A developer successfully ran Rust and the Slint UI toolkit on a jailbroken 7th generation Kindle Paperwhite, enabling new functionalities like a nightstand clock, according to sverre.me. The project began with adapting an existing clock application before expanding to Rust, aiming to create a smart device dashboard.
The developer first jailbroke the Kindle Paperwhite to bypass Amazon’s restrictions and repurpose the device. After modifying a clock project, they explored running Rust on the Kindle, which required cross-compiling Rust code for the ARMv7 architecture with musl libc. The developer leveraged existing cross-compilation tools to overcome the Kindle’s low-powered hardware limitations, drawing on prior experience with Rust on ARM devices.
This effort highlights the potential to repurpose e-readers like the Kindle beyond their original use, opening opportunities for low-cost, low-power smart device interfaces. The use of Rust, known for safety and performance, combined with Slint’s UI capabilities, could inspire similar projects in the maker and smart home communities. It also reflects a broader trend of extending consumer devices through software modifications.
The developer plans to continue refining the dashboard concept, possibly integrating it with Home Assistant and other smart home technologies. Further updates on the project’s progress and additional features are expected as the developer experiments with new use cases for the jailbroken Kindle platform, according to sverre.me.