Change Author Metatag in Epub File

kittythepooka · 01-11-2010, 07:53 PM

Hello! I have recently bought a Sony E-Reader PRS-600 to read my rather large collection of .pdf files. Since I bought it I recently went ahead and purchased an ebook of Frankenstein from the Sony e-book store, since I need it for a class and it has to be annotatable.

All that I want to do is change the author metatag. By pure necessity of volume I have added metatags to all of my pdf's reading the author's last name, then first as according to MLA. The ePub file has the file reading the author's first name first. In short I need it to say Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, instead of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Honestly this is the only thing I need to do.

I haven't had much trouble working with the .pdf files since I am lucky enough to have a full version of Acrobat 8, where all you do is hit ctrl+D and there's the metadata to edit, but I have to admit that the epub file baffles me. How the heck to I change the way the author reads on an epub file? Help would be so greatly appreciated!

rogue_ronin · 01-11-2010, 08:29 PM

Get Sigil (the ePub editor). It has a metadata window (press F8).

Open the ePub, edit the metadata. Save. Done.

m a r

kittythepooka · 01-11-2010, 09:17 PM

I tried to get Sigil, but the installation instructions are ridiculous if you're not a programmer. When I tried earlier it said something about "And this is how you put this program together!" Look I'm a lit major, I don't do code. Is Sigil available anywhere in an .exe file?

kittythepooka · 01-11-2010, 09:25 PM

Never mind, found it. Hope it works, thanks for the tip!

ghostyjack · 01-12-2010, 07:12 AM

If your epub has DRM then Sigil cannot open it as it only opens DRM-free epubs.

If you purchased this instead of downloading it from one of the free sites for public domain work, then it may have come with DRM (Adobe's Adept DRM scheme). If that's the case then you would need to strip the DRM first before using Sigil.

Valloric · 01-12-2010, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittythepooka

I tried to get Sigil, but the installation instructions are ridiculous if you're not a programmer. When I tried earlier it said something about "And this is how you put this program together!" Look I'm a lit major, I don't do code. Is Sigil available anywhere in an .exe file?

What I think is easy and what others think is easy may differ but what part of these instructions:

Quote:

Originally Posted by InstallationInstructions wiki page

Just run the installer. Everything should take care of itself.

do you find too complex and ridiculous to understand?

Jellby · 01-12-2010, 10:27 AM

I have never seen an ePUB with DRM, but I understand they have each file encrypted separately in the zip container. It could then be very well the case that the OPF file (which contains the metadata) is not encrypted, and only the real book content is, then it should be possible to edit the metadata without affecting the DRM at all.

rogue_ronin · 01-12-2010, 04:55 PM

We humanities majors sometimes don't start at the beginning, and we don't always notice links (because we're fascinated by the words.)

I'll bet kittythepooka searched for Sigil, and didn't find the project page first.

Plus, Windows melts your brain.

m a r

Valloric · 01-12-2010, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

I have never seen an ePUB with DRM, but I understand they have each file encrypted separately in the zip container. It could then be very well the case that the OPF file (which contains the metadata) is not encrypted, and only the real book content is, then it should be possible to edit the metadata without affecting the DRM at all.

According to the OCF, the OPF file should never be encrypted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OCF spec

The following files MUST never be encrypted (regardless of whether default or specific encryption is requested):

mimetype
META-INF/container.xml
META-INF/manifest.xml
META-INF/metadata.xml
META-INF/signatures.xml
META-INF/encryption.xml
META-INF/rights.xml
OEBPS rootfile (the OEBPS Package file)

Jellby · 01-13-2010, 06:30 AM

Then it should be possible to change metadata even for DRMd files (unless the encryption key for the other files somehow uses a hash of the OPF file...)

kittythepooka · 01-15-2010, 01:11 AM

Haha, to clarify my mistake, "I'll bet kittythepooka searched for Sigil, and didn't find the project page first." is *EXACTLY* what happened.

Since I bought the file from the sony store, it does have the encryption on it. How hard is it to strip this?

Valloric · 01-15-2010, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittythepooka

Since I bought the file from the sony store, it does have the encryption on it. How hard is it to strip this?

See this thread.

kittythepooka · 01-15-2010, 03:48 PM

Haha, oh my god, so many acronyms! Thank you very very much though, this is a wonderful start. =)

Sullivan · 01-22-2010, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valloric

See this thread.

Excellent, thanks for the link!

kittythepooka · 01-29-2010, 12:46 AM

Sullivan- if you're having the same issue I was, I've put together a nice little folder with Sigil, python, the scripts, and instructions in it. Interested?

01-11-2010, 07:53 PM	#1
kittythepooka Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony E-Reader PRS-600	Change Author Metatag in Epub File Hello! I have recently bought a Sony E-Reader PRS-600 to read my rather large collection of .pdf files. Since I bought it I recently went ahead and purchased an ebook of Frankenstein from the Sony e-book store, since I need it for a class and it has to be annotatable. All that I want to do is change the author metatag. By pure necessity of volume I have added metatags to all of my pdf's reading the author's last name, then first as according to MLA. The ePub file has the file reading the author's first name first. In short I need it to say Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, instead of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Honestly this is the only thing I need to do. I haven't had much trouble working with the .pdf files since I am lucky enough to have a full version of Acrobat 8, where all you do is hit ctrl+D and there's the metadata to edit, but I have to admit that the epub file baffles me. How the heck to I change the way the author reads on an epub file? Help would be so greatly appreciated!

01-12-2010, 07:12 AM	#5
ghostyjack Guru Posts: 679 Karma: 1085478 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, England Device: PRS-600, Acer 1825PT, Galaxy Tab, PRS-T1, HTC One X, TF700T	If your epub has DRM then Sigil cannot open it as it only opens DRM-free epubs. If you purchased this instead of downloading it from one of the free sites for public domain work, then it may have come with DRM (Adobe's Adept DRM scheme). If that's the case then you would need to strip the DRM first before using Sigil. __________________ Get 5GB of online storage for free from SugarSync. Click here for an additional 500MB to give you 5.5GB for free. Always have your stuff when you need it with @Dropbox. 2GB account is free! Click here Currently working on updating some of my Lovecraft work after receiving some corrections

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01-11-2010, 08:29 PM	#2
rogue_ronin Banned Posts: 475 Karma: 796 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Honolulu Device: Nokia 770 (fbreader)	Get Sigil (the ePub editor). It has a metadata window (press F8). Open the ePub, edit the metadata. Save. Done. m a r

01-11-2010, 09:17 PM	#3
kittythepooka Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony E-Reader PRS-600	I tried to get Sigil, but the installation instructions are ridiculous if you're not a programmer. When I tried earlier it said something about "And this is how you put this program together!" Look I'm a lit major, I don't do code. Is Sigil available anywhere in an .exe file?

01-11-2010, 09:25 PM	#4
kittythepooka Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony E-Reader PRS-600	Never mind, found it. Hope it works, thanks for the tip!

01-12-2010, 10:27 AM	#7
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 5,143 Karma: 2505637 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon	I have never seen an ePUB with DRM, but I understand they have each file encrypted separately in the zip container. It could then be very well the case that the OPF file (which contains the metadata) is not encrypted, and only the real book content is, then it should be possible to edit the metadata without affecting the DRM at all.

01-12-2010, 04:55 PM	#8
rogue_ronin Banned Posts: 475 Karma: 796 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Honolulu Device: Nokia 770 (fbreader)	We humanities majors sometimes don't start at the beginning, and we don't always notice links (because we're fascinated by the words.) I'll bet kittythepooka searched for Sigil, and didn't find the project page first. Plus, Windows melts your brain. m a r

01-13-2010, 06:30 AM	#10
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 5,143 Karma: 2505637 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon	Then it should be possible to change metadata even for DRMd files (unless the encryption key for the other files somehow uses a hash of the OPF file...)

01-15-2010, 01:11 AM	#11
kittythepooka Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony E-Reader PRS-600	Haha, to clarify my mistake, "I'll bet kittythepooka searched for Sigil, and didn't find the project page first." is EXACTLY what happened. Since I bought the file from the sony store, it does have the encryption on it. How hard is it to strip this?

01-15-2010, 03:48 PM	#13
kittythepooka Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony E-Reader PRS-600	Haha, oh my god, so many acronyms! Thank you very very much though, this is a wonderful start. =)

01-29-2010, 12:46 AM	#15
kittythepooka Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Sony E-Reader PRS-600	Sullivan- if you're having the same issue I was, I've put together a nice little folder with Sigil, python, the scripts, and instructions in it. Interested?


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