Group:Hardware/Computers/e-readers

Rationale

This page aims to document which existing ebook readers could become RYF certified without too much work. This is to see what the pros and the cons of liberating an existing e-reader versus making one.

RYF interpretation and resulting hardware choices

• Devices without WiFi/Telephony network are old. This typically results in the device having very few RAM. Deactivating the WiFi chip in hardware might be a way to get around this issue. TODO: Look how to do it for WiFi chips commonly used in e-readers (for instance look if there is a disable pin).
• If a hardware block is present but typically not used (for instance if a device has a GPU but doesn't use it because it uses an e-ink display which has a high latency) does it requires fully functional free software for it?

Existing hardware

Hardware Requirements

Basic requirements

• No WiFi unless the Wifi chip works with free software.
• Free boot software or the ability to easily port one to the e-reader.
  • If the code is signed, the system on a chip should have hardware flaws to enable users to bypass it. Some old I.MX are affected by that.
  • If there is no free software, enough documentation should be available as source code to enable porting an existing bootloader to it.
• Enough RAM to run free software operating systems.

Requirements to do hardware support work faster

Since e-readers without WiFi or telephony network connection are old, the software they come with and the corresponding source code is also really old. To be able to use modern GNU/Linux or Android distribution on them, the source code needs to be used to add support for the device in recent hardware support software such as Linux or free software boot software like u-boot.

Software support that helps:

• Most of the hardware of the device already supported by upstream projects (Linux and a free software bootloader).

Hardware features that helps:

• Serial port that is easy to access
• Booting the Bootloader from the USB or serial port
• Ethernet (unlikely to be found on such devices)

Additional requirements

• More RAM is better: Devices with not enough RAM may not be able to use modern FSDG distributions. Creating a specific distribution for such devices would require someone to maintain it.
• Touchscreen: This enables to use most of the GNU/Linux applications and alleviate the need for custom software that works with buttons only.
• CPU that is supported by FSDG distributions or the ability to support the CPU with very few maintenance cost.

Issues

• Hardware availability: Older models are not manufactured anymore, and some vendors even went bankrupt.
• Batteries: Batteries might need to be changed. The availability and compatibility of replacements were not researched yet. We need your help to do it.

Software

Operating systems and distributions

Distribution	Architectures	RAM Requirements	work required to add a device	Self hosting	FSDG compliant
Parabola	Packages: ARMv7 Hard Float i686 x86_64	? (low)	Add bootloader package	Yes	Yes
GuixSD	Packages: i686 x86_64 ARMv7 Hard Float aarch64 mips64el Requires (cross) compilation: other architectures	? (low)	Add bootloader package	Yes	Yes
LibreCMC	Packages: MIPS 24KC packages Requires (cross) compilation: Other MIPS versions i386 various ARM versions PowerPC SPARC aarch64 arc	? (lowest)	Add device target, bootloader and kernel configuration	No	Yes
Replicant	Requires (cross) compilation: ARM (Which version? Which requirements?) Not sure about other architectures	424M for Android 6.0 (High)	Add device git repository, kernel, bootloader	No	Yes

e-ink displays

e-ink displays have a huge latency. I'm not sure if special software is needed to handle it or if Linux standard e-ink drivers are enough. Available software:

• F-droid has a laucnher for e-ink displays

Reader software

• Off the shelf free software pdf readers (check RAM usage)
• FBReader
• Calibre

Hardware

Candidates without WiFi

This list devices that:

• can run free boot software, potentially with some work
• don't have WiFi (or have a WiFi chip that works with free software)

Board	Vendor	Product	SOC	RAM	Display	Touchscreen	developement facilities	source code	Ammount of work required for upstreaming	Ammount of work for RYF	Issues	References
Story HD	iRiver	Story HD (Basic)	NXP (formerly Freescale) I.MX508	128MB	e-ink		TODO: Find how to boot the bootloader through USB on this device (boot modes + software to use) TODO: Find the serial port	iRiver source code for Story HD Basic: Linux-2.6.35.3 Bootloader: u-boot-2009.08	Upstream to the devicetree (fast) TODO: look if devices drivers are upstream Port it to a bootloader (uboot or barebox)	TODO: Display type GPU? Video decoding offload?	Low ammount of RAM	iRiver source code OpenInkpot wiki
?	Sony	PRS-600	NXP (formerly freescale) I.MX31	128MB	e-ink		?	Linux: main sources headers sources, custom modules sources Custom bootloader sources OpenInkpot wiki	Finish porting the I.MX31 to devicetree Port the device hardware support code to devicetree TODO: look if devices drivers are upstream Port the bootloader code to a standard bootloader (u-boot or Barebox)	TODO: Display type GPU? Video decoding offload?	Low ammount of RAM	official source code
EB600	Kobo eReader		Samsung S3C2440AL-40	32MB	e-ink		Serial port pads known JTAG pinout known	?	Port the S3C2440AL to the devicetree Port the devices to the devicetree TODO: look if devices drivers are upstream Port it to a bootloader (uboot or barebox)?	TODO: Bluetooth is an AW-BT105, check if it works with free software	Very low ammount of RAM	OpenInkpot wiki page https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kobo_eReader_disassembled https://minghuasweblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/kobo_board.jpg

Candidates with WiFi

Deactivating the WiFi chip in hardware might be sufficent to make the devices RYF compliant

Board	Vendor	Product	SOC	RAM	Display	Touchscreen	developement facilities	source code	Ammount of work required for upstreaming	Ammount of work for RYF	Issues	References
A6 series	Jinke A6 series		Samsung <?> (Arm9 400MHz)	128M		?		?	?	?	Has WiFi	OpenInkpot wiki
Boox 60	Onyx Boox 60 Wolder Boox		I.MX31	128M		?	?	?	?	?	Both devices have WiFi	OpenInkpot wiki
Story HD	iRiver	Story HD (WiFi)	NXP (formerly Freescale) I.MX508	128MB	e-ink	?	?	iRiver source code for Story HD WiFi: Linux Bootloader?		TODO: Find how to deactivate the WiFi chip	Has WiFi Low ammount of RAM	iRiver source code OpenInkpot wiki

Bad candidates

Board	Vendor	Product	SOC	RAM	Display	Touchscreen	developement facilities	source code	Ammount of work required for upstreaming	Ammount of work for RYF	Issues	References
	Amazon	Kindle Fire (first generation)	OMAP4430	512M	Standard (Tablet)			Incomplete support in upstream Linux Unsigned bootloader, Supported in upstream u-boot	Display driver Peripherals devicetree hardware configuration		Has WiFi Has standard display and no free software GPU driver

Being evaluated

TODO: Import from OpenInkpot:

• N510
• N516
• N518
• PRS-500
• Nook Color
• Nook Simple Touch
• Nook Tablet
• PRS-700
• SoriBOOK
• Story
• V2
• V6
• V8

Board	Vendor	Product	SOC	RAM	Display	Touchscreen	developement facilities	source code	Ammount of work required for upstreaming	Ammount of work for RYF	Issues	References
	Bookeen	Cybook Gen1						Probably not available: Proprietary OS
	Bookeen	Cybook Gen3	S3C2410 or S3C2440?	16M or 32M?	e-ink			?		No WiFi No Bluetooth
	Bookeen	Cybook Opus	S3C2440	32M	e-ink			?		No wireless
	Bookeen	Cybook Orizon
	Bookeen	Cybook Odyssey
	Bookeen	Cybook Muse
	Bookeen	Cybook Ocean
	Bookeen	Bookeen Saga
	Kobo	eReader WiFi	NXP (formerly Freescale) i.MX357		e-ink		Serial ports pins known Can boot from SD	Source code available: Linux 2.6.28 Redboot	Port to the devicetree Port to a recent free software bootloader	Deactivate WiFi	Has WiFi Has bluetooth?	https://github.com/lgeek/okreader https://github.com/lgeek/u-boot-okreader https://github.com/lgeek/linux-okreader https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobo_eReader
	Kobo	Wi-Fi	SOC: NXP (formerly Freescale) i.MX357	128M	e-ink
	Kobo	Touch			e-ink
	Kobo	Mini			e-ink
	Kobo	Glo			e-ink
	Kobo	Aura	NXP (formerly Freescale) i.MX507		e-ink			u-boot
	Kobo	Aura HD			e-ink
	Kobo	Aura H2O			e-ink
	Kobo	Glo HD			e-ink
	Kobo	Touch 2.0			e-ink
	Kobo	Aura One			e-ink
	Kobo	Aura Edition 2			e-ink
A9 series	Jinke	A9 series	Samsung <?> (Arm9 400MHz)	128M				?			Has WiFi
E60	Samsung		S5PC100A66	256M							Has WiFi SoC bootloader signed?
		PocketBook Pro 912	Samsung <?> (arm)	256M							WiFi Bluetooth 3G
	iRiver	Cover Story	?	?							?
EB100	Explay TXT.BOOK (1st & 2nd revision) eRead STAReBOOK (STK 101) Ganaxa GeR2 Orsio b721 Orsio b721+ PocketBook 301 Foxit eSlick
EB600	Coolreaders Cool-er DittoBook DittoBook Elonex 600eb Explay TXT.BOOK (version 3) Foxit eSlick Reader(newer) Kobo eReader Kolporter Info SA eClicto Merlin HYEG0109B Orsio b731 PocketBook 301+ Ritmix RBK-500 ViewSonic VEB612
FLEPia	Fujitsu	FLEPia
G5	Sibrary G5 Boeye Technology E510 Digma e500 Ergo Book 0501R Black Other		Samsung S3C2416
G6	Boeye Technology E600 Ergo Book 0603RK White Qumo Libro Qumo Libro II Sibrary G6 Others		Samsung S3C2416
G10	Boeye Technology E900 Digma q1000 Sibrary G10 Others		Samsung S3C2416
G51	Sibrary G51 Qumo Colibri G-mini magicbook M5		Samsung S3C2416
Iliad	ARINC eFlyBook: Has WiFi HixBooks HixReader: Has WiFi iRex iLiad: Has WiFi		PXA255	64M
Qisda ES600 / ES900:	Asus eeeReader DR-900: Has WiFi Benq K60: Has WiFi Bq Avant Bq Avant XL EGriver Touch Icaruse Sense E650 and probably many more Medion Oyo Mr.Book ONext Touch & Read 001 Positivo Alfa Promedia PO-541 Sagem Binder Probably every eBook-Reader with Sipix display		Samsung S3C2416	128M				Linux, u-boot

See also

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-readers

Building hardware

Components

System on a chip and associated companion chips

Vendor	Product	Minumum quantities	Available until	RYF issues	Linux upstream status	Bootloader upstream status	Companion chips
NXP	I.MX 25	?	?	No issues	Mostly complete	Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?)	?
NXP	I.MX 50	?	?	? Issues: GPU Video decoding offload TODO: Does the SDMA driver works with in-rom code?	Mostly complete	Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?)	?
NXP	I.MX 51	?	?	? Issues: GPU Video decoding offload Optional: SDMA firmware replaced?	Mostly complete	Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?)	?
NXP	I.MX6Q	?	?	Issues: GPU (WIP) Video encoding/decoding offload processor Optional: SDMA should work with in-rom firmware	Mostly complete	Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?)	?
Allwinner	A20	?	?	GPU (WIP) Video encoding/decoding offload processor (WIP)	very few missing drivers	?	?