Kindle Network Dashboard

Turn a jailbroken Kindle into a quiet, USB-free e-ink status board for core home infrastructure. A Linux host probes up to six important devices, renders a native monochrome dashboard, and pushes the same small PNG to the Kindle over key-only Wi-Fi SSH every few minutes.

The project was built around a Kindle Paperwhite 2 (758x1024), but the transport and renderer are simple enough to adapt for other FBInk-supported Kindles.

Features

• Six large core-infrastructure status cards
• Configurable names, IP addresses and update interval
• One missed check immediately displays DOWN
• Atomic image replacement; no storage growth over time
• Wi-Fi SSH with a dedicated key; USB remains available for normal use
• KUAL actions for display, awake mode and normal sleep
• Reversible installation that does not modify books or other extensions

Requirements

• Jailbroken Kindle with KUAL, MRPI, USBNetwork and FBInk
• Linux monitoring host with Python 3, nmap, OpenSSH client and DejaVu fonts
• Python package: Pillow

USBNetwork packages and device-specific installation guidance are maintained in the MobileRead Kindle Developer's Corner. Always select the installer matching your Kindle model.

Quick start

1. Install host dependencies (Debian/Ubuntu example):

   sudo apt install nmap python3-pil fonts-dejavu-core openssh-client

2. Create a dedicated SSH key:

   ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/kindle_dashboard_ed25519

3. Put its public key in /mnt/us/usbnet/etc/authorized_keys, then configure USBNetwork for Wi-Fi-only SSH using the settings in docs/SECURITY.md. Reserve the Kindle's Wi-Fi address in DHCP if possible.

4. Install the Kindle extension:

   ./scripts/install-kindle-extension.sh KINDLE_IP ~/.ssh/kindle_dashboard_ed25519

5. Create your private configuration:

   cp config.example.json config.json
   $EDITOR config.json

6. Test rendering without contacting the network or Kindle:

   ./monitor.py --config config.example.json --demo --no-push

7. Run one live update:

   ./monitor.py

For continuous operation, copy systemd/kindle-dashboard.service.example to ~/.config/systemd/user/kindle-dashboard.service, replace /path/to/kindle-dashboard, then run:

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now kindle-dashboard.service

Configuration

Only devices with "core": true are probed and shown. The renderer supports at most six cards in its native PW2 layout. config.json, generated state and SSH material are ignored by Git.

See architecture, security, and uninstall instructions.

License

MIT