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FreeInk: Open ecosystem for e-readers
- Krutonium 2mo agoHuh, this would be a fantastic option for my Kobo Touch. It freely flashes whatever firmware you give it, and it'll boot from an SD Card besides.
- selectively 2mo ago[dead]
- Mr_Eri_Atlov 2mo agoInteresting to see XTEINK here; hopefully it means they will be more open to community software initiatives.
- jagged-chisel 2mo agoWhat are the limitations with XTEINK currently? I have an X3 and an X4 and both simply use whatever firmware you give them.
- lachiflippi 2mo agoThey disabled the ability to USB flash on every device not bought from their official store.
- slekker 2mo agoIs that true? I heard for the X3 the pogo pin cable they ship has 2 pins not 4 but you can buy one and it will transfer data and let you flash custom firmware.
- lachiflippi 2mo agoI own both an "old" X4 as well as a "new"/"domestic"/locked X3. The pogo cable transfers data, and the device shows up in dmesg when connected, but disappears shortly after. The cable itself works fine for transferring data, tested with a different device with the same connector.
- nosrepa 2mo agoThere is a way to unlock it via the sd card at least.
- jagged-chisel 2mo agoHow big of a problem is this? I did get my X4 from somewhere else, but I was still able to change firmware. I think it just adds a hurdle to make it less trivial for unscrupulous resellers to install crapware.
- lachiflippi 2mo agoIt used to be more of a problem back when not every popular firmware had a way to reflash from SD/via OTA, because you could get stuck on a firmware with no way to flash out of it. The current solutions work pretty well, though I still stay far away from non-stable releases, just in case.
- gnatman 2mo agoNot true. I just bought an x4 on amazon and flashed crosspoint with no issues.
- johanyc 2mo agoI think it's just the Chinese market ones
- imzadi 2mo agoI got an Xteink X4 a few weeks ago and love it. I've tried out a few different firmwares but haven't settled on one yet. I love the screen and how simple the interface is. It's kind of a pain in the butt getting my Kindle books on there, but worth the effort. It's also encouraging me to buy books outside of the Amazon ecosystem. I've been getting more stuff from Humble lately.
- deleted 2mo ago[deleted]
- mootdentures 2mo agoI also got one a few weeks ago! I love how pocketable it is. I tried different firmwares too and ended up settling on CrossPoint. So far it's been the most stable and the UI feels more intuitive than the others (for me at least)
- fastball 2mo agoDid you try FreeInk? I was debating which (between CrossPoint and this) to flash my new X3 with.
- mirrir 2mo agofrom what i understand this is CrossPoint.
- fastball 2mo agoOh yeah, indeed. Which is the rebrand haha
- itsthisjustin 2mo agoCrossInk is a fork of CrossPoint but Julia is a major maintainer of CrossPoint. FreeInk's SDK powers both
- sushid 2mo agoNot parent commenter but I've been loving CrossInk after trying CrossPoint for a few days
- kapsteur 2mo agoPlease port this OS to older Kindles that Amazon no longer supports.
- joshuakelleyds 2mo agoWinterbreak covers most of them >2012, https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html
- KennyBlanken 2mo agoOr Kobo, given how shit the stock firmware is and how little the hardware has changed over a considerable period of time. Should be easy-peasy.
- themadturk 2mo agoNickel, the stock firmware on Kobo, is pretty decent. KOReader is better, though. The Kobo is a pretty hackable device. I pair my Kobo Clara BW with BookFusion, which gives me portability between any KOReader device, Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
- Larrikin 2mo agoYou can already easily install koreader on the Kobo. You can even combine it with Tailscale to get your local opds server
- fudged71 2mo agoI've used CrossPoint on X4. I'm not sure how this is related (CrossPoint is linked in the footer)
- VonGallifrey 2mo agoIt reads to me like FreeInk is the e-book reader and e-Paper SDK, and CrossPoint is the firmware that uses FreeInk. I currently use CrossPoint, so I wanted to install this, but when I clicked the GitHub button, it just linked to the CrossPoint Firmware.
- foopod 2mo agoFrom my understanding this is the next iteration of OpenX4 E-Paper Community SDK - an sdk made by some of the core contributors of CrossPoint that abstracts the hardware of eink devices. Huge props to the devs, that haven't just embraced people forking their repo - but have actually put in a lot effort to make it easier for anyone that wants to develop on these platforms.
- idle_zealot 2mo agoI got an Xteink X 4 a few weeks ago and it's a very cute device. While I'm a fan of the hardware what's been really fun is noodling around with building some custom firmware and sync architecture to optimize content for the device's extremely limited CPU and Memory. That's meant a custom format for images and metadata that match the device's hardware and interface needs and an automatic ingest pipeline for building these files from common book/comic formats. Maybe some day I'll even read a book on the thing!
- BeetleB 2mo agoIt saddens me that most of the ebook world is leaning towards smaller screen sizes. My reader is 8", and I think that's just the right size. I like a decent sized font, and I don't like continually scrolling. Surprisingly, the original promise of "low battery use" isn't panning out. My ereader's battery doesn't last that long, although I can live with it. Once you switch to large size color eink screens, the battery life is poorer than tablets!
- embedding-shape 2mo ago> most of the ebook world is leaning towards smaller screen sizes Meanwhile, the smartphone world suffer from a lack of smaller screen sizes. Maybe we should just mandate the executives to switch industries with each other for a decade or so?
- WillAdams 2mo agoI rather liked my Sony PRS-505 and 600 for their 6.1" screen and that it would fit in a (large) shirtpocket. My Kindle Paperwhite and Scribe Coloursoft go weeks between charges.
- BeetleB 2mo agoYes, I too had a Sony ereader for years, and it was nice fitting it in my jacket pocket. But the reality is that most book pages are larger than 6", and if I found myself preferring the book because of the size, what's the point of an ereader? I first switched to 7", which was better, but not good enough. 8" is great, though. > Scribe Coloursoft go weeks between charges How many hours will the battery last while on? And how does that compare to a similar sized tablet?
- dominotw 2mo agoxteink seems to be everywhere these days. Did it really "kill doomscrolling" for anyone?
- loremm 2mo agoit is pretty fun I was surprised. It's just nice it's so pocketable. I thought it'd be too small but I turn the font up so I am constantly flipping and I don't seem to notice. The page flips are fast But also, I didn't understand how much the lightness is amazing. A kindle is light and one handable but it's noticable, this is so light I just can hold it up. I've heard in the ultralight mouse (for gaming), there's a point you just feel like you're moving your hand and don't notice the mouse. This is how I feel for this and it's worth something
- jjice 2mo agoMaybe, but I feel like those are all just overwhelming trend/clickbait nonsense videos/articles. E-readers are awesome, but I bet the amount of people that have truly replaced their social media habits with ebooks out of nowhere is near zero. Also, for anyone that wants to cut doom scrolling, just delete your accounts and delete the apps for the services you're not using in a way you like. In many cases, it's that simple. Love e-readers though. I've carried one with me (when I had a reason to expect at least 30 minutes of downtime) for a few years now and it's a lot more convenient than the paperbacks I used to lug around.
- tapvt 2mo agoIt has certainly made it easier for me to put down my phone in bed and read something else. So, doomscrolling is gone for that part of my day. The biggest win is not caring if I get the reader back on the charger before I drift off, which is a thing I need to do with my phone.
- kstrauser 2mo agoIt did for me. I put it in my jeans pocket when I head out the door in the morning: grab backpack, phone in one pocket, reader in other. Then I actually read books in my queue to and from work. It’s the similar routine as grabbing my keys as I head out.
- mahimai 2mo agoDoes this can be installed kindle, like for very old versions?
- t1234s 2mo agoAre there any instances from the closed e-book system (kindle, nook, etc..) where you paid for a book and the book was either updated to a revised version or just removed from the device because of the content in the book?
- jjice 2mo agoYep. The infamous case in my mind were the Roald Dahl updates. I believe there were a few more cases that got news coverage a few years back, but I don't recall, so don't quote me. https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/ronald-dahl-ebooks-being-updated-automatically-with-censored-versions https://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/ronald-dahl-...
- the_gastropod 2mo agoThere was that famous 2009 case of Amazon remote deleting George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm from Kindles.
- simcop2387 2mo agoYep, first instance I know of was from back in 2009, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/17/amazon-kindle-1984 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/jul/17/amazon-ki... and the kind of thing keeps happening over the years. It'll continue to happen since you aren't paying for a book. You're paying for a license to read the book for as long as the publisher/owner allows you to do so and they can revoke the permission at any time. I still find it hilariously ironic that the first instance that was widely reported (as far as I know) was it happening to 1984.
- recursivegirth 2mo agoPay respect to Aaron Swartz, and go download whatever you need. I hear Anna's got an archive, or there is some Z Lib somewhere. If buying isn't ownership, downloading isn't stealing.
- criddell 2mo agoAre there any serious legislative efforts to fix the ebook market? I know getting rid of DRM entirely isn't likely to happen, but at this point I'd be happy with just vendor-neutral DRM.
- monocularvision 2mo agoI searched for each of the supported eInk devices and they were all tiny. Anyone know if there is a larger reader (maybe Paperwhite size-ish) that might run this?
- chb 2mo agoThe "Hardware" link indicates that the BoM specifies a "24-pin SPI e-paper for GoodDisplay panels (3.97″, 4.26″, 7.5″ and up)." A search turns up this: https://www.good-display.com/product/516.html https://www.good-display.com/product/516.html
- mikepurvis 2mo agoI've never heard of any of them; I guess it's geared toward build-it-yourself or kit-type devices? I can't imagine a serious aftermarket FW not supporting a single Kindle or Kobo device.
- poulpy123 2mo agoAsk amazon and Kobo to open their system if it's so important for you. The devs have probably more interesting things to do than playing wack-a-mole with a multi-billion organisation
- mikepurvis 2mo agoI'm not knocking the devs for the choice to target open hardware, only remarking that that choice signals the project is for hackers, not regular consumers.
- LamaOfRuin 2mo agoI would say that there is no such thing as firmware targeted for regular consumers. Regular consumers do not know what firmware is. I am still disappointed that there is no kindle sized hardware that this can run on, but I think that has to do with manufacturers rather than firmware developers.
- 2mo ago
- Varelion 2mo agoPerfect -- this is exactly the kind of project I was hoping to see gain some traction as of late.
- Ritewut 2mo agoI want this but for ePaper tablets like Remarkable.
- Andrex 2mo agoI had a similar thought but thinking it through, would probably lose the near-zero-lag stylus stuff. That's kinda rM's whole thing, not ebook reading.
- IshKebab 2mo agoThis is for epaper tablets, just tiny ones. Remarkable looks like it has a pretty active hacking community: https://github.com/rehackable/awesome-remarkable#launchers https://github.com/rehackable/awesome-remarkable#launchers
- boznz 2mo agoLots of the comments here are about porting to older kindles or eReaders, but the firmware is currently for the ESP32 chipset which none of these use.
- a-dub 2mo agoi think i remember seeing an unlockable bootloader on the remarkable?
- wernerb 2mo agoA Kobo ereader is as open as I need it with koreader installed. The Kobo Libra 2 black and white is the best ereader I have ever had. (not the color version,,unfortunately a step back in reading quality for normal reading)
- mholm 2mo agoThese are not competing with Kobo. These are micro-ereaders, often much smaller than a phone. They're characterized by extremely weak processors and minimal hardware. 'Apps' are not a concept here yet.
- theshrike79 2mo agoKobo doesn't have apps either. They don't compete, but do complement. Both are very open and hackable, so you can use the same process to get books on both.
- renlo 2mo agoremarkable / remarkable2 also work with KOReader. KOReader provides a very good ereader experience - can import dictionaries, export word lists (ie it tracks words you look up), and supports numerous ebook formats and lets you modify the padding/margins/layout. A very good piece of open source software
- wolvoleo 2mo agoIt is very good except the UI could really use some love IMO. I use it on all my kindles but it really took some doing to get there in terms of getting comfortable with using it.
- dugite-code 2mo agoEven without koreader a kobo is refreshingly open to tinkering. Getting root and ssh access is just a matter of renaming a file on the disk. I got the colour after being on an old paperwhite for many years so thankfully it's a big step up for me.
- 2mo ago
- danteocualesjr 2mo ago[flagged]
- shevy-java 2mo agoBetter than giving my money to Apple for sure.
- tcoff91 2mo agoI really like my Boox e-reader because I can install any android app on it. I run Storyteller on it and it syncs position to my storyteller server. So i can listen to the audiobook on my iPhone and then pick up reading on my Boox from where I was listening.
- mattm 2mo agoI also really like Boox. I'm on my 2nd Boox product now having upgraded from my old Max Lumi so that I could get colours.
- robbiet480 2mo agoI've always wanted something like Storyteller for non-Amazon devices. Thanks!
- jerojero 2mo agoI find the battery life on boox tablets to be pretty poor. At least with my usage. Its kind of annoying to have to be charging every other day. I think I've only had to charge the xteink x4 a couple times since I got it in March. But that's the case for any non-android ereader. I'd be happy if the boox lasted a week with 2-3ish hours of use a day.
- tcoff91 2mo agoI think it’s possible to use koreader and sync to storyteller with a plugin on that xteink but I’ve never set anything like that up.
- scratchyone 2mo agoI contribute to Storyteller in my free time and I absolutely love using my Boox with it, honestly my dream reading setup.
- gausswho 2mo agoRegard the Supported Devices table, where the last column declares all devices Full (in red). Firmware too chonky for any of them! Oh Claude.
- something98 2mo agoRunning Zotero (directly) is the big requirement for my next e-reader. Yeah, I can sync pdfs from my library with webdav or something else. But I want the full Zotero interface.
- easterncalculus 2mo agoWasn't the efficacy of the focus/bionic reading stuff disproven awhile back? Are people still using it?
- itsthisjustin 2mo agoYeah idk why people dig it, but they do. Maybe placebo
- Simboo 2mo agoPlease add Gallery to your page :)
- replatformradar 2mo agoThis is already dangerously cool. The second they add Kindle support, Free Ink is going from niche open-source project to “why is GitHub on fire?” territory.
- mkozlows 2mo agoThe point of this seems to be building on open hardware. If you want open source software that builds on proprietary hardware, KOReader is what you want. (I use it, it's great.)
- stevage 2mo agoAre there any off the shelf e-readers which support this firmware? This site seems to be for people who want to solder together their own e-reader from components. Also, it does a bit misleading to say "Charging, battery protection, an optional frontlight and a 24-pin e-paper interface, all on one PCB you can build for around $60." According to their own parts lists, if you are build 5 of these, you're in for $63.74 (plus shipping?) So if you want just one (like a normal person), it's going to cost more. And that's still just the circuit board and components: no mention of the outer plastic casing. (I can't find any info on their site about how to get that - presumably 3D print, but haven't found plans.)
- inflam52 2mo agoXteink ereaders do (available on Amazon) but just make sure to get the “developer edition” and you can flash the hardware.
- stevage 2mo agoHmm, I can't see any. Just cases. Maybe they don't ship to Australia.
- JimmyBiscuit 2mo agoIf you have an X4 non-developer version you can still flash crosspoint (idk about the one from OP) via the sd card method, its described on the crosspoint website.
- sen 2mo ago
- meghprkh 2mo agoI would like such a project in Rust! There a bunch of embassy-based firmwares but none have the UX of the crosspoint forks yet. My favourite is inx (https://github.com/obijuankenobiii/inx https://github.com/obijuankenobiii/inx) which is the only one that supports annotations afaik. It does crash sometimes though
- rayzia 2mo agoAn open ecosystem for e-readers is such a refreshing concept. Tired of being locked into proprietary reading ecosystems, so seeing projects push for interoperability and open standards on e-ink devices is fantastic.
- deton3991 2mo ago[dead]
- chronogate_op 2mo ago[flagged]
- joshstrange 2mo agoKOReader support (not just KOReader sync) has become my new line in the sand for an e-reader. I'm currently using my jailbroken Kindle PW5 and loving it. KOReader paired with BookOrbit is my sweetspot and I love having all the data under my control. If my Kindle died today I'd probably grab a Kobo and put KOReader on it. This project is very interesting to me but they seem to want to "own" the whole software stack, it seems like it won't support things like KOReader? Or am I mistaken?
- bunderbunder 2mo agoPretty sure all we’re waiting on is someone to put in the effort to port KOReader to the platform.
- itstrue 2mo agoIs porting KOReader to the ESP32-S3 possible?
- bunderbunder 2mo agoConsidering it’s already been ported to at least 5 different platforms, I can’t imagine one more would be impossible.
- itsthisjustin 2mo agoMemory would be the issue here. It would be VERY hard to run the full KOReader on esp32
- vzaliva 2mo agoThe missing integration point is reading progress. The killer feature (for me) of Kindle is that I can have several devices and continue reading on any of them with my position in the book synced. I want that across different readers. For example, if I buy now Xtelink X4 for reading ‘on the go’, there is no easy way to switch back to a larger device for more comfortable reading at home.
- itsthisjustin 2mo agoActually that's solved with kosync that comes with crosspoint and I'm working on a way to sync back to kindled too
- bArray 2mo agoJust ordered myself the LilyGo T5 E-Paper S3 Pro [1]. The other good options on the hardware tab are sold out [2]. I quite like the idea of having GPS capability, and maybe I can experiment with LoRa gateways. I originally missed out on the M5 Paper and have been looking for an entry since. My plan is to not use this firmware and use MicroPython instead (based on a high-level OS I already developed that is extremely low battery consumption). I carry around with me an A6 notebook with TODOs for each day - just the other day I temporarily lost it and realized that I actually need to have a backup for this stuff synced with a private VPS. [1] https://lilygo.cc/products/t5-e-paper-s3-pro https://lilygo.cc/products/t5-e-paper-s3-pro [2] https://freeink.org/#hardware https://freeink.org/#hardware
- solarkraft 2mo agoLarger screen support coming soon: > Checkpoint 3: Board v2.0 Release (Supporters) > Status: Check in around September 2026! > Expand the platform beyond the original 4.26" display and demonstrate the full capability of the optional module system. > (…) 4.26" (same as initial prototype), 7.5", 3.97" https://github.com/iandchasse/de-link/blob/main/markdown/ROADMAP.md https://github.com/iandchasse/de-link/blob/main/markdown/ROA...
- itsthisjustin 2mo agoCool to see this project posted here. Let me know if ya'll have any questions