[Wylug-discuss] advice on ebook reader or similar...

[Smylers]

Martyn Ranyard writes:

> On Sep 22, 2011 1:07 PM, "Smylers" <Smylers at stripey.com> wrote: (Snip)
> 
> > BBC IPlayer works fine on Linux like this; you can download TV
> > programmes to watch disconnected from the internet, and the software
> > handles the rights management such as time limits on viewing.)
> 
> No longer the case. Linux support for adobe air has been dropped,
> leaving no iPlayer for Linux any more.

I successfully installed IPlayer Desktop on Linux within the past month,
on Ubuntu 11.10 alpha, so it still seems to work at the moment (but I
see your point that Adobe have ceased supporting Linux on newer releases
of Air).

However, my reason for mentioning this was to show that it is possible
to provide Linux software which handles DRM, so OverDrive could choose
to support library e-books on Linux if they wanted to. That IPlayer has
worked with Linux demonstrates this to be technically feasible; that
somebody has taken a business decision to withdraw that in no way
undermines the point that it can be done.

(Also, just because Adobe have dropped Linux support from Air, it
doesn't follow that the BBC will necessarily stick with Air, nor that
they won't find some other way of providing IPlayer Desktop to Linux
users. Their reasons for choosing Air in the first place included
wanting to support Linux:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2008/12/introducing_iplayer_deskto.html

So with this no longer being the case they may switch technology again
for future versions. Has anybody seen any BBC folk comment about IPlayer
Desktop on Linux following Adobe's announcement of abandoning Linux
support in June? I had a look but couldn't find any.)

Cheers

Smylers