Ubuntu + WINE + Overdrive Media Console

[ponderworks]

Hey! Why don't we try to get as many people as possible to write to:

info@overdrive.com

and ask for a linux version. Since they've gotten a MAC version out there perhaps they'd be able to quickly offer a Linux version too.

Send them an e-mail today!

Thanks!

[rykel]

Hey! Why don't we try to get as many people as possible to write to:

info@overdrive.com

and ask for a linux version. Since they've gotten a MAC version out there perhaps they'd be able to quickly offer a Linux version too.

Send them an e-mail today!

Thanks!

I just did exactly that, and below is a copy of my email to OverDrive.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings and I hope this email finds you well.

I am from Singapore and I am attempting to use library materials from the Singapore National Library, which require OverDrive Media Console.

Unfortunately, I am using Ubuntu Linux as my operating system and OverDrive is not available for the operating system. I do not have any Windows nor Mac license, so installing the 2 operating systems is out of the question.

Would you please release a Linux version of your software and advise me on what I should do in the meantime?




Best Regards,


Rykel™
http://rykel.blogspot.com
http://bit.ly/acaiberry
http://bit.ly/howtoinum

[chaos51]

I've been asking for a number of months now, usually about once a month and this is the usual response I get:

Unfortunately, OverDrive Audiobooks are not available for Linux as there
is not presently a Linux version of Windows Media Player that supports
copy-protected Windows Media Audio (WMA) files. OverDrive Audiobooks are
delivered in the WMA format. We hope to make our files available in a
format amenable to you in the future. Thank you for your interest in
OverDrive Audiobooks.

It is my understanding that Microsoft will not (or at least not has not in the past) licensed the Windows DRM/Windows Media Player to a linux desktop. Note: they have licensed it to embedded systems, mobile devices, and set-top boxes that run linux. I've also sent requests to Microsoft which might be the proper place to send requests or maybe to a government agency or representative. I at least am in the United States and my tax dollars pay for the library service but I want to use Linux and even though my local library has Windows based PC's available they don't have Overdrive media console installed.

The funny thing is that all I want to do is to download and transfer the Library audio books to my Portable player, don't really care so much for being able to play it on my linux box but it's irritating that I have to find a Windows box to transfer the files to my player. So I will continue to send my requests to Overdrive as well.

Thanks to everyone for the support and to ponderworks for starting this thread.

[greenwom]

I just installed it with no problems (as far as it running)

installed wine
installed klight codecs
installed wm-player 9

The problem is the WM-player security upgrade will not run and downloaded files will not open due to the security "not able to verify version"

Any work around this?

[xodis]

I'm stuck at the same point, I've gotten everything working except for the WMP DRM. I've tried with various combinations of WMP 9 & 10 and IE 6 & 7, but no luck so far.

[NoBugs!]

Good news, they made a linux version! Well, at least an android-linux version.
http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/
Instructions on running android-os programs in Linux can be found here:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-t...u-115152.shtml

[tck]

Good news, they made a linux version! Well, at least an android-linux version.
http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/
Instructions on running android-os programs in Linux can be found here:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-t...u-115152.shtml

tried and failed.. it seems to freeze after trying to download app..

[hashky]

Has anyone been able to get Overdrive to work in Ubuntu? I have an ereader and I would like to be able to download books from my local library.

[SisterNotes]

Ok, I got an Android emulator set up. I then downloaded the overdrive media console app - it takes a while to load (10 min?).

Now, I've a little android on my desktop and I was able to use my library account to download two books in Overdrive.

But, I can't figure out where the files went. I can open the book files. Overdrive is set up to download them to the "virtual" SD card in the emulator's android. I would just rather not read them in the little Android window.

Any ideas? [OK, I figured this out! See below.]

I set up my emulated android with an SD card. This means that an image file (sdcard.img) is created in the avd folder for my android. I named my android "Softpedia" since I was following the instructions in post #17
So now I resort to the trusty terminal commands...

First, navigate to the folder where your image file is stored
$ cd ~/.android/avd/Softpedia.avd
Then loop mount the image file to the location of your choice, I chose my Desktop
$ sudo mount sdcard.img /home/username/Desktop -o loop
Presto! The virtual SD card is mounted and ready to open, now close your terminal session
$ exit
Resources:
http://developer.android.com/guide/d.../emulator.html scroll down to "Working with Emulator disk images"

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Mount Lots of good info on mounting/unmounting

[SisterNotes]

tried and failed.. it seems to freeze after trying to download app..

I tried and got it to work, it just took a long time to load and install the app...I think ~10 min.