2026 note: This is an archive of a post I originally wrote in 2024 about the reMarkable 2 tablet on an older version of my school portfolio website. It is 100% out of date now.
Note: This post is a rewrite, as there have been several updates to the rM2 software and to my own usage of it since.
The reMarkable is one of, if not the most popular e-ink tablets available on the market. With its sleek design, (relatively) low price and active developer community, it was the premier choice for me as a student.
The reMarkable runs a custom Linux-based system and users are permitted root access, making mods relatively easy to implement and download.1 However, documentation is frequently lacking, resulting in a large barrier to those curious but not familar with this.
In this article, I’ll be discussing my own usage of and mods of the device and issues you may run into when modding it yourself.
Toltec
Toltec is a repository of community-made mods - from simple utilities to complete apps and games - that has full support up to version 3.3.2.16661. The site itself comes with a disclaimer that installing it on a device on a version later has the chance to brick your device, and should not be done if you truly do not know what you are doing. Therefore, downgrading your device (losing the functionality added from updates in that process) is the only way to utilise Toltec to its full potential.2
Downpatching your device
If you are on the latest reMarkable version (3.11.x and upward) the traditional means of downloading and installing other version to your device will not work. Refer to this issue thread if you’re on that version; else, download and use Codexctl normally.
The latest version that Toltec fully supports is 3.3.2.1666. This occurs as certain packages are not usable on later versions, such as kernel modules and the popular ddvk-hacks. This version is the latest supported by the rm2fb (reMarkable2 framebuffer) project, which controls how things are graphically displayed on the reMarkable.
Mods
I personally have the following modifications installed on my reMarkable2 running 3.3.2.1666. Hover over the notes to see my comments on each mod.
| Modification | Notes | Installation Method |
|---|---|---|
| Toltec | Community repository of mods. | Script |
| Remux | App launcher for the reMarkable. | Toltec |
| Iago | UI for drawing shapes (circles, bezier curves, lines, etc) | Toltec |
| zshelf | Interface for eBook downloading from Z-Library. | Instructions |
| KOreader | External eBook reader. | Toltec |
| rmfakecloud | Self-hosted cloud service. | Toltec |
| remarkable_printer | Allows native printing to your reMarkable. | Script |
| webinterface-onboot | Starts the USB web interface on device boot. | Toltec |
| webinterface-wifi | Makes the web interface Wi-Fi-accessible. | Toltec |
| webinterface-upload-button | Adds an upload button to the web interface. | Toltec |
| recrossable | Crossword generator for the reMarkable. | Toltec |
Other Notes
Some projects aren’t available on Toltec and require you to use a script to download it.
If you’re getting TLS errors while running these scripts, and you don’t have Toltec installed, this is because the reMarkable2 ships with a version of wget (a tool for fetching content on the internet) that does not support HTTPS connections. The Toltec team, which include these binaries with their installation, have released the TLS-supporting ones they use here, which you’ll need to transfer to your device and convert into an executable to use.
Commands
These commands may come in handy.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| ls | Lists all files in a directory. |
cd directory | Changes your current working directory to a specified directory. |
scp local files remote | Transfers local files to a remote location. |
chmod +x file | Converts file into an executable. |
rm file | Deletes file. |
cat file | Outputs the content of file to the terminal. |
File Locations
| Location | Contents |
|---|---|
/home/root/.local/share/remarkable/xochitl/ | Notebooks and files from the standard Xochitl interface. |
/usr/share/remarkable/ | Sleep/rebooting/etc screens |
Footnotes
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Full support entails having the majority of Toltec packages fully tested and usable on a certain version. Packages that do not work on that version will not appear. See here for the current state of 3.x support, which is currently in testing for version 3.5.2. ↩ ↩2
-
An additional note to be aware of is that reMarkable (as of early June 2024) will drop official reMarkable cloud support for all devices running older versions of the firmware. ↩