How To Read Comic Books On Linux With Peruse
A growing trend as of late is to consume comic books online, rather than the traditional method. The reason for this shift is mostly due to convenience. Why go to a comic book store when you can quickly pay a few bucks and get a file that’s much easier to store and take with you. While most operating systems have a built-in tool for readings eBooks and editing PDFs, there is far less support for comic books. If you’re looking to read comic books on Linux, consider using Peruse.
Comic book reading is a very touchy subject, and some will wince at the idea of “downloading books.” Still, if you love the idea of reading your favorite stories this way, you may be interested in this program. Peruse, a cross-platform reading app that makes consuming graphic novels a breeze.
Install Peruse
In this tutorial, we focus on Linux. However, if you’re a comic fan and don’t use Linux, consider downloading the Windows version of Peruse instead.
Ubuntu
As of Ubuntu 18.04, the Peruse comic app is readily available for installation. To install, open up the Ubuntu Software Center, search for “Peruse” and click the “Install” button. Alternatively, open up a terminal window and enter the following command into it to get the program.
sudo apt install peruse
Using a version of Ubuntu that isn’t 18.04? You’ll need to follow the AppImage instructions instead.
Arch Linux
Arch Linux users can use Peruse, but they’ll need to build it from the source code. This process is automatic and comfortable, thanks to the Arch Linux AUR. To get started with Peruse on Arch, use the Pacman package manager to sync the latest version of Git.
sudo pacman -S git
To grab the latest snapshot of the Peruse pkgbuild, use Git clone.
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/peruse-git.git
CD into the newly cloned peruse-git folder now present in your /home/ directory.
cd peruse-git
Inside the folder, call the makepkg command. Running this command will build and generate a new package. Additionally, it’ll go out and collect all dependencies that are needed.
Note: Makepkg usually collects all dependencies automatically. However, if some aren’t installed, it’s up to you to correct the issue. Scroll down to the bottom of the Peruse AUR page and look for “Dependencies.”
makepkg -si
AppImage
For Linux distributions that don’t package Peruse, the primary way to use it is to download the official AppImage. Downloading Peruse in this way will work on nearly every Linux distribution, as all necessary libraries and resource files are packed inside (minus one critical one).
Peruse requires SELinux. Go through your Linux distribution’s official Wiki, FAQ, etc. too. Learn how to set up SELinux. Once you’ve got it working, follow this link to download the app.
Using the wget downloading tool, get the latest AppImage on your PC.
wget https://mirrors.ukfast.co.uk/sites/kde.org/ftp/stable/peruse/Peruse-1.2-x86_64.AppImage
Next, use the mkdir command to make a new AppImage folder inside of /home/username/.
Putting it in this folder will keep Peruse out of the way from the rest of the system (and also prevent it from being deleted easily by accident).
mkdir -p ~/AppImages
Use the mv command to place the Peruse AppImage inside of the theAppImages folder.
mv Peruse-1.2-x86_64.AppImage ~/AppImages
Once the file is in place, you’ll need to use the Chmod command to update Peruse’s permissions. Don’t forget this part of the instructions, or Peruse will refuse to launch!
sudo chmod +x ~/AppImages/Peruse-1.2-x86_64.AppImage
After updating the permissions, use wget to download again. This time, use it to grab an image file to use for the Desktop icon.
cd ~/AppImages wget https://peruse.kde.org/data/peruse.png
Create A Desktop Shortcut
Peruse is in the AppImages folder and useable. However, it’s quite inconvenient to have to launch it in this way. That’s why at this step of the process, we’ll be creating a new Peruse shortcut. Start off by using touch to create a new file.
sudo -s touch /usr/share/icons/peruse.desktop
Open the file in Nano.
nano /usr/share/icons/peruse.desktop
Paste the code below into the editor:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Peruse
Comment=Read comic books
Icon=/home/username/AppImages/peruse.png
Type=Application
Categories=Office;Viewer;Graphics;2DGraphics;VectorGraphics;
Exec=/home/username/AppImages/Peruse-1.2-x86_64.AppImage
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=false
Save the file with Nano using Ctrl + O. Exit with Ctrl + X. Soon after, Peruse should be available in your application menu like a regular program.
Using Peruse
To use Peruse to read comic books on Linux, open your application menu and select “Peruse.” Once it’s opened, you’ll be able to start loading up your favorite comic book files.
Add a comic by looking to the left-hand side of the program, and clicking on “Open Other.” Selecting the “open other” option will bring up an open file dialog window that you can use to browse for various files.
Officially, Peruse supports all major comic book file types.
Once a file is open, it will automatically add itself to your library, and you’ll be able to access it at any time. Comic books in the Peruse library searchable via the search box. Alternatively, it’s possible to click on “recently added books,” “group by author,” etc.
Buying Books Via Peruse
Did you know that the Peruse comic reader app lets users purchase comics through it? If you’re wondering how to do it, open the app, look to the side-bar and click on “Get hot new books.”
Inside the “hot new books” section, users can legally purchase comic books from “Comic Strip.” Select “Comic Strip” to browse through their offerings online.
