sublipri / kobo-wifi-remote

A web-based remote control for Kobo e-readers

Kobo Wi-Fi Remote 0.2.0

Kobo Wi-Fi Remote is a remote control/page turner for Kobo e-readers. It installs a server on your device that can record and replay touchscreen inputs via a web interface. It is not safe to use on public Wi-Fi networks.

Supported Devices

It should work on any Kobo e-reader released between 2011 and 2023, but is only actively tested on a Glo and Sage with recent firmware.

If the latest version doesn't work on your device, try version 0.1.1. That's more generic in how it functions, but is slower and has fewer features.

Features

• A simple interface designed for smartphones and users with limited dexterity.
• Keyboard shortcuts for use with a computer.
• Custom actions (e.g. adjust the brightness).
• A NickelMenu entry and KOReader plugin for toggling the server.
• Take screenshots using a web browser or NickelMenu.
• Trigger actions with a GET request -- use with a DIY hardware remote or your smart watch

There are some screenshots in the thread on MobileRead.

Installation

1. Download the latest release and extract the .zip file.
2. Connect your e-reader to your computer with a USB cable and browse its storage.
3. Set your computer to show hidden files.
4. Copy the KoboRoot.tgz file to the hidden .kobo directory on your e-reader.
5. Safely eject your e-reader then disconnect the USB cable. Don't touch the power button.
6. Wait for your e-reader to automatically install the package and reboot itself.
7. Connect your e-reader to your Wi-Fi network. If using a smartphone as the remote, the phone's hotspot might work best.
8. Once connected, the e-reader's IP address will be displayed on screen (also in More > Settings > Device Information if required later).
9. Enter the IP address in a web browser and go through the initial setup.

Warning: installing this will enable Kobo's ForceWifiOn setting, which drains the battery quicker. You can still manually disable Wi-Fi when not using the remote if this is a concern, and ForceWifiOn can be disabled in the web interface (under Developer Settings).

Uninstallation

1. Extract the Uninstaller.zip file included with the release.
2. Follow steps 2-6 of the installation process.

If you have shell access you can also just run /opt/wifiremote/bin/wifiremote uninstall (use --dry-run to check what will be removed).

Troubleshooting/Reporting Bugs

Scroll to the bottom of the homepage (at your e-reader's IP address) and press Troubleshooting. There you'll find instructions for generating a log file and reporting issues.

Building

Requires cargo, cross and coreutils

Create a KoboRoot.tgz:

./build.sh

Skip the KoboRoot.tgz, transfer the built files to a Kobo via rsync/ssh, and restart the server:

KOBO_HOST=192.168.1.10 ./build.sh deploy

Create a KoboRoot.tgz, copy it with scp, and reboot the device:

KOBO_HOST=192.168.1.10 ./build.sh install

kobo-wifi-remote's Issues

Unable to record keys on Kobo Aura H20

Device KOBO Aura H2O (1st version)

Can generate screenshot, however cannot generate log "Error: No such file or directory (os error 2)"

Tried on Firefox (android/mac) and Chrome (mac).

During the setup when trying to configure the keys it doesn't give me the 5 seconds and immediately states "error no input detected"

Add voice activation for actions

It looks fairly straightforward to implement this using the Web Speech API.

Create KOReader plugin for toggling on/off

Hi, thanks for the great work!

I wonder would it be possible to add a KOReader plugin that adds a menu item for the HTTP server toggle, effectively doing the same as the NickelMenu one. I never exit KOReader on my Kobo :)

I could also look into this if I find time for it.

Some example plugins may be seen at https://github.com/koreader/contrib