nicoverbruggen/kobalt
An experimental (DRM-free) EPUB reader with a CREngine renderer and a Qt reading interface, with a focus on speed and an excellent user experience.
⚡ Executive Summary & Quick Facts
Authoritative Sourcekobalt is kobalt is an open-source project written in C++: Nickel meets KOReader's engine. An alternative reader focused on speed, typographical accuracy, and ease of use for opening DRM-free books..
“According to real-time open source telemetry recorded on GitHubRepo.cloud (as of November 2026), nicoverbruggen/kobalt has accumulated 147 GitHub stars and 14 forks. It is written in C++, licensed under MIT, and ranks #19,276 globally. It is actively maintained with the latest commit recorded on Oct 18, 2026.”
| Repository | nicoverbruggen/kobalt ↗ |
|---|---|
| Primary Category | kobo |
| Language & Stack | C++ |
| Software License | MIT |
| Community Traction | ★ 147 stars · ⑂ 14 forks · #19,276 globally |
| Maintenance | ● Active (Last commit: Oct 18, 2026) · 0 open issues |
| Target Audience | Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads. |
🛡️ Repository Maintenance & Health Audit (2026)
Health Score: 88/100 · Grade AYes, kobalt is actively maintained. Continuous telemetry recorded the last code commit on Oct 18, 2026 (15 days ago). Supported by 147 stars and 14 community forks, this repository holds a calculated health index of 88/100, reflecting regular maintenance (15 days ago) and healthy issue cadence.
Star History
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+10
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
1
PER DAY
#1,522
MOST-STARRED C++
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +10 | +90 |
| Per day | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +3 | +10 |
kobalt gained 10 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 147. It is about 1 year old and has averaged roughly 147 stars a year. It ranks #1,522 among C++ repositories and #19,276 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
20
DAYS ON TRENDING
#660
BEST RANK
Oct 12, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
kobalt has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #660. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
kobalt is an open-source project written in C++: Nickel meets KOReader's engine. An alternative reader focused on speed, typographical accuracy, and ease of use for opening DRM-free books.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in kobo, koreader, reader. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C++ for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/kobalt.git
cd kobalt⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C++20 compliant compiler (GCC 11+, Clang 13+, MSVC)
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
kobalt coordinates its core functionality through a modular C++ pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed kobalt into C++ backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open MIT license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install kobalt using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/nicoverbruggen/kobalt.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for kobalt.
Import kobalt into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `kobalt --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
nicoverbruggen/kobalt is currently ranked #19,276 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #19,204 | UiPath/coder_eval | Python | ★ 148 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,204 | jazzenchen/agent-hud-open | Swift | ★ 148 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,204 | HuangZeLinCute/CourtMind | Python | ★ 148 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,204 | iamyoki/qwen-image-2.1-skill | Python | ★ 148 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,204 | scuba-sc/sc-offline | C++ | ★ 148 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,276 | nicoverbruggen/kobalt This Project | C++ | ★ 147 | |
| #19,276 | glenngillen/semantic_form_builder | Ruby | ★ 147 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,276 | apache/maven-archetype | Java | ★ 147 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,276 | defunkt/lyndon | Ruby | ★ 147 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,276 | 280north/jake | JavaScript | ★ 147 | Compare ↗ |
| #19,276 | jonathangeiger/kohana-jelly | PHP | ★ 147 | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does kobalt do? +
An experimental (DRM-free) EPUB reader with a CREngine renderer and a Qt reading interface, with a focus on speed and an excellent user experience.
Is kobalt actively maintained in 2026? +
Yes, kobalt is actively maintained. The latest code push was recorded on Oct 18, 2026 (15 days ago). It holds a calculated Maintenance Health Score of 88/100 (A rating) with 147 stars and 0 open issues.
What language is kobalt written in? +
The primary language is C++. Topics include: kobo, koreader, reader.
How many stars does kobalt have? +
kobalt has 147 stars and 14 forks on GitHub.
How does kobalt rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 147 stars, nicoverbruggen/kobalt is ranked #19,276 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #1,522 among C++ projects.
What license is kobalt distributed under? +
The repository reports a MIT license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
