Displaying text in a regular and automated way

[cdelahousse]

Hey guys,

I haven't used my kindle in quite a while and I'd like to put it to good use. I'm embarking on a project that's that's inspired by the Kindle Weather Station:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=200621
http://mpetroff.net/2012/09/kindle-weather-display/

My goal: convert my Kindle 3 Wifi into a display that regularly downloads a text file from a server, parses it, and then displays it in a pleasant way. This'll be used as a To Do list viewer.

The only issue I have left to figure out is how to display using custom fonts and what not. If I use the SVG method outlined in the links above, I'll have issues with text wrapping because SVG doesn't handle that well. I've played around with the `eips` command but that outputs the text in a FUGLY way.

Is there any way to get text to display well, word wrapping and all, on the Kindle?

Thanks

[kitomer]

I am trying something similar at the moment. I use eips to display a generated bmp file. The bmp generated has to be generated "wrong" in order to be displayed correctly, see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=281635

eips can also display png and jpg images but those are harder to generate.

My complete setup is: jailbreak + mkk + KUAL + perl (compiled for kindle, someone in the Forums did it...) + mey Perlscript that generates the bmp

[knc1]

Originally Posted by kitomer

I am trying something similar at the moment. I use eips to display a generated bmp file. The bmp generated has to be generated "wrong" in order to be displayed correctly, see https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=281635

eips can also display png and jpg images but those are harder to generate.

My complete setup is: jailbreak + mkk + KUAL + perl (compiled for kindle, someone in the Forums did it...) + mey Perlscript that generates the bmp

Try the other direction -
Create as correct bmp -> convert to .jpg or .png -
That will ensure that it is easy to create for your script and can be displayed on any Kindle (depending on options to imagemagck of course).

Not all Kindles have imagemagck installed, but the SS add-in includes a copy.

Otherwise, you would have to write a different script for each different Kindle model screen (they are not the same at the eips level or lower).

[kitomer]

Right now the generation of the 4bpp bmp on the kindle 3 keyboard takes about 1-2 seconds (redraw takes about 1s). So I guess the conversion to png/jpg via imagemagick (on the device) would add up to that?!

[knc1]

I do not know, try it and report back with the numbers.

There are a lot of used Kindles in the world that could be put to use, not just the K3.

[kitomer]

Just wanted to note that I finally found the fastest way to render graphics generated on the device, which is directly to framebuffer. It turns out that if one generates a 4bpp bmp then the exact pixel data of that kind of bmp can be dumped to the framebuffer at /dev/fb0 and will be displayed just nicely, without the overhead of writing to an actual bmp file and calling eips to display it.

[encol]

Nice finding!
Can you share an example?

[kitomer]

sure, attached. The pixel data starts at byte offset 312.

[encol]

I meant the commands you've used

[parbour]

Good effort here, I'm working toward a similar goal.

I'm wondering if there would be an easy way to simply force a web browser into the front of the display, and just drive the display through html.

Currently, I'm using the screensaver application to show what I want, by generating the SVG on my server and pulling it through cron, but the screensaver needs a reboot everytime.

What I'm trying to understand is if I can refresh the screen with an image regularily without a reboot.

Any projects that do that?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by parbour

Good effort here, I'm working toward a similar goal.

I'm wondering if there would be an easy way to simply force a web browser into the front of the display, and just drive the display through html.

Currently, I'm using the screensaver application to show what I want, by generating the SVG on my server and pulling it through cron, but the screensaver needs a reboot everytime.

What I'm trying to understand is if I can refresh the screen with an image regularily without a reboot.

Any projects that do that?

What model?
What firmware version?

[parbour]

PW3, firmware likely doesn't matter too much, I'm not committed to anyone in particular.

Is there somewhere in this board or elsewhere with any references to the modules in use?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by parbour

PW3, firmware likely doesn't matter too much, I'm not committed to anyone in particular.

Is there somewhere in this board or elsewhere with any references to the modules in use?

The resources and the entire system being run on a PW3 are MUCH different than on a K3.
They did more than cut off the keyboard and add a touchscreen over the years.

The K3 was the 8th model produced, there have been nearly 70 models released since then.

With some Kindle models, the firmware version would make a difference.

= = = =

Yes, you can still write directly to the frame buffer on a PW3 running 5.8.x firmware.
Not that you would like the complications of doing so.
All series 5 firmwares are running X11.
At least they are unless you stop it.

Just what all do you intend to stop, if anything?
What web browser? Stock or one of the add-ins?

[parbour]

I've been surfing the filesystem, and I may just see if I can push things into X, or even just replace X.

I'll start pulling everything off the filesystem tonight and see what I can find.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by parbour

I've been surfing the filesystem, and I may just see if I can push things into X, or even just replace X.

I'll start pulling everything off the filesystem tonight and see what I can find.

No need to risk your Kindle doing that.

The Amazon update images are just that, complete system images.
Download one, open it with KindleTool, then just mount the filesystem image (requires a Linux system, but even a Live CD version will do that).

Replace X11?
I don't think you understand what you are writing about.
You had better study and understand the system first.