[sf-lug] Overdrive books on Linux (was SF-LUG meeting notes)

[Akkana Peck]

Rick Moen writes:
> It appears based on https://sfpl.org/?pg=2000005001 that SFPL has signed
> up with an outfit called OverDrive for DRM-obscured e-books.  What is
> DRM?  Digital Restrictions Management.
[ ... ]
> Last *I* heard, OverDrive used Amazon 'Kindle' DRM, thus it was removable
> by legitimate purchasers using Calibre with the separately maintained
> de-DRM plug-ins for Calibre.
> 
> Some recent sources claim OverDrive is using a variant version of
> Adobe's ADEPT DRM on what would have otherwise been epub-format e-books.  
> https://hackaday.com/2011/06/07/stripping-drm-from-overdrive-media-console-ebooks/

As far as I know, Overdrive has always used Adobe DRM and EPUB
format, which requires being able to run Adobe Digital Editions (ADE).
That's true even if you use DRM removal tools, which require ADE.

And I suspect you're right about a variant version of Adobe. It
*used* to be that you could download a copy of ADE for Windows, run
it in WINE and authorize books that way. Two years ago, Overdrive
changed their scheme so that Overdrive books required the latest
version of ADE.

At the time, I solved the problem by buying a copy of Crossover
(the company, Codeweavers, makes improvements to WINE, some of
which they contribute back to the WINE project), which could run
the then-new ADE. But six months later, Overdrive changed again,
requiring an even newer version of ADE, and this time, it wouldn't
install in either Crossover or regular WINE. Queries to CodeWeavers
were brushed off with "ADE isn't a supported app", making me
regret having bought it.

The problem may be specific to Overdrive. I've seen a few DRM EPUBs
from University of Chicago since then that worked with the old
ADE that still runs under WINE.

Kindle is no better: Adobe's Kindle app stopped working under WINE
many years ago (though I admit I haven't re-checked it in the last
couple years).

If Ken or anyone has found a solution, I would love to hear about
it. I checked out the hackaday page Rick linked: the links all
redirect to what looks like a domain squatter page, but the internet
archive (https://web.archive.org/web/, bless them!) has them if you
go back to 2012. The articles are interesting reading, but they
assume a working version of ADE, which you need even to download
the EPUB, let alone unlock it.

Enjoy Worldcon! Makes me wish I were still in San Jose. I went to
a Worldcon long ago, in LA, and it was amazing.

        ...Akkana