How to convert Rocket eBook (RB) to ePub?

[gfrobe]

I have about 90 Rocket eBook RB format book titles that I'm trying to convert to ePub. Calibre is giving me the following error when I try:

Convert book 1 of 1 (Wild Justice)
Resolved conversion options
calibre version: 0.8.8
{'asciiize': False,
'author_sort': None,
'authors': None,
'base_font_size': 0.0,
'book_producer': None,
'change_justification': u'original',
'chapter': u"//*[((name()='h1' or name()='h2') and re:test(., 'chapter|book|section|part|prologue|epilogue\\s+', 'i')) or @class = 'chapter']",
'chapter_mark': u'pagebreak',
'comments': None,
'cover': None,
'custom_size': None,
'debug_pipeline': None,
'dehyphenate': True,
'delete_blank_paragraphs': True,
'disable_font_rescaling': False,
'enable_heuristics': False,
'extra_css': None,
'fix_indents': True,
'font_size_mapping': None,
'format_scene_breaks': True,
'html_unwrap_factor': 0.4,
'input_encoding': None,
'input_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.InputProfile object at 0x03F1A8F0>,
'insert_blank_line': False,
'insert_metadata': False,
'isbn': None,
'italicize_common_cases': True,
'keep_ligatures': False,
'language': None,
'level1_toc': None,
'level2_toc': None,
'level3_toc': None,
'line_height': 0.0,
'linearize_tables': False,
'margin_bottom': 5.0,
'margin_left': 5.0,
'margin_right': 5.0,
'margin_top': 5.0,
'markup_chapter_headings': True,
'max_toc_links': 50,
'minimum_line_height': 120.0,
'no_chapters_in_toc': False,
'no_inline_navbars': False,
'orientation': u'portrait',
'output_profile': <calibre.customize.profiles.KindleOutput object at 0x03F1AC10>,
'page_breaks_before': u"//*[name()='h1' or name()='h2']",
'paper_size': u'letter',
'prefer_metadata_cover': False,
'preserve_cover_aspect_ratio': False,
'pretty_print': False,
'pubdate': None,
'publisher': None,
'rating': None,
'read_metadata_from_opf': u'c:\\docume~1\\owner\\locals~1\\temp\\calibre_0.8 .8_tmp_kas3pm\\calibre_0.8.8_akbhba.opf',
'remove_fake_margins': True,
'remove_first_image': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing': False,
'remove_paragraph_spacing_indent_size': 1.5,
'renumber_headings': True,
'replace_scene_breaks': u'',
'series': None,
'series_index': None,
'smarten_punctuation': False,
'sr1_replace': None,
'sr1_search': None,
'sr2_replace': None,
'sr2_search': None,
'sr3_replace': None,
'sr3_search': None,
'tags': None,
'timestamp': None,
'title': None,
'title_sort': None,
'toc_filter': None,
'toc_threshold': 6,
'unit': 'inch',
'unwrap_lines': True,
'use_auto_toc': False,
'verbose': 2}
InputFormatPlugin: RB Input running
on c:\docume~1\owner\locals~1\temp\calibre_0.8.8_tmp_ kas3pm\calibre_0.8.8_tie0og.rb
Python function terminated unexpectedly
Could not read file: c:\docume~1\owner\locals~1\temp\calibre_0.8.8_tmp_ kas3pm\calibre_0.8.8_tie0og.rb. Does not contain a valid RocketBook Header. (Error Code: 1)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site.py", line 132, in main
File "site.py", line 109, in run_entry_point
File "site-packages\calibre\utils\ipc\worker.py", line 181, in main
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\convert\gui_conversion.py", line 31, in gui_convert_override
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\convert\gui_conversion.py", line 25, in gui_convert
File "site-packages\calibre\ebooks\conversion\plumber.py", line 922, in run
File "site-packages\calibre\customize\conversion.py", line 204, in __call__
File "site-packages\calibre\ebooks\rb\input.py", line 21, in convert
File "site-packages\calibre\ebooks\rb\reader.py", line 36, in __init__
File "site-packages\calibre\ebooks\rb\reader.py", line 47, in verify_file
calibre.ebooks.rb.RocketBookError: Could not read file: c:\docume~1\owner\locals~1\temp\calibre_0.8.8_tmp_ kas3pm\calibre_0.8.8_tie0og.rb. Does not contain a valid RocketBook Header.

I've been searching all morning for a solution and the only thing I've come across is something called RBurst but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to come with any directions and I have no idea how to use it (apparently you have to know command line, which I don't). There is also something called Amber Converter but all download links appear to be dead.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

[Manichean]

Judging by that error message, the book file is broken in some way. Can you open them in any other software or a reading device?

[gfrobe]

Thanks for the quick reply. The books are fine on the Rocket eReader. I've dragged them onto my computer from the smart card and Calibre imports them ok but they don't actually open in Calibre.

There was another post that said to convert RB to HTML and then convert in Calibre. Any idea how I could convert to HTML?

Thanks

[Manichean]

I'd suggest your favourite web search engine.

[gfrobe]

I searched for hours yesterday and couldn't find the answer. That's why I posted here. Thanks anyway.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by gfrobe

I searched for hours yesterday and couldn't find the answer. That's why I posted here. Thanks anyway.

Not sure you came across http://rbmake.sourceforge.net/

Seems to have tools to at least make RB files and also mentions rbburst - extract a .rb file back into its component files.

Not having any RB files not sure I can try it though. Good luck!

[gfrobe]

Thanks for that PeterT. I did come across RBurst and downloaded the zip file containing all the exe files but don't know how to use them. Clicking the exe's does nothing so I assume some level of command line knowledge is necessary to get them to work. . Unfortunately, the directions in the readme are not of much help:

Unzip the w32-rbmake-1.1.zip file into a directory on your PATH (either
choose one that is already on your path, or unzip the files into a new
directory and edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to put the dir on your PATH).

.

[PeterT]

Well I don't have any RB's.... if you can send me one and I will see what happens

[itimpi]

Baen Books used to support RB format. It might be worth checking out the Baen Free Library as a source of RB format books.

[PeterT]

Well I did download a book in RB format from Baen and tried the tools out.

The approach I took was basic (and very non optimum) but let me at least describe what I did.

I unzipped the w32-rbmake-1.1.zip into a directory called D:\Downloads\Foobar and then copied the RB file I wanted to try into that directory as well.

Then, I opened a Windows command prompt and went to that directory

D:
cd \Downloads\Foobar

Finally I typed

rbburst.exe 0671578499.rb

and... tada... I had

06/07/2011  09:40 AM               341 000000-06715784.html
06/07/2011  09:40 AM               220 000000-06715784.info
06/07/2011  09:40 AM             1,380 000001-06715784.png
06/07/2011  09:40 AM             4,938 000002-06715784.html
06/07/2011  09:40 AM         1,118,753 000003-06715784.html
06/07/2011  09:40 AM            11,650 000004-06715784.png
06/07/2011  09:40 AM            10,156 000005-06715784.png

000000-06715784.html appears to be the "front page" for lack of a better term, and 000003-06715784.html is the full book.

Of course... this book I could ALSO directly convert with Calibre too ... so your mileage might well vary.

[user_none]

Calibre checks for a specific type of RB file. Basically, ones that implement a full RB header. The information I have on RB files says that different people have seen variations of the header.

There is no official documentation for the RB formation. I am not willing to support all of the possibly invalid variations of the format. A variation in the header can often mean that there is a variation elsewhere too. calibre supports only B00C version 2.0 RB files for input.

[gfrobe]

Thanks guys. Peter, I really appreciate your effort. I gave it a shot and the command prompt said that it wouldn't open. I think I'm out of luck.

Again, thanks.