Table of Contents
The reMarkable is a compelling piece of hardware — a paper-like e-ink tablet running a full Linux system under the hood. The entry price is steep for what the stock software offers, but the device's open architecture makes it unusually extensible — the same do-it-yourself spirit as extending your browser with JavaScript bookmarklets.
Connecting via SSH
To comply with the GPLv3 license used in the reMarkable firmware, SSH access is granted to the user by default. Login credentials are available at the bottom of the page under Settings > Help > Copyright and licenses. Store them in a CLI password manager rather than a sticky note — the root password is short and easy to lose track of.
With those credentials, connecting to the tablet is straightforward as long as it is on the same network as your computer:
ssh root@<tablet-ip>
Once connected, neofetch reveals the underlying system: Codex Linux running on a Freescale i.MX6 SoloLite CPU.
Toltec
Toltec is a community-maintained package repository for the reMarkable. It provides access to both the Entware repository (generic Linux packages) and reMarkable-specific packages through the opkg package manager.
Installation instructions are on the Toltec website.
After installation, you can add a graphical package manager (nao) to browse and install packages without SSH:
opkg install nao
A quick task manager (remux) makes switching between running apps easier:
opkg install remux
Pressing the middle button on the tablet will open the task manager, allowing you to switch between installed applications.
The nao interface exposes three repositories:
entware— generic Linux packagestoltec-rm1— packages specific to the reMarkable 1toltec-rmall— packages compatible with all reMarkable devices
From here you can install applications like KOReader directly, without touching SSH. KOReader adds support for CBR, CBZ, and Mobi e-book formats beyond the stock PDF and EPUB support.
In total, more than 1500 packages are available — ranging from Apache and Node.js to, predictably, Doom.
Interesting packages
- harmony — a sketching app with procedural drawing support
- fingerterm — a terminal emulator for the reMarkable
- recrossable — a crossword puzzle game
- Puzzles — a collection of logic puzzle games
- wordlet — a Wordle port for the tablet
- Dumbskull — a dungeon crawler
- minesweeper — classic Minesweeper
The awesome-reMarkable repository on GitHub maintains an up-to-date list of tools, including Git-based backup solutions and custom calendar generators.
Reviewed 2026
The core workflow described above remains valid as of 2026. SSH access is still granted by default, and Toltec continues to be the primary community package source. A device exposing root SSH with a vendor-set password is also worth factoring into your home network threat model.
One caveat: reMarkable's OTA firmware updates have historically broken Toltec installations. The community has developed mitigation scripts, but it is worth checking the Toltec compatibility matrix before updating firmware. reMarkable 2 users should also be aware that some reMarkable 1-only packages will not run on their device.
If you are buying a used reMarkable specifically to run third-party software, the reMarkable 1 still has better Toltec package coverage than the reMarkable 2.
