Go to beginning/start - solved at last

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Tugger

I don't see a version 0.55 available?

Is the included patch the one that fixes the start position problem when the KF8 version is unpacked?

Thanks.

Yes, 0.55 fixes the stand-alone KF8 by removing the excess start metadata item.

It's over here. I don't think DiapDealer's produced a new version of his plugin yet.

[DiapDealer]

Is the included patch the one that fixes the start position problem when the KF8 version is unpacked?

MobiUnpack version 0.55 doesn't technically "fix" the issue. Because the issue can't be fixed through unpacking. MobiUnpack's splitter functionality (to split the ebook into its constituent mobi and KF8 parts) has been modified in v0.55 to produce a standalone KF8 that more closely mirrors the one produced (apparently) by the KDP process (one [hopefully correct] start item). The splitting feature of MobiUnpack is basically intended for those who want to distribute their own ebooks... not for preparing files to upload to KDP.

It was also modified to stop the creation of an unnecessary (faulty) guide item that had no actual bearing on the issue that kindlegen is introducing during its conversion process.

The script provided in this thread would be considered more of a "fix" than anything in MobiUnpack (although I still wouldn't recommend uploading files produced by that script to KDP). Basically though, this issue can't truly be "fixed" from a user's standpoint. An update to Kindlegen and/or the Kindle Keyboard firmware is the only hope for a real fix. Everything here should be considered an experimental band-aid for personal use only.

In my humble opinion, of course.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I don't think DiapDealer's produced a new version of his plugin yet.

I've been holding out because I have a couple of proposed changes for MobiUnpack.

[Tugger]

I understand and agree. I look forward to the updated plugin, as it gives a very quick way for me to check that the start position is working even though it isn't. If you see what I mean.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Tugger

as it gives a very quick way for me to check that the start position is working even though it isn't. If you see what I mean.

I do indeed.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I've been holding out because I have a couple of proposed changes for MobiUnpack.

Excellent! It could probably do with a good review of the code.

[st_albert]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

If you would email me (paul@durrant.co.uk) the version uploaded to KDP (so that I can check it has the expected problem), I'll then buy and download your book to check that it doesn't.

But it sounds like good news.

The file is on the way. Let us know what you find out!

[st_albert]

Originally Posted by Tugger

Albert - thanks. Sounds like very good news.

May I suggest you also email Paul with the downloaded preview version from KDP, if you could. This would all ow him to confirm my finding that the preview is still faulty, so the correction must take place after the preview is created.

I myself don't do the uploads to KDP. So, by "preview" do you mean the sample excerpt of the book that anyone can get from the Kindle bookstore, or is there another kind of preview that the publisher can get after uploading their book?

And if the latter, I suppose it would have to be downloaded via a specific device, in order for KDP to know whether it needed a fix.

For what it's worth, I understand that our publisher, when she uploads the master file, does see the opening error on the (online) KDP previewer. But as I haven't done the uploads myself, I can't provide details.

Edited to add:

OK, I answered some of my questions by looking over the boss' shoulder while she gave me a tour of KDP.

First, the error does occur in the KDP online previewer, but interestingly, only in Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD emulation mode. Not iPad, not iPhone, and not 'Kindle'.

Second, we did see where we could download a preview file, which is the same filesize as the master file, and also has the error when sideloaded to the K3. However, Linux 'diff' reports that the files are not identical. (since they're binary files, diff doesn't enumerate the differences.)

Third, when I look at the preview file in the Kindle previewer (on my desktop, not online) neither Kindle Fire nor any other device I've tried display the error. That is the result I would expect given previous experience.

So it looks to me like the downloaded preview file is not useful for detecting the error. Only the "round trip" of uploading and then purchasing the book for a specific target device is definitive.

@pdurrant: If you are interested in dissecting the preview file, let me know. I'd be happy to send it to you.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by st_albert

@pdurrant: If you are interested in dissecting the preview file, let me know. I'd be happy to send it to you.

Yes please!

But I can already say that the published book has the "error" fixed, containing only one start of text metadata. And it looks like Amazon do quite a bit of messing about with the file, adding lots of extra metadata and such.

I do have one question. It seems that the file you sent me isn't the source for the currently published file. In the "About the author" section, in the file from Amazon, one of the book titles has an erroneous space in it "DOUBLE F ORTÉ" while in the file you sent me, that space isn't there.

Have you, by any chance, recently uploaded a revision to fix this error? If so, it's not through to customers yet.

[pdurrant]

KindleGen 2.7 released!

Amazon have just released KindleGen 2.7.

This fixes the problem. It also breaks KindleStrip, but I hope to get that fixed today. But the extra start offset in the KF8 headers has gone.

[pdurrant]

I've fixed KindleStrip.

[DiapDealer]

Good stuff!

[st_albert]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Yes please!

But I can already say that the published book has the "error" fixed, containing only one start of text metadata. And it looks like Amazon do quite a bit of messing about with the file, adding lots of extra metadata and such.

I do have one question. It seems that the file you sent me isn't the source for the currently published file. In the "About the author" section, in the file from Amazon, one of the book titles has an erroneous space in it "DOUBLE F ORTÉ" while in the file you sent me, that space isn't there.

Have you, by any chance, recently uploaded a revision to fix this error? If so, it's not through to customers yet.

I noticed that too, last night. It appears that we fixed the typo but have not uploaded the corrected file yet. At least, the preview file we downloaded from KDP last night still has the typo. (it's in the mail to you now.)

Looks like with Kindlegen 2.7 it is now a moot point, though.

Thanks for getting to the bottom of this!

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by st_albert

I noticed that too, last night. It appears that we fixed the typo but have not uploaded the corrected file yet. At least, the preview file we downloaded from KDP last night still has the typo. (it's in the mail to you now.)

Looks like with Kindlegen 2.7 it is now a moot point, though.

Thanks for getting to the bottom of this!

The Preview file doesn't seem to have the two start of text metadata in the KF8 part either.

But since 2.7 fixes the problem at root, I think I won't worry about it anymore.

[st_albert]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The Preview file doesn't seem to have the two start of text metadata in the KF8 part either.

But since 2.7 fixes the problem at root, I think I won't worry about it anymore.

Hmm. The preview file definitely goes to the wrong "beginning" position when side-loaded on a Kindle Keyboard with firmware 3.4, despite behaving correctly in the Kindle Previewer and Kindle4PC.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by st_albert

Hmm. The preview file definitely goes to the wrong "beginning" position when side-loaded on a Kindle Keyboard with firmware 3.4, despite behaving correctly in the Kindle Previewer and Kindle4PC.

Looking more closely at the preview file, I see that although both sections have just one start offset, in both sections it's just 12 bytes into the book.

Perhaps the version that was uploaded didn't have the correct text metadata yet, just as it didn't have the final text correction.