The interesting part is not simply finding Linux inside another plastic box. It is discovering where community software can extend what that box does—and where firmware restrictions, compatibility and hardware limitations stop the experiment.
Linux underneath does not automatically mean unrestricted access. These three projects involve quite different levels of modification, from installing a television app through Developer Mode to replacing a router’s firmware. The project documentation makes those distinctions important.
An LG TV can become a client for your gaming PC
Moonlight TV provides a community game-streaming client for LG webOS televisions. Paired with Sunshine on a compatible gaming PC, it offers a way to bring PC games to the living room without moving the computer. The game runs on the host PC; the television is the streaming endpoint, not a newly transformed gaming console.
For Windows users, there is a useful hardware distinction: Moonlight’s setup guide lists Sunshine hosts with modern AMD, Intel or NVIDIA graphics. This is not exclusively an NVIDIA-GPU project, despite Moonlight’s GameStream heritage. The guide lists Windows 10 and Windows 11 as supported host operating systems.
The installation catch: Developer Mode
Moonlight TV’s installation guide describes using dev-manager-desktop to install the app, with a webOS SDK route also documented. The Developer Mode installation path does not require replacing the television’s operating system, but it does require ongoing attention.
According to the project’s guide:
- Developer Mode is not permanent.
- When Developer Mode is disabled, applications installed through it are removed.
- Session expiration and certain account or offline-reboot conditions can disable it.
That makes an unexpectedly missing Moonlight app a potential Developer Mode issue—not necessarily a broken streaming installation. The project also advises installing only applications you trust.
Compatibility deserves equal attention. Moonlight TV’s compatibility table distinguishes webOS generations and records model-specific audio or video problems. However, that page was last edited on January 19, 2024, so it should not be treated as certification for every subsequent television firmware release.
For the initial PC-side setup, Moonlight’s documentation describes installing Sunshine, securing its configuration interface with an account, discovering the host from the client, and pairing using a PIN. Establishing that connection on the home network is the sensible starting point before considering remote access.
The takeaway: this is a practical extension of a Windows gaming PC, but not a promise of HDMI-equivalent performance. How-To Geek’s favorable comparison with Steam Remote Play is not a controlled benchmark; it should not be read as proof that one solution always wins.
KOReader can make a large PDF less painful
A PDF designed for a full-sized sheet of paper is an awkward passenger on a small e-reader screen. KOReader addresses that problem with document-reading features aimed specifically at e-ink devices, including support for Kindle and Kobo hardware.
The project supports fixed-page formats such as PDF and DjVu alongside reflowable formats including EPUB. Crucially, its documentation says its built-in K2pdfopt library can also reflow scanned PDF and DjVu documents. A scan is therefore not automatically excluded simply because it lacks ordinary selectable text.
That is the useful experiment: take a document that requires constant zooming and horizontal movement, and see whether reflow produces a more comfortable reading layout. Treat that as a document-by-document test, not a guarantee that every complicated page will emerge perfectly reconstructed.
Kindle and Kobo have different entry requirements
On Kindle, installing KOReader requires an already jailbroken device. KOReader’s installation documentation explicitly says jailbreak availability depends on the model, its particular variant and the installed firmware version. KindleModding also warns that some firmware versions have no available jailbreak and that stock devices cannot simply be downgraded first to bypass that restriction.
Kobo follows a different route. KOReader’s Kobo guide recommends a semi-automated installation method for most newcomers, bundling the application with launcher components. Its manual instructions also describe a firmware-related indexing issue that must be handled correctly. “Copy a couple of files” leaves out some consequential details.
There is another boundary worth knowing before modifying anything: KOReader’s Kindle guide says EPUB is its best-supported format, KFX is unsupported, and DRM-protected books are unsupported. Installing a different reader does not make an entire protected ebook library universally compatible.
The takeaway: KOReader offers a concrete document-reading benefit, but compatibility comes before installation. Nor should an older e-reader be considered disposable merely because its owner cannot install KOReader; third-party software is an option, not an obligation.
A supported router can filter advertising domains
How-To Geek’s third example moves the work away from individual devices. On compatible hardware, OpenWrt can replace the manufacturer’s router firmware and support DNS-based advertising-domain blocking.
The principle is straightforward: instead of requiring a browser extension on every screen, the network’s DNS service blocks lookups for domains on its configured lists. As Butler notes, this can help devices such as televisions and streaming boxes that lack conventional browser-based blockers.
However, “network-wide” describes where the filtering happens, not a guarantee that every advertisement disappears. The original report correctly identifies two limits: domains missing from the lists remain unblocked, while domains carrying both advertising and wanted content create a difficult trade-off.
As a practical implication of that DNS-based design, coverage also depends on clients actually using the filtered DNS service. The router is not inspecting and surgically removing every advertisement from every application.
Compatibility is the first installation step
OpenWrt’s installation guidance states that installation is device-specific, while its supported-device guidance directs owners to the project’s Table of Hardware. That rules out choosing firmware merely because its filename resembles the router’s brand or product family.
Before considering a firmware change, establish:
- The router’s precise model and hardware revision.
- Whether that hardware is supported.
- Which installation procedure and firmware image apply to it.
These are compatibility checks, not interchangeable flashing instructions. OpenWrt’s own documentation makes the device-specific procedure the authority.
The takeaway: router-based filtering can complement device-level controls, but it should not be sold as an all-ads-vanish switch.
The useful discovery is access, not just Linux
These examples reveal three distinct opportunities: a television can receive games from a Windows PC, an e-reader can gain a more flexible document viewer, and a compatible router can take on additional network duties. They also expose three different constraints: installation permissions, firmware-dependent access and exact hardware support.
The sensible conclusion is not “modify everything.” It is to start with a task worth solving, then establish whether the particular device supports it.
Finding Linux inside is interesting. Finding a supported way to make the device more useful is the part that matters.