I had been using version 1.17 for some time, since the advent of the AZW format for Kindle books – I don’t have a Kindle ereader but a Kobo, so I use Calibre to convert mobi books from Amazon to epub – anyway, I got a new laptop, downloaded Kindle and forgot I needed the older 1.17 version, got the latest, and of course Calibre couldn’t. Starting with version 1.19, Kindle for PC (and Kindle for Mac) often uses the new KFX format, which is incompatible with calibre. These books will appear in a subdirectory of the 'My Kindle Content' folder, will import into calibre as 'AZW' format, and will fail to convert with the error: 'KFXError: This is an Amazon KFX book.
Calibre is a great free and open source management program for reading, editing and converting ebooks. When you’re working in Linux, it’s one of the best programs you can possibly use to convert ebooks for viewing on the Kindle, Kindle Fire or Amazon Fire Tablet. I own a 7th Generation Amazon Fire Tablet, which I used for this tutorial.
Install Calibre
The creators of Calibre recommend that you don’t install the version of Calibre that comes with your Linux distro. Instead, download and install the latest version of Calibre from the developer’s website. The best way to do this is at the terminal:
If you get an error about an untrusted certificate, try this instead:
To upgrade your version of Calibre, simply follow the current installation instructions on their website.
File Formats for Kindle, Kindle Fire and Amazon Fire Tablets
Kindle and Fire tablets support a wide range of different file formats, such as PDF, EPUB, and KDP, but the preferred file format is MOBI, which the format I’ll be using in this tutorial.
MTP
To transfer ebooks from Linux to an Amazon device, you need to use Media Transfer Protocol, or MTP. On Linux, this requires libmtp to be installed. It also requires gtfs or kio-mtp. Consult your distro documentation to find the proper method to install these tools. Once they are installed, you can transfer files to your Fire Tablet using the provided USB cable. There are also multiple methods to transfer files back and forth between Linux and your Fire Tablet wirelessly.
Download Ebooks
Ebooks are available for free in a variety of different formats online. My favorite site for ebooks is Gutenberg.org. Other sites to get free ebooks include free-ebooks.net, manybooks.net, and freebooksy. com.
It’s helpful to create a separate folder for your ebooks to make them easier to access in Calibre.
The Calibre Interface
The interface in Calibre is simple and easy to use. The toolbar at the top makes it easy to access all of Calibre’s different functions.
To get started, click Add Books. Select the ebook you want to manage, then click Open.
Then click Convert Books.
At the top, select MOBI as the output file format. Select Page Setup. Under Output Profile, select the Kindle profile that is the closest match for your Kindle, Kindle Fire, or Amazon Fire tablet.
Select MOBI Output. Under Kindle Options, by MOBI file type, select “old”. (If this doesn’t work, you can try to convert the ebook to “new” or “both”.) Then, delete the [PDOC] tag and replace it with [EBOK]. These edits will ensure that the ebook will go in the Books section of your Amazon device where it belongs, instead of ending up in the Documents folder by default. Click OK.
You can also use “Edit Metadata” to generate a new cover or download a cover for your ebook, if you like.
Transfer the Ebook to Your Device
There are several different ways to transfer converted ebooks to your Kindle, Kindle Fire or Amazon Fire tablet. Sometimes Calibre will detect your device when it’s connected to your computer by USB, in which case you can right-click the ebook and select Send to Device. I personally had a lot of problems with this feature. Calibre consistently failed to detect my device after I plugged in the USB cable. Still, it’s a useful feature when it works, so try it on your own device and find out whether it will work for you.
Another option is to simply transfer the file by USB. Your device should show up in your file manager if you’ve set it up properly. Use the “Open Containing Folder” menu option in Calibre to find your converted ebook files.
Different tutorials recommend transferring the files to the Books, Documents or Kindle folder on your Amazon device. Sometimes, these methods are hit or miss, but transferring the MOBI files to the Kindle folder worked for me. You may have different results depending on which device you own.
Another reliable method that I was able to use to send my converted ebooks was by email. To get your device’s email address, go to Manage Your Content and Devices on the Amazon website, then find the specific device you wish to use in the list. Copy the email address and paste it into the “To” field of your preferred email program. Then add the ebook files as an attachment, and click “Send”.
Once your files have been transferred, ust tap the book icon in the Books section of your device to read your free ebook.
Additional Reading
Calibre Para Kindle
How to Connect Linux Wirelessly with a Kindle or Amazon Fire Tablet
How to Make Web Browsers Run Faster in Linux
How to Rip DVDs or Blu-Ray Discs to Your Hard Drive Using HandBrake in Linux