bookhoard/docs/devices/KOBO_SETUP.md

Kobo Device Setup Guide

This guide will help you set up your Kobo e-reader to sync with Bookmann for seamless cross-device reading progress synchronization.

What is Kobo Sync?

Bookmann implements a Kobo-compatible sync protocol that allows your Kobo device to:

• Sync reading progress across all your devices
• Sync highlights and bookmarks
• Sync reading statistics
• Maintain device-specific metadata

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• ✅ A Kobo e-reader device (Clara, Aura, Nia, Libra, Sage, Elipsa, etc.)
• ✅ A Bookmann instance running and accessible on your network
• ✅ Your Bookmann credentials (username and password)
• ✅ USB cable to connect your Kobo to your computer
• ✅ Your Kobo connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Bookmann instance

Supported Kobo Devices

Bookmann supports all Kobo devices that use the standard Kobo sync protocol:

• Kobo Clara: Clara 2E, Clara HD
• Kobo Aura: Aura, Aura H2O, Aura ONE, Aura Edition 2
• Kobo Libra: Libra 2, Libra H2O
• Kobo Forma: All versions
• Kobo Sage: All versions
• Kobo Elipsa: All versions
• Kobo Nia: All versions
• Kobo Touch: Touch 2.0
• Kobo Glo: Glo, Glo HD

Device Registration

Step 1: Find Your Kobo Serial Number

1. Turn on your Kobo device
2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
3. Select Device Information
4. Note your Device Serial Number (e.g., N1234567890123)
   • This is your device identifier for registration

Step 2: Register Your Device in Bookmann

1. Log in to your Bookmann web interface
2. Navigate to Device Management → Add New Device
3. Fill in the device details:
   • Device Name: A friendly name (e.g., "My Kobo Clara")
   • Device Type: Select "Kobo"
   • Device Identifier: Enter your Kobo serial number
4. Click Register Device

You'll receive:

• An Auth URL to approve the device
• Instructions for manual configuration

Step 3: Approve Your Device

1. Method A: QR Code

   • If displayed, scan the QR code with your phone's camera
   • This will open the approval page in your browser
   • Log in and click Approve

2. Method B: Manual URL

   • Copy the Auth URL from the registration confirmation
   • Open it in your web browser
   • Log in to your Bookmann account
   • Click Approve Device

Your device is now registered and ready for configuration!

Configure Kobo Sync

Step 1: Connect Kobo to Your Computer

1. Use your USB cable to connect Kobo to your computer
2. Your computer should recognize Kobo as a storage device
3. Kobo will show "Connected" and "Eject before disconnecting"

Step 2: Edit Kobo Configuration File

Windows Users

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to your Kobo device
2. Open the .kobo folder (hidden folder)
3. Open Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf in a text editor (Notepad++, VS Code, etc.)

Mac Users

1. Kobo device appears on your Desktop
2. Right-click the Kobo volume and select Show Package Contents
3. Navigate to .kobo/Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf
4. Open in a text editor (TextEdit, VS Code, etc.)

Linux Users

1. Kobo mounts at /media/USERNAME/Kobo or similar
2. Navigate to .kobo/Kobo/Kobo eReader.conf
3. Open in a text editor

Step 3: Add Bookmann Sync Configuration

Add the following section to the end of your Kobo eReader.conf file:

[FeatureSettings]
# Enable Kobo store replacement
KoboStoreSyncDisabled=true

[Sync]
# Bookmann Sync Configuration
ServerURL=http://YOUR_COMPUTER_IP:8765/api/sync/kobo
AutoSyncEnabled=true
SyncFrequency=5

# Authentication
Username=YOUR_BOOKMANN_USERNAME
Password=YOUR_BOOKMANN_PASSWORD

Replace the following with your actual values:

• YOUR_COMPUTER_IP: Your computer's local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
• YOUR_BOOKMANN_USERNAME: Your Bookmann email or username
• YOUR_BOOKMANN_PASSWORD: Your Bookmann password

Example configuration:

[Sync]
ServerURL=http://192.168.1.100:8765/api/sync/kobo
AutoSyncEnabled=true
SyncFrequency=5
Username=john@example.com
Password=securePassword123

Step 4: Save and Eject

1. Save the Kobo eReader.conf file
2. Safely eject your Kobo device from your computer
3. Kobo will restart automatically

Step 5: Verify Sync on Kobo

1. After Kobo restarts, go to Settings → Sync & Backup
2. You should see "Bookmann" listed as a sync provider
3. Tap Sync Now to test the connection
4. If successful, you'll see a "Sync Complete" message

Sync Features

Reading Progress Sync

Kobo syncs:

• Percentage Read: Overall book completion percentage
• Page Number: Current page in fixed-layout books
• Time Spent: Reading time statistics
• Last Read: Timestamp of last reading session

Annotations Sync

Kobo syncs:

• Bookmarks: Page positions saved for quick access
• Highlights: Highlighted text passages
• Notes: Notes attached to highlights
• Reading Statistics: Pages read, time spent

Shelf Management

Kobo syncs:

• Book Collections: Your organized shelves
• Shelf Contents: Books in each collection
• Sync Metadata: When shelves were last updated

Sync Frequency Options

Configure how often Kobo syncs with Bookmann:

[Sync]
# Sync frequency in minutes
SyncFrequency=5   # Sync every 5 minutes (recommended)
SyncFrequency=15  # Sync every 15 minutes
SyncFrequency=60  # Sync every hour
SyncFrequency=0   # Manual sync only

Recommended: SyncFrequency=5 for near real-time sync Battery Saving: SyncFrequency=15 or 30 to reduce Wi-Fi usage Manual Only: SyncFrequency=0 sync only when you press "Sync Now"

Manual Sync

To manually trigger a sync on your Kobo:

1. Connect Kobo to Wi-Fi
2. Go to Settings → Sync & Backup
3. Tap Sync Now
4. Wait for "Sync Complete" message

Advanced Configuration

Disable Kobo Store

To prevent Kobo from trying to connect to the official Kobo store:

[FeatureSettings]
KoboStoreSyncDisabled=true

Custom Sync URL

If you're running Bookmann with a custom domain or port:

[Sync]
# Custom domain
ServerURL=https://bookmann.example.com/api/sync/kobo

# Custom port
ServerURL=http://192.168.1.100:9000/api/sync/kobo

# Localhost (for testing)
ServerURL=http://localhost:8765/api/sync/kobo

HTTPS Configuration

If you have SSL/TLS configured on Bookmann:

[Sync]
ServerURL=https://bookmann.yourdomain.com/api/sync/kobo

Kobo will automatically trust the certificate if properly configured.

Troubleshooting

Sync Not Working

Problem: Sync doesn't happen automatically

Solutions:

1. Check Kobo is connected to Wi-Fi
2. Verify AutoSyncEnabled=true in config
3. Check SyncFrequency is not set to 0
4. Test with manual sync first
5. Check Bookmann logs for connection attempts

Connection Refused

Problem: "Connection refused" or "Server not reachable"

Solutions:

1. Verify Bookmann is running on your computer
2. Check the server URL and IP address are correct
3. Ensure Kobo is on same Wi-Fi network as computer
4. Temporarily disable firewall to test
5. Try accessing Bookmann URL in your browser first

Authentication Failed

Problem: "Authentication failed" or "Invalid credentials"

Solutions:

1. Verify username and password in config file
2. Check your account is active and not locked
3. Try logging in to Bookmann web interface
4. Ensure password doesn't contain special characters that need escaping
5. Reset password if needed

Configuration File Not Saving

Problem: Changes to Kobo eReader.conf are lost

Solutions:

1. Make sure Kobo is ejected safely after editing
2. Check file permissions (should be writable)
3. Try a different text editor (Notepad++, VS Code, Sublime Text)
4. Backup the file before editing
5. On Mac, ensure you're not editing the package directly

Sync Only Works Manually

Problem: Manual sync works, but auto-sync doesn't

Solutions:

1. Verify AutoSyncEnabled=true in config
2. Check SyncFrequency is not 0
3. Kobo only syncs when connected to Wi-Fi
4. Some Kobo models require Wi-Fi to be manually connected
5. Check Bookmann device management page for connection errors

Books Not Appearing in Kobo

Problem: Books added to Bookmann don't show on Kobo

Solutions:

1. Kobo needs books to be sideloaded (manually transferred via USB)
2. Bookmann syncs PROGRESS, not book files
3. Transfer book files to Kobo's Documents folder via USB
4. Kobo will then sync progress for those books with Bookmann
5. Check that book formats are supported by Kobo

Conflicts Not Showing

Problem: Conflicts between devices aren't being detected

Solutions:

1. Check Bookmann Conflicts page
2. Ensure both devices have synced recently
3. Conflicts only detected when progress differs within 5 minutes
4. Manually sync both devices to trigger conflict detection
5. Review conflict resolution settings

Security Best Practices

1. Use HTTPS: If deploying Bookmann publicly, configure SSL/TLS
2. Strong Password: Use a secure password for your Bookmann account
3. Network Security: Ensure your Wi-Fi network is secure (WPA2/WPA3)
4. Regular Updates: Keep Kobo firmware updated
5. Device Authorization: Only approve devices you recognize

Network Configuration

Local Network (Recommended)

For home use, keep Kobo and Bookmann on the same local network:

Kobo Wi-Fi: 192.168.1.x
Bookmann: 192.168.1.x

Remote Access

For access outside your home network:

1. Set up port forwarding on your router (port 8765)
2. Configure SSL/TLS on Bookmann
3. Use a dynamic DNS service for constant hostname
4. Update Kobo config with public URL:

   [Sync]
   ServerURL=https://yourdomain.com/api/sync/kobo
   

Performance Optimization

Battery Life

To extend Kobo battery life:

1. Use longer sync intervals (15-30 minutes)
2. Sync only on Wi-Fi (not cellular if your Kobo has it)
3. Disable unnecessary Kobo features
4. Keep Kobo in sleep mode when not reading

Sync Speed

To improve sync speed:

1. Ensure strong Wi-Fi signal
2. Use local network (not remote access)
3. Keep Bookmann and Kobo on same network
4. Close other apps using Wi-Fi bandwidth
5. Reduce number of books syncing at once

Additional Resources

• Kobo Developer Documentation
• Bookmann Universal Sync Guide
• KOReader Setup Guide
• Bookmann API Reference

FAQ

Q: Can I sync books (files) between devices?
A: No, Bookmann only syncs reading progress and annotations. You must sideload book files to each device manually.

Q: Will Kobo update automatically when I add books in Bookmann?
A: No, Kobo doesn't fetch book files from Bookmann. You must transfer books via USB.

Q: Can I use both Kobo Sync and Calibre?
A: Yes, but they may conflict. It's recommended to choose one sync method.

Q: What happens if I read the same book on Kobo and KOReader?
A: Bookmann will detect conflicts and you can resolve them in the Conflicts UI.

Q: Does Kobo sync when in sleep mode?
A: Only if Wi-Fi is enabled and configured to stay active during sleep.

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the troubleshooting section above
2. Review Kobo sync logs in device settings
3. Check Bookmann sync queue and device management pages
4. Verify your configuration file is saved correctly
5. Open an issue on the Bookmann GitHub repository

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Last Updated: 2026-01-31
Bookmann Version: 1.0
Kobo Firmware: 4.30.0+