# pgaskin/NickelMenu

The easiest way to launch scripts, change settings, and run actions on Kobo e-readers.

Repository: https://github.com/pgaskin/NickelMenu
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nickelmenu
Homepage: https://pgaskin.net/NickelMenu
Language: C++
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: kobo, qt, menu, launcher
Last push: 2026-06-12T11:53:17+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 69/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 87, release rhythm 28, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2324, "days_push": 82, "days_rel": 270, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1159, forks 77 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:48.504646+00:00)

## What it is
NickelMenu is a C++ tool that adds custom menu items to Kobo e-reader firmware, letting users launch scripts, toggle hidden settings, and run built-in actions. It installs via KoboRoot.tgz and includes a failsafe mechanism to avoid bricking the device.

## Use cases
- launch custom scripts from the Kobo main menu
- toggle hidden Kobo settings like dark mode and screenshots
- run external software on a Kobo e-reader
- add menu items to Kobo reader and browser menus
- customize Kobo e-reader without hacking the firmware manually

## When to choose
- you own a Kobo e-reader on firmware 4.6+ and want safe, persistent customization
- you want a maintained tool with failsafe uninstall and multi-firmware compatibility

## When to avoid
- your Kobo is running firmware 5.x, which is not yet supported
- you want to customize non-Kobo e-readers

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: gui, developer-tools, configuration-management
- domain: embedded-systems, developer-tools
- platform: embedded, cpp
- tags: kobo, e-reader, nickel, menu-extension, qt, firmware-modification, custom-actions, linux

## Member repositories
- pgaskin/NickelMenu (main) score 69

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:48.504646+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:31:55.066048+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/pgaskin/NickelMenu (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:48.504646+00:00, sha c2d9df31df9c)
  - homepage: https://pgaskin.net/NickelMenu (fetched 2026-08-29T12:36:35.216770+00:00, sha e0f625f4c736)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.