PRS-650 PRS-650 can I use it with Linux?

[boxcorner]

I too use Ubuntu 10.04 LTS which recognizes the reader as a drive, so Copy & Paste can be used. Calibre works fine for me too. However, I was more interested in the PRS-650's ability to read ePub format and less interested in DRM'd books.

If you are unsure where files are located, then you might find this helpful:

Sony PRS-650 Folder/file storage structure hierarchy

[tpw]

Is sony keeping up their proud tradition of great hardware and abysmal software? I still have nightmares from my minidisc / sonicstage days

I use my 650 exclusively under linux with calibre, a great combination, so hopefully will never need to use the software.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by tpw

Is sony keeping up their proud tradition of great hardware and abysmal software? I still have nightmares from my minidisc / sonicstage days

I use my 650 exclusively under linux with calibre, a great combination, so hopefully will never need to use the software.

Presumably you're referring to Sony's reader library software, designed to enable PCs to access their reader store, rather than the software that the 650 itself uses (ie OS, touch-screen interface, applications, menu system, its dozen dictionaries and so on). I haven't used the former yet, but think the latter works fine. I still have Windows in a dual-boot partition, so could register my PC, but don't feel inclined to buy any books while there are still so many good ones freely available that I haven't read.

[tpw]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

Presumably you're referring to Sony's reader library software, designed to enable PCs to access their reader store, rather than the software that the 650 itself uses (ie OS, touch-screen interface, applications, menu system, its dozen dictionaries and so on). I haven't used the former yet, but think the latter works fine. I still have Windows in a dual-boot partition, so could register my PC, but don't feel inclined to buy any books while there are still so many good ones freely available that I haven't read.

Absolutely. The actual 650 firmware is a joy.

[RVnook]

I own a nook, but I wanted the Reader Library software to work under Linux so I could consider eBooks from the Sony store, especially when they have free books that are not available from the Barnes & Noble store.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by RVnook

... I wanted the Reader Library software to work under Linux ...

Did you succeed? Anyone tried doing it using Wine?

Addendum
Oops sorry, I missed Abisha's, TSquared's and RVnook's posts. I must be going blind.

[KenJackson]

Some success.

To install books that are not DRM-corrupted, I can simply copy them to the device or use calibre on Linux.

But the only way I can get DRM-corrupted files onto my Reader in readable form is to run Sony's Reader Library software under real Windows (which I run under VirtualBox).

I haven't even been able to run the inept python scripts (to remove the corruption) because they are extremely Windows-centric. Though I eventually expect to learn enough python to modify them into something more generic.

[HarmonS]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

Some success.

To install books that are not DRM-corrupted, I can simply copy them to the device or use calibre on Linux.

But the only way I can get DRM-corrupted files onto my Reader in readable form is to run Sony's Reader Library software under real Windows (which I run under VirtualBox).

I haven't even been able to run the inept python scripts (to remove the corruption) because they are extremely Windows-centric. Though I eventually expect to learn enough python to modify them into something more generic.

I got Adobe Digital Edition working okay with Wine under linux (the latest Debian) and I also got python and pycrypto installed in Wine, so I can run the inept scripts okay, and can now download books through ADE from the library or wherever, and then strip the DRM off them. That all works, but couldn't get Sony's Reader Library to run, it fails with a message about "USBIsConnect Error"
But since Calibre works fine in linux, I can then take the un-drm epub books and put them on my 950. It would be a heck of a lot simpler if Adobe and Sony would just get their act together and put out linux versions of their software -- then they could keep their books nicely drm'ed like they want them. Why doesn't Sony get together with Calibre, who has a much superior product?

[KenJackson]

Interesting.

Originally Posted by HarmonS

... and I also got python and pycrypto installed in Wine, so I can run the inept scripts okay, and can now download books through ADE from the library or wherever, and then strip the DRM off them.

That's good, but loading a Windows version of Python under Wine is an offensive concept to me.

Python, like so many scripting languages before it, is supposed to be a write once, run everywhere language. A python program that runs on Windows should run on Linux. Java started out that way, but Microsoft peed in the pool with incompatible versions of Java for Windows. Yeah, yeah, I know this is a different issue, because there is data that has to be retrieved from the Windows-specific registry, but it still stinks of Windows requiring everything to be unique for it.

I started out thinking I would clean up Windows-centric stuff or add Linux components to complement it. But I'm new to Python and I realized there's a lot to learn. And learning Python right is even a bigger goal than straightening out this particular app. (But I'm not even working on that yet.)

Originally Posted by HarmonS

It would be a heck of a lot simpler if Adobe and Sony would just get their act together and put out linux versions of their software ...

You got that right.

[delphin]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

Interesting.

That's good, but loading a Windows version of Python under Wine is an offensive concept to me. ...

If it's any consolation, you only have to have wine and the windowz version of Python installed temporarily.

Once you run the initial key extraction script (which only needs to be run ONCE), your actual day-to-day operations using the decryption scripts (or calibre pluggins) can run right from Linux using the Linux native versions of Python and Pycrypto.

Aside from setting the execute bit, I also had to re-save the scripts from gedit so that they had 'nix style line endings (REALLY REALLY REALLY STUPID THAT LINUX SCRIPTING IS STILL RETARDED ENOUGH TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AS THIS).

In the end, once you get past these minor annoyances, you can run the DRM Scripts or Calibre Pluggins very quickly and reliably using Linux's native Python libraries.

I do hope that Adobe will take the time to port Adobe Digital Editions over to Linux as a native application, because I still have to run ADE under Wine, and there are minor occasional screen update issues when actually using it to read with. For actually downloading books though, ADE has been fairly reliable under Wine, so I can't complain.

[Freeshadow]

I do hope that Adobe will take the time to port Adobe Digital Editions over to Linux as a native application

it would be great, but I'm not holding my breath...

[mrmls]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

I haven't even been able to run the inept python scripts (to remove the corruption) because they are extremely Windows-centric. Though I eventually expect to learn enough python to modify them into something more generic.

I am able to run those python scripts under Linux with no problems. Of course, to get the key I used Windows with ADE once. It is not necessary to do it more than one time.

Also, as soon as my device is activated in Windows through terrible Reader's software (again one time activity) I am able to copy DRMed books in Linux.

[KenJackson]

Originally Posted by mrmls

Also, as soon as my device is activated in Windows through terrible Reader's software (again one time activity) I am able to copy DRMed books in Linux.

Could you expand on this, please? I have bought ebooks corrupted by Adobe DRM and downloaded them to my Sony Reader through the Sony Reader Library software (running on Windows in VirtualBox). So I guess, like you, my device is activated.

Are you saying I can now buy a DRM-corrupted book and download it from a browser to my Linux PC and copy it to the Reader without using Sony Reader Library? (Like I do with uncorrupted books.) And that I'll be able to read it?

I would like that. Though I'm a little fuzzy on why it would work.

[delphin]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

Could you expand on this, please? I have bought ebooks corrupted by Adobe DRM and downloaded them to my Sony Reader through the Sony Reader Library software (running on Windows in VirtualBox). So I guess, like you, my device is activated.

Are you saying I can now buy a DRM-corrupted book and download it from a browser to my Linux PC and copy it to the Reader without using Sony Reader Library? (Like I do with uncorrupted books.) And that I'll be able to read it?

I would like that. Though I'm a little fuzzy on why it would work.

Yep, this should work.

Just make sure that after you load ADE using Wine in Linux, that you then make sure to register it to the same master Adobe ADE account that you used with Windows. That way any books downloaded in Linux will use the same master DRM key as your Sony is currently registered with.

As long as the DRM key is the same, the Sony is actually pretty easy to deal with DRM wise, because then you can either use Calibre to transfer your books, or simply drag the DRM'd books onto your Sony using Gnome or KDE's file manager.

This works with purchased books, but not with library books, which have special requirements due to the expiration date, and therefor need to either be transfered to the Sony from inside ADE, or have the DRM stripped if they to be transfered by drag-and-drop or via Calibre.

Unfortunately, it's a royal pain to get ADE to recognize the Sony, so it can properly transfer DRM books, so most folks go the other route and strip the DRM.

If you do want to try to get ADE working the way it is supposed to under Wine in Linux, ADE can reportedly be made to recognize the Sony under Wine by using 'winecfg' to make the Sony's USB mount point look like a removable DOS type drive.

This is more than some can manage, and doesn't always work, which is why a lot of folks just give up and strip the DRM using a variant of the I-heart-cabbages scripts or a DRM decoding plugin, and then load the cleaned up books using simple drag-and-drop or Calibre.

As already stated above, once you have used the one time script to extract your local DRM key, both the Python scripts and the Calibre DRM plugins will run seamlessly under Linux, giving you full access to your books.

[delphin]

Originally Posted by mrmls

I am able to run those python scripts under Linux with no problems. Of course, to get the key I used Windows with ADE once. It is not necessary to do it more than one time.

Also, as soon as my device is activated in Windows through terrible Reader's software (again one time activity) I am able to copy DRMed books in Linux.

Yep, one option is to extract the required adeptkey.der file on a Windows PC then move it to Linux.

Another option, for those that don't have a Windows box available, is to install Adobe Reader and ADE under wine in Linux, then crank up ADE and register it and generate and extract your DRM key under Linux Wine.

To do this, after ADE is registered under Wine, you will need to load the Win32 versions of Python and PyCrypto libraries into Wine, then run the Python key extraction script from a 'wineconsole cmd' virtual C:\> prompt (this is easier if you copy the ineptkey script right into the wine C:\Python26 folder, then CD to that folder to run the script).

Running the key extraction script from a 'wineconsole cmd' virtual C:\ prompt allows it to run inside the virtual wine environment and find your local ADE key so you can use it to make your legally downloaded ADE DRM books readable under Linux.