8 ms·

KOReader

752 points by Cider9986 3mo ago

Cider9986 3mo ago
You can use the regular Kindle viewer once you jailbroke your kindle, but KOReader has native epub and pdf support so you don't have to use a converter when uploading your books. I did find it hard to get the bezels to be even and it still doesn't always format well depending on the book. I still kind of prefer the default viewer. I use this plugin in KOReader which lets you download books from Z-Library within KOReader. https://github.com/ZlibraryKO/zlibrary.koplugin https://github.com/ZlibraryKO/zlibrary.koplugin Another cool thing is you can use custom fonts and dictionaries. I use the OED short version and the Wikipedia one. There's built in ones that it can download but pirated ones like OED you have to upload yourself. Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. Edit: They changed it on the newer Kindle which I have. There's open source alternatives to the send to kindle app.
- simonklitj 3mo ago
  > Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. KOReader comes with SSH, so you can just SSH into it.
- occz 3mo ago
  >Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. I can recommend using a Filebrowser plugin for KOReader, that way you can access the file system over a web interface and upload that way. No cables needed or anything, quite convenient.
  - jmhammond 3mo ago
    The latest generation paperwhite (“PW6”) and color readers use MTP rather than acting as mass storage devices. I use OpenMTP rather than Amazon’s software, and that works fine for me.
- nonninz 3mo ago
  > Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. Hmmm not really my experience, unless it's a new thing. I am still able to access it via finder. Although I need to exit KoReader first and go back to the stock UI.
- Markoff 3mo ago
  same experience here, jailbroken Kindle, installed KOReader, tried it and returned back to default viewer, don't exactly remember the reason, maybe overcomplicated? (especially since it's device for my kids, it doesnt have internet access, I just put there books offline)
- CWuestefeld 3mo ago
  Another cool thing is you can use custom fonts and dictionaries. To be fair, it is now possible to load your favorite fonts onto baseline Kindle.
- WhyNotHugo 3mo ago
  Where do you download the OED dictionary? I've never found a source for it, and assumed it was not available publicly.
  - Cider9986 3mo ago
    https://reddit.com/r/koreader/comments/1om9gu7/best_english_dictionary_and_how_to_download/ https://reddit.com/r/koreader/comments/1om9gu7/best_english_... https://megalodon.jp/2026-0730-0620-00/https://photon-reddit.com:443/r/koreader/comments/1om9gu7/best_english_dictionary_and_how_to_download/ https://megalodon.jp/2026-0730-0620-00/https://photon-reddit...
- ZlibraryKO 3mo ago
  Thanks for mentioning my plugin!
lolgab 3mo ago
I installed it on my Amazon Kindle and I couldn't be happier. It shows once again that free software is superior to proprietary software. Free software grows slowly to make users happier and not to attract them with useless features to extract more value from them. Congratulations for this great piece of software.
- thewhitetulip 3mo ago
  It shows reading stats that I absolutely love!!
- kelvinjps10 3mo ago
  What extra features has over regular kindle software? I find kindle features enough but I want to know if I’m missing something
  - kelvinjps10 3mo ago
    Well tbh the reason I like it has to do more with calibre (free software)
  - 4thguy 3mo ago
    Being able to put epubs bought elsewhere and reading them without needing to convert the files is a huge plus
    - maccard 3mo ago
      Where do you buy your epubs from?
      - Cider9986 3mo ago
        I wouldn't assume that purchases are taking place.
        TaLiTr 3mo ago
        Considering that the GP said > Being able to put epubs bought elsewhere I'd say it is in this case.
dmos62 3mo ago
Use it both on my phone and on an eink Android tablet. Love it, especially the dark mode.
- jgtrosh 3mo ago
  I wish you could disable fullscreen (enable the navigation bar) on Android though :-(
  - dmos62 3mo ago
    Joys of open source: you can add the feature yourself.
simonklitj 3mo ago
KOReader is my jam! With its reflow for PDFs, I've used it on my Kindle Oasis 2 to read everything for my undergrad and graduate degree. Some years ago now, I wrote a script that converts the annotations to Obsidian [0], and then another little script to automatically keep my "Articles" folders in sync between the Kindle and my laptop. Very grateful for this software! [0]: https://github.com/simonpacis/kohico https://github.com/simonpacis/kohico
adamas 3mo ago
I have it on my Kobo, it's really good ! I use it with Wallabag, I can save articles on my desktop and sync it before leaving for work, really nice.
carlosjobim 3mo ago
My wish is to see ebooks become first class citizens on all digital devices. Apple has a native ebook reader built in to their devices. It's cumbersome and bloated, but it's there. No web browser except Yandex has built in ebook support, even though it would be the easiest thing in the world. Android, Linux and Windows have no built-in ebook reader, as far as I know. Murasaki [1] is the most performant and sleek ebook reader you can get for MacOS currently. It's magnificent, but the creator has regionally limited who can get it, unfortunately. [1] https://genjiapp.com/mac/murasaki/index_en.html https://genjiapp.com/mac/murasaki/index_en.html
- WillAdams 3mo ago
  The old Microsoft Edge had epub support, and even a nascent ebook shop and a nifty note-taking/annotation mechanism (there was even a restitution payment made for folks who had taken notes), but Microsoft gave up on it when they shifted to a rebadged Chrome.
- Lord-Jobo 3mo ago
  It doesn’t seem like it’s a huge ask imo, and I’m also pretty surprised that they have such limited support, a mostly text format like epub really should be simple to add functionality for. Less surprising but still annoying is how many hoops you need to jump through to get a good reading experience for manga, particularly on macOS. I had to try many options that were either too buggy, too difficult to install correctly, various aggressive paywalls, or straight up don’t function with high quality scans. Eventually I landed on one(will edit the name in when I have access to my laptop) that functions well but has some memory issues in importing books, possibly a memory leak. Maybe I’ve just become shit at finding apps in the modern unsearchable age, but it really feels like reading of all types has diminished enough that we are an unserviceable market.
  - Lord-Jobo 3mo ago
    *The software I landed on is Koodo Reader
- overflowy 3mo ago
starvar2 3mo ago
I installed it on my Kobo to have the syncing from Calibre. Works perfectly, no complaints.
HelloUsername 3mo ago
Previous discussions: 31-mar-2025 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43539103 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43539103 106 comments 10-apr-2024 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39996947 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39996947 33 comments
jbirnick 3mo ago
I absolutely love KOReader on my Boox Go 10.3! It has super useful features like the semi-auto-cropping which removes margins in PDFs (like papers or books), including unnecessary things like page numbers or similar, so that you can really maximize the size of the core content. It also has a nice chapter overview and other useful things! Truly one of the best pieces of software I have used so far.
timvdalen 3mo ago
See also this discussion from earlier today, which might have prompted this submission: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49094189 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49094189
mlue-the-one 3mo ago
The PDF support is just the right thing to have.
spiresofagartha 3mo ago
It seems there's a native dictionary. How does it fare?
- Cider9986 3mo ago
  Good. You can install your own or download the free ones from settings. It also searches Wikipedia.
dtj1123 3mo ago
It really does rock.
utopiah 3mo ago
FWIW not only it is in itself nice but it evens has plugin system. Consider extending it and sharing back with the community!
radel 3mo ago
It took me some time to know my way around it, but wow. I have it configured with some plugins, like zen ui and bookshelf. I Also use BookOrbit to sync reading progress and annotations between devices. Loving it.
koojh 3mo ago
KOREA!
khalic 3mo ago
I tried but the whole process is a miserable experience between the stale blog posts and the dead links… And then the UX… great project but could use a systems guy used to jailbreaking installations and a UX designer Edit: for kobo at least
- Cider9986 3mo ago
  you used https://kindlemodding.org/ https://kindlemodding.org/? Worked fine for me.
  - khalic 3mo ago
    No it was on Kobo
pesarkhobeee 3mo ago
I am using koreader on my ereader and KOreader has a native support for https://wallabag.org/ https://wallabag.org/. They are both fantastic opensource projects, whenever I like to read a blog post I am sending them to my wallabag and therefore I can easily have them on my ereader too. Also the fact that you can install different plugin on KOreader and customize it in a way you like is fantastic. for example just check: - https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin - https://github.com/AndyHazz/bookshelf.koplugin https://github.com/AndyHazz/bookshelf.koplugin Or with Lua you can develop your own plugin for that. to people who wanted to jailbreak their Kindle I can recommend these two links: - https://kindlemodding.org/ https://kindlemodding.org/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtk7ERwlIAk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtk7ERwlIAk All in all I am supper happy with KOreader and can't imagine to use anything else
sieve 3mo ago
I installed this the moment I got my Kobo Libra H2O. Mostly read fiction from the 1800s and early 1900s and I did not want to fight whatever proprietary software the reader came with (Kobo is probably better than the Kindle for this, but I never tried it!) I have a problem with epubs though. This need to support every single thing under the sun makes the pipeline exceedingly complex. All you need for a vast majority of fiction is: - headings - paras - emphasis (bold/italic) - block quotes Add simple "image" syntax to it to display maps etc from detective stories Basically a ruthlessly cut down version of markdown. The mini-readers from Xteink came in at the right time for such experimentation.
- leobg 3mo ago
  Fiction from the 1800s? Now that sounds interesting. Can you name three titles that you would recommend? And: how did you get into this? Doesn’t sound like a TikTok trend, haha.
  - kstrauser 3mo ago
    Not them, but I read Moby Dick last year. Man, I felt like I'd been lied to. It's kind of a laughing stock reference to giant old-timey books that were famous for being famous and such. So wrong! It was hilarious in parts. The narrator is a complete smartass with a strong bend to irony. I loved every bit of it, even the (in)famous chapters about whaling and knot tying and all that, which were vivid peeks into worlds I didn't know existed.
    - sieve 3mo ago
      Melville's "Bartleby" is very good
      - kstrauser 3mo ago
        I'm not familiar with it, which makes me want to add it to the reading stack.
  - sieve 3mo ago
Cider9986 3mo ago
If you use a Kindle, you have to jailbreak it first before installing it. There's definitely been some improvements with user experience at least with apps since I first jailbroke it. There's like an appstore with games and KOReader that I use. This is the guide I used and it's up to date. https://kindlemodding.org/ https://kindlemodding.org/
- troyvit 2mo ago
  I knew I kept this tab open a week for a reason :) thank you!
  - Cider9986 2mo ago
    Enjoy
nicoverbruggen 3mo ago
KOReader is so much better, including in how it renders typography and does typesetting than what ships on Kobo devices by default, it's sort of wild. I actually made a mod to try to upgrade Kobo's built-in reader so it's more correct, i.e. more faithful to how KOReader renders text. Sharing it here since it may be interesting for anyone with Kobo e-readers: https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/NickelTypeFix https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/NickelTypeFix
- lisnake 3mo ago
  Nico, while I have the chance, I'd like to thank you for all your work on Kobo mods and fonts
fumeux_fume 3mo ago
Lots of nice features but the UX and UI are so painful that it's not worth jumping from the stock kobo reader for me. It's nice to have another option though and if the UX improves one day maybe I'll use it as my main reader.
- kmarc 3mo ago
  I got to the same conclusion. Installation was also painful; understandable, these platforms are clumsy. The software itself is magic, kudos to all the developers and community.
- gejose 3mo ago
  Came to the same conclusion too – I appreciate that it exists, but the UI felt really complicated and disorganized.
- Salgat 3mo ago
  I don't like the UX but the extra controls on ebook rendering was worth the pain for me, since almost all of my time is just reading the ebook anyways.
- yuppiepuppie 3mo ago
  Being able to read magazines was a big upgrade for me v the native kobo reader
kyranjamie 3mo ago
Amazing software. Makes a 10 year old Kindle of the best electronics I own.
a1o 3mo ago
Did anyone made a comparison across different devices for running this? I am curious on what is the best device today to run it, and also the best when accounting for cost of the device too.
nickzelei 3mo ago
I finally installed this on my Kobo Libra 2. The UX is clunky but overall it works great. Very fast. Don’t need KEPUBS anymore as epubs render just as fast, where as that’s not the case on the stock software. I finally got around to installing it as I got an xteink x3 and wanted to have cross device syncing back to my Grimmory server. Works great with OPDS and KOSync. Although I miss using the native kobo sync where I could just add a book to my virtual shelf and have it auto sync to my device. OPDS seems very rudimentary in comparison, but it works nonetheless.
- reinhardt1053 3mo ago
  What's the advantage of Grimmory over Booklore?
  - TaLiTr 3mo ago
    Have people moved on from Calibre? I've been slowly spinning up self-hosted services and Calibre was on my TODO. I haven't even heard of Booklore.
    - wing-_-nuts 3mo ago
      I'm wondering this too. I also thought about setting up calibre as I own a ton of drm free books and while the calibre reader itself is nice (the viewer is all I mainly use), sometimes I do find myself wanting to read on my phone while at a dr appointment or whatever
    - paintballboi07 3mo ago
      I tried both Grimmory (current booklore) and Calibre Web Automated, and I prefer the latter. You can also add Shelfmark to CWA to download books.
  - imnotjames 3mo ago
    Booklore maintenance stopped a while ago. Grimmory maintenance continues. The original author of Booklore has seemingly moved on to a new project.
monomial 3mo ago
KOReader is awesome and it's my go to for most e-reader reading. I've recently been trying out Plato (https://github.com/baskerville/plato https://github.com/baskerville/plato) as well and it has a really nice experience for reading PDFs. It crops the margins and pages through the PDF in chunks nicely.
haywalk 3mo ago
I love KOReader! I use it on my Kobo Clara Colour with Calibre. Love Wikipedia lookup, customization options, and the fact that wifi is off by default.
siatko 3mo ago
I use it since years on my PocketBook Touch HD 3. I especially like the statistics. You might not care about them, but I find them very interesting.
- joshstrange 3mo ago
  If you like the statistics you might enjoy BookOrbit. I'm a sucker for stats like this and love having them centralized so that it's not just on my e-reader (in case it dies or if I read on another compatible app that syncs progress/stats).
KageFX 3mo ago
Thank you for this
elestor 3mo ago
EXTREMELY confusing UI, but when you get used to it, nothing really comes close in terms of customisability and features. Seriously, takes ages to find specific settings for the first few times.
OuterVale 3mo ago
So good. I've built a plugin for it to allow me download books from my Jellyfin server on my Kindle 3 Keyboard (from 2010!). Was lovely for develop for and the wide compatibility of KOReader has made it a great investment.
stripekit 3mo ago
I set up KOReader with a jailbroken Kindle. DammitJeff has a good video introducing the topic. UI is definitely awkward, but it is awesome and pretty "hands off" when set up. It also has built-in support for OPDS so downloads from places like "Project Gutenberg" are a breeze. Also, if you are a homelabber with stuff like Calibre & Calibre Sync, it all works as you'd expect.
joshstrange 3mo ago
I have this on my Amazon Kindle and I freaking LOVE it! Paired with BookOrbit [0] and using plugins like BookShelf, BookEnds, and KOAssistant I have the best reading setup ever. The speed of this on my Kindle is _insane_ compared to the stock software. I'm not talking about page turning, that was fine on both, but navigating menus is way faster. It was a little finicky to configure but once I got a feel for it I didn't have a problem and 15 books read later since I installed it a few months ago and I never touch the settings. My favorite plugins: BookShelf: Best UI for viewing my books by author/series/etc IMHO. Much better than the Kindle default UI and much snappier BookEnds: Configure the header and footer of each page to show what info you care about most. There are community configs you can test out easily and download right on your kindle if you like them KOAssistant: highlight some text and throw it at an LLM with a provided prompt or your custom one. This was invaluable when reading the Hornblower series which used a lot of older english words/phrasing as well as nautical terms (which I'm completely unfamiliar with). I enjoyed the books way more since I could figure it out inside my kindle instead of constantly having to pick up my phone to look up a phrase. BookOrbit: It provides a plugin for KOReader that syncs your progress, annotations, etc. KOReader is table stakes for any e-reader I might consider. If my Kindle died tomorrow I'd have a Kobo or similar on it's way to me within hours. I won't use any reader that doesn't support KOReader after using it for these last few months. [0] https://bookorbit.app/ https://bookorbit.app/
brokegrammer 3mo ago
I installed it and I use Calibre to send books over wifi. Simple and sweet setup.
geoffeg 3mo ago
If you have a newer Kindle and some hacking skills, consider looking for new Kindle jailbreak methods. The existing jailbreak methods don't work on newer firmwares. ( See https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html )
Anonyneko 3mo ago
It's a great reader app, but as a reader of Japanese light novels it's sadly not fit for my personal purposes - last I checked vertical text is only possible in a really, _really_ hacky way (using a font that is turned sideways), and dictionary support for Japanese (or, say, Finnish with its complex lemmatization) is lacking behind browser extensions such as Yomitan, or mobile apps like Hoshi Reader that have Yomitan dictionary support. I don't think KOReader handles fixed-size epubs terribly well too, and most of my manga (usually bought on Rakuten Kobo) comes in that format. For reading English or native language books on non-Android e-readers it's a godsend.
- Frenziefrenz 3mo ago
  There's a fork for vertical text: https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi
- WhyNotHugo 3mo ago
  How does it handle fixed-size epubs and (most important) how would you expect it to handle it?
- KTallguy 3mo ago
  I had the same issue but found this fork and it works great for Japanese novels! Also I agree the dictionary isn’t the best but it’s serviceable… on my old kindle oasis it has been really transformative. https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi Manga works but the screen size is a bit awkward imo.
presto8 3mo ago
I love KOReader on Android, but unfortunately it requires granting permission to manage all files on the device. I would prefer if it used the approach most apps use, which is to select a folder on the device that it can access. Then I can move all my books into that directory and KOReader would not have access to all of the data on my phone.
HumblyTossed 3mo ago
For anyone with a Kobo who only wants to be able to sync with calibre-web without installing anything on your device, here's a link to instructions: https://jccpalmer.com/posts/setting-up-kobo-sync-with-calibre-web/ https://jccpalmer.com/posts/setting-up-kobo-sync-with-calibr... I'm not associate with this person, just know that these instructions worked for me.
bezko 3mo ago
No Windows? Is it a political choice or is there a technical limitation?
- WolfeReader 3mo ago
  Windows would be a whole different build target, and Koreader works great through WSL anyway.
gejose 3mo ago
I really like that this exists, but I found the menus and UI to be rather non-intuitive. My main use case was to sync reading progress between my Kobo and my iPhone. I was able to do this using KOReader on the Kobo & the Readest app[1] on iPhone (also open source). Ultimately I decided to get rid of KOReader because it felt a bit laggy. The gestures (eg: swiping up on the left side to increase frontlight brightness) didn't work well either. I eneded up writing my own software to sync progress from Kobo to a KOReader Sync server[2] which my Readest app also connects to (love that unlike the Kindle, the Kobo is quite an open system). You can even set it up so you can SSH into it[3]. [1] https://github.com/readest/readest https://github.com/readest/readest [2] https://github.com/koreader/koreader-sync-server https://github.com/koreader/koreader-sync-server [3] https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254214 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254214
- Lalabadie 3mo ago
  I really appreciate that KOReader is an option. On my older Kindle (first-gen Paperwhite), the default reading experience had declined until page turns take several seconds. Firmware update and factory reset wouldn't fix it. Using the default reader just wasn't a viable scenario. I jailbroke it, launched KOReader, and it's like I have a new e-reader. The amount of customizability gets kind of in the way, but once it's set up I don't really think about it from one month to the next. I also didn't feel the need to upgrade my original install either.
  - Thews 3mo ago
    Amazon bricked the first gen paperwhite, so I went on a similar journey. I started out making a single rust app on it, then went down the rabbit hole of trying to replace the shell/launcher. https://github.com/justinledwards/ferrink-home-assistant https://github.com/justinledwards/ferrink-home-assistant and "ferrink" is the launcher. It is pretty snappy on the paperwhite for what it is.
- InsideOutSanta 3mo ago
  I tried to set up KOReader multiple times and always got stuck figuring out where all the settings are and how exactly they work. It seems very complete, but I'm just too dumb to actually use it.
spv 3mo ago
Any macOS builds out there? I would really like to have one app that can open both ePubs and pdfs. Don’t need the library feature to manage books like Books.app, just need a light and reliable reader.
- applesdontfight 3mo ago
  They do have MacOS builds, just not any on the release page. You can find out more and download them here: https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-MacOS https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-Ma...
mendelmaleh 3mo ago
I have a kobo ebook with [plato](https://github.com/baskerville/plato https://github.com/baskerville/plato), it includes koreader but I found the built in mupdf much more intuitive and elegant.
egeres 3mo ago
I installed this because I wanted the sqlite database that track when I'm turning each page
dsr_ 3mo ago
I use KOReader on everything except e-ink devices. Linux desktop. MacOS laptop. Android tablets. Android phones. Where-ever I am, I can pick up a device and continue reading from where I left off. I have the same config everywhere (it would be nice to be able to distribute that) for gestures and taps. I use the same font everywhere (TeX Gyre Pagella, which is a Palatino clone.) Customization begets comfort.
- Eueudhsbsj32 3mo ago
  Why not on e-ink devices too?
  - dsr_ 3mo ago
    Because I don't own any that I want to use. I always have a phone, a laptop, a tablet or a desktop to hand. The tablet is a great device for reading comics as well as books. The phone is a terrible device for reasing comics, but fine for books.
brunorro 3mo ago
I have one of those Android e-books and it's nice to find good software. Anyways I just wanted to read using the least possible resources so I'm just using a simple file manager and mupdf (in which KOreader is based). mupdf may be simple, but it's amazing.
- premier_cru 3mo ago
  Thanks for that recommendation. It is simple and yes it is much easier to just get reading than Koreader
- WolfeReader 3mo ago
  Thanks for letting me know about mupdf! One of my favorite things about KOReader is its ability to handle humongous PDFs on extremely modest hardware; it's good to know what this ability is based on.
haritha-j 3mo ago
Interesting. I generally hate proprietary software, but I've actually been really satisfied with the kindle UI. I don't use the store at all, simply email epubs to it directly. (I usually only move 1-5 books max at a given time, so this process feels really simple to me). The only adjustments I need are the text size and front light, battery life is amazing. I'm guessing this would be really useful if I had advanced needs, but for just reading epubs, kindle is a really good UI.
- loloquwowndueo 3mo ago
  You must have a newer kindle. Koreader was basically my best bet once mine (2012 vintage) stopped being supported by Amazon. Native epub support plus other goodies. I’m sure you’re aware that emailing an epub to your kindle converts it to mobi before sending, potentially mucking up the formatting.
  - haritha-j 3mo ago
    I think mine is from 2019. I didn't realise it wasn't natively displaying an epub. I haven't noticed any breaks, or maybe I attributed any errors simply to the original epub and didn't realise it was a conversion error. But also the things I read are quite plain and text heavy so perhaps that's why.
arikrahman 3mo ago
Koreader rocks indeed
orsenthil 3mo ago
Does it have Kindle X-Ray like features, like integration with Wikipedia or possibly integration with AI for contextual information?
- hi-im-buggy 3mo ago
  Yes, Wikipedia is included, and there are plugins for AI tools.
SettembreNero 3mo ago
Great piece of software. Jailbroken my Kindle when the UI was becoming way too slow, then discovered Rakuyomi [1] and that alone is worth the jump, especially with plugins like SimpleUI to make the UX better [1] https://github.com/tachibana-shin/rakuyomi https://github.com/tachibana-shin/rakuyomi
tcoff91 3mo ago
There's a KOReader plugin that lets you sync your progress to a Storyteller server. https://github.com/Sirozha1337/storytellersync.koplugin https://github.com/Sirozha1337/storytellersync.koplugin https://storyteller-platform.dev/ https://storyteller-platform.dev/ This then allows you seamlessly switch back and forth between your e-reader and listening to the audiobook on your phone with automatic position syncing.
txru 3mo ago
The thing I find the most valuable on KOReader is something I haven't seen mentioned yet: the book map[0] It shows you chapter and section divisions in a single screen, along with black bars to show you which pages and chapters you've spent a lot of time on. I use this very often to jump back to pages or chapters, or look at which parts confused me. It also visualizes where bookmarks and notes are. When you want to see a segment in more detail, you click there and it brings you to a 6-page zoomed-in view. Let alone being more useful than the Kindle or Kobo UX, it's more useful than the book UX. [0] https://www.tc3.dev/posts/pocketbook-era-with-koreader/IMG_6712.jpg https://www.tc3.dev/posts/pocketbook-era-with-koreader/IMG_6...
outlore 3mo ago
BookFusion recently introduced a KOReader plugin (no affiliation). Combining that with a Kobo has finally let me break free of the Kindle ecosystem
giobox 3mo ago
My only real complaint with KOReader is that the book browsing UI is file and folder based by default, while virtually all other ebook readers support some kind of cover based library view you can sort 20 different ways based on metadata rather than filenames etc. It's not a huge issue, but I find just browsing my collection to find a read a lot more enjoyable on other ebook readers. IIRC there are plugins to add this feature, but it's not present out of the box. On the few Kobos and jailbroken Kindles I've used it on, it also drains the battery significantly faster than the stock reader app, although not enough that I couldn't last at least a few days. On stock software I can go weeks between charges.
- igoose1 3mo ago
  I use KOReader a lot. After your comment, I realized file browser annoys me too. After some searching, I found an alternative view. Turns out, you can open the File browser tab, swipe down and switch "Display mode" to "Mosaic with cover images". Also seems like it's default for new versions now. This mosaic view still uses directories but it lists books as rectangles (covers) instead of lines (covers + titles), it seems more pleasant. By the way, in the same settings I finally found how to set up KOReader to launch with a previously opened book. What a relief!
- themadturk 3mo ago
  My experience with battery life seems to be the opposite of yours. I'm using it on a Kobo Clara BW and my battery just lasts and lasts, even with an hour or more a day of reading. I don't have any firm data on it, but I know that right now I'm at 52% battery and it's been at least a week and a half since I plugged it in anywhere.
  - giobox 3mo ago
    KOReader is widely known to be less energy efficient than Nickel (the native reader on Kobo devices). It's a commonly observed issue. It still lasts a long time! It's just not as efficient as Nickel on the same hardware. Personally I prefer Calibre + Nickel over KOReader on Kobo devices (its trivial to convert DRM-free eBooks to formats Nickel will open, Calibre will do it automatically if you plug a Kobo in), although on Kindle devices I would still jailbreak and use KOReader.
charles_f 3mo ago
KOReader is one of these projects where idea is fantastic, it's impressive that it works, and the result is sufficiently quirky that I couldn't get used to it. UI is cumbersome. On kobo, it feels like it's draining battery much faster than the "regular" kobo OS. When you sync progress to KOSync with WiFi you keep getting these "Connecting to wifi" popups. And on mobile, having to use the internal keyboard feels like using the keyboard on a reader, which I do not want to.
- tombert 3mo ago
  I've never used it on Kobo (as I don't have one), but I felt that for the Kindle KOReader it was a significantly better experience than the stock experience. It's easy to sync stuff with Calibre, you can choose any TTF font, and there are more display options for reading. At least on the Kindle Paperwhite (purchased in 2015), it does not appear to significantly affect battery life. Maybe I'm just too entrenched in the engineering space that I'm just used to "developer UI", but my wife is decidedly not a software person and she seems to like KOReader just fine.
gruturo 3mo ago
I'm immensely thankful for koreader - it improves the reading experience so fundamentally that it literally drives my purchasing decisions. I got a remarkable 2 precisely because it was known to run it well. When I got a new kindle, I went for a refurbished one hoping it'd be one FW version behind (it was! lucky me) so I could jailbreak it immediately, and run koreader. Which reminds me: - I'm still a primitive user. Sync reading state, reflow, calibre link, yes, but I'm at maybe 10% of the features, might even be an overestimate. I may finally have to cave in and go through its manual - I literally endure calibre because that's how I feed koreader. Any alternatives? - Is there really no practical way to mark a book as read other than give it a star rating or a custom tag? - Does anyone know of anything coming close to this experience on an iPad? - I've never given them a cent or contributed a line of code or even filed a bug report. That changes now.
- rahimnathwani 3mo ago
  Someone claims to have ported it to iOS but I haven't tried it and one of the open issues says that the release build doesn't work: https://github.com/hezi/koreader-ios https://github.com/hezi/koreader-ios
  - gruturo 3mo ago
    Awesome, even if it doesn't currently work, good starting point. Thanks.
- allenc 3mo ago
  I've been messing around with this as well, and there are a few good options now, if you're willing to self-host services: - calibre-web, as a pure web front end to the calibre db - Calibre Web Automated, which is a rewrite of the app, with a better web UI, that is faster and adds functionality - Grimmory, a Java-based book mgmt. app w/ a web front end too - BookOrbit, similar to Grimmory but written in Node and seems to scale better w/ 100k+ book libraries The better way to get books onto KOReader is via connecting to these apps' OPDS feeds. Wireless, and most of these other apps have better library organization.
torment-nexus 3mo ago
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DuncanCoffee 3mo ago
I use it because it supports opds and old Android versions (I have an old Android eBook reader). I host my books on calibre web and never need to do anything beside opening the opds section on koreader and picking what to read.
videah 3mo ago
It's a shame the out of the box UI/UX is so bad, it really feels like the GIMP of e-reader software at times. I think the Zen UI plugin is mandatory to have a good time with it. https://anthonygress.github.io/zen_ui.koplugin https://anthonygress.github.io/zen_ui.koplugin
- LinuxAmbulance 3mo ago
  That's very helpful, thanks! The KOreader UI is... Rough. Love all the options, especially the ability to use folders on the device storage as the primary way to organize my books, but trying to figure out where a setting is and change it has been frustrating from the first day I installed it. Will give the Zen UI plugin a go. Does it still support the on-device folders as the main way to navigate through your books?
rbits 3mo ago
I was considering installing KOReader on my Kobo. However, I have decided that I don't want to do any tinkering with my Kobo. The entire point of my Kobo is kinda to be a distraction-free device, and messing around with installing stuff on it would ensure I would get distracted messing with the software when I should be reading or sleeping. It means I don't get to sync my progress with my phone, but I'm ok with that.
- paulcole 3mo ago
  It's so funny that you say this because I 100% agree. I have a Remarkable tablet (several of them in fact) and the people on /r/remarkabletablet are always looking for ways to complicate their Remarkables with KOReader or any other number of hacks. I want to write notes on my Remarkable and I want to read on my Kindle. They are both excellent at that right out of the box. I'm beginning to suspect that many people actually like being distracted more than they like being distraction free!
exe34 3mo ago
I run this on a pinenote, and I love it. Only sad thing is that I started transitioning to Linux and then lost interest, so I've only got about 8GB for data on the Android partition. I use syncthing to sync a folder with my laptop, so I just push a pdf into the folder on the laptop and then it turns up on the pinenote in koreader.
themadturk 3mo ago
I use KOReader daily on my Kobo and my Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi. I use BookFusion to sync with my iPhone. They all work great. KOReader doesn't have the most intuitive menu structure, but the plugin environment is excellent and there are several UI plugins that make using the software easier. It's also great for jailbroken Kindles.
borhensaidi 3mo ago
[flagged]
5tefan 3mo ago
I love KOreader for the best in class type setting imho. If an e-reader can run KOreader is a purchasing factor to me for that reason. I read a lot so it matters to me how the text looks.
colinsane 3mo ago
love this project. i used it on my pinephone daily for at least a year: it does _everything_ you'd want and does it fast. problem for me was that they vendor like 30 different dependencies in a totally bespoke way that's largely incompatible with any modern package management: it downloads them as part of ./configure (IIRC) and with no way for the OS to provide its own. so you're either stuck using the prebuilt releases without any means to patch/improve the software, or if you do want to make improvements then it's a full-time job to keep the package in a buildable state. in the end that was too much work for me and i switched to Foliate: it's noticeably slower (webkitgtk) and lacking, but it's way simpler to develop on. maybe they've improved the build system in the last couple years, though a quick peek shows that the nixpkgs expression is still using the binary release. if it becomes practical to build from source in the future i will 100% switch back to it.
seeksilence 3mo ago
KOReader my king
nekooooo 3mo ago
koreader is wildly unintuitive (just try to look at battery statistics, and marvel that it's in a submenu of a submenu with only 2 items) -- but it is very powerful. once I got used to it's quirks I can't go back. Things i use all the time on my phone-sized ereader : 1. calibre sync built in 2. customised estimated time remaining/progress bar 3. custom fonts and margin support 4. hardcover.app sync
dawdler-purge 3mo ago
[dead]
smusamashah 3mo ago
I have KOReader on Kindle. But its UI is very odd. Recently found plugins and patches. After installing a few something was causing weird errors. Gave Claude KOReader log and it found comic reader plugin to be the problem. Then I installed a fast reader plugin, claude fixed its flashing and added more features. Being able to SSH via KOReader and letting an LLM fix or improve things is so awesome and freeing.
ntnsndr 3mo ago
I have come to be a daily KOReader user on my PineNote, and I love it, but dang it took me ages to figure out how to use it, so I am feeling a great deal of gratitude to this thread for making me feel less alone.
pooploop64 3mo ago
For me this fills a pretty interesting niche. If your device is very open and already lets you do whatever you want, koreader will seem really bloated and annoying. But if all you can do is install "apps", then you can just install koreader and have access to everything you would probably want a custom OS for, such as SSH. And you can have it all without voiding your warranty or modifying the firmware in any way.
GlumWoodpecker 3mo ago
KOReader is fantastic! I use it on my pocket-sized Xiaomi InkPalm 5 to read anywhere (I carry it at all times along with my phone). The combination of KOReader and the ease of use due to the size of the device has enabled me to read many more books than I used to, so I'm very happy with it. Being able to just turn on wifi and click "calibre" > "connect" to transfer books from my PC is a killer feature—the stock Kindle I keep in bed has to connect via USB to transfer new content (I don't use Amazon to buy content for it).
taevirus 3mo ago
Oh, so it's not Korea Reader lol
thadk 3mo ago
It bugs me so much when eReaders re-render the ebook and everything moves slightly. I lose my eye muscle memory of where things were. Until now, I had not thought to try to lock down the settings that lead to accidental reflows. It sounds less difficult in KOReader than I expected. I may try to stabilize it for my next ebook I can get into KOReader.
g_host56 3mo ago
Such a better piece of software than the proprietary crap that comes installed. It took me a few weeks after getting a refurbished kindle paper-white, but man am I happy I jailbroke it.
_hzw 3mo ago
KOReader doesn’t support Japanese vertical rtl layout without a hack (e.g., rotating the fonts) is the single reason I don’t use it. The stock software on Kindle, on the other hand, does care about this a lot and its implementation is very good. In the end, I just built my own local server and a KUAL app to sync books and notes and progress in/out from jailbroken devices.
- leecming 3mo ago
  there's a fork that adds proper tategaki support - https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi and with the plugin system allows you to use the built-in Japanese dictionary a la Yomitan with one-tap lookups
  - _hzw 3mo ago
    Thanks!
Tepix 3mo ago
Which Kindle devices can be jailbroken as of today with the latest firmware running on them? The forum post that explains jailbreaking was last modified in 2023.
DavideNL 3mo ago
People complaining about the menus and UI to not be intuitive made me chuckle... I remember a long time ago, the thing that frustrated me most was that some options are not *visible* when you're in the "file manager" versus inside the "reader" (while reading a book) - and the other way around. That's so confusing. Would be much better if these options would be *disabled* instead of being *invisible*...
- swishman 3mo ago
  Yeah the UI is insanely bad. It’s a classic case of open source bloat. There is literally a button to “open random file” which just made me laugh…
tweetle_beetle 3mo ago
I've been on both sides of the most common comments in this thread. I tried it ages ago and struggled with unintuitive interface. After getting fed up with software on my Tolino - slow page turns, soft crashing regularly (stuck in a loop of 5ish pages until a restart) and being stuck with publishers type setting because the Tolino special customisation system is terrible, I decided to give it another go. It's like a new device. I can connect to WebDAV, I can customise almost anything, I can have better dictionaries, I even found a plugin that lets me use my local library through Libby with minimal friction. And it's fast! But... all of that was despite the documentation, which in my humble opinion is very hard to make use of. The front end styling overloads the text with colours, styles and mixed capitalisation. And the entire documentation is a single web with anchor links. Maybe this makes it marginally easier to maintain and allows it to be loaded in KOreader itself, but it's a poor design choice for web-based documentation. A basic SSG with pre-generated search would make it much more user friendly.
1317 3mo ago
TBH I've never had any problems with the interface. I put books on via usb, pick the one I want to read from the nice list, then I can just read the book The reading experience itself is the same as anything else, it draws the text on the screen
qmmmur 3mo ago
Love koreader and Plato. Great free software

752 points by Cider9986 3mo ago

You can use the regular Kindle viewer once you jailbroke your kindle, but KOReader has native epub and pdf support so you don't have to use a converter when uploading your books. I did find it hard to get the bezels to be even and it still doesn't always format well depending on the book. I still kind of prefer the default viewer. I use this plugin in KOReader which lets you download books from Z-Library within KOReader. https://github.com/ZlibraryKO/zlibrary.koplugin https://github.com/ZlibraryKO/zlibrary.koplugin Another cool thing is you can use custom fonts and dictionaries. I use the OED short version and the Wikipedia one. There's built in ones that it can download but pirated ones like OED you have to upload yourself. Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. Edit: They changed it on the newer Kindle which I have. There's open source alternatives to the send to kindle app.

simonklitj 3mo ago
> Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. KOReader comes with SSH, so you can just SSH into it.
occz 3mo ago
>Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. I can recommend using a Filebrowser plugin for KOReader, that way you can access the file system over a web interface and upload that way. No cables needed or anything, quite convenient.
- jmhammond 3mo ago
  The latest generation paperwhite (“PW6”) and color readers use MTP rather than acting as mass storage devices. I use OpenMTP rather than Amazon’s software, and that works fine for me.
nonninz 3mo ago
> Unfortunately on MacOS it seems you have to use Amazon's app to access the filesystem. Hmmm not really my experience, unless it's a new thing. I am still able to access it via finder. Although I need to exit KoReader first and go back to the stock UI.
Markoff 3mo ago
same experience here, jailbroken Kindle, installed KOReader, tried it and returned back to default viewer, don't exactly remember the reason, maybe overcomplicated? (especially since it's device for my kids, it doesnt have internet access, I just put there books offline)
CWuestefeld 3mo ago
Another cool thing is you can use custom fonts and dictionaries. To be fair, it is now possible to load your favorite fonts onto baseline Kindle.
WhyNotHugo 3mo ago
Where do you download the OED dictionary? I've never found a source for it, and assumed it was not available publicly.
- Cider9986 3mo ago
  https://reddit.com/r/koreader/comments/1om9gu7/best_english_dictionary_and_how_to_download/ https://reddit.com/r/koreader/comments/1om9gu7/best_english_... https://megalodon.jp/2026-0730-0620-00/https://photon-reddit.com:443/r/koreader/comments/1om9gu7/best_english_dictionary_and_how_to_download/ https://megalodon.jp/2026-0730-0620-00/https://photon-reddit...
ZlibraryKO 3mo ago
Thanks for mentioning my plugin!

lolgab 3mo ago

I installed it on my Amazon Kindle and I couldn't be happier. It shows once again that free software is superior to proprietary software. Free software grows slowly to make users happier and not to attract them with useless features to extract more value from them. Congratulations for this great piece of software.

thewhitetulip 3mo ago
It shows reading stats that I absolutely love!!
kelvinjps10 3mo ago
What extra features has over regular kindle software? I find kindle features enough but I want to know if I’m missing something
- kelvinjps10 3mo ago
  Well tbh the reason I like it has to do more with calibre (free software)
- 4thguy 3mo ago
  Being able to put epubs bought elsewhere and reading them without needing to convert the files is a huge plus
  - maccard 3mo ago
    Where do you buy your epubs from?
    - Cider9986 3mo ago
      I wouldn't assume that purchases are taking place.
      - TaLiTr 3mo ago
        Considering that the GP said > Being able to put epubs bought elsewhere I'd say it is in this case.

dmos62 3mo ago

Use it both on my phone and on an eink Android tablet. Love it, especially the dark mode.

jgtrosh 3mo ago
I wish you could disable fullscreen (enable the navigation bar) on Android though :-(
- dmos62 3mo ago
  Joys of open source: you can add the feature yourself.

simonklitj 3mo ago

KOReader is my jam! With its reflow for PDFs, I've used it on my Kindle Oasis 2 to read everything for my undergrad and graduate degree. Some years ago now, I wrote a script that converts the annotations to Obsidian [0], and then another little script to automatically keep my "Articles" folders in sync between the Kindle and my laptop. Very grateful for this software! [0]: https://github.com/simonpacis/kohico https://github.com/simonpacis/kohico

adamas 3mo ago

I have it on my Kobo, it's really good ! I use it with Wallabag, I can save articles on my desktop and sync it before leaving for work, really nice.

carlosjobim 3mo ago

My wish is to see ebooks become first class citizens on all digital devices. Apple has a native ebook reader built in to their devices. It's cumbersome and bloated, but it's there. No web browser except Yandex has built in ebook support, even though it would be the easiest thing in the world. Android, Linux and Windows have no built-in ebook reader, as far as I know. Murasaki [1] is the most performant and sleek ebook reader you can get for MacOS currently. It's magnificent, but the creator has regionally limited who can get it, unfortunately. [1] https://genjiapp.com/mac/murasaki/index_en.html https://genjiapp.com/mac/murasaki/index_en.html

WillAdams 3mo ago
The old Microsoft Edge had epub support, and even a nascent ebook shop and a nifty note-taking/annotation mechanism (there was even a restitution payment made for folks who had taken notes), but Microsoft gave up on it when they shifted to a rebadged Chrome.
Lord-Jobo 3mo ago
It doesn’t seem like it’s a huge ask imo, and I’m also pretty surprised that they have such limited support, a mostly text format like epub really should be simple to add functionality for. Less surprising but still annoying is how many hoops you need to jump through to get a good reading experience for manga, particularly on macOS. I had to try many options that were either too buggy, too difficult to install correctly, various aggressive paywalls, or straight up don’t function with high quality scans. Eventually I landed on one(will edit the name in when I have access to my laptop) that functions well but has some memory issues in importing books, possibly a memory leak. Maybe I’ve just become shit at finding apps in the modern unsearchable age, but it really feels like reading of all types has diminished enough that we are an unserviceable market.
- Lord-Jobo 3mo ago
  *The software I landed on is Koodo Reader
overflowy 3mo ago

starvar2 3mo ago

I installed it on my Kobo to have the syncing from Calibre. Works perfectly, no complaints.

HelloUsername 3mo ago

Previous discussions: 31-mar-2025 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43539103 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43539103 106 comments 10-apr-2024 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39996947 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39996947 33 comments

jbirnick 3mo ago

I absolutely love KOReader on my Boox Go 10.3! It has super useful features like the semi-auto-cropping which removes margins in PDFs (like papers or books), including unnecessary things like page numbers or similar, so that you can really maximize the size of the core content. It also has a nice chapter overview and other useful things! Truly one of the best pieces of software I have used so far.

timvdalen 3mo ago

See also this discussion from earlier today, which might have prompted this submission: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49094189 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49094189

mlue-the-one 3mo ago

The PDF support is just the right thing to have.

spiresofagartha 3mo ago

It seems there's a native dictionary. How does it fare?

Cider9986 3mo ago
Good. You can install your own or download the free ones from settings. It also searches Wikipedia.

dtj1123 3mo ago

It really does rock.

utopiah 3mo ago

FWIW not only it is in itself nice but it evens has plugin system. Consider extending it and sharing back with the community!

radel 3mo ago

It took me some time to know my way around it, but wow. I have it configured with some plugins, like zen ui and bookshelf. I Also use BookOrbit to sync reading progress and annotations between devices. Loving it.

koojh 3mo ago

KOREA!

khalic 3mo ago

I tried but the whole process is a miserable experience between the stale blog posts and the dead links… And then the UX… great project but could use a systems guy used to jailbreaking installations and a UX designer Edit: for kobo at least

Cider9986 3mo ago
you used https://kindlemodding.org/ https://kindlemodding.org/? Worked fine for me.
- khalic 3mo ago
  No it was on Kobo

pesarkhobeee 3mo ago

I am using koreader on my ereader and KOreader has a native support for https://wallabag.org/ https://wallabag.org/. They are both fantastic opensource projects, whenever I like to read a blog post I am sending them to my wallabag and therefore I can easily have them on my ereader too. Also the fact that you can install different plugin on KOreader and customize it in a way you like is fantastic. for example just check: - https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin - https://github.com/AndyHazz/bookshelf.koplugin https://github.com/AndyHazz/bookshelf.koplugin Or with Lua you can develop your own plugin for that. to people who wanted to jailbreak their Kindle I can recommend these two links: - https://kindlemodding.org/ https://kindlemodding.org/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtk7ERwlIAk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtk7ERwlIAk All in all I am supper happy with KOreader and can't imagine to use anything else

sieve 3mo ago

I installed this the moment I got my Kobo Libra H2O. Mostly read fiction from the 1800s and early 1900s and I did not want to fight whatever proprietary software the reader came with (Kobo is probably better than the Kindle for this, but I never tried it!) I have a problem with epubs though. This need to support every single thing under the sun makes the pipeline exceedingly complex. All you need for a vast majority of fiction is: - headings - paras - emphasis (bold/italic) - block quotes Add simple "image" syntax to it to display maps etc from detective stories Basically a ruthlessly cut down version of markdown. The mini-readers from Xteink came in at the right time for such experimentation.

leobg 3mo ago
Fiction from the 1800s? Now that sounds interesting. Can you name three titles that you would recommend? And: how did you get into this? Doesn’t sound like a TikTok trend, haha.
- kstrauser 3mo ago
  Not them, but I read Moby Dick last year. Man, I felt like I'd been lied to. It's kind of a laughing stock reference to giant old-timey books that were famous for being famous and such. So wrong! It was hilarious in parts. The narrator is a complete smartass with a strong bend to irony. I loved every bit of it, even the (in)famous chapters about whaling and knot tying and all that, which were vivid peeks into worlds I didn't know existed.
  - sieve 3mo ago
    Melville's "Bartleby" is very good
    - kstrauser 3mo ago
      I'm not familiar with it, which makes me want to add it to the reading stack.
- sieve 3mo ago

Cider9986 3mo ago

If you use a Kindle, you have to jailbreak it first before installing it. There's definitely been some improvements with user experience at least with apps since I first jailbroke it. There's like an appstore with games and KOReader that I use. This is the guide I used and it's up to date. https://kindlemodding.org/ https://kindlemodding.org/

troyvit 2mo ago
I knew I kept this tab open a week for a reason :) thank you!
- Cider9986 2mo ago
  Enjoy

nicoverbruggen 3mo ago

KOReader is so much better, including in how it renders typography and does typesetting than what ships on Kobo devices by default, it's sort of wild. I actually made a mod to try to upgrade Kobo's built-in reader so it's more correct, i.e. more faithful to how KOReader renders text. Sharing it here since it may be interesting for anyone with Kobo e-readers: https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/NickelTypeFix https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/NickelTypeFix

lisnake 3mo ago
Nico, while I have the chance, I'd like to thank you for all your work on Kobo mods and fonts

fumeux_fume 3mo ago

Lots of nice features but the UX and UI are so painful that it's not worth jumping from the stock kobo reader for me. It's nice to have another option though and if the UX improves one day maybe I'll use it as my main reader.

kmarc 3mo ago
I got to the same conclusion. Installation was also painful; understandable, these platforms are clumsy. The software itself is magic, kudos to all the developers and community.
gejose 3mo ago
Came to the same conclusion too – I appreciate that it exists, but the UI felt really complicated and disorganized.
Salgat 3mo ago
I don't like the UX but the extra controls on ebook rendering was worth the pain for me, since almost all of my time is just reading the ebook anyways.
yuppiepuppie 3mo ago
Being able to read magazines was a big upgrade for me v the native kobo reader

kyranjamie 3mo ago

Amazing software. Makes a 10 year old Kindle of the best electronics I own.

a1o 3mo ago

Did anyone made a comparison across different devices for running this? I am curious on what is the best device today to run it, and also the best when accounting for cost of the device too.

nickzelei 3mo ago

I finally installed this on my Kobo Libra 2. The UX is clunky but overall it works great. Very fast. Don’t need KEPUBS anymore as epubs render just as fast, where as that’s not the case on the stock software. I finally got around to installing it as I got an xteink x3 and wanted to have cross device syncing back to my Grimmory server. Works great with OPDS and KOSync. Although I miss using the native kobo sync where I could just add a book to my virtual shelf and have it auto sync to my device. OPDS seems very rudimentary in comparison, but it works nonetheless.

reinhardt1053 3mo ago
What's the advantage of Grimmory over Booklore?
- TaLiTr 3mo ago
  Have people moved on from Calibre? I've been slowly spinning up self-hosted services and Calibre was on my TODO. I haven't even heard of Booklore.
  - wing-_-nuts 3mo ago
    I'm wondering this too. I also thought about setting up calibre as I own a ton of drm free books and while the calibre reader itself is nice (the viewer is all I mainly use), sometimes I do find myself wanting to read on my phone while at a dr appointment or whatever
  - paintballboi07 3mo ago
    I tried both Grimmory (current booklore) and Calibre Web Automated, and I prefer the latter. You can also add Shelfmark to CWA to download books.
- imnotjames 3mo ago
  Booklore maintenance stopped a while ago. Grimmory maintenance continues. The original author of Booklore has seemingly moved on to a new project.

monomial 3mo ago

KOReader is awesome and it's my go to for most e-reader reading. I've recently been trying out Plato (https://github.com/baskerville/plato https://github.com/baskerville/plato) as well and it has a really nice experience for reading PDFs. It crops the margins and pages through the PDF in chunks nicely.

haywalk 3mo ago

I love KOReader! I use it on my Kobo Clara Colour with Calibre. Love Wikipedia lookup, customization options, and the fact that wifi is off by default.

siatko 3mo ago

I use it since years on my PocketBook Touch HD 3. I especially like the statistics. You might not care about them, but I find them very interesting.

joshstrange 3mo ago
If you like the statistics you might enjoy BookOrbit. I'm a sucker for stats like this and love having them centralized so that it's not just on my e-reader (in case it dies or if I read on another compatible app that syncs progress/stats).

KageFX 3mo ago

Thank you for this

elestor 3mo ago

EXTREMELY confusing UI, but when you get used to it, nothing really comes close in terms of customisability and features. Seriously, takes ages to find specific settings for the first few times.

OuterVale 3mo ago

So good. I've built a plugin for it to allow me download books from my Jellyfin server on my Kindle 3 Keyboard (from 2010!). Was lovely for develop for and the wide compatibility of KOReader has made it a great investment.

stripekit 3mo ago

I set up KOReader with a jailbroken Kindle. DammitJeff has a good video introducing the topic. UI is definitely awkward, but it is awesome and pretty "hands off" when set up. It also has built-in support for OPDS so downloads from places like "Project Gutenberg" are a breeze. Also, if you are a homelabber with stuff like Calibre & Calibre Sync, it all works as you'd expect.

joshstrange 3mo ago

I have this on my Amazon Kindle and I freaking LOVE it! Paired with BookOrbit [0] and using plugins like BookShelf, BookEnds, and KOAssistant I have the best reading setup ever. The speed of this on my Kindle is _insane_ compared to the stock software. I'm not talking about page turning, that was fine on both, but navigating menus is way faster. It was a little finicky to configure but once I got a feel for it I didn't have a problem and 15 books read later since I installed it a few months ago and I never touch the settings. My favorite plugins: BookShelf: Best UI for viewing my books by author/series/etc IMHO. Much better than the Kindle default UI and much snappier BookEnds: Configure the header and footer of each page to show what info you care about most. There are community configs you can test out easily and download right on your kindle if you like them KOAssistant: highlight some text and throw it at an LLM with a provided prompt or your custom one. This was invaluable when reading the Hornblower series which used a lot of older english words/phrasing as well as nautical terms (which I'm completely unfamiliar with). I enjoyed the books way more since I could figure it out inside my kindle instead of constantly having to pick up my phone to look up a phrase. BookOrbit: It provides a plugin for KOReader that syncs your progress, annotations, etc. KOReader is table stakes for any e-reader I might consider. If my Kindle died tomorrow I'd have a Kobo or similar on it's way to me within hours. I won't use any reader that doesn't support KOReader after using it for these last few months. [0] https://bookorbit.app/ https://bookorbit.app/

brokegrammer 3mo ago

I installed it and I use Calibre to send books over wifi. Simple and sweet setup.

geoffeg 3mo ago

If you have a newer Kindle and some hacking skills, consider looking for new Kindle jailbreak methods. The existing jailbreak methods don't work on newer firmwares. ( See https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html )

Anonyneko 3mo ago

It's a great reader app, but as a reader of Japanese light novels it's sadly not fit for my personal purposes - last I checked vertical text is only possible in a really, _really_ hacky way (using a font that is turned sideways), and dictionary support for Japanese (or, say, Finnish with its complex lemmatization) is lacking behind browser extensions such as Yomitan, or mobile apps like Hoshi Reader that have Yomitan dictionary support. I don't think KOReader handles fixed-size epubs terribly well too, and most of my manga (usually bought on Rakuten Kobo) comes in that format. For reading English or native language books on non-Android e-readers it's a godsend.

Frenziefrenz 3mo ago
There's a fork for vertical text: https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi
WhyNotHugo 3mo ago
How does it handle fixed-size epubs and (most important) how would you expect it to handle it?
KTallguy 3mo ago
I had the same issue but found this fork and it works great for Japanese novels! Also I agree the dictionary isn’t the best but it’s serviceable… on my old kindle oasis it has been really transformative. https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi Manga works but the screen size is a bit awkward imo.

presto8 3mo ago

I love KOReader on Android, but unfortunately it requires granting permission to manage all files on the device. I would prefer if it used the approach most apps use, which is to select a folder on the device that it can access. Then I can move all my books into that directory and KOReader would not have access to all of the data on my phone.

HumblyTossed 3mo ago

For anyone with a Kobo who only wants to be able to sync with calibre-web without installing anything on your device, here's a link to instructions: https://jccpalmer.com/posts/setting-up-kobo-sync-with-calibre-web/ https://jccpalmer.com/posts/setting-up-kobo-sync-with-calibr... I'm not associate with this person, just know that these instructions worked for me.

bezko 3mo ago

No Windows? Is it a political choice or is there a technical limitation?

WolfeReader 3mo ago
Windows would be a whole different build target, and Koreader works great through WSL anyway.

gejose 3mo ago

I really like that this exists, but I found the menus and UI to be rather non-intuitive. My main use case was to sync reading progress between my Kobo and my iPhone. I was able to do this using KOReader on the Kobo & the Readest app[1] on iPhone (also open source). Ultimately I decided to get rid of KOReader because it felt a bit laggy. The gestures (eg: swiping up on the left side to increase frontlight brightness) didn't work well either. I eneded up writing my own software to sync progress from Kobo to a KOReader Sync server[2] which my Readest app also connects to (love that unlike the Kindle, the Kobo is quite an open system). You can even set it up so you can SSH into it[3]. [1] https://github.com/readest/readest https://github.com/readest/readest [2] https://github.com/koreader/koreader-sync-server https://github.com/koreader/koreader-sync-server [3] https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254214 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=254214

Lalabadie 3mo ago
I really appreciate that KOReader is an option. On my older Kindle (first-gen Paperwhite), the default reading experience had declined until page turns take several seconds. Firmware update and factory reset wouldn't fix it. Using the default reader just wasn't a viable scenario. I jailbroke it, launched KOReader, and it's like I have a new e-reader. The amount of customizability gets kind of in the way, but once it's set up I don't really think about it from one month to the next. I also didn't feel the need to upgrade my original install either.
- Thews 3mo ago
  Amazon bricked the first gen paperwhite, so I went on a similar journey. I started out making a single rust app on it, then went down the rabbit hole of trying to replace the shell/launcher. https://github.com/justinledwards/ferrink-home-assistant https://github.com/justinledwards/ferrink-home-assistant and "ferrink" is the launcher. It is pretty snappy on the paperwhite for what it is.
InsideOutSanta 3mo ago
I tried to set up KOReader multiple times and always got stuck figuring out where all the settings are and how exactly they work. It seems very complete, but I'm just too dumb to actually use it.

spv 3mo ago

Any macOS builds out there? I would really like to have one app that can open both ePubs and pdfs. Don’t need the library feature to manage books like Books.app, just need a light and reliable reader.

applesdontfight 3mo ago
They do have MacOS builds, just not any on the release page. You can find out more and download them here: https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-MacOS https://github.com/koreader/koreader/wiki/Installation-on-Ma...

mendelmaleh 3mo ago

I have a kobo ebook with [plato](https://github.com/baskerville/plato https://github.com/baskerville/plato), it includes koreader but I found the built in mupdf much more intuitive and elegant.

egeres 3mo ago

I installed this because I wanted the sqlite database that track when I'm turning each page

dsr_ 3mo ago

I use KOReader on everything except e-ink devices. Linux desktop. MacOS laptop. Android tablets. Android phones. Where-ever I am, I can pick up a device and continue reading from where I left off. I have the same config everywhere (it would be nice to be able to distribute that) for gestures and taps. I use the same font everywhere (TeX Gyre Pagella, which is a Palatino clone.) Customization begets comfort.

Eueudhsbsj32 3mo ago
Why not on e-ink devices too?
- dsr_ 3mo ago
  Because I don't own any that I want to use. I always have a phone, a laptop, a tablet or a desktop to hand. The tablet is a great device for reading comics as well as books. The phone is a terrible device for reasing comics, but fine for books.

brunorro 3mo ago

I have one of those Android e-books and it's nice to find good software. Anyways I just wanted to read using the least possible resources so I'm just using a simple file manager and mupdf (in which KOreader is based). mupdf may be simple, but it's amazing.

premier_cru 3mo ago
Thanks for that recommendation. It is simple and yes it is much easier to just get reading than Koreader
WolfeReader 3mo ago
Thanks for letting me know about mupdf! One of my favorite things about KOReader is its ability to handle humongous PDFs on extremely modest hardware; it's good to know what this ability is based on.

haritha-j 3mo ago

Interesting. I generally hate proprietary software, but I've actually been really satisfied with the kindle UI. I don't use the store at all, simply email epubs to it directly. (I usually only move 1-5 books max at a given time, so this process feels really simple to me). The only adjustments I need are the text size and front light, battery life is amazing. I'm guessing this would be really useful if I had advanced needs, but for just reading epubs, kindle is a really good UI.

loloquwowndueo 3mo ago
You must have a newer kindle. Koreader was basically my best bet once mine (2012 vintage) stopped being supported by Amazon. Native epub support plus other goodies. I’m sure you’re aware that emailing an epub to your kindle converts it to mobi before sending, potentially mucking up the formatting.
- haritha-j 3mo ago
  I think mine is from 2019. I didn't realise it wasn't natively displaying an epub. I haven't noticed any breaks, or maybe I attributed any errors simply to the original epub and didn't realise it was a conversion error. But also the things I read are quite plain and text heavy so perhaps that's why.

arikrahman 3mo ago

Koreader rocks indeed

orsenthil 3mo ago

Does it have Kindle X-Ray like features, like integration with Wikipedia or possibly integration with AI for contextual information?

hi-im-buggy 3mo ago
Yes, Wikipedia is included, and there are plugins for AI tools.

SettembreNero 3mo ago

Great piece of software. Jailbroken my Kindle when the UI was becoming way too slow, then discovered Rakuyomi [1] and that alone is worth the jump, especially with plugins like SimpleUI to make the UX better [1] https://github.com/tachibana-shin/rakuyomi https://github.com/tachibana-shin/rakuyomi

tcoff91 3mo ago

There's a KOReader plugin that lets you sync your progress to a Storyteller server. https://github.com/Sirozha1337/storytellersync.koplugin https://github.com/Sirozha1337/storytellersync.koplugin https://storyteller-platform.dev/ https://storyteller-platform.dev/ This then allows you seamlessly switch back and forth between your e-reader and listening to the audiobook on your phone with automatic position syncing.

txru 3mo ago

The thing I find the most valuable on KOReader is something I haven't seen mentioned yet: the book map[0] It shows you chapter and section divisions in a single screen, along with black bars to show you which pages and chapters you've spent a lot of time on. I use this very often to jump back to pages or chapters, or look at which parts confused me. It also visualizes where bookmarks and notes are. When you want to see a segment in more detail, you click there and it brings you to a 6-page zoomed-in view. Let alone being more useful than the Kindle or Kobo UX, it's more useful than the book UX. [0] https://www.tc3.dev/posts/pocketbook-era-with-koreader/IMG_6712.jpg https://www.tc3.dev/posts/pocketbook-era-with-koreader/IMG_6...

outlore 3mo ago

BookFusion recently introduced a KOReader plugin (no affiliation). Combining that with a Kobo has finally let me break free of the Kindle ecosystem

giobox 3mo ago

My only real complaint with KOReader is that the book browsing UI is file and folder based by default, while virtually all other ebook readers support some kind of cover based library view you can sort 20 different ways based on metadata rather than filenames etc. It's not a huge issue, but I find just browsing my collection to find a read a lot more enjoyable on other ebook readers. IIRC there are plugins to add this feature, but it's not present out of the box. On the few Kobos and jailbroken Kindles I've used it on, it also drains the battery significantly faster than the stock reader app, although not enough that I couldn't last at least a few days. On stock software I can go weeks between charges.

igoose1 3mo ago
I use KOReader a lot. After your comment, I realized file browser annoys me too. After some searching, I found an alternative view. Turns out, you can open the File browser tab, swipe down and switch "Display mode" to "Mosaic with cover images". Also seems like it's default for new versions now. This mosaic view still uses directories but it lists books as rectangles (covers) instead of lines (covers + titles), it seems more pleasant. By the way, in the same settings I finally found how to set up KOReader to launch with a previously opened book. What a relief!
themadturk 3mo ago
My experience with battery life seems to be the opposite of yours. I'm using it on a Kobo Clara BW and my battery just lasts and lasts, even with an hour or more a day of reading. I don't have any firm data on it, but I know that right now I'm at 52% battery and it's been at least a week and a half since I plugged it in anywhere.
- giobox 3mo ago
  KOReader is widely known to be less energy efficient than Nickel (the native reader on Kobo devices). It's a commonly observed issue. It still lasts a long time! It's just not as efficient as Nickel on the same hardware. Personally I prefer Calibre + Nickel over KOReader on Kobo devices (its trivial to convert DRM-free eBooks to formats Nickel will open, Calibre will do it automatically if you plug a Kobo in), although on Kindle devices I would still jailbreak and use KOReader.

charles_f 3mo ago

KOReader is one of these projects where idea is fantastic, it's impressive that it works, and the result is sufficiently quirky that I couldn't get used to it. UI is cumbersome. On kobo, it feels like it's draining battery much faster than the "regular" kobo OS. When you sync progress to KOSync with WiFi you keep getting these "Connecting to wifi" popups. And on mobile, having to use the internal keyboard feels like using the keyboard on a reader, which I do not want to.

tombert 3mo ago
I've never used it on Kobo (as I don't have one), but I felt that for the Kindle KOReader it was a significantly better experience than the stock experience. It's easy to sync stuff with Calibre, you can choose any TTF font, and there are more display options for reading. At least on the Kindle Paperwhite (purchased in 2015), it does not appear to significantly affect battery life. Maybe I'm just too entrenched in the engineering space that I'm just used to "developer UI", but my wife is decidedly not a software person and she seems to like KOReader just fine.

gruturo 3mo ago

I'm immensely thankful for koreader - it improves the reading experience so fundamentally that it literally drives my purchasing decisions. I got a remarkable 2 precisely because it was known to run it well. When I got a new kindle, I went for a refurbished one hoping it'd be one FW version behind (it was! lucky me) so I could jailbreak it immediately, and run koreader. Which reminds me: - I'm still a primitive user. Sync reading state, reflow, calibre link, yes, but I'm at maybe 10% of the features, might even be an overestimate. I may finally have to cave in and go through its manual - I literally endure calibre because that's how I feed koreader. Any alternatives? - Is there really no practical way to mark a book as read other than give it a star rating or a custom tag? - Does anyone know of anything coming close to this experience on an iPad? - I've never given them a cent or contributed a line of code or even filed a bug report. That changes now.

rahimnathwani 3mo ago
Someone claims to have ported it to iOS but I haven't tried it and one of the open issues says that the release build doesn't work: https://github.com/hezi/koreader-ios https://github.com/hezi/koreader-ios
- gruturo 3mo ago
  Awesome, even if it doesn't currently work, good starting point. Thanks.
allenc 3mo ago
I've been messing around with this as well, and there are a few good options now, if you're willing to self-host services: - calibre-web, as a pure web front end to the calibre db - Calibre Web Automated, which is a rewrite of the app, with a better web UI, that is faster and adds functionality - Grimmory, a Java-based book mgmt. app w/ a web front end too - BookOrbit, similar to Grimmory but written in Node and seems to scale better w/ 100k+ book libraries The better way to get books onto KOReader is via connecting to these apps' OPDS feeds. Wireless, and most of these other apps have better library organization.

torment-nexus 3mo ago

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DuncanCoffee 3mo ago

I use it because it supports opds and old Android versions (I have an old Android eBook reader). I host my books on calibre web and never need to do anything beside opening the opds section on koreader and picking what to read.

videah 3mo ago

It's a shame the out of the box UI/UX is so bad, it really feels like the GIMP of e-reader software at times. I think the Zen UI plugin is mandatory to have a good time with it. https://anthonygress.github.io/zen_ui.koplugin https://anthonygress.github.io/zen_ui.koplugin

LinuxAmbulance 3mo ago
That's very helpful, thanks! The KOreader UI is... Rough. Love all the options, especially the ability to use folders on the device storage as the primary way to organize my books, but trying to figure out where a setting is and change it has been frustrating from the first day I installed it. Will give the Zen UI plugin a go. Does it still support the on-device folders as the main way to navigate through your books?

rbits 3mo ago

I was considering installing KOReader on my Kobo. However, I have decided that I don't want to do any tinkering with my Kobo. The entire point of my Kobo is kinda to be a distraction-free device, and messing around with installing stuff on it would ensure I would get distracted messing with the software when I should be reading or sleeping. It means I don't get to sync my progress with my phone, but I'm ok with that.

paulcole 3mo ago
It's so funny that you say this because I 100% agree. I have a Remarkable tablet (several of them in fact) and the people on /r/remarkabletablet are always looking for ways to complicate their Remarkables with KOReader or any other number of hacks. I want to write notes on my Remarkable and I want to read on my Kindle. They are both excellent at that right out of the box. I'm beginning to suspect that many people actually like being distracted more than they like being distraction free!

exe34 3mo ago

I run this on a pinenote, and I love it. Only sad thing is that I started transitioning to Linux and then lost interest, so I've only got about 8GB for data on the Android partition. I use syncthing to sync a folder with my laptop, so I just push a pdf into the folder on the laptop and then it turns up on the pinenote in koreader.

themadturk 3mo ago

I use KOReader daily on my Kobo and my Boox Go 10.3 (Gen II) Lumi. I use BookFusion to sync with my iPhone. They all work great. KOReader doesn't have the most intuitive menu structure, but the plugin environment is excellent and there are several UI plugins that make using the software easier. It's also great for jailbroken Kindles.

borhensaidi 3mo ago

[flagged]

5tefan 3mo ago

I love KOreader for the best in class type setting imho. If an e-reader can run KOreader is a purchasing factor to me for that reason. I read a lot so it matters to me how the text looks.

colinsane 3mo ago

love this project. i used it on my pinephone daily for at least a year: it does _everything_ you'd want and does it fast. problem for me was that they vendor like 30 different dependencies in a totally bespoke way that's largely incompatible with any modern package management: it downloads them as part of ./configure (IIRC) and with no way for the OS to provide its own. so you're either stuck using the prebuilt releases without any means to patch/improve the software, or if you do want to make improvements then it's a full-time job to keep the package in a buildable state. in the end that was too much work for me and i switched to Foliate: it's noticeably slower (webkitgtk) and lacking, but it's way simpler to develop on. maybe they've improved the build system in the last couple years, though a quick peek shows that the nixpkgs expression is still using the binary release. if it becomes practical to build from source in the future i will 100% switch back to it.

seeksilence 3mo ago

KOReader my king

nekooooo 3mo ago

koreader is wildly unintuitive (just try to look at battery statistics, and marvel that it's in a submenu of a submenu with only 2 items) -- but it is very powerful. once I got used to it's quirks I can't go back. Things i use all the time on my phone-sized ereader : 1. calibre sync built in 2. customised estimated time remaining/progress bar 3. custom fonts and margin support 4. hardcover.app sync

dawdler-purge 3mo ago

[dead]

smusamashah 3mo ago

I have KOReader on Kindle. But its UI is very odd. Recently found plugins and patches. After installing a few something was causing weird errors. Gave Claude KOReader log and it found comic reader plugin to be the problem. Then I installed a fast reader plugin, claude fixed its flashing and added more features. Being able to SSH via KOReader and letting an LLM fix or improve things is so awesome and freeing.

ntnsndr 3mo ago

I have come to be a daily KOReader user on my PineNote, and I love it, but dang it took me ages to figure out how to use it, so I am feeling a great deal of gratitude to this thread for making me feel less alone.

pooploop64 3mo ago

For me this fills a pretty interesting niche. If your device is very open and already lets you do whatever you want, koreader will seem really bloated and annoying. But if all you can do is install "apps", then you can just install koreader and have access to everything you would probably want a custom OS for, such as SSH. And you can have it all without voiding your warranty or modifying the firmware in any way.

GlumWoodpecker 3mo ago

KOReader is fantastic! I use it on my pocket-sized Xiaomi InkPalm 5 to read anywhere (I carry it at all times along with my phone). The combination of KOReader and the ease of use due to the size of the device has enabled me to read many more books than I used to, so I'm very happy with it. Being able to just turn on wifi and click "calibre" > "connect" to transfer books from my PC is a killer feature—the stock Kindle I keep in bed has to connect via USB to transfer new content (I don't use Amazon to buy content for it).

taevirus 3mo ago

Oh, so it's not Korea Reader lol

thadk 3mo ago

It bugs me so much when eReaders re-render the ebook and everything moves slightly. I lose my eye muscle memory of where things were. Until now, I had not thought to try to lock down the settings that lead to accidental reflows. It sounds less difficult in KOReader than I expected. I may try to stabilize it for my next ebook I can get into KOReader.

g_host56 3mo ago

Such a better piece of software than the proprietary crap that comes installed. It took me a few weeks after getting a refurbished kindle paper-white, but man am I happy I jailbroke it.

_hzw 3mo ago

KOReader doesn’t support Japanese vertical rtl layout without a hack (e.g., rotating the fonts) is the single reason I don’t use it. The stock software on Kindle, on the other hand, does care about this a lot and its implementation is very good. In the end, I just built my own local server and a KUAL app to sync books and notes and progress in/out from jailbroken devices.

leecming 3mo ago
there's a fork that adds proper tategaki support - https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi https://github.com/m-tky/koreader-tategumi and with the plugin system allows you to use the built-in Japanese dictionary a la Yomitan with one-tap lookups
- _hzw 3mo ago
  Thanks!

Tepix 3mo ago

Which Kindle devices can be jailbroken as of today with the latest firmware running on them? The forum post that explains jailbreaking was last modified in 2023.

DavideNL 3mo ago

People complaining about the menus and UI to not be intuitive made me chuckle... I remember a long time ago, the thing that frustrated me most was that some options are not *visible* when you're in the "file manager" versus inside the "reader" (while reading a book) - and the other way around. That's so confusing. Would be much better if these options would be *disabled* instead of being *invisible*...

swishman 3mo ago
Yeah the UI is insanely bad. It’s a classic case of open source bloat. There is literally a button to “open random file” which just made me laugh…

tweetle_beetle 3mo ago

I've been on both sides of the most common comments in this thread. I tried it ages ago and struggled with unintuitive interface. After getting fed up with software on my Tolino - slow page turns, soft crashing regularly (stuck in a loop of 5ish pages until a restart) and being stuck with publishers type setting because the Tolino special customisation system is terrible, I decided to give it another go. It's like a new device. I can connect to WebDAV, I can customise almost anything, I can have better dictionaries, I even found a plugin that lets me use my local library through Libby with minimal friction. And it's fast! But... all of that was despite the documentation, which in my humble opinion is very hard to make use of. The front end styling overloads the text with colours, styles and mixed capitalisation. And the entire documentation is a single web with anchor links. Maybe this makes it marginally easier to maintain and allows it to be loaded in KOreader itself, but it's a poor design choice for web-based documentation. A basic SSG with pre-generated search would make it much more user friendly.

1317 3mo ago

TBH I've never had any problems with the interface. I put books on via usb, pick the one I want to read from the nice list, then I can just read the book The reading experience itself is the same as anything else, it draws the text on the screen

qmmmur 3mo ago

Love koreader and Plato. Great free software