How can I access the "root" level on an iPad?

Question

Level 1

4 points

How can I access the "root" level on an iPad?

Is there a command-line tool for iPad, or some similar tool, that will allow a person to access files from the "root" level (or from whatever corresponding level). Here's the set-up, in case there's some other way to accomplish my aims.

Anticipating a period in the wilderness, away from Internet accessibility, I checked out a few EBSCO ebooks via my college's library, and downloaded the 'borrowed' books to my iPad.

While away, I made rather extensive notes in a couple of these books. Also, while I was away, the 7-day check-out period of these ebooks expired.

I have discovered that when the check-out period of an EBSCO-borrowed ebook expires, the dowloaded book file locks and cannot be opened. Which also means that all of my notes are locked inside an un-openable-file.

I'm holding onto the files. I expect that all the notes-data I generated is still "in" each of these files.

I'm wondering if there's a command-line tool for iPad with which I might be able to access the content of these locked files. Only interested in getting enough access to retrieve the notes that I wrote.

Is there a way to transfer these ebook files—whole and complete—to a desktop?

iPad Mini Wi-Fi, iOS 9.3.5

Posted on Oct 2, 2017 10:30 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

masond Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 3, 2017 8:49 AM in response to masond

Solved, more or less.

Just in case anyone else encounters this problem, or something similar, the app I employed to get access to the iPad's file structure revealed what was going on.

It turns out that the EBSCO e-reader does not embed a person's notes in a downloaded ebook file. It only seems so, because the e-reader offers no way to access the notes once the loan period on an e-book has expired. The e-reader does create a separate file for these notes. The notes file is buried in an extensively-nested set of hidden folders on a person's mobile device. So, to recover one's notes, one must get an app that can display the mobile device's file structure, and also see what are normally hidden directories/files (this also probably requires a separate computer, on which to scan the device's file structure).

Among the EBSCO e-reader app's hidden directories was a "BlueFireReader" directory, which, eventually, after a few more levels of hidden directories, offered up a hidden "Annotations" directory. In that hidden directory were several hidden ".annot" files—one for each ebook. These were unencrypted xml files. Not locked up, technically, but buried very, very deep, and completely inaccessible through the e-reader software that created them (and inaccessible to any other g.i. app), once the loan period for the ebooks ran out.

Reply

Answer 2

Oct 2, 2017 10:52 AM in response to masond

Not without hacking your device, which is strongly NOT recommended to do.

And even if you retrieved the files, you may find you cannot open or read them anyway. If EBSCO's time out file lock mechanism uses strong encryption, they would remain nothing more than gibberish to you. My understanding is that EBSCO does use some form of strong encryption DCM.

Can you not check them out again to re-gain access to the eBook files?

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 2, 2017 12:17 PM in response to masond

That must be something your library admin has changed. I know in the past when I used EBSCO ebooks, re-checking out the same eBook title brought back all my past notes and markup (as long as I had not deleted anything locally). That's why the eBook file itself is not auto-deleted from your device. it is normally there for that very feature, to reload your notes and markup content if you check the book out again.

I don't know if your EBSCO library admin can help, but you might want to contact them about it.

Reply

Answer 4

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,489 points

Oct 2, 2017 12:14 PM in response to masond

You could always try to contact who you check it out from, see if they can reactivate the same file so you can get the notes off....or I’m afraid you’ll end up doing your homework twice.

Unfortunately it looks like it’s a do it again situation.

Reply

Answer 5

Oct 2, 2017 1:10 PM in response to masond

I am talking about EBSCO eBooks I used to download to my Mac laptop when at work, and read and markup offline. I could then check out the same title at another time, and all my past markup and notes loaded again. That data was stored on my laptop hard drive. Our Library tech FAQ even made mention of that fact - that the content would be restored to the title at any time it was checked out, provided we did not purge the files from our laptop hard drives.

Again, have you contacted whomever provides EBSCO technical support for whichever EBSCO library or system you are using?

Reply

Answer 6

masond Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 2, 2017 12:09 PM in response to Michael Black

Thanks for the response. A person can re-check-out the same title, but the re-checked-out ebook is a separate file, and notes that have been embedded in a downloaded version of the ebook file do not transfer.

Reply

Answer 7

masond Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 2, 2017 1:02 PM in response to Michael Black

That's the way it's supposed to work when a person reads an online version of a e-library-book, using a personal account. Notes move on the internet to storage in the personal account, rather than in the ebook. But, in this no-internet case, notes have been stored in the downloaded, offline ebook file, which still sits on my iPad, but cannot be opened. I've contacted EBSCO, but have received no response, yet.

In the meantime, if anyone at EBSCO happens on this thread: this is really shoddy library-ing. If you had given me the slightest warning that you would claim ownership of everything I put into a downloaded book file, and then would refuse to return that content, I might have been able to avoid this.

Reply

Answer 8

masond Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 2, 2017 1:16 PM in response to Michael Black

Yep, I've checked with my library. They've referred me to EBSCO.

I can't speak for your past experience. But when I re-check-out these book titles, they appear as newly-downloaded files on my iPad, side-by-side the "expired" files, and the new files that I can open do not include my notes/hilites.

If you've got a library techie who's got a better answer, please do put me in contact.

Reply