Does *anything* support linear=no?

[Skeezix]

I was working on a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-type book (remember those?) and after doing some research, I found that "linear=no" for all the pages except the first would be the way to go. Problem is, nothing seems to support it. Every epub reader I try happily goes through all the pages just like a regular book. So... am I wasting my time completely, or is there *something* out there that will behave the way I'm assuming it should?

[Turtle91]

Quick answer: No, you can't guarantee that it will work that way, but there are some readers that may react appropriately to the linear=no setting...possibly Azari or Readium??

Here is a link to a quick discussion that may answer your question:

All items MUST be listed in the spine, but you can choose weather it's a primary or auxiliary item. Unfortunately:

Reading Systems are not required to differentiate between primary and auxiliary content, and for the requirements and recommendations given in this section may consider all OPS Content Documents in spine to be primary, regardless of the value of the linear attribute.

Cheers,

[Skeezix]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

possibly Azari or Readium??

Thanks! Readium actually behaves the way I want. (Azardi is awful. It won't even open an ePub, any ePub, on my system.)

[Doitsu]

AFAIK, there's not a single ePub2 app that supports linear=no. However, most ePub3 apps support it. (You can convert epub2 books to epub3 books with Sigil.)

Originally Posted by Skeezix

Readium actually behaves the way I want.

If Readium works for you, also check out ADE 4.5.1 and the corresponding iOS and Android versions.
Another mobile app with good ePub3 support is Gitden Reader.

Originally Posted by Skeezix

Azardi is awful. It won't even open an ePub, any ePub, on my system.

Did you validate your epub with the IDPF validator?

[fbrzvnrnd]

linear="no" is a big problem.
We created several "non linear" ebooks (like Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-type book), but we never use linear="no". Why? Adobe Digital Edition (and mobile) do not support it in ePub2.
Other ereader programs support it, BUT:
- most of those handles the linear="no" like a big pop up, so often if you are in a linear="no" section and close the ebook and reopen it, you find yourself in the last linear="yes" section you read before enter the linear="no";
- some ereader programs handles the linear="no" like scroll pages instead paged ones (Ibooks desktop for example);
- some ebook reader programs do not allow the reader to turn the last page of a linear="no" section. Other allow and "fall back" in to the next linear="yes" section;
- (more)


f.

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by Skeezix

I was working on a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-type book...

Check the epub editions of lone wolf books at projectaon.org/ maybe they've done it in a way that is useable. No need to reinvent the wheel after all

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Skeezix

I was working on a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-type book (remember those?) and after doing some research, I found that "linear=no" for all the pages except the first would be the way to go. Problem is, nothing seems to support it. Every epub reader I try happily goes through all the pages just like a regular book. So... am I wasting my time completely, or is there *something* out there that will behave the way I'm assuming it should?

No programs/apps that matter support linear=no.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No programs/apps that matter support linear=no.

That's just silly. Bookari's EPUB3 engine (Readium) supports linear=no. And it "matters" quite a lot, thank you very much.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That's just silly. Bookari's EPUB3 engine (Readium) supports linear=no. And it "matters" quite a lot, thank you very much.

It's hardly used. There is no OSX or Windows program that uses the Readium engine.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is no OSX or Windows program that uses the Readium engine.

Of course there's not. Because not that many people read books with OSX or Windows. The platforms that currently "matter" are iOS and Android.

Windows "could" matter someday as an ereading platform, but it doesn't right now.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's hardly used. There is no OSX or Windows program that uses the Readium engine.

That's not true. ADE 4.5.1 is based on the Readium SDK and is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

And those who don't want to install Adobe apps can simply install the Google Chrome Readium extension.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

That's not true. ADE 4.5.1 is based on the Readium SDK and is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

And those who don't want to install Adobe apps can simply install the Google Chrome Readium extension.

The problem is that ADE 4.5.1 support the OTHER DRM and we cannot have that so that's useless. Also the Chrome plugin requires installing Chrome. Both not a solution.

Most eBooks are created on Windows or OS X which is where there should be a solution that is a solution. The solutions mentioned are not solutions but problems.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The problem is that ADE 4.5.1 support the OTHER DRM and we cannot have that so that's useless.

Stop changing the subject (moving the goalpost, actually). DRM has no bearing on the topic.

You said "there is no OSX or Windows program the uses the Readium engine." And that's patently false. Why don't you just admit that what you should have said was, "No programs/apps that matter to me support linear=no" ?

You know nothing, Jon Snowolf.

Spoiler:

please take that as the popular cultural reference joke it was intended to be.

[Doitsu]

@JSWolf: You really might want to consider refraining from posting, if your post doesn't contribute anything substantial.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The problem is that ADE 4.5.1 support the OTHER DRM and we cannot have that so that's useless.

The question of the OP was about linear=no support in apps, not about DRM. Please don't resort to strawman arguments when you've been caught making blatantly false statements.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The solutions mentioned are not solutions but problems.

I'll have to disagree on that entirely. ADE 4.5.1 (which supports linear=no) is available for free for all major platforms and RMSDK is the SDK that is the most frequently implemented by eInk device manufacturers and epub app developers.
I.e., the next generation of eInk devices and an epub apps will support linear=no.

[Skeezix]

Um, actually... ADE 4.5.1, at least for Windows, does not support linear=no. It was one of the EPUB readers I tested before posting, and I just checked again to make sure I wasn't on drugs or anything. Readium is the only reader I've yet found that supports it.