Kindle for Android

Giving this its own thread.  As Kindle4PC has once again diverged from WINE compatibility in its latest versions, been looking at other options.  I put Kindle4PC on an old cloudbook with a mini version windows.  It works, but really dont like windows.  So experimented with first Androidx86.  I did get latest Kindle4Android working on BlissOS v14 (Android 11) installed to a usb SSD.  But it didnt like my Easytether VPN connection, didnt consider me connected without wifi or cellular SIM connection.  And the only app I found that is supposed to fool this sniffing test didnt work, its old and unmaintained. 

I also tried Waydroid on linux but its tedious to get working and requires GNOME desktop which I hate and a linux kernel with certain things compiled into it.  And Houdini library and script to do ARM android apps which is most of them.  Its complicated and installation painful.  Hoping they improve it in next couple year.

So on another faster i7 laptop got Bliss installed internally.  Not easy, its installer kinda sucks, finally way I got it installed was to install an old version Android x86 whose similar installer works perfectly, then run Bliss installer and it sees the old version and asks if I want to upgrade.  It wont install, but it will successfully upgrade.  Weird.

Now the really weird thing, Kindle on this internal install of Bliss can tell if I have a real wifi connection with internet access, not just that there is some dummy wifi connection without actual internet.  It was happy with the dummy connection when I was doing this via usb on the slower Stream cloudbook.  Slower makes a difference?  Anyway I had to Easytether my phone to my desktop, then create a hotspot on computer using that tethered connection, then connect Bliss to that via wifi in order to get Kindle4Android to work.  Blech.  Though obviously the most important thing about either Kindle4PC or Kindle4Android is their ability to download a book so you can read it offline.  I mean if you are online 24/7, you can just go to Amazon website and read your books there in your browser using any operating system, though suspect it requires a modern browser.  So if you look at it like that, then the Kindle4Android on Bliss seems more worth the trouble. 

I am still wondering why Kindle4Android is hardwired to insist on a wifi or direct cellular connection like if it was installed on a phone.  I mean whats the difference, its either connected with internet access for the system or it isnt, why does it fret about how that connection happens????  Sure its some crazy esoteric security fantasy thing in mind of whoever wrote it, but who knows.

Anyway for those people frustrated with the once again diverging functionality of Kindle4PC in WINE, well there is an open source method with either linux + Waydroid with Houdini and Kindle4Android (good luck with that) or using BlissOS 14 and Kindle4Android.   Or if nothing else look for Tiny10, latest Kindle4PC 2.3 will run on that.  Tiny10 is around 1GB iso for 64bit version, very bare bones, pirate version windows, not official version.  There is an even smaller iso of the 32bit version Tiny10.  I assume Kindle4PC would run on it too, though I dont know that, and extra 400MB wasnt that important to me.  M$ has kinda abandoned the 32bit version win10, only used on very few computers,  and there is no 32bit version win11.  Now if you had an old single core laptop that can only do 32bit... well you might be in luck, least until Kindle4PC becomes 64bit only.

I guess there maybe one other option, there are some openwrt routers, there is a version Easytether that will install on them.  Meaning you tether your phone to the router, and it provides a wifi hotspot.  Really be nice not to need to make a hotspot on a second computer.

Ok, the devil is in the details.  I thought it was weird the same version Kindle on same version BlissOS responded differently.  It seems you need to connect with Easytether first, then to the dummy wifi, THEN and only THEN open the Kindle app.  Dont try to add the dummy wifi AFTER opening Kindle.  Kindle doesnt see the Easytether connection at all.  But if the Easytether connection is up and so is the dummy wifi, it just assumes the dummy wifi is providing the connection and uses it.  But if you bring up the dummy wifi after Kindle is open it can tell there is no internet through the dummy connection and doesnt try.  Weird. So yea that old defunct 3G hotspot gizmo is ok as a dummy wifi.

Android is still one weird beast.  Especially when trying to use it as a desktop system with keyboard and mouse/trackpad.  Its a phone-tablet operating system, meant for touch screen.  But its a free open source operating system that can run the latest Kindle reader app and store books to read offline.  No having to deal with pirated windows and all that.

Ok, I ran across a "relatively simple" way to put Waydroid with Houdini (translates ARM based android apps) on Fedora.  So downloaded Fedora 39 workstation which is actually rather small 2GB iso considering its a mainstream linux distribution with GNOME.  Ubuntu in comparison is more than twice that size.  And after installing Easytether and then going online and updating it....  I used the dnf pkg manager to install Waydroid.  Easy peasy until the script to download "lineage android" which is a 800MB download failed.  I searched and found way to manually install it so downloaded it in browser and manually unzipped and moved the files to Waydroid and then ran the command that made Waydroid notice it.  Fine and dandy, at this point could use the browser that came with lineage.  But Kindle for Android is an ARM app.  For this Waydroid needs Houdini library installed.  Fedora had necessary GIT and other bits necessary for the download/install script and it actually worked. 

Ok now the big test, manually installed the Kindle4Android apk.  "waydroid app install /path_to_the_apk_file"  And it showed up as a Kindle icon on the GNOME app panel.  Click it and lineage opens and then Kindle.  No problem registering it with Amazon and downloading a book.  Notice this is using the Easytether connection made by Fedora.  No need for a dummy wifi connection or to do a separate Easytether for android tablet in lineage!!!!!  This is a major success, just eliminating the need for that dummy wifi connection that sorta works most of time if done in particular order, is a BIG DEAL.

I am sure you can easily find the details for installing Waydroid in Fedora, its in Fedora forum.   Though for Houdini I found details in this youtube useful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ-Mna_zi0o  This video shows Waydroid installed in MINT21 I think, its a variation on Ubuntu.  Its more involved than it was in Fedora, but this guy wanted to run apps that need a small phone shaped box on screen.  I wanted Kindle FULL SCREEN and Kindle works full screen with the "Readers large print" font.  LOL, yea old eyes need large print for long sessions of reading.  If reading actual physical book anymore with small print, probably need a magnifying glass.

Course I am curious if this could be installed in the Puppies, Dogs, or EasyOS.   I think BarryK at one point compiled kernel in Easy to work with Waydroid, but nobody ever bothered to progress beyond there making it work.  Look Waydroid is "way complicated" compared to lot software since you have to install it with scripts downloading things from different places.  I think this Houdini library is not open source, the reason it cant be built into Waydroid pkg and needs that special script.  Though honestly not sure what use Waydroid would  be without it.  Most Android apps are made for ARM processors, not x86, with exception of some browsers and few other small programs.  But like say I will for foreseeable future use Waydroid for no other reason than it can share the linux internet connection without playing games with a dummy wifi connection.  It makes Kindle for Android in linux just as useful as Kindle for PC used to be in WINE before Amazon updated it and made it incompatible with WINE once again.  Hopefully somebody makes an easier to install version Waydroid with Houdini, perhaps as an appimage or with some kind frontend like PlayOnLinux is for WINE.  PlayOnLinux is really only option if you need to use a particular older version WINE in a current version linux.  Installing it directly be extremely difficult since it may not have the older libraries necessary for older versions WINE.  And definitely wont be in the repositories for that linux distribution.

Oh the laptop I installed Fedora and Waydroid on has a touch screen.  I might point out that both GNOME desktop and Lineage that Waydroid uses are lot more pleasant on touch screen than keyboard/trackpad/mouse only.  I really dislike GNOME desktop with mouse, huge amount clicking back and forth.  But GNOME or at least some GNOME files seems necessary, I still dont have a straight answer what is actually necessary from GNOME for Waydroid.  Some have gotten it working in KDE desktop.  And one guy claimed to have got it working in XFCE version MX21, when I tried it in MX23, I must picked a wrong option cause when I downloaded GNOME-base, it changed whole desktop to GNOME.  In MX it got too complex too fast wanting me to make special data bases, etc, not helpful for somebody basically clueless with Waydroid so no idea which options to agree to or reject.  None of that installing it in Fedora 39 workstation, and even seemed much easier in that video of guy installing it in Mint21 than in MX23.  They just need to make it more universal and easier.  More like WINE has become, though installing WINE not super simple short  of using PlayOnLinux and letting it install one of its versions of WINE.  Maybe like WINETRICKS, they need WaydroidTRICKS.... LOL

Well other than couple quirks with Fedora and screen brightness adjusting way too frequently automagically (I turned that off and manually adjusted screen brightness).  Gotta say I am really liking Waydroid way of running Kindle for Android.  I looked with gparted and Fedora with Waydroid is between 8GB and 9GB on the SSD.  There is 500GB SSD so...

But in comparison if space is at a premium like on that HP Stream with 32GB eMMC, Tiny10 with Kindle for PC takes around 6GB.  Just depends if you want to mess with an unofficial extreme hacked version windows.  The full version will quickly fill the 32GB with updates and mandatory Microsoft garbage apps.  Fedora plus Waydroid is opensource, though Houdini library is not, though apparently free to use.  Or at least nobody made a stink about people using it.

Oh I found an article of some guy that actually got BlueStacks android emulator (for windows) working on Ubuntu.  He gave specific versions needed and warned not all versions work well together.  Well I tried it on MX23, nope, but I used latest WINE 8.6 via PlayOnLinux and his suggested version BlueStacks and also tried the latest version Bluestacks.  He used regular WINE 8.06 installed via aptget and latest longterm version Ubuntu.   I  just kept getting "unexpected exception".  I mean it installed mostly, but wouldnt run.  So maybe if I found the exact versions of everything he used, it might work???  But also guessing he may just got lucky when all the planets were in alignment.  Cause he is only person I ever heard that got a windows android emulator running in WINE.  Eh, worth a shot, cause Bluestacks in WINE be easier than installing Waydroid.  Though did I mention... I REALLY LIKE WAYDROID, its just PITA to install along with Houdini library.  And its pretty much the only way to read Kindle books offline in linux anymore.  You might still get Kindle4PC 1.40 in WINE to read most books but had one book that wouldnt download and suggested I update.  And honestly getting Kindle4PC 1.40 to register is very difficult as the registration popup is flaky beyond belief, it will crash before you can register.  I had to install Kindle4PC 1.26, register, then upgrade to 1.40.  The one time I let it further upgrade to 2.xx, it did, and it ran, BUT didnt show any books, and none to download, not one book.  So had to downgrade to 1.40 again.  If you just try to install version 2.xx directly, it wont even run.

Ok, downloaded the latest MINT linux with cinnamon desktop, installed it and following a recipe, got Waydroid working on it.  Found out GNOME and KDE now have a nested wayland compositor.  Meaning it opens a wayland window on x11 system.  Thats what Weston does, its a nested wayland compositor independent of desktop,  there are others but has to be a nested one to work with Waydroid.  Thats why a distribution with GNOME or KDE is usually recommended.

But anyway after finding couple errors in the recipe, got it all installed and working.  Using Weston, you want to first maximize the Weston wayland window before starting Waydroid.  If you dont, then Waydroid will be limited to size of Weston, once Waydroid launches, maximizing Weston window does nothing.  Oh and I installed the Kindle4Android apk.  But oddly when Kindle app starts the discover/library screens are tiny, though you can open a book full screen...

After fumbling with it, found when Waydroid opens the Lineage desktop, you want to go to settings in Lineage and set display to the first notch, meaning next to smallest.  Once thats done, Kindle opens the discover and library full screen.  Like happens with Waydroid on Fedora 39 with GNOME.  I would make some desktop shortcuts to launch Weston, then to stop Waydroid session and to stop Weston.  Yea its a little clunkier to run Waydroid on a non-Gnome/KDE desktop.  But quite doable.  Going to try later with Bodhi linux and maybe MX23 again.  I want to get this down.  Then maybe try KLV-Airedale again.  Really like to get Waydroid working on one of the Puppy linux family.

Yes I got it working in MX23, BUT one has to boot MX23 with systemd option. Then tried Bodhi. It is a slimmed down version Ubuntu with Moksha (variation on Enlightenment desktop). I am using Bodhi 7.0.0 and downloaded the fat one, with extra software.

Bodhi7 is quite a marvel. Not only does it boot to desktop even faster than the Puppies, but once I installed Waydroid, can get to Lineage (android) desktop faster than I can in any other distribution so far. And Kindle app opens fast enough to where one barely sees the kid reading under tree splash screen before one can get to library and open a book. So made couple menu entries, one to first launch weston compositor and then Waydroid. The other to politely shut down first Waydroid, then weston. Done with menu entries rather than manually, one does have to tell weston how big of a wayland box to make. For some apps, sure one only wants a phone size box, but for Kindle I wanted all screen above the Bodhi tray, so had to experiment a bit. Hey its not as slick as toggling in Gnome on a touch screen, but its lot faster than Waydroid in Fedora with Gnome. I was really surprised it was significantly faster than same setup in MX23.

I haven't lot experience with Englightenment Desktop but slowly getting hang of it. Had to enable a special "module" to allow me to have icons/shortcuts on desktop screen. But it works. Like nearly all linux anymore except Puppy family, it is kinda sudo crazy. I suppose I will eventually give user account root powers so will still have to type sudo, but not the stupid password. That seems best compromise with modern linux that wants to be big brother. Sure makes sense on a multi-user system, but for a personal computer only one person will ever use its a PITA. Worried about theft, encrypt the hard drive and be done with it. Dont drive me crazy continually having to type a password to give MYSELF permission.

Oh I was really pissed, that Fedora 39 auto updated without asking. I was low on data for rest of month and it gobbled it updating stuff I dont give a shit about. I had to really search to find a way to keep it from doing this or even checking if anything can be updated. Hidden configuration file that you have to add some esoteric line. Grrr. Seriously ASK, polite operating sytems ASK PERMISSION. Updates should be OFF by default and people that want the updates then toggle it to ON. Most linux just gives you a little notice that updates are available and then up to you to decide. Fedora and full blown Ubuntu seem to want to do the big brother thing like windows and force them onto without asking.

Oh yea, like mentioned Waydroid may require a linux using systemd. I only got it working on M23 by booting with its systemd option. Kinda sucks. Oh will say if you install Easytether software for linux, then systemd computers will automate making Easytether a service. And yes apparently on Debian/Ubuntu based distributions now too. I was surprised when M23 did this when booted with systemd option. Where without systemd, I have to setup the "ifup/down" workaround to activate Easytether interface.

Not used to the Ubuntu way of doing things. Nightmare with adb permissions error. Ubuntu derivatives that use the /etc/udev "Android rules" method can be painful including MINT and Bodhi.

After a day beating my head against the wall, this morning saw an errant "#" in the rules file. Deleted that, then got different error when doing "adb devices". Remembering a Ubuntu discussion, tried setting phone to "file transfer" mode. Bingo. Got correct response from 'adb devices'. And now scrcpy works to mirror phone screen to the laptop screen. No idea why this is necessary in Ubuntu family. Not necessary on other distributions that dont use the udev rules thing.

Oh playing with a Manjaro live dvd seeing how it did adb (has adb preinstalled).  "adb devices" command works fine, but when I tried to install scrcpy, the package manager said it conflicted with some Xfce decoration.  Being live dvd, wouldnt let me remove the decoration. Maybe if one installed it, could change the theme. Cause scrcpy works on other Xfce distributions.

Anyway once I got it online opened browser which took me to Manjaro site.  There are the usual official releases, but couple truly interesting community spins.  One has i3 windows manager.  This thing is VERY different.  Need a cheat sheet until you memorize lot keyboard commands.  Then using the i3 model, somebody came up with a wayland Sway windows manager.  Basically combining Sway wayland compositor with i3.  I imagine Waydroid would work well on this beast.  Not a high priority to try it, but I will at some point.

I was experimenting on absolutely simplest way to bring android to a linux computer. Well it seems you can install Android x86 (android 9) to linux with their rpm pkg. Great for Fedora, etc, but on a Debian system you have to first install alien, then run command something like "sudo alien -ci /path2rpm". For kicks I installed latest Mint with cinnamon to an old hardrive. Yes its slow compared to an SSD. Fine, its installed, then install alien, then run command. Yes it creates a folder with contents of the Android x86 iso plus a "data" folder inside. It also adds entry to GRUB2. So next boot you are offered Android 9 for x86.

Fine, so boot into it and install the latest Kindle app. It installs and runs, but its unhappy and VERY crashy.

So I go looking whether I can install PrimeOS this way. Its Android 11 and I know it works. Well yes you can. The method detailed here worked fine: https://itsfoss.community/t/install-primeos-on-ubuntu-or-any-other-distro/7405

Basically does what the Android x86 pkg does only you do it manually.

So boot into PrimeOS 2.1.3 from a root directory in MINT. Have done this before only from a usb drive. I like the PrimeOS desktop better than BlissOS 14, BUT PrimeOS is Google-centric. And short of rooting it (yes you can), you can only disable the google stuff, not uninstall it. I assume Google pays PrimeOS??? I tried opening the Chrome browser but it didnt want me using it until I re-enabled the Google support services stuff. And it wanted me to personalize my ads???? WTF??? How about option of NO ADS and NO TRACKING?

So I boot into Mint and try to download the android version of Firefox. No, they want me to use the Google Play store or give them my info and they will email me a link????

Seriously?? So find a Github site with Fenix v123. This is Firefox by another name. But they allow me to download an apk of Fenix for android x86. It installs no problem and I can take PrimeOS online. Firefox in Android still not my greatest joy, but it works. Especially after Cookie Autodelete and Adblocker Ultimate added.

Of course when I try to sign in to my Kindle library, yes the app works in android 11 much better than android 9. It does the sniff test and says I am not connected cause there is no wifi or cell connection. Yes like any bare metal install of PrimeOS, or BlissOS or Android x86, you have to provide a fake wifi connection to make it happy. This is sole reason I much prefer Waydroid. It somehow magically shares the linux internet connection without the android apps sniffing and bitching. But the bare metal installs do work better on lower power computers, assuming the processor meets the SSE4.2 standard. I do like PrimeOS desktop better, but BlissOS doesnt do the google as center of their universe thing. Bliss is ungoogled.

So if you want as simple as possible way to do Kindle for Android on a linux computer, this is probably it. Much easier to install than Waydroid and better on low power machines. Though you do have to reboot to get to android and Kindle4Android. Also probably easier than WINE and Kindle4PC, since last version that works in WINE is 1.40 and it no longer can handle newer DRM of some books. You need version 2.3.x.

If you have a computer that cant do SSE4.2, then probably Tiny10 is your only option. The 900MB iso I found can install and run the latest Kindle4PC. Its a very pruned older version win10. Yes you can run it unactivated. Not sure why a heavily pruned pirate copy win10 didnt deal with the activation, but they didnt. There are cracks, but running unactivated not horrible. They have plugged the ways that used to work to get rid of the unactivated watermark. Using an activation crack is pretty much only option if it really bothers you. I prefer just using Android but on older computer like a high end core2duo proccessor, its plenty fast, but doesnt do SSE4.2.

Well BookwormPup (an official Puppy Linux now) has access to the Debian Bookworm repositories and can use apt-get.  Great.  But no Puppy comes with systemd.  And at this point I am pretty convinced thats a necessity for Waydroid.  Same errors that MX23 did run in non-systemd mode, though it worked fine with systemd option. Yea MX gives you option of systemd everytime you boot.  Well until some bright person figures out a workaround for Waydroid in non-systemd.  Above my pay grade.

Well Fred on the forum for long time has offered his own Dogs, basically mini Debian or Ubuntu that can use those repositories.  Well he stopped making iso versions and instead offers a script to create them.  Even has an appimage of his script.  You make it executable and run it on any modern linux system.  So I did and it offers option of systemd.  So plain jane vanilla with JWM window manager and systemd, everything else default.  And on the i7 it pooped this out fairly fast.

Well tried it on a thumb drive that must be the slowest clunkiest thumbdrive ever.  Nope.  So just like BookwormPup, put BookwormDog to boot from folder inside of Lubuntu 18.04.  Its on a HP Stream I used to take to library.  Too old to have repository access anymore but it works well on the Stream.  But space enough and Lubuntu contributes GRUB2 bootloader.  

So finally after figuring out BookwormDog doesnt want to be in the puppies directory, took it out and it booted. I got the menuentry for it from forum or something.  But it was acting strange like it was trying to Bogart the RAM, said I was running out of room and not hardrive room, but ramdisk it created I guess.  Finally got informed by Fred that I had wrong setting in GRUB2 menuentry.  There are three options and I had unknowingly picked the one to run in RAM and only save to changes folder when I shut down.  The other two options are to continually read and write to the changes folder (one I wanted) and third that it will temporarily write to changes folder and I choose whether it will be saved on reboot.  

Once that was straightened out and I got Easytether setup.  Well went at it, "apt update" and installed weston "apt install weston"

Then per the Waydroid website instructions for Debian/Ubuntu, added the repository for Waydroid.  

1. apt install curl
2.  apt install curl ca-certificates -y
3.  curl https://repo.waydro.id | sudo bash
4.  apt update
5.  apt install waydroid

Now to try it before worrying about Houdini...

1.  In a terminal type "weston"  (without quotes)  

A weston wayland screen should pop up.  Maximize it.  Now at top lefthand side, you will see a built in terminal button.  Click on this and a terminal will open in the wayland screen.  Type "waydroid first-launch".   Depending on speed of your computer, this will cause a popup wanting to download two android image files from Sourceforge.  You can do this and good luck to you.  First time I tried it and it spent bunch time and data downloading only to tell me the hash didnt match...  So after rinse and repeat with same result, I downloaded the two files with a browser, unzipped them, and manually copied them to /etc/waydroid-extra/images directory which yes, you will have to create.  Then in that terminal inside the weston screen, I typed "waydroid init -f"  This is command to use local image files.  

Now in the weston terminal again "waydroid first-launch"  and you will see a screen with curved line, and little circle every second until finally three circles equidistant and word Lineage appears.  Then if the fates are feeling kind, the android desktop will load.  

You can try the browser, there is an icon for it on the desktop.  Its an android x86 app so can run without Houdini.  

Great you have a working install of Waydroid.  But wait you say, you want more, namely to be able to run ARM android apps?  Well you need Houdini. https://github.com/casualsnek/waydroid_script  Use this script, you will have to "apt install git"  You will also have to install venv  It will tell you the version you need when you try to run command with venv.  

Then...
git clone https://github.com/casualsnek/waydroid_script
cd waydroid_script
python3 -m venv venv
venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
venv/bin/python3 main.py

And you should be able to sideload ARM android apps and run them. "waydroid app install /path2apk"  How successfully, well that depends on the app I think and your computer's resources.  Its a bit like trying to run windows apps in WINE.  Maybe it works, maybe not.  Though better chance since Waydroid uses a real Lineage version Android 11 rather than an approximation of windows, like WINE does.

I can tell you from experience, Houdini seems to be a big limiting factor.  It translates ARM to x86 so is a drag on the process.  Faster computer going to do better.

But hey that was my successful experiment with Bookworm Dog.  Only linux to let me run the Kindle4Android app via Waydroid on that HP Stream with its very limited resources.  I wanted the lightest possible linux that could run Waydroid.  It is the only way to really use Waydroid on the HP Stream that is a very low end computer.  When I booted Bodhi from usb SSD and opened Waydroid.  Well took a while, but got to the desktop and I could use the x86 android browser but when I installed Kindle app and tried to open it, it first stuck on Kindle splash, then crashed.  

Now if you dont want to bother with Waydroid, you can install PrimeOS, or BlissOS or Android x86 in a root directory, then make a bootloader entry to boot them.  https://itsfoss.community/t/install-primeos-on-ubuntu-or-any-other-distro/7405  This takes fewer resources since you are running android bare metal with no linux (Houdini is built into these).  But you do have to shut down linux and reboot into android doing it like this where you can just minimize weston to the tray to use linux, then maximize to use android.    On a GNOME or KDE desktop its even easier to toggle back and forth, especially if you have a touchscreen.

I will also mention that 64bit version of any Android requires your processor support SSE4.2 instructions. There are older plenty fast computers that dont. And remember with Waydroid you are running both linux and android at same time, so takes more resources. It really is lot like WINE, windows apps on WINE, the ones that work can be much slower than on native windows. Others just as fast.

Oh just a heads up, most reading this arent going to use Waydroid for Kindle or any other ereader. But there is an epub reader available for android called Librera. This is a cool opensource app. Well it offers option to use text to voice to read books. Now Waydroid doesnt come with text to voice engine from Google. But there is an alternative from Fdroid called RHVoice. I installed the apk along with the voice offered for English. And set it as default text to voice engine, and Librera could use it. Librera even gives tools to adjust pitch and speed. Yep you can have Waydroid read books to you, well epub books. Librera even lets you search Project Gutenberg and download free from there from within Librera. Kindle has prevented text to speech as it cuts into sales of their audio books I guess. Used to be an option in their app. Now you would have to de-DRM them to do this.

Ok, further update, I used the quick-remaster script built into BookwormDog to combine weston, waydroid, houdini, and Kindle app into one iso. Oh failed two times done on two different laptops. But with some help and ecouragement from Fred, developer of BookwormDog, finally after third time, this on the upstairs desktop computer, got it done so it was bootable. Maximum compression and got it 1734M. Oh and I did burn the created optional iso onto a dvd. Booted that, let it create a "changes" folder on the hard drive of the desktop, then rebooted so it could use that changes folder. It needs to be able to read and write as it would take huge amount RAM for it to do everything in ram disk. Anyway yea, it actually got to android desktop and kindle app. I was amazed. No this isnt great way to do it, I just wanted to see if it could. Only thing I noticed done like this, though Dog could see a fat32 thumbdrive, android couldnt. Not sure why. It can when booted more normal way.

I left weston window small so you could better see it on BookwormDog.

Ok, another curiosity bites the dust. Install Sway compositor, type "sway" in terminal. Up pops Sway screen. Push "windows" key on key board then enter. Up pops "foot terminal" inside Sway. Type "waydroid first-launch" and there is waydroid in the Sway window. Feel stupid when you figure out these things. But nobody would respond to my inquiries. Guess they thought I was clueless idiot.... But you got find out somewhere. I assume this works in other compositors, you just have to figure out how to open terminal inside them. Probably all bit different.