NickelMenu: An integrated launcher for Kobo eReaders - Page 88

DNSB · 05-16-2024, 02:33 PM

There are sample NickelMenu configuration files in this forum.

As @hatulang posted, he has a sample config file on Reddit. I've copy/pasted that config file into this message wrapped in spoiler and code tags:

Spoiler:

Code:

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Home/Main Screen
#
menu_item :main     :Articles/Pocket    :nickel_open :library :pocket
menu_item :main     :Browser            :nickel_browser :modal
menu_item :main     :Wishlist           :nickel_open :discover :wishlist
menu_item :main     :Screensaver toggle :cmd_output :500 :quiet :test -e /mnt/onboard/.kobo/screensaver_old
     chain_failure  :skip :3
     chain_success  :cmd_spawn :quiet :mv /mnt/onboard/.kobo/screensaver_old /mnt/onboard/.kobo/screensaver
     chain_success  :dbg_toast :Wallpaper Mode
     chain_always   :skip :-1
     chain_failure  :cmd_spawn :quiet :mv /mnt/onboard/.kobo/screensaver /mnt/onboard/.kobo/screensaver_old
     chain_success  :dbg_toast :Cover Art Mode
menu_item :main     :Screen Invert toggle :nickel_setting :toggle :invert
     chain_success  :power :reboot
menu_item :main     :WiFi on/off        :nickel_setting :toggle :force_wifi
     chain_success  :nickel_wifi :toggle
menu_item :main     :Sleep              :power :sleep
menu_item :main     :Shutdown           :power :shutdown
menu_item :main     :Reboot             :power :reboot
menu_item :main     :USB Connection     :nickel_misc :force_usb_connection  
#
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Reader
menu_item :reader   :Reading Stats      :nickel_open :reading_life :stats
menu_item :reader   :Search             :nickel_open :store :search
menu_item :reader   :Dark Mode          :nickel_setting :toggle :dark_mode
menu_item :reader   :Screenshots on/off :nickel_setting :toggle :screenshots 
menu_item :reader   :WiFi on/of         :nickel_setting :toggle :force_wifi
     chain_success  :nickel_wifi :toggle
#                
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Browser
menu_item :browser  :Quit               :nickel_misc :home
menu_item :browser  :Search             :nickel_open :store :search
menu_item :browser  :Orientation        :nickel_orientation :swap
#                
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Library/Book page/Screen
menu_item :library  :Home               :nickel_misc :home
menu_item :library  :Books              :nickel_open :library :all
menu_item :library  :Articles/Pocket    :nickel_open :library :pocket
menu_item :library  :WiFi               :nickel_setting :toggle :force_wifi
     chain_success  :nickel_wifi :toggle
#

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Asyd Rayn · 05-16-2024, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hatuluang

I make the simple step-by-step to install nickelmenu including the basic set of command/shortcut in r/kobo. you can find it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kobo/commen...t=share_button

Hope it helps.

Thank you both I'll give it another try. I'm afraid of screwing it up and bricking my new reader, lol!

JSWolf · 05-17-2024, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asyd Rayn

Thank you both I'll give it another try. I'm afraid of screwing it up and bricking my new reader, lol!

Ever since NickelMenu was released, I've never read of anyone bricking their Kobo.

Asyd Rayn · 05-17-2024, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Ever since NickelMenu was released, I've never read of anyone bricking their Kobo.

Haha, you don't know me then -- I'll find a way.

DNSB · 05-17-2024, 01:30 PM

NickelMenu was designed with a failsafe mechanism which will automatically uninstall it if any fatal errors occur. I suppose someonecould open a Telnet/SSH session and start deleting and modifying files but that would be a PEBKAC error.

shyhermit · 05-17-2024, 03:23 PM

I am trying to implement Telnet and FTP access using NickelMenu but am having trouble implementing both functions. Here are the codes I am using:

Code:

menu_item :main    :Telnet             :cmd_spawn          :quiet:/bin/mount -t devpts | /bin/grep -q /dev/pts || { /bin/mkdir -p /dev/pts && /bin/mount -t devpts devpts /dev/pts; }
chain_success                        :cmd_spawn          :quiet:/usr/bin/pkill -f "^/usr/bin/tcpsvd -E 0.0.0.0 1023" || true && exec /usr/bin/tcpsvd -E 0.0.0.0 1023 /usr/sbin/telnetd -i -l /bin/login
chain_success                        :dbg_toast          :Started Telnet server on port 1023.
menu_item :main    :FTP                :cmd_spawn          :quiet:/usr/bin/pkill -f "^/usr/bin/tcpsvd -E 0.0.0.0 1021" || true && exec /usr/bin/tcpsvd -E 0.0.0.0 1021 /usr/sbin/ftpd -w -t 30 /mnt/onboard
chain_success                        :dbg_toast          :Started FTP server for KOBOeReader partition on port 1021.

I see both Telnet and FTP appearing in the menu. But how do I actually use it? Do I just tap on it to "activate" it and then tap on it again to "deactivate" it? I am particularly concerned about FTP since it grants root access without any password protection. Do I need to "reboot" the Kobo after each use even if I "deactivate" the function?

DNSB · 05-17-2024, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shyhermit

I am trying to implement Telnet and FTP access using NickelMenu but am having trouble implementing both functions. Here are

...

I see both Telnet and FTP appearing in the menu. But how do I actually use it? Do I just tap on it to "activate" it and then tap on it again to "deactivate" it? I am particularly concerned about FTP since it grants root access without any password protection. Do I need to "reboot" the Kobo after each use even if I "deactivate" the function?

I just turn off WiFi when I'm not using it.

shyhermit · 05-17-2024, 03:35 PM

Sorry, I don't quite understand. Do you mean I cannot deactivate Telnet and FTP once I tap on either function on the NickelMenu, even if I reboot the Kobo?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

I just turn off WiFi when I'm not using it.

DNSB · 05-17-2024, 03:49 PM

Rebooting your Kobo will disable Telnet/FTP. Since I mostly use my Kobo's at home, I just turn off WiFi when I'm not using it.

shyhermit · 05-17-2024, 05:12 PM

Before I forget, DNSB... Thank you for being such a leader in this community. Your help fielding all of my questions on this forum has been invaluable.

I think I am fundamentally misunderstanding how these buttons work in NickelMenu... Is each button not a "toggle switch" in that you tap it once to turn a feature "on" and then tap it again to turn a feature "off" if a feature has persisting function (like telnet and FTP)?

By your explanation, it seems that a button works basically to simply "enable" telnet or FTP server on the Kobo device. But these "services" will remain on with no way to disable them as long as the device is powered. The only way to "turn them off" is to shutdown or reboot the device. As such, I should add a "shutdown and reboot" button in NickelMenu to do this, correct?

I know for programs, a button acts basically like a shortcut to launch a program.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Rebooting your Kobo will disable Telnet/FTP. Since I mostly use my Kobo's at home, I just turn off WiFi when I'm not using it.

DNSB · 05-17-2024, 07:07 PM

They enable Telnet or FTP. You might be able to toggle them using conditionals similar to the command to enable/disable screenshots but for my uses, only turning on WiFi when I want to use them and turning WiFi off afterwards works for me. I do not enable WiFi when outside my home so I'm not worried about someone connecting to my Kobos.

You could add options to kill telnetd or ftpd as separate NickelMenu commands which might be simpler.

Aleron Ives · 05-17-2024, 07:16 PM

The screenshots option works as a toggle, because Kobo coded it that way; it's a built-in feature of Nickel. Enabling telnet and FTP requires executing specific Linux commands that do not function as toggles. In order to disable telnet and FTP again, you would need to add separate menu items that use cmd_spawn to disable telnet and FTP by issuing separate Linux commands.

DNSB · 05-17-2024, 07:28 PM

If you look at the NickelMenu doc file, there is a sample command called Telnet (toggle). It looks as if you could modify this to start/stop the FTP server as well.

Code:

#   menu_item :main    :Telnet (toggle)    :cmd_output         :500:quiet :/usr/bin/pkill -f "^/usr/bin/tcpsvd -E 0.0.0.0 2023"
#     chain_success:skip:5
#       chain_failure                      :cmd_spawn          :quiet :/bin/mount -t devpts | /bin/grep -q /dev/pts || { /bin/mkdir -p /dev/pts && /bin/mount -t devpts devpts /dev/pts; }
#       chain_success                      :cmd_spawn          :quiet :exec /usr/bin/tcpsvd -E 0.0.0.0 2023 /usr/sbin/telnetd -i -l /bin/login
#       chain_success                      :dbg_toast          :Started Telnet server on port 2023
#       chain_failure                      :dbg_toast          :Error starting Telnet server on port 2023
#       chain_always:skip:-1
#     chain_success                        :dbg_toast          :Stopped Telnet server on port 2023

shyhermit · 05-17-2024, 08:33 PM

Thanks, both DNSB and Aleron Ives. Not knowing how to code at all, I would not even know how to mod the above code to make a toggle for FTP.

I guess the simplest and safest way is to just use the NickelMenu "switch" to reboot the device each time I finished using FTP (which I intend to use only infrequently).

Per DNSB, as Telnet and FTP effects do not persist after reboot, the device remains secure after reboot even if I need to use WiFi when I am outside, correct?

DNSB · 05-17-2024, 08:50 PM

Not quite sure what you mean by outside. Are you connecting to someone else's WiFi outside your home or are you connecting to your own WiFi while sitting on your balcony/porch/patio?

Yes, the telnetd and ftpd would be stopped during the restart and would require a manual restart.

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05-17-2024, 01:30 PM	#1310
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 36,506 Karma: 145748888 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	NickelMenu was designed with a failsafe mechanism which will automatically uninstall it if any fatal errors occur. I suppose someonecould open a Telnet/SSH session and start deleting and modifying files but that would be a PEBKAC error.

05-17-2024, 03:49 PM	#1314
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 36,506 Karma: 145748888 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Rebooting your Kobo will disable Telnet/FTP. Since I mostly use my Kobo's at home, I just turn off WiFi when I'm not using it.

05-17-2024, 07:07 PM	#1316
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 36,506 Karma: 145748888 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	They enable Telnet or FTP. You might be able to toggle them using conditionals similar to the command to enable/disable screenshots but for my uses, only turning on WiFi when I want to use them and turning WiFi off afterwards works for me. I do not enable WiFi when outside my home so I'm not worried about someone connecting to my Kobos. You could add options to kill telnetd or ftpd as separate NickelMenu commands which might be simpler.

05-17-2024, 07:16 PM	#1317
Aleron Ives Wizard Posts: 1,153 Karma: 13621998 Join Date: Sep 2022 Device: Kobo Libra 2	The screenshots option works as a toggle, because Kobo coded it that way; it's a built-in feature of Nickel. Enabling telnet and FTP requires executing specific Linux commands that do not function as toggles. In order to disable telnet and FTP again, you would need to add separate menu items that use cmd_spawn to disable telnet and FTP by issuing separate Linux commands.

05-17-2024, 08:33 PM	#1319
shyhermit Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 3160 Join Date: Apr 2024 Device: none	Thanks, both DNSB and Aleron Ives. Not knowing how to code at all, I would not even know how to mod the above code to make a toggle for FTP. I guess the simplest and safest way is to just use the NickelMenu "switch" to reboot the device each time I finished using FTP (which I intend to use only infrequently). Per DNSB, as Telnet and FTP effects do not persist after reboot, the device remains secure after reboot even if I need to use WiFi when I am outside, correct?

05-17-2024, 08:50 PM	#1320
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 36,506 Karma: 145748888 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Not quite sure what you mean by outside. Are you connecting to someone else's WiFi outside your home or are you connecting to your own WiFi while sitting on your balcony/porch/patio? Yes, the telnetd and ftpd would be stopped during the restart and would require a manual restart.

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