KOReader Forum

[Ken Maltby]

KOReader is a document viewer for Linux based eink and generic Android devices. The formats it supports include Pdf, DjVu, XPS, CBZ, FB2, PDB, TXT, HTML, RTF, CHM, EPUB, DOC, MOBI, and ZIP files.

The first thing to get acquainted with KOReader would be to check out its WiKi at Github.

KOReader has binaries/executable programs for: Kindle, Kobo, Pocketbook, and generic Android devices.

Please include which platform/device you are running KOReader on, in your posts here, especially if you are describing a problem.

(Brilliant intro to follow)

Luck;
Ken

[DaleDe]

There is also a KOReader in our wiki. Anyone can improve it as needed.

Dale

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

There is also a KOReader in our wiki. Anyone can improve it as needed.

Dale

It mentions: "For Kobo this is done for you by the creation of a special firmware version that can be downloaded from MobileRead."

Is that a reference to The Kobo Start Menu or AdvBoot? Neither launcher is a "firmware version".

Luck;
Ken

[timofonic]

I was hopeless, but finally my stubborness got useful for one cause. I'm very happy this forum section got created.

I'll try to contribute in the Android eINK field. I have lots to learn, but I'm starting to understand Android

I'm not a programmer, I'm starting electronics these days. I hope to learn computer programming someday after I finish the course.

Anyway, I usually try all stuff to the extreme and I'm somehow an expert at finding quirks. I lack knowledge to do proper debugging, unfortunately.

What about having subsections for each platform? Android, Kobo, Kindle for each generation, etc.

I'll obviously be more active in the Android section. I would love to contribute more, but I bought an Android eink device because of the flexibility despite the quirks in the current firmware.

[Ken Maltby]

I don't know if you can have sub-subforums, here at MR, it would be nice to have:

KOReader on Android,
KOReader on Kindle,
KOReader on Kobo,
KOReader on PocketBook, and
KOReader on Other.

Then have prefix for posts showing devices.

But I don't know if MR's software would allow even the Real Moderators to implement such a structure.

Luck;
Ken

[eschwartz]

The calibre, Kindle, Kobo subforums have subforums. But I don't know at what point it is worth it.

Maybe prefixes would be enough.


Definitely agree you need one or the other. Or both.

[Alan_S]

Technically speaking, vBulletin can have unlimited numbers of subforums and subforums its own subforums, but different thing is what owners want to do.

But, having prefixes in this case may be enough, with sticky main topics, as we already have.

I don't think that there's so much difference per platform that subforums would be advantage. Prefixes would handle that much more elegantly.

At the moment we are also lacking Koreader forum image, that I see Ken have attached in first post of this thread. Admins just need to be informed about it and put in its proper place, i.e. https://www2.mobileread.com/i/mr/misc/f-276.png Probably admins already know that, but it's still holidays season.

And as one suggestion, posts related with kobo H20, KSM and switching light on and off and shutting device off could be made into one thread, as this one little modification makes use of Koreader on H2O much easier, at least for me. Links to this posts:

First post: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2294

Posts in between: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2296 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2299 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2303 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2304 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2309 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2310 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2311 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2312 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2313 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2315 - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2319

Version working with KSM7 (latest bug free version): https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2322

Version working with KSM8: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=2491

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

It mentions: "For Kobo this is done for you by the creation of a special firmware version that can be downloaded from MobileRead."

Is that a reference to The Kobo Start Menu or AdvBoot? Neither launcher is a "firmware version".

Luck;
Ken

It is a firmware version in the sense that you replace the version of the firmware you have on the internal card with a different version. It is not a revision of the internal firmware but it is an addition to the stock firmware.

Dale

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It is a firmware version in the sense that you replace the version of the firmware you have on the internal card with a different version. It is not a revision of the internal firmware but it is an addition to the stock firmware.

Dale

There is a problem with the impression such statements make. The couple of lines of code added to Kobo's startup script have no effect on how the Kobo software functions, and in no way "replaces" any of it. I have seen posts where the poster was under the impression that the Kobo software would no longer be available, that it would be "replaced" by the launcher and Koreader. All of the Kobo software remains functioning just as it did. I am not familiar with how the "jailbreak" of the Kindles work, maybe for those, such a statement has some validity, but it is my understanding that the Kindle software also functions normally with Koreader added to the device.

I have seen a number of posts where people have a fear of trying KOReader, just because they didn't want to risk loosing access to the original firmware.

Luck;
Ken

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

There is a problem with the impression such statements make. The couple of lines of code added to Kobo's startup script have no effect on how the Kobo software functions, and in no way "replaces" any of it. I have seen posts where the poster was under the impression that the Kobo software would no longer be available, that it would be "replaced" by the launcher and Koreader. All of the Kobo software remains functioning just as it did. I am not familiar with how the "jailbreak" of the Kindles work, maybe for those, such a statement has some validity, but it is my understanding that the Kindle software also functions normally with Koreader added to the device.

I have seen a number of posts where people have a fear of trying KOReader, just because they didn't want to risk loosing access to the original firmware.

Luck;
Ken

In order to gain user base, I think these kind of processes should be done and explained in the most straightforward possible way. I understand the technical and priority challenges in a big project like KOreader, of course

Another possible posts to move here (I'll update it in the coming days):
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=269167
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=259131
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=269148
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=263396

OT: Anyone could provide some text about the technical details behind Zsync transport? It seems to use Bonjour.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by timofonic

In order to gain user base, I think these kind of processes should be done and explained in the most straightforward possible way. I understand the technical and priority challenges in a big project like KOreader, of course

Another possible posts to move here (I'll update it in the coming days):
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=269167
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=259131
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=269148
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=263396

OT: Anyone could provide some text about the technical details behind Zsync transport? It seems to use Bonjour.

Zsync description.

Some of those threads would not offer a solution to the issues raised and are old enough to have been superseded by development. (For instance the last one may have part of the impetus for tshering to create KSM8.)

Luck;
Ken

[dave2008]

IIRC, the "zsync" protocol used by koreader is actually a combination of filemq[1,2] and zyre[3]. Where zyre is for peer discovery and filemq handles the actual file transferring.

[1] http://rfc.zeromq.org/spec:19
[2] https://github.com/zeromq/filemq
[3] https://github.com/zeromq/zyre

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by dave2008

IIRC, the "zsync" protocol used by koreader is actually a combination of filemq[1,2] and zyre[3]. Where zyre is for peer discovery and filemq handles the actual file transferring.

[1] http://rfc.zeromq.org/spec:19
[2] https://github.com/zeromq/filemq
[3] https://github.com/zeromq/zyre

Oh yes, it seems quite interesting!

I also found the following library by the one of the same authors. I'm not sure what it is and what features does it provide:

https://github.com/nanomsg

[dave2008]

nanomsg is basically a redesign/rewrite of zeromq in C.

[timofonic]

Originally Posted by dave2008

nanomsg is basically a redesign/rewrite of zeromq in C.

I see...

What about this? I know KOreader uses LUA...

https://github.com/nanomsg/luajit-nanomsg

Would KOreader be able to use it? Would there be any advantages?