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> Also, I realize this is a personal preference, I don’t like the “file explorer” view. I prefer a “library” view like Kobo or Kindle defaults to. If that makes sense.

I'm with you, my reading device is something where I don't want to fiddle or be distracted by settings and options. I just want a stock, opinionated device with good defaults that just works and I have to charge once a month. That's it.

You can add a library view! Checkout this Bookshelf plugin:

https://github.com/AndyHazz/bookshelf.koplugin

> I don’t like the “file explorer” view

Exact reason why despite having a jailbroken Kindle, I stick to the stock book browser. It's so tough to navigate on an old-gen Kindle with a low refresh rate.

One thing I really appreciate about KOReader is that it runs on so many devices. I like its stock experience, and I can have that experience on my Supernote and on my Kobo, and sync progress between the two.

Over the years I've gone from Kindle to Pocketboot to Boox to Kobo. Sometimes eReaders break, sometimes I hand them down to family members. Whenever I need to buy an eReader, as long as runs KOReader somehow I can pick the device purely based on its hardware instead of worrying about the stock software, compatible formats, etc.

But you're absolutely right that finding the specific setting you're looking for is an unintuitive process.

> I care about

Feels like you have my problem: "I can not be bother to switch from another app".

When every one wants their e-reader with custom setup you get that long list of options. Since the beginning of computing I have always wanted a custom UI on apps, i.e. add an icon here that does these three things in the app, or "add this view to that window". Even browsers plugins have a hard time getting it right.

Check out https://github.com/AndyHazz/bookshelf.koplugin

I had the same problem with the missing Home Screen view and that solved it: you can see all your books no matter how deeply nested they are

Yeah, the UI IMO is very confusing and I'm not sure it has any benefits for me or features over the stock Kobo interface. It also will understandably never support vertical writing too so it loses some more appeal there for me.

Exactly my thoughts. But it all changed when i just put the tailscale proxy on kindle and allowed claude to ssh into it. Now i can just configure it remotely and never really need to do anything else except reading on kindle itself.

Agreed. KOReader is great in terms of capability but it is really let down by poor UI. I got used to it but it's not great

The UI can be confusing at first. Bu take some time to get familiar with it and it can be really nice. The main benefits for me is dealing with poorly formatted epub and sensible viewing of pdf on small screen (kobo libra 2). There’s also OPDS support to connect to my calibre server instance and get book that way.

There’s no benefits if you get your books from the stores. But if you manage your ebook library yourself, koreader is great.

> Just select a phrase, hit Explain, and in seconds get an LLM response right there on my kindle.

but will it explain without giving spoilers?

woahhhhhh i had no clue about book orbit. i found calibre stuff to be a bit jank at times. This is super cool. gonna toss an instance on my server tonight

In addition to stuff mentioned by others, things I like:

- Fully customizable status bars, top and bottom (I like book progress at the top, chapter progress at the bottom, various indicators like remaining time, brightness level...)

- Custom dictionaries (like reader.dict, very complete), and choice over how to display them

- Advanced typography stuff (override publisher font if you like, add all the ligatures...)

- Fully customizable gestures (jump anywhere, recent locations, skim book, bookmark page, adjust brightness...)

- Book map: see a schematic view of the whole book, with chapters / subchapters length (gives me a feeling of how much I've read and is left to read, as would a real book)

- Page number / count that "just works" (epubs on kobo don't count actual page flips which I find annoying)

I’ve only just installed it this week, but for me:

- DRM support (via a Plugin)

- Dark mode on an older device

- SSH Server

- Custom dictionaries

Next on my list is to find a plugin that can transform imperial to metric for when I’m reading American books

Edit: oh and also something that syncs my progress on books not bought from Amazon on multiple devices

Auto dark mode after dusk based on your location

Better page flip area options

Active corners that can do custom things and with layers

More text layout options (although the stock kobo firmware is decent at that already)

It’s a bit cumbersome to setup but once you’re done it pays back in how pleasant it makes the device to use.

It's very configurable and extensible. As some have mentioned, the interface can be a bit confusing at times but once you're used to it it's mostly out of your way. I like that I can run it on both my Kobo and android phone and sync progress. I also self host an opds server but you can also connect to calibre, syncthing, or cloud storage to pull down books. There's even a plugin to sync my progress to hardcover, which is a more open alternative to Goodreads.

A few things I like:

- More frontlight options. Ability to toggle on/off easily using corner taps,

- More page layout and typography options e.g. custom fonts,

- Ability to load from Calibre over WiFi (I never plug mine in via USB).

Worth nothing that KOReader doesn't replace the default Kobo firmware. It's easy to install and you launch it from the Kobo firmware so it's easy to quit and go back to normal.

The overwhelming thing I hear about KOreader is once people use it for their way of reading (including doing things they coudlnt) they can't use an ereader any other way again.

You can read epubs directly. Cloud storage. It's got like everything so you should check out the features list.

I had no idea I can update it manually, I’ve always relied on the over the air update, that, in this case, says I’m on the newest version

Nooo, now you can’t jailbreak it :,(

That’s what I did before I looked into KOReader and now I’m sad I did

ACSM, I don’t know about Amazon. In my case I can still use the kindle software itself to read those if I decide to ever buy from Amazon again

Thanks. So now I have no choice? :)

I think this is a client flag, not a server one.

LLMs got powerful enough to implement much of what's missing from scratch. My guess is most older devices/bootloaders would soon be jailbroken/cracked in some... automated manner thanks to LLMs getting very powerful in reverse-engineering. There are plenty of implications we should think so.

China, Iran, Russia

Wireguard was completely broken for me in Dubai but Tailscale worked.

No. I mean, I don't allow appliances onto my network. I have a dumb TV. Apart from a Roku with some netflix credentials, only my phone and my laptop have any software that's logged into my tailnet, vpn, bank accounts, email, etc.

I used to worry about this, but what’s more likely, trouble with Chinese electronics or American? And if travelling though either of those places?

Between the two of them, it rules out most the devices I have or what like.

https://github.com/punnerud/tailscale-mpe-rust

Might be this.