Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Monday, 10-Mar-2025 22:15:10 JST SuperDicq

   • jae
   • benthor

   @jae@fsebugoutzone.org @benthor@chaos.social Does not exist. All ebook reading devices stink of proprietary crap, usually even worse than smartphones.
   
   If you really want to read with e-ink I recommend just simply buying just an e-ink display and connecting it to your pc or laptop (or maybe a small single board computer?)

   • Embed this notice
     SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Tuesday, 11-Mar-2025 04:27:59 JST SuperDicq

     in reply to

     • Bitals
     • jae
     • benthor

     @bitals@fediverse.bitals.xyz @benthor@chaos.social @jae@fsebugoutzone.org Not entirely free software as it contains some proprietary blobs, but still much better than an Amazon Swindle.

   • Embed this notice
     Bitals (bitals@fediverse.bitals.xyz)'s status on Tuesday, 11-Mar-2025 04:28:01 JST Bitals

     in reply to

     • jae
     • benthor

     @SuperDicq @benthor @jae
     My Pinenote disagrees.

   • Embed this notice
     SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Tuesday, 11-Mar-2025 06:51:44 JST SuperDicq

     in reply to

     • Bitals
     • jae
     • benthor

     @bitals@fediverse.bitals.xyz @benthor@chaos.social @jae@fsebugoutzone.org Haven't looked into it but I am willing to bet the bootloader and stuff like modem firmware is probably proprietary like most Pine devices unfortunately.

   • Embed this notice
     Bitals (bitals@fediverse.bitals.xyz)'s status on Tuesday, 11-Mar-2025 06:51:46 JST Bitals

     in reply to

     • jae
     • benthor

     @SuperDicq @benthor @jae
     As far as I looked into it, either only or the majority of the "blobs" are the waveforms for the screen. And they are not even code, not executed, so I can live with them being present on a separate partition for the FOSS driver to look at.
     Anyway after a year thousands of km away from my paper book closet, the withdrawal was too close to killing me. This is the most free one for the foreseeable future, as no e-ink manufacturer shares their waveforms.

   • Embed this notice
     翠星石 (suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Mar-2025 19:46:51 JST 翠星石

     in reply to

     • Bitals
     • jae
     • benthor
     @SuperDicq @benthor @bitals @jae The pinenote contains a 802.11ac card that runs proprietary software and I figure the bluetooth card is integrated into the same chip, but requires another proprietary program.
     
     The pinenote also uses LPDDR4 and the only systems I know that have free software DDR4 RAMinit are the Talos II ones.
     
     e-ink waveforms can have software appended, but in many cases they don't and they may not even qualify for copyright, as a waveform is a mathematical table tailored for a specific screen (and only one table will do really) - although it'll be better if the waveform format was documented.
     
     Manufacturers know this, which is why they demand a NDA is signed (to betray humanity by not sharing the waveform), before they'll provide the waveform needed to use the screen.
   • Embed this notice
     jae (jae@fsebugoutzone.org)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Mar-2025 22:49:15 JST jae

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     • Bitals
     • benthor
     @SuperDicq @benthor @Suiseiseki @bitals
     
     > way to do this is by getting an e-ink display and connecting it to your computer.
     
     considering i don't read much beyond sitting in my comfy chair, this might work. now to find an e-ink display :-)
     ✙ dcc :pedomustdie: :phear_slackware: likes this.
   • Embed this notice
     SuperDicq (superdicq@minidisc.tokyo)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Mar-2025 22:49:16 JST SuperDicq

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     • Bitals
     • jae
     • benthor

     @jae@fsebugoutzone.org @Suiseiseki@freesoftwareextremist.com @benthor@chaos.social @bitals@fediverse.bitals.xyz There is RYF certified ebook reader. The only FSF approved (and by proxy also rms approved) way to do this is by getting an e-ink display and connecting it to your computer.

   • Embed this notice
     jae (jae@fsebugoutzone.org)'s status on Wednesday, 12-Mar-2025 22:49:18 JST jae

     in reply to

     • 翠星石
     • Bitals
     • benthor
     @Suiseiseki @SuperDicq @benthor @bitals
     
     
     > pinenote
     
     so what rms-approved options does one have?