The invention relates to a system and a method for applying an electricity meter reading machine on a Linux thin terminal. The system converts a nonstandard USB (universal serial bus) device into a standard USB device through a conversion unit. The conversion unit comprises a detection module, a judgment module, an interception module and a conversion module. The method includes performing real-time bypass monitoring on a detection module of the USB device by a thin terminal system; distinguishing the standard USB device and the nonstandard USB device when the USB device is detected; immediately intercepting and loading a signal to the conversion module when the nonstandard USB device is inserted; performing standard conversion on the nonstandard USB device and mapping the converted standard USB device to a cloud desktop for use; directly mapping the standard USB device to the cloud desktop for use without passing the interception module and the conversion module if the standard USB is determined during bypass monitoring. By the system and the method, workers of electricity service offices can normally use the Linux thin terminal and the meter reading machine to work efficiently, and the defect that the meter reading machine cannot be used on the virtually-combined thin terminal is overcome.