Newbies Guide To Kindle Development
Contents |
[edit] First, a Word of Caution
If you are new to linux and to Kindle development and Kindle hacks, then PLEASE do NOT do random stuff in developer mode.
And do NOT press random keys in diagnostics mode.
But above all else, please behave responsibly with this new power that you are about to receive.
Thank you.
[edit] Welcome!
We need to consolidate old and new information scattered deeply throughout the MobileRead forums, which is necessary knowledge needed by beginning kindle developers, who may have little or no linux knowledge and may have never heard of bash. We need to put this information in a clean and easy to read format into this wiki.
It should be much more general than typical answers to questions posted in the forums, and it should target beginners as its primary audience. Complex details should be avoided. Being a guide, it should have simplified explanations, with pointers to other places to go to read more about a subject to gain a deeper understanding.
It also needs an easy to read style, so important information does not get lost in a flood of details.
Please feel free to add to this new wiki. Do not be angry if we move or change the information that you provide in order to consolidate it with other similar information.
Please help, and please enjoy!
Thanks.
[edit] Note to Developers
Please keep adding SIMPLE information to this "newbies guide", with links to the more advanced detail pages that you are creating.
This newbies guide should say that the Kindle runs linux, and mention differences between signed kindlet hacks and native apps, and perhaps mention optware using ipkg, and the bigger debian repository using apt-get.
But we need to start with basics such as what to type at an SSH command line prompt. Many newbies only have GUI experience these days, and we need to give them some linux command-line basics before they proceed.
This guide is for all kindles and not all can take advantage of touch features like the GUI launcher. But we certainly DO want the GUI launcher in there too.
This is just an entry point for beginners into the larger Kindle Developer "Scene", to give them enough knowledge so they can ask intelligent questions and understand the replies. I (and others) have spent too much time giving answers that are not followed or not understood.
So, keep up the great work guys, and add simple intros and links for your other detailed pages to the newbies guide.
Also, pages linked FROM the newbies guide should probably start with an intro, which says "if the following information is too technical for you, please read the Newbies Guide to Kindle Development first", and follow that with a link back to this Newbies Guide wiki page.
We have a recent influx of people with kindle christmas presents that want to do stuff they see people doing on androids and ipads. We do not want to mislead them into bricking their new toys with their lack of knowledge.
Thanks guys (and welcome aboard, all of you new kindle owners who wish to expand the capabilities of your new kindle devices)!
[edit] First Steps for Beginners:
First of all, you'll need root access to your Amazon Kindle device. See Kindle Touch Hacking, or Kindle4NTHacking to get it.
[edit] Where Do I Go From Here?
The MobileRead Kindle Developer's Corner is where the action is: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=150
There are other related websites too. Hopefully, Google can help you find some good stuff out there.
