Is it reasonable to hack the PW to be a long life clock?

handyguy · 12-09-2019, 11:44 AM

My secondary reason to obtain a jail broken PW is to use it as a hacked clock - to permanently display the time (as a screensaver?) updating 1/minute.
Before I go 'all in', wondering if this is a reasonable hack for someone with average hacking skills!?
I presume the basic steps would be:

1) Jailbreak
2) Install the addins
3) Code the clock app in Python, generating updated png files once/minute
4) Add the script to cron

Thanks for the advice!

Junket · 12-09-2019, 11:51 AM

Interesting idea. While I haven't actually done this, it shouldn't be difficult to do on a jailbroken paperwhite.

ilovejedd · 12-09-2019, 11:54 AM

Just a thought. Wouldn't doing this be equivalent to 1,440 page turns per day?

Junket · 12-09-2019, 12:09 PM

Stats race?

The 1,440 page turn reference.. made me think of this old instructable.

But more on point for the OP, not exactly what you proposed doing but certainly worth a look, Yet another clock extension.

handyguy · 12-09-2019, 12:12 PM

At 1440 turns/day, I guess the next question is how long would a charge last at that rate?
I don't mind charging it up periodically, or maybe hacking in a bigger battery...

issybird · 12-09-2019, 12:15 PM

Please report a thread and ask it to be moved rather than repost.

handyguy · 12-09-2019, 12:41 PM

my bad

j.p.s · 12-09-2019, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by handyguy

My secondary reason to obtain a jail broken PW is to use it as a hacked clock - to permanently display the time (as a screensaver?) updating 1/minute.
Before I go 'all in', wondering if this is a reasonable hack for someone with average hacking skills!?
I presume the basic steps would be:

1) Jailbreak
2) Install the addins
3) Code the clock app in Python, generating updated png files once/minute
4) Add the script to cron

Thanks for the advice!

Most people trying to use cron on a kindle never get it to work.

Junket · 12-09-2019, 02:25 PM

Honesty, most people using cron on desktop nix boxes never get it to work either.

But persistence works. I must have wasted a full afternoon squashing cron gremlins in tivo boxes in the day.

JSWolf · 12-09-2019, 02:30 PM

Actually, it's not reasonable to hack a PW to make it a digital clock. You are best to get a lower end Kindle and hack that to be a clock. No need to wast a PW when you can waste an older Kindle.

Junket · 12-09-2019, 02:37 PM

That's a subjective position. It's only a waste if the idea has no value to the OP.

And the OP could still use it for reading if he wants to. It could be a clock when the Kindle happens to be idle. Which seems more like increased utility than a "waste".

JSWolf · 12-09-2019, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junket

That's a subjective position. It's only a waste if the idea has no value to the OP.

And the OP could still use it for reading if he wants to. It could be a clock when the Kindle happens to be idle. Which seems more like increased utility than a "waste".

I'm not saying the idea has no value. I'm saying it would (IMHO) better to use a lower end Kindle such as the Kindle Basic.

j.p.s · 12-09-2019, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junket

Honesty, most people using cron on desktop nix boxes never get it to work either.

But persistence works. I must have wasted a full afternoon squashing cron gremlins in tivo boxes in the day.

Do tivo boxes sleep (suspend) when not in use?

Junket · 12-09-2019, 04:02 PM

It's a little bit insidious. They do. But if you do a lot of recording you won't see that for extended periods of time. But it will suspend sooner or later and then you get to play with the gremlins. Unless of course you got all your cron syntax right on the first go.

yeah right, first go (much hysterical laughter)

--
edit: in all fairness it's a good point. Cron will be a pita if you let the Kindle sleep. It shouldn't be a problem for a device that can be tethered to an outlet. But it's worth thinking about what to do on a device that you let sleep. Perhaps a clock display, when not plugged in should be designed to "time out". And redisplay/update only after the Kindle wakes up from some other event.

@handyguy
Here is a thread with useful information about both using python to display screen objects and sleep(ing) cron dragons.

j.p.s · 12-09-2019, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junket

It's a little bit insidious. They do. But if you do a lot of recording you won't see that for extended periods of time. But it will suspend sooner or later and then you get to play with the gremlins. Unless of course you got all your cron syntax right on the first go.

yeah right, first go (much hysterical laughter)

I've never tried cron on kindles, mostly because of the cranky cryptic replies by the experts on this forum to other people asking about it.

I have decades of (shallow) cron experience and currently have dozens of cron jobs that collectively launch thousands of times per day.

12-09-2019, 11:44 AM	#1
handyguy Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 11789 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: PW4	Is it reasonable to hack the PW to be a long life clock? My secondary reason to obtain a jail broken PW is to use it as a hacked clock - to permanently display the time (as a screensaver?) updating 1/minute. Before I go 'all in', wondering if this is a reasonable hack for someone with average hacking skills!? I presume the basic steps would be: 1) Jailbreak 2) Install the addins 3) Code the clock app in Python, generating updated png files once/minute 4) Add the script to cron Thanks for the advice!

12-09-2019, 04:02 PM	#14
Junket Nil adsuetudine maius Posts: 278 Karma: 500000 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: US Device: PW4	It's a little bit insidious. They do. But if you do a lot of recording you won't see that for extended periods of time. But it will suspend sooner or later and then you get to play with the gremlins. Unless of course you got all your cron syntax right on the first go. yeah right, first go (much hysterical laughter) -- edit: in all fairness it's a good point. Cron will be a pita if you let the Kindle sleep. It shouldn't be a problem for a device that can be tethered to an outlet. But it's worth thinking about what to do on a device that you let sleep. Perhaps a clock display, when not plugged in should be designed to "time out". And redisplay/update only after the Kindle wakes up from some other event. @handyguy Here is a thread with useful information about both using python to display screen objects and sleep(ing) cron dragons. Last edited by Junket; 12-09-2019 at 04:42 PM.

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12-09-2019, 11:51 AM	#2
Junket Nil adsuetudine maius Posts: 278 Karma: 500000 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: US Device: PW4	Interesting idea. While I haven't actually done this, it shouldn't be difficult to do on a jailbroken paperwhite.

12-09-2019, 11:54 AM	#3
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,111 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Just a thought. Wouldn't doing this be equivalent to 1,440 page turns per day?

12-09-2019, 12:09 PM	#4
Junket Nil adsuetudine maius Posts: 278 Karma: 500000 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: US Device: PW4	Stats race? The 1,440 page turn reference.. made me think of this old instructable. But more on point for the OP, not exactly what you proposed doing but certainly worth a look, Yet another clock extension.

12-09-2019, 12:12 PM	#5
handyguy Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 11789 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: PW4	At 1440 turns/day, I guess the next question is how long would a charge last at that rate? I don't mind charging it up periodically, or maybe hacking in a bigger battery...

12-09-2019, 12:15 PM	#6
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,210 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	Please report a thread and ask it to be moved rather than repost.

12-09-2019, 12:41 PM	#7
handyguy Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 11789 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: PW4	my bad

12-09-2019, 02:25 PM	#9
Junket Nil adsuetudine maius Posts: 278 Karma: 500000 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: US Device: PW4	Honesty, most people using cron on desktop nix boxes never get it to work either. But persistence works. I must have wasted a full afternoon squashing cron gremlins in tivo boxes in the day.

12-09-2019, 02:30 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,896 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Actually, it's not reasonable to hack a PW to make it a digital clock. You are best to get a lower end Kindle and hack that to be a clock. No need to wast a PW when you can waste an older Kindle.

12-09-2019, 02:37 PM	#11
Junket Nil adsuetudine maius Posts: 278 Karma: 500000 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: US Device: PW4	That's a subjective position. It's only a waste if the idea has no value to the OP. And the OP could still use it for reading if he wants to. It could be a clock when the Kindle happens to be idle. Which seems more like increased utility than a "waste".

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