I recently purchased a new laptop and installed the Ubuntu OS on it. However, in my excitement to install a UNIX-like working environment, I forgot that some software works only with the two major operating systems (i.e., Windows and Mac). Namely, I needed to install Adobe Digital Editions on my new machine and panicked briefly when I realized I couldn’t do that. But after some quick research, I learned how to install ADE and then have it recognize my e-reader.

  1. Open the Ubuntu Software Center and search for Wine. Install it. ebook_software_center

  2. From the dash, open Winetricks. Choose “install an app.” Select “adobe_diged” and hit OK. ebook_winetricks_install_ade

  3. Go through the installation steps. Agree to the EULA. Authorize the computer with your Adobe ID. Close ADE. ebook_ade_authorize

  4. From the dash, open Winetricks. Choose “select adobe_diged (Adobe Digital Editions)” and then select “Run winecfg.” Under the “Drives” tab, create a new drive letter N (it auto-mounts elsewhere but does not keep changes), add directory /media/nook/ (or the specific location of your Nook on your machine), and change type to “Floppy drive” (under advanced options). ebook_winecfg_drives

That’s it! You now have ADE 1.7.2 installed on your Ubuntu machine that can be accessed from the dash. Use it to download library e-books, authorize protected PDFs, move books to your Nook*, and so on.

* I’ve only tested this setup with a Nook but I assume the same steps will work for all other ADE-supported e-reading devices.

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