is there a guide for how to use an ereader in linux?

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If I was stuck using Windows Vista, I owuld possibly try Linux. But as Windows 7 works well and so does Windows 8.1 (with a few customizations), there's no need to switch. What is it that Linux has that Windows doesn't?

If you're happy with Windows, then Linux probably doesn't have anything to offer you. No need to fret about it. Linux isn't for everyone, just as Windows isn't for everyone.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I know people don't like to hear they are best to switch operating systems to get done what they want done. The only OS that really needs a switch is XP if you have a processor capable of running Windows 8.1.

Hey JS. Here's the stats on my computer:
Dell Optiplex 170 L
1.5 GB RAM
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80GHz
distro is Xubuntu 14.10
Hard drive a massive 39GB

Back when I was still running XP on it, I researched (using Windows online tool) if I could run Windows 7. Nope. So not only was I unable to run Windows 8.1 I couldn't even run Windows 7.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

XP is slow and no longer supported by Calibre or Sigil. And if you don't know what your processor is capable of, then you'll possible have crashes and data loss. Switching to Linux from XP won't help if the process is not up to the task. They only think Linux will do is allow you to install versions of Calibre and Sigil that might not work.

Yes, XP was slow, but the Linux I have that replaced it is FAST. And I have the latest Calibre and Sigil 0.7.2 on it and they both work great.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One problem with some versions of Linux is that the users get their software/updates from the repository and that's not always kept updated. We quite often see Calibre support messages from a Linux user who is using some outdated version of Calibre or some outdated support software because the repository is not updated. This is one issue with Linux that is more common then some realize.

Agreed. Some versions in the software center are not always the latest. But if you're even half-aware you know that you need to check that you're not using an ancient version. And with Calibre every time the screen comes up you're reminded there's a new version available. In other words, this is not a big problem.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Linux could be very misleading. Since the computer in use is old, it could be that it's not capable of running Qt5. While Linux will allow installing the latest Calibre and the latest Sigil, that does not mean it's a good thing if Qt5 will not work. So the best solution is to run a check on that computer to see if it is capable of running Windows 8.1. If it's not, then seriously, it's time for a new computer as Linux won't help in place of XP. In fact, it could be the wrong way to go for a computer unable to run what's wanted to be run since the installs will work but the software will not cause possible data loss and crashes. I'm not saying Greg should run Windows or Linux. But he should know what his computer is capable of and if it's not capable of running Windows 8.1, then it's not capable of running Qt5 and that leaves out new versions of Calibre and Sigil.

If a new computer is needed then chances are it will come with Windows 8.1 and I suggest installing Classic Start Menu and using that.

I don't know if I have Qt5 but I do know that all my software works just fine and I have no data loss and the computer almost never crashes and the few times it does it's back up in seconds. (The opposite of what happened on Windows.)

That's one of the amazing things about Linux--it takes up so little juice. My computer was lumbering along with XP. A dinosaur. The switch to Linux made it seem like it was brand new. And this is like a 12-year-old computer.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Stability. Ease of maintenance. No malware issues. No constant anti-malware application maintenance. No Registry corruption. Sensible file structure. No Blue/Black Screens of Death. NO REGISTRY CORRUPTION. No built-in obsolescence. Almost all programs load (and update) from a single repository, with a single (universal) update command. No Registry corruption. Choice of many desktops -- not stuck with Microsoft's newest desktop dictates (like no Start Menu). Can use much less powerful hardware. No Registry corruption. Choice. Lots of choice. And, in case I missed it, no Registry corruption.

Originally Posted by rcentros

...And I'm not a zealot...

I am afraid you have fully qualified yourself as a "zealot" as what you have to say about supposed Window's issues is gross exaggeration, and what you have to say about Linux on PC's in a non professional or in other than an enthusiast's environment is grossly glorified.

I have been a user of Windows or involved with both business and industrial applications (including managing their development) of it throughout its history (of course, Linux is used properly in a well justified manner in those professional environments also). Those have included the likes of SCADA and Remote Monitoring and Maintenance Systems in Windows environments in critical industrial applications where failure has severe consequences and system stability is paramount. Your claims are grossly exaggerated and are frankly a load of rubbish and in my opinion making them illustrates foolishness. As with all OSs some users will experience problems, but the frequency of user problems has to be seen against the context of the statistics.

As JSWolf has pointed out problems experienced with Calibre by Linux users far outnumbers those experienced by Windows users. I also follow closely two other complex applications which are available for both Linux and Apple, as well as Windows platforms (and like Calibre the developer's platforms are Linux) and for both of those Linux users experience far more problems than Windows users do; in fact for those other two applications they experience the very large majority of the problems (I do not know the exact statistics for Calibre). Most of the problems are related to the user's difficulties arising out of their use of Linux itself, not the fault of the application itself. Furthermore, that is even though all three applications I mention are developed in Linux by Linux developers.

To put that in context it is estimated that 90-95% (the figure depending on whose you read) of all PC OS installations are MSWindows. The remaining 5-10% are in the main Linux and Apple. So the installed Linux base is at best of order 5%, yet from that small base comes the majority of user problems in the cases of applications available in both Windows and Linux. To ignore that fact is silly and the message is clear as to what is the best OS for most users who just want an easy to use, generally problem free environment (I have ignored Apple here but it would seem to me that the statistics also favour Apple over Linux).

Now I am not knocking Linux at all, it is a fine and long lived OS for professionally managed systems and for specialised ones. In fact the original poster's needs may be a low level of specialisation if the need is targeted to a few applications on a platform unable to otherwise support the application of most importance to him. But it is not those things I am addressing here but your misinformed claims as to problems with Windows and the propensity of amateur Linux zealots to promote Linux to all and sundry as being the best operating system.

Average users do not want to have the "fun" of tweaking and playing with their operating system, nor wanting to have the challenges of a much higher frequency of problems within such an environment. The fact is that for average users Windows (and Apple) are the wise choices and in general it is both a disservice and illustrative of a non appreciation of the real world to recommend otherwise.

Linux has its place of superiority only with its fiddling fanboys and fangirls small scale PC environments (who comprise a minute percentage of total users) and in some specialist and some professional situations (for which I include professional ITs in their home environment as well as their workplace).

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Linux has its place of superiority only with its fiddling fanboys and fangirls small scale PC environments (who comprise a minute percentage of total users) and in some specialist and some professional situations (for which I include professional ITs in their home environment as well as their workplace).

I'm none of those and I use Linux exclusively. I think you overstepped in your enthusiasm.

[Alexander Turcic]

Coming from a Linux server environment, I recently switched to Linux exclusively (my notebook is now Fedora-only). When it comes to ebooks, I use calibre for archiving and converting, and FBReader for quickly reviewing epubs. So far that worked very well for me.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Most people use computers to run applications on, not because they prefer one operating system over another, and it's perhaps easy to overlook this in our "enthusiasm" for an o/s.

Sure, if you're just buying a computer for web browsing, email, and word processing (which studies have shown is all that many computers get used for), you can use pretty much any o/s you like. If, however, you have more specific application needs, then that drives the choice of o/s.

Eg, I'm a keen photographer, and I'd be lost without Adobe Lightroom, so that constrains my choice of o/s to either Windows or Mac, and my personal preference is for Windows. I'm sure that there probably are Linux apps that can do most of what Lightroom does, but I don't want to have to learn how to use a new app. I'm happy with what I have.

Yes. I have one program that I use in my hobby of digitizing and "restoring" old records (mostly LPs, but some 45s and 78s) which has no Linux version or any Linux equivalent (that I like). For that reason I keep my old XP box limping along until I get my new box up and running.

I spend much more time on my netbook (running Ubuntu) doing just about everything else.

In all honesty, I also do some audio work on the netbook -- especially jobs like converting the WAV files I create into MP3s, tagging them, getting them on and off my MP3 players, etc.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

What is it that Linux has that Windows doesn't?

It is ... different.
You can customize quite a lot of things, or select a distribution that does it the way you like it.

- I personally like running Krusader as my file manager. It has a few features - in relation to sorting books into Calibre. There are windows file managers that have those features, but each of them has only subset of those features.
- I like the fact that I do not need to worry about antivirus programs and I can let the less-technically-savvy household members access my computer without worry about malware and without overseeing them like a hawk.
- I like the fact that when I need a program to do particular thing I just search the net for "what is the best software to do XY in Debian/Ubuntu/Mint Linux" and then just use package manager or commandline "apt-get install XYZ". In some cases I add software repository and on rare occasions [for example Calibre] I use installer or compile software. No need to hunt down shareware, no worry about bringing in piece of software that later starts to beg or installs a toolbar to "improve my browsing experience". This works in 99% of cases.
- there is a silly little thing that I sorely miss in Windows. When I select a piece of text in X-window it gets automatically placed into special clipboard (different from the one activated by Ctrl-C). Then you just press central mouse button to insert the text anywhere. No need to use keyboard shortcuts. Up until recently you couldn't even paste text in Windows console using Ctrl-V
- "zoom in" feature Ctrl+mousewheel works in my favourite programs in my distro - it does work in many Windows programs as well, but not consistently across entire system (including console, system text editor ...)
- sometimes I want to compile some program from source. Vim, for example. In Linux it is much less hassle. Usually you just 'cd' into the source directory and type './configure' 'make' 'sudo make install'. (it was even much better in FreeBSD I used to run). You can run program without 'make install', so you do not have to pollute your system before testing the app, or you can install it into hour home directory.
- I personally like desktop effects, such as "desktop cube" for multiple desktops (in the rare occasions when I do use multiple desktops), I like wobbly windows effects and other animations. I like the extensive configuration options [and angular windows borders in W8.0 and W8.1 annoy me beyond reasonable level (mostly because I suspect they did it on purpose to drive people towards Metro interface)]
- some people use multiple desktops extensively and up until recently those were much better supported under X-window. Combine that with multi-monitor setup.
- I generally like using Unix-like systems
- I like the way I can reinstall the system - I have separate /home partition and two root partitions ready and I can install a new system to a different root partition. So I can use the old and the new system (in effect dual-booting the old and the newly installed system) at the same time sharing /home partition and even have the same mail and firefox configuration in the old and newly installed system (by using symlinks - another thing Windows did not have up until recently, and even in the newest versions of Windows symlinks are not supported very well)

- I *very* strongly dislike having to register the software and the fact that your computer is being held as a hostage until you register with Microsoft or AutoDesk or Adobe or other big software vendor. I dislike the way the users are treated [by default] in Windows and some commercial systems - for example pushing updates regardless of what user wants to do at the moment. You can configure anything you want in Windows - and I *do* - but my Mint Linux comes configured exactly the way I like it out of box.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Every computer is capable of running QT5 when you run it in a VM that can emulate the needed hardware. So what exactly is the problem?

Speed.
When you need to emulate complete hardware then VM has *horrible* performance.
Modern VMs can directly use extra processor cores, for example -- modern processors have direct support for Virtual Machines. That is why VMs are so popular nowadays. You can finally run systems in a VM with a reasonable speed without having super-expensive server-level hardware.

[DuckieTigger]

Speed of course. Speed does not matter that much when all the VM does is download a book and strip the DRM. The other points in my post have been largely ignored - the ones concerning easy instructions.

If you have a solution, including easy instructions, that avoids a new computer and any virtualization, please do share.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Speed of course. Speed does not matter that much when all the VM does is download a book and strip the DRM. The other points in my post have been largely ignored - the ones concerning easy instructions.

If you have a solution, including easy instructions, that avoids a new computer and any virtualization, please do share.

Share easy instructions on how to strip DRM on Mobileread?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Hey JS. Here's the stats on my computer:
Dell Optiplex 170 L
1.5 GB RAM
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.80GHz
distro is Xubuntu 14.10
Hard drive a massive 39GB

Back when I was still running XP on it, I researched (using Windows online tool) if I could run Windows 7. Nope. So not only was I unable to run Windows 8.1 I couldn't even run Windows 7.

Given that you cannot run Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on that computer, it's time for a new computer. IT sounds like that computer isn't going to run Qt5 and that's needed for the latest Sigil and the latest Calibre.

Because you now run Linux, you will be allowed to install them. But that doesn't mean they will work.

[Alexander Turcic]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given that you cannot run Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on that computer, it's time for a new computer. IT sounds like that computer isn't going to run Qt5 and that's needed for the latest Sigil and the latest Calibre.

To me this setup sounds like a perfect Linux candidate. I am still using an ancient Thinkpad (a X200s), which I love dear for its portability. It doesn't run well with Windows 7, but it works great with Linux.

Gregg, if you are new to Linux I recommend something like Linux Mint. It's a relative light-weight distribution and it works well out of the box.

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

I am afraid you have fully qualified yourself as a "zealot" as what you have to say about supposed Window's issues is gross exaggeration

To be fair: rcentros is most likely comparing a recent Linux distribution to XP, a modern OS to an older OS with a multitude of patches. This is a valid comparison if someone is using older hardware that recent versions of Windows don't support. In the context of XP, the only thing that comes off as "zealot-like" in rcentros' comment is the emphasis on the registry.

Linux has its place of superiority only with its fiddling fanboys and fangirls small scale PC environments (who comprise a minute percentage of total users) and in some specialist and some professional situations (for which I include professional ITs in their home environment as well as their workplace).

That depends upon how you measure superiority and are willing to grant that they are equals for many non-enthusiasts.

To give you an idea of what I mean, consider older hardware. You have some people using old machines because upgrading their computer is not a priority and other people are using old machines because they cannot afford to upgrade. If these people are taking their computer online, they should be keeping their software up-to-date. For them, that means spending money and taking time to install Windows. It likely means spending money and taking time to get new hardware. Linux solves most of those problems. The only one it doesn't solve is spending time to install the OS, yet it does meet the user half way by installing a respectable suite of software at the same time.

Along the same lines, you have software installation and updates being better for pretty much all users. This may sound like the domain of the computer enthusiast, and to a large degree that is the point. If you're using the computer as a tool, you probably don't want to worry about that stuff. Now Apple has addressed that through their app store. I suppose Microsoft has done the same with their app store. Yet, on both platforms, the true diversity of software is installed through packages downloaded from third parties. On Linux, it is the opposite. (I will grant you that installing Linux applications from third party sources is usually an order of magnitude harder than it is for OS X or Windows.) The benefits of Linux are a centralized source for most software, a consistent installation method, a uniform update mechanism, a more robust update mechanism, and minimal interaction for all of the above. I'm sorry to be harping on the software update bit, but it is important when your computer is on a public network.

For some users, cost is going to be a factor too. If you can afford commercial software, fantastic! In many cases you will be able to get something that exceeds the capabilities of open source software. In many cases you will be able to get better (or at least more consistent) support. While it is true that most open source software is available for Windows, either formally or through platforms like Cygwin, Linux makes it easier to discover such software. While there is a much wider range of free software for Windows, there is also a question of the motivations behind its development. Open source software is motivated by community development. Close source software developed by hobbyists is developed out of interest. But what is the motivation behind the other free software out there? Sometimes it is clear, such as Amazon making its money through book sales or Adobe making its money through content creation tools. In other cases, it is not clear in the slightest. I suspect that the failure to ask about motivation is why some Windows users are prone to downloading malware while others are not.

It is easy to classify the above as being the domain of the computer enthusiast, and yes it will have a greater impact upon that segment of the market. Yet all of the above also has a huge impact upon people who use the computer as a tool, and who go even a little bit beyond using the software shipped with their computer. Simply put, it pushes foreground concerns (that are usually ignored) into the background for those users.

Of course, there is also a cost to using Linux. The small marketshare and open source tunnel vision means that is going to be a dearth of software in particular areas. Clearly ereading software that supports DRM is one of those areas. The same can be said for tools targeted at professionals (outside of the sciences and engineering). Yet that really ought to be left to individual users to decide, rather than self-anointed.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Share easy instructions on how to strip DRM on Mobileread?

It is sufficient to mention the existance. Similiar to mentioning googling Apprentice Alf. If you go strictly by what you are saying, this thread already oversteps some imaginary line.

[latepaul]

Thing is it's a fool's errand trying to find "easy" instructions because easy is subjective and you'd quite easily - and for all I know truthfully - be able to claim that the instructions I find easy aren't for you.

FWIW my serious answer would be "Google Apprentice Alf" because I don't find the usual instructions any harder for Linux than Windows.

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given that you cannot run Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 on that computer, it's time for a new computer. IT sounds like that computer isn't going to run Qt5 and that's needed for the latest Sigil and the latest Calibre.

Because you now run Linux, you will be allowed to install them. But that doesn't mean they will work.

Gregg asks "is there a guide for how to use an ereader in linux?" and your solution is to buy a new computer? Is that the Windows Way?-)