Why Kindle Previewer 3 doesn't work at all on mac?

[svkytbsld]

Hi,

I simply cannot convert any epub to kfx on calibre on my mac. I did everything written in the guidelines, browse the forum but no result...

Everytime I try, I get the error message of "internal error". I checked the log and it is definitely because of Kindle Previewer 3. In fact, Kindle Previewer doesn't work either. I get same "internal error" message recommending me to contact with amazon.

This happens with simplest epub like Shelley's Frankestein. So, the problem is not formatting.

I tried to uninstall existing Kindle Previewer 3 with a strong uninstaller (appcleaner) and reinstalled the latest one, logged in, but nothing happens. Same "internal error" message.

Is there any mac users who experienced (and possibly solved) this problem?

[tomsem]

I'm not having this issue, on latest macOS Ventura.

I have no idea if it will work but you could try creating a new user account and see if the app launches successfully with that account. If it works, it might mean something about the account's file permissions is messed up. I had this issue (it was causing issues with various apps and Finder) and was not able to solve it short of migrating to the other user account. No idea what the cause was.

I take it you have not contacted Amazon.

[svkytbsld]

I created a new admin account on mac and installed Kindle Previewer 3 within it as you said but it didn't work out. Thanks for advice anyway. I use Monterey, do you think it's related?

[tomsem]

Monterrey should be fine.

I would run Apple Diagnostics to see if there is some hardware issue:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by svkytbsld

... I use Monterey, do you think it's related?

Kindle Previewer 3 works on my Monterey Mac.

[svkytbsld]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Monterrey should be fine.

I would run Apple Diagnostics to see if there is some hardware issue:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202731

I did, everything seems fine. So, it is not hardware problem. Thanks anyway.

I'm gonna be crazy, how ridiculous problem is it?!

[tomsem]

Let's back up a little. I've been assuming you are getting a Crash Report, but I see now that may not be the case.

Where are you seeing this internal error? From calibre KFX plugin?

Perhaps it is an issue with the ePub files in question. Do they pass epubcheck? If not, I think it can generate 'internal error'. For another 'opinion', try opening in Apple Books. It's pretty picky as well.

If you have brew (Mac package manager), you can install epubcheck with brew install epubcheck. There's a calibre plugin to run it.

if you don't have brew installed, here's how: https://brew.sh

[svkytbsld]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Let's back up a little. I've been assuming you are getting a Crash Report, but I see now that may not be the case.

Where are you seeing this internal error? From calibre KFX plugin?

Perhaps it is an issue with the ePub files in question. Do they pass epubcheck? If not, I think it can generate 'internal error'. For another 'opinion', try opening in Apple Books. It's pretty picky as well.

If you have brew (Mac package manager), you can install epubcheck with brew install epubcheck. There's a calibre plugin to run it.

if you don't have brew installed, here's how: https://brew.sh

I see it first on Calibre during converison. When I check the conversion log, it says the problem wass Kindle Previewer 3. So I try to open a simple epub with Previewer and as expected, it also says there's an internal error. Its conversion log says nothing beyond this. But Kindle Previewer 3's crash log has something complicated. May be you can understand.

BTW, I am using the simplest test epubs. iBooks opens them without problem and they pass the EPUBCHECK...

I am not gonna be crazy for nothing. :/

[EDIT]: added epub file, Calibre and Kindle Previewer 3 conversion and crash logs

[j.p.s]

For what it is worth, kindlegen converted it with no errors and no log output of note unless the presence of cover HTML somehow caused a problem for Kindle Previewer 3 , which seems very unlikely.

Info(prcgen):I1052: Kindle support cover images but does not support cover HTML. Hence using the cover image specified and suppressing cover HTML in content. URL: /tmp/mobi-nHea5Y/OEBPS/Text/Cover.xhtml

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by svkytbsld

I see it first on Calibre during converison. When I check the conversion log, it says the problem wass Kindle Previewer 3. So I try to open a simple epub with Previewer and as expected, it also says there's an internal error. Its conversion log says nothing beyond this. But Kindle Previewer 3's crash log has something complicated. May be you can understand.

BTW, I am using the simplest test epubs. iBooks opens them without problem and they pass the EPUBCHECK...

I am not gonna be crazy for nothing. :/

[EDIT]: added epub file, Calibre and Kindle Previewer 3 conversion and crash logs

I don't get any error with KP3 and this ePub file. So we're still looking for root cause.

SIGABRT looks like some memory management error.

I see now this is M1 MacBook Air (KP3 is Intel code running via Rosetta 2), whereas I'm running Intel iMac. Also I see KP3 is using Qt framework for its cross-platform UI (as does calibre).

I will install KP3 on my M1 MacBook Air when I get a chance and see what happens, but it is on Ventura and not Monterrey.

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I don't get any error with KP3 and this ePub file. So we're still looking for root cause.

SIGABRT looks like some memory management error.

SIGABRT means "abort() was called" which almost always means a call to assert() failed. Nothing to do with memory management at all: you're probably thinking of SIGSEGV or SIGBUS.

Running a debugger on it should give you a possibly-useful stack backtrace at assertion-failure time. There may also be something printed on stderr.

[svkytbsld]

Originally Posted by NullNix

SIGABRT means "abort() was called" which almost always means a call to assert() failed. Nothing to do with memory management at all: you're probably thinking of SIGSEGV or SIGBUS.

Running a debugger on it should give you a possibly-useful stack backtrace at assertion-failure time. There may also be something printed on stderr.

I don't know what a debugging is.

[tomsem]

Installed KP3 (3.70.1) on my MacBook Air M1/16GB running Ventura 13.0.1.

No problem loading ePub in KP3. Also did KFX convert with calibre (6.9.0) and no issue there either. I didn't bother signing in to Amazon with KP3.

I'm out of suggestions at least for now, unless you want to update to Ventura.

[svkytbsld]

Originally Posted by tomsem

Installed KP3 (3.70.1) on my MacBook Air M1/16GB running Ventura 13.0.1.

No problem loading ePub in KP3. Also did KFX convert with calibre (6.9.0) and no issue there either. I didn't bother signing in to Amazon with KP3.

I'm out of suggestions at least for now, unless you want to update to Ventura.

There are other people saying KP3 works on Monterey. So, I think it is not about OSX.

BTW, is there anybody who can convert at most 2-3 epub file into kfx for me? If there is, could you please contact me via PM? I would be grateful...

[NullNix]

Originally Posted by svkytbsld

I don't know what a debugging is.

Yeah that's what I feared basically this is geekese for "there's a bug in the program, the program spotted this and stopped itself for a developer to analyze and fix it", but it could be literally anything, it doesn't need to be some sort of memory problem. If you're not a developer of the program in question the most you can really do with this sort of problem is give it to someone who is.

(And when that someone is as unresponsive as Amazon, well, I guess there's nothing you can do at all other than try to gently perturb your inputs and hope you can make the problem go away )