MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Calibre isn't working

bookandtea · 10-19-2018, 05:12 AM

I started out tonight wanting to try Calibre because I'm hoping to buy the new Kobo and get away from Amazon. I'd like to convert my 3k+ Kindle books to epub.

I downloaded Calibre and plugged in my Kindle. The app can see the books, but it can't convert anything that's .kfx (which seems to be every book now). So this is useless.

I go back to Calibre's website and find nothing. I Google it, and everyone is talking about some kind of plug-in, but what does that mean? A plug-in for a browser? For the app itself? Be specific, internet. Where does this plug-in exist, how do you use it?

I finally find Apprentice Alf's Blog, and download his latest file. There is supposedly an app in that just strips DRM, but my MacBook Air tells me, "The application can't be opened". Great.

So then I try to download the plug-ins into Calibre. That works! I'm so excited. Finally it's coming together. I quit the app and restart, and try to convert a .kfx file. It tells me this file is DRM-protected and can't be converted. Okay, what is Calibre even FOR if not to remove the DRM? And why didn't the plug-ins do anything at all?

It's now past 2am and I have wasted precious hours of life on this quest. Is it even possible to still use this software? Even in this forum, the sticky "New to Calibre? Start here" has broken links from 2011. It's 2018.

Can this even be done? Is it actually possible to take a bunch of Kindle book and convert them to a file that a Kobo can use? Because I see a lot of talk about how it's done but none of the directions are working.

10-19-2018, 05:12 AM	#1
bookandtea Mint Magic Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2018 Device: Kobo Forma, Kindle Oasis	Calibre isn't working - where to get help? I started out tonight wanting to try Calibre because I'm hoping to buy the new Kobo and get away from Amazon. I'd like to convert my 3k+ Kindle books to epub. I downloaded Calibre and plugged in my Kindle. The app can see the books, but it can't convert anything that's .kfx (which seems to be every book now). So this is useless. I go back to Calibre's website and find nothing. I Google it, and everyone is talking about some kind of plug-in, but what does that mean? A plug-in for a browser? For the app itself? Be specific, internet. Where does this plug-in exist, how do you use it? I finally find Apprentice Alf's Blog, and download his latest file. There is supposedly an app in that just strips DRM, but my MacBook Air tells me, "The application can't be opened". Great. So then I try to download the plug-ins into Calibre. That works! I'm so excited. Finally it's coming together. I quit the app and restart, and try to convert a .kfx file. It tells me this file is DRM-protected and can't be converted. Okay, what is Calibre even FOR if not to remove the DRM? And why didn't the plug-ins do anything at all? It's now past 2am and I have wasted precious hours of life on this quest. Is it even possible to still use this software? Even in this forum, the sticky "New to Calibre? Start here" has broken links from 2011. It's 2018. Can this even be done? Is it actually possible to take a bunch of Kindle book and convert them to a file that a Kobo can use? Because I see a lot of talk about how it's done but none of the directions are working.