file formats and web access with iphone

[alanbredbury]

Not sure I have the right area for this question. I have downloaded all my open format books from fictionwise as .pdb files. I set up a directory on my web site and loaded all the books, I can now access and load those books to my Iphone, it works great. I hve a bunch of .lit files I would like to load as well. I tried to convert them using ABC something converter and they would not load. So I loaded Calibre Ok nice tool but it only changes the file to .epub. When I place .epub files on the web site they dont ask if I want to download them and I get several pages of gibberish on my Iphone. The docmentation on Stanza says either format should work for this. anyone have an idea?

[Beau]

Hopefully I am understanding your question....

Stanza needs a xml db file as would be generated here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62332 in order to know where to get the book from. You can only import files into the stanza program through the stanza program, not through safari.

The easiest way to get them into Stanza is to download them directly from fictionwise. On the first page of the Stanza program, go to Online catalog > Fictionwise > My bookshelf. You will be asked to sign in (you can save you password) and any multiformat book you own will be available for download, automatically as epub.

Hope that helps.

Beau

[Beau]

Rereading through your question, I see a couple of other issues. If your Lit files are drm protected, they won't be available from Fictionwise for direct download. If you have files on Calibre that you have been able to convert, you will still need to access them through the stanza program itself. You can do this if your iphone and computer are sharing the same wifi network.

To do this, you will need to set up and enable the server options in calibre (under tools). Leave Calibre running whenever you are trying to port the files.

Then in stanza go to shared books > Books in Calibre (your computer name) > enter the name/password you entered in the server set up (save the password if you wish) > you will be given several options to sort your downloads. After choosing one of the options, choose your books individually or use the button at the top left corner to choose all of the books on the page.

Beau

[alanbredbury]

Ok some clarification. I am doing this

Getting Books from a URL ("Direct Downloads" - for epub or eReader)
- If any of your books is in any format but eReader or epub, then convert that book to epub using Stanza Desktop.
- Upload your epub and eReader files to your personal website.
- Launch Stanza on your iPhone, and go to the Online Catalog.
- Select Direct Downloads, at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen.
- Enter the URL for your book on your personal website, and then tap Download in the upper right corner.
- You'll now see your file in Direct Downloads. Tap your book to read it. It will also appear in the categories in the main Library page.
As earlier stated this works fine for .pdb files I had open format files on fictionwise I downloaded them as .pdb put them on my web and they work fine.
Ok the same file not protected downloaded from fictionwise in .epub format will not work. still looking for help.

[Beau]

Originally Posted by alanbredbury

Ok some clarification. I am doing this

Getting Books from a URL ("Direct Downloads" - for epub or eReader)
If any of your books is in any format but eReader or epub, then convert that book to epub using Stanza Desktop.

Or you could put them into calibre and use that to convert them, which is what we are discussing here.

Originally Posted by alanbredbury

- Upload your epub and eReader files to your personal website.

That's up to you, but not necessary if you are using Calibre, or if you choose to just download them directly from the bookshelves at the stores where you purchased them. (Like Fictionwise or Books on Board)

Originally Posted by alanbredbury

- Launch Stanza on your iPhone, and go to the Online Catalog.
- Select Direct Downloads, at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen.
- Enter the URL for your book on your personal website, and then tap Download in the upper right corner. As earlier stated this works fine for .pdb files I had open format files on fictionwise I downloaded them as .pdb put them on my web and they work fine.
Ok the same file not protected downloaded from fictionwise in .epub format will not work. still looking for help.

The download function within the ereader program is different than the requirements for stanza.

So...

I'm suggesting that you are doing more then you need to, and here is a different work flow.

To download your open format (non-drm protected, also called multiformat) books: yes you can continue to do this if you are determined to read them as pdb. A second option, however, is to download them directly from fictionwise into stanza on the iphone/itouch. Fictionwise will automatically recognize that stanza needs epub and will give you that.

To be more specific about the Lit files:

DRM protected cannot be modified unless the drm is removed. If you have non-DRM'd lit files, those can be converted to epub using Calibre. Once you have them converted, you can "share" them through a common wifi connection -- again using Calibre. No external host is required. I gave an overview above in post #3. You are not accessing the "Online Catalog" function, rather using the "shared" function. If the computer with Calibre running and the iphone/itouch are on the same wifi network, no addressing should be needed.

If you really want to host your files on an external server (which you do not need to do for either of the above options), you will still need non-DRM'd Lit files, converted to epub and all organized in Calibre.

Option 1:

Assuming the computer is running Calibre and connected to the internet, your own home computer can act as the server without external hosting. One of the members provided an excellent overview of the proccess here: http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2009...k-part-2-of-2/

Option 2:

Drop box or some other web space:

You must create an xml catalog along with the entire Calibre file set uploaded for hosting. Stanza will be looking for this xml catalog in order to download any books

Directions here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62332

Then:

Originally Posted by alanbredbury

- Launch Stanza on your iPhone, and go to the Online Catalog.
- Select Direct Downloads, at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the plus sign at the bottom of the screen.
- Enter the URL for your book on your personal website, and then tap Download in the upper right corner.

Again, not absolutely necessary unless you are doing one of the 2 options above.


All of this has been a discussion about using Calibre as the underlying book management product. In this instance the only time you are opening/using Stanza is when you are downloading a book into you phone or you're reading. You don't need to open or use the desktop stanza program for any of the converting or downloading processes.

Hope that clears it up.


Beau

[Beau]

I forgot to mention a 3rd way to get your books hosted properly for use in Stanza... If you have a Windows computer, you may also be able to use Calibre2Web :
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33388

Beau

[alanbredbury]

Thank all for the replies but I am afraid you are missing my problem. I can convert books to epub but when I load them to my iphone from my web site they will not open correctly but the .pdb files do open correctly. The .pdb files that I have were downloaded from fictionwise. I have tried Stanza and Calibre to convert them. I am assuming that my trouble with the epub files is related to the fact that I am trying to download them from my own web site. Interestingly I found a conversion tool that said it would make .pdb files form .lit and those .pdb files also will not download correctly. the .lit files i have are not from fictionwise and are not DRM.

[tbergman]

If you're seeing gibberish when downloading from your web server, then your web server likely does not have an appropriate mimetype entry for epub. You'll need to add a mimetype entry for the extension epub and set the MIME type to application/octet-stream

Without a defined mimetype your web server is probably sending text/html in the http header which does not prompt your device to recognize that the content is a file to download.

If you don't know how to do this, write back with which web server you're using and I, or someone else may be able to help.

Tom

Originally Posted by alanbredbury

Thank all for the replies but I am afraid you are missing my problem. I can convert books to epub but when I load them to my iphone from my web site they will not open correctly but the .pdb files do open correctly. The .pdb files that I have were downloaded from fictionwise. I have tried Stanza and Calibre to convert them. I am assuming that my trouble with the epub files is related to the fact that I am trying to download them from my own web site. Interestingly I found a conversion tool that said it would make .pdb files form .lit and those .pdb files also will not download correctly. the .lit files i have are not from fictionwise and are not DRM.

[itimpi]

What software are you using on your iPhone? The most common iPhone eReader is Stanza which expects ePub, but there are other readers available that expect other formats. The fact that you are talking about pdb suggest that you are not using Stanza.