cliophate.wtf

My (rooted) Boox Palma Setup

I’ve been tweaking my Boox Palma setup to make the reading experience smoother and due to popular demand (I got a lot of emails) I decided to share the setup that’s been working for me. This covers Readwise, KOReader, and Calibre, plus some general Boox system settings.


Readwise Reader tweaks for e-ink

Readwise Reader has a few settings that make reading on an e-ink device much better. Unfortunately, some of these settings sync across devices, so if you also use Readwise on your phone, the changes might affect it there too.

  1. Font – Select Literata (I don't remember, if Readwise Reader ships this font by default, but we need it later, so download it from Google Fonts and load it via BooxDrop, ADP or however else you get files onto your device).
  2. Font Size – I set mine to 18.
  3. Line Spacing – 1.2 works well, though I don’t recall if that’s the default.
  4. Paged Scroll (Beta) – Turn this on if you prefer paged scrolling over continuous.
  5. Page Animations – Reduce them under More Style Options for a smoother experience.
  6. Default Paged Scrolling for EPUBs – Make sure this is enabled.

Boox OS settings

In the Boox OS style option thingy:

  • Dark Color Enhancement – Set to 70.
  • Refresh Mode – I use Balanced everywhere except KOReader (where I use HD).
  • Optimize Settings – Turn on Eliminate Font Aliasing.
  • Color Tab > Other Colors – Max out the icon color. I heard this improves clarity, though I haven’t tested it extensively.
  • Other Settings > Custom Side Buttons – Set them to Scrolling for easier navigation.

KOreader + Readwise + Calibre integration

KOReader integrates well with Readwise for highlights, but it takes some setup.

In KOReader:

  1. Tap the Tools Icon.
  2. Go to Export Highlights.
  3. Choose Formats and Service – add Readwise here.

If you use Calibre, you can streamline access to your library via OPDS:

  1. In Calibre (desktop), enable the Content Server – this is OPDS.
  2. Either turn it on manually when running Calibre or set it up on a home server.
  3. I opted for Calibre Web via Pikapod for 24/7 access. (Calibre Web is a fork of Calibre, essentially the same but web-accessible).

Now, in KOReader:

  1. Library View – Tap the magnifying glass.
  2. Choose OPDS Catalog.
  3. Add your Calibre Web settings.

Now, you can download books onto KOReader directly without cables.


KOreader customization tips

KOReader is powerful but a pain to set up initially. You’ll need to poke around the menus and fine-tune things manually.

  1. Open any book and tap the bottom of the screen to adjust reading options.
  2. Tap the top of the screen for additional settings.
  3. After customizing the bottom menu, save your preferences:
    Top Menu > Document Icon > Document Settings > Save Document Settings to Default.

To apply it to a new book, use the Reset option.

My KOreader settings:

  • Margins – 5 (L/R), 7 (Top), 6 (Bottom).
  • Page Settings – Page, Book, 96, 8.
  • Font – 28, Medium.
  • Contrast – 3, 0, Auto, Best.
  • Gear Icon – Off, On, Fast.
  • Best Font – Still Literata.

Other changes

I switched to the Niagara Launcher as my default. It’s simple and easy to navigate. I wish this existed on iOS.

I also rooted my Boox device using this guide. The guide isn’t fully updated for the Boox Palma. Some steps are not well documented. For example, to get the boot.img from the payload.bin, you need this tool. If you’re interested, email me and I can write a Palma-specific walkthrough.

The main reason for rooting? I installed AFWall+ to block Boox from phoning home. I don’t know if their constant requests are harmless, but I’m a nerd, and I like having control over these things. Until proven guilty, I assume they’re innocent – but better safe than sorry.

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