MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Hacks Savory - a native ebook conversion package for the Kindle 2

larryy · 10-30-2009, 09:53 PM

I was hopeful when savory-image.ext3 (savory-image-2009-04-10.zip) seemed to install successfully using update_Savory-0.06.bin following the instructions on Jesse Vincent's Savory page. I did the update, the Kindle 2 [firmware 2.0.3 (327610024)] restarted, and it now shows "UNSUPPORTED SAVORY-0.06" along the bottom of the screen on the Settings page.

But I dragged three PDF files into the "documents" folder, unmounted and unplugged from USB, restarted the Kindle, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. About 7 1/2 hours later, there was still no hint that the PDF documents were present or that Savory was doing anything. I connected back up to the computer and the PDF files are still sitting there, but there are no correspondingly titled converted (or converting) files.

Unfortunately there's no Sprint signal here at home, so I can't try downloading a PDF from a browser. (I could live with a solution that only converted the files that way.)

According to a somewhat dated hacking the Kindle blog, the Kindle used to support collections of PNG files in a folder, treating it as a single book full of graphics pages. So I converted a PDF document to a folder full of PNG files, copied it to a newly created "pictures" folder on the Kindle, and... Nada. The Kindle just ignores it.

I launched a virtual Windows XP machine (normally I'm on Mac) and tried Mobipocket Creator 4.2 Publisher Edition on one of these PDFs that has equations and figures in it, and two columns... It didn't even flow the text correctly, never mind the butchered equations. It was worse than Amazon's PDF to .azw conversion.

I guess I'll go try PDFRead now. But I don't have high hopes. And I sure hate having to go to Windows to do this. Feh.

When people say Savory takes a long time to do a conversion, umm, how long is long? And do you see any intermediate folders or files if you browse the Kindle while it's working? I'd like to know if Savory is doing *anything*. Also, if anyone has any hints about how to get Savory working, and why it's not for me, I'd really appreciate hearing them. I have to read a lot of technical papers / journal articles, and am desperate to get them on my Kindle. Thanks for any help!

10-30-2009, 09:53 PM	#89
larryy Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindle 2	no luck, and how long? I was hopeful when savory-image.ext3 (savory-image-2009-04-10.zip) seemed to install successfully using update_Savory-0.06.bin following the instructions on Jesse Vincent's Savory page. I did the update, the Kindle 2 [firmware 2.0.3 (327610024)] restarted, and it now shows "UNSUPPORTED SAVORY-0.06" along the bottom of the screen on the Settings page. But I dragged three PDF files into the "documents" folder, unmounted and unplugged from USB, restarted the Kindle, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. About 7 1/2 hours later, there was still no hint that the PDF documents were present or that Savory was doing anything. I connected back up to the computer and the PDF files are still sitting there, but there are no correspondingly titled converted (or converting) files. Unfortunately there's no Sprint signal here at home, so I can't try downloading a PDF from a browser. (I could live with a solution that only converted the files that way.) According to a somewhat dated hacking the Kindle blog, the Kindle used to support collections of PNG files in a folder, treating it as a single book full of graphics pages. So I converted a PDF document to a folder full of PNG files, copied it to a newly created "pictures" folder on the Kindle, and... Nada. The Kindle just ignores it. I launched a virtual Windows XP machine (normally I'm on Mac) and tried Mobipocket Creator 4.2 Publisher Edition on one of these PDFs that has equations and figures in it, and two columns... It didn't even flow the text correctly, never mind the butchered equations. It was worse than Amazon's PDF to .azw conversion. I guess I'll go try PDFRead now. But I don't have high hopes. And I sure hate having to go to Windows to do this. Feh. When people say Savory takes a long time to do a conversion, umm, how long is long? And do you see any intermediate folders or files if you browse the Kindle while it's working? I'd like to know if Savory is doing anything. Also, if anyone has any hints about how to get Savory working, and why it's not for me, I'd really appreciate hearing them. I have to read a lot of technical papers / journal articles, and am desperate to get them on my Kindle. Thanks for any help!