As we all know, Kindle only supports Amazon's own eBook format, such as kfx, azw3, azw, mobi, etc, but a lot of ebooks are epub format, and it is always a bad experience to read PDF on Kindle. Fortunately, there is a perfect tool to solve these two issues, that is KOReader. If you don't know it before, I highly recommend you to try it out.
Koreader is an open source application, it can help you read ePub, DjVu and CBZ format on Kindle. With the bulit in K2pdfopt, you can also reflow PDF pages on Kindle eReader, it is convenient than K2pdfopt Windows GUI or command line version since you can revise PDF in Kindle eReader at any time. It is rewritten from kindlepdfviewer, which is originally built by hawhill based on the mupdf source.
Koreader Key Features:
Supported document formats: PDF, DJVU, CBZ, FB2, TXT, HTML, RTF, CHM, MOBI, EPUB
Reflow PDF pages even scanned documents with bulit-in K2optopt.
Transfer highlights and notes to Evernote Cloud.
Table of Content:
1. The examples of reflowed PDF pages by Koreader.
2. How to Install Koreader on Kindle Paperwhite?
2.1 Jailbreak Kindle Paperwhite.
2.2 Install Kual or Kpvbooklet on Kindle Paperwhite.
2.3 Install Koreader on Kindle Paperwhite.
3. How to use Koreader on Kindle Paperwhite?
3.1 Use Koreader to read ePub and DjVu books.
3.2 Use Koreader to reflow PDF pages.
1. The examples of reflowed PDF pages by Koreader
Reflow PDF Pages with Multiple Columns:
Koreader is very good at reflowing pdf pages which has two or more cloumns, as the pictures shows, the images were remains in the same page, but the text is divided into two pages, so when you read it on Kindle, it will be more clear.
Reflow PDF Pages with Formula:
Koreader can also reflow PDF pages with formula, no matter it's is mathmatics or physics, chemistry, so it won't be a problem in the future when you want to read textbooks on Kindle eReader.
Reflow PDF Pages with Scanned Text:
There are a lot of scanned PDF file on the internet, it is always annoying to read them on Kindle, even on tablet it also has a bad performance (of course, better than Kindle eReader). But with Koreader, you can rearrange PDF pages frequently until you get a good result.
There are many powerful options to reflow PDF pages, and If you want to reflow pdf pages on Computer, read this post "K2pdfopt - The Beginner's Guide of Window GUI".
2. How to Install Koreader on Kindle Paperwhite
Step 1: Jailbreak Kindle eReader
Before install Koreader on Kindle, we need to jailbreak kindle paperwhite or Voyage first. At this moment, we can jailbreak Kindle paperwhite with firmware version 5.6.5. In case you don't know how to do it, here is the guide about jailbreak Kindle paperwhite, it also works on Kindle Voyage, but make sure your firmware version is 5.6.5.
Note: You must jailbreak Kindle to install Koreader. Don't worry, after jailbreak it, you can use the native operation system either. Koreader is an application and just like you install an app on your iPhone or Android Smartphone.
Step 2: Install an application launcher on Kindle.
Before we install Koreader, we need to install an application launcher, such as KUAL and Kpvbooklet. You can choose KUAL or Kpvbooklet according to your demands.
Install Kpvbooklet:
KPVBooklet is a Kindle booklet for starting KoReader and updating last access and percentage finished information in Kindle content catalog entry of the opened document. KPVBooklet is licensed under the MIT license.
Go to Kpvbooklet Github Page, and click Download zip to download the files.
After download it, uncompress the zip file, and copy "update_kpvbooklet_x.x.x_install.bin" file to your Kindle root directory. Then eject kindle from your computer.
Open your Kindle eReader and find "Update Device" option and click it. Normally the location is Home -> Menu (Three vertical dot) ->Settings -> Menu -> Update Your Kindle. And wait for restarting.
Install KUAL:
KUAL is also a Launcher application, in which anybody can plug into to provide new buttons and menus through extensions. Those buttons can run pretty much anything, and the backend is powerful enough to make menus dynamic, allowing developers to use KUAL as a configuration UI for their stuff.
It almost the same to install KUAL on Kindle, first go to this page on Mobileread and download the zip file, then uncompress it. Copy the file to your Kindle eReader.
Open your Kindle eReader and find "Update Device" option and click it. Normally it is Home -> Menu (Three vertical dot) ->Settings -> Menu -> Update Your Kindle. And wait for restarting.
Step 3: Install Koreader on Kindle Paperwhite.
Download Koreader on Github Page.
After download it, uncompress the zip file "?koreader-kindle-arm-linux-gnueabi-*.zip?", and copy these two files to your Kindle root directory. Then eject kindle from your computer.
The next step is open your Kindle eReader and tap update device options, no difference. When restart Kindle eReader, you can use Koreader now.
3. How to use Koreader on Kindle
There are many functions of Koreader, but the most useful functions are read ePub and reflow PDF pages. It's very easy to use, just follow the instruction, If you don't know how to use it, let me teach you step by step.
Open Epub and Djvn files with Koreader
Koreader is intergrated with native Kindle OS, when you transfer PDF? EPUB? DjVu? FB2? CHM and DOC files to Kindle, it will be opened as default by Koreader. And when the books formats are mobi, azw, azw3, it will be opened by native Kindle OS. Very convenient.
Use Koreader to Reflow PDF pages
When open a PDF file, tap the top area on screen will pop up a interactive menu, and tap the left area to read the former page, tap the right area to read the next page, it's just the same as native Kindle OS, tap the bottom area to set the options. You can turn on or off the reflow options, and set the documents language.
Koreader is very powerful, but it's not enough to optimize PDF only with default settings, we need to know more options to handle with different kinds of PDF files. Watch the pictures below, and you will find some advanced options. You can just tap the screen to choose the option to reflow PDF pages. The options include change font size and some other very useful options, auto-straighten, word spacing, set columns, etc.
Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: How to Update Koreader?
A: Download the lastest installer of Koreader, uncompress the zip file and copy them to Kindle root directory.
Q: How to uninstall Koreader on Kindle Paperwhite?
A: Delete the root directory of Koreader folder, and update your device. Also, delete "kpdf.sh" and "kpdf.ini" from the "launchpad" folder. Delete KPDFviewer... files from "kite" folder". You might want to scan the drive for files "*.kpdfview.lua", in which document specific settings got stored - and delete them too.
Q: If it still work when update the firmware version?
Kindle jailbreak will survive when updated to the last firmware, such as 5.7.3. But you need to reinstall KUAL and Koreader to use it again.
Ada Wang works for Epubor and writes articles for a collection of blogs such as ebookconverter.blogspot.com.
Does it work for the Kindle DX ?
If not, where can we find some similar way to read djvu files on the Kindle Dx ?
Thank you.
:)
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Thanks very useful and meticulous formatted.
Easy to understand than old fashioned wiki
hi epubor,
i have jail broken kindle 4th gen, model D01100, running firmware 4.1.1
i would love to use koreader on it, to reflow pdf's , to make them more readable.
do you know if the koreader sw runs on my kindle model?
much appreciated,TIA