If you’re a reader of eBooks, you know that there’s no need to install any software to read them. You can simply open the file in your favorite reading app and start reading. However, if you’re using Ubuntu 14.04, there’s a new way to read MOBI files - by using the Mobipocket reader. Mobipocket is a free and open source software library that allows you to read MOBI files without any installation or configuration. Simply open the Mobipocket reader application and start reading!
Do you have some .mobi files you’ve been trying to read on your Linux machine? FB Reader is an eBook reader program that allows you to read .mobi files (as well as other eBook formats) in Linux.
NOTE: Any eBook files you open in FB Reader have to be non-DRM eBooks.
We couldn’t find FB Reader in the Ubuntu Software Center, so we will show you where to download it, how to install it, and how to open .mobi files using it. Go to the following URL and download the appropriate version for your machine, 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (amd64). You must also download and install the libunibreak package, so click the appropriate link for your machine. Save these files to a location in your home directory.
First, we will install the libunibreak package. To do this, click the Files icon on the Unity bar to open Nautilus (the File Manager).
Navigate to the folder in which you saved the .deb file for libunibreak and double-click the .deb file.
The Ubuntu Software Center opens displaying a page for libunibreak. Click Install.
Enter your password on the Authenticate dialog box that displays and click Authenticate.
Once the installation is done, click the X button in the upper-left corner of the Ubuntu Software Center window to close it.
To install FB Reader, double-click the .deb file for the program and follow the same steps as you did for libunibreak.
Now that FB Reader is installed, navigate to a directory containing .mobi files for books you want to read and right-click on one of the .mobi files. Select Open With Other Application from the popup menu.
A dialog box displays saying no applications are available to open your eBook, which you know is actually not true. So, click Show Other Applications.
Select FBReader from the list of applications that display on the dialog box and click Select.
The eBook opens in FB Reader and you can use the controls to turn pages or jump to a specific page. To view all the books in your library. Click Show Library Tree on the toolbar.
A list of authors and books displays allowing you to open other eBooks, remove eBooks, and view and edit information about the eBooks and authors. You can view the list different ways, such as by author, by title, etc.
Once you have opened the first .mobi file to open it in FB Reader as described above, you can double-click any .mobi file to open it FB Reader without having to choose the application again.
