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How do I get Kindle for PC working on Ubuntu 12.04?

Kindle Cloud can't copy paste so that's not a good solution.

The e-books seem to be encoded so that Caliber cannot open them/convert them, so unless I've misunderstood something, that's not a good solution.

2
  • Confirm Ubuntu 12.04 new install, or upgrade from 11.10? Do you need a viewer (for your ebook purchases), or do you have a Kindle?
    – david6
    May 31, 2012 at 7:38
  • possible duplicate: askubuntu.com/q/14686/47206
    – user47206
    Mar 26, 2013 at 22:32

8 Answers 8

10

Kindle PC Under wine instructions:


Summary of links above, paraphrased.

  1. sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install wine1.3
    
  2. Download Kindle for PC. The link should work 'till amazon changes the link.

  3. wine KindleForPC-installer.exe
    
  4. wine ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Amazon/Kindle For PC/Kindle.exe 
    

    This will run the actual app, assuming no errors occured.

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  • The second link worked, though i had to restart everything several times. People keep recommending calibre but all i get is "Cannot open this and a talk about DRM" maybe i'm buying from the wrong sources? anyway thanks! May 31, 2012 at 19:54
  • 1
    You can use Calibre to remove DRM, as well as other tools. Just do a google search I'm fairly sure that's OffTopic for this forum.
    – csgeek
    Jun 4, 2012 at 23:30
  • You need a plugin for Calibre. A G-search for "Calibre+DRM+tools_v5.1.zip" will bring it up Jun 5, 2012 at 15:32
  • Link only answers are not great, could you please include a summary of the links in your answer?
    – Flimm
    Mar 13, 2013 at 8:40
4

Look at Calibre free software, does a lot with all ebook makes, including reading them.

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  • Given that the books are DRM protected. Can Caliber help? Can it keep the original formatting in its conversion? May 31, 2012 at 19:20
4

Updated solution for Ubuntu 12.04 on 2012/12/26:

I adopted the solution from http://www.milo.name/2012/05/20/kindle-4-pc-under-linux/ The trick is to use an old version of Kindle because while the new version installs, it crashes after you try to actually read a book.

== Steps to install Kindle (paste commands into a terminal) ==

Step 1: get rid of 1 wine file

mv ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/winsxs/manifests/x86_microsoft.vc90.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.4148_none_deadbeef.manifest ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/winsxs/manifests/x86_microsoft.vc90.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.4148_none_deadbeef.manifest_bak

Step 2: download old Kindle, as per the accepted answer above

wget http://d1xhj100piaj9u.cloudfront.net/25338/KindleForPC-installer.exe

Step 3: install Kindle

wine KindleForPC-installer.exe

Step 4: run Kindle

wine ~/.wine/drive_c/Program\ Files\ \(x86\)/Amazon/Kindle\ For\ PC/KindleForPC.exe
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This is a solution using Wine 1.4 on Ubuntu 12.04.

I tried the above approach: "Updated solution for Ubuntu 12.04 on 2012/12/26". It mostly works, except I was unable to take notes and make highlights on my Kindle For PC.

The following solution allows notes and highlights and uses the latest version of Kindle for PC (yes, it works!)

Steps to Install Kindle For PC with Annotations Enabled

(paste the commands that are in quotations below into a terminal)

Note: This has been tested to work with Wine 1.4 on Ubuntu 12.04

Step 1: get rid of 1 wine file: TYPE:

mv ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/winsxs/manifests/x86_microsoft.vc90.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.4148_none_deadbeef.manifest ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/winsxs/manifests/x86_microsoft.vc90.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.4148_none_deadbeef.manifest_bak

Step 2: download latest kindle version from http://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/pc/download and save to a directory, e.g. Desktop

Step 3: install Kindle: cd to the directory where you saved the downloaded executable, and TYPE "wine KindleForPC-installer.exe"

Wine will Install the latest Kindle for PC and create a deskop icon for launching.

Enjoy!

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  • I doubt there is any specific need for this to be done in the Gnome Terminal... perhaps you mean "run this command (for example, using Gnome Terminal)"?
    – njsg
    Jan 26, 2013 at 21:56
1

Calibre does not remove DRM; however, its reader handles Amazon .azw books all right. If you want to convert a DRM protected ebook, including those from Amazon, there are commercial tools that may or may not be legal in your country/area. If you need one, do a G search. Try it, it's quite simple to install.

0

This is my solution using Wine 1.4 on Ubuntu 12.04 (since solution posted before not working for me):

a) Make a 32 bit wine prefix named, for example, "kindle". Open terminal and:

WINEPREFIX='/home/Your-User-Name/.local/share/wineprefixes/kindle' WINEARCH='win32' winecfg

After that winecfg window will popup, click OK (this will set default options with Win XP).

b) go to folder where is downloaded installer, open terminal there and:

export WINEPREFIX=~/.local/share/wineprefixes/kindle

(that will make every next command in that terminal to execute wine from wineprefix named kindle and not wine from your default wine folder " ~/.wine/ " or any other wineprefix you may have )

then :

wine KindleForPC-installer.exe

c) after installation, go to folder where is kindle installed, ( I use nautilus for that, and whoever like from terminal, do it whatever you like)

"/home/Your-User-Name/.local/share/wineprefixes/kindle/drive_c/Program\ Files/Amazon/Kindle"

and there is one folder named "Microsoft.VC90.CRT", with four files: Microsoft.VC90.CRT.manifest, msvcm90.dll, msvcr90.dll, msvcp90.dll. COPY all files and PASTE them into

"/home/Your-User-Name/.local/share/wineprefixes/kindle/drive_c/windows/winsxs/x86_microsoft.vc90.crt_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.4148_none_deadbeef" folder

( OVERWRITE/replace one dll file which is in that folder )

Now you can start Kindle from Dash (I'm using Unity)

NOTE: Before I figure out this solution, in attempt to find working solution, I installed (into that wineprefix named kindle ) via Winetricks a lots of other files, like: comctl32, comdlg32ocx, corefonts, mono210 , IE8, mdac27&28, mfc42, msxml4, vb6run, vcrun2005, vcrun6, vcrun6sp6, wininet, wsh57, .

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This post is for newer Kindle/Linux users:

I've been using Kindle for PC (K4PC) in Wine. For the specific version of K4PC, I go to FileHippo, which provides a convenient list of previous versions in the right hand column. Basically, I start with K4PC 1.8.3. After K4PC installation, I delete one of the deadbeef manifests. Unfortunately, the more I tweak the installation, the more often it breaks, so I have resolved to be content with a version that runs.

But don't kick Amazon Cloud Reader (ACR) into a corner — it has continued to improve. And it's a great fallback for when K4PC breaks. The latest version of ACR pops up the Dictionary.com definition — there's even a link. As of Feb 2013, users can not copy/paste or word search, which only K4PC allows. but you can word search books at the amazon.com site itself — another fallback option, if K4PC breaks.

it's not pretty — especially when K4PC utterly breaks — but that's how I get things done.

0

Playonlinux has Kindle for PC in its software list and installs the appropriate Wine version for it. In my case it downloaded Wine 1.4. and then Kindle for PC can be installed and started from Playonlinux.

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