Kindle for PC v1.30

[mouldy]

For long time people wanting to use Kindle for PC in WINE were limited to v1.17.xx. There was a way to use 1.20 or 1.21 if you used older version to register then manually upgraded.

Anyway recently I had to install Kindle for PC on Buster Dog that I hadnt previously used for WINE, and v1.17 wouldnt let me register, it said it couldnt connect. Somebody mentioned using v1.13 to register then upgrading to 1.17. It would connect, but wouldnt accept my username/password. There is some new two step security thing that 1.13 cant handle. This on Buster Dog. Using Playonlinux. POL makes it easy to pick what version WINE you want for particular software and whether 32bit or 64bit. There is no easier way if you want choice.

So was reading and surprised to read one post on some forum that Kindle for PC v1.30 will work, IF you add like three empty folders properly named. (except notebook function that requires a late version IE which is impossible in WINE) Ok this sounded way too easy. I looked on WineHQ and sure enough they rated v1.30 gold. They give details there of folders you need to create. Just empty folders. As point of reference I am using 32bit WINE 6.3-staging.

Some people dont like Kindle for PC newer than 1.26, since Apprentice Alf plugin for Calibre cant handle newer format books. I mostly read free tosser fiction (mystery and scifi) so dont have any real reason to save it. If I needed some reference book or other book I want for the long term, then I would buy a physical copy. I just like reading the books on Puppy so all I care is to have a Kindle for PC that is stable and can communicate with Amazon. Without booting up a windows computer just to read.

Anyway just posting this that latest v1.30 does indeed work and seems quite stable. Not like there is a lot of choice, since 1.17 and older versions will install in WINE and load, but cant register. If you truly need older version, you might install v1.30 to register on a particular computer, then reinstall say v1.17. It shouldnt make you reregister, but I dont know that. This seems to be Amazon's soft easy way of easing people off older versions. They arent going to just kick customers off but if you need to install old version on another computer it wont work.

Oh will mention trick I learned sometime back with the portable WINE. You install Kindle for PC on it, then it sees the portable wine as the computer so once you register, you move the portable wine to different computer you dont need to reregister. I stopped using portable wine when I started having problems with it on newer systems. Think last I used it was on Xenial Pup. POL also gives lot more choice as to version WINE to use for particular piece of software.

And you also can use a Mozilla based browser (no extension or addon needed in Mozilla) to access your Kindle books online and "pin" them for use off line. I did this, but IMHO, its tedious and less stable compared with Kindle for PC software. The best way I found to do it was to install Kmeleon browser in WINE and use an instance of it to pin Kindle books, and not use it for anything else, keeps things clean and easy to find. Kmeleon works very nice in WINE by the way. You can of course use linux Firefox, Seamonkey, PaleMoon, etc.

[mouldy]

Ok, tonight of course I had a problem, Kindle wouldnt let me download any books. I deleted one I already downloaded and then couldnt re-download it. I tried reregistering, reinstalling Kindle, reinstalling old Kindle. By way Amazon has gotten hardass around this, had to go through the whole nine yards getting it reregistered each and every time. And the old 1.17 Kindle couldnt piggyback on new Kindle having been registered. Nada. Amazon simply doesnt want old versions being reinstalled.

Then I got to wondering.... You know I never looked where "My Kindle Content" folder was. Where it puts the books. Yep, it got put into /root/my-documents. Well Kindle apparently cant reliably write to this folder. So there is an option to move it. I moved it to Kindle folder I created inside prefix C: drive. Bingo. I can now download books. Why it worked for a while, then didnt.... but WINE stuff is always bit weird. I would think it should created the 'My Kindle Content' inside C: drive in first place, but... And it maybe some other reason, as I am thinking "My Kindle Content" was always put in /root/my-documents (Z: drive) in past, though didnt pay any real attention. It worked, didnt worry about it. WINE should do any translation. Maybe this version of Kindle.... oh well it works for now so not going to worry.

Oh by way here is the WineHQ link: https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager. ... &iId=39700

That was another thing, it maybe that v1.30 needs WINE 6 or higher. I tried WINE 4 and it crashed consistantly. v1.17 used to work on just about any 32bit WINE.

[mouldy]

Update this thread. I have experience with WINE 7.1 and Kindle for PC v1.32. Will say for anybody doing this, IF you have problem with Kindle crashing, use wincfg and set Kindle to use win7 rather than default "global settings" or "win10". This will let you register Kindle for PC with your Amazon Kindle account. You will also get the silly warning that win7 is unsupported though it works fine, just has the meaningless warning. The crashing seems to only be the registration window. Once registered you can set it to win8 or win10 and the warning will go away. No idea why Kindle registration crashes unless WINE set to win7, but it does. I have mused setting it to win95 and see what it does, LOL.

Oh and good thing newer Kindle for PC works in WINE as you can no longer register the older versions. Seems the browser "cloud Kindle" only works with an online connection. Amazon has discontinued letting one "pin" a book to the browser in order to read it off line. I found it kinda clunky, but was always a backup to having WINE and Kindle for PC app. For long time it was what the clueless would tell linux users they could use when they complained of no "Kindle for Linux". Usually these folk had no experience living without 24/7 internet connection. They just didnt get the idea of reading offline. Really annoying when somebody just says use Calibre. Calibre is a nice ebook reader, but it doesnt do Kindle proprietary format. I think you can set it to call the Kindle app, at least in windows and it will organize your Kindle books, but on its own it cant download or open them. And yea be nice to not have to deal with Amazon and Kindle and DRM, but Amazon is the elephant in the room for ebooks.

[ndujoe2]

I use the lazy way of doing things. I don't use Wine.

Just read.amazon.com and log into my amazon account. All the content is there.

[mouldy]

And nothing wrong with that if you never want to read off line. Whatever works for you. I prefer option to read without being online. Though world is pushing people and even their kitchen appliances to be online 24/7. Go figure.

[ndujoe2]

You are correct about the read.amazon.com, you have be online for it work, I agree with your point. I guess I am not upset by that access.

[mouldy]

I am now running v1.34. Its bit unstable unless you use winecfg and set it to win7 and leave it like that. I think when the Kindle for PC sees win7, it doesnt struggle trying to do as much in background. Far as I can tell other than the win7 not supported warning, it has no problem downloading and reading any Kindle books in library. You cant maybe buy books through the app, but I never wanted to do that anyway. Buy them using browser. Then can download and read with the app. Oh if you want a non-Kindle format of Kindle book, have look at my post for "automatic screenshotter" in 32bit WINE section. Its not the slickest way to do it, but you arent dependent on Apprentice Alf getting around to dealing with latest DRM version, or those trying to do a polished shareware version on back of Apprentice Alf's efforts.

[mouldy]

Just a heads up. Recently playing with EasyOS 4.3.5, the last 32bit version far as I am aware. Anyway after the WINE 7.1 pet pkg, which was about as painless as it gets to install, I found my older copy Kindle4PC pretty crashy, so what the heck, downloaded latest Kindle4PC I found which is KindleForPC-installer-1.39.65383.exe THREE TIMES THE SIZE making it over 150MB. Cant see that it does anything more. BUT its much more stable far as registering it with Amazon. So if you are having trouble with older Kindle4PC being twitchy, try the newer "improved" super bloated version.

[mouldy]

I am still scratching my head. Recently I deregistered bunch of old Kindle4PC installs. Somehow deregistered one I use daily. It just would not let me reregister. Either blank registration screen or one that wouldnt let me enter any info. That registration screen popup as flaky and crashy as I have ever seen it no matter how I set version of windows in WINE. And yes in secret they had upgraded to version 1.40. So nuked it and installed 1.31. Registration screen still wouldnt let me even enter all my info before it crashed the whole app. So??? Finally downloaded v. 1.26.

It popped up registration screen and super stable. Easy peasy to register. Yea it will upgrade in secret like they all do anymore. But v. 1.40 is fine once its registered, it is just that registration screen that is the problem. Just heads up if you run into this. I kept wondering if something wrong with WINE and all sorts.

[oldaolgeezer]

Hi mouldy

I might report that since January of 2023, Amazon has made several changes
in their ebook environment which, as I understand it, apply to both
encoding of ebook files and requiring Kindle reading devices and
their software be able to communicate with Amazon servers on a continuing
bases while new ebooks are being read, page by page, by the buyer.

I believe the Amazon term for these new ebooks is: Kindle Unlimited
and the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Select program.

As I understand it, ebook authors or publishers receive a better financial package
for each of their new ebooks, so most authors or publishers opt into this program
(they are paid per page as the customer reads their book.)

According to:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums
https://www.amazonforum.com/s/question/ ... downloadig
https://www.threecolts.com/blog-article ... publishing
and others, a number of older Kindle reading hardware devices, which can not
provide communication with Amazon servers on a continuing bases,
can no longer, since January of 2023, process these newer ebooks.

I do not use WINE software on Puppy, but using Windows 10, Kindle4PC version 1.40.1 does
allow reading of these new ebooks.

Maybe all this will help with choosing the version of Kindle4PC to try with WINE.

[mouldy]

Yea I was forced to upgrade Kindle to actually read some books. First even with upgrade deselected in Tools, it still automagically upgraded to 1.30. Which still wouldnt work for some books. So I then manually upgraded to 1.40. It did this without making me reregister. Its that stupid registration popup that is super unstable and crashy.

Oh and it gets better, seems 1.26 registration only works super stable with WINE6.x. I already had WINE 6.18-staging. Wouldnt work with 7+ But I swear they have made it truly painful to get Kindle functional using WINE. And yea you need Kindle4PC, like 1.39 or newer to be fully functional. Older versions even when registered cant download/open many books.

And it gets even better. I tried this on Fedora38. Installed PlayOnLinux. Via POL, I installed 32bit WINE6.18-staging. And yea, Kindle 1.26 installed, ran, let me register. Super stable as expected. However when I tried to update it to 1.40, well 1.40 installed, but wouldnt load. So???? So even more complexity to the situation.

And you know whats really stupid? If the Kindle software people would make sure Kindle4PC works in latest WINE on latest mainstream linux, then it would also work better in windows. Its the stupid Microsoft shortcut stuff that makes it PITA to get working in WINE. And wouldnt doubt the WINE people also have changed some things since 6.38 that makes it less compatible too. Seems like software engineers get something right, then seem determined to break it again.

[mouldy]

Must be something not quite right with the dnf PlayOnLinux package for Fedora38. Just tried it on MX23R2 (release candidate 2) and it works fine. POL installed and use it to get WINE6.18-staging. Install Kindle 1.26 and register. Then upgrade via POL to Kindle 1.40 and it stays registered and it works. Still royal PITA, but at least this workaround works on most current distributions. Now some with meh package manager, it might be problematic to get POL installed. Its not the most friendly beast. Its only real claim to fame is that it can install just about any version WINE independent of the operating system being used. Pretty sure this would be a nightmare doing it regular way on a version linux where there is no 6.x version WINE available.

[mouldy]

Ok, Amazon broke Kindle for PC again. It upgraded to 2.x and wont show list of my books anymore. Since I am using PlayOnLinux, forced it back to 1.39 and working again.

I would say soon only way to run Kindle for PC on linux is to run windows in a virtual box and install it on that. Or possibly Android x86 in virtual box and Kindle for Android on that. But you need a modern computer with plenty RAM. Bleh. Whats so tough for Amazon to make sure Kindle for PC runs smoothly in WINE on Debian or one of the other mainstream linux? Just sloppy to use the unofficial Microsoft hacks in their software.

[mouldy]

Rainy day so put PrimeOS (based on Android x86) on small SSD and booted it on converted Chromebook. My desktop is too old, it refuses to run on it, doesnt have some security thing in the processor. Installed the Easytether for tablet version and it connected. However after installing the Kindle4Android apk, it refused saying there was no connection. It doesnt recognize the Easytether VPN and it tests before it tries....

So used create_ap on linux created hotspot to share the Easytether connection. This time since I was connecting via wifi hotspot, it was happy. Easy peasy registering and having it show my library. Also it will download the books I tried it on and retain them for offline reading. So guess one can either use PrimeOS/Android x86 on VM in linux or maybe an Android emulator. PrimeOS was better than many so called desktop versions Android, but comes down to it, I really dont like Android very much. So if I have to use it to read my Kindle library so be it. Less bloated than windows.

Oh another downside of the Android version Kindle app, cant adjust text size. With the Kindle4PC, can blow it up big as you want, to the old Readers Digest big print size. For any youngsters out there, Readers Digest magazine used to sell condensed novels with option of large print for easy reading by old eyes. Long before PCs.

UPDATE DEC14: I really have probably gotten too deep posting in this thread about a non-WINE solution for Kindle app. But Amazon keeps pushing ever more deeply into their 2.x series of Kindle4PC which doesnt work with WINE. How much longer they will let the 1.38-1.40 versions work? So been playing more with PrimeOS and the Kindle4Android app. They seem more tolerant allowing it to function, though they no longer offer older versions necessary, you have to track them down on a third party site.

So the 64bit version PrimeOS/Android x86 all require a computer with SSE4.2 chip. But the last of the 32bit versions will run on computer without it. I tried it, yea 32bit version runs fine on my old core2duo desktop. Upgraded to last version Kindle4Android that runs on Android 7.1.2 which what PrimeOS classic has. Its version 8.51. Its really twitchy on PrimeOS classic, but does work, though crashes a lot, so takes multiple tries to actually read a book. Once book is full screen then you can turn pages without crashing. Meh. Also since I am dependent on VPN tunnel for internet, none of the Kindle4Android are happy and claim I am disconnected. I have to use create_ap for a local wireless network on a linux computer and connect to that, It doesnt care that this is a local non-internet connection, just that I have a wifi wireless connection. Once its happy I have wifi connection then its ok if that is disconnected, it can use the VPN tunnel. Its just arbitrary test, but one I havent been able to fool with any Android app for this purpose, yea lot Android apps apparently sniff for a wifi connection before functioning. This version of Kindle4Android lets me go full page and adjust size of font. Meaning I get the Readers Digest large print version, no squinting.

So I ran across a 14in HP Stream I forgot I had. It has the SSE4.2. Installed the 64bit bit PrimeOS and Kindle4Android 8.51. Much, much more stable than with the 32bit Classic version. Very cooperative. Course as I say Amazon no longer offers this version Kindle4Android, had to hunt it down. Their current Kindle4Android requires Android-10 I think. But once the books are downloaded it allows one to read them off line. Still not perfect, but definitely easier than running Kindle4PC in WINE has become, though that is still possible up through version 1.40 Kindle4PC. I dont have a computer with over 4GB RAM but suspect if one did, then could run Android in virtual machine on linux and thus Kindle4Android from linux. When I tried it on my old low RAM computers it didnt work well at all. I also will probably have to reinstall 64bit PrimeOS as its showing only tiny bit storage space when it should have a lot. The system files after full installation are like 7GB and the eMMC drive is 32GB. But it only shows me having 1.5GB available storage. So I missed something somewhere. But again this 14in Stream cloudbook is plenty big enough screen for reading and light weight. Pretty good battery life too. Much rather have an intel laptop or desktop with PrimeOS or Android x86 than some Android tablet. Android tablets can be real pain when battery gets weak. They were intended as throwaway I am sure.

UPDATE AGAIN: Ok found out Android 11 is available in a x86 version, they call it BlissOS v14. The Stream didnt like it on its internal eMMC drive. Wouldnt boot. Those eMMC drives can be wonky. And they are lot slower than genuine SSD. So tried a usb SSD this morning, it already had PrimeOS installed. The BlissOS installer asked if I wanted to upgrade. Yah, you betcha! And it did. BlissOS boots from the SSD. So pushed my luck and installed the current version of Kindle4Android. Version: 8.89.3.0(2.0.2766.0-kfap). It installed and loads, no crashy, crashy like when I tried it with live version BlissOS. I would assume together they were using too much RAM. The Stream only has 4GB RAM. So now I can put linux back on the eMMC drive and BlissOS can boot from usb. Yea I still dont like Android, but this is lot easier way to have Kindle app than Kindle4PC in WINE. Well I mean easiest non-windows way to have Kindle on an x86 computer. Though anymore windows can be a handful to lock down and make it play nice and only serve one master.

FINAL UPDATE: On alternative way to do Kindle. The BlissOS way works. But since I use Easytether/Azilink for my internet, not super happy I have to make a dummy wifi network on second computer to please Kindle4Android. So something I didnt want to do, started looking if any unofficial super small n-lited versions of win10 or win11. Yes there are. I downloaded the 64bit version "tiny win10", it was 1GB iso. Thats seriously small for windows anymore. The 32bit version was like 600MB.... Installed it on the Stream not knowing quite what to expect. Its very bare bones, not even a browser, just calculator and mspaint and notepad I think. I installed latest Kindle4PC and Easytether client for windows. Then since most of drivers stripped from it, hunted down driver for my cell phone on the cell phone company's website. Installed that. And it works I basically turned the Stream into a dedicated Kindle reader. Look I am not happy that windows seems the best choice, but at least this unofficial version windows is bare bones, obvious somebody put lot effort into it to get it super stable. You start removing huge parts of an operating system and that usually makes it very unstable. And as fat as latest versions WINE have become, honestly running "tiny" in a VM on linux computer might be more useful than WINE. I take no joy in saying that. I like WINE. There is a "tiny win11" but its a LOT bigger. Going back some years ago, I used to play some with an unofficial "tinyXP". When Puppy was just around 100MB, tinyXP was 150MB. It was stable and fast, though I remember never got printer working with it as they had stripped some necessary bits.

[mouldy]

Yep looks like end of Kindle4PC in WINE, least for foreseeable future. Just had a book that wouldnt download with version 1.40, told me I needed to upgrade. Thats the last of the 1.xx. So now need 2.xx and they simply dont work in WINE. Hopefully somebody will come up with a workaround like they did when 1.17 stopped working. But not holding my breath. As I mentioned in last post, Tiny10 or BlissOS are options. Either stand alone or in VM.

[mouldy]

Closer, after noticing an recipe for getting Waydroid working in Fedora, been trying that. Fedora apparently already has much of support inherent in it. I installed Fedora 39 workstation (2GB iso) on an old laptop (with SSE4.2) then used their dnf package manager to install Waydroid. Though the script to install "lineage android" didnt work, had to download it with browser and install it to Waydroid manually. Then it needed Houdini library with another download/install script. Amazingly that worked.

So I then install Kindle4Android (its an ARM android app so wont run without Houdini). And voila, have icon for Kindle app on Fedora desktop, well Gnome app screen. Click on it and it opens. I am not a fan of Gnome in slightest, but it seems necessary for Waydroid, least as far as I understand now. Probably way to only install some Gnome libraries or something. No problem registering the Kindle app with my Amazon account. And it could download books. This is very much like Kindle4PC in WINE. Though Waydroid uses "lineage" which is an actual version Android for rooted phones (says its based on Android 11). WINE has to approximate windows.

Now that I have it working on some version linux, next trick is getting it working with with Puppy or Easy. I think BarryK compiled the current kernel for Easy so it supports using Waydroid. But pretty sure it doesnt have all the other support stuff that Fedora has. Not sure if any of the Puppies or Dogs have such a kernel or not. Though for my personal use, suppose I dont mind Fedora. I just wish it worked with LXDE desktop rather than Gnome. I did figure out Gnome must be designed more for a touch screen. It was much easier on touchscreen than clicking back and forth with a mouse or trackpad. Android too of course. Oh anybody wants to experiment with Waydroid, here is probably best and most complete video I found. This guy installed it on Mint.

Now if only Play on Linux folk would make a version to do Waydroid. Oh, probably doesnt matter to most people, but running Kindle4Android on BlissOS, it needed that dummy wifi connection besides Easytether usb connection to my phone. (I use Easytether or Azilink for my internet) Waydroid doesnt need that. it somehow translates the Easytether connection on Fedora to whatever the Android apps need to function. Hey for me thats a big bonus and makes Waydroid worth the hassle.

[mouldy]

ok, look in the Debian Dog forum. I got Waydroid working on BookwormDog with systemd and posted recipe for doing this. Last in series desktop images I posted shows Kindle for Android running. So there you go if you want latest version Kindle app running on one of the Puppy extended family. Fred found way to further get it working on BookwormDog without systemd and posted how to do this. I was happy enough with BookwormDog so didnt put any effort into getting it to work on BookwormPup or one of other Pups. But now thanks to Fred, know it can work without systemd, no doubt could work on Puppy.