09-05-2022, 02:00 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Feb 2022
Device: Kobo Libra 2
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Introducing Banana Manga Reader! A browser based manga reading app
I started this project because I wanted to "hack" my kobo to something more and also because UMR didn't work well on my Libra 2. So, I decided to make my own manga reading app. The name Banana Manga Reader is an homage to mango manga reader, which I used on my rooted (nooted) nook simple touch several years ago. Also, I like bananas.
Banana Manga Reader (BMR), is an application designed to read manga on Kobo eReaders, which do not have an inbuilt manga reader for reading manga from online sources. It was designed to be easy to install and use. Banana Manga Reader (BMR) provides most of the features you would want from a manga reader. You can read online, save a title to a favorites list and download chapters to your library for offline reading. The app was made more for reading manga you already know about rather than for discovering new manga, which is why the search capabilities are limited. (cough, cough this is totally by design, yeah.. not because I have limited knowledge about web scraping in python) The app was built entirely with python for the back end, since this is the only language that I had any experience with. This meant that the ways I could interact with the device were limited. So, I relied on HTML for the front end, to provide buttons and images for navigating and viewing. That means that if you are interested, you can experiment with the html files and the python code to customize your BMR app! Even better would be using a similar framework to make more interesting applications for the Kobo eReaders. I will be very interested in seeing what the Kobo and mobileread community can do with it. Features
Installation Make sure you have 300 MB or more space on your Kobo microSD card.
Launching and Using BMR Once you have installed BMR, you can launch the app by performing the following steps:
Note: You will need to be connected to a network to open the application, since it works using the kobo browser. (You do not need an internet connection. Connecting to a network without internet access seems to work) Uninstall BMR To uninstall BMR, connect your Kobo to your computer and navigate to KOBOeReader/.BMR and create a file (any type) called "uninstall". Next, run the startup script from your Kobo: go to nickel menu and select Start BMR server. This will remove BMR and all of the contents of KOBOeReader/.BMR. Any downloaded contents will be lost. Make a backup of the KOBOeReader/.BMR/static/library directory to keep your downloads. To remove the NickelMenu entries, you will have to open the config file from KOBOeReader/.adds/nm/ and remove the entries manually. Obligatory Disclaimer: I have developed and tested the application on a Kobo Libra 2, which is the only Kobo device I own. I cannot guarantee that it will work as intended on other Kobo devices. Use at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damages/ bricking of your devices. Known Bugs and occurances:
Acknowlegements Many thanks to all the developers of NickelMenu for creating a tool that allows us to experiment with our Kobos. The idea of using the browser and the startup script were inspired by the WebPortal project by frostschutz Leave a Tip! If you enjoyed using Banana Manga Reader, leave a nice comment. Better yet, leave me a tip in my tip jar! (paypal: buxared14@gmail.com) As a novice in python, HTML and Linux, it took me many hours and many months to get here. BMR will always remain free, so consider donating. Thanks! I hope you have fun using Banana Manga Reader! Go Bananas !! |
10-06-2022, 10:30 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Device: Nook Wi-Fi
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This works great on my Libra 2! Thank you for making this.
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10-07-2022, 09:12 AM | #3 |
Junior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Device: Nook Wi-Fi
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I found that this has a better experience if you make the browser full screen. For those who don't know. In the guide above. Where you are adding options to KOBOeReader/.kobo/Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf. Under [FeatureSettings].
Add FullScreenBrowser=true In your nickel menu config, you can also add the following option. menu_item :browser:Quit:nickel_misc:home https://i.imgur.com/aMLLoBH.jpg https://i.imgur.com/w5YFhjH.jpg |
10-07-2022, 10:09 AM | #4 |
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Karma: 10
Join Date: Mar 2011
Device: Nook Wi-Fi
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I thought it was worth mentioning. If you do go fullscreen, you can remove the header by changing the nickel menu link to not use modal.
menu_item :main :Open BMR :nickel_browser :http://banana:1234/ I haven't found a good way to close the browser besides putting the device to sleep. This is a better reading experience, at the cost of a little inconvenience getting out of it. https://i.imgur.com/bCUPvRl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/9rr1nbl.jpg |
10-26-2022, 10:17 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Feb 2022
Device: Kobo Libra 2
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I'm glad you are enjoying BMR
I tried going fullscreen, but ended up going with the modal browser because I thought that the familiar UI with the close button and zoom slider was useful too. I wanted to make a custom browser for using BMR. This would make it easier to have all the navigation buttons and other features like fullscreen mode, and also allow opening the browser without a network connection. But, I have no Idea how to do that. |
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10-31-2022, 09:30 AM | #6 | |
Enthusiast
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Device: Kobo Clara 2E
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Quote:
menu_item: browser: Quit: nickel_misc: home |
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06-21-2023, 12:58 AM | #7 |
Junior Member
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Karma: 10
Join Date: Jun 2023
Device: Kobo Libra2
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Hello everyone! I tried your method and I love the fullscreen, but it looks like I have the Pocket button that I can press to I guess save it to my articles. Does anyone know how to remove it so I can see the manga in fullscreen?
It is interesting because when i load it up there is no button but the second i press the button comes up, see the pictures below. Any help is appreciated https://imgur.com/a/bbLlCAA |
09-16-2023, 11:32 AM | #8 | |
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Join Date: Feb 2022
Device: Kobo Libra 2
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Quote:
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10-20-2023, 03:22 PM | #9 |
awesome lucky y4k
Posts: 1
Karma: 10
Join Date: Oct 2023
Device: Kobo Libra 2
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This is awesome and works quite well. I Couldn't get Ultimate Manga Reader to work on my Libra 2 but this one was set up in minutes.
It could definitely use some quality of life work: Being able to sort manga from old to new would be useful, as you have to scroll down the entire page now, as well as being able to pick up where you left off with a manga, and being able to download multiple chapters at the same time. Also, I was wondering if there was a way to remove the white line at the bottom, it persists even after adding the fullscreen browser line in the config file. Not sure if these things would be difficult to implement. It's already awesome that it works so thanks very much for that! |
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