Install Microsoft Reader in Linux

I have been long searching for a good e-book reader for Linux, and while there are a few good Linux based software, I have never been as impressed and comfortable as with Microsoft’s Reader.

It is now also possible to install MS Reader in Linux, and it works flawlessly!
Follow these simple steps and you will be reading away in no time….

Install the required dependencies using the following command :

$ sudo aptitude install wine msttcorefonts cabextract

Install ie4linux using the instructions here. Ignore the wine version warning. You may have to run the script multiple times if it crashes, but you’ll get ie6 installed eventually. I had to uncheck the Flash plugin installation option.

Download the MSReaderSetup.exe, and run the setup program as you would normally run any Windows application.

If you get an msvcirt.dll error, download the dll from here and extract the dll to your ~/.wine/drive_c/windows/system32 folder.

You will now be able to run MS Reader from the Applications Menu > Wine > Programs.

To be able to open .lit files by double-clicking, you need to set up the file associations. To do so:
- Right-click any .lit file in Nautilus File Manager and select ‘Properties’ and open the ‘Open With’ tab.
- Press the Add button to add the associated application (msreader) and use the file dialog to browse to the msreader.exe file. You will need to enclose the path in double-quotes or escape the spaces. For me it was: “/home/bala/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Microsoft Reader/msreader.exe”
You can now open .lit files by double-clicking it.