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

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Ubuntu xdg-utils Edit question
Assignee:
No assignee Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Revision history for this message
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

Revision history for this message
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?

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask Mike Hingley for more information if necessary.

To post a message you must log in.