Installing FBReader (Free Book) for Linux (ubuntu or debian)

The directions are here. But if I had trouble with it, you may have had some difficulties as well.

The first thing we need to do, is add the FBReader repository to our sources.list. There are two ways to do this.

1. First, we can just edit the file. As always anything starting with an octothorpe (#) is a comment and does NOT need to be coded.


cd /etc/apt
sudo cp sources.list sources.list.bkp # make a backup copy


Now using an editor of choice, say gedit, edit the file:


gksudo gedit sources.list


go to the very bottom, and add the lines as shown:


deb http://www.fbreader.org/desktop/debian stable main
deb-src http://www.fbreader.org/desktop/debian stable main


save and exit!

Another method, would be to go to System/Administration/Synaptic Package Manger/Settings/Repositories/Other Software and add the lines there, one at a time.

2. Now the key file. You can get the key file here. But what to do with it?

Highlight the text, RIGHT click, and copy.

3. Fire up your favourite editor, paste it in, and then save it as:
geometer.fbreader.org.asc

(they don’t tell you, that you need to do this!), then exit.

4. Install the key we just saved:


sudo apt-key add geometer.fbreader.org.asc


5. Update the sources list.


sudo apt-get update


6. Install fbreader


sudo apt-get install fbreader


7. We are almost done. You would think that since you installed “fbreader” on the apt-get line above, that you would just fire up “fbreader”. NOT SO. It is in fact called: FBReader


which FBReader


you will get back a line that looks like:
/usr/bin/FBReader

Yeah that threw me off to. Who’d have thunk?

The default directory for the books is:

~/Fbooks

(the ~ (tilde) says your home directory, and then FBooks under your home directory).

FBReader is slow, so patience is required. You can also get Windows and Mac Version of FB Reader

NOTE: You can NOT put in a bookmark with FB Reader. However it does remember what page you were last reading.

Need some free books to read? Head on over to Project Gutenberg

Also note that the DVD is dual layer, and is iso9660. (The ISO can be created and then mounted in Linux. Another post) so the old Microsoft 8×3 (archaic) filename.ext format, with all CAPS. Gulp!

Thanks Terry!

Wayno