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I try to install FBReader via Ununtu Software Center, but it stalls for a long time and even after the process is supposedly complete, Ubuntu doesn't display epub and mobi files when I click them. It says "There is no application installed for “Mobipocket e-book” files. Do you want to search for an application to open this file?" and this process doesn't finish. What should I do?

Alternatively, I need something to display epub/mobi files.

My internet connection is ok; e.g. I am able to install system via ubuntu netinstall without a problem.

Nickolai Leschov
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2 Answers2

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calibre Install calibre

Install via the software center

Overview

Calibre is a free and open source e-book library management application developed by users of e-books for users of e-books.

Calibre is primarily a ebook cataloging program. It manages your ebook collection for you. It is designed around the concept of the logical book, i.e. a single entry in the database that may correspond to ebooks in several formats. It also supports conversion from a dozen different ebook formats to LRF and EPUB. A graphical interface to the conversion software can be accessed easily by just clicking the "Convert E-books" button.

Supported input formats are: MOBI, AZW, LIT, PRC, EPUB, ODT, HTML, CBR, CBZ, RTF, TXT, PDF and LRS.

Starting calibre's ebook viewer as a standalone application

In certain cases you will not want to add an EPUB or MOBI file to calibre's library before reading it. Luckily calibre's ebook viewer can be started independently via ebook-viewer. This makes it possible to create a standalone launcher:

#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Icon=calibre
Exec=ebook-viewer %f
Name=Ebook Viewer
Comment=Display .epub files and other e-reader formats
StartupWMClass=ebook-viewer
MimeType=application/x-mobipocket-ebook;application/epub+zip;

See here for more information on adding launchers to your system.

To click an ebook and open in ebook-viewer, make this application (usr/bin/ebook-viewer) the default for that type of file.

Community
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Stormvirux
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  • Will Calibre work as a simple ebook viewer, too? e.g. I want to open ebook by double-clicking it, check it out and not add to my library or download to my e-reader device.

    I guess, with Ubuntu installing from repositories should generally work just fine? Just installed it; seems to work. But when I double-click an ebook, it still goes "There is no application installed for “Mobipocket e-book” files. Do you want to search for an application to open this file?"

     – Nickolai Leschov Aug 04 '13 at 12:02
  • I select "Open With" but where is "Add button"? If you meant "Other Application", there's no option to point to this file, too. – Nickolai Leschov Aug 04 '13 at 12:29
  • if nothing work check this http://ubuntugenius.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/ubuntu-fix-add-program-to-list-of-applications-in-open-with-when-right-clicking-files-in-nautilus/ – Stormvirux Aug 04 '13 at 12:43
  • No, "Other Application" puts me into this http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm249/hrenistic/find1app_zpsd8dd1362.png then this http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm249/hrenistic/find1app_zpsd8dd1362.png Will look into additional information, thanks. – Nickolai Leschov Aug 04 '13 at 14:40
  • come to the chat room http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/9957/default-application – Stormvirux Aug 04 '13 at 14:47
  • @NickolaiLeschov Edit the file /usr/share/applications/calibre.desktop .Change Exec=calibre To be Exec=’/usr/bin/calibre’ %f – Stormvirux Aug 04 '13 at 15:16
  • Did it. So, what should this have accomplished? And how do I write in that chat? – Nickolai Leschov Aug 05 '13 at 12:29
  • let us continue this discussion in chat – Nickolai Leschov Aug 05 '13 at 13:07
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Try this. If you use Firefox browser, you can install EPUB Reader from its Add-On manager.

Babak
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  • Do you mean I could install an add-on like this?

    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/epubreader/

    It works, but I would prefer a native ebook reader application in my system.

     – Nickolai Leschov Aug 04 '13 at 11:52