Adobe digital edition 1.8 and linux

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by ATimson

Linux doesn't have a stable application binary interface, meaning that Adobe can't just compile a Linux program and expect it to work on much anything but that one very specific distribution/kernel.

Open source programs can just distribute, well, the source, and make users responsible for compiling it for themselves. But that's not an option for ADE (since the DRM relies on security by obscurity). So Adobe would need to offer dozens if not hundreds of versions of the software if they wanted users to be able to use it.

That's why they can't manage it. There's no one simple target like Windows or Mac OS X.

Weird, valoric compiled sigil once, it works on all linux. How did he managed that magic ?
And I can name quite a few other example that contradict what you're saying.

[DiapDealer]

Linux doesn't have a stable application binary interface, meaning that Adobe can't just compile a Linux program and expect it to work on much anything but that one very specific distribution/kernel.

I was with you up until this point. Almost all flavors of linux have a package management system that deals with installing all the necessary requirements and the proper binaries. Many of the major software vendors include their own repositories for at least debian-based flavors. So while I agree that they're under no obligation to do so... unless they were doing weekly updates like calibre does, the work involved to keep the various repositories updated would be minimal.

In fact, I just installed Adobe's Acrobat Reader via a package repository. And considering how often that gets updated, I can't see Adobe having too difficult a time keeping at least the major distros chugging along with ADE.

Don't have to... I'm with you. Can't... just doesn't wash.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by ATimson

Linux doesn't have a stable application binary interface, meaning that Adobe can't just compile a Linux program and expect it to work on much anything but that one very specific distribution/kernel.

Open source programs can just distribute, well, the source, and make users responsible for compiling it for themselves. But that's not an option for ADE (since the DRM relies on security by obscurity). So Adobe would need to offer dozens if not hundreds of versions of the software if they wanted users to be able to use it.

That's why they can't manage it. There's no one simple target like Windows or Mac OS X.

They wouldn't need to have to offer dozens, or hundreds, of versions. Many non-free (libre) apps just give the basic binaries, and the distros then build the various packages from that. I mean, that is exactly what Adobe does already with Acrobat Reader, and Flash. They use static links to the few libraries they use, so what they need is built into the binary and don't have to worry about where the library files are located or what the filename or version is.