PRS-500 Ubuntu with Reader

[SciFiReader]

I have started to phase out from Windows to Ubuntu Linux on my older Intel machine. Is there a version of BookDesigner, or any type of Reader software available that will run on Ubuntu? Now that Dell has started to sell machines with Ubuntu pre-loaded, we may have more interest in this from our members.
P.S. If you haven't played with Ubuntu, try it. It has a very neat, fun interface and comes loaded with a host of desktop, audio and video software.

[kovidgoyal]

libprs500

[Vash]

Originally Posted by SciFiReader

I have started to phase out from Windows to Ubuntu Linux on my older Intel machine. Is there a version of BookDesigner, or any type of Reader software available that will run on Ubuntu? Now that Dell has started to sell machines with Ubuntu pre-loaded, we may have more interest in this from our members.
P.S. If you haven't played with Ubuntu, try it. It has a very neat, fun interface and comes loaded with a host of desktop, audio and video software.

I just recently switched completely to Ubuntu as well. I've attempted to do everything I do with my computer in the linux world but I have found that there are a few things I need. libprs500 can do content management on my reader rather well (aka moving books onto the device and deleting old books) and if you've got alot of time to format html books html2lrf will do a fairly good job. PDFs worlk well with pdfread which uses python and is cross platform. But I do keep a virtual machine of windows for so far only 2 applications. Book Designer and Connect. I hate to say it but the functionality of BD has everything I want and has no linux equiv as of yet. The only reason I use the connect software is to preview lrfs for content as there is not a lrf viewer in linux as of yet either. From what I can see the libprs500 project seems to want to scratch some of these itches but I do not think it will be as complete a solution as the other two.

just my 2 pennies

Vash

[kovidgoyal]

What functionality of BD can you not replicate in linux?

[kenbaldwin]

Funny you should mention it. I'm seriously considering getting the new Dell laptop with Ubuntu preinstalled. My home machine badly needs to be upgraded, and I'd love to ditch Windows. I'm going through all the apps I rely on looking for good Linux alternatives.

libprs500 looks like a good option for transferring books to the Reader, though I wish it would update the layout info in cache.xml with pagination info--that's the ONLY thing I value in Connect. Also, all my books are RTF, so I'm looking forward to libprs500 editing RTF metadata (scheduled for the next iteration, I believe).

I do most of my ebook formatting using Perl scripts and Word macros. Hopefully, I can port the Word macros to OpenOffice without too much effort.

Is there any way to purchase .LIT books on a Linux machine?

Ken

[kacir]

Get a card and an usb card reader.
You can create rtf files using OpenOffice.org or any of numerous word processors from Koffice or Gnome Office to some fancy html2rtf convertor or even LaTeX.

I am using OpenOffice.org on FreeBSD.

[SciFiReader]

Mistake entry

[SciFiReader]

Great suggestions which I will try. One other question...How did you load Connect in the virtual Windows environment? When I tried it, and was loading from the Sony CD, it couldn't get past the need to connect to the internet with the virtual environment as it was loading. Do I need to load Connect another way?

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by kenbaldwin

libprs500 looks like a good option for transferring books to the Reader, though I wish it would update the layout info in cache.xml with pagination info--that's the ONLY thing I value in Connect. Also, all my books are RTF, so I'm looking forward to libprs500 editing RTF metadata (scheduled for the next iteration, I believe).

You don't need to edit the RTF metadata. If you edit the metadata in the libprs500 GUI and then transfer to the reader, the reader should use the updated metadata, even though it's not present in the RTF file.

[kenbaldwin]

Thanks, but if I'm going to go to the trouble of editing metadata, I'd prefer to keep my RTF files in sync. I don't like the idea of only updating a copy of the metadata in the libprs db. That work would all be lost if I switched to a different system in the future.

But it would be very convenient to be able to the edit the metadata in the files themselves through the libprs GUI (a la iTunes). Much easier than opening each file individually.

Ken

[Vash]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

What functionality of BD can you not replicate in linux?

Well, Book Designer... I know that's not a true answer but BD does almost everything I want. Direct output to LRF with sane formatting without individual tweaking.. Most of the time I just import a file type and output to lrf, with it automagicly formatting chapter headings with new page breaks etc. Also sony connect for direct lrf viewing. One of these days I might decide to take up python and build a lrf viewer but I currently dont have the skillset to do so. There are some formatting options for linux (most of them your work kovidoayal) but I like gui hand holding and wysiwyg formating options which are not availaible for linux yet.

Vash

[kovidgoyal]

I agree that viewing LRF's is something important that's missing from Linux.
Actually I've often thought of writing an LRF renderer as it's reasonably easy to do that would support the most commonly used subset of LRS tags. It's just that I have more pressing things on my TODO list.

However, html2lrf will output directly to LRF with sane formatting as well, without any individual tweaking. In fact html2lrf was originally written because I wanted a tool that would "do the right thing" almost always without any need for user intervention, as I like to be able to decide I want to read a book and be reading it a few minutes later. html2lrf will put page breaks before chapter heading in most cases, if it doesn't you can always edit the HTML in a GUI and add the page breaks.

I apologize for ranting, it's just that I get riled up when people deny themselves a powerful tool simply for lack of a GUI, especially when the command-line is actually easier to use, so please feel free to ignore all of the above

[Vash]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I agree that viewing LRF's is something important that's missing from Linux.
Actually I've often thought of writing an LRF renderer as it's reasonably easy to do that would support the most commonly used subset of LRS tags. It's just that I have more pressing things on my TODO list.

However, html2lrf will output directly to LRF with sane formatting as well, without any individual tweaking. In fact html2lrf was originally written because I wanted a tool that would "do the right thing" almost always without any need for user intervention, as I like to be able to decide I want to read a book and be reading it a few minutes later. html2lrf will put page breaks before chapter heading in most cases, if it doesn't you can always edit the HTML in a GUI and add the page breaks.

I apologize for ranting, it's just that I get riled up when people deny themselves a powerful tool simply for lack of a GUI, especially when the command-line is actually easier to use, so please feel free to ignore all of the above

For the most part, I agree with you. The case can be made for both approaches. In all acuality I'd perfer something that held both componets. A command line interface for batch scripting as well as a gui for editing. I just came across a parsing error in html2lrf (I dont want to troubleshoot it I think it has something to do with the format of html, open office doesnt output that cleanly from an rtf) but the traceback was weird and I had to dig to find out what the error meant. I guess what I'm saying is we need more tools and not just for the cli folks, but those just coming off the windows bandwagon and seeing what life is like in this Compositor/Network Transparent/Semi-Bulletproof/Malware free world of linux. Those folks have lit files and dont know how to rip them with clit before processing them batch style with html2lrf, or RTF files with inline graphics and tables, or even a barely formatted txt file that needs some sprucing. Taking those files from Nautilus (or konq if you perfer) and drag/dropping them into an app and watching it see your chapter headings and centering them and bolding them and then drawing a nice horz line below the chapter text and then spacing off the line for a new paragraph... Thats some functionality that can make life well and good for some folks, including me :> (BTW your ranting is encouraged :> Sometimes its the gateway to creativity)

Vash

[kovidgoyal]

If you came across a parsing error, I want to know about it! Please open a bug report and attach the offending HTML here
https://libprs500.kovidgoyal.net/newticket

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Vash

Well, Book Designer... I know that's not a true answer but BD does almost everything I want. Direct output to LRF with sane formatting without individual tweaking.. Most of the time I just import a file type and output to lrf, with it automagicly formatting chapter headings with new page breaks etc. Also sony connect for direct lrf viewing. One of these days I might decide to take up python and build a lrf viewer but I currently dont have the skillset to do so. There are some formatting options for linux (most of them your work kovidoayal) but I like gui hand holding and wysiwyg formating options which are not available for linux yet.

Vash

You say you want a GUI which is why you like Book Designer better then html2lrf. I do understand that. You also say there are no wysiwyg options for Linux. There is were I have to disagree. Because html2lrf uses HTML to format the book before the conversion to LRF, just use a wysiwyg HTML editor and then you have your GUI. Problem solved for Linux.