Installation

Step-by-step guide to install KWordle on your Kindle e-reader

Before you begin

KWordle works on Kindle e-readers with firmware version 5.6.1.1 or newer. Make sure you have:

• A compatible Kindle e-reader
• A USB cable to connect your Kindle to your computer
• Administrator access to your computer (for file copying)

Different Kindle models require different versions of KWordle. Check your firmware version in Settings > Device Options > Device Info before downloading.

Choose your version

Legacy Kindle

Firmware 5.6.1.1 or older

Download kwordle-legacy.zip from the releases page

Modern Kindle

Firmware newer than 5.6.1.1

Download kwordle.zip from the releases page

Installation steps

1. Download the release

   Download the latest release from the GitHub repository.

   Choose the correct file for your Kindle model:

   • kwordle-legacy.zip for older models (firmware 5.6.1.1 or earlier)
   • kwordle.zip for newer models
2. Extract the files

   Unzip the downloaded file on your computer. You should see:

   • A kwordle folder containing the game files
   • A kwordle.sh shell script

   Keep the folder structure intact. The shell script expects the game files to be in a folder named kwordle.

3. Connect your Kindle

   Connect your Kindle to your computer using a USB cable.

   Your Kindle should appear as a removable drive or storage device on your computer. If prompted on your Kindle, confirm that you want to connect to the computer.

4. Copy files to Kindle

   Navigate to your Kindle’s Documents folder.

   Copy both:

   1. The entire kwordle folder
   2. The kwordle.sh file

   directly into the Documents folder.

   The final structure should be:

   /documents/
     ├── kwordle/
     │   ├── index.html
     │   ├── main.js
     │   ├── main.css
     │   ├── config.xml
     │   ├── wordle-icon.png
     │   └── js/
     │       ├── words.js
     │       ├── sdk.js
     │       └── polyfill.min.js
     └── kwordle.sh
   
5. Safely eject your Kindle

   Safely eject or unmount your Kindle from your computer before disconnecting the USB cable.

   On Windows: Right-click the drive and select “Eject”

   On macOS: Drag the Kindle icon to the Trash or click the eject icon

   On Linux: Use the “Safely Remove” option in your file manager

6. Launch KWordle

   On your Kindle home screen, you should see a KWordle booklet.

   Tap on it to launch the game!

   The first launch may take a few seconds as the Kindle initializes the application.

What happens behind the scenes

The kwordle.sh script performs these operations when first launched:

# Copies game files to Kindle's app directory
cp -r "$SOURCE_DIR" "$TARGET_DIR"

# Registers the app in Kindle's application database
sqlite3 "$DB" <<EOF
INSERT OR IGNORE INTO interfaces(interface) VALUES('application');
INSERT OR IGNORE INTO handlerIds(handlerId) VALUES('xyz.kurizu.kwordle');
# ... additional registration commands
EOF

# Launches the app using Mesquite framework
lipc-set-prop com.lab126.appmgrd start app://xyz.kurizu.kwordle

This registers KWordle with the Kindle’s Mesquite application framework and launches it in the WebKit-based browser.

Troubleshooting

KWordle booklet doesn't appear

• Make sure you copied both the kwordle folder AND the kwordle.sh file to the Documents folder
• Try restarting your Kindle: Menu > Settings > Device Options > Restart
• Check that you downloaded the correct version for your Kindle model

Game won't launch or shows errors

• Verify your Kindle firmware version is 5.6.1.1 or newer
• Make sure all files from the zip were extracted correctly
• Try reinstalling by deleting the files and copying them again

Word lists not loading

Check that the js/words.js file exists in the kwordle folder. This file contains all the word lists for different languages.

The file should define:

var wordList = [
  ["word1","word2","word3"], // English
  // ... other languages
];

Keyboard not responding

• Try using the on-screen keyboard instead of the physical keyboard
• Restart the app by closing and reopening the KWordle booklet
• Some special characters (Å, Ä, Ö for Swedish) may require the on-screen keyboard

Next steps

Quick start guide

Learn how to play your first game and understand the visual indicators