Howto install Adobe Digital Editions on Ubuntu 12.04 and use it with an e-book reader

June 3, 2012

A local public library here in Tirol/Austria allows you to rent e-books, you only need to have Windows PC or Mac to run Adobe Digital Editions – at least that is stated on their homepage, but it is quite easy to get the software running on an Ubuntu 12.04.

This is a short description on how to install the software and than integrate a generic e-book reader so you can read the rented e-books on your e-book reader. The e-book reader just needs to presents itself a USB mass storage device. I’ve tried it with an Iriver Story HD and an old Sony PRS-505 – both work. I guess the e-book reader needs to be Adobe Digital Editions ready as both of mine show that during boot up.

Anyway lets start. First you need to start the Ubuntu Software Center and search for the meta package “wine” and install it.

Than you need to download the Adobe Digital Editions Installer for Windows. I provide here a direct link (hope it stays valid for a long time) as on the Adobe homepage you don’t get the download link as it “verifies” with Flash if your OS is supported which it is not in this case. So here is the link.

Start now your file browser (Nautilus) press the right mouse bottom on the installer and select than “Open With Wine Windows Program Loader”.

After some seconds you are within the installer. I would say just press “Next” as the software is installed anyway within the .wine subdirectory in your home directory.

Now the Adobe Digital Editions got started and greets you with following window.

And after a next click you need to select “Authorize Computer” if you want later to connect an e-book reader.

Just click on “get an Adobe ID online” and your default browser is launched and you can create one.

The Adobe Digital Editions is running but it does not see the e-book reader. For this we need to start the program “Wine Configuration” (Just type “wine” in the “Dash Home”), which looks like this:

Go to the Drives tab where you need to add a new drive letter for your e-book reader (even if it shows it already with an other drive letter).

After choosing the drive letter select “Show Advanced” and choose the path of the mount point for your e-book reader (plug it into your computer and a directory within /media should be created automatically) and now the important setting: Change the type from automatic to “Floppy disk”.

Save the changes, and restart “Adobe Digital Editions” (Just close it and than type “adobe” in the “Dash Home” and select it). If your e-book reader is mounted in the specified directory, the e-book reader should be detected and its content shown or if you connected it the first time you will be asked to peer it.

The End!

In Austria, HowTo, Linux | 28 Comments

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It works through wine – that’s great news and thanks for sharing it. Wish itunes did too.

Comment by simon — June 5, 2012 #
[...] Howto install Adobe Digital Editions on Ubuntu 12.04 and use it with an e-book reader [...]

Pingback by Links 6/6/2012: Steam for Linux in 2012, KDE 4.9 Beta 1 | Techrights — June 7, 2012 #
Thank you, great guide, it works for me as well, now I don’t have to go over to my Windows computer to borrow books from the library anymore .

Comment by Christian — July 18, 2012 #
Thanks, Man–very helpful.

Comment by mlnease — July 25, 2012 #
Tried this, and the DL link worked but now wine is saying the .exe is not executable and offers to let me read about the executable bit. It won’t start the install. Any suggestions? Thx! (ps 5th time typing this in bc I couldn’t get the security code… at least I’m using copy/paste now )

Comment by Jennifer in MamaLand — August 20, 2012 #
hmmm …. are you sure wine is installed, as “reading the exe” is not a message from wine. And you’re running Ubuntu 12.04? anyway you can also open a Terminal and try it with “wine digitaleditions_172.exe”. This way you also get errors printed out.

Comment by robert — August 21, 2012 #
It’s not working for me. Might be due to the fact that ADE_2.0_Installer does not ask for id and password. If I try to install again it says that is installed and it also added a new directory (My Digital Editions) but if I click the acsm or the sample epub-file nothing happens. I added the adobe directory to wine. Any idea?

Comment by ulrike — September 30, 2012 #
Thanks, wonderful.
It worked for me already after activating Adobe Digital Editions. Apparently I did not have to do all the adjustments to wine that follows in the manual. I have to admit that I have not tested it thorougly.
Anyway, thanks a lot.

Comment by Kristoffer — October 9, 2012 #
Hi there!
Unfortunately it did not work out so good after all. I cannot get the ebook reader to show in ADE. My reader is a Sony PRS-T1
I anyone can help, i will be very greatful.

Comment by Kristoffer — October 11, 2012 #
This is the reason for the special wine settings.

Comment by robert — October 12, 2012 #
You’re great! It work for me as well. Congrats and thanks so much!

Comment by Davide — October 24, 2012 #
Thanks a lot, works perfect!

Comment by elzoido — November 12, 2012 #
The newest version of DE, version 2.0 does not work. THe installer quits before coming to “Now the Adobe Digital Editions got started and greets you with following window.”.
I was able to find version 1.7 on the internet, which works as described here.

Comment by Kees — December 6, 2012 #
Thanks a lot, it works also on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. Great guide.
Issues with DE 2.0 are confirmed. It seems to need some version of Mono. Couldn’t have it to work installing mono either with wine or through repos for Ubuntu
Cheers, Francesco

Comment by Francesco — December 15, 2012 #
Thanks a lot, very useful, especially regarding that the version at the Adobe webpage does not work (it installs the program but cannot be executed) and your link does.

Comment by J. Carlos — January 16, 2013 #
Sorry but finally the e-reader (SONY PRST1) was not recognized even after assigning in wine unit E to /media/READER

Comment by J. Carlos — January 17, 2013 #
Did you also change the type of the device?

Comment by robert — January 19, 2013 #
Thanks very much. very helpful.

Comment by John Devlinl — February 21, 2013 #
To all having a SONY PRS-T1 or PRS-T2 – these devices are not recognized by ADE. To transfer files to these you need to install the Sony Reader software.

Even on Windows, the latest Sony models are not recognized by Adobe Digital Editions.

Comment by Vlad — February 25, 2013 #
In Debian also work it.

Thanks very much.

Comment by David Fuertes — March 13, 2013 #
I can’t get it to open in ubuntu 12.04 classic. I don’t want to use an ereader but read the ADE book from my laptop. I did set up a drive for an erearer as you said, thanks

Comment by cmcanulty — March 13, 2013 #
I have Ubuntu 12.04 Classic. These instructions worked perfectly. Thanks so much!

Comment by Amanda — April 2, 2013 #
Thanks, I was desperated before , everything is ok now !

Danièle

Comment by Danièle Delafolie — April 16, 2013 #
Thanks, I was desperated before, everything is ok now !

Comment by Danièle Delafolie — April 16, 2013 #
Thanks a lot, I was desperated before … everything is ok now !

Comment by Danièle Delafolie — April 16, 2013 #
I tried several different methods, then found that if I used Wine tricks, it offered to install the adobe digital edition (under install app). Then I could access the adobe digital edition, put in my ID, (after going to adobe and creating an ID), then it was just a matter of dragging the Book.ascd file onto the open pane of adobe digital edition and reading the Ebook.

Comment by LinFos — April 28, 2013 #
Thank you LinFos – installing through winetricks did the job for me also.

Comment by Shadwell Shadwell — May 1, 2013 #
Great thanks – first time I’ve used wine – and all went smoothly.

Comment by Manjuvjara — May 3, 2013 #

Howto install Adobe Digital Editions on Ubuntu 12.04 and use it with an e-book reader

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