Duokan FAQ
 

I started making some notes on the new English Duokan release and thought it'd be a good idea to start a FAQ thread.

Duokan Quidle FAQ

What is Duokan?

Its an alternative OS for the Kindle developed by a Chinese team. It's also available on Kindle2/Kindle DX/Kindle DXG. It's free for non-commercial use. It doesn't overwrite the official system in Kindle, but works as a secondary system. After installation, there's a boot menu where you can select from Duokan or the official system by pressing 1 or 2 ("Q" and "W" on a Kindle 3). Duokan improves on the compatiblity with Chinese characters of the K3, along other key features. It has a new PDF reader which provides full-screen reading, cropping the white margin and better support of two/four-column papers. Duokan can also do partial screen refreshes which is faster when switching pages compared with the default black screen refresh used in the original system. Users report that Duokan works better with comics and some complicated PDF files.
Adapted from: meisup

What are the principal benefits of using Duokan's OS?

• More filetypes supported
• Clear, crisp layout
• More customizable
• Better PDF reader
• Better dictionary support
• Decent MP3 player
• Fine control of fonts and margins
• Lots of shortcut keys
• Folders (which can be easily organised)

What does Duokan mean?
"Read More". Note: When using Google Translate to read website www.duokan.com Duokan is translated as "see more" and "look at" means read me as in readme file.

How is it installed?

1. Note: Jailbreak is NOT required
2. Download Duokan from http://www.duokan.com or Flip's English site (which also has good instructions).
3. Open compressed file eg with 7-Zip
4. Copy the three folders starting DK to your Kindle's root folder.
5. Copy the relevant bin for your Kindle to the root folder (see list below).
6. In the Kindle's settings menu select "Update your Kindle"
7. When Duokan splash screen appears press Q
8. Kindle will boot in to Chinese
9. Press Menu key and select spanner icon (settings)
10. Go down to 3rd screen and press D to change language
11. Select English

(On Kindle 2 you might see no letters but numbers. So press Menu, then 0 (settings), page 3, select 3 (Language), then select 2 (English))


Is there a browser?
No. There is a basic book find that connects to various sites though which works via wifi only. There is no support for 3G at present although its being worked on.

How can I use the bookstore feature?
TBA

How can I edit the English translations?
Try editing DK_System\system\Profiles\FontInfo_yw.txt (Note: not all text strings can be altered using this file)

Can I still enter terminal commands?
TBA

Where are my existing files?!?!
To see your ebooks from your original installation to Duokan go to Settings, page 3, select "F. Support old system" and confirm. You can also copy some ebooks to your DK_Documents folder to use them only in Duokan eg I put Word docs and ePub books in here.

What formats can Duokan read?

• TXT
• PDF
• EPUB
• MOBI
• DJVU
• ZIP
• DOC
• CHM (but NOT HTML files at present)

Image formats:

• BMP
• PNG
• JPG/JPEG
• GIF
• TIFF

Audio formats:

• MP3

Which Kindle do I have?
To find your serial number look in "Settings". The serial number prefixes are:

• B001 = Kindle 1
• B002 = Kindle 2 U.S.
• B003 = Kindle 2 international version
• B008 = Kindle 3 WIFI version
• B006 = Kindle 3 3G + WIFI U.S. version
• B00A = Kindle 3 3G + WIFI European version
• B004 = Kindle DX U.S.
• B005 = Kindle DX international version
• B009 = Kindle DXG

Does installing Duokan affect the Kindle's software?
No. Duokan is independent of the original system, when you start the Kindle you can choose to boot .

How do I un-install?
Delete the folders starting DK and reboot the Kindle.

Will an Amazon firmaware upgrade affect Duokan?
No, you can upgrade the original system Kindle without issues.

How to get the MP3 player working?
Create DK_Music folder at same level as DK_Documents (may require Kindle reboot to see files).
ALT M pops-up the music player.
Aa key switches between control via playlist or 5-way controller.
Repeat and random modes are supported.

How to return to USB mode without unplgging/plugging in USB lead?
TBA

Screensavers?
Add them to DK_System/Savers/
In 2nd page of System Settings, press "7" key to set "screen saver image settings" to "Custom Folder". Note on sizes (6-inch screen: 800x600; 9.7-inch screen: 1200x824 resolution)

Dictionaries?
Download one of the StarDict dictionary files
http://reciteword.cosoft.org.cn/star...c/freedict.de/ - are all a bilingual
http://reciteword.cosoft.org.cn/star...-dic/dict.org/ - English dictionaries and thesurus plus other specialist English dictionaries.
http://stardict.sourceforge.net


Where can I find more StarDict download links?
http://reciteword.cosoft.org.cn/stardict-iso/stardict-dic


How do I install a StarDict dictionary file?

• Download a StarDict format dictionary from one of the above sites
• Extract three files with the following suffixes (using 7-Zip): dz, idx, ifo
• The file ending dz is also compressed file so extract open it (again with 7-Zip or similar program)
• Now we have four files: Dz Idx Ifo Dict.
• Copy the idx, ifo, and dict files to DK_System\system\dict\
• Multiple dictionaries can be installed

How do I look up a word?
1st install a dictionary!
To invoke the dictionary interface do one of the following:

• Press MENU and select Dictionary
• In a pdf (non-text mode) press any letter to open dictionary.
• TXT, EPUB, CHM, and PDF (in text mode): press MENU and select "Find. Dictionary. Notes" -> in the pop-up input box to find the word, and then select "Search dictionary."

TTS Voices?
Apparently you can get a better US female voice using this file: http://sourceforge.net/projects/star...pleTTS.tar.bz2
Extract the WyabdcRealPeopleTTS folder and copy to the Kindle's DK_System\system\dict\

Screenshot?
shift + Alt + G to save.
Where is this saved to?
TBA

Screen wipe/refresh?
When the screen is blurred or ghosted you can force a full refresh pressing the Enter key

Is there a shortcut list?
Registered users can view the shortcut image chart in this FAQ. There's lots more great info but you'll need Google Translate to help your make sense of it all!

Where can I learn more?
Flip's website
...or search this site!

Thanks for creating this FAQ Polvo! I'm following the development of the Kindle Duokan software and look forward to trying it. Would you consider making a wiki version of this FAQ here at MobileRead?

You're welcome to copy the text over to the wiki. Although I love wikis the forum seems to be the place people visit for up-to-date info.

Amazing works! A quick question. Does DK need NiLuJe's jailbreak hack before installing it?

NO. Duokan is installed the same way as any other installs (with an update*.bin file and copying of 3 directories).

Thank you for your response. I will try it!

hi, I have a kindle 3 (3.0.3) with jailbrake and screensaver hacks on it. I tried to install duokan's FW, but as i restart, nothing changes and on my kindle doesn't appear the duokan's splash screen (when i have to press Q or W)
Any idea about it?

Can be Duokan firmware modified to be in the same format as KIF ?

So it would be just azw2 file with ability to start from the Kindle main menu?

That would be great....

when you restart after update, you'll see the usual boy under tree image, then the screen will flash, and you'll get the same imagine with the loading bar. After about 20% progress, the Duokan screen boot screen will flash. It is only there for a few seconds, so be ready to press Q (Kindle3) or 1 (Kindle2).

It seems impossible to download dictionaries from the above mentioned site:

http://reciteword.cosoft.org.cn/star...-dic/dict.org/

The downloads time out after an hour or so. Any other source?

Edit: I found another place to download dictionaries:

http://xdxf.revdanica.com/down/

One must select stardict format in other options, download format.

Works brilliantly! Thanks so much.

I reset to default my kindle, uninstalled jailbrake and screensaver, then installed duokan and reinstalled jailbrake and screeensaver: now it works! :eek:

The TTS voice goes into the dict dir? Huh? Are you sure you don't mean the TTS dir?

All 3 files go to ../dict!

I have an eng-eng dict working with voice.

I haven't tried this but that's what it says on the Chinese FAQ which some of the above FAQ is based on.

awesome, Polvo :thanks:

hmm I seem to be having a tad of trouble.

I can get it to install but I don't get how to put it into english

I press menu
I go to 0 (the settings it has a wrench logo)

I go to the 3rd page
(it says 0.5.13.6613 beta 26)

B, D and E can be selected

E goes to a menu thing in chinese

D goes to a thanks section to developers

B kinda has text come up but nothing appears to happen

Looks like in the DX, the Language option is in the second page (I have a DXG):

- press Menu.
- press 0 (settings).
- Go to the 2nd page.
- Choose the G option (right below the date & time).
- A Option windows pops up, select the third option (number 2)

Enjoy ;)

English:
http://www.lesen.net/wp-content/gallery/nov10/j.jpg

slightly different but not by much it is G on the 2nd page

There's a few more things:

Fonts:
You can add TTF fonts to the fonts directory in the DK system folder, and they will show up in the fonts list, worked fine for me. I extracted the fonts from the fonts hack in the wiki that contains droid sans etc.

These look a bit ugly though
Tried some other more typical book fonts like baskerville bembo palatino, look much better.
You are limited to how many fonts you can add. I think only 7 or so. And it doesn't seem to like otf, only ttf.

Loading images:
They are gifs stored in system loadingpicture.
You can edit them if you want. I removed the chinese text from the USB image to test this out, because it was bugging me. I'll fiddle with editing the duokan logo. I don't mind the logo, but I don't really like seeing the characters, I'd rather it be in english :).

The typesetting and translation on a lot of the stuff is very poor.
A lot of the text strings are reused - "normal" is used over and over again for like 3 settings.

Does anyone know how to edit the other text strings/where they are stored. What's in the .img files/ .dat files, and how the whole layout of everything works. I have not had the time to fiddle with much yet.

I had TTS right after installation. It worked with the dictionary also, with the default female and male voices. I then installed the aforementioned WyabdcRealPeopleTTS in system/dict. All this gives you is a nice female voice for the dictionary. It does nothing for the book TTS. It is a whopping 166mb folder (my poor Kindle was glowing and giving off smoke as I copied it over, and I heard the terrified voices of the 300 books that it displaced!).

All in all, not very important unless you like your dictionary to read to you.

Would there be a way to install this for the book TTS? Somehow, I doubt it.

Does Duokan PDF viewer suupport highlighting of text based PDFs?

I just tried highlighting in pdf. I couldn't find a way to do it (not to say there isn't one). But the dictionary works in pdf, and you can select a passage and add it to notes. This only works in Smart Layo (Aa key when in pdf). ( I kind of like that instead of Layout -- just trying saying "layout" with a bad Chinese accent. Of course, then you'd have "Sma Layo".

Duokan blocks Kindle FW OTA update?
 

Can anyone share if or not Duokan does block Kindle's official firmware update via OTA in order to avoid the unexpected brick?

I've looked for settings to select things like line spacing, justification, a hack to extend text to the edge of the screen. Unfortunately there does not appear to be a way to change them like on the stock kindle. I can't stand the wide left and right margins I get. And finally the biggest problem...I get a space after apostrophes which is very disconcerting. Any solutions?

change

HORIZONTAL_MARGIN=40 (to a number divisible by 2, like 10)

the file is located in
X:\system\com.amazon.ebook.booklet.reader\reader.p ref
it may be hidden, so display hidden files
Restart the kindle after changing this setting by going settings -> restart, don't try to change the spacing inside of a book or it will reset the margins again

That setting does not work on the Duokan firmware...wish it was a simple as that.

Oh, no idea...
There are some text files for layouts in there but not sure how they set stuff up. The whole system is very confusing.

I also install dictionary from xdxf website. The problem is the meaning also displays all the html tags along with it. Is it supposed to be like this?

The other problem is the ePub rendering is not so good. It always shows two words next to each other without space in-between; and any alphabet behind the apostrophe will have too many spaces in-between.

When I move the cursor to a word to open dictionary, the only tags I see are around the word to be defined, thus: <k>word</k>

When I select the voice function in dictionary, the first time it is used in a particular book, there is a spoke phrase in Chinese, then the word pronounced in English. Subsequent use of the dictionary does not generate that phrase. I wonder what it is?

I tried the WyabdcRealPeopleTTS in dictionary, and it does indeed provide far superior TTS for the dictionary only. This is great for second language users, but is far too large to be interesting for native English speakers. But I guess I already expressed that somewhere.

Yes, the full-space apostrophe is irritating, but I got used to it quickly. What is more of a problem is when the keyboard is set to Latin. In French, you then get all accented letters in a strange, wide font. It doesn't look so bad in KindleBlackBox, but it is really disturbing in Helvetica, etc.

Screenshot?

The command is wrong. An update from Duokan is likely to appear soon.

AFAIK, with Duokan you loose all connectivity to Amazon. So, yes, Amazon should not be able to install anything while Duokan is running.
But if you run the original firmware (Duokan does not override the original), then they should be able to upgrade it (not sure if this will harm the Duokan installlation though).

Their shell scripts still exist, if you boot the system and watch telnet you can see them all executing.. they like to mount the rootfs as RW alot for no reason whatsoever in their scripts.. Even when you boot into kindle OS it still executes all of their scripts. Anyhow, I've looked into removing the scripts, should be easy to do, but waiting for someone with more knowledge to poke around in there and test it out =X

an update to the faq?

from the original forum:
I only have DXG, but seems like all version of Duokan has change the screenshot key to "shift+space" since the k3 version has released.

Have been using Duokan happily since before English was included and i'm now very close to switching 99% to doukan for my reading but there are a few issues which are holding me back:

1. Is there any way to change line spacing, margins, justified/non-justified, etc...?

2. Why is it that the text in epubs converted to mobi look crisper than in the original epub?

WikiPages -
YoCan_Reader because wanted to include features, and hope to add those. But as this depends on Duokan, I started https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Duokan_Kindle Hope to cover more of the system, and wonder if it was okay to use info from this FAQ. Any thoughts ?

In post #3 of this thread, Polvo said it was okay to copy the information from his posts and use in a wiki. I think you're okay. :)

i can not make this work. i copied the folder in the said dict. and when i try tts in my kindle (using dictionary while in doukan then pressing alt q for 1), i only hear chinese then a male english. how can i use the female voice? thank you

I'm not sure why the improved dictionary TTS hasn't worked for you. Maybe it needs a restart to recognize the new dictionary.

As for the female voice, there is one in the original. You have to access it from within a book. Use Aa key, go down to TTS, move your cursor to "male", then hit enter and toggle to female. This will not be the nice voice you get with the WyabdcRealPeopleTTS dictionary, however.

thanks that was fast. do i need to copy-paste the WyabdcRealPeopleTTS folder to system/dict or just the a-z folders within the WyabdcRealPeopleTTS folder? or does it have to be in tar?