Post AhYmHyAudTd4rfcgGu by khm@hj.9fs.net
(DIR) More posts by khm@hj.9fs.net
(DIR) Post #AhYmHyAudTd4rfcgGu by khm@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-03T23:31:15Z
0 likes, 2 repeats
I now own a Kobo Clara BW. Here's the first thing you need to know: pick a language, connect to wifi, it will update itself. After that it will ask you to 'connect the device' which requires a Kobo account.Instead of doing that, plug it into a computer, and when it pops up a little window, click 'Connect.'On the computer go to the .kobo/Kobo directory on the device, and edit the file Kobo eReader.conf. In the [ApplicationPreferences] section, add a line likeSideLoadedMode=trueand save and exit the editor. Unmount the device from your computer, and hold the Clara BW's power button until the white LED flashes. Then press the power button again.When it boots back up, you don't need to register or connect shit. Dump books on it and rock on.I'm posting this because every single internet thing which talks about this leaves out two important facts:1) If you edit that file before updating, or before you get to the QR code screen, it won't take.2) Most of the online people access this mode by signing out of an existing account rather than activating it during first-run setup.
(DIR) Post #AhrauMBgIcA6tZl7tw by khm@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-04T18:16:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
another thing that people who are new to Kobo should know:Kobo tracks your book-reading by default. It does this to do shit like pop up congratulatory notes if you read a lot of books, or give you 'stats' on your reading habits. In order to perform this, it basically encodes your reading habits and sends them to Google Analytics in a not-directly-attributable-to-you manner, via a fake domain called 'devices.kobo.com.'So, obviously some folks do not want this behavior. What you can do is make a hosts file with a line like 127.0.0.1 www.google-analytics.com ssl.google-analytics.com google-analytics.com in addition to the default localhost entry, then put that in a directory called etc and tar | gzip the thing up into a file called KoboRoot.tgz. Plug in your Kobo device, copy that file to the .kobo directory, and unmount your device. The Kobo will see this file as a firmware update, and apply it -- overwriting the default /etc/hosts file with the one you made. Now it can't reach Google Analytics to report anything.Congratulations on reducing the functionality of your device!Here's the file I used: http://sciops.net/downloads/KoboRoot.tgz You can use it for reference or use it directly, but I'm not responsible for your Kobo.There's a ton of other shit you can do to your device -- add fonts, different reading programs, the list goes on, but this is a good start.
(DIR) Post #AhrauN0jEozlRtdtT6 by adam@ruby.social
2024-05-06T05:00:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@khm ohh I didn’t realize you could change DNs on a Kobo. 🤔 That’s a neat option!For Hardcover we’d love to have Kobo devices be able to sync their progress with our site. Do you know if there’s a similar hack that might allow for sending progress to a server of their choice?
(DIR) Post #AhrauO9czDhwzmoVyi by khm@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-06T06:44:48Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
It queues stuff up in the .kobo/Kobo/analytics.conf file. Whether it's possible to subvert the actual URL generation is something I don't know. The 'firmware' they run is just a regular unencrypted Linux system; older devices even used a removable microSD card as the main storage. It probably wouldn't be too hard to write a little plugin to sniff the queue and send off other pings.
(DIR) Post #Ahu8sBGViojzCR4VmK by cinap_lenrek@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-04T21:42:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Man... What is with this terminology..."Sideloading" is the new "Jaywalking".As if it is something dangerous or illegal...
(DIR) Post #Ahu9hE9WkKk4vJ97o0 by EricCarroll@cosocial.ca
2024-05-05T02:00:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@khm I side load all my books & never let it connect to the internet. I have never had to do the .conf change you mentioned (although that is good to know). I do all OS & book loads via sideloading and have always done that.
(DIR) Post #Ahu9hFhwxps5kMG86C by khm@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-05T02:25:50Z
1 likes, 1 repeats
older kobos worked different; that's why I mentioned I was specifically talking about the Clara BW. this is applicable to the current generation of firmware.there was a while there where you had to edit something in an sqlite file to bypass registration. the new thing is at least simpler to execute.directly loading the books has always worked though yes
(DIR) Post #Ahu9hH9daNc4EWDktU by EricCarroll@cosocial.ca
2024-05-05T03:22:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@khm Huh. I did not know you could bypass registration. I have a secondary Kobo account linked to a secondary google account just for the device registration process. Once registered using the secondary accounts, I turn off wifi & sideload OS & books from then on. Been doing it this way for many Kobo generations.If I understand your point, it is that even if you avoid the registration, its still reporting analytics if its wifi connected, so you have to null route google analytics?
(DIR) Post #Ahu9hIZYJVw8dBLxvU by khm@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-05T03:45:26Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Yes, the whole point of my first post on this thread was specifically bypassing Kobo registration. It used to require editing an sqlite file, and then various stuff wouldn't work. With the new sideloading mode, you can do it without ever registering, and dictionary downloads and firmware updates still work. In addition, you don't have the Kobo Store taking up space on your home screen.And yes, even if you avoid registration, there are still Google Analytics trackers in the system. They track how much you read, the time spent reading, and some other stuff. You used to be able to turn this off in the settings, but I don't think you can any more in newer firmware. The hostsfile edit disables the analytics reporting. The device still collects the data, and the cache empties every 500 data points, so it won't fill your disk, but it won't be able to send it off to Google either.
(DIR) Post #AhyJzT1400fyPMMZpA by phil9@hj.9fs.net
2024-05-04T14:38:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Cool! I'm waiting for mine to arrive, this will come handy.