MOBI2MOBI AND KINDLEGEN'D FILES

[mczajka]

I'm trying to add metadata to a mobi file that was created using KindleGen. It doesn't appear that MOBI2MOBI works with the hybrid mobi/K8 format. My cover file gets replaced as well as a few other things. Can anyone confirm this?

Is there some easy process to add metadata to every version of a mobi (remember, I don't have access to the original files).

[Doitsu]

If the .mobi file was created with Kindlegen 2.x and the producer didn't use Kindlestrip.py, the .mobi file might still contain the original source files. Simply rename the .mobi file to .zip and try to open it with 7Zip.
If it contains the source files simply update the .opf file and re-compile it.

[mczajka]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

If the .mobi file was created with Kindlegen 2.x and the producer didn't use Kindlestrip.py, the .mobi file might still contain the original source files. Simply rename the .mobi file to .zip and try to open it with 7Zip.
If it contains the source files simply update the .opf file and re-compile it.

Thanks for the help! It worked great!

So, this is very interesting. I've been working with ePubs for a while, and I knew they were in zip format. Is some aspect of this KindleGen mobi file in a zip format? How is it that 7-zip can deal with it, and other zip programs can't. Kudos to the 7-zip people!!!

I'm assuming based on everything else I've read that I have a hybrid file (V6 and V8?). Are there certain Kindles that will not be able to read this?

[mrlasers]

Mobis compiled with KindleGen can be opened in 7zip because KindleGen includes the zipped source files as part of the conversion process. You will of course not be able to do this with a mobi file that has had the source stripped out.

The hybrid Mobi7/Kindle Format 8 mobis (master mobi) will read correctly on any Kindle reader. Older readers that don't support KF8 will simply display the first part of the file, which contains the legacy Mobi7 format, while KF8 supported readers will know how to locate and display that version of the book.

[mczajka]

Thanks mrlasers!

The mobi format has a considerable number of metadata options. Has anyone ever developed a document on how this can be keyed into an epub opf file so the corresponding mobi metadata values are populated, when run through KindleGen? The basic ones are easy, such as Title, Subject, Author, etc. There is even a way to key the ISBN into the ePub so the KindleGen uses it, but the others don't seem to come through.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by mczajka

Thanks mrlasers!

The mobi format has a considerable number of metadata options. Has anyone ever developed a document on how this can be keyed into an epub opf file so the corresponding mobi metadata values are populated, when run through KindleGen? The basic ones are easy, such as Title, Subject, Author, etc. There is even a way to key the ISBN into the ePub so the KindleGen uses it, but the others don't seem to come through.

You want Mobiunpack. This will unpack all the Mobi metadata and create an opf file and other files suitable for running through KindleGen.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You want Mobiunpack. This will unpack all the Mobi metadata and create an opf file and other files suitable for running through KindleGen.

What I do personally is to create the OPF with MobiCreator and then compile it with KindleGen. MobiCreator has a very nice metadata editor.