Ubuntu 9.04 On Kindle 2

kindle2

[digg=http://digg.com/linux_unix/Ubuntu_Jaunty_on_Amazon_s_Kindle_2]Having read books on a Palm device for years we were excited when Amazon came up with the Kindle. Our problem is that if you’re going to carry around a portable device it should do a whole lot more than just display text from a few books. [Jesse Vincent] managed to get Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope running on the Kindle 2. This opens up endless possibilities to run whatever you want on this hardware.

The new functionality was presented in a talk at OSCON 2009. Be warned, [Jesse] has a very high geeky-hacker level. Make sure you have a tech dictionary and Google at the ready when you watch the video embedded after the break. His talk starts at about two minutes in and runs for five minutes total.[blip.tv ?posts_id=2411095&dest=-1]

[via Gizmodo]

36 thoughts on “Ubuntu 9.04 On Kindle 2

  1. Dosn’t the Ubuntu 9.04 include the 2.6.29 release of the Linux OS?

    Well, Linux OS running on Kindle is something nice.

    And if you can use it for notes, remote server queries and checks it would be awesome!

  2. “I tarred up a copy of Ubuntu… I typed chroot, and I have a working Ubuntu on my kindle! But x requires a TTY, for no good reason. So I added a couple of return one statements, and x works fine!” [gets biggest audience reaction of entire talk]

    This is comparable to:

    “Unless you have a DIS, you can usually
    fix hesitation by moving the timing so it’s not as far retarded.”

    If you don’t comprehend those terms you shouldn’t be using a car.

  3. @tommy.s: actually, Kindle’s platform is Linux. He didn’t “install” Linux in it, he just used the running Linux installation to run some software included with Ubuntu, like Xorg.

  4. It is really a shame that a hackaday.com editor thought this was an overly complex explanation. Why not assign stories to staff members that have relevant knowledge in that field?

    It seems like at least once a week something is put up here that the staff member simply didn’t understand, or at least misjudged. Kind of embarrassing considering that technical articles are basically what this site is about.

  5. The most interesting use of this, to me, would be SSH through the wireless service. If Amazon allows those packets to get through, then I could do a lot of my work from a Kindle wherever I went. I suspect they’ll not allow this, blaming bandwidth issues. But a day’s worth of SSH would amount to fewer packets than a single web page with graphics. Really, if Amazon just included that single app, I’d buy a Kindle right now.

  6. I don’t think anything “stops” PDFs from going on the Kindle. I didn’t detect an invisible shield popping up over my Kindle — I can put anything on it, basically. PDF’s won’t WORK on the Kindle, because there’s no PDF reader on it, but to say DRM stops PDFs from going on the Kindle is a bit too incoherent for me.

  7. the wifi you speek of is actualy using the 3g mobile network and the new kindle speeks of being able to load simple webpages and having net access i beleave it has access to face book

  8. @Yrb the terms he uses makes no sense for people who have no expertise within the following two areas: electronics/linux – so i suggest crocheting a brain (if you get that one :) ) or at least a little moral sense.

    I advise everyone to watch not just the kindle part but the entire video, it’s quite interesting.

    And yes it’s a flash embed and no i can’t see why there should be anything wrong with it :)

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