blog/content/posts/syncthing-on-pocketbook.adoc

---
title: "Install syncthing on PocketBook"
slug: syncthing-on-pocketbook
description: "Install syncthing on your PocketBook e-reader."
date: 2020-11-17T22:57:28+01:00
type: posts
draft: false
tags:
- syncthing
- pocketbook
comtodon: A1J4iIO2gJhoLjICoK
---

:source-highlighter: pygments

:abbr-gui: pass:[<abbr title='Graphical User Interface'>GUI</abbr>]
:abbr-tls: pass:[<abbr title='Transport Layer Security'>TLS</abbr>]
:abbr-mac: pass:[<abbr title='Shenzhen YITOA Digital Appliance Co.'>94:99:01</abbr>]

:url-syncthing-dl: https://syncthing.net/downloads/
:url-pbterm: http://users.physik.fu-berlin.de/~jtt/PB/
:url-syncthing-doc: https://docs.syncthing.net/
:url-wp-fat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Allocation_Table#FAT32

Installing syncthing on a PocketBook is fairly easy, but it requires a bit more
setup than on PCs. I've tested this with a PB632 (PocketBook Touch HD 3), but it
should work on any PocketBook device.

Connect your e-reader via USB in “PC link” mode. Create the directory
`applications/syncthing` in the storage device that shows up. Get the latest ARM
32 bit version of syncthing from <{url-syncthing-dl}> and extract the binary
“syncthing” to the directory you just created. Now create the following files:

.`applications/syncthing.app`
[source,shell]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh

SYNCTHING_DIR="/mnt/ext1/applications/syncthing"
${SYNCTHING_DIR}/syncthing -home="${SYNCTHING_DIR}"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.`applications/syncthing/config.xml`
[source,xml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<configuration version="32">
    <gui enabled="true" tls="false" debugging="false">
        <address>0.0.0.0:8384</address>
    </gui>
    <options>
        <startBrowser>false</startBrowser>
    </options>
</configuration>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[NOTE]
PocketBooks don't seem to have an address assigned to the loopback interface. If
you try to listen on 127.0.0.1 syncthing will exit with an error message.

[TIP]
If you want to see the output of syncthing, download “pbterm.zip” from
<{url-pbterm}>, install it and start `syncthing.app` from there.

Disconnect the e-reader, enable wireless LAN and start syncthing. It should show
up in “Apps” as “@syncthing”. Open a browser on your PC and connect to the IP of
your PocketBook (see <<How to find the IP address of your PocketBook,below>> if
you don't know it) on port 8384. Now link:{url-syncthing-doc}[configure
syncthing] as normal. There is no window showing up if you start syncthing, the
screen appears to freeze. You can get back to your start screen with the
home key. syncthing will continue to run in the background. You can close
syncthing with the “Task Manager”.

[TIP]
PocketBooks use link:{url-wp-fat}[FAT] as file system, which can't store
permissions. Make sure to check “Ignore Permissions” in the advanced tab for
each shared folder or set `ignorePerms="true"` in `config.xml`.

[CAUTION]
We configured syncthing to accept connections from everywhere without a password
and we disabled encryption. Make sure to disable the {abbr-gui} or set a
password and enable {abbr-tls} if you want to use it in insecure networks.

== How to find the IP address of your PocketBook

Connect the e-reader to your wireless LAN. If you've installed pbterm, open it
and type `ifconfig`. The IP address comes after “inet addr:” in the
output. Alternatively, If you have a computer with Linux, BSD or a similar OS on
your network, open a terminal on it and type `arp`. In the “HWaddress” column
look for an address starting with *{abbr-mac}*. The IP address is on the left.

[NOTE]
Different PocketBook models may use network chipsets from other vendors with
different hardware addresses.



//  LocalWords:  loopback syncthing PocketBooks PocketBook