Calibre e-reader operating system

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ohIdon'tknow

Christ Alive, why are you being so angry and aggressive? All I said is it'd be nice to have a Calibre e-reader.

Maybe because of your radical anti big corp rant. Pleas take those to Politics and Religion.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

Are you sure about that? Because I cannot find the source code for the e-readers.

on your device Settings: Device information:Legal
has a link
(at least on my Aura 2)

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ohIdon'tknow

My biggest worry for the future of calibre is the lockdown of sideloading. In my cynical imagination I can see someone at Amazon and Rakuten proposing a restriction on sideloading. Fixing it so the usb port is for power only. Their rationale being that they are losing e-book sales to rival stores or public libraries. At that point calibre could be largely redundant for most people.

While there's a good chance that none of that will happen, it might be worth some of the people behind calibre considering a long-term backup plan.

You could still use the device browser to download your calibre books via wifi. Unless they'll disable the browser too.

For Amazon, it's not impossible they'd do something like that. For Kobo, I don't think so. A large part of Kobo users use their devices to read library books. If Kobo no longer allowed that, those folks would just buy some other device, not a Kobo reader.

[ohIdon'tknow]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

You could still use the device browser to download your calibre books via wifi. Unless they'll disable the browser too.

For Amazon, it's not impossible they'd do something like that. For Kobo, I don't think so. A large part of Kobo users use their devices to read library books. If Kobo no longer allowed that, those folks would just buy some other device, not a Kobo reader.

Yeah, you're probably right. Still doesn't stop the concern. It's not keeping me up at night but you know....

Not absolutely convinced by the Kobo argument. Yes, many people use Kobo for library books and could opt for another device. Though only if there is another device. Some countries in Europe are lucky that they have the space for plucky outsiders like Pocketbook, Onyx, Vivlio and Tolino. But other places, like North America, for example, have fewer or zero realistic options. If Nook's slender market presence vanishes in North America then what choice will most people have? It's an Android or Apple situation.

Maybe I'm being too pessimistic: I just can't imagine they'd be much hesitation on Ratuken's part if their cost-benefit analysis shows they'd make 1% more by locking Kobo down. And if people realistically have nowhere else to go.

Also, sorry about the RANTING!!!

[DNSB]

Ummm??? Calling Tolino a plucky outsider when you are ranting about Kobo?

[ohIdon'tknow]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Ummm??? Calling Tolino a plucky outsider when you are ranting about Kobo?

You're right. I'm sorry for my ignorance. I wasn't aware that Ratuken bought Tolino.

Though that wasn't very nice or kind of you to laugh at me. A short correction would have been welcome.

FYI, I'm not ranting about Kobo. I don't give two hoots about Kobo. What I do care about is the future of reading and access to knowledge and literature. I just don't think it should be the exclusive domain of this or that company. There should be an open alternative that can't be locked down by a XI or Putin or a greedy CEO. You know, open-bloody-source as a bulwark against oppression and that sort of thing.

[DNSB]

I am sorry if you took this as laughing at you. I was laughing at the thought of considering Tolino as an "plucky outsider" even before the hardware end moved to Kobo.

As for calibre on an ereader? You might be able to create a cutdown version of calibre's ebook-viewer to run on a mobile eInk device though it would likely be much easier to base your development on KOReader or Plato since they both support eInk devices.

As for the OS for the mobile device? Kobo does make their Linux code available though there is a considerable amount of proprietary code (nickel, sickel, pickel, etc.) that is the portion that does much of the heavy lifting in managing the books plus the RMSDK and Readium code that renders the ePub.

[ohIdon'tknow]

Originally Posted by DNSB

...it would likely be much easier to base your development on KOReader or Plato since they both support eInk devices.

I wasn't thinking about a port of calibre. More an entirely separate linux OS with the calibre name. Designed for linux e-ink devices. And with seamless integration with a calibre desktop and a calibre OPDS.

Maybe I'm slightly unhinged - quite to highly likely - but I can't understand why this isn't something of a priority. We have this crazily naive idea that a 'free market' will save our democracies. That democracy and the marketplace for goods and services are inextricable linked. Ignoring the fact that it didn't exactly go hand-in-hand in China. We thought that introducing free trade would inevitably lead to a democratisation. It didn't though. And what's to stop the backpedalling in our free world? Well, free access to knowledge, information, insight. You know, the whole civilisation thing.

I know this probably belongs in the political forum or some other ghetto. But no. Open-source is inherently political. It isn't just free stuff. Calibre isn't just a cool toy. It's freedom.

Again, sorry about the rant. It's been a long day.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ohIdon'tknow

My biggest worry for the future of calibre is the lockdown of sideloading. In my cynical imagination I can see someone at Amazon and Rakuten proposing a restriction on sideloading. Fixing it so the usb port is for power only. Their rationale being that they are losing e-book sales to rival stores or public libraries. At that point calibre could be largely redundant for most people.

While there's a good chance that none of that will happen, it might be worth some of the people behind calibre considering a long-term backup plan.

I cannot see Kobo taking away side loading. That just won't happen. Amazon, who knows.

[ohIdon'tknow]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I cannot see Kobo taking away side loading. That just won't happen. Amazon, who knows.

You may well be right. Though is it entirely wise to hang the future of reading upon a hopeful hunch? All I'm saying is that a backup or contingency might be a worthwhile investment. Especially when we are talking about something so absolutely fundamental. Without those who fought for our free and open access to the written word none of us would be having this conversation.

It needs to be free. It needs to be open.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ohIdon'tknow

You may well be right. Though is it entirely wise to hang the future of reading upon a hopeful hunch? All I'm saying is that a backup or contingency might be a worthwhile investment. Especially when we are talking about something so absolutely fundamental. Without those who fought for our free and open access to the written word none of us would be having this conversation.

It needs to be free. It needs to be open.

But what would be the use of calibre OS when there isn't any open-source ereader it could run on? (Besides PineNote, and I don't consider that an ereader). It'd be just a lot of effort without any purpose, as things stand now. Yes, you said that designing the software should come first, but it's very unlikely anyone would be willing to put in that much effort with only one device it could run on, and said device being very, very niche. I think the hardware must come first in this case. We already have KOReader, which could be the default reading software, and once there is enough interest in the device, someone might develop alternate OSes for it.

[ohIdon'tknow]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

But what would be the use of calibre OS when there isn't any open-source ereader it could run on? (Besides PineNote, and I don't consider that an ereader). It'd be just a lot of effort without any purpose, as things stand now. Yes, you said that designing the software should come first, but it's very unlikely anyone would be willing to put in that much effort with only one device it could run on, and said device being very, very niche. I think the hardware must come first in this case. We already have KOReader, which could be the default reading software, and once there is enough interest in the device, someone might develop alternate OSes for it.

What about an alternative plan? Rather than argue about the priority for chicken and egg, why not do both? Calibre could contact Pine64 and work together to create an open e-reader with calibre OS. Pine64 does the hardware. Calibre does the software. Chicken-egg!

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ohIdon'tknow

What about an alternative plan? Rather than argue about the priority for chicken and egg, why not do both? Calibre could contact Pine64 and work together to create an open e-reader with calibre OS. Pine64 does the hardware. Calibre does the software. Chicken-egg!

"Calibre" is mostly Kovid, and there are limits to what one person has the time and energy to do. There are a few contributors, but Kovid does the main programming work. Calibre is not a team effort in the sense that a room full of programmers is working on it, and could spare a couple to work on other things.

[fabricalado]

I don't disagree with this idea, especially considering some countries don't even have access to Kobo devices (Brazil, where I'm from, only had the mini for sale, and I think no Kobo at all anymore), but calibre OS sounds like it'd overlap with already existing solutions like KOReader (they're not the same, of course, but for practical purposes, i.e. reading, they'd overlap if we had cOS?).

Again, I'm not against the idea, but it sounds a bit like using a bazooka to kill a mosquito.

[ohIdon'tknow]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

"Calibre" is mostly Kovid, and there are limits to what one person has the time and energy to do. There are a few contributors, but Kovid does the main programming work. Calibre is not a team effort in the sense that a room full of programmers is working on it, and could spare a couple to work on other things.

I didn't realise that calibre is quite so much a one-man band. It totally makes sense why he wouldn't want to take on further commitments.

Though if resources and time is so limited it might be an idea to approach the developers of Quill OS with a partnership proposal. They have a working relationship with Pine64 and have previously developed an OS for Kobo e-readers. Maybe they could create and maintain calibre OS.

Or perhaps ask the developers of Koreader. Maybe suggest a rebrand of Koreader as calibre OS. The OS pre-installed on a Pine64 e-reader.

I suspect that if Pine64 had the prospect of selling a well-promoted* e-reader to calibre's 3 million users they would be interested in developing the hardware and perhaps also supporting the development of the software. They may also offer a fixed % from each sale for the use of the calibre brand. Which could support the long-term development of calibre desktop, server and OS.

It would be especially neat if the hardware and software design could be directed with input from calibre users.

Probably pie-in-the-sky nonsense but surely worth reaching out with an email or two.

* Promotion via a pop-up in new installs and updates of calibre desktop. With one of those 'don't show me this again' option boxes.