older pdb file to epub conversion

[fibrou]

I continue to have conversion problems with some older pdb files. The specific errors are below. I selected the line and paragraph settings found in other posts, but to no avail for here. What am I doing incorrectly?

Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided.

------------
ERROR: Conversion Error: <b>Failed</b>: Convert book 1 of 1 (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change)

Convert book 1 of 1 (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change)
Resolved conversion options
{'asciiize': False,
'author_sort': None,
'authors': None,
'base_font_size': 0.0,
'book_producer': None,
'chapter': u"//*[((name()='h1' or name()='h2') and re:test(., 'chapter|book|section|part\\s+', 'i')) or @class = 'chapter']",
'chapter_mark': u'pagebreak',
'comments': None,
'cover': None,
'debug_pipeline': None,
'disable_font_rescaling': False,
'dont_justify': False,
'dont_split_on_page_breaks': False,
'extra_css': None,
'extract_to': None,
'flow_size': 260,
'font_size_mapping': None,
'footer_regex': u'(?i)(?<=<hr>)((\\s*<a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?\\d+<br>\\s*.*?\\s*)|(\\s* <a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?.*?<br>\\s*\\d+))(?=<br>)' ,
'header_regex': u'(?i)(?<=<hr>)((\\s*<a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?\\d+<br>\\s*.*?\\s*)|(\\s* <a name=\\d+></a>((<img.+?>)*<br>\\s*)?.*?<br>\\s*\\d+))(?=<br>)' ,
'input_encoding': None,
'input_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.InputProfile object at 0x044DACB0>,
'insert_blank_line': False,
'insert_metadata': False,
'isbn': None,
'language': None,
'level1_toc': None,
'level2_toc': None,
'level3_toc': None,
'line_height': 0.0,
'linearize_tables': False,
'margin_bottom': 5.0,
'margin_left': 5.0,
'margin_right': 5.0,
'margin_top': 5.0,
'max_toc_links': 50,
'no_chapters_in_toc': False,
'no_default_epub_cover': False,
'no_inline_navbars': False,
'output_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.SonyReaderOutput object at 0x044DAE90>,
'page_breaks_before': u"//*[name()='h1' or name()='h2']",
'prefer_metadata_cover': False,
'preprocess_html': False,
'pretty_print': True,
'print_formatted_paras': True,
'pubdate': None,
'publisher': None,
'rating': None,
'read_metadata_from_opf': 'c:\\users\\john\\appdata\\local\\temp\\calibre_0. 6.44_6rz30e.opf',
'remove_first_image': False,
'remove_footer': False,
'remove_header': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing_indent_size': 1.5,
'series': None,
'series_index': None,
'single_line_paras': True,
'tags': None,
'timestamp': None,
'title': None,
'title_sort': None,
'toc_filter': None,
'toc_threshold': 6,
'use_auto_toc': False,
'verbose': 2}
InputFormatPlugin: PDB Input running
on C:\Users\John\Calibre Library\Stephen R. Covey\The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People_ (219)\The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People_ - Stephen R. Covey.pdb
Python function terminated unexpectedly
No reader available for format within container.
Identity is VOLcCTx1. Book type is Unknown (Error Code: 1)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site.py", line 103, in main
File "site.py", line 85, in run_entry_point
File "site-packages\calibre\utils\ipc\worker.py", line 99, in main
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\convert\gui_conversion.py", line 24, in gui_convert
File "site-packages\calibre\ebooks\conversion\plumber.py", line 787, in run
File "site-packages\calibre\customize\conversion.py", line 211, in __call__
File "site-packages\calibre\ebooks\pdb\input.py", line 39, in convert
calibre.ebooks.pdb.PDBError: No reader available for format within container.
Identity is VOLcCTx1. Book type is Unknown

[kovidgoyal]

That error means that file format is not supported. Nor am I aware of any plans to add support for it, but user_none, who wrote the code for PDB conversion will have to confirm.

[kkc0123]

This line indicates a PalmDOC meant to be opened with EZreader (Handheldmed or Intellectual Reserve), an old palm doc reader. These files are highly compressed. Tom Welch, the original developer of EZreader has expressed a willingness to have a converter developed for these old files. See here:
http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1887
I personally have many books in this format and would love for Calibre to be able to convert them. Please consider it.

[user_none]

If the format is documented it would not be difficult to add support for this format. However, the linked thread makes it sound like the compression algorithm might pose challenging. If something has been released I could look into the feasibility of supporting the format.

[elderb0bj0e]

Has there been any update to as to the support of these types of files? I know a lot of old Palm users would be grateful. If it is a matter of getting the code from Tom, I could help be a squeaky wheel.