While the traditional computer monitor is a tried-and-true standard, many who use screens insist on a higher standard of readability and eye comfort. For these happy few screen enthusiasts, a recent project and tutorial from software engineer Alireza Alavi offers Linux users the ability to add an E-ink display to their desktop by reusing an existing E-ink tablet.
The project turns an E-ink tablet into a mirrored clone of an existing second display in a desktop setup. Using VNC for network remote control of a computer, this implementation turns the E-ink tablet into both a display and an input device, opening up options from being used as a primarily reading and writing display to also being usable as a drawing tablet or other screen-as-input-device use cases.
The example video above shows Alavi using the E-ink display as an additional monitor, first to write his blog post about the VNC protocol, then to read a lengthy document. The tablet runs completely without a wired connection, as VNC sharing happens over the network and thus enables a fully wireless monitor experience. The second screen, seen behind the tablet, reveals the magic by displaying the source of the tablet's output.
Many readers will correctly observe that the latency and lag on the E-ink tablet are a bit higher than desirable for a display. This is not due to the streaming connection's efficacy, but rather to the slowness that stems from the old age of the Boox tablet used by Alavi. A newer, more modern E-ink display, such as Modos Tech's upcoming 75Hz E-ink monitor, will get the job done without any such visible latency distractions.
For Linux users wanting to follow along and create a tertiary monitor of their very own, Alavi's blog has all the answers. Setting up a VNC connection between the computer and the tablet display took only around 20 minutes, with help from the Arch Linux wiki.
Very simply put, the order of operations in setting up the system is first installing a VNC package of your choice (this project used TigerVNC), setting up a list of permissions for multiple possible users of your new TigerVNC server now being broadcast from the host PC, and setting up the screen limitations of the stream, ensuring that your host screen that is to be mirrored is setup to the exact same resolution and aspect ratio as the E-ink tablet being streamed to.
From here, connecting to the new TigerVNC server with the E-ink tablet is as simple as installing an Android VNC client and connecting to the correct port and IP address set up previously. Alavi's blog post goes into the nitty-gritty of setting up permissions and port options, as well as how to get the setup to start automatically or manually with scripts.
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While this project is very cool, prospective copycats should take note of a few things. First, this specific implementation requires effectively sacrificing one of your existing screens to become a copy of what the tablet will output. This is not a solution for using an E-ink display as a third monitor, though having the E-ink display mirrored in color on a less laggy screen has its own perks for debugging and troubleshooting, among other things. Also, this system requires the E-ink display to be an Android tablet with its own brain that can install and run a VNC client like AVNC; a standalone display or a tablet with an incompatible operating system won't cut the mustard.
However, for those who need E-ink and the will to jump through some Linux terminal hoops, this application has serious promise. Be sure to see Alavi's original blog post on the setup for a complete setup guide and more notes from the inventor. For those considering the E-ink lifestyle but without the same growing pains, the E-ink monitor market is getting better all the time; Boox's newest 23.5-inch, 1800p color E-ink monitor is an attractive prospect, though the sticker shock of its $1,900 price tag is enough to make many enthusiasts weep.
Sunny Grimm is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware. He has been building and breaking computers since 2017, serving as the resident youngster at Tom's. From APUs to RGB, Sunny has a handle on all the latest tech news.
