149
How to make an Amazon-free Kindle
(notes.ghed.in)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
149 points (95.2% liked)
Technology
59483 readers
1737 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related content.
- Be excellent to each another!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
Approved Bots
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Buy a Kobo EReader.
Hack the EReader so you don't have to sign up with Walmart.
Install Calibre on your PC.
Install Kobo Driver Extension for Calibre.
Use a VPN (I prefer Mullvad), and go to your favorite Book piracy website for epubs.
Download epub books.
Connect Kobo device to your PC via USB.
Use Calibre to upload epub books to Kobo.
Disconnect Kobo from PC.
Profit.
I have a kobo but I don’t remember having to do anything with Walmart. Rest is spot on though.
Kobo was sold exclusively through Walmart in the US (at least when I bought my Kobo). I think they recently ended the partnership.
I thought they've been available directly from Kobo since they launched in the US.
As for other retail stores, they used to be exclusive to Walmart, but I now see them elsewhere (e.g. Target and Amazon both have them).
Not sure when things changed but all I know is that when I bought mine years ago the Kobo site redirected me to Walmart and that's where I had to buy it. My e-reader even displays the Walmart logo on it when I power it off.
Got mine off Amazon in 2021, am Murican
Bought a kobo recently. Bought it direct from Kobo, Walmart wasn't involved at all in any step. Worked perfectly out of the box with Caliber too. Nice little device, library interface could use some work but it's functional.
Nice to know. I thought about buying from Walmart so I'd have recourse w/ retail, but if they have any change in firmware, I'll just buy straight from Kobo.
Or just:
No need for piracy, read a bunch of library books if you don't want to pay for books.
I recommend installing calibre web on a home server, installing koreader on the Kobo, and accessing your eBook library over your WiFi and OPDS.
Koreader is such a good reading experience, I never want to go back to stock firmware (well, except for the dictionaries maybe, those are better.)
The Kobo EReader is already a Linux machine.
As far as bypassing the sign up, here are my quick notes on how to do so step by step.
Yes, though I have not tried to utilize this:
https://github.com/Quill-OS/quill
These instructions require a very basic understanding of the Linux command line and file system. As does installing a Linux OS without a GUI helper.
If you read the instructions, it's literally just downloading the binary, and using balenaEtcher to flash it onto the SD card.
To be fair. I get where they're coming from. Some people simply don't want to take the time to learn the Linux command line nor learn how to utilize the tool, balena etcher.
That said, if one says "Is there a way to simply install a Linux OS", I usually assume said person has at least a passing familiarity with burning an ISO as that is the bare minimum knowledge for starting the Linux installation process.
Hence my assumption that they were familiar with said tools when they asked the question.
Quil os is an option for some.https://github.com/Quill-OS/quill
It's a bit involved. Def not easier than the above but it's an option. It worked for me for a while.
Anything like this for kindle paper?
No idea. GL!
What's gl?
Good luck
Ah ok! Cool. Thanks! And, thanks!
"make" usually implies already having one, advising to just go out when given the option to recycle an existing kindle with a debloated experience to instead go and buy something else is encouraging ewaste