A couple questions about News

CheriePie · 03-01-2009, 01:16 AM

I used the Fetch News feature to create a feed for Lifehacker, which I then transferred to my Kindle 2. But there's a couple things I don't understand.

(1) why did it transfer 2 files? And do I need to leave both of them on my Kindle in order for it to update properly?
Lifehacker _Sat, 28 Feb 2009_ - calibre.mobi
Lifehacker__Sat,_28_Feb_2009__5.mobi

(2) How do these files get updated anyway? I can't see any link within the file to click or anything like that (similar to the way feedbooks catalog gets updated).

I couldn't find these questions addressed in either the documentation or the FAQ.

PS - I found something within Calibre itself which allows you to schedule News download, though this doesn't automatically push it to your Kindle I assume. So perhaps it's not really automatically updated as I have to plug in my kindle and transfer the file over manually every time I want to update it? Or am I way off track here?

kovidgoyal · 03-01-2009, 01:40 AM

each new news feed becomes a new ebook in your library. Every time you connect your kindle to calibre the new news is sent to it automatically. Eventually calibre will be bale to email the files to your kindle automatically as well.

CheriePie · 03-01-2009, 02:15 AM

Okay so I have to manually sync my Kindle to my PC (with calibre running) to get the file to update. Got it! (Should probably mentioned in the FAQ.) Do I also have to set up the Schedule thing in Calibre and keep it running all the time? Otherwise, I don't see how the file is going to get updated? Or am I missing something?

Also, how about the fact that it sent 2 files over to my Kindle? They're both almost the same except for line 8, which has special chars I can't read I only know this because I used Beyond Compare to compare them.

The 2 file names are

Lifehacker _Sat, 28 Feb 2009_ - calibre.mobi
Lifehacker__Sat,_28_Feb_2009__5.mobi

And only the first one is in my eBooks\calibre\Lifehacker _Sat, 28 Feb 2009_ (5) directory. Yet they both contain the same articles and both show up in my Home page so I assume I don't really need both, do I?

kovidgoyal · 03-01-2009, 12:29 PM

Yes you have to setup the schedule and keep calibre running (or at least start it once a day) for it to download the articles.

CheriePie · 03-01-2009, 10:18 PM

It's still transferring 2 files for each process though, even when it's been updated renewed. Is this a bug?

Lifehacker__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__7.mobi
Lifehacker__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__-_calibre_7.mobi
Engadget__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__8.mobi
Engadget__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__-_calibre_8.mobi

I was trying to decide which to keep and which to delete for each feed, but neither really agrees in name with the copy which is saved locally for the database:

Lifehacker _Sun, 01 Mar 2009_ - calibre.mobi
Engadget _Sun, 01 Mar 2009_ - calibre.mobi

Notice the local (PC) files don't have a digit after them? Though they do contain "- calibre" so that leads me to believe I should keep on the Kindle the ones containing that in their filename and delete the others.

But the fact that it's copying dupe files over to the Kindle to begin with, even though I brought that up in my first post, still hasn't been responded to. But I'm sure this can't be the expected behavior, no?

kovidgoyal · 03-01-2009, 10:43 PM

As far as I know, it should only be copying a single file. I dont have a kindle to test on, so its difficult to debug this and it hasn't ben reported by anyone else. When calibre copies files to the device it names them as follows:

title - author id.ext

and removes any special characters from the file names. The author of all downloaded news is calibre. Can you compare the two entries. Are their contents the same?

CheriePie · 03-02-2009, 01:05 AM

The files appear to be the exact same except for line 8, which I cannot read as it contains special characters. I assume that has to be something to do with the filename though as it all seems to be header-related information up there.

But with the exception of that single line, all of the rest of the content in those 2 files are the same.

Since you said the template for these files is "title - author id.ext", it stands to reason that the files with "- calibre" in the title are the correct ones and the others are dupes caused by some sort of bug going on. I'm using calibre to transfer the files in this case. The files that calibre transfers include index numbers on the end while the local PC copy does not.

I'm sure that someone else with a Kindle 2 would be able to verify the duplicate file bug for news. I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary and am using the included recipe for Engadget and Lifehacker just used it's own simple recipe (created simply by inputting the URL and that's it).

kovidgoyal · 03-02-2009, 12:50 PM

Run the GUI froma terminal as

calibre-debug -g

and post any output you see when transferring the files. Also do you get duplicates when transferring any other files.

CheriePie · 03-03-2009, 12:36 AM

Aha! I didn't yet get a chance to run it the way you asked because I was adding some books to the DB and it automatically updated the news.

Because of the setting in the Interface setting of Configuration, Automatically send downloaded news to ebook reader is selected. So whereas the other times, I manually highlighted the entry in the list and clicked the Send to device button, this time they transferred automatically. And guess what? The files it copied to the Kindle when it did it automatically via the Configuration did not include the - calibre in the filename.

Transferred filenames this time, using only the automatic transfer are:

Lifehacker__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__12.mobi
Engadget__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__13.mobi

So now I've definitely figured out why the dupe filenames. The above names are what is transferred when you rely on calibre to send the files on it's own via that Config setting. But if I now click the "Send to Kindle" button, I also get the files named:

Lifehacker__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__-_calibre_12.mobi
Engadget__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__-_calibre_13.mobi

And THAT is how I'm winding up with duplicates transferred to the Kindle.

I still think this needs to be fixed up. At the very least, if the files are going to be automatically transferred, then the ones transferred manually should have the same name as those transferred automatically so this kind of thing doesn't happen.

kovidgoyal · 03-03-2009, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CheriePie

I still think this needs to be fixed up. At the very least, if the files are going to be automatically transferred, then the ones transferred manually should have the same name as those transferred automatically so this kind of thing doesn't happen.

Yeah, open a ticket and I'll fix it when I have a spare moment.

CheriePie · 03-03-2009, 06:18 AM

Okie dokie!

I'll actually launch the gui with debug on tomorrow for ya anyway which I didn't get to do today as I already had it open b4 I remembered. But seems I figured out where it was coming from anyway. But if the debug output looks succinct and helpful in that you've got all the filename formats right there, that can only help right?

Thanks!

03-01-2009, 01:16 AM	#1
CheriePie Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 6020 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Device: Kindle Voyage, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy Tab S6	A couple questions about News I used the Fetch News feature to create a feed for Lifehacker, which I then transferred to my Kindle 2. But there's a couple things I don't understand. (1) why did it transfer 2 files? And do I need to leave both of them on my Kindle in order for it to update properly? Lifehacker _Sat, 28 Feb 2009_ - calibre.mobi Lifehacker__Sat,_28_Feb_2009__5.mobi (2) How do these files get updated anyway? I can't see any link within the file to click or anything like that (similar to the way feedbooks catalog gets updated). I couldn't find these questions addressed in either the documentation or the FAQ. PS - I found something within Calibre itself which allows you to schedule News download, though this doesn't automatically push it to your Kindle I assume. So perhaps it's not really automatically updated as I have to plug in my kindle and transfer the file over manually every time I want to update it? Or am I way off track here?

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03-01-2009, 01:40 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	each new news feed becomes a new ebook in your library. Every time you connect your kindle to calibre the new news is sent to it automatically. Eventually calibre will be bale to email the files to your kindle automatically as well.

03-01-2009, 02:15 AM	#3
CheriePie Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 6020 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Device: Kindle Voyage, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy Tab S6	Okay so I have to manually sync my Kindle to my PC (with calibre running) to get the file to update. Got it! (Should probably mentioned in the FAQ.) Do I also have to set up the Schedule thing in Calibre and keep it running all the time? Otherwise, I don't see how the file is going to get updated? Or am I missing something? Also, how about the fact that it sent 2 files over to my Kindle? They're both almost the same except for line 8, which has special chars I can't read I only know this because I used Beyond Compare to compare them. The 2 file names are Lifehacker _Sat, 28 Feb 2009_ - calibre.mobi Lifehacker__Sat,_28_Feb_2009__5.mobi And only the first one is in my eBooks\calibre\Lifehacker _Sat, 28 Feb 2009_ (5) directory. Yet they both contain the same articles and both show up in my Home page so I assume I don't really need both, do I?

03-01-2009, 12:29 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes you have to setup the schedule and keep calibre running (or at least start it once a day) for it to download the articles.

03-01-2009, 10:18 PM	#5
CheriePie Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 6020 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Device: Kindle Voyage, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy Tab S6	It's still transferring 2 files for each process though, even when it's been updated renewed. Is this a bug? Lifehacker__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__7.mobi Lifehacker__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__-_calibre_7.mobi Engadget__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__8.mobi Engadget__Sun,_01_Mar_2009__-_calibre_8.mobi I was trying to decide which to keep and which to delete for each feed, but neither really agrees in name with the copy which is saved locally for the database: Lifehacker _Sun, 01 Mar 2009_ - calibre.mobi Engadget _Sun, 01 Mar 2009_ - calibre.mobi Notice the local (PC) files don't have a digit after them? Though they do contain "- calibre" so that leads me to believe I should keep on the Kindle the ones containing that in their filename and delete the others. But the fact that it's copying dupe files over to the Kindle to begin with, even though I brought that up in my first post, still hasn't been responded to. But I'm sure this can't be the expected behavior, no?

03-01-2009, 10:43 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	As far as I know, it should only be copying a single file. I dont have a kindle to test on, so its difficult to debug this and it hasn't ben reported by anyone else. When calibre copies files to the device it names them as follows: title - author id.ext and removes any special characters from the file names. The author of all downloaded news is calibre. Can you compare the two entries. Are their contents the same?

03-02-2009, 01:05 AM	#7
CheriePie Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 6020 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Device: Kindle Voyage, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy Tab S6	The files appear to be the exact same except for line 8, which I cannot read as it contains special characters. I assume that has to be something to do with the filename though as it all seems to be header-related information up there. But with the exception of that single line, all of the rest of the content in those 2 files are the same. Since you said the template for these files is "title - author id.ext", it stands to reason that the files with "- calibre" in the title are the correct ones and the others are dupes caused by some sort of bug going on. I'm using calibre to transfer the files in this case. The files that calibre transfers include index numbers on the end while the local PC copy does not. I'm sure that someone else with a Kindle 2 would be able to verify the duplicate file bug for news. I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary and am using the included recipe for Engadget and Lifehacker just used it's own simple recipe (created simply by inputting the URL and that's it).

03-02-2009, 12:50 PM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Run the GUI froma terminal as calibre-debug -g and post any output you see when transferring the files. Also do you get duplicates when transferring any other files.

03-03-2009, 12:36 AM	#9
CheriePie Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 6020 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Device: Kindle Voyage, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy Tab S6	Aha! I didn't yet get a chance to run it the way you asked because I was adding some books to the DB and it automatically updated the news. Because of the setting in the Interface setting of Configuration, Automatically send downloaded news to ebook reader is selected. So whereas the other times, I manually highlighted the entry in the list and clicked the Send to device button, this time they transferred automatically. And guess what? The files it copied to the Kindle when it did it automatically via the Configuration did not include the - calibre in the filename. Transferred filenames this time, using only the automatic transfer are: Lifehacker__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__12.mobi Engadget__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__13.mobi So now I've definitely figured out why the dupe filenames. The above names are what is transferred when you rely on calibre to send the files on it's own via that Config setting. But if I now click the "Send to Kindle" button, I also get the files named: Lifehacker__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__-_calibre_12.mobi Engadget__Tue,_03_Mar_2009__-_calibre_13.mobi And THAT is how I'm winding up with duplicates transferred to the Kindle. I still think this needs to be fixed up. At the very least, if the files are going to be automatically transferred, then the ones transferred manually should have the same name as those transferred automatically so this kind of thing doesn't happen.

03-03-2009, 06:18 AM	#11
CheriePie Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 6020 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Silicon Valley, CA Device: Kindle Voyage, Samsung Galaxy S23+, Galaxy Tab S6	Okie dokie! I'll actually launch the gui with debug on tomorrow for ya anyway which I didn't get to do today as I already had it open b4 I remembered. But seems I figured out where it was coming from anyway. But if the debug output looks succinct and helpful in that you've got all the filename formats right there, that can only help right? Thanks!