Replacing Kindle for PC in Linux

[Quoth]

Security?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

What is changing on 17 August? (I hope I’ve not done TL;DR)

Sorry, meant to respond to this and forgot. I think August 17th is when Amazon quits store support for their older readers. They've promised that you'll be able to use these readers if the books are bought online via the web or with another supported device, but I'm wondering if you'll still be able to register these older devices going forward. They say your older registered devices will still work, but I'm afraid they may prohibit you (or others) from registering these devices at that point.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Quoth

No, but I know of someone that usually comments in any discussion relating to Linux, "Windows is best for ebooks".

If you want to download and de-drm Amazon books without owning a Kindle device, Windows is best for ebooks.

On Linux or Mac, can you download from Kobo?

I wonder does K4PC report presumed OS version in any way?

I haven't done any studying on it. At a guess, I assume it's a security thing? I remember Nooks needing to be updated to newer firmware to be allowed to continue connecting to the B&N servers.

Also, we don't know that K4PC on XP won't connect to Amazon. We only know you had issues.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

If you want to download and de-drm Amazon books without owning a Kindle device, Windows is best for ebooks.

On Linux or Mac, can you download from Kobo?

The Kobo app has a Mac version so no different from Windows. For Linux, you can download the book using the Actions menu in My Books. No need to have a registered Kobo device. If the downloaded book has no DRM, you can simple add the book to callibre, if it has DRM, a mix of DeDRM and DeACSM will allow you to import the book.[/QUOTE]

[gbm]

Starting in about 2017 until December of 2021 my solution's was a Window VM. The big reasons was a win vm install took about 10 minutes to do and K4PC and ADE just ran. Though the magic of symbolic links my kindle and ADE folders were in a shared with my linux os. Sense I had all of my keys imported to my linux calibre it was no problem to load ebooks.

Now i use DeDRM and DeACSM for Epub and I bought a Kindle 10th Generation 2019 so I use download to usb for AZW now.

My recommendation if you do not own a kindle is to go the VM route with a unregistered win 10 installation and K4PC 1.24.

I recommendation getting a kindle and just not have to deal with K4PC or ADE.

bernie

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

If you want to download and de-drm Amazon books without owning a Kindle device, Windows is best for ebooks.

On Linux or Mac, can you download from Kobo?

There's really no problem working with Amazon books — as is — when using Linux exclusively — at least for now. I'm just a "the glass is half empty" kind of person who's afraid that Amazon will end the USB download option. As is currently, if you have registered older Kindle (or can you use a newer Kindle for this?), it's just a matter of downloading the book and reading it into (or dragging it into) Calibre. I just jumped into this thread because I like the idea of having other options.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I haven't done any studying on it. At a guess, I assume it's a security thing? I remember Nooks needing to be updated to newer firmware to be allowed to continue connecting to the B&N servers.

Also, we don't know that K4PC on XP won't connect to Amazon. We only know you had issues.

I didn't try K4PC 1.17.1 in XP(?) I didn't have any trouble getting it to work in Windows 10, except it automatically updated the first time. When I tried to run it under Wine, I emulated Windows 7. I guess I could have tried other Windows versions, but I'm guessing no emulated version of Windows would have worked under Wine with K4PC. As for Nooks, I'm pretty sure they had to be updated to the TL2(?) security protocols. The Kindles were similarly updated for the same reason (even my old ones). But that has nothing to do with what is happening on (I believe) August 17th when you'll no longer be able to buy books directly on older Kindles.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

As is currently, if you have registered older Kindle (or can you use a newer Kindle for this?), it's just a matter of downloading the book and reading it into (or dragging it into) Calibre. I just jumped into this thread because I like the idea of having other options.

Currently, Amazon does not supply KFX format ebooks using the Download & transfer via USB so the age of your Kindle does not matter. What Amazon might be going to do in the future is fun speculation.

TLS 1.2 but really should be using TLS 1.3 since TLS 1.2 was introduced back in 2008 and is no longer as secure as it was.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Currently, Amazon does not supply KFX format ebooks using the Download & transfer via USB so the age of your Kindle does not matter.

If the ereader is a DXG or older than Kindle Keyboard 3rd Gen, then you would get only mobi/azw/KF7 rather than the better KF8/AZW3 (when available). The Kindle Keyboard 3rd Gen needs to be updated to last FW, or at least not original as originally it didn't support azw3/KF8. All later models except the DXG do (The DXG is really a DX with updated screen, hence though it was released between KK3 and next 6" Kindle, it's older firmware and design).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Quoth

If the ereader is a DXG or older than Kindle Keyboard 3rd Gen, then you would get only mobi/azw/KF7 rather than the better KF8/AZW3 (when available). The Kindle Keyboard 3rd Gen needs to be updated to last FW, or at least not original as originally it didn't support azw3/KF8. All later models except the DXG do (The DXG is really a DX with updated screen, hence though it was released between KK3 and next 6" Kindle, it's older firmware and design).

Okay, the oldest I have is a Kindle Keyboard (3) so I guess that's why I get AZW3s, whether I pick it or the Kindle Basic (no touch).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Currently, Amazon does not supply KFX format ebooks using the Download & transfer via USB so the age of your Kindle does not matter. What Amazon might be going to do in the future is fun speculation.

Didn't realize that. I guess people suggested older Kindles just because they were cheaper. I thought it changed from AZW3 to KFX depending on your device. That's what I get for assuming. So the news is (currently) better than I thought.

Originally Posted by DNSB

TLS 1.2 but really should be using TLS 1.3 since TLS 1.2 was introduced back in 2008 and is no longer as secure as it was.

I knew "2" was involved somewhere in there. Sorry for the bad information. Thanks for the correction.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Didn't realize that. I guess people suggested older Kindles just because they were cheaper. I thought it changed from AZW3 to KFX depending on your device. That's what I get for assuming. So the news is (currently) better than I thought.

Older devices that can't handle KF8/AZW3 will get KF7 aka mobi so I prefer a device that will get KF8/AZW3 since it offers better features than mobi.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Older devices that can't handle KF8/AZW3 will get KF7 aka mobi so I prefer a device that will get KF8/AZW3 since it offers better features than mobi.

So any Kindle after the Kindle 2 (excluding the DX's) will get KF8/AZW3 files with the transfer via USB feature. I guess it's easier to just say that any 3rd generation and above Kindle will get AZW3 files.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by rcentros

So any Kindle after the Kindle 2 (excluding the DX's) will get KF8/AZW3 files with the transfer via USB feature. I guess it's easier to just say that any 3rd generation and above Kindle will get AZW3 files.

The K3 and K4 also must have a high enough firmware version for amazon to send KF8.

Kindles with KFX capable hardware that were released before KFX that have a low enough firmare version will get KF8/azw3 even wirelessly.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

The K3 and K4 also must have a high enough firmware version for amazon to send KF8.

Kindles with KFX capable hardware that were released before KFX that have a low enough firmare version will get KF8/azw3 even wirelessly.

The last FW is good enough for KK3 and AZW3/KF8. FW 3.4.3
https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...MQC26VQQMM8XSW
I don't know when they added azw3 to FW, maybe 3.2.x? Certainly the last FW for DXG and other models before KK3 is 2.5.8 and only does KF7 (old mobi, azw and maybe some other old formats) and PDF.

The KK3 didn't have azw3 support when I got it s/h, but did after I did a manual FW update. I think the KK4 etc had azw3 from launch.
If there is "Publisher" as an option under Aa then it does AZW3/KF8.
Oddly the KK3 manages images more accurately, the last FW on my PW3 (not been updated since maybe 5.12.x) sometimes does image sizes badly.

[BalooRJ]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The Kobo app has a Mac version so no different from Windows. For Linux, you can download the book using the Actions menu in My Books. No need to have a registered Kobo device. If the downloaded book has no DRM, you can simple add the book to callibre, if it has DRM, a mix of DeDRM and DeACSM will allow you to import the book.

Thanks so much, this is what I needed to know. I wasn't sure if you could download epub purchased books from the Kobo website. so I'll give that a spin.