Introduction to EPUB format.

Certainly, the growth of electronic text content has not been as rapid as previously thought. However, they are growing all the time. This is something that extends to the books we read from specific hardware devices, from cell phones or PCs. Here we find titles of all kinds that we add to our virtual libraries. Currently, these can be full of content of all kinds, making hundreds or even thousands of e-books. The most common format used is EPUB. This is precisely the format we will focus on at the moment.

In fact, we are going to show you some useful software solutions that you can install on your desktop. This way, you will be able to enjoy these contents on your favorite device. There is no doubt that reading from the computer with its large screen is much more comfortable and less harmful to our eyesight than, for example, the cell phone. However, we must look for the software solution that best suits our needs.

EPUB format: the most used

An EPUB (Electronic Publication) is a file format created by IDPF (Digital Publishing Forum) as a specific format for viewing books. This type of file allows it to be read by any compatible reader or tablet. In addition, it is a favorite for the publication of electronic books. This is because it presents a format that can be resized, able to adapt to different types of screen and font size. In addition, they allow the inclusion of video and sound in addition to text and images.

For all these reasons, it is clear that this format is one of the most versatile we can find. That is precisely why most of the reading hardware devices and programs are compatible with it. But this is something that cannot be said for everyone, since to give us an idea, the popular Amazon Kindle reader does not support this e-book format. In this case, the e-commerce giant prefers to use its own format on its devices.

EPUB-compatible e-book readers

We will find readers of all types, some more complete than others. All of them, however, offer a series of basic actions focused on our e-books in EPUB format. In addition, there are solutions of this type that will help us to carry out additional functions that will surely be very appreciated by most of the lovers of these reading files.

Calibre

This application was born as a tool to catalog our e-books on the computer. However, it has eventually become one of the most popular and well-known EPUB readers for Windows. With it, we can read any type of e-book format, allowing us to read in full screen, change the font and navigate through the chapters. In addition, it has all kinds of functionalities, offering the possibility to download EPUBS, download covers, manage metadata or convert books from different formats.

It also has a portable edition so that we can use it from any external storage device such as a USB drive or external disk. Along with EPUB, Calibre also allows us to read comics and magazines. Additionally, we can use the application to search for news, but it is not possible to do so with all websites. Indeed, only with those with which it has partnership agreements, such as BBC or The New York Times.

Sumatra

This is a fairly simple and straightforward application. Its main mission is to be a PDF viewer, although it supports other reading formats such as EPUB, MOBI, CBZ and CBR, so we can also read comics. Sumatra is a very light, fast and, above all, functional program, ideal for computers with few resources. This application is only compatible with Windows computers, unlike other competing software that are multi-device. It also has few customization options, which can be highly advantageous for those who are only looking for a tool to read e-books.

Freda

Another interesting option that we can find to read e-books is Freda. It is a free program for Windows that allows us to read books in EPUB format. It also manages other formats such as FB2, MOBI, HTML and TXT. This program also offers controls, fonts and customizable colors. It also offers the possibility to make annotations and bookmarks. In addition to being able to read our e-books in EPUB format, this application is responsible for organizing, cataloging and searching our entire electronic library for all its contents. It also offers the possibility of downloading books, along with the sources to obtain them.

Bibliovore

Another good option for reading our EPUBs on a Windows computer is Bibliovore. In addition to the possibility of reading our e-books, the program is characterized by offering a wide range of organizational functions. We will also have the possibility to edit the metadata of the books and change the font parameters. Another feature to highlight is the possibility of using a reading mode depending on whether it is day or night for of our eyes. It also has support for downloading books to your library, from where we can organize them. As a negative point, there is no help available. However, given its simplicity, we should not have any problems using it.

Adobe Digital Editions

The popular Adobe also has its own EPUB and PDF reader for Windows, with which we can read our favorite books. Among its features is the possibility of renting or borrowing the EPUB version of books from public libraries. Also, it uses bookmarks. We can also organize the books by folders, mark our favorite pages, add notes or search for text fragments. Its use for reading is effortless to use, allowing our reading to be comfortable. To achieve this, we can increase or reduce the size of the text we are reading or access a specific page. Perhaps, its main disadvantage is that it does not have many more compatibilities with other types of reading files, and it does not allow full-screen viewing. At the end of the day we have seen the best EPUB readers for Windows. See you later!

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It is possible to use any audio player to listen to our AudioBooks, but it is always a good idea to use a specialized application for the advantages it gives us.

Cozy is a wonderful open source application built with Python. It also pretends to be the best audiobook player on Linux. The application allows you to listen to DRM-free audiobooks (mp3, m4a, FLAC, Ogg, and wav) using a modern Gtk3 interface. It is available only for Linux systems and has a fairly simple interface that allows you to squeeze its functions with little effort.

Cozy, willing to be the best

Actually is currently is compatible with mp3, m4a, FLAC, Ogg, and wav. In addition, it does not allow playback of content with DRM, is important because it ensures good audio quality without having licensing problems with those formats.

Additionally, the application let you import all your audiobooks to browse them comfortably. In addition, you can search for new files in your library. In the same fashion, supports multiple storage locations.

Equally important is the fact that it has an Offline mode. This feature is very useful if you store your audiobooks on an external or network drive.

Here is a more complete list of its main features:

• Remembers your playback position.
• Sleep timer.
• Playback speed control for each book individually.
• Search your library.
• Sort your audiobooks by author, reader & name.
• Drag & Drop to import new audiobooks.

As shown above, are many simple but helpful features for a better user experience. However, there is another very important feature, Cozy supports Mpris integration (Media keys & playback info for the desktop environment).

How to install it on Linux

Cozy is available for many Linux distributions, and its installation process will depend on each of them or even if you prefer, you can compile the source code yourself.

For ElementaryOS:

If you use ElementaryOS, you can install it from the Appcenter. Just click on the link.

For ArchLinux:

If you use ArchLinux or some of its derivatives such as Antergos, you can use AUR to install it:

:~$ pacaur -S cozy-audiobooks

For Debian 9:

For Debian, there is a special repository. Run the following commands as root.

:~# echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/geigi/Debian Next/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:geigi.list
:~# apt update && apt install com.github.geigi.cozy

And that’s it.

For Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver LTS:

If you use Ubuntu 18.04 you must follow these steps:

:~$ sudo sh -c "echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/geigi/Ubuntu_18.04/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:geigi.list"
:~$ sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install com.github.geigi.cozy

That’s it

Using Flatpak:

Flatpak is a great option if your distribution is not listed or if you prefer this form of installation. Run.

:~$ flatpak remote-add --user --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
:~$ flatpak install --user flathub com.github.geigi.cozy

Using Cozy

Once installed, run it. In doing so you will be shown the following screen:

Now you can go to the preferences to see what options you have.

Now proceed to add a file. Remember, you can do it with a drag and drop.

Cozy has proven to be a simple but powerful application that accomplishes its goal quite efficiently. Its installation process on Linux becomes almost universal thanks to Flatpak.

Do we want to know about your experience with this program? Did you know it? What did you think?

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The post Looking for an audiobook player for Linux? Cozy is here appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.