Ubuntu
xdg-utils package

can we set up a Ebooks folder?

Asked by Mike Hingley

I was thinking about Ubuntu and ARM support - I seemed to recall that there was a plan for an Ubuntu Tablet, and from there I started wondering if such a device could be used as an ebook reader - with that in mind I was wondering if it would be possible to set up a Ebook folder, similar to the ones that currently exist for Videos, Documents etc. I also understand that XDG is part of the subsystem responsible for this.

I've had a play with XDG, trying to create a special XDG_BOOK_FOLDER location (same as currently exists for Videos, Photos etc.) My idea is that if we were to set up such a folder, we might add better support to some of the existing ebook applications, such as E-book reader. Combining this with ubuntu one synchronization, and we could have an infrastructure similar to Amazon's Kindle -

Download a book into your Ebook folder and it is synchronized across all devices using u1. We could potentially also synchronize book marks, last read positions etc.

I was hoping to package this up as a Ebook Support package, a meta package that when installed:

* set up the ebook folder
* installs some sample content books (I was thinking complete works of Shakespear?)
* Installs E-Book Reader / Calibre
* Configures that Ebook Folder for U1 sync

now - I realize that packages are installed at a system level, and that content is stored at a user level, but I think this is something that can be resolved by installing a script that will do these things. This way all users on a system can install Ebook support, and get their own copies of the content.

There's also the potential to sync stuff to / from ebook reader devices later on.

* For Canonical, there is the potential to sell packaged books through software center - for example Ubuntu Manuals? Training books?

* For Creative Commons Authors (like Cory Doctorow) there is the potential to publish via software center

* For all authors, updates can be made to packages and pushed out to existing users - to users this would appear as a standard update.

Thanks

Mike Hingley

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

You can submit suggestions on:

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com

Not sure it can hapen though due to DRM. People could easily just copy the book files between each other without it

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Mike Hingley (computa-mike) said : 		#2

I wasn't thinking of commercial books - for exsmple. City Doctorow's books are available under a creative commons license. such a book could be packaged and distributed under this system.

How about the idea for an ebook folder, do we think it had merit?

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