sandreas18 hours ago
This is cool, thanks for sharing. I recently compiled Rust / Slint on a LicheeRV Nano, which is RISC-V 64bit musl[1]. It's a little portable audio player I'm working on, the compile process is done via custom Cross docker image.
Currently I'm evaluating Battery Pal[2], because the TP4057 Module was not stable enough to power USB-C to 3.5mm Adapters reliably. So far it seems to work as expected.
hardwaresofton18 hours ago
This is awesome! How reliable are kindle jailbreaks/avoiding updates, etc?
Have opted for other devices like the xteink (or a boox in the future) due to what seemed like a relatively small ecosystem around “aftermarket” kindle modifications.
The kindle would be a great option if it could be reliably jailbroken and loaded with custom software
akazantsev5 hours ago
Jailbreaks will be overridden on modern Kindle firmwares unless you install an additional extension to prevent updates.
I use the "renameotabin" extension and enable Wi-Fi from time to time to load books from FTP via Koreader. It has been 3 years since I jailbroke it, and there have been no resets for me.
See https://kindlemodding.org/jailbreaking/post-jailbreak/disabl...
a10c17 hours ago
Depending on your firmware version, most jailbreak guides will have you either create an empty directory with the same name as the OTA firmware file (causing any OTA downloads to fail) or install an extension called `renameotabin` which renames the binaries responsible for performing the update, rendering them inaccessible.
source: https://kindlemodding.org/jailbreaking/post-jailbreak/disabl...
wilted-iris15 hours ago
Worth noting that kobo devices are not locked down at all and run linux. They’re very easy to build for.
hardwaresofton10 hours ago
This is a great point. Back when I was checking I think I was underwhelmed by the customization ecosystem for kobos but now I’m not sure what was stopping me/made me reconsider.
Upon further inspection there is also the Pine Note!
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46283016
https://pine64.org/devices/pinenote/
It’s quite pricey but certainly more straightforward in its offering.
Kobo is the cheaper and has a color option and is likely slightly less hackable.
[EDIT] Ah, I think this is what I found:
https://github.com/Quill-OS/quill
Kobo’s switch to secure boot made things harder for Quill which seemed to be the only custom OS.
dv_dt4 hours ago
I'm done with the kindle ecosystem, except for one last jailbroken kindle that I use for reading, but once that dies it's nice to know options.
Open source software, open (to the owners) with default configs, open ecosystems, repairability, hackability, open hardware are all factors I look for across multiple devices now. routers & wifi, readers, phones, headphones, laptops, keyboards, etc..
They don't always have to hit every element - but the more they cover, the more likely I am to track and purchase them when the time comes.
pidgeon_lover5 hours ago
If you want to make sure to block Amazon, use: https://github.com/Darthagnon/kindle-kual-blockamazon and also one of the Kindle software update blockers here: https://github.com/Darthagnon/BlockKindleOTA
Rebelgecko14 hours ago
One of my biggest regrets is not jailbreaking my kindle before it auto updated last year
schrijver3 hours ago
Live has been kind to you ;)
looperhacks6 hours ago
I have a jailbroken Kindle that's connected to Wifi (and theoretically has access to the internet). No problems for three years now
ilvez4 hours ago
Would be so nice to use those previous Paperwhites for something like this as well. Instead I just lose them while travelling. Just lost my last 2019/smth edition. 3rd one with such fate..
FlyingSnake17 hours ago
Great article. Hacking old kindles is fun! I encourage everyone to give it a try. The retro feel of eink makes it special for me.
I wrote about my experience in cross compiling zig on an old kindle some time ago.
_hzw9 hours ago
I am working on a self-hosted library server for jailbroken kindle and opted for using pure Rust for the KUAL app to sync books and annotations with the server.
It's just running `cargo build --release --target armv7-unknown-linux-musleabihf` with a .cargo/config.toml:
``` [target.armv7-unknown-linux-musleabihf] linker = "rust-lld" rustflags = ["-C", "link-self-contained=yes"]. ```
the downside is I can't use any c-deps. :)
homarpop19 hours ago
DoctorOW18 hours ago
This looks cool, and one of the first posts I've seen on HN in a few months where I genuinely wanted to try it.
voidUpdate8 hours ago
Is there a list somewhere of jailbreak-able kindles? I've been thinking of getting one to toy with for a while, but I don't want to accidentally get one that is more heavily locked down, or that we cant run our own code on for some reason
Cider99867 hours ago
All can be jailbroken except the newest software updated ones.
Here is the list detailing exactly the software versions supported and device support. This website will have everything you need.
(https://kindlemodding.org/kindle-models.html)
There is also the discord which is very popular.
voidUpdate7 hours ago
Perfect, thank you <3
KolmogorovComp16 hours ago
Tangential, how does slint fare compared to Druid/egui(?)
airstrike12 hours ago
Tangential reply, but Druid has been abandoned. The spirit lives on as Xilem, but that doesn't have much traction either. It's very... exploratory in nature.
I'm partial to iced, which to me is the best GUI library in Rust by far. The Discord is super active if you have questions.
pjmlp9 hours ago
Slint is backed by a company that sponsors its development, in model similar to Qt.
airstrike3 hours ago
For the record, so is iced, effectively.
pjmlp3 hours ago
Ah, Cryptowatch, and what do they understand about selling GUIs?
airstrike2 hours ago
It's Kraken, not Cryptowatch, as the latter was acquired.
Who's supposed to be selling GUIs here?
Your comment goes against several HN guidelines. As the 15th highest karma on this site, I'm sure you could do better.
pjmlpan hour ago
The remark "in a model similar to Qt" assumes it is a software company selling a GUI framework, while offering part of it for free.
What I see there is a crypto fund that most likely cares about how iced fits into their own use cases first.
I seldom read those, by the way.
the__alchemist15 hours ago
I'm curious as well. My understanding is one notable differencse, exemplified here, is that Slint can work on embedded devices / no-std.
ElenaDaibunny12 hours ago
zig as a cross-compile backend for rust is so good.
[deleted]8 hours agocollapsed
IshKebab18 hours ago
Good work! I guess you need to leave it plugged in?
nelox17 hours ago
[flagged]