Exporting to epub from Scribus

a.l.e · 09-13-2012, 03:13 PM

Hi people,

during the last few months I've been working -- among other things -- on a plugin which will export the content of a Scribus file to the epub format.

The epub generated should be of high quality, but the goal is not to transform Scribus in an epub editor. For now there will be very few option in the export dialog and nothing will be changed in Scribus to design the way the content will be exported to epub.
The epub generated should be usable as is, but for the one who want more control will have to work on their epub file in an editor like Sigil.

In my work, I've been using Sigil as a reference and I'd like to make sure that the file Scribus will be creating are perfectly compatible with what Sigil expects to find.

I have two questions to the Sigil community:

- can anybody test the plugin and give feedback on the epub created?
(the plugin is in the "epub" branch of our git repository: git://git.scribus.net/scribus.git ;
i should be able to create a PPA very soon)

- can any of the developer help me to find out why epubcheck gives the error:
ERROR: /tmp/text_simple.epub: Mimetype contains wrong type (application/epub+zip expected)
(i'm using the same zip library as sigil has i've found in Sigil, but in an older version)

I whish you a wonderful evening
a.l.e

Perkin · 09-13-2012, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.l.e

- can any of the developer help me to find out why epubcheck gives the error:
ERROR: /tmp/text_simple.epub: Mimetype contains wrong type (application/epub+zip expected)
(i'm using the same zip library as sigil has i've found in Sigil, but in an older version)

the file 'minetype' has to have NO compression, and I think also has to be the first file in the zip/epub

elmussol · 09-13-2012, 06:54 PM

Ooh, interesting...

a.l.e · 09-14-2012, 02:16 AM

Hi Perkin,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perkin

the file 'minetype' has to have NO compression, and I think also has to be the first file in the zip/epub

Thanks for your reply!

this is the beginning of one of the epub i generate:

PK^C^D^T^@^@^@^H^@^@^@^@^@oa«,^Y^@^@^@^T^@^@^@^H^@ ^@^@mimetype^A^T^@ëÿapplication/epub+zipPK^C^D^T^@^@^@^H^@^@^@^@^@JÕ^Ujý^@^@^@ø^@^ @^@^V^@^@^@META-INF/container.xml^Aø^@^Gÿ<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<container version="1.0" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:opendocument:xmlns:conta iner">
<rootfiles>
<rootfile full-path="OEBPS/content.opf" media-type="application/oebps-package+xml"/>
</rootfiles>
</container>

(i hope it got through...)

the mimetype seems to be uncompressed and at the beginning of the file...

does anybody see something strange?

ciao
a.l.e

opitzs · 09-14-2012, 03:00 AM

I just opened a book and it looks like this:

PK ! oa«, mimetypeapplication/epub+zipPK Ó%A@iâ

I wonder if the missing "^A^T^@ëÿ" between mimetype and application could have something to do with it... (In my example there is nothing between those two, I checked in hex view)

Toxaris · 09-14-2012, 05:17 AM

I think the message is actually about the mimetype file. The mimetype file is a text file and content of the mimetype file must be:

Code:

application/epub+zip

Doitsu · 09-14-2012, 05:35 AM

Also make sure that there's no line break character after "application/epub+zip".

Perkin · 09-14-2012, 05:42 AM

Yes, Toxaris has what I meant.

Sorry, English IS my first language so I apologise if I'm not understandable.

In the root folder of any epub file, there is a file named 'mimetype' (with no extension), this is the file I meant as having to first file (added) in the epub (zip), and have NO compression.

It's contents is as Toxaris noted.

st_albert · 09-14-2012, 10:59 AM

note also that the "mimetype" file must be exactly 20 bytes in size (compressed and uncompressed). if it isn't, something is wrong.

Example:

Code:

$ unzip -v elBrujo.epub
Archive:  elBrujo.epub
 Length   Method    Size  Cmpr    Date    Time   CRC-32   Name
--------  ------  ------- ---- ---------- ----- --------  ----
      20  Stored       20   0% 2011-11-11 17:12 2cab616f  mimetype
     259  Defl:S      180  31% 2011-11-11 17:12 9aa7f027  META-INF/container.xml
    7122  Defl:S     1612  77% 2011-11-11 17:12 2079d1c6  OEBPS/content.opf
    5742  Defl:S     1070  81% 2011-11-11 17:12 f6ff143a  OEBPS/toc.ncx

...
etc.

a.l.e · 09-15-2012, 04:11 AM

indeed unzip -v gives:

$ unzip -v text_simple.epub
Archive: text_simple.epub
Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name
-------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ----
20 Defl:N 25 -25% 1980-00-00 00:00 2cab616f mimetype

which shows a size of 25 instead of 20 and a method as Defl:N instead of stored...

i've checked my call to zipOpenNewFileInZip -- which for simplicity was not supposed to ever compress a file -- and could figure out why in my example it says "Defl":

if (zipOpenNewFileInZip(file, filename.toUtf8().constData(), NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, Z_DEFLATED, Z_NO_COMPRESSION) != Z_OK)

changed to a/ use the compression flag and b/ not use Z_DEFLATED when no compression is selected:
if (zipOpenNewFileInZip(file, filename.toUtf8().constData(), NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, (compression ? Z_DEFLATED : 0), (compression ? 8 : Z_NO_COMPRESSION)) != Z_OK)

the warning wen away and

$ unzip -v text_simple.epub
Archive: text_simple.epub
Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name
-------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ----
20 Stored 20 0% 1980-00-00 00:00 2cab616f mimetype

thanks for your help! your hints lead me to check the right thing!

i will commit the change before tomorrow if somebody wants to give a try...

ciao
a.l.e

a.l.e · 09-15-2012, 04:13 AM

indeed unzip -v gives:

Code:

$ unzip -v text_simple.epub 
Archive:  text_simple.epub
 Length   Method    Size  Cmpr    Date    Time   CRC-32   Name
--------  ------  ------- ---- ---------- ----- --------  ----
      20  Defl:N       25 -25% 1980-00-00 00:00 2cab616f  mimetype

which shows a size of 25 instead of 20 and a method as Defl:N instead of stored...

i've checked my call to zipOpenNewFileInZip -- which for simplicity was not supposed to ever compress a file -- and could figure out why in my example it says "Defl":

Code:

    if (zipOpenNewFileInZip(file, filename.toUtf8().constData(), NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, Z_DEFLATED, Z_NO_COMPRESSION) != Z_OK)

changed to a/ use the compression flag and b/ not use Z_DEFLATED when no compression is selected:

Code:

    if (zipOpenNewFileInZip(file, filename.toUtf8().constData(), NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, (compression ? Z_DEFLATED : 0), (compression ? 8 : Z_NO_COMPRESSION)) != Z_OK)

the warning wen away and

Code:

$ unzip -v text_simple.epub 
Archive:  text_simple.epub
 Length   Method    Size  Cmpr    Date    Time   CRC-32   Name
--------  ------  ------- ---- ---------- ----- --------  ----
      20  Stored       20   0% 1980-00-00 00:00 2cab616f  mimetype

thanks for your help! your hints lead me to check the right thing!

i will commit the change before tomorrow if somebody wants to give a try...

ciao
a.l.e

09-13-2012, 03:13 PM	#1
a.l.e Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: none	Exporting to epub from Scribus Hi people, during the last few months I've been working -- among other things -- on a plugin which will export the content of a Scribus file to the epub format. The epub generated should be of high quality, but the goal is not to transform Scribus in an epub editor. For now there will be very few option in the export dialog and nothing will be changed in Scribus to design the way the content will be exported to epub. The epub generated should be usable as is, but for the one who want more control will have to work on their epub file in an editor like Sigil. In my work, I've been using Sigil as a reference and I'd like to make sure that the file Scribus will be creating are perfectly compatible with what Sigil expects to find. I have two questions to the Sigil community: - can anybody test the plugin and give feedback on the epub created? (the plugin is in the "epub" branch of our git repository: git://git.scribus.net/scribus.git ; i should be able to create a PPA very soon) - can any of the developer help me to find out why epubcheck gives the error: ERROR: /tmp/text_simple.epub: Mimetype contains wrong type (application/epub+zip expected) (i'm using the same zip library as sigil has i've found in Sigil, but in an older version) I whish you a wonderful evening a.l.e

09-14-2012, 05:17 AM	#6
Toxaris Wizard Posts: 4,520 Karma: 121692313 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Heemskerk, NL Device: PRS-T1, Kobo Touch, Kobo Aura	I think the message is actually about the mimetype file. The mimetype file is a text file and content of the mimetype file must be: Code: application/epub+zip

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09-13-2012, 06:54 PM	#3
elmussol Member Posts: 21 Karma: 4156 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Xerta, Catalunya [Spain] Device: Kobo Reader Wifi	Ooh, interesting...

09-14-2012, 03:00 AM	#5
opitzs Avid Reader Posts: 161 Karma: 36472 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Look for rain, hail and snow... Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, PRS T1, Kobo Glo	I just opened a book and it looks like this: PK ! oa«, mimetypeapplication/epub+zipPK Ó%A@iâ I wonder if the missing "^A^T^@ëÿ" between mimetype and application could have something to do with it... (In my example there is nothing between those two, I checked in hex view)

09-14-2012, 05:35 AM	#7
Doitsu Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,582 Karma: 22735033 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Kindle PW2	Also make sure that there's no line break character after "application/epub+zip".

09-14-2012, 05:42 AM	#8
Perkin Guru Posts: 655 Karma: 64171 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Kent, England, Sol 3, ZZ9 plural Z Alpha Device: Sony PRS-300, Kobo Aura HD, iPad (Marvin)	Yes, Toxaris has what I meant. Sorry, English IS my first language so I apologise if I'm not understandable. In the root folder of any epub file, there is a file named 'mimetype' (with no extension), this is the file I meant as having to first file (added) in the epub (zip), and have NO compression. It's contents is as Toxaris noted.

09-15-2012, 04:11 AM	#10
a.l.e Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2012 Device: none	indeed unzip -v gives: $ unzip -v text_simple.epub Archive: text_simple.epub Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name -------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ---- 20 Defl:N 25 -25% 1980-00-00 00:00 2cab616f mimetype which shows a size of 25 instead of 20 and a method as Defl:N instead of stored... i've checked my call to zipOpenNewFileInZip -- which for simplicity was not supposed to ever compress a file -- and could figure out why in my example it says "Defl": if (zipOpenNewFileInZip(file, filename.toUtf8().constData(), NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, Z_DEFLATED, Z_NO_COMPRESSION) != Z_OK) changed to a/ use the compression flag and b/ not use Z_DEFLATED when no compression is selected: if (zipOpenNewFileInZip(file, filename.toUtf8().constData(), NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, NULL, (compression ? Z_DEFLATED : 0), (compression ? 8 : Z_NO_COMPRESSION)) != Z_OK) the warning wen away and $ unzip -v text_simple.epub Archive: text_simple.epub Length Method Size Cmpr Date Time CRC-32 Name -------- ------ ------- ---- ---------- ----- -------- ---- 20 Stored 20 0% 1980-00-00 00:00 2cab616f mimetype thanks for your help! your hints lead me to check the right thing! i will commit the change before tomorrow if somebody wants to give a try... ciao a.l.e