Calibre is free and powerful software that helps you manage your e-books. With Calibre, you can automatically catalog your books, fetch metadata for them, or convert them into different formats. Additionally, Calibre’s network features allow users to download content from over 1,000 websites that are updated daily. Overall, Calibre is an excellent software for managing your e-book collection.
In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Calibre on the Linux Mint 21 LTS release series using two different methods: APT and Flatpak using cli in the command line terminal.
Table of Contents
Update Linux Mint
The first step is ensuring your system is up-to-date to avoid issues during the installation and for good practice. This is done by opening your terminal and using the following command.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yInstall Calibre – APT Method
The first method is to install Calibre from the default repository, giving you a stable, reliable version of the software. Still, it can lag in the future as LTS means stability over new features.
Use the following command to install Calibre as follows.
sudo apt install calibre -yInstall Calibre – Flatpak Method
The second option is to use the Flatpak package manager installed on your Linux Mint desktop. This can be desired for users wanting a more updated version of the software as maintainers are quicker than the default APT repositories, which focus on stability first.
First, re-install the Flatpak manager if it was removed previously.
sudo apt install flatpak -yFor users installing Flatpak for the first time, it is often recommended to reboot your system. Failure to do this can occur with odd issues, such as paths not being generated for icons.
rebootSKIP THE REBOOT IF FLATPAK IS INSTALLED.
Next, you need to enable Flatpack using the following command in your terminal:
sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoNow install Calibre using the following flatpak command.
flatpak install flathub com.calibre_ebook.calibre -yHow to Launch Calibre
Now that you have the application installed, launching can be done in a few ways.
Launch immediately from your terminal by typing the following command.
calibreAlternatively, Flatpak users will need to launch using the command below from a terminal instance.
flatpak run com.calibre_ebook.calibreMost desktop users would prefer to launch using the application icon. This can be done using the following path.
Taskbar > Office > Calibre.
Example:
Once opening for the first time, you will encounter a welcome wizard pop-up. The first step is changing the default installation directory, which most users recommend.
Click on Next > to proceed.
Example:
The wizard will ask users for a device, so you should use Generic.
Click on Next > to proceed.
Example:
For the final welcome wizard screen, click on Finish.
Example:
Once the first welcome wizard is complete, you will arrive at the Calibre application.
Example:
How to Update/Upgrade Calibre
Depending on the method used, the following commands can be used to update.
APT Update Method
sudo apt upgrade && sudo apt upgradeFlatpak Update Method
flatpak updateHow to Remove (Uninstall) Calibre
Use one of the following commands to suit the original installation method for users who no longer require the application.
APT Remove Method
sudo apt autoremove calibre -yFlatpak Remove Method
flatpak uninstall --delete-data com.calibre_ebook.calibreNext, run the following command for any leftover clean-up.
flatpak remove --unusedComments and Conclusion
If you’re an avid reader and have a library of books, Calibre is the perfect software. It’s free, easy to use, and can convert texts into different formats, so they’ll be readable on any device. With its network features, you can download content from over 1K websites updated daily.
