How to Install Calibre on Ubuntu

Calibre is an open-source e-book management application that handles everything from organizing your digital library to converting between formats and syncing with e-reader devices. Whether you need to manage a growing collection of EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files, convert documents for your Kindle or Kobo, or access your library remotely through a web server, Calibre provides these capabilities in a single application. By the end of this guide, you will have Calibre installed and configured on Ubuntu, ready to import and manage your e-book collection.

Choose Your Calibre Installation Method

Ubuntu offers several ways to install Calibre, each with different trade-offs between version freshness and system integration. The table below summarizes your options:

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
Ubuntu Repository (APT)	Ubuntu Repos	Distribution default	Via apt upgrade	Users who prefer distro-tested stability
Xtradeb PPA	Launchpad PPA	Latest stable	Via apt upgrade	Users wanting newer features without Flatpak
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Via flatpak update	Users who want sandboxing and newest releases

For most users, the Ubuntu repository method is recommended because it provides automatic security updates and requires no additional configuration. Choose the Xtradeb PPA if you specifically need newer Calibre features that haven’t reached Ubuntu’s repositories yet, or Flatpak if you prefer sandboxed applications with the latest upstream releases.

This guide covers Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 26.04 LTS. The Xtradeb PPA may not provide packages for all releases; if packages are unavailable for your version, use the Flatpak method instead.

Method 1: Install Calibre via Ubuntu Repository (APT)

This method installs Calibre directly from Ubuntu’s official repositories, providing a stable version that integrates well with your system. As a result, you receive security updates automatically through the standard package management process.

Update the Package Index

Before installing any software, refresh your package lists to ensure you’re working with the latest available versions:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command first updates the package index and then upgrades any outdated packages on your system. As a result, you avoid potential dependency conflicts during installation.

Install Calibre from Ubuntu Repository

Next, once your system is up-to-date, install Calibre with APT:

sudo apt install calibre

APT will then fetch Calibre and all required dependencies from Ubuntu’s universe repository. Typically, the installation takes a few minutes depending on your connection speed.

Verify the Installation

Finally, after installation completes, confirm that Calibre is accessible by checking its version:

calibre --version

You should see output similar to:

calibre (calibre 7.x)

Note that the exact version number depends on your Ubuntu release. Specifically, Ubuntu 22.04 ships with Calibre 5.x, while Ubuntu 24.04 includes Calibre 7.x. If you need a newer version, however, consider the Xtradeb PPA or Flatpak methods below.

Method 2: Install Calibre via Xtradeb PPA

Alternatively, the Xtradeb PPA provides more recent Calibre versions than Ubuntu’s default repositories. This method is particularly useful when you need specific features from newer releases while still using APT for package management.

The Xtradeb PPA provides packages for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS is not supported by this PPA. If packages are unavailable for your release, use the Flatpak method instead.

Add the Xtradeb PPA Repository

First, add the Xtradeb PPA to your system’s software sources:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xtradeb/apps -y

This command imports the PPA’s GPG key and then adds the repository to your APT sources. Additionally, the -y flag automatically confirms the addition without prompting.

Configure APT Pinning (Recommended)

Because the Xtradeb PPA contains many applications beyond Calibre, you should configure APT pinning. This prevents APT from unexpectedly installing or upgrading other packages from this PPA, ensuring only Calibre-related packages are prioritized:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/calibre-pin
Package: *
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-xtradeb-apps
Pin-Priority: 100

Package: calibre*
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-xtradeb-apps
Pin-Priority: 700
EOF

This configuration works in two stages: first, the initial rule lowers all PPA packages to priority 100 (below the default 500), and then the second rule raises Calibre packages specifically to priority 700. As a result, APT prefers Calibre from the PPA while ignoring other PPA packages.

Update and Install Calibre

Next, after adding the PPA, refresh your package lists to include the new repository:

sudo apt update

Then, verify that APT recognizes the PPA version by checking the package policy:

apt-cache policy calibre

You should see output showing the PPA version with higher priority:

calibre:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 8.x.x+ds-1xtradeb...
  Version table:
     8.x.x+ds-1xtradeb... 700
        100 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/xtradeb/apps/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
     7.6.0+ds-1build1 500
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble/universe amd64 Packages

Finally, install Calibre from the PPA:

sudo apt install calibre

If you already have Calibre installed from Ubuntu’s repository, this command will upgrade it to the PPA version.

Verify the PPA Installation

To confirm the installation succeeded, check which version is now installed:

calibre --version

The output should show the newer PPA version:

calibre (calibre 8.x)

Method 3: Install Calibre via Flatpak

Alternatively, Flatpak provides Calibre in a sandboxed environment with access to the latest upstream releases. Because this method works across all Ubuntu versions, it is ideal for releases not supported by the Xtradeb PPA.

Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and restart your session before continuing. For detailed setup including the Flathub repository, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu.

Enable the Flathub Repository

If you haven’t already added Flathub to your system, add it now:

sudo flatpak remote-add --system --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

The --if-not-exists flag ensures the command succeeds even if Flathub is already configured.

Install Calibre from Flathub

Next, install Calibre using Flatpak:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.calibre_ebook.calibre -y

Flatpak will then download Calibre and any required runtime dependencies. Note that your first Flatpak installation may take longer because it also downloads shared runtime components.

Verify the Flatpak Installation

Finally, confirm that Calibre is installed and accessible:

flatpak list | grep -i calibre

You should see output similar to:

calibre    com.calibre_ebook.calibre    8.x.x    stable    system

Launch Calibre

Once installed, you can start Calibre using either the terminal or your desktop environment’s application launcher.

Launch from Terminal

For APT installations (repository or PPA), launch Calibre directly:

calibre

Alternatively, for Flatpak installations, use the Flatpak run command instead:

flatpak run com.calibre_ebook.calibre

Launch from Applications Menu

On GNOME (Ubuntu’s default desktop), first open the Activities overview by clicking “Activities” in the top-left corner or pressing the Super key. Then, type “Calibre” in the search bar and click the Calibre icon when it appears. Alternatively, find the application in the “Show Applications” grid under Office or Accessories categories.

Complete the First-Time Setup Wizard

When you first launch Calibre, a setup wizard helps you configure essential settings. This process takes about a minute to complete.

Set Your Library Location

The wizard first asks where to store your Calibre library. The default location is ~/Calibre Library in your home directory. You can keep this default or click “Change” to select a different location. If you have an existing Calibre library from another computer, point to that folder instead.

Click “Next” to continue.

Select Your E-Reader Device

Next, select your primary e-reader device. This setting optimizes format conversion for your specific device. However, if you don’t have a dedicated e-reader or use multiple devices, select “Generic” instead to maintain maximum compatibility.

Click “Next” to continue.

Finish the Setup

Finally, click “Finish” on the final screen to complete the wizard and open the main Calibre interface. From here, you can import e-books by dragging files onto the window or by using the “Add books” button in the toolbar.

Explore the Main Interface

After completing the wizard, the main Calibre window displays your library (initially empty). From here, the toolbar provides quick access to common tasks: adding books, editing metadata, converting formats, and sending books to connected devices. Additionally, the sidebar lets you filter your library by author, series, tags, or other metadata fields.

Manage Calibre

Update Calibre

Keeping Calibre updated ensures you have the latest features, format support, and security fixes.

APT installations (repository or PPA):

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command updates all packages on your system. As a result, Calibre will be upgraded if a new version is available.

Flatpak installations:

sudo flatpak update

After updating, you can verify the new version with calibre --version (APT) or by checking the Flatpak list.

Remove Calibre

If you no longer need Calibre, follow the removal steps corresponding to your installation method.

Remove APT Installation (Repository)

To remove Calibre, run these commands to uninstall the package and clean up orphaned dependencies:

sudo apt remove --purge calibre
sudo apt autoremove

Here, the autoremove command removes dependencies that were installed alongside Calibre but are no longer needed by other packages.

Remove APT Installation (PPA)

First remove Calibre, then remove the PPA and clean up:

sudo apt remove --purge calibre
sudo apt autoremove
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:xtradeb/apps -y
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/preferences.d/calibre-pin
sudo apt update

In sequence, these commands remove Calibre, clean up orphaned packages, remove the PPA repository, delete the APT pinning configuration, and finally refresh your package cache.

Remove Flatpak Installation

To uninstall Calibre and its sandboxed data, run:

sudo flatpak uninstall --delete-data com.calibre_ebook.calibre

Here, the --delete-data flag removes application data stored within the Flatpak sandbox at ~/.var/app/com.calibre_ebook.calibre/.

Remove User Library Data (Optional)

Warning: The following command permanently deletes your Calibre library, including all imported e-books, metadata, and cover images. If you want to keep your library, skip this step or back it up first with cp -r ~/Calibre\ Library ~/calibre-backup.

To completely remove your Calibre library and configuration files, run:

rm -rf ~/Calibre\ Library
rm -rf ~/.config/calibre

Note that the first command removes the default library location. However, if you chose a custom library location during setup, remove that directory instead.

Conclusion

Calibre is now installed on your Ubuntu system and ready to manage your e-book collection. From here, you can import books by dragging files onto the window, convert between formats using the built-in converter, sync with e-reader devices, and access your library remotely using the content server feature. Additionally, for ongoing maintenance, periodically check for updates using the commands provided in the management section above.

Useful Links

For additional information about Calibre, consult these official resources:

• Calibre Official Website: Download options, feature overview, and project news.
• Calibre User Manual: Comprehensive documentation covering all features and configuration options.
• Calibre Community Forum: User discussions, troubleshooting help, and plugin recommendations.