I've submitted our project, OpenInkpot (http://openinkpot.org/) (open firmware for e-ink devices) to the Google Summer of Code (http://code.google.com/soc/2008/).

Amongst other ideas (http://openinkpot.org/wiki/GSoC2008Ideas) for Google Summer of Code there is porting OpenInkpot to Cybook, Kindle, iLiad, Sony PRS.

If you're interested in participating in GSoC and have questions about OpenInkpot - ask them in our mailing list or in IRC channel.

ps: sorry for crossposting to several forums.

I've submitted our project, OpenInkpot (http://openinkpot.org/) (open firmware for e-ink devices) to the Google Summer of Code (http://code.google.com/soc/2008/).

If you're interested in participating in GSoC and have questions about OpenInkpot - ask them in our mailing list or in IRC channel.

ps: sorry for crossposting to several forums.

Rather than crossposting you posted this 5 times to the same forum. There is really no reason to crosspost.

dale

Rather than crossposting you posted this 5 times to the same forum. There is really no reason to crosspost.

daleNope, he crossposted. :wink:

I moved/combined them all here, so that the discussion wouldn't be spread all over the place, but there are re-directs from the original posts, so it's got the same exposure as if it were posted everywhere. That seemed a good compromise. :nice:

I deleted four of the posts.

I deleted four of the posts.

Good, I must have just been looking in the middle of your clean up effort. As you point out crossposting really messes up the forum discussions.

Dale

Sorry for confusion, guys. Didn't know it is possible to use redirects (or is it admin-only functionality?). Anyway, thanks for cleaning up.

Sorry for confusion, guys. Didn't know it is possible to use redirects (or is it admin-only functionality?). Anyway, thanks for cleaning up.

By the way, I think you guys are doing a great job at providing open source solutions for eBook hardware. STAReRead could certainly use a good open source as it seems not to be supported very well. Is any of your OS solutions running fbreader yet?

Dale

Sorry for confusion, guys. Didn't know it is possible to use redirects (or is it admin-only functionality?). Anyway, thanks for cleaning up.No worries, dottedmag. :nice:

I don't think regular members have access to the redirects thing -- the only way I can seem to get them is by moving a thread, which is definitely an Editor thing. :shrug:

I've never seen a way to do them otherwise, but if there is, I'm sure Alex will pop in and tell us about it. :D

fbreader is our first target amongst "user" applications, while we're still at "system" level.

OI idea is practical one: as soon as you get working kernel/X/input for your device, you get most of the applications buildable and working, like as with Linux on your PC (or on Sparc workstation, or on PPC server, or on MIPS router).

Yesterday, the list of the mentoring organisations involved in GSoC was released, and OpenInkpot is in it!

For those unfamiliar with GSoC, it is basically a chance for a student to work for an open source project over the summer, and get them to do something that actually relates to their academic study. As Google puts it, think "flip bits, not burgers"!

OpenInkpot GSoC Ideas (http://openinkpot.org/wiki/GSoC2008Ideas)
GSoC FAQ (http://code.google.com/opensource/gsoc/2008/faqs.html)

Come and take part!

OpenInkpot has got three slots in GSoC: http://blog.openinkpot.org/2008/04/gsoc2008-accepted-applications.html

# Wenjie Zhang, Sony PRS-505 support

Yaay! My mouth is watering!!

Very nice. I would love to have FBReader on my 505.

Very nice. I would love to have FBReader on my 505.

What exactally that means we don't know. It may mean that it will support reading BBeB files... not that it will run on a 505. Or, perhpas it will connect to a 505?

BOb

What exactally that means we don't know. It may mean that it will support reading BBeB files... not that it will run on a 505. Or, perhpas it will connect to a 505?

BOb

It means what he said. FBReader is a program ported to many platforms and offering the ability to read several different formats (look in our wiki). It has now been ported to the Hanlin and was previously available on the iLiad and Jon would like it if it were available on the 505. I would think this would be great. Having reader that can only read one format is a drag.

Dale

Very nice. I would love to have FBReader on my 505.

Note, FBReader is being ported to OpenInkpot, not to original Sony firmware. I suspect there are formats supported by Sony which are not yet (or will not ever) be supported by FBReader.

Note, FBReader is being ported to OpenInkpot, not to original Sony firmware. I suspect there are formats supported by Sony which are not yet (or will not ever) be supported by FBReader.

Yes, this means you'll have to replace the Sony firmware with OpenInkpot (is there a dual boot system ?).

Mikhail, would it be possible to provide a stripped-down VMWare Linux image with the necessary environment for cross-compiling your projects?

I am sure the good folks here would provide some download space for it.

Mikhail, would it be possible to provide a stripped-down VMWare Linux image with the necessary environment for cross-compiling your projects?


Sure, I'm busy fixing our build environment to make such an arrangement: right now I can make OS image with chroot with build environment inside it, and this looks quite strange.

Thankfully, I just need to fix single tool to avoid additional chroot.


I am sure the good folks here would provide some download space for it.

Well, I've got quite good hosting for openinkpot.org, so I'm not short of disk space or bandwidth, but thanks anyway.

Yes, this means you'll have to replace the Sony firmware with OpenInkpot (is there a dual boot system ?).

It depends on the hardware and original firmware, so you'd better ask Wenjie who will do the Sony port. He is available on our mailing list and (often) on IRC channel.

We've come with the scheme to do the dualboot on Hanlin V3, and I think it is possible on other devices, but I can't guarantee it.

It means what he said. FBReader is a program ported to many platforms and offering the ability to read several different formats (look in our wiki). It has now been ported to the Hanlin and was previously available on the iLiad and Jon would like it if it were available on the 505. I would think this would be great. Having reader that can only read one format is a drag.

Dale

Dude, if that's the plan... that would be great. Although it doesn't add support for any DRM formats, right? SO, I'm not to sure what it would add.

BOB

Yes, this means you'll have to replace the Sony firmware with OpenInkpot (is there a dual boot system ?).

I am not so sure. There is already a puzzle game (Sudoku?) for the Sony and it was done by capturing the plugging in of an SD card and then auto executing a program. I suspect this technique could also be used for FBReader. After all it is not an OS and the Sony already has Linux. It is an application similar to the game.

Just conjecture of course.
Dale

I suspect this technique could also be used for FBReader.
Dale

You're right, but what Alexander is doing is the port of FBReader to OpenInkpot. It does not mean the he or somebody else won't port FBReader to the original Sony firmware.

Dude, if that's the plan... that would be great. Although it doesn't add support for any DRM formats, right? SO, I'm not to sure what it would add.

BOB

You are correct that it does not support DRM. From our wiki it supports:

ePUB from <idpf> (css, automatic toc, tables are not supported yet)
fb2 e-book format (style attributes are not supported yet).
HTML format (tables are not supported).
CHM format (tables are not supported).
plucker format (tables are not supported).
Palm DOC (aportis doc).
zTXT (Weasel format).
TCR (psion text) format.
RTF format (stylesheets and tables are not supported).
OEB format (css and tables are not supported).
Open Reader format (css and tables are not supported).
MOBI Non-DRM'ed mobipocket format (tables are not supported).
Plain text format.


A few are overlaps but there are lots of new ones.

Dale

If one were to use this software on a CyBook, would one lose the ability to read DRM-protected MobiPocket files?

If one were to use this software on a CyBook, would one lose the ability to read DRM-protected MobiPocket files?

Only if it were the only program on your Cybook. It you look at the iLiad and the Hanlin it is an addon program, not a replacement.

Dale

Yes, I appreciate that, Dale, but I was under the impression (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that this "OpenInkpot" software completely replaced the machine's firmware. That would mean losing all the "built-in" software, wouldn't it?

Yes, I appreciate that, Dale, but I was under the impression (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that this "OpenInkpot" software completely replaced the machine's firmware. That would mean losing all the "built-in" software, wouldn't it?

Yeah. That would be true. However, the Boo Reader that's part of the Cybook is a standalone app running under the Linux OS that comes from the manufacturer - or so I understand. As OpenInkpot is based around Linux, that shouldn't be a problem. But we all know "shouldn'ts" that have turned into "ares". Still, there's no reason why the version of Mobipocket ported to the iLiad can't be ported to the OpenInkpot OS. Or a Secure Mobipocket enabled version of FBReader. The big problem is that a Cybook already has a Mobipocket PID and there needs to be some effort taken to ensure that a person doesn't lose that PID in the conversion to OpenInkpot.

Derek

Yeah. That would be true. However, the Boo Reader that's part of the Cybook is a standalone app running under the Linux OS that comes from the manufacturer - or so I understand. As OpenInkpot is based around Linux, that shouldn't be a problem.

It is hard, but doable.

The big problem is that a Cybook already has a Mobipocket PID and there needs to be some effort taken to ensure that a person doesn't lose that PID in the conversion to OpenInkpot.


I hope we'll sort it out somehow.