'Kindle for PC' v1.30 works in WINE.

For longest time WINE users were limited to version 1.17.xx.  Well the other day I borked my dpupbuster install so been making Buster Dog into my daily driver.  Its an unofficial 'puppy-like' system.  Some things I really like about it, somethings not so much.  But its enough Puppy-like to be friendly.  Its just not official community effort so more bugs stay active.

But I installed PlayOnLinux as thats easiest way to get choice of WINE working.  Without looking think I used 6.3-staged, latest that POL offered.  No problem.  I got DVDshrink going easily.  Kindle 1.17 however installs and starts fine, but it cant connect to register with Amazon.  If it cant register when newly installed, it cant download Kindle books  Read some and one gal got even older 1.13 to register then upgraded to 1.17.  I tried and yea it would connect but Amazon refused to recognize my username/password.  Tried other versions WINE and Kindle.  Nope, seems Amazon is trying to ease people off older versions.  If you have it installed and registered, you can continue using it, but they wont let you register an older version on new installation.  

Ok, thinking I am screwed and either I have to use windows computer for Kindle or I have to dedicate instance of Kmeleon browser (can use any Mozilla/Firefox based browser for this) as my way to read books, you can download them to read off line.  There is a way to pin them, think thats what they call it.  But its clumsy compared to the Kindle for PC.

Then my day got brighter I ran into a post saying the latest Kindle for PC v1.30 will work mostly IF I create three empty nested folders in .wine.  Sounds too simple.  I do it and at first nothing until I reboot computer and try it.  Bingo.  It works and completely stable.  The notebook option and I assume the read aloud option dont.  But the older version didnt even offer those options.

Here is link:  https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=39700

I first saw it mentioned on another site and frankly didnt believe it.  Didnt even try it until saw comments on winehq.  On first site, one person saying it works, two others said it didnt for them.  I assume they got confused in the command line commands the poster used to create all the empty folders in one go.  Seriously yea, you can do it commandline, but just use the gui file manager if CL is confusing to you.  Its not rocket science, its that the empty folders with correct names exist, not how you create them.  Like say I just couldnt believe it was that simple cause I have tried getting newer versions Kindle working before.  But I am very happy I can continue easily reading Kindle books on linux computer.  

I've said it before, since Amazon didnt consider it worth the effort to make a special version for linux, at least they could made sure their windows version worked well in WINE.   But they didnt.  That cant cost much compared to a completely linux only software.  If it works well in WINE, it will also be pretty bulletproof in windows, so win-win.

It was working fine.... then it wouldnt download any book.   I even deleted a book it had downloaded earlier and wouldnt redownload.  So re-registered it.  And Amazon makes you go through the whole nine yards on re-register.  Oh I tried old v1.17 while at it and it didnt care that the v1.30 had been registered on that computer.  Amazon gotten hardass and just isnt going to allow the older versions to be reinstalled.  

I tried couple different versions WINE.  Nope, by way think Kindle for PC v1.30 needs wine 6 or later.  It crashed early and often installed to wine 4.  

So after beating my head against the proverbial brick wall, got to wondering if somehow it just couldnt write to the "My Kindle Content" directory.  By default when I installed Kindle for PC in WINE, it created the content directory in /root/my-documents.  This being in the linux "Z: file system" instead of the WINE "C: file system"...  Well thats how WINE sees them, linux obviously doesnt use alphabet terminology for partitions, thats a windows/DOS thing.  But think older versions Kindle did that too and never this problem.  And this default way worked for while in v1.30, until it didnt.

So anyway Kindle for PC gives option to put the content folder wherever you want it.  I moved it to the WINE C: file system.  Bingo, it could download books again.  No idea why this happened, since it worked the default way for couple days.  But guessing somehow some bug either in WINE or Kindle for PC, where it no longer could write to the Z: file system.  I will also admit I didnt check if somehow read/write permissions for that original default Kindle content directory had changed before deleting it.  They shouldn't but, should, would, could....

Still works fine with content folder moved inside WINE.  Seriously glad somebody figured out making v1.30 work in WINE. Hopefully it continues working though looks like Amazon going to be more hardass about letting anybody avoid updates. And as stupid as they are about it, pretty sure they will introduce some bug that makes it not work in WINE.

Oh Play On Linux install menu stopped working. Play On Linux is front end for WINE. In all the variations of linux I tried it in??? Makes life easier, especially if you need more than one version WINE, it keeps track of all the minutia and keeps it all working as needed. So couldnt find way to make version WINE that POL installed work independently. So downloaded and installed stand alone version WINE 7.0. after beating my head against a brick wall trying to get Kindle working in FossaPup with WINE 7.0/7.1, finally occurred to me what if the Kindle install file is fubar and so it was.  So downloaded fresh latest version, think it was Kindle 1.33.  It installs but quickly crashes when it opens.  Grrr.... Thats the old bug that guy found work around for, well its back. I know I have got couple versions of Kindle working in version 6 of WINE.  So doubt WINE has fubarred itself, but Kindle might have.  So closest to version 1.29/1.30/1.31 I found was Kindle 1.30.59036 on Filehippo, one of few freeware sites I still trust.

And Bobs my uncle.  Yep installed and opened and didnt crash.  Why Amazon keeps screwing up is beyond me.  Ok I sorta see why they dont offer a linux stand alone version, but it isnt rocket science to debug the windows version running in WINE. If it can run in WINE, its going to be even that more stable in native windows. So win-win.  But for now Kindle 1.30.59036 works.  If Amazon tries to force an updated version well F them.  They shouldnt for while.  They now force updates on anything below 1.25 I think.  Basically anything older just wont let you register to your account.

I booted MX19 this morning. Lo and behold there was a new Kindle icon on desktop. POL for whatever reason never created one, had to open POL, then choose Kindle from menu then click run.

So I clicked this new icon. Up pops an unregistered Kindle version 1.32 with warning win7 is not longer supported, that I can read already downloaded books but cant download more. Along with a register window. Ok. Remember the versions WINE that POL installed are only ones on MX. Ok, killed the window.

Opened POL and chose Kindle from menu, etc. Usual registered version pops up, no warnings. Its version 1.33. My guess is that it updated itself at some point since I couldnt get 1.33 to install yesterday. Crashy-crashy.

Oh playing with it some more, if I use POL to load a program, even winemine, it updates /home/user/.wine and kills the independent Kindle and brings up winemine. But if I close winemine, then click the independent Kindle, says updating .wine and up pops Kindle. Interesting.

Fossapup may had more problems cause it runs as ROOT but since lot software anymore wants to play big brother and force you to run it as user, the Puppy people have included generic Spot as user. You can run program as Spot by typing "run-as-spot". Ok, kludgy but so is making people sudo+password to run as ROOT. Oh and the Kindle 1.30 I installed on the stand alone WINE I installed in FossaPup pops up.

So WINE is fine, but liquor is quicker? Or magic pixie dust or whatever. Anyway if one is patient apparently the version WINE installed and used by POL can also be used independently without POL. Nice to know.

Still no idea in heck why POL install menu is fubar. And on all distributions I tried it, so its a POL thing, maybe cant contact its server or something, even the one on MX which until recently had been working fine. Not like I use WINE for much except Kindle and DVDshrink, and XMsol of course and occasionally GoldenBird solitaire. But they have been installed for a while. So when it stopped being able to do installs is unknown???

Really only reason to bother with POL anymore would be to have more than one version WINE on same system, it does great keeping track of all the minutia. However if it wont do installs anymore then it becomes less useful.

Ok, think due to POL, but Kindle installed to MX19 got really unstable, this is Kindle for PC I have used for months just fine.

So uninstalled POL and all the versions WINE it had installed. Debian repositories only had upto version 4 of wine32. Not impressed. But had seen on WineHD site how to add repository for WINE from them. Did so and then was able to download and install version 7.1 with apt-get (Debian package manager).

Reinstalled Kindle for PC 1.32. But it did something interesting I hadnt seen happen in WINE, Kindle updated itself once registered. I now have version 1.34 which wasnt even available day before. I assume to repair that bug in version 1.33. Well was a surprise but nice they repaired it. Oh WINE used "global settings" for Kindle which Kindle interpreted as windows 7 cause it had that warning about windows 7 being unsupported. I went to winecfg and set it to windows 10 and warning went away.

Been playing with EasyOS.  Some years ago BarryK who originated Puppy Linux retired and left community to develop it.  Course he then started tinkering on newer experimental linux, first Quirky then EasyOS.   Well EasyOS abandoned ISO version some time ago.  Current version is IMG that you burn to thumb drive with Etcher or Rufus or dd or something.  Happened to see a thread on manually installing it, basically move the three non-boot files in the IMG to a partition and run Grub4Dos installer (for older legacy bios computer) .  Ok, its a variation on "frugal install" of Puppy, only you have to first open initrd and change settings if you want Grub4Dos to boot it.  And doing this manually is PITA if you have to play with it to find working combo. May I suggest older linux program called peazip if you want to do this, it can handle extracting files from IMG pretty well.  So tired of messing manually, I downloaded last ISO version 1.3 and burned it to dvd and booted that.  Installed it and its install of Grub4Dos was close.  Got it working and to change initrd just click on it and it will open it up, then click again to close it.  SO MUCH EASIER than any other way doing this.  Oh and you can upgrade from v. 1.3 to current 3.4.7 pretty easily which was a nice surprise.  To do that you replace the three files with the newer ones.  When you click on initrd, its already changed settings and asks if you want to keep them.  Yes, reboot and you are in the newer version. Uses existing save file.

Now its really super stable system, but downside the repository with access from Puppy pkg manager is very limited.  So you are scrambling if you want more software.  I tried appimg of WINE v5 and it worked well, even self contained 32bit library.  But the the WINE v7 apparently by different person and it was FUBAR. Need WINE v6 or newere to run current Kindle for PC.  Apparently didnt include 32bit libraries as it complained of an ELF error.  There is no 32bit compatibility SFS for EasyOS so I created /usr/lib32 and copied 32bit libraries from working MX19 that has WINE.  Then had to sim link that directory to /lib/i386-linux-gnu.  This fubar appimage gave strangest error over "stacks" but didnt work.  I wondered if it was my homemade 32bit library....

Finally remembered how I got WINE 7.1 going in FossaPup, there is dotPET pkg.  Some forum member created a lot of WINE dotPET packages.  Well this dotPET installed.  And ran, perfectly happy with my homemade lib32 compatibility directory.

Kindle for PC v1.30 installed and worked ok, especially after running wincfg and telling WINE to use win7 compatibility.  THEN all on its own it updated itself to v1.31, which was crashy no matter how I configured things.  So updated to v1.34.  Its stable.  But only as long as winecfg is configured to win7.  Set it to anything else and its crashy.  I used to think it was only when registering it had to be set to win7, but apparently not.  

Now in MX-19, it does only need to be set to win7 to register with Amazon.  Once its registered, it will work to set it to anything else.  That registration screen is very crashy unless winecfg set to win7 for Kindle.exe. What difference is??? Now might be slightly newer WINE on MX, but shouldnt make that much difference.

Oh, I also tried POL on EasyOS, used the generic version POL that you install with ./playonlinux

It complained it couldnt find python. Well there is python3 on EasyOS, so maybe it was looking for a particular python file or perhaps its not in its expected place. I really dislike POL for that reason, it doesnt want to actually try to do anything unless it runs a test and thinks it can do it. What is wrong with just trying and forget the test stuff... But it is what it is. It also doesnt like my Easytether/Azilink connections. Its test indicates I am not connected somehow, so wont even let me install an exe file locally. Has to check in with the mothership. Crazy. I probably could eventually fin d the testing crap and disable it, but not worth the pain. Its just a big brother app that always knows best and wants to outguess me.

Still using dunfell version EasyOS. Kindle for PC upto v.1.34. Works fine, most stable if you use winecfg to set it to use "win7" You get that stupid warning win7 not supported, but its rock solid stable. Not so stable set to anything else. I think might be some advantage to "not supported", means its not continually testing and trying to do things in background. I get my free ebooks via browser so guessing the "not supported" means it wont let you buy books through the app. Well big whoop. Never have, never will. Any I get through browser show up in the app and I can download them.

I have used version MX19 as daily driver for few years now.  Super stable, but like all operating systems, getting little long in the tooth and enough softare installed/uninstalled, getting little more unstable.

So experimented with MX23 "Libretto" and installed WINE.  Kindle4PC would not register.  Not current version 1.40, not older 1.31 version.  Ok, lot water under bridge, did linux changes or WINE changes do something?  Then read of somebody that couldnt register cause there were too many old instances of Kindle registered already.  And so I checked and over 40 of them... LOL  So I delete all but the one marked default, thinking its the one on my current MX19.  It wasnt.  I had deregistered it.  They dont make it easy to distinguish which is which.

And I couldnt reregister it.  Yea they had secretly updated Kindle without asking despite me marking DO NOT UPDATE.  So nuked it and installed 1.31, nope crashy-crashy, before I could register.  UT OH!.  But thought and downloaded v. 1.26, think it maybe oldest Kindle4PC that still works.  It pops up super stable registration screen, easy peasy to register.  They will upgrade it to current version in secret, but its not the actual Kindle app that is the problem, its that registration screen on newer versions, its just super flaky and unstable.  New and improved my old wrinkly ass.  They got it right way back when then went about breaking it again. 

Just heads up, if you have trouble registering Kindle4PC, go find copy of Kindle4PC 1.26 and try that.   Work for a while.  Eventually they will make it unable to register like they did with 1.17.  Hopefully some smart person will find way to make WINE and that flaky registration screen happier together.  Though heard not just WINE, some people have problems with Kindle registration screen in win10.  Not the greatest software engineers working on Kindle4PC.....

Ok, tried Kindle4PC 1.26 on those three installs of linux I did yesterday.  Nope, nope, nope.  However one is same MX19 as my daily driver and using PlayOnLinux installed via apt.  So checked what version WINE PlayOnLinux using on daily driver.  WINE6.18-staging.  So made PlayOnLinux on yesterdays install of MX19,  download and use that version WINE.  And of course it worked, so....

Apparently one needs not only Kindle4PC 1.26, one needs WINE6, maybe upto WINE7.  I know long ago I did use it on WINE6, had to be at least WINE6.    Though I swear i have had Kindle4PC work with newer versions and with WINE7+. 

To use WINE 6.18-staging, one pretty well have to install and use PlayOnLinux unless there just happened to be that version compiled for that linux's package manager.  Or you are upto compiling it yourself (I think be a very punishing job) Unlikely on newer linux distributions.  POL can download and use just about any version WINE, thats its big strength.  It can also be a royal PITA at times. 

Anyway guess there was just that short period time where WINE and Kindle4PC 1.20+ were highly compatible.  The Kindle4PC software engineers got it right, then proceeded to try and break it.  As did the WINE people.  Like say though, once you have Kindle4PC registered, then can update to hearts desire, its that registration process that causes all the problems.

And the fun never ends.  Ok even though I told it no updates, it autoupdated to Kindle4PC 1.30.   It however couldnt download and open the book I had been reading.  They have changed book format since then apparently.  Wasnt offering me to upgrade further. So... I used the software upgrade function in PlayOnLinux and manually upgraded using installation of 1.40.  Succeeded.  It kept the registration intact and could download and open my book. 

So this has become a two part process.  Need to install Kindle4PC 1.26 on WINE 6 to register, then need to immediately upgrade to Kindle4PC 1.40 to actually use the Kindle app.  How nice of Amazon to make it all so complicated.  Like I have said many times, I sorta get it they dont want to offer a Kindle for Linux version.  But would it kill them to make sure the latest windows version works smoothly in latest WINE?  Honestly when a windows program works well in WINE, it will definitely be very stable and work well in actual windows.   I am still fine with v. 1.17 that was only version that worked in WINE for long time until WINE6.0.  But it used a format that had been easy to de-DRM with unofficial Apprentice Alf plugin for Calibre.  So they kept upping the complexity.  All pretty silly, nothing will stop a true pirate from making a copy they can sell.  It just makes life a pain for people that actually buy the silly books.  They are so worried about people just giving a copy to their family and friends I guess.  Though this happens all time with paper books.  Read it and pass it along one way or other.  Have to be desperate person to photocopy a whole paper book at library.

Ok, WINE and Kindle4PC are diverging again.  1.38 to 1.40 are the only two that work and they are not easy.  I had to use wine 6.18 and install Kindle4PC 1.26.  If you have a later linux, this really is only practical using Play On Linux which lets you download a wide range of WINE depending on your needs, not just latest.  Later versions WINE wont work.  Register, then upgrade to 1.40.  If you install 1.40 directly, registration screen is too crashy and unlikely you will accomplish registration.  The earlier versions will register, but wont decrypt current DRM used on some newer books.   I let Kindle update to 2.x at one point and it loaded but library empty, couldnt see any books.  So had to reinstall 1.40.  I suspect in not too distant future, you simply wont be able to run Kindle4PC in WINE.  Unless somebody comes up with a workaround.  For longest time people were limited to version 1.17...

So been experimenting more with Android x86.  On 14in intel HP Stream, I tried various combinations, finally finding the internal eMMC drive not cooperative.  So installed to a usb SSD.  Used BlissOS_14 which translates to Android 11.  And latest Kindle4Android.  It works, but since my internet is from tethering to cell phone using Easytether and Azilink (the native tethering/hotspot apps blocked), this creates a problem.  Seems Kindle4Android sniffs for a wifi connection, doesnt recognize a VPN connection as a connection.  So I have to fire up another computer, create an ad hoc wireless network (not connected to internet) and connect Bliss to that plus Easytether.  Once thats done it works.   It just wants a wifi connection to exist, doesnt actually require you to use it.

So got to wondering about smallest version windows.  I played with something called "TinyXP" way back when, it was very small and very fast.  But of course XP no longer can run useful version of Kindle4PC.  Found a 64bit "tiny" win10.  Unofficial version.  Somebody n-lited it mercilessly.   Its a 1GB iso, a quarter of its full size.  TinyXP way back when was 150MB iso.  Sanded down to bare metal.  So installed that on the internal eMMC drive on the Stream.  Fine, latest Kindle4PC installed and loaded fine.  Easytether said connected.  Kindle said no connection...  Ok they had removed the Android phone driver (s).  I tracked down the specific windows driver for my specific phone on the phone manufacturer site.  That solved the problem.  Kindle works fine.  And super stable.  Kindle and Easytether are pretty much only apps on the laptop.  Not even a browser.   I am not big fan of windows.  But honestly this is probably way to go making an older x86 laptop into a dedicated "Kindle reader".  Tiny win10 is whole lot easier than WINE, plus WINE has gotten bloated.  Now if you connect to your router or whatever using wifi, then you will have no problem using BlissOS and Kindle4Android.  For me its the extra hassle satisfying that arbitrary sniff test for a wifi connection.

Ok, seems Microsoft has become obsessed with that activation watermark and making it as difficult to suppress as humanly possible, if only they put that much effort into actually improving the system coding.  It used to be minor matter to nuke it.  The "tips" to remove it out there on web were for win10 from 5+ years ago.  They either work for very short time or not at all.  My take, ignore any site that suggests handing money to Microsoft as an option.  This means they are a shill for M$ and their other options will be suspect and probably not work.  Seriously, doesnt anybody using windows know paying M$ money is an option, just an expensive option.

I got to thinking about it.  A screen watermark has to be a transparent layer with the text on it.  Much like that Rainmaker app showing system info.   I looked, but they have it well hidden and probably with a name nobody will suspect.  If you can find it and delete it or replace it with file of same name without the text, sure that would end it.

But Microsoft gives you an easy peasy setting in win10 that will remove it permanently in exchange for a different restriction.  Go to settings, ease of access, and there will be a setting to remove all background images.  This results in a solid black background desktop.  All your desktop icons and tray are still there.  This not only removes the wallpaper but the transparent watermark layer.  This if fine for my purposes since I just want to use Kindle for PC on this cloudbook with space enough left for storage. I dont want the watermark when reading a book.  It overlays everything, including opened apps, not just the desktop.   Not my daily driver PC so decoration/personalization not important.  I have zero use for windows except now being forced into it for Kindle app.  Tiny10 only occupies 6GB out of the 32GB, thus perfect version for the Stream. Full blown win10 fills the 32GB and then complains it cant update cause there isnt enough space....   So Tiny10 makes the Stream a very nice Kindle reader since it has a 14in screen yet very light weight.  Far bigger screen than any Android tablet.  Plus Android tablets have that same mandatory wifi/SIM connection requirement.  Why???? sure makes no sense to me.  Whats wrong with it just trying to connect without the sniff test of how its connected?  It will either succeed or fail.  Jeesh.   Amazon basically forcing me into a corner.  My preference is to run K4PC in WINE.  Second preference K4Android in BlissOS.  But instead the only choice without bunch hoops to jump through is Tiny10.   Though why the Tiny10 people left in the activation nonsense and chose to use the Enterprise edition of win10 as basis for Tiny10???  I mean just about everybody with an x86 computer anymore has a windows activation code hardwired into their computer bios.  Just not the corporate Enterprise version, but "home" or "pro" versions.  Meaning I could put any "home" version win10 or win11 on my HP Stream and it would activate.  So Tiny10 people are stupid.  Either disable the activation stuff or use "home" version that most people have activation code for.  Very few people will have activation code for corporate Enterprise version.  Tiny is stripped bare bones version, having Enterprise edition as basis for it is pointless.  Bare bones home edition going to be identical or nearly so.

All I can say is wow.  Seems Microsoft plugged that hole too, the one where disabling background images also disables the activation watermark overlay.  I guess they watch for any tip to hide or disable it and change code to make it ineffectual.  Even with black desktop and no wallpaper, up pops the activation water mark.

Not really sure why since most pc's anymore come with some version windows.  Guess they dont want people upgrading or downgrading to a different version.  So either a wild goose chase looking for the overlay or find a mini windows based on "home" edition so it will activate with the code built into the bios.  I just dont want the hassle right this moment.  I even have an old version win10 on dvd somewhere that should either activate or at least let the workarounds work.  Updates can be blocked.  Updates will just undo modifications or lock it up if it cant modify it.

Played some with Waydroid, its lot like WINE only for Android on linux rather than windows on linux, meaning its not exactly a true emulator.  But like WINE, you can call Android apps without leaving linux. Anyway its complex installing it, so tried "Wayland linux", stripped Debian with Waydroid preinstalled.  My gosh it was hard getting that connected to internet, they had stripped out wifi firmware so its ethernet or nothing.  Wouldnt install the Easytether DEB package so manually installed the pieces.  Apparently some security thing not to allow installation of DEB packages locally????  Got it working, then whole thing borked when I tried updating Debian part of it. 

Also Waydroid doesnt come able to install/use ARM based Android apps.  Only x86.  But there is some convoluted script using something called Houdini library that will let you use ARM apps.  Whew.  They went all out making this complex and painful.  You truly have to be very determined to make it work.  Course WINE traditionally no walk in the park, though you use Play on Linux and its much easier.  Or your package manager if you arent picky as to version WINE you want.  and even a appimage version WINE 5 that is maybe easiest of all if you only need WINE5 and nothing newer.

Anyway I found post and a video showing installing Waydroid on MX linux.  Much friendlier than bare bones Debian.  Least I am much more familiar with it.  I have it installed, updated, and the GNOME base installed, but havent tried installing Waydroid yet.  Seriously dont like GNOME desktop, but seems required for Waydroid.  Havent gotten to actually installing Wayland and Waydroid.  See if that breaks stuff.  Then if that works, have to do the Houdini script thing as Kindle for Android is apparently an ARM centric app.  Wouldnt install with just plain Waydroid, needs the Houdini script.   Probably why it was bit twitchy in the older Android x86.  Tell you this is pretty extreme just to run an android app on linux.  Easier to boot into an install of BlissOS v14.

Oh mentioning that, apparently that old router I had is bricked, got piece ethernet cable and couldnt access the setup.  Couldnt get access to its configuration to turn on wifi.  Ordered $7 one off ebay that has wifi enabled by default.  Has the SSID and password on label.  But in meantime found something else I already owned.  Had an old hotspot gizmo locked to 3G proprietary network.  Well of course it wont connect anymore to that network to provide internet,  3G itself is defunct,  but you can connect to it to computer via wifi.  It will provide a dummy wifi connection to satisfy Kindle for Android and any other android app that is hardwired to sniff for a wifi or SIM cell connection before it will run.  So get some use out of defunct bit hardware.  And all I had to do is plug in charging cable and turn it on, no other access, it provides a wifi connection that shows up on computer connection manager as something to connect.  Ordered the $8 router before I thought of it.  But the router just has to be plugged in with wall wart and designed to run 24/7.  The hotspot device is rechargeable so doesnt like being plugged in full time.