no handwriting to text conversion, which is nearly useless compared to using touch screen keyboard to add a note to a highlight.

So even if Sage FW worked on a Libra 2 it would only usefully add scribbling on a PDF, but the 7″ is too small for most PDFs. Kobo wouldn't do the download of the Nebo SW to it. The Nebo SW for Notebooks and Advanced Notebooks seems a little different for Elipsa and Sage. It's all on the user accessible partition when USB Mass Storage mounted, as you can copy the files from one Sage to another when regular Kobo reg & sync works but the Update Server for the Nebo stuff is off line. This also involves adding lines to the regular Kobo conf file.

I'd not even try to get pen annotation and notebooks to work on a Kobo Libra 2. Maybe in the future Kobo will add it.

I don't use pen to annotate epubs on Sage and only annotate (scribble on) PDFs on the Elipsa.

I prefer the Sage Advanced Notebooks to the Elipsa and the Basic Notebook is pointless as it can't convert to Advanced and you can use the Advanced one like a Basic if you desire.

[chris33]

Originally Posted by dreambeat

I don't have a Microsoft pen to test it with, but adding SideloadedMode=true under ApplicationPreferences to your conf file might work, since it appears to disassociate your ereader from a kobo account.

As for running Sage/Elipsa firmware on the Libra 2 - The Sage and Elipsa run on a different hardware version than the Libra 2. This means that it's very, very unlikely that firmware for either will work on the Libra 2. I suspect that trying to add it will result in either a failed upgrade or a bricked ereader.

Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry I'm very new to Kobo, but which file is the conf file ?
I can see these files only:

._KoboRoot.tgz
._manifest.md5sum
._upgrade
BookReader.sqlite
Kobo
KoboReader.sqlite
affiliate.conf
certificates
custom-dict
device.salt.conf
dict
dropbox
fonts.sqlite
guide
kepub
version

ok just found it in folder: Kobo -> file: Kobo eReader.conf
But this didn't change anything.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by dreambeat

I don't have a Microsoft pen to test it with, but adding SideloadedMode=true under ApplicationPreferences to your conf file might work, since it appears to disassociate your ereader from a kobo account.

No, it makes no difference.

[chris33]

The pen works on the 2 first pages from fresh install:
- choose the language
- use wifi yes/no

Then it doesn't matter if you create a regular account at Kobo on the internet, create a dummy user in the sqlite DB or set the SideloadedMode value, the pen doesn't work anymore

I have also compared contents of folder .kobo before and after and nothing major changes (restored some files but without effect)

Can this be managed by the firmware, or hidden/unknown setting somewhere ?

[chris33]

Ok I finally found it.
So go the magnifier and enter devmodeon.
Then go to:
Plus / Parameters / technical information / developer options -> view, then 3rd page under Testing, enable stylus -> on

et voila

[Quoth]

More -> Settings -> Device Information page 2 -> Developer options

I also tried clearing "Disable Native PDF Annotations"


It's totally pointless as it simply recognises pen taps, which sort of work anyway. No PDF annotation, and epub annotation is pointless with a pen as even on Sage & Elipsa there is only handwriting conversion in Advanced notebook.

The Sketchpad works with pen/stylus without devmodeon

[Cootey]

Not to hijack the thread, but which alternative pens do you recommend as best bang for the buck?

[Quoth]

I've bought two different 3rd party ones which at the time were the cheapest on Amazon UK, about 1/2 price of original Kobo price, but the Kobo model is about 40% cheaper than at release now. The 3rd party pens are about 1/4 price of official MS Surface Pen. Models with two buttons on barrel, AAAA cell and no BT (only used for One Note on Surface). Shelf life of alkaline AAAA much longer than rechargeable cell (which are not replaceable) and run time is about x4 on the Alkaline AAAA. Rechargeable makes sense for larger or higher consumption things. The rechargeable 3rd party pens are also about twice the price.

Some kinds of Alkaline 9V packs have 6 off almost AAAA cells inside, others use oval layered cells. They are slightly shorter, but if the bonding clip to next cell is left on + end then it fits. Note that ALL Alkaline cells have the seal at the negative end and larger cells have a fake nub at the top to simulate top cap on Zinc-Carbon, so the AAAA often are nearly flat at + end and have a slight nub (the seal) at the - end, thus carefully observe + & - marks on cell and orientation required for the Pen.
Here the AAAA cell is often in a cheap packet with a Lady cell (slightly fatter) and maybe two kinds of 12V batteries for car fobs or doorbells. The Duracell and Energiser are massively overpriced and testing of regular AA size shows them no better than cheap Alkaline cells.

Both perform identically to the Kobo Pens we have. Just look for whatever is cheapest with the two buttons on the barrel and no One Note (Bluetooth) option. I think most Surface models since Surface 2.
I've used Wacom pens (not on Kobo as they are not compatible) with eraser tip at the top and find that slower than an erase button on the barrel, though it mimics a pencil, because you've to turn it over. I've used four Wacom models (one on a Remarkable and one on a Lenovo X201) and find them inferior to the Apple Pencil or the Kobo/MS Pen (MS liked it so much they bought the company that invented that type).

The 3rd party pens tend to come with spare tips. The Kobo didn't and a box of spare tips was expensive. None of mine use the same tips.
The tips are soft plastic that will wear away if you press too hard. The non-EMR Wacom all have hard tips because either for glass or a digitiser tablet.
The original reMarkable has a textured plastic plastic surface and three navigation buttons, the reMarkable 2 has glass as it's actually cheaper and more suited to the Wacom EMR pen, but thus more awkward to write on.

Unless you use the Sketch pad (saved pages appear in My Books as svg files) there is no point to the pen on a Libra 2, except if Kobo add support. Turning it "on" in devmode makes almost no difference and it works (thin, fat, erase) on Sketchpad out of the box. Sage & Elipsa have the Sketchpad app when devmode is on, but it's pointless compared to Basic or Advanced Notebooks.