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Software update for newer Kindles (5.11.1) - UPDATED THREAD 4/5/19

34K views 365 replies 47 participants last post by  hamerfan 
#1 ·
Version 5.9.6 For these Kindles:

Kindle Paperwhite (6th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle (7th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Paperwhite (7th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Oasis (8th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle (8th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Oasis (9th Generation) Software Updates

The update included this:
Read with your own fonts: You can now install your favorite fonts on your Kindle and choose one of them from the Display Settings (Aa) menu to read your eBooks. Connect your Kindle to a computer and refer to the "Read Me" file in the "fonts" folder for more information.

see this post for info on 5.9.7: https://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,264060.msg3696999.html#msg3696999

10/18/18
See This Post for latest update info.

4/5/19
see this post for latest update info
 
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#2 ·
hamerfan said:
For these Kindles:
Kindle Paperwhite (6th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle (7th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Paperwhite (7th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Voyage (7th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Oasis (8th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle (8th Generation) Software Updates
Kindle Oasis (9th Generation) Software Updates

The update included this:
Read with your own fonts: You can now install your favorite fonts on your Kindle and choose one of them from the Display Settings (Aa) menu to read your eBooks. Connect your Kindle to a computer and refer to the "Read Me" file in the "fonts" folder for more information.
Wow! That's a big change!
 
#4 ·
OK so I downloaded the update and used it on both my Voyages. Both say in Device Info that they've successfully updated to 5.9.6 but when connected to the computer, I don't have a 'font' folder that I can see and therefore no 'read me' file. I'm going to try updating my 6th gen Paperwhite and see what happens with that.

Anyone else done this yet?



EDIT: Same thing with my Paperwhite. :(
 
#5 ·
I haven't updated yet. I think this is the first update they put out I have no clue how to use. I wish they had just put a bunch of fonts in there to "activate" or something. I wouldn't even have a clue how to find fonts, where to get them, how to know they are proper and what files to get and all that stuff. But I guess they put this out for the fiddlers. Or maybe I am the only one in the universe that has no clue about fonts and what is free and where they are and all that jazz.

Not that I have a issue now using bookerly with the bold option, but I wouldn't mind a few more fonts. But not if its something I have no clue how to do.
 
#6 ·
Atunah said:
I haven't updated yet. I think this is the first update they put out I have no clue how to use. I wish they had just put a bunch of fonts in there to "activate" or something. I wouldn't even have a clue how to find fonts, where to get them, how to know they are proper and what files to get and all that stuff. But I guess they put this out for the fiddlers. Or maybe I am the only one in the universe that has no clue about fonts and what is free and where they are and all that jazz.

Not that I have a issue now using bookerly with the bold option, but I wouldn't mind a few more fonts. But not if its something I have no clue how to do.
I think they expect the same response from everyone - hence the 'read me' file with instructions on how it works. Trouble is, so far I can't find the 'read me' file!
 
#7 ·
From what it says in the OP here:

The update included this:
Read with your own fonts: You can now install your favorite fonts on your Kindle and choose one of them from the Display Settings (Aa) menu to read your eBooks. Connect your Kindle to a computer and refer to the "Read Me" file in the "fonts" folder for more information.


which I assume comes straight from the Amazon page, perhaps it means this:

Once the update is applied, in order to add fonts you must have the kindle attached to your computer. Perhaps the "fonts" folder is hidden unless the kindle is acting as a USB drive?

Off to play, myself. :D
 
#8 ·
After I installed the latest firmware there was a "fonts" folder at the root. Not sure if it was there before but in that folder was the readme file. New font files should go into that same folder. I installed a few new fonts I found on the web ('Lora' & 'CharisSILCompactModified') and the new software works well. Font size and boldness can also be adjusted. I usually convert my ebooks to AZW3 format in Calibre and can adjust my user installed fonts just fine using that format. Not sure about other formats.
 
#9 ·
Yes -- there is a 'fonts' folder when the kindle is connected to a computer. But there is no 'read me' file. :(

Often when there's an update installed, the next time you wake up the kindle there are a few pages of 'new features'. Nothing this time.

Oh, and the 'fonts' folder was definitely not there before -- I looked before I copied the update and ran it.
 
#10 ·
Strange you find no readme file. Perhaps you should try to reinstall. Here is the Readme.txt file I found in the 'fonts' folder:

===============
1. English
===============

You can now install your favorite fonts on your Kindle and choose one of them to read your eBooks.

Any font you install must be either an OpenType (OTF) or a TrueType (TTF) font. All other font formats are unsupported. Also, fonts are usually available as a font family and may consist of several files for different font styles - one each for Regular, Italic, Bold, BoldItalic, etc. For the best reading experience, we recommend you install all the files in the font family. Supported font files will have .ttf, .otf, or .ttc file extensions.

How to install fonts on your Kindle:

1. If the font is packaged into a compressed file (such as a ZIP file), uncompress the files using your favorite file extracting program

2. Copy the font files into the "fonts" folder on your Kindle

3. Disconnect your Kindle from the computer

4. You can now choose a custom font in addition to the Kindle fonts from the Display Settings (Aa) menu

Once you choose a custom font from the Display Settings (Aa) menu, your Kindle will render the book content using that font for most books. If the font is not able to be used for rendering the book's content, your Kindle will use the default system font instead. This can happen if the font does not support the characters in the book or if the font is damaged.

Amazon respects the intellectual property of others. You are responsible for ensuring you have obtained the necessary rights and permissions to use any fonts you upload to your Kindle. By using the font upload functionality on Kindle, you agree that your use of the fonts you upload will not infringe or violate the rights of any third party, and that you will indemnify Amazon for all claims resulting from your use of the fonts you upload.

For further help, please visit: http://amzn.to/2F2DhMK
 
#11 ·
Well, success at last. I had left my Kindle connected to my PC after I transferred the update file and ran the update, and after it was done, there was definitely no fonts folder. So I disconnected the Kindles and then reconnected and volia! I have a fonts folder - and the 'read me' text file.

I tried transferring a couple of fonts from my Windows fonts folder to see if it works and it does. Not that there is anything I particularly want from there - I might see if there are any free fonts available online that I like. The irony is, after ten years of waiting, since they've recently given us the ability to weight the system fonts, the problem of other fonts isn't as important as it was. The only font that was bold enough for me was one I didn't like, but now I can weight my choice of font to my taste, so I'm not so desperate for new fonts.

Still, more choice is always better than less.  :)

 
#14 ·
sseverus said:
Perhaps you didn't properly eject the Kindle drive to make sure everything gets correctly written.

https://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-safely-remove-hardware-windows-so-you-dont-lose-your-data
I did eject the Kindle properly (I got the 'safe to remove hardware' flag) but didn't physically detach it from the computer while I updated. I didn't have to do the update again, so I must have done it correctly. Even after I pulled out the USB cable and then reattached it to reload the Kindle as a drive, there was no fonts folder. Only the second time I did that did the fonts folder appear. It was the same for all three Kindles I updated. Go figure.**

**This is not an expression we use in the UK so I hope I used it correctly!
 
#15 ·
I'm perfectly happy with the fonts that are available, but I've thought of a good use for this:

Some Push to Kindle type apps result in a file that doesn't allow you to adjust the amount of bolding. It would be good to add a nice bold font for this situation.

Anyone have a font that they recommend for that?
 
#18 ·
Linjeakel said:
Well, success at last. I had left my Kindle connected to my PC after I transferred the update file and ran the update, and after it was done, there was definitely no fonts folder. So I disconnected the Kindles and then reconnected and volia! I have a fonts folder - and the 'read me' text file.
I did the same thing -- disconnected after transferring the update -- ran the update and re connected. Saw the fonts folder, but no 'read me' file. Maybe I just missed it.

I tried transferring a couple of fonts from my Windows fonts folder to see if it works and it does. Not that there is anything I particularly want from there - I might see if there are any free fonts available online that I like. The irony is, after ten years of waiting, since they've recently given us the ability to weight the system fonts, the problem of other fonts isn't as important as it was. The only font that was bold enough for me was one I didn't like, but now I can weight my choice of font to my taste, so I'm not so desperate for new fonts.

Still, more choice is always better than less. :)
yeah, I agree that any desire I ever had for alternate fonts is drastically reduced since they put in the bolding option. Frankly, I REALLY like Bookerly. Not sure I'll bother with even trying anything else. :) More does seem better than less . . . but in the case of choices I find that there comes a tipping point where too many makes it easier for me to just stick with what I know. :D
 
#20 ·
I downloaded a couple of fonts and now I wonder why I bothered. I suppose it was just to see if it worked. I was very excited when we got more size options and the ability to bold all of the fonts but the native fonts were certainly enough for me. Who in their right mind would want to read a book with a comic font or a cursive font.

Still, it's always nice to have options especially if you aren't forced to take them.
 
#26 ·
I use Bookerly and I'm happy with it and don't plan to change.

I read paperback books most of my life.  I had absolutely no control over fonts, margins, weight, line spacing, size, serifs or no, or any other formatting issues.  In fact it never even occurred to me that I didn't have that control.  I was reading about characters and settings and time and events.

Now with an ereader I do have control over a lot of that and as time passes I have more and more control.  I'm 77 now and I really need control over the font size and I need the lighting.  The rest is nice but I really don't care that much.  What I want to know isn't about the look of the page but what's going to happen next in the book!

Barry
 
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