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phenomshel · 02-01-2009, 05:00 PM

OK - this is a rant. If you don't want to read any farther, don't, I won't be offended.

(And I'm kind of laughing at myself here, too).

I'm usually pretty good with software and GUI's but I don't do command line. Keep this in mind, it's important later.

I bought a DRM'd lit file that I wanted to convert into .rtf. I've been told and I have read, that ConvertLit will do this. Fine... I got ConvertLit. I even got the right version, ConvertLit 1.5 - which seems to be command line only, wherein lies the problem...

Once I actually figured out the darn syntax to run it in the command line, it SAID it converted the file..but the converted file is nowhere to be found. Once I actually FOUND the file, it has no extension, and will not open with ANYTHING. So fine... I added the .htm extension, which is what I was told ConvertLit converts to. No luck. IE won't touch it, and Firefox opens it but it's encoded. Lovely.

Now to the rant: WHY on earth can't someone write a simple, easy to comprehend tutorial for this??? I had to fumble around and swear for an hour and a half to do this process that should have taken less than five minutes. I understand the thinking behind not wanting to get in trouble with the copyright holders, but I converted the book for MY OWN USE, not to pass around. But for heaven's sake... can't someone figure out a way to put a step-by-step together for command line challenged people like me?
Hide it if you must, but hand it out with the secret decoder ring and the membership card!!
Or PM it to newbies... or SOMETHING!!

I feel like I've just passed the secret initiation rites...

edited to add: I removed explicit instructions on what I did to convert the file, per the stated rules of the forum. As to why someone can't write a simple easy to follow tutorial, same applies, I suppose. But it's a stinker, anyway.

02-01-2009, 05:00 PM	#1
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Conversion Purgatory OK - this is a rant. If you don't want to read any farther, don't, I won't be offended. (And I'm kind of laughing at myself here, too). I'm usually pretty good with software and GUI's but I don't do command line. Keep this in mind, it's important later. I bought a DRM'd lit file that I wanted to convert into .rtf. I've been told and I have read, that ConvertLit will do this. Fine... I got ConvertLit. I even got the right version, ConvertLit 1.5 - which seems to be command line only, wherein lies the problem... Once I actually figured out the darn syntax to run it in the command line, it SAID it converted the file..but the converted file is nowhere to be found. Once I actually FOUND the file, it has no extension, and will not open with ANYTHING. So fine... I added the .htm extension, which is what I was told ConvertLit converts to. No luck. IE won't touch it, and Firefox opens it but it's encoded. Lovely. Now to the rant: WHY on earth can't someone write a simple, easy to comprehend tutorial for this??? I had to fumble around and swear for an hour and a half to do this process that should have taken less than five minutes. I understand the thinking behind not wanting to get in trouble with the copyright holders, but I converted the book for MY OWN USE, not to pass around. But for heaven's sake... can't someone figure out a way to put a step-by-step together for command line challenged people like me? Hide it if you must, but hand it out with the secret decoder ring and the membership card!! Or PM it to newbies... or SOMETHING!! I feel like I've just passed the secret initiation rites... edited to add: I removed explicit instructions on what I did to convert the file, per the stated rules of the forum. As to why someone can't write a simple easy to follow tutorial, same applies, I suppose. But it's a stinker, anyway. Last edited by phenomshel; 02-01-2009 at 07:49 PM. Reason: to remove explicit instructions.