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Ink Bible

Ink Bible is an open-source, distraction-free Bible e-reader firmware crafted specifically for the Xteink X3 (and compatible ESP32-C3 e-paper devices).

Designed from the ground up for focused Scripture reading and personal study on monochrome E-Ink displays, Ink Bible delivers instant navigation, crisp typography, and weeks of battery life on ultra-low-power hardware.

Key Features

  • Built for Scripture Reading: Fast chapter and passage navigation, smooth page caching, and reading progress tracking.
  • Deep Study Tools: Offline dictionary lookup (StarDict format) for quick cross-referencing and definitions.
  • Personal Annotations: Bookmark verses and key passages with on-device management.
  • Custom Typography: Embedded high-legibility fonts (Noto Serif, Noto Sans) plus support for custom fonts (.cpfont) loaded directly from the SD card.
  • Hardware-Tailored for Xteink X3:
    • Crisp monochrome rendering tuned for the 528×792 e-paper display.
    • Gyroscope tilt-to-turn-page support and customizable button mappings.
    • Efficient power management with deep sleep and instant resume.
  • Effortless Transfers:
    • WiFi Web Manager: Connect to the local web interface (http://inkbible.local/) over your home network or via the device's built-in Access Point to manage files wirelessly.
    • USB Mass Storage: Drag and drop texts directly over USB.

SD Card Setup

Ink Bible uses a standard FAT32 micro SD card for books, dictionaries, fonts, and cached data:

SD Card Root/
├── .inkbible/           # System directory (settings, state, bookmarks, caches)
│   ├── settings.json    # Device preferences
│   ├── state.json       # Resume position & runtime state
│   ├── recent.json      # Reading history
│   └── bookmarks/       # Saved bookmarks
├── books/               # Place your Bibles and reading materials here
├── dict/                # StarDict offline dictionary files (.dict.dz, .idx)
└── fonts/               # Custom .cpfont files organized by family folder

Installation & Flashing

1. Web Flasher / Pre-built Binaries

  1. Connect your Xteink X3 to your computer via USB-C.
  2. Download firmware.bin from the latest release.
  3. Flash the binary to flash address 0x10000 using your preferred ESP32 web flasher or CLI tool.

2. Command Line (esptool.py)

Install esptool:

pip install esptool

Flash the firmware:

esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port /dev/ttyACM0 --baud 921600 write_flash 0x10000 firmware.bin

(Adjust /dev/ttyACM0 or COMx to match your system's serial port.)

Development

Prerequisites

  • PlatformIO CLI or VS Code with the PlatformIO extension
  • Python 3.8+
  • USB-C data cable

Building from Source

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/scheblein/ink-bible.git
cd ink-bible

Build the firmware:

pio run -e default

Build and flash directly to a connected device:

pio run -e default -t upload

Monitor serial output:

pio device monitor -b 115200

License & Attribution

Ink Bible is open-source software released under the MIT License.

Copyright (c) 2025 Dave Allie
Copyright (c) 2026 Adam Scheblein

Ink Bible is forked from the CrossPoint Reader project under the MIT License.