Debian and Ubuntu-based distros
Packages for Debian and Ubuntu-based distros can be obtained by heading to the Releases page and finding the appropriate .deb for your architecture.
- From the Releases page, find the release version you would like to download (the latest stable one is a safe choice).
- Under the Assets section for the release, find the
.debpackage for your architecture. It will look something likekoreader-2023.08-amd64.deb. - If you are in doubt about your computers architecture, choose
amd64.
After downloading the .deb file, it can be installed either via a graphical application provided by your distro, or from the command line:
sudo apt install koreader-2023.08-amd64.deb
Arch Linux
Third-party packages are available for Arch Linux through the Arch User Repository (AUR).
KOReader is available through the AUR as both a regular binary package called koreader-bin, and an AppImage package called koreader-appimage.
Flatpak
Flatpak versions of KOReader are available on Flathub.
AppImage
Installation
Download the AppImage and make it executable with chmod +x koreader*.AppImage
Execute it with ./koreader*.AppImage
What is an AppImage?
Simply put, it's a portable app for Linux, which has been a long-standing request (#1417). After you download the file, you'll first need to allow it to run as a program. You can do so by right clicking in your file manager, choosing Properties → Permissions and checking the box that reads Allow this file to run as a program or something equivalent. If you prefer to use the terminal, run chmod +x koreader-appimage-x86_64-linux-gnu-v2015.11-1644-ge39ed90_2018-04-09.AppImage.
The AppImage is a release version of what we KOReader developers call “the emulator.” It has existed since all the way back in 2011 to ease the development process. You can drag and drop a file onto the window to open it, there's a titlebar that indicates the currently opened file, and a basic albeit imperfect form of window resizing.
Because the AppImage is built on top of the emulator, you can set default window sizes and DPI through the command line. EMULATE_READER_W=2000 EMULATE_READER_H=1500 EMULATE_READER_DPI=180 ./koreader-appimage-x86_64-linux-gnu-v2015.11-1644-ge39ed90_2018-04-09.AppImage. You could also try out other debugging aids such as EMULATE_READER_FLASH=100. There's also another more practical use besides just reading documents: you could use the AppImage to verify whether a bug is specific to your device or if it's inherent in the program.
Reading controls
Interaction with the KOReader GUI can be entirely handled using a mouse, and the function is the same as that of touch-native platforms. Additionally, KOReader implements keyboard shortcuts for navigating through pages of books, menu options, etc.
The desktop version of KOReader also implements game controller support (#3819). The control scheme is depicted below, and you can use it in the AppImage. It's currently equivalent to the functionality offered by the Kindle 4NT. It might sound slightly odd, but it's rather nice to just lean back with a gamepad while having some document on your screen.
| Gamepad button | Action | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Left stick & d-pad | Arrow keys (menu navigation) |
| 2 | Right stick | Page up & down |
| 3 | A button | Press/enter (also opens bottom reader menu) |
| 4 | B button | Escape/back |
| 5 | Left bumper | Page up |
| 6 | Right button | Page down |
| Start/Menu button (not shown) | Open menu |