Your e-ink reader becomes a small writing studio: write novels with Artificial Intelligence, read, play gamebooks and chat with friends, on a screen that is easy on the eyes and far from phone notifications. On every reader you get:
All you need is a Wi-Fi connection and an account on ciaonovel.com.
CiaoNovel on the e-ink reader is not available in this language: on the reader you can use it in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Catalan or Portuguese.
Install the CrossPoint firmware with CiaoNovel on your Xteink reader. Before installing, this page saves a full copy of the reader as it is now to your computer: if you ever want to go back, just restore it.
All CrossPoint features are still there, plus:
You can keep using your Xteink as before, through CrossPoint.
You need a computer with Chrome or Edge (it doesn’t work with Safari, Firefox, phones or tablets) and a USB-C cable that carries data. The reader must be on and unlocked. Books on the SD card are not touched.
This browser can’t connect to the reader. Open this page with Chrome or Edge on a computer.
Beta versions are still in development and may contain bugs.
Before installing, the page automatically saves a full copy of the reader to your computer (16 MB, about a minute): keep it, you need it to put the reader back the way it was.
Choose the backup file saved from this page: the reader goes back exactly as it was.
Want to go back to the official CrossPoint, without CiaoNovel? First, on this page, choose the backup file below and press “Restore from backup”: the reader goes back to how it was before the installation. Only then, if you like, install CrossPoint from its official website. If you skip this step, the CrossPoint website might fail to install it, because CiaoNovel divides the reader’s memory differently.
CrossPoint Reader and FreeInk SDK are distributed under the MIT license, and so are our changes. The firmware also contains wolfSSL (GPL-2.0) and other libraries under their own licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0, LGPL-2.1, fonts under the SIL Open Font License): the full list is in the NOTICE-CiaoNovel.md file inside the source code. The firmware as a whole is distributed under the GPL-2.0 license, and you can download its complete source code here.
The firmware is provided “as is”, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including those of operation, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from defects. You install and use it at your own risk: to the extent permitted by law, CiaoNovel is not liable for damage to the reader, loss of data, malfunctions or any other consequences arising from installing, restoring or using the firmware. Installing unofficial firmware may void the manufacturer’s warranty. CiaoNovel is not affiliated with Xteink or the CrossPoint project; the names and trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners.
It is KOReader, the free reading app, with CiaoNovel already inside. It installs alongside the reader’s own system, without touching your books or a KOReader you already have. Compared with the Xteink version:
To install apps on a Kindle you first have to unlock it (jailbreak). The jailbreak is not CiaoNovel’s work and we cannot help you with it: it is explained by KindleModding, an independent project, with the method that suits your model and its software version. Until then, don’t update the Kindle: an update can make the jailbreak impossible.
Open the KindleModding page below, choose your Kindle and follow the method it gives you all the way through, including the part about KOReader. KOReader is installed by typing ;kpm install koreader in the Kindle search bar and pressing Enter. If KOReader is already installed with KPM, go to step 2.
Find the jailbreak for your Kindle on KindleModding
Open KOReader and tap the top of the screen to show the menu. Tap the icon with the wrench and screwdriver, go to the second page and choose “More tools” → “Terminal emulator” → “Open terminal session”.
With the Kindle connected to Wi-Fi, type this command and press Enter. The download takes a few minutes: at the end you will see “Installed 1 package(s) successfully”.
curl -sL ciaonovel.com/k|shIf it doesn’t work, type these three commands, one at a time, pressing Enter and waiting for each to finish:
/var/local/kmc/bin/kpm add-repo https://ciaonovel.com/kpm/manifest.v2.json
/var/local/kmc/bin/kpm update
/var/local/kmc/bin/kpm -y install ciaonovelExit KOReader: tap the top of the screen, then the ☰ icon (the last one on the right), “Exit” and “Exit” again. In the Kindle library, wait patiently for the “CiaoNovel” book to appear: it can take a few minutes (if it doesn’t appear, restart the Kindle). Tap it and the CiaoNovel home screen opens.
In CiaoNovel tap the top of the screen, then ☰ → “CiaoNovel” → “CiaoNovel account” → “Link account”, and scan the QR code with your phone.
On Kindles with Special Offers (ads), the sleep screen stays Amazon’s.
To update CiaoNovel, type these commands in the Kindle search bar, one at a time, pressing Enter:
;kpm update
;kpm upgradeTo remove CiaoNovel from the Kindle, type this in the search bar and press Enter:
;kpm uninstall ciaonovelIt is KOReader, the free reading app, with CiaoNovel already inside. It installs alongside the reader’s own system, without touching your books or a KOReader you already have. Compared with the Xteink version:
Beta version: it has not been tested on a Kobo yet.
Download it to your computer and extract the zip. It contains CiaoNovel and KFMon, the program that opens it from the Kobo library.
Connect the Kobo to the computer with the USB cable and confirm the connection on the Kobo. Then, from the extracted zip, copy to the Kobo:
Never replace the Kobo’s .kobo folder: it holds your library. Folders starting with a dot are hidden; on a Mac, the Finder shows them when you press Cmd+Shift+period.
Eject the Kobo and unplug it from the computer. The Kobo installs KFMon by itself and restarts: you don’t have to do anything. After the restart, the “CiaoNovel” image appears in the library: tap it and the CiaoNovel home screen opens.
In CiaoNovel tap the top of the screen, then ☰ → “CiaoNovel” → “CiaoNovel account” → “Link account”, and scan the QR code with your phone.
Connect the Kobo to the computer and delete the .adds/ciaonovel folder, the ciaonovel.png file and the .adds/kfmon/config/ciaonovel.ini file.
CiaoNovel for Kindle and Kobo is provided “as is”, without warranties of any kind. Unlocking the reader and installing unofficial software is at your own risk: it may void the warranty, and a mistake can brick the reader or erase its contents. CiaoNovel is not liable for damage, data loss or malfunctions, nor for the jailbreak and third-party guides: back up your books before you start.
CiaoNovel is not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon, Rakuten Kobo, KOReader or KindleModding. Kindle is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc.; Kobo is a trademark of Rakuten Kobo Inc.
CiaoNovel for Kindle and Kobo is based on KOReader (AGPL-3.0 licence) and is distributed under the same licence; the Kobo package also contains KFMon by NiLuJe (GPL-3.0).