On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 10:42:37AM +0200, Antony Stone wrote:
> On Tuesday 25 May 2021 at 05:25:41, Hendrik Boom wrote:
>
> > On Mon, May 24, 2021 at 09:32:49PM +0200, Antony Stone wrote:
> > >
> > > As for getting a standard GNU / Linux system onto eBook reader hardware,
> > > I would say:
> > >
> > > a) very unlikely, given the storage capacity typically available
> > >
> > > b) very disappointing even if you manage, given the performance of eBook
> > > reader CPUs, and especially eInk displays
> >
> > Yes, but if he does manage, he should be able to program an ebook rader
> > that does what he wants instead of what the Chinese copany wants.
> >
> > > c) very inconvenient, assuming it's a device with a touch screen and no
> > > Bluetooth or USB OTG mode (which would have enabled you to connect an
> > > external mouse and/or keyboard).
> >
> > Early ebook readers from Kobo used a Linux kernel, and could be booted
> > from an inserted SD card (they had a slot for this).
>
> Indeed - I have several Tolino readers which have the same design. Later ones
> (especially the water-resistant models) have no SD card slot (either internal
> or external) and simply have firmware installed on soldered flash chips.
>
> > Booting from inserted SD card was also how they did upgrades. Someone
> > managed to write a simple game for it, after heavy reverse engineering.
>
> Upgrades can also be done either by inserting an SD card with a correctly-
> named file into the external card slot (where one exists), or by writing the
> correctly-named file to internal storage using the USB cable (just as a mass-
> storage device, no ADB needed) and then restarting the device.
>
> > As far as I know no documentation was ever made available for those who
> > wished to program the thing; in particular, there ws no documebtation
> > for the screen and touch drivers.
> >
> > I have seen no such bootable slot in any of the current Kobo ebook
> > readers.
>
> There is documentation (some in English, some in German) on how to install a
> standard app launcher on these devices so that you can make full use of the
> native Android system (normally that's inaccessible, and only one app can be
> used; the e-reader app). I have a Tolino Epos 1 which I've done this with,
> for example, and it's quite a nice monochrome / greyscale Android "tablet" so
> long as you accept that it is quite slow, the display is very slow, it has no
> sound and no Bluetooth. For many applications these limitations do not
> matter.

I guess what I really want is something like a laptop that can be used
effectively in bright sunlight, and still has interoperability and
connectivity with the Linux ecosystem I currently use. It doesn't have
to have the *same* software; it merely needs to interoperate with
systems that do.

Android won't even talk sshfs.

-- hendrik
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Antony.
>
> --
> You can tell that the day just isn't going right when you find yourself using
> the telephone before the toilet.
>

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