Hi all,

I am new to Linux and new to this Forum. I am using KDE Neon which works fine and is easy to use for someone who has used Windows since it was released for the first time.
I read a lot of e-books and like to do so on my Kindle Paper white. But when I connect it through the USB port, it is not recognized by the PC, so I can't transfer a book I have downloaded.

How can I fix this?

Thanking you in advance.

Carl

I used to own a Kindle but no longer do. I "think" you can use the software "Calibre" to do this. Calibre is an ebook management package and I believe will talk to a Kindle. Don't quote me on that because it's been a long time since I have had a Kindle or tried to hook one to Linux

Let's start here:

You're SURE that you're using the right kind of USB cable, right? Some of them transfer only power, not data.

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Oh yes, I am using the right kind of cable. It worked fine when there was Windows 10 on the PC. Calibre can't connect (since the Kindle is not visible to the system). It is, however, in principle possible to submit an ebook to the device through an email address. But it does not work when I send it from Calibre on my Linux machine. The email address does work in some cases from an ebook supplier. But it is not always possible to use that option.

I have a Kindle Paperwhite that I use without problems in Linux Mint out of the box. The system recognizes it as a mass storage device when I plug it and Calibre is able to manage it also.

As I'm not familiar with KDE Neon, I suggest you to download Linux Mint and boot it from a flash drive just so you can test if your Kindle device is recognized by it. Then if it works without problems, we can try to find why it is not working with your current distro. Maybe its just some package that need to be installed or something simple like that. If this test doesn't work maybe the problem can be in your Kindle.

This isn't an issue (now that Dugan and OP clarified the cable question) with the device. This is an issue with your Linux not recognizing and auto-mounting external devices.

What Linux is this, please? -- Nevermind. I see that you're running Ubuntu by your browser ID icon.

What graphic file manager are you using? Konqueror? Dolphin?

And OP is correct. Calibre cannot "see" devices that are not already mounted once Calibre is initiated.

1 members found this post helpful.

Viewing dmesg output after plugging in the device may be helpful.

Isn't the real problem that Kindle is a propriety DRM format, Calibre won't convert books into a free format such as epub.

That's why I bought a Kobo - handles all non-DRM formats - basically anything that Calibre can handle.

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No. Calibre can mount and manipulate libraries of ALL kinds of epubs, pdfs, etc., regardless of device. I've used my Calibre with Nooks, Kindles, and other devices. It works wonderfully well.

Again, the issue here is no auto-mounting of external devices. OP will have to check fstab or file manager settings to see why this is happening. I used Volman in Thunar on my Slack, so the moment I plug my e-reader into the USB port, Thunar recognizes and mounts the device. Once it's mounted, Calibre can "see" and manipulate the library at that point.

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I have installed Mint on the PC and after that it recognized the Kindle as a storage, and I could transfer the book I have recently bought as an EPUB and converted to the Kindle format using Calibre.
Calibre, by the way, handles almost any ebook format. The only exeption I know of is DRM protected books.

1 members found this post helpful.

Hey, @car3012...

OUTSTANDING! You fixed it.

Oh, please mark the thread as SOLVED. It'll remain here for eternity as a resolution for others experiencing similar issues. Thanks!

I have marked the thread solved. Sorry I missed that.
And thanks for all the advice given.

No problem. Just scream and holler if you need some assistance further on down the road.


Have a great week! Wash your hands a lot!


~Eric

[QUOTE=fjcp;6098851]I have a Kindle Paperwhite that I use without problems in Linux Mint out of the box. The system recognizes it as a mass storage device when I plug it and Calibre is able to manage it also.

As I'm not familiar with KDE Neon, I suggest you to download Linux Mint and boot it from a flash drive just so you can test if your Kindle device is recognized by it. Then if it works without problems, we can try to find why it is not working with your current distro. Maybe its just some package that need to be installed or something simple like that. If this test doesn't work maybe the problem can be in your Kindle.[/QUOTE

As I'm not familiar with KDE Neon, I suggest you download Linux Mint and boot it from a flash drive just so you can test if your Kindle device is recognized by it. Then if it works without problems, we can try to find why it is not working with your current distro. Maybe it is just some package that needs to be installed or something simple like that. If this test doesn't work maybe the problem can be in your Kindle. But in my opinion, it is much easier to buy the e-book because it is more comfortable to use it. If you don't know what to buy you should enter https://pickmyreader.com/kindle-vs-k...-right-kindle/ to pick your right kindle.

Have you tried (where possible) preferring EPUB books which normally are free of DRM?
I don't know if a Kindle could read these, which is why I bought a Kobo reader.

You could test readability with the free books at https://www.gutenberg.org/