I just set this up on my Kobo Clara and Forma (both from 2018). I'm very happy with it so far! For anyone that wants details: The installation was super easy. I used the semi-automated method...
KOReader is a document viewer for E Ink devices. Supported fileformats include EPUB, PDF, DjVu, XPS, CBT, CBZ, FB2, PDB, TXT, HTML, RTF, CHM, DOC, MOBI and ZIP files. It’s available for Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook, Android and desktop Linux.
I just set this up on my Kobo Clara and Forma (both from 2018). I'm very happy with it so far!
For anyone that wants details:
The installation was super easy. I used the semi-automated method detailed here which basically has you download a specific zip file, plug in the device to your computer, and then run a script which sets everything up. Took like, maybe two minutes per device?
I also have an old 2011 4th gen Kindle that Amazon has officially disavowed. I was going to try KOReader out on it just to see how it would work, but I got to the significantly more complicated Kindle install instructions and decided against it (I wouldn't actually use it anyway as the device's battery is shot).
Anyway, once installed, the Kobo will still boot into its regular interface, but there's an extra button at the bottom that can get you into KOReader. Once you're in KOReader it stays there even between sleeps, going back to the Kobo menu only if you reboot. KOReader can control your WiFi and backlight and whatnot directly, and it automatically rotated the screen when I flipped my Forma, so it's easy to just "live" in KOReader mode nearly all of the time on the device. I don't feel limited by it at all.
The zip file used for the automated install method that I did is a little out of date, so once it's up and running, you have to tell KOReader to update itself. The hiccup here is that it kept saying that it couldn't reach the server despite my WiFi being on and active, but there's an option to change the download server so I did that and it went through without a hitch.
Vanilla KOReader follows the Calibre method of doing things in that it's very powerful, very customizable and extensible, but not especially pretty or user friendly. After using vanilla for a bit, I installed the SimpleUI plugin which does exactly what I want and makes the device look better.
I also didn't love the built-in dictionary choices you can use (and they were also giving me download errors), so I grabbed the English one from here and simply loaded it on via USB. The site makes it look like you have to pay, but that's only for language-to-language dictionaries. Single language dictionaries are free. Just make sure you download the StarDict version, not the Kobo one, as StarDict is what KOReader uses.
It's also worth noting that KOReader won't de-DRM books for you, so it can't read the books you download from Kobo directly. Instead, you have to sideload them. This is easily doable via USB, though it's also supported by a lot of the self-hosted libraries out there (e.g. BookOrbit, Grimmory, Kavita). I personally use BookFusion which is paid, closed-source, and not self-hosted, but it still works great. Only downside is that browsing my library isn't done natively via KOReader but via a pop-up from a menu option, but I honestly don't really browse my library on an ereader much anyway and instead simply use it for reading.
For that, KOReader works flawlessly, and the plugin keeps everything synced so I can pick up a book right where I left off on any device.
I'm excited that I resurrected my two old ereaders, because now with three total, each one can live in its own specific place around my house where I'm likely to read (couch, desk, bed). This is going to sound super lazy of me, but I'm genuinely going to get more reading done because there are times that I'll park it someplace intending to read, realize I don't have my ereader with me, and just like, do something else instead rather than getting up and grabbing it.
Also, sometimes my dog parks it on top of/beside me before my lack-of-ereader realization occurs, and I can't ask him to move -- not when he's already so cozy and comfortable. So, having a device already chilling in the places I spend my time will be a nice quality of life improvement.
Anyway, if anyone else uses KOReader, I'd love to hear your experiences as well as any tips and tricks. I'm only just dipping my toe in the water right now, but the KOReader lake clearly goes much, much deeper. I'm also curious as to how it fares on a Kindle versus a Kobo, since I know Amazon locks those down a lot more.
I love the dictionary functionality, as well as the ability to sync via OPDS content server. My Kobo is older (but not that old, a Libra H20 (2?)), and I hated having to transfer epubs to it by...
I love the dictionary functionality, as well as the ability to sync via OPDS content server.
My Kobo is older (but not that old, a Libra H20 (2?)), and I hated having to transfer epubs to it by plugging it in to my computer.
I like buying books through humble bundles (bc I am a voracious reader so getting lots of books at nice is once) so I always had to side load those. Also from bookshop.org so I can support local bookstores even though I buy a lot of epubs.
What dictionary do you use? I have had trouble getting any to work, when I try downloading the ones I want, it always tells me to check I'm online (I am, I promise). I think it let me download...
What dictionary do you use? I have had trouble getting any to work, when I try downloading the ones I want, it always tells me to check I'm online (I am, I promise). I think it let me download some etymology dictionary, which is interesting, but I just want definitions, maaan
I ran into the exact same issue with it telling me I'm not online, so I sideloaded one. I downloaded the StarDict version of this dictionary. It looks like it's behind a paywall, but that's only...
I ran into the exact same issue with it telling me I'm not online, so I sideloaded one.
I downloaded the StarDict version of this dictionary. It looks like it's behind a paywall, but that's only for translation dictionaries -- single language ones are free.
Unzip it, then drop it in data\dict\ under the KOReader base folder.
Unmount the ereader, KOReader will restart, and the dictionary should be good to go (I didn't have to change any settings -- it just worked automatically).
I switched my Pocketbook to Koreader after the official reader app on it stopped justifying my books, something that I care a great deal about. I haven't done anything that amounts to a trick, but...
I switched my Pocketbook to Koreader after the official reader app on it stopped justifying my books, something that I care a great deal about.
I haven't done anything that amounts to a trick, but I did notice that some of the default settings aren't the greatest. I haven't quite figured out what all the typography settings mean, like there's a zoom setting that I think you should set to match the DPI of your e-reader screen. I think those settings appear when you tap the lower quarter of your screen or so.
Also tapping the progress bar at the bottom is gonna make it cycle through different info tidbits on the bottom left like how many pages are left till chapter end or how much time it estimates you're gonna need to finish, etc. It's difficult to tell what is interactable and what isn't but in Koreader nearly everything is.
I have cycled through the little info tidbits (which show up on the bottom right for me, but hey ho) and still only understand about half of them. Little arc arrow, straight arrow with a line,...
I have cycled through the little info tidbits (which show up on the bottom right for me, but hey ho) and still only understand about half of them. Little arc arrow, straight arrow with a line, WHAT ARE YOU???
Edit: I did another bout of searching, but even locating the relevant section of the "User Guide" is frustratingly mysterious. https://koreader.rocks/user_guide/#L2-statusbar doesn't just have a list of the icons and their meanings! I love koreader and wouldn't go back to my stock kindle software, but my goodness, I find it so obscure to use sometimes.
Open a book, then tap the top of the screen. Click the ⚙️, then click Status Bar > Status Bar Items This will show you a toggleable list of all the different things available for the status bar...
Open a book, then tap the top of the screen.
Click the ⚙️, then click Status Bar > Status Bar Items
This will show you a toggleable list of all the different things available for the status bar alongside their icons.
If you go to Status Bar > Configure Items, there's an option for Show all selected items at once which I really like. This will show all of the ones you toggle on at the same time.
If you want to rearrange them, go to Status Bar > Configure items > Arrange items in status bar
Can I ask - what do you like about KOReader? What makes it worth going through all the work to get it installed and set up instead of just using the default kobo? I have a kobo and have never had...
Can I ask - what do you like about KOReader? What makes it worth going through all the work to get it installed and set up instead of just using the default kobo?
I have a kobo and have never had any real complaints with the interface but now I’m wondering if it’s just all I’ve ever known…?
If you're in the Kobo ecosystem and happy with it, then KOReader doesn't really have anything to offer. In fact, unless you've already de-DRMed your library, it won't do anything but add friction....
If you're in the Kobo ecosystem and happy with it, then KOReader doesn't really have anything to offer. In fact, unless you've already de-DRMed your library, it won't do anything but add friction.
Personally, I never liked the fact that my DRM-free ebooks from places like Project Gutenberg and Humble Bundle weren't ever going to be integrated in my library the same way as stuff I'd bought through Kobo. I also read on a variety of different devices in different settings, so cloud syncing them was essential for me, but Kobo will only do that for the books they sell.
As such, as my library grew, and I got more and more books from places other than Kobo, I ended up seeking out a platform (the aforementioned BookFusion) that let me upload all of my books and have them live under one roof with equal treatment.
The main downside to doing this was that I couldn't access BookFusion on my Kobo devices directly. KOReader is what lets me do that now. It's "worth it" in the sense that I swapped out the Kobo ecosystem for BookFusion.
So, its utility is really only for people who manage their own library of books.
Ironically, I still buy a lot of books through Kobo, so my workflow now looks like:
Buy book from Kobo > de-DRM it > upload it to BookFusion > download it back to my Kobo through KOReader. Full circle!
Roundabout and complicated? Yes. Worth it because I can do that just as easily for a book I bought as one I got off of Standard Ebooks? Absolutely. The special sauce is having my ENTIRE library under one roof getting all the perks and features, rather than only some of the books.
I should also add that, with any bring-your-own-media setup like KOReader, there's a huge but mostly unspoken understory that the service is usually excellent for people who pirate their media. Something like BookFusion/KOReader will never advertise this, and a lot of the people who do use it that way won't necessarily say that openly, but it's the truth of the matter. I think that's a big thing that makes it "worth it" for a lot of people as well.
I'm not saying this as a wink-wink-nudge-nudge "I'm actually a pirate" endorsement, by the way. In fact, I'm doing this on hard mode by insisting on actually buying books I could more quickly and easily download for free.
(not the original commenter but) Great explanation, and the cloud syncing of non-Kobo books is definitely an advantage in your case. As someone who both buys and pirates a large amount of books,...
(not the original commenter but) Great explanation, and the cloud syncing of non-Kobo books is definitely an advantage in your case.
I never liked the fact that my DRM-free ebooks from places like Project Gutenberg and Humble Bundle weren't ever going to be integrated in my library the same way as stuff I'd bought through Kobo.
As someone who both buys and pirates a large amount of books, I'm curious what you mean by integration here exactly. I use a Kobo with standard software, and adding DRM-free books to it make them appear as part of my library in essentially the same way as purchased books. If you convert them to Kobo EPUBs (with tools like Kepubify or Calibre which should convert them on the fly when transferring) they will have the additional features like time tracking and adaptive page counts.
The last time I tried it (admittedly quite a long time ago) it kept any side-loaded books separate. They also were on that device only, and what I really wanted was to be able to seamlessly switch...
The last time I tried it (admittedly quite a long time ago) it kept any side-loaded books separate. They also were on that device only, and what I really wanted was to be able to seamlessly switch between devices, as I read frequently via my phone and the web reader as well.
There were also some other issues, like me wanting comics support (especially CBZ files) and a lot of my AZW3 files getting problems when converted (prior to jumping to Kobo I’d amassed a sizable library from Kindle that I brought with me as well).
Thanks for the reply. I think they must have changed something since you tried, as my side-loaded books display alongside my purchased books and have for as long as I can remember, but I only...
Thanks for the reply. I think they must have changed something since you tried, as my side-loaded books display alongside my purchased books and have for as long as I can remember, but I only began using a Kobo a few years ago.
You're right that they don't cloud sync. I can't comment much on comic support, as I read digital comics on a tablet rather than an ereader. I've downloaded a manga volume purchased through Kobo on my device before and support seemed ok, but that would be a KEPUB rather than a CBZ. Slow navigation and poor scaling as one might expect on an ereader.
Our interest is piqued by KOReader again because of CBZ manga -- calibre can convert that to KEPUB... But not needing to do that would also be cool. We're happy with the manga experience on the...
Our interest is piqued by KOReader again because of CBZ manga -- calibre can convert that to KEPUB... But not needing to do that would also be cool. We're happy with the manga experience on the color model, scales and runs pleasantly for us, eink is a big draw vs tablets.
For me, KOReader is part of the toolbox that lets me fully own my ebooks. I moved away from Amazon when they announced they'd be removing the ability to download your ebooks a year or two ago. I...
For me, KOReader is part of the toolbox that lets me fully own my ebooks.
I moved away from Amazon when they announced they'd be removing the ability to download your ebooks a year or two ago. I didn't want Amazon to be able to take away my books at their whim so I downloaded my library, put it in Calibre, and now use KOReader to access it.
You can actually use Calibre with a plain Kobo but I like the ability to sync progress and reading statistics between my phone and my ereader and that's something that only KOReader does decently right now with a library you fully own.
This is exactly what made me finally deal with the hassle of jailbreaking it. I won't buy another kindle, but as long as the one I have still works, this is the better solution. I'll probably make...
This is exactly what made me finally deal with the hassle of jailbreaking it. I won't buy another kindle, but as long as the one I have still works, this is the better solution. I'll probably make sure I buy a koreader-compatible reader in the future, just to avoid having to learn another system now.
For me it’s the little things: more control over gestures and hot corners, the calendar of how long you spent reading which book on which days, the projection on when (date) you’ll likely finish...
For me it’s the little things: more control over gestures and hot corners, the calendar of how long you spent reading which book on which days, the projection on when (date) you’ll likely finish the book, turning pages by touching the bottom corners, the text layout engine (although the native kobo one is already pretty good when compared to kindle), the ability to add custom fonts.
And biggest of all, the setting to give it your location in the world and it’ll auto invert the display after dusk until dawn (and adjust the backlight temp gradually) automatically. I set my brightness to 1 at night but the white page background still bothered me so having a black page with white text at night is my favourite function.
It does take a while to navigate and understand the awkward and confusing menus to set it the way you like. But once you have it really does make the device so much better.
The main reason I use KOReader is because I have a lot of books I’ve bought from Humble bundle (e.g. Scalzi’s sci fi bundle), and it lets me sync all of my books to it using Calibre’s OPDS content...
The main reason I use KOReader is because I have a lot of books I’ve bought from Humble bundle (e.g. Scalzi’s sci fi bundle), and it lets me sync all of my books to it using Calibre’s OPDS content server.
Also, I read a very large web serial (chapters of 40k+ words), so when they post I convert the posts to ePubs & then sync them to my Kobo the same way.
Also some slightly different UI options from the native kobo experience. I regularly use the “long press on a word to get a dictionary definition” which is handy bc I read books by authors that use esoteric descriptive words.
Edit: It also just adds a menu option to launch into it, so any Kobo epubs I can still read using the native Kobo interface (though I personally still use KoReader for those bc it is a bit faster at turning pages).
Not that big a deal but I've noticed that often the Kobo and Kindle native readers don't render any code or pre elements in a fixed width font - KOReader does. Quite handy when reading programming...
Not that big a deal but I've noticed that often the Kobo and Kindle native readers don't render any code or pre elements in a fixed width font - KOReader does. Quite handy when reading programming books sold by Humble Bundle.
I'd like to add that koreader isn't just custom software for e-readers but also available as android app. Which makes it great for other devices as well like my supernote nomad. Which is an e-ink...
I'd like to add that koreader isn't just custom software for e-readers but also available as android app. Which makes it great for other devices as well like my supernote nomad. Which is an e-ink writing tablet mostly with somewhat limited ebook functionality, installing koreader made it a fullblown e-reader as well for me.
This could not come at a more relevant time for me! I've been getting back into using an ereader and using KOReader. I have a jailbroken kindle paperwhite that's ~10 years old now that I intended...
This could not come at a more relevant time for me! I've been getting back into using an ereader and using KOReader. I have a jailbroken kindle paperwhite that's ~10 years old now that I intended to use KOReader on but I never really got used to the interface.
It's taken a fair bit of work, but I finally have a setup I can enjoy using. I set up calibre web automated so I can just drag and drop books into it to convert them and then download them from KOReader later. I know it's silly, but actually having to go grab the device and a micro usb cable was just enough friction to make me not bother. This way I just add books to calibre whenever I find one of interest, and then can browse that library from the ereader.
I'll have to take a look at that SimpleUI plugin, as that's still a minor pain point. At the end of the day, though, it's not like I'm looking at the UI while reading, so it doesn't matter too much.
Calibre web automated looks amazing, I think I'll have to switch over to it. I have basic Calibre web set up, which serves up an OPDS (I had to check that!) library, which I can download by a...
Calibre web automated looks amazing, I think I'll have to switch over to it. I have basic Calibre web set up, which serves up an OPDS (I had to check that!) library, which I can download by a (slightly clunky) search process on my kindle with koreader. It's amazing, the cable friction absolutely was too much for me. But now whenever I'm away from my home, I have to live with my old, caveman-style kindle with no access to my whole library.
I like that it can be installed on the cheapest PocketBook devices, and it's super easy too (literally just drag the file into the correct folder through USB). Pocketbooks are as cheap as the...
I like that it can be installed on the cheapest PocketBook devices, and it's super easy too (literally just drag the file into the correct folder through USB). Pocketbooks are as cheap as the cheapest Kindles, except they're not locked in any way and you don't need a user account either, just copy the files on the device and read. Their own reading application is just a tiny bit slow, which is solved by KOReader.
The default is admittedly kinda ugly, but I was able to change mine to something I'm happy with. Have you played around with the settings? They can be hard to find. Tap the bottom menu section to...
The default is admittedly kinda ugly, but I was able to change mine to something I'm happy with.
Have you played around with the settings? They can be hard to find. Tap the bottom menu section to pull up the text options. From there you'll see sub menus to change margins, font settings, spacing, etc.
For some reason, changing the actual font itself is separate from that in the top menu. Tap at the top of your screen, then go to the tab that looks like a page with lines on it. Underneath that you should see an option to change the font itself to something different.
There are only a few built-in ones, but you can also add your own. The only thing I miss about my old Kindle is Bookerly, so I might add that to mine.
EDIT: Found a reddit survey for preferred fonts. I’m going to try some of these out.
Added a bunch of fonts to KOReader, and I don't want to sound like I'm just following the crowd, but Bookerly and Atkinson Hyperlegible Next are the clear standouts for me. I can't exactly explain...
Added a bunch of fonts to KOReader, and I don't want to sound like I'm just following the crowd, but Bookerly and Atkinson Hyperlegible Next are the clear standouts for me.
I can't exactly explain why, but Bookerly just looks really nice. It feels super comfortable to have on the screen. Meanwhile, AHN is super clean and modern looking. Not sure which one will be my "main" font, but I'll have to read a bit with each to see how they hold up over an extended period.
I also found this collection of free fonts for ereaders made by someone who very clearly cares about fonts (which is exactly the kind of person I want curating a collection). I haven't gone through all of them (there's a lot), but I did install them and plan to dabble.
You should look up the Koreader docs. The book text is insanely customisable, so you can really dial in your preferences.
@kfwyre - the UI plugin is great, but have you come across any ways to make the text of books less of an eyesore?
The kindle I added koreader to has great options for page layout, font, size, etc. Koreader felt like reading in calibre's inbuilt e-reader, which is not pretty.
Is this something you've encountered?
You should look up the Koreader docs. The book text is insanely customisable, so you can really dial in your preferences.
I love KOReader. I run it landscape, two columns -- super nice on my Libra H2O (~8"?) Apologies to the brits, but imgbb isnt working (typical) -- https://i.imgur.com/tydIUvs.jpeg
I love KOReader. I run it landscape, two columns -- super nice on my Libra H2O (~8"?) Apologies to the brits, but imgbb isnt working (typical) -- https://i.imgur.com/tydIUvs.jpeg
I knew I could cycle between different options on the status bar at the bottom by tapping it, but it wasn't until I saw your screenshot that I realized I could have multiple ones show up at once....
I knew I could cycle between different options on the status bar at the bottom by tapping it, but it wasn't until I saw your screenshot that I realized I could have multiple ones show up at once.
I just set this up on my Kobo Clara and Forma (both from 2018). I'm very happy with it so far!
For anyone that wants details:
The installation was super easy. I used the semi-automated method detailed here which basically has you download a specific zip file, plug in the device to your computer, and then run a script which sets everything up. Took like, maybe two minutes per device?
I also have an old 2011 4th gen Kindle that Amazon has officially disavowed. I was going to try KOReader out on it just to see how it would work, but I got to the significantly more complicated Kindle install instructions and decided against it (I wouldn't actually use it anyway as the device's battery is shot).
Anyway, once installed, the Kobo will still boot into its regular interface, but there's an extra button at the bottom that can get you into KOReader. Once you're in KOReader it stays there even between sleeps, going back to the Kobo menu only if you reboot. KOReader can control your WiFi and backlight and whatnot directly, and it automatically rotated the screen when I flipped my Forma, so it's easy to just "live" in KOReader mode nearly all of the time on the device. I don't feel limited by it at all.
The zip file used for the automated install method that I did is a little out of date, so once it's up and running, you have to tell KOReader to update itself. The hiccup here is that it kept saying that it couldn't reach the server despite my WiFi being on and active, but there's an option to change the download server so I did that and it went through without a hitch.
Vanilla KOReader follows the Calibre method of doing things in that it's very powerful, very customizable and extensible, but not especially pretty or user friendly. After using vanilla for a bit, I installed the SimpleUI plugin which does exactly what I want and makes the device look better.
I also didn't love the built-in dictionary choices you can use (and they were also giving me download errors), so I grabbed the English one from here and simply loaded it on via USB. The site makes it look like you have to pay, but that's only for language-to-language dictionaries. Single language dictionaries are free. Just make sure you download the StarDict version, not the Kobo one, as StarDict is what KOReader uses.
It's also worth noting that KOReader won't de-DRM books for you, so it can't read the books you download from Kobo directly. Instead, you have to sideload them. This is easily doable via USB, though it's also supported by a lot of the self-hosted libraries out there (e.g. BookOrbit, Grimmory, Kavita). I personally use BookFusion which is paid, closed-source, and not self-hosted, but it still works great. Only downside is that browsing my library isn't done natively via KOReader but via a pop-up from a menu option, but I honestly don't really browse my library on an ereader much anyway and instead simply use it for reading.
For that, KOReader works flawlessly, and the plugin keeps everything synced so I can pick up a book right where I left off on any device.
I'm excited that I resurrected my two old ereaders, because now with three total, each one can live in its own specific place around my house where I'm likely to read (couch, desk, bed). This is going to sound super lazy of me, but I'm genuinely going to get more reading done because there are times that I'll park it someplace intending to read, realize I don't have my ereader with me, and just like, do something else instead rather than getting up and grabbing it.
Also, sometimes my dog parks it on top of/beside me before my lack-of-ereader realization occurs, and I can't ask him to move -- not when he's already so cozy and comfortable. So, having a device already chilling in the places I spend my time will be a nice quality of life improvement.
Anyway, if anyone else uses KOReader, I'd love to hear your experiences as well as any tips and tricks. I'm only just dipping my toe in the water right now, but the KOReader lake clearly goes much, much deeper. I'm also curious as to how it fares on a Kindle versus a Kobo, since I know Amazon locks those down a lot more.
I love the dictionary functionality, as well as the ability to sync via OPDS content server.
My Kobo is older (but not that old, a Libra H20 (2?)), and I hated having to transfer epubs to it by plugging it in to my computer.
I like buying books through humble bundles (bc I am a voracious reader so getting lots of books at nice is once) so I always had to side load those. Also from bookshop.org so I can support local bookstores even though I buy a lot of epubs.
What dictionary do you use? I have had trouble getting any to work, when I try downloading the ones I want, it always tells me to check I'm online (I am, I promise). I think it let me download some etymology dictionary, which is interesting, but I just want definitions, maaan
I ran into the exact same issue with it telling me I'm not online, so I sideloaded one.
I downloaded the StarDict version of this dictionary. It looks like it's behind a paywall, but that's only for translation dictionaries -- single language ones are free.
Unzip it, then drop it in
data\dict\under the KOReader base folder.Unmount the ereader, KOReader will restart, and the dictionary should be good to go (I didn't have to change any settings -- it just worked automatically).
Ah, nice one, I'll do that. Thanks a lot!!
I have the GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English installed, but I don’t remember the process I went through to install it
I switched my Pocketbook to Koreader after the official reader app on it stopped justifying my books, something that I care a great deal about.
I haven't done anything that amounts to a trick, but I did notice that some of the default settings aren't the greatest. I haven't quite figured out what all the typography settings mean, like there's a zoom setting that I think you should set to match the DPI of your e-reader screen. I think those settings appear when you tap the lower quarter of your screen or so.
Also tapping the progress bar at the bottom is gonna make it cycle through different info tidbits on the bottom left like how many pages are left till chapter end or how much time it estimates you're gonna need to finish, etc. It's difficult to tell what is interactable and what isn't but in Koreader nearly everything is.
I have cycled through the little info tidbits (which show up on the bottom right for me, but hey ho) and still only understand about half of them. Little arc arrow, straight arrow with a line, WHAT ARE YOU???
Edit: I did another bout of searching, but even locating the relevant section of the "User Guide" is frustratingly mysterious. https://koreader.rocks/user_guide/#L2-statusbar doesn't just have a list of the icons and their meanings! I love koreader and wouldn't go back to my stock kindle software, but my goodness, I find it so obscure to use sometimes.
Open a book, then tap the top of the screen.
Click the
⚙️, then clickStatus Bar > Status Bar ItemsThis will show you a toggleable list of all the different things available for the status bar alongside their icons.
If you go to
Status Bar > Configure Items, there's an option forShow all selected items at oncewhich I really like. This will show all of the ones you toggle on at the same time.If you want to rearrange them, go to
Status Bar > Configure items > Arrange items in status barThis is brilliant, thank you very much!!!!
Can I ask - what do you like about KOReader? What makes it worth going through all the work to get it installed and set up instead of just using the default kobo?
I have a kobo and have never had any real complaints with the interface but now I’m wondering if it’s just all I’ve ever known…?
If you're in the Kobo ecosystem and happy with it, then KOReader doesn't really have anything to offer. In fact, unless you've already de-DRMed your library, it won't do anything but add friction.
Personally, I never liked the fact that my DRM-free ebooks from places like Project Gutenberg and Humble Bundle weren't ever going to be integrated in my library the same way as stuff I'd bought through Kobo. I also read on a variety of different devices in different settings, so cloud syncing them was essential for me, but Kobo will only do that for the books they sell.
As such, as my library grew, and I got more and more books from places other than Kobo, I ended up seeking out a platform (the aforementioned BookFusion) that let me upload all of my books and have them live under one roof with equal treatment.
The main downside to doing this was that I couldn't access BookFusion on my Kobo devices directly. KOReader is what lets me do that now. It's "worth it" in the sense that I swapped out the Kobo ecosystem for BookFusion.
So, its utility is really only for people who manage their own library of books.
Ironically, I still buy a lot of books through Kobo, so my workflow now looks like:
Buy book from Kobo > de-DRM it > upload it to BookFusion > download it back to my Kobo through KOReader. Full circle!
Roundabout and complicated? Yes. Worth it because I can do that just as easily for a book I bought as one I got off of Standard Ebooks? Absolutely. The special sauce is having my ENTIRE library under one roof getting all the perks and features, rather than only some of the books.
I should also add that, with any bring-your-own-media setup like KOReader, there's a huge but mostly unspoken understory that the service is usually excellent for people who pirate their media. Something like BookFusion/KOReader will never advertise this, and a lot of the people who do use it that way won't necessarily say that openly, but it's the truth of the matter. I think that's a big thing that makes it "worth it" for a lot of people as well.
I'm not saying this as a wink-wink-nudge-nudge "I'm actually a pirate" endorsement, by the way. In fact, I'm doing this on hard mode by insisting on actually buying books I could more quickly and easily download for free.
(not the original commenter but) Great explanation, and the cloud syncing of non-Kobo books is definitely an advantage in your case.
As someone who both buys and pirates a large amount of books, I'm curious what you mean by integration here exactly. I use a Kobo with standard software, and adding DRM-free books to it make them appear as part of my library in essentially the same way as purchased books. If you convert them to Kobo EPUBs (with tools like Kepubify or Calibre which should convert them on the fly when transferring) they will have the additional features like time tracking and adaptive page counts.
The last time I tried it (admittedly quite a long time ago) it kept any side-loaded books separate. They also were on that device only, and what I really wanted was to be able to seamlessly switch between devices, as I read frequently via my phone and the web reader as well.
There were also some other issues, like me wanting comics support (especially CBZ files) and a lot of my AZW3 files getting problems when converted (prior to jumping to Kobo I’d amassed a sizable library from Kindle that I brought with me as well).
Thanks for the reply. I think they must have changed something since you tried, as my side-loaded books display alongside my purchased books and have for as long as I can remember, but I only began using a Kobo a few years ago.
You're right that they don't cloud sync. I can't comment much on comic support, as I read digital comics on a tablet rather than an ereader. I've downloaded a manga volume purchased through Kobo on my device before and support seemed ok, but that would be a KEPUB rather than a CBZ. Slow navigation and poor scaling as one might expect on an ereader.
Our interest is piqued by KOReader again because of CBZ manga -- calibre can convert that to KEPUB... But not needing to do that would also be cool. We're happy with the manga experience on the color model, scales and runs pleasantly for us, eink is a big draw vs tablets.
For me, KOReader is part of the toolbox that lets me fully own my ebooks.
I moved away from Amazon when they announced they'd be removing the ability to download your ebooks a year or two ago. I didn't want Amazon to be able to take away my books at their whim so I downloaded my library, put it in Calibre, and now use KOReader to access it.
You can actually use Calibre with a plain Kobo but I like the ability to sync progress and reading statistics between my phone and my ereader and that's something that only KOReader does decently right now with a library you fully own.
This is exactly what made me finally deal with the hassle of jailbreaking it. I won't buy another kindle, but as long as the one I have still works, this is the better solution. I'll probably make sure I buy a koreader-compatible reader in the future, just to avoid having to learn another system now.
For me it’s the little things: more control over gestures and hot corners, the calendar of how long you spent reading which book on which days, the projection on when (date) you’ll likely finish the book, turning pages by touching the bottom corners, the text layout engine (although the native kobo one is already pretty good when compared to kindle), the ability to add custom fonts.
And biggest of all, the setting to give it your location in the world and it’ll auto invert the display after dusk until dawn (and adjust the backlight temp gradually) automatically. I set my brightness to 1 at night but the white page background still bothered me so having a black page with white text at night is my favourite function.
It does take a while to navigate and understand the awkward and confusing menus to set it the way you like. But once you have it really does make the device so much better.
The main reason I use KOReader is because I have a lot of books I’ve bought from Humble bundle (e.g. Scalzi’s sci fi bundle), and it lets me sync all of my books to it using Calibre’s OPDS content server.
Also, I read a very large web serial (chapters of 40k+ words), so when they post I convert the posts to ePubs & then sync them to my Kobo the same way.
Also some slightly different UI options from the native kobo experience. I regularly use the “long press on a word to get a dictionary definition” which is handy bc I read books by authors that use esoteric descriptive words.
Edit: It also just adds a menu option to launch into it, so any Kobo epubs I can still read using the native Kobo interface (though I personally still use KoReader for those bc it is a bit faster at turning pages).
Not that big a deal but I've noticed that often the Kobo and Kindle native readers don't render any
codeorpreelements in a fixed width font - KOReader does. Quite handy when reading programming books sold by Humble Bundle.I'd like to add that koreader isn't just custom software for e-readers but also available as android app. Which makes it great for other devices as well like my supernote nomad. Which is an e-ink writing tablet mostly with somewhat limited ebook functionality, installing koreader made it a fullblown e-reader as well for me.
This could not come at a more relevant time for me! I've been getting back into using an ereader and using KOReader. I have a jailbroken kindle paperwhite that's ~10 years old now that I intended to use KOReader on but I never really got used to the interface.
It's taken a fair bit of work, but I finally have a setup I can enjoy using. I set up calibre web automated so I can just drag and drop books into it to convert them and then download them from KOReader later. I know it's silly, but actually having to go grab the device and a micro usb cable was just enough friction to make me not bother. This way I just add books to calibre whenever I find one of interest, and then can browse that library from the ereader.
I'll have to take a look at that SimpleUI plugin, as that's still a minor pain point. At the end of the day, though, it's not like I'm looking at the UI while reading, so it doesn't matter too much.
Calibre web automated looks amazing, I think I'll have to switch over to it. I have basic Calibre web set up, which serves up an OPDS (I had to check that!) library, which I can download by a (slightly clunky) search process on my kindle with koreader. It's amazing, the cable friction absolutely was too much for me. But now whenever I'm away from my home, I have to live with my old, caveman-style kindle with no access to my whole library.
I like that it can be installed on the cheapest PocketBook devices, and it's super easy too (literally just drag the file into the correct folder through USB). Pocketbooks are as cheap as the cheapest Kindles, except they're not locked in any way and you don't need a user account either, just copy the files on the device and read. Their own reading application is just a tiny bit slow, which is solved by KOReader.
The default is admittedly kinda ugly, but I was able to change mine to something I'm happy with.
Have you played around with the settings? They can be hard to find. Tap the bottom menu section to pull up the text options. From there you'll see sub menus to change margins, font settings, spacing, etc.
For some reason, changing the actual font itself is separate from that in the top menu. Tap at the top of your screen, then go to the tab that looks like a page with lines on it. Underneath that you should see an option to change the font itself to something different.
There are only a few built-in ones, but you can also add your own. The only thing I miss about my old Kindle is Bookerly, so I might add that to mine.
EDIT: Found a reddit survey for preferred fonts. I’m going to try some of these out.
Added a bunch of fonts to KOReader, and I don't want to sound like I'm just following the crowd, but Bookerly and Atkinson Hyperlegible Next are the clear standouts for me.
I can't exactly explain why, but Bookerly just looks really nice. It feels super comfortable to have on the screen. Meanwhile, AHN is super clean and modern looking. Not sure which one will be my "main" font, but I'll have to read a bit with each to see how they hold up over an extended period.
I also found this collection of free fonts for ereaders made by someone who very clearly cares about fonts (which is exactly the kind of person I want curating a collection). I haven't gone through all of them (there's a lot), but I did install them and plan to dabble.
You should look up the Koreader docs. The book text is insanely customisable, so you can really dial in your preferences.
I love KOReader. I run it landscape, two columns -- super nice on my Libra H2O (~8"?) Apologies to the brits, but imgbb isnt working (typical) -- https://i.imgur.com/tydIUvs.jpeg
I knew I could cycle between different options on the status bar at the bottom by tapping it, but it wasn't until I saw your screenshot that I realized I could have multiple ones show up at once.
Thanks for the unintended tip!
that’s a good trade for leaning about the bigger plugins then :)