converted to blank pdfs?

[ciara_belle]

hi - i just installed calibre-0.7.4 -- over the old version (0.6.46.)... and when i convert .lit and .txt - the resulting pdf file is empty - one blank page... any ideas?

(i need to convert to pdf for stanza..)

thanks

ciara

mac os 10.6.4

[itimpi]

Why convert to PDF for Stanza? Stanza is much better at handling ePub files.

[ciara_belle]

i guess its moot "why" i want it to convert - i have a few readers that use pdf... and calibre is supposed to do the conversion...

[itimpi]

It was just that it seemed strange for Stanza users to be using PDF as Stanza does not support that very well.

Also in Calibre most of the effort seems to be going into improving the ability for converting FROM PDF. Converting to PDF seems to be a much lower down the priority list.

[speakingtohe]

Hello Ciara
I would try converting to rtf and or html and then if the output is ok converting to pdf. If Calibre won't do it then there are lots of other tools available.
I have had other file types, lit, or html that give me a blank epub output so it may be a problem with your file or just a weird occurrence.
(oops I said pdf but maybe I got away with it
Helen

[June]

I have had that problem every now and then too, in several of the Calibre versions (since 0.6.4x): pdf's seemingly converting, but end up as one blank page. The conversion of the particular file to txt seem to work most of the time. I haven't looked into it more than noted that it does happen with pdf/epub sometimes, since I've been able to fix it via another format most of the time.

I'm on holiday now, so if I find the time, I might run Calibre in debug mode and post my "findings" for some of the programmers to have a look at.

[ciara_belle]

the conversion test was over a 100 files from different originals - txt html rtf ... lit etc -- all failed -- this is why i didn't think it was an original files issue... the odds are astronomical that it was the original files considering they were from diff formats and sources..

[speakingtohe]

I just tried converting an epub to pdf in 7.4 (and I do not like 7.4, just too lazy to backtrack at this point) it converted perfectly. Then I tried a .lit file and it was flawless as well.
My only suggestions are
1. copy then delete delete the Calibre configuration directory (copy so you can restore it if you want to or just delete it to the recycle bin.
2. Uninstall, then reinstall Calibre if first step doesn't work.
I have had to do this twice for different odd occurences.
Helen

[DoctorOhh]

@ciara_belle (Mac OS 10.6.4, calibre 0.7.4) Are you saying it is converting the book but the result is one blank page no matter which viewer you check it out with? Adobe reader and calibre's viewer both show just one blank page?

I am on a Win XP machine with calibre 0.7.5 and the conversion from epub to pdf worked fine for me.

You might want to share job detail logs (inside code tags) so someone more experienced then myself can take a look and see what is going on.

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

(and I do not like 7.4, just too lazy to backtrack at this point)

I'm surprised you haven't upgraded to 0.7.5 since this corrects most the major concerns some Sony users had. Have you seen this thread?

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

My only suggestions are
1. copy then delete delete the Calibre configuration directory (copy so you can restore it if you want to or just delete it to the recycle bin.
2. Uninstall, then reinstall Calibre if first step doesn't work.
I have had to do this twice for different odd occurrences.

Since it seems to be affecting all file types this is good advice.

[ciara_belle]

i just tested an another epub - from an entirely different source -- and yet again - its 1 blank page in the pdf....

@speakingtohe --
I have no idea where the config directory is -- keeping in mind i am on a mac - they have less install issues typically than windows...

[ciara_belle]

ok dl'd ver 0.7.8 = used cleanapp to remove the old ..0.7.4 (all but the book library and its fonts)...
including
net.kovidgoyal.calibre.plist (nice cryptic plist name)
the app
the prefs folder
/users/me/library/prefs/calibre

calibre has some items in com.trolltech.plist - but since its not labelled calibre exclusively i left those 2..

install v .0.7.8

verified epub doc opens and reads fine (yup)

delete previously created pdf
convert to pdf - choose letter - portrait,

(side note - for some reason it opened my iTunes without a prompt... i would prefer it NOT open other apps without requesting it first).

pdf = 1 single blank page... tested in preview (mac) and adobe acrobat pro) (and of course clicking PDF in calibre opens adobe again.)

so that was a fail...

ml

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by ciara_belle

(side note - for some reason it opened my iTunes without a prompt... i would prefer it NOT open other apps without requesting it first).

Did you have an iDevice (iPhone/iPod/iPad) plugged in? If so the iTunes was probably loaded automatically because that was auto-detected by Calibre. If you do not want this to happen you can disable the Apple device driver under Preferences->Plugins->Device Interface plugins. Doing this still allows you to send books to iTunes for later syncing - it just stops the iDevice being seen directly.

[ciara_belle]

@itimpi - thanks...