QuillOS on PineNote – New Firmware for the Linux E Ink Device from Pine64

The community surrounding Pine64 devices continues to expand the ecosystem of open software for niche Linux-based hardware platforms.

One of the current initiatives is QuillOS, a new firmware developed for the PineNote E Ink device, created independently by members of the community.

Pine64 – An Open Hardware Manufacturer

Pine64 is a Hong Kong–based company founded in 2015 that designs and manufactures affordable devices built on ARM and RISC-V architectures. The company is widely recognized for its strong focus on open-source software and for delivering hardware platforms intended for developers, hobbyists, and privacy-conscious users.

Pine64’s product lineup includes single-board computers such as the Rock64, ROCKPro64, and Quartz64 series, as well as mobile devices like the PinePhone, PineTab, and PineTime. These products are positioned as open development platforms that encourage experimentation with Linux and other open operating systems.

PineNote – A Linux-Based E Ink Device

The PineNote is an E Ink device designed primarily for early adopters and developers interested in building and testing software on unconventional Linux hardware. It serves as an open alternative to closed e-reader ecosystems, offering users full control over the operating system and user environment.

QuillOS – Community-Driven Firmware

Development of QuillOS is led by community members Tux_Linux and Szybet. The firmware is based on the Linux kernel tree maintained by hrdl and features a custom user interface built on the Niri tiling window manager. The project is currently under active development, with progress shared publicly on the project’s Discord server.

An additional demonstration of QuillOS is available on YouTube for those interested in seeing the current state of the system.

A Platform for Developers and Early Adopters

Like other Pine64 products, the PineNote is positioned as a device for developers and early adopters. Early hardware batches are primarily intended for software development, system experimentation, and community-driven innovation, laying the groundwork for more refined and user-focused releases in the future.