4 ms·

Ubuntu running on a Kindle 2

32 points by yan 17y ago

puredemo 17y ago
Is it possible to use much of a GUI with it?
- anigbrowl 17y ago
  If you follow the links he has X running on it, but the refresh rate is slow, for obvious reasons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/obra/3702221011/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/obra/3702221011/ (< video)
KevinKaske 17y ago
But does it run Linux? Oh... Wait.
chris11 17y ago
I wonder if this means you could get LaTeX documents to be readable on the Kindle. I have a few free math books that are in LaTeX, so this would be useful to me.
- christopherolah 17y ago
  There doesn't seem to be any reason you couldn't get xpdf/evince/okular to run. He got X and QT running... For this reason, and the internet connection, I would probably get one, if they were available where I live... And the internet connection worked here.
- almost 17y ago
  Apparently you can convert PDFs to a Kindle viewable format, if that's true then you can convert LaTeX documents by way of PDF.
  - chris11 17y ago
    Yeah I'm certain that you can, but I'm not sure how well it would convert though. I've read that pdf's won't convert well if there is a lot of graphics in the file. And I would expect that some of the text would be treated as graphics since I'm not really aware of any common text format that handles mathematical symbols well.
blasdel 17y ago
A portable computer running my software with free lifetime Sprint EVDO 'Whispernet' access would be really useful to me. I'm curious if Amazon put in any safeguards against this: Does the normal Kindle webbrowser proxy via Amazon? Does it normally have routes to the public internet? Does the cell modem require keys to run? Do they tie the modem's subscriber ID to the user's Amazon ID? Do they or Sprint have systems keeping tabs on per-user usage? Would it be feasible to tether to a PC as a USB gadget?
- nirmal 17y ago
  I can answer some of these from my poking around. I have a Kindle DX. 1) Yes, the browser proxies through amazon. 2) I'm not sure what you mean but you can pretty much pull up any website you want. 3) Not sure about this question. 4) Yes, each device is tied to your amazon account. 5) I think someone inside Sprint or Amazon would have to answer this. 6) There are hacks to attach it to a PC in USBNET mode.
  - yan 17y ago
    Hm are you happy with your DX? I've been seriously considering getting one.
  - blasdel 17y ago
    You misinterpreted most of my questions :/ 2) I'm asking if the device can open a direct socket to a host on the public internet. Your answer to (1) implies that the device might not be able to talk to anything but amazon's (potentially non-HTTP) servers, but it might just be for MiTM reformatting (like Opera Mini) 4) Of course the device is tied to your Amazon ID. I'm asking if the modem's permanent radio ID is a part of that 6) That feature is for avoiding the use of the modem, not bridging it! It's only a first step towards tethering. By default it lets the Kindle use the PC's internet connection, not the other way around (which is all that I care about)

32 points by yan 17y ago

puredemo 17y ago

Is it possible to use much of a GUI with it?

anigbrowl 17y ago
If you follow the links he has X running on it, but the refresh rate is slow, for obvious reasons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/obra/3702221011/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/obra/3702221011/ (< video)

KevinKaske 17y ago

But does it run Linux? Oh... Wait.

chris11 17y ago

I wonder if this means you could get LaTeX documents to be readable on the Kindle. I have a few free math books that are in LaTeX, so this would be useful to me.

christopherolah 17y ago
There doesn't seem to be any reason you couldn't get xpdf/evince/okular to run. He got X and QT running... For this reason, and the internet connection, I would probably get one, if they were available where I live... And the internet connection worked here.
almost 17y ago
Apparently you can convert PDFs to a Kindle viewable format, if that's true then you can convert LaTeX documents by way of PDF.
- chris11 17y ago
  Yeah I'm certain that you can, but I'm not sure how well it would convert though. I've read that pdf's won't convert well if there is a lot of graphics in the file. And I would expect that some of the text would be treated as graphics since I'm not really aware of any common text format that handles mathematical symbols well.

blasdel 17y ago

A portable computer running my software with free lifetime Sprint EVDO 'Whispernet' access would be really useful to me. I'm curious if Amazon put in any safeguards against this: Does the normal Kindle webbrowser proxy via Amazon? Does it normally have routes to the public internet? Does the cell modem require keys to run? Do they tie the modem's subscriber ID to the user's Amazon ID? Do they or Sprint have systems keeping tabs on per-user usage? Would it be feasible to tether to a PC as a USB gadget?

nirmal 17y ago
I can answer some of these from my poking around. I have a Kindle DX. 1) Yes, the browser proxies through amazon. 2) I'm not sure what you mean but you can pretty much pull up any website you want. 3) Not sure about this question. 4) Yes, each device is tied to your amazon account. 5) I think someone inside Sprint or Amazon would have to answer this. 6) There are hacks to attach it to a PC in USBNET mode.
- yan 17y ago
  Hm are you happy with your DX? I've been seriously considering getting one.
- blasdel 17y ago
  You misinterpreted most of my questions :/ 2) I'm asking if the device can open a direct socket to a host on the public internet. Your answer to (1) implies that the device might not be able to talk to anything but amazon's (potentially non-HTTP) servers, but it might just be for MiTM reformatting (like Opera Mini) 4) Of course the device is tied to your Amazon ID. I'm asking if the modem's permanent radio ID is a part of that 6) That feature is for avoiding the use of the modem, not bridging it! It's only a first step towards tethering. By default it lets the Kindle use the PC's internet connection, not the other way around (which is all that I care about)