In today’s digital age, eBook readers have become an invaluable tool for book lovers and technology enthusiasts. These sleek devices have revolutionized how we consume literature by offering convenience, portability, and a vast library at our fingertips.
InkBox is a free and open-source Qt-based eBook reader software for Kobo and the original Kindle Touch devices.
It’s built from scratch, except for the base system, which consists of Alpine Linux, as most of the scripts, system initialization, and graphical user interface programs were written from scratch.
Announced as the “Biggest release of InkBox OS ever,” the highly anticipated InkBox 2.0 has arrived, captivating bookworms and tech enthusiasts alike. So let’s see what’s new.
InkBox 2.0 Highlights
Gone are the days of eBook readers with limited options for personalization. Released 14 months after the previous 1.9 version, InkBox 2.0 lets you make the reading experience your own.
The first thing that strikes attention is the wholly overhauled home page and library browser, with “Recent books” and “Pinned books.”
But the big news in InkBox 2.0 release is that it now supports Kindle Touch (KT). However, we immediately clarified that the installation image for these devices is available only on request with guidance – i.e., it cannot be downloaded directly from the project website.
Users can now install signed custom user applications, as available ones can be found here. Moreover, the entire release has received general UI design improvements.
For example, InkBox 2.0 has an improved virtual keyboard, adds folders support in the local library browser, and has a wholly overhauled power daemon and Wi-Fi framework.
Last but not least, this release brings Wi-Fi support for i.MX507 devices and has a better virtual keyboard in X11/KoBox. Check out the changelog for a complete list of changes in InkBox 2.0.
You can download precompiled OS from the project’s Download page and use software like balenaEtcher to flash the InkBox image file to the Kobo’s SD card.
Finally, as only two people are mainly maintaining the project, the developers would welcome anyone with the necessary skills and motivation to contribute to the project’s future development.
