Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Best e-reader for free software

[Connor P Doherty]

I also recently went looking for an eReader, but my research ended in finding nothing Libre. That said, I needed one, so I too went with Kobo. They let you upload epubs by USB, which means you can get your books from anywhere. They have DRM-free books in their store, although I don't use it. I have the best one (the Aura H2O, which is waterproof) and I can admit it is rather slow (for an ereader) but it surely seems the most predisposed to freedom.

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Best e-reader for free software compatibility (Michael Lamb)




Message: 1
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 2015 18:47:16 -0500
From: Michael Lamb <mike@datagrok.org>
To: Koz Ross
<koz.ross@retro-freedom.nz>
Cc: libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org
Subject: Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Best e-reader for free software
 compatibility
Message-ID:
 <CADR=BJrt2P5K4ro9iTKqfDZYOUr0fFikf6d2NBEhq_bsC+MCsA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I'm currently investigating the Kobo e-readers. While the bundled
software is proprietary, it might not be impossible to eventually
develop Free Software replacements for it. The software is
single-purpose (not Android-based) and built upon GNU/Linux and the QT
toolkit (http://www.qt.io/)

Unfortunately the last free software replacement effort I knew of for
devices like these http://openinkpot.org is abandoned. Kobo
nevertheless looks promising to me because:

- Kobo obeys the GPL and releases the source they are required to. (Or
at least,
they have in the past, for at least some of their system):
https://github.com/kobolabs/Kobo-Reader

- Some (like the $90 Kobo Touch 2.0) are built upon a Freescale i.MX6
Solo Lite processor. The Novena community is working to Free the GPU
on the more powerful versions of the Freescale i.MX6, so I hope this
implies the Solo Light version will work with stock Linux kernels
without issues.
http://www.kosagi.com/w/index.php?title=Novena_Main_Page

Unfortunately, I have no idea what the touchscreen, display, and wifi
hardware in the Kobo Touch 2.0 is, or if it requires nonfree firmware
or drivers.

If I can somehow confirm that it hasn't been made *impossible* to
develop free replacement software for use on the device, that's good
enough for me, given that most devices require
herculean
reverse-engineering efforts to even get started, if they don't
restrict the user from modifications altogether.

On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 9:59 PM, Koz Ross <koz.ross@retro-freedom.nz> wrote:
 I've been looking at Defective By Design, and would like to switch several of my family members over to something better than their Swindles. However, the site only talks about DRM, not software freedom - and I would really prefer a free-software-friendly e-reader. Which ones are good in this regard?






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End of libreplanet-discuss Digest,
Vol 70, Issue 27
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Connor Doherty
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