Installing Software to Kindle Touch?

Miss M · 07-30-2014, 11:41 PM

Hi!

I have no idea what I am doing. The how-tos? I don't understand them. Maybe because I have no experience with Linux or something?

Here's my problem: my daughter has a Kindle Touch, loves it, carries it with her everywhere. My son just won a Kindle Fire HD in a summer reading program, and his sister is salivating over the text editing possibilities on it.

I did a search, and found out about Leafpad... and about Skipstone, which sounds like maybe it would work better than the native browser. But the how-tos that come with them are incomprehensible to me. They require some knowledge of something that I don't possess.

I am very good at following directions... I just need the directions...

Can anyone help me get these programs onto a Kindle Touch?

Thank y'all in advance! This looks like a neat place.

eschwartz · 07-31-2014, 02:13 AM

Just install the KUAL app launcher (and the prerequisites listed there) and then pop SkipStone and Leafpad and whatever else you choose into the extensions folder on your Kindle.

And yes, SkipStone is a lot more usable.

NiLuJe · 07-31-2014, 11:33 AM

Keep in mind than text editing on a 6" eInk virtual keyboard is not the same experience as text editing on a 10" LCD virtual keyboard

. It's far from terrible, but it's not exactly enjoyable either.

Miss M · 07-31-2014, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Just install the KUAL app launcher (and the prerequisites listed there) and then pop SkipStone and Leafpad and whatever else you choose into the extensions folder on your Kindle.

And yes, SkipStone is a lot more usable.

Okay, I have started reading that thread. Thank you!!! This looks like the sort of step-by-step how-to I need for this.

One thing I saw right off in the MKK was this quote: "As any other hacks, your device needs to be jailbroken. Please refer to the wiki and/or the stickies & index for the appropriate method for your specific Kindle model ." But the description says, "Technically, the installer package contains PoP's merged developer keystore and ixtab's Kindlet JailBreak,"

So do I do my specific Kindle model jailbreak, and then do the MKK thing? Or does MKK include the jailbreak? Are these two different jailbreaks (I assume that a jailbreak is a procedure that makes a Kindle hackable)?

Please forgive my total Newbie questions!!

Miss M · 07-31-2014, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Keep in mind than text editing on a 6" eInk virtual keyboard is not the same experience as text editing on a 10" LCD virtual keyboard

. It's far from terrible, but it's not exactly enjoyable either.

Oh, I'm sure you are right! She is accustomed to using her keyboard, though, so she knows what she'd be typing with. She really really really wants a text editor. So... we'll give it a try.

NiLuJe · 07-31-2014, 10:05 PM

@Miss M:

Yep, the JailBreak and MKK are separate. You'll need both for KUAL.

(This sticky might also help).

(I just tweaked that MKK paragraph to make it more visually separate, and somewhat clearer, thanks for the feedback

).

Miss M · 07-31-2014, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

@Miss M:

Yep, the JailBreak and MKK are separate. You'll need both for KUAL.

(This sticky might also help).

(I just tweaked that MKK paragraph to make it more visually separate, and somewhat clearer, thanks for the feedback

).

Okay, thank you very much! And that paragraph is much clearer now.

Well, I guess I'll get started. Send out a search party for me in a couple of days, if I haven't made it back.

Miss M · 08-01-2014, 02:55 AM

Okay...

Jailbreak, done.
MKK, done.
KUAL, done.

Created extensions folder in root directory, copied Skipstone and Leafpad folders to it. KUAL did not see them. I noticed that the folders were Skipstone/Skipstone/contents and Leafpad/Leafpad/contents, and thought maybe it didn't recognize it that way, so I tried just Skipstone/contents and Leafpad/contents, but no luck.

Also, I was looking through the Tools list, and saw KOReader. I thought my daughter would be thrilled to be able to view these other formats on her Kindle, but I'm not sure which file I need -- the one with "gnueabi" in the filename, or the one with "gnueabihf"?

I'm not going there until I have the other two things working, though.

eschwartz · 08-01-2014, 03:03 AM

skipstone-0.7.zip will unzip into a folder called "skipstone". There should be the folders:
bin
downloads
pixmaps
settings

and the files
config.xml
menu.json

inside.

NiLuJe · 08-01-2014, 11:20 AM

And KUAL expects 'extensions/<something>/config.xml', so, yep, your unarchiver did something weird with the files.

As for KOReader, there's a kindle- or kobo- prefix well before the ABI tag, which should make it clearer which one you need

(NOT the hf).

Miss M · 08-01-2014, 05:16 PM

This is Skipstone 1.0.1, and it unzipped into \skipstone-1.0.1\skipstone-1.0.1, and inside that folder is the following:

Folders:
icons
locale
pixmaps
plugisn
src

Files:
.#ChangeLog.1.124
acconfig.h
AUTHORS
ChangeLog
config.cache
config.h
config.h.in
config.log
config.mk.in
config.status
config.webkit
configure
configure.in
convert_bookmarks.pl
COPYING
INSTALL
install-sh
Makefile
Makefile.in
README
README.copying
skipstone.spec
skipstone.spec.in
stamp-h.in

This was done with 7-Zip, one of the programs recommended for unpacking these .tar.gz things. Maybe I should try PowerArchiver? But if I explore the .tar.gz in 7-Zip, the list above is what it says is in there.

There is no config.xml.

I downloaded it from here: http://www.muhri.net/skipstone/page.php3?node=download.

\leafpad-0.8.17\leafpad-0.8.17 contains:

Folders:
data
po
src

Files:
ABOUT-NLS
aclocal.m4
AUTHORS
ChangeLog
compile
config.guess
config.h.in
config.sub
configure
configure.ac
COPYING
depcomp
INSTALL
install-sh
intltool-extract.in
intltool-merge.in
intltool-update.in
Makefile.am
Makefile.in
missing
mkinstalldirs
NEWS
README

Again, no config.xml.

Miss M · 08-01-2014, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

As for KOReader, there's a kindle- or kobo- prefix well before the ABI tag, which should make it clearer which one you need

(NOT the hf).

Oh, gracious, did I have my stupid moment, or what?!?

I can't believe I did that! That's what I get for staying up late.

NiLuJe · 08-01-2014, 05:30 PM

Aha, that's because that's the upstream source code package! You want (twobob's? EDIT: or baf's, thanks eschwartz, my bad!) Kindle port, which is in a dedicated thread here in the dev corner subforum.

eschwartz · 08-01-2014, 06:13 PM

And baf's Kindle port of skipstone, here: http://www.fabiszewski.net/kindle-browser/

NiLuJe · 08-01-2014, 09:06 PM

@eschwartz: Oops, thanks, got the wrong guy there

. My bad

.

07-30-2014, 11:41 PM	#1
Miss M Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: O give me a home where the nutria roam... Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire HD	Installing Software to Kindle Touch? Hi! I have no idea what I am doing. The how-tos? I don't understand them. Maybe because I have no experience with Linux or something? Here's my problem: my daughter has a Kindle Touch, loves it, carries it with her everywhere. My son just won a Kindle Fire HD in a summer reading program, and his sister is salivating over the text editing possibilities on it. I did a search, and found out about Leafpad... and about Skipstone, which sounds like maybe it would work better than the native browser. But the how-tos that come with them are incomprehensible to me. They require some knowledge of something that I don't possess. I am very good at following directions... I just need the directions... Can anyone help me get these programs onto a Kindle Touch? Thank y'all in advance! This looks like a neat place.

07-31-2014, 10:05 PM	#6
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	@Miss M: Yep, the JailBreak and MKK are separate. You'll need both for KUAL. (This sticky might also help). (I just tweaked that MKK paragraph to make it more visually separate, and somewhat clearer, thanks for the feedback ). Last edited by NiLuJe; 07-31-2014 at 10:16 PM.

08-01-2014, 05:30 PM	#13
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	Aha, that's because that's the upstream source code package! You want (twobob's? EDIT: or baf's, thanks eschwartz, my bad!) Kindle port, which is in a dedicated thread here in the dev corner subforum. Last edited by NiLuJe; 08-01-2014 at 09:06 PM.

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07-31-2014, 02:13 AM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Just install the KUAL app launcher (and the prerequisites listed there) and then pop SkipStone and Leafpad and whatever else you choose into the extensions folder on your Kindle. And yes, SkipStone is a lot more usable.

07-31-2014, 11:33 AM	#3
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	Keep in mind than text editing on a 6" eInk virtual keyboard is not the same experience as text editing on a 10" LCD virtual keyboard . It's far from terrible, but it's not exactly enjoyable either.

08-01-2014, 02:55 AM	#8
Miss M Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: O give me a home where the nutria roam... Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire HD	Okay... Jailbreak, done. MKK, done. KUAL, done. Created extensions folder in root directory, copied Skipstone and Leafpad folders to it. KUAL did not see them. I noticed that the folders were Skipstone/Skipstone/contents and Leafpad/Leafpad/contents, and thought maybe it didn't recognize it that way, so I tried just Skipstone/contents and Leafpad/contents, but no luck. Also, I was looking through the Tools list, and saw KOReader. I thought my daughter would be thrilled to be able to view these other formats on her Kindle, but I'm not sure which file I need -- the one with "gnueabi" in the filename, or the one with "gnueabihf"? I'm not going there until I have the other two things working, though.

08-01-2014, 03:03 AM	#9
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	skipstone-0.7.zip will unzip into a folder called "skipstone". There should be the folders: bin downloads pixmaps settings and the files config.xml menu.json inside.

08-01-2014, 11:20 AM	#10
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	And KUAL expects 'extensions/<something>/config.xml', so, yep, your unarchiver did something weird with the files. As for KOReader, there's a kindle- or kobo- prefix well before the ABI tag, which should make it clearer which one you need (NOT the hf).

08-01-2014, 05:16 PM	#11
Miss M Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: O give me a home where the nutria roam... Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire HD	This is Skipstone 1.0.1, and it unzipped into \skipstone-1.0.1\skipstone-1.0.1, and inside that folder is the following: Folders: icons locale pixmaps plugisn src Files: .#ChangeLog.1.124 acconfig.h AUTHORS ChangeLog config.cache config.h config.h.in config.log config.mk.in config.status config.webkit configure configure.in convert_bookmarks.pl COPYING INSTALL install-sh Makefile Makefile.in README README.copying skipstone.spec skipstone.spec.in stamp-h.in This was done with 7-Zip, one of the programs recommended for unpacking these .tar.gz things. Maybe I should try PowerArchiver? But if I explore the .tar.gz in 7-Zip, the list above is what it says is in there. There is no config.xml. I downloaded it from here: http://www.muhri.net/skipstone/page.php3?node=download. \leafpad-0.8.17\leafpad-0.8.17 contains: Folders: data po src Files: ABOUT-NLS aclocal.m4 AUTHORS ChangeLog compile config.guess config.h.in config.sub configure configure.ac COPYING depcomp INSTALL install-sh intltool-extract.in intltool-merge.in intltool-update.in Makefile.am Makefile.in missing mkinstalldirs NEWS README Again, no config.xml.

08-01-2014, 06:13 PM	#14
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	And baf's Kindle port of skipstone, here: http://www.fabiszewski.net/kindle-browser/

08-01-2014, 09:06 PM	#15
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,506 Karma: 26047202 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	@eschwartz: Oops, thanks, got the wrong guy there . My bad .

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