[SOLVED] Kobo Touch

GPGAgent · 05-15-2021, 08:26 AM

Hi Everyone,

I bought a refurbished Kobo Touch ereader - I was hoping to use it to read PDF's by copying them to the device via usb.

I do have a Kindle but I do not wish to use it for this way, the Kobo is going to be tech manual library to use while out and about fixing things :-)

Anyway, I cannot get past the Welcome screen without downloading the Kobo stuff, via a Windows installer file.

Trying a WiFi setup the Kobo will not connect until it's been updated.

Wine could do it but Wine does not work on my Mint 20 machine.

After a bit of searching the web it seems the Kobo is wanting to put a user onto it.

This is one site I found:http://www.mobileread.mobi/forums/sh...d.php?t=171664

You can do this with Sqlite3, and I found all you need to do is insert a user like this:

Code:

INSERT INTO "user" VALUES('foo','foo','foo','foo','foo');

This failed, no table called user, so I created one like this:

Code:

CREATE TABLE user (COL1 TEXT NOT NULL, COL2 TEXT NOT NULL, COL3 TEXT NOT NULL, COL4 TEXT NOT NULL, COL5 TEXT NOT NULL);

and then ran the insert command, this worked fine.

I shutdown the Kobo and restarted it - still shows the welcome screen and I cannot get past it.

This is the Kobo details:

Code:

Version and Device XML: R905B31204328,2.6.35.3,2.1.0,2.6.35.3,2.6.35.3,00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000310

<deviceInfo xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/adept"><deviceClass>Kobo eReader</deviceClass><deviceSerial>R905B31204328</deviceSerial><deviceName>Kobo eReader</deviceName><deviceType>mobile</deviceType><version name="hobbes" value="9.3.45695-DL.20111103"/><fingerprint>RzM6CfANALxrzUR4ONPivVWeZHk=</fingerprint></deviceInfo>

I'm still stuck on the Welcome screen - with COMPUTER or WIRELESS SETUP!

Any ideas folks?

shruggy · 05-15-2021, 11:29 AM

I don't think creating the table like this is the right thing to do. Are you sure you were looking at the right database?

In your previous thread, DavidMcCann linked to a guide suggesting installation of sqlitebrowser in order to do this, and I found their suggestion ridiculous back then. Maybe not so much now. At least you'd immediately see what tables are there in the database.

michaelk · 05-15-2021, 11:34 AM

I don't have a Kobo reader but just from reading the posted website you may not of followed the steps exactly.

Does the KoboReader.sqlite3 data base exist on the reader and did you actually open it? i.e. sqlite3 /path/to/KoboReader.sqlite3
A dummy table with the wrong column names probably will not work. I have not search enough to find if the table structure has been posted anywhere.

From the specific website you need to add dummy information but it looks like some of it needs to be a specific format.

shruggy · 05-15-2021, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelk

I have not search enough to find if the table structure has been posted anywhere.

I'll copy from the previous thread:

Code:

<<! sqlite3 /media/$USER/KOBOeReader/.kobo/KoboReader.sqlite
insert into USER
  (UserID, UserKey, UserDisplayName, UserEmail)
values
  ("foo", "foo", "foo", "foo");
!

michaelk · 05-15-2021, 11:54 AM

Thanks, I hadn't read your links yet.

GPGAgent · 05-16-2021, 04:31 AM

Cheers Folk,
And to answer them all, yes the sqlite folder did exist onmy Kobo where it should be.

as well I could not find the definition of the table it needed, the user table, so i just created it as explained in one of the links I found.

Shruggy, your posts look good, I'll give it a go and do some more searching.

One thing I did find was that to reset the Kobo hold down the home button on the front while powering it on.

Later's guys, it's pouring with rain down here in deepest North Cornwall

GPGAgent · 05-16-2021, 09:14 AM

Making slow progress, so far I've created the USER table as Shruggy described

Code:

jonke@charlie:~$ sqlite3 KoboReader.sqlite 
SQLite version 3.31.1 2020-01-27 19:55:54
Enter ".help" for usage hints.
sqlite> insert into USER
   ...>   (UserID, UserKey, UserDisplayName, UserEmail)
   ...> values
   ...>   ("foo", "foo", "foo", "foo");
Error: table USER has no column named UserID
sqlite> drop table user
   ...> ;
sqlite> .tables
sqlite> CREATE TABLE USER (UserID TEXT NOT NULL, UserKey TEXT NOT NULL, UserDisplayName TEXT NOT NULL, UserEmail TEXT NOT NULL);
sqlite> .tables
USER
sqlite> insert into USER
   ...>   (UserID, UserKey, UserDisplayName, UserEmail)
   ...> values
   ...>   ("foo", "foo", "foo", "foo");
sqlite> select * from USER;
foo|foo|foo|foo
sqlite> .exit
jonke@charlie:~$

Next I installed wine that works with Linux Mint
Then I downloaded the kobosetup.exe file
Then I ran

Code:

wine kobosetup.exe

That brought up the Kobo Setup web page (see immages attached) - all good I thought, but that was it, couldn't get any further, and this is what the wine terminal session produced

Code:

wine kobosetup.exe 
0038:err:richedit:ReadStyleSheet skipping optional destination
0038:err:richedit:ReadStyleSheet skipping optional destination
0038:err:richedit:ReadStyleSheet skipping optional destination
0038:err:richedit:ReadStyleSheet skipping optional destination
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
0030:err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
jonke@charlie:/home/jonk/KOBO$ 0053:err:ole:CoCreateInstanceEx apartment not initialised

The Kobo Touch was connected via usb cable to my PC and so the internet.
The error message I guess is from wine.

What next?

shruggy · 05-16-2021, 09:31 AM

After you unplug and power up Kobo, do you get the "QUICK TOUR / Meet your eReader" screen?

From the guide linked above:

Quote:

Please connect to the Internet displayed?

If the download fails, click the TRY AGAIN button.

Note that when I created this document it took me 3 tries for the update to successfully download.

GPGAgent · 05-16-2021, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shruggy

After you unplug and power up Kobo, do you get the "QUICK TOUR / Meet your eReader" screen?

From the guide linked above:

Nope, just the same screen, Welcome to Kobo! with two buttons, COMPUTER SETUP or WIRELESS SETUP

If I use WIRELESS it connects briefly then it gets a network error, Try Again button fails so Cancel is the only option and I know the password is correct (WPA/WPA2)

GPGAgent · 05-16-2021, 05:29 PM

Update! I hadn't noticed but I've installed the Kobo Desktop Icon - it was behind my main browser.

So this brings up the the Setup page, as in post #7

I think I may need to set up an account.......

More 2morrow!

ondoho · 05-17-2021, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GPGAgent

I think I may need to set up an account.......

Yes:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6195356

Also see
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6195696

Hacking is possible afaics, even installing proper GNU/Linux:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=install+linux+on+"kobo+touch"

GPGAgent · 05-17-2021, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

Yes:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6195356

Also see
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6195696

Hacking is possible afaics, even installing proper GNU/Linux:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=install+linux+on+"kobo+touch"

Thanks for those links, look useful threads, I'll read through them later today.

I have created an account, I've selected a couple of books to preview so they're in my library and I can read them on my pc via the kobo desktop app (it a wine install), but I cannot register my kobo

I've powered it off , then on, and I cannot get past the Welcome to Kobo screen - two buttons COMPUTER SETUP and WIRELESS SETUP - neither work

GPGAgent · 05-17-2021, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

Yes:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6195356

Also see
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...0/#post6195696

Hacking is possible afaics, even installing proper GNU/Linux:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=install+linux+on+"kobo+touch"

Checked out the above thread, not too useful, basically it doesn't help me get past the "Welcome to Kobo" screen, thanks anyway, in fact I contributed to that thread, albeit off-topic which I apologised for :-(

GPGAgent · 05-17-2021, 10:05 AM

Found this:https://shallowsky.com/blog/tech/kobo-hacking.htmlinfo on the sqlite db

and another at: http://kobodb-schema.sourceforge.net/index.html

GPGAgent · 05-17-2021, 11:18 AM

It all looks good to me

Code:

sqlite> PRAGMA table_info(user);
0|UserID|TEXT|1||1
1|UserKey|TEXT|1||0
2|UserDisplayName|TEXT|0||0
3|UserEmail|TEXT|0||0
4|___DeviceID|TEXT|1||0

sqlite> .tables
AbTest              Rules               content_settings    volume_shortcovers
Achievement         Shelf               publications        volume_tabs       
Bookmark            ShelfContent        ratings           
DbVersion           content             shortcover_page   
Event               content_keys        user              

sqlite> select * from user;
61df00a6-907f-4836-b349-4367651fcab5|e2015759-a200-42e4-b58c-5611a7ff562e|trilogybundle@kobo.com|trilogybundle@kobo.com|11:22:33:44:55:66
sqlite>

what now, I think I may need to try kobosetup on a windoze machine :-(