3. Usage

Usage

Navigating the Four Storefront Sections

The UI is built around four dedicated dialogs:

1. Plugins Browser (Storefront · Plugins)

   • Lists repositories tagged as KOReader plugins.

   

2. Patches Browser (Storefront · Patches)

   • Lists repositories tagged as KOReader user patches and enumerates files matching ^[number]-*.lua.

   

3. Installed

   • Summarizes every installed plugin, both linked (matched with a repository) and unlinked.
   • Allows quick enabling or disabling

   

4. Updates

• Shows the list of plugin or patch updates available

Typical Workflow

1. Open KOReader → Tools → Storefront (or trigger an assigned gesture mapped to Storefront: Open).

2. Pick Plugins or Patches tab. Use the search dialog to narrow by owner, name, topics, or star threshold. Sort or filter as needed.

   

3. Tap an entry for a quick action menu. Choosing Install downloads the repo ZIP (/zipball/<ref>), extracts it to a temp folder, validates _meta.lua, then copies it to data/plugins/<name>.koplugin.

4. After installation, KOReader prompts for a restart so the new plugin becomes available in the Tools menu.

5. For patches, selecting an item downloads the raw .lua file from the default branch and stores it under data/patches/ while retaining the numbered filename used for KOReader’s patch loader.

6. Return anytime to the Updates dialogs to check for newer releases.

Plugin/Patch Details > Versions Tab

The Versions tab provides a comprehensive view of all published releases for any plugin or user patch directly from the repository details page.

• View all releases – See a list of every version, including pre‑releases and beta builds.
• Version details – Tap a version to open a full‑screen page showing its release notes, release date, and full version information.
• Install any version – Install the latest release, an older version, or a pre‑release with a single tap.
• Ignore releases – Mark specific versions to ignore so update notifications skip them; an eye icon indicates ignored vs. active versions.
• Pre‑release toggle – Quickly show or hide pre‑release and beta versions in the list.

Cache & Offline Behavior

• The browser always reads from the cache first, keeping scrolling smooth even when the network is slow.
• When cached data is older than 7 days or there is no cache, the plugin reminds you to trigger Refresh cache.

Non-touch devices (Kindle 4 NT, Kindle Keyboard, …)

The Storefront plugin is not tested with non-touch devices. If you want full non-touch support, use the appstore instead.