Which devices does CrossNotes run on?

The Xteink X4 and the Xteink X3. It is built on CrossInk and supports the same hardware.

How is CrossNotes different from CrossInk?

CrossNotes is a fork of CrossInk. It adds tags and written notes on highlights, a phone interface for editing them, and Markdown export. Everything else in CrossInk is unchanged.

Where are the notes stored?

On the SD card, under /.crosspoint/notes/, as JSON files. They can be read without the device.

Can I go back to CrossInk or the stock Xteink firmware?

Yes. Flash the other firmware with the same web installer. Books, highlights and notes live on the SD card and are not affected by flashing.

CrossNotes — Notes and Annotation Firmware for the Xteink X4 and X3 (CrossInk fork)

What it adds

Tags on highlights. After saving a highlight, a picker offers ! ? * ~ + = # < >, or no tag.
Written notes. Typed on the device with the built-in keyboard, or later from the clipping menu. Tag and note appear under each highlight in the list.
Notes Connect. The device opens a Wi-Fi hotspot and shows a QR code. The page it leads to lists every highlight and takes notes typed on a phone or computer keyboard, searches highlight and note text, and copies a highlight, its note, or both to the clipboard.
Filtering and sorting. The notes list filters by tag, and sorts by date added or by position in the book.
Markdown export. A book's highlights, tags and notes download as one Markdown file.
Notes and Bookmarks screen. Lists every annotated book with its highlight, note and bookmark counts, so notes can be read without opening the book.
Everything CrossInk does. Reader, fonts, reading statistics, dictionary lookup and file transfer are unchanged, and CrossInk's updates are merged in.

Installation

Download firmware-*.bin from the releases page.
Connect the X4 or X3 by USB-C and wake it.
Open the CrossPoint web installer, select the device, choose Custom .bin, flash.

Flashing replaces the firmware only. Books, highlights and notes are on the SD card and stay there. Stock firmware or CrossInk can be flashed back from the same page.

Where the notes live

Notes and tags are written to the SD card under /.crosspoint/notes/ as JSON, one file per book. Highlights stay in CrossInk's own format under /.crosspoint/clippings/. Nothing is sent anywhere, and no account is involved — the phone interface runs on the device's own hotspot.

Lineage

CrossPoint Reader is the open-source firmware project for these e-readers. CrossInk is a fork of it that reworks fonts and the reader. CrossNotes is a fork of CrossInk that adds the note-taking described above, and merges CrossInk's releases as they appear.

Questions

Which devices does it run on?: The Xteink X4 and X3. Built on CrossInk, so the same hardware support applies.
How is it different from CrossInk?: It adds tags, notes, the phone interface and Markdown export. Nothing in CrossInk is removed.
Does it replace the stock Xteink software?: Yes. It replaces the firmware on the device. The stock software can be flashed back at any time.
Does it cost anything?: No. MIT licence, source on GitHub.
Can I go back?: Yes, by flashing CrossInk or stock firmware from the same installer. SD card contents are untouched.
Is it finished?: It works and is used daily, but it is a personal project by one person. Bugs are possible. Report them on GitHub.