Convert book format via command line

johnmcd · 10-19-2021, 09:36 PM

Hi all,

I've been playing around with writing some utilities for a collection of ebooks, mostly just to get familiar with the various command line options for calibre. I can successfully add a .azw book with 'calibredb add', get the returned ID and update it's metadata with 'calibredb set_metadata'. What I'd like to do now is to convert the book to epub format so I have both formats within calibre. I looked at both the 'ebook-convert' and the 'calibredb add_format' options, and they both require that you specify an input file. Is there any way via the command line to have calibre convert an ebook already in its library to a different format? This would be the same as selecting a book via the GUI and clicking on 'Convert books'.

Thanks

John

kovidgoyal · 10-19-2021, 11:06 PM

get the path to the book with calibredb list then convert it with ebook-convert and then add the converted file with calibredb add_format

Though better is to convert the book before adding and then add both files as a single book with calibredb add -r

johnmcd · 10-20-2021, 07:34 AM

Thank you!

10-19-2021, 09:36 PM	#1
johnmcd Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2021 Device: Kobo Clara HD	Convert book format via command line Hi all, I've been playing around with writing some utilities for a collection of ebooks, mostly just to get familiar with the various command line options for calibre. I can successfully add a .azw book with 'calibredb add', get the returned ID and update it's metadata with 'calibredb set_metadata'. What I'd like to do now is to convert the book to epub format so I have both formats within calibre. I looked at both the 'ebook-convert' and the 'calibredb add_format' options, and they both require that you specify an input file. Is there any way via the command line to have calibre convert an ebook already in its library to a different format? This would be the same as selecting a book via the GUI and clicking on 'Convert books'. Thanks John

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10-19-2021, 11:06 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,251 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	get the path to the book with calibredb list then convert it with ebook-convert and then add the converted file with calibredb add_format Though better is to convert the book before adding and then add both files as a single book with calibredb add -r

10-20-2021, 07:34 AM	#3
johnmcd Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2021 Device: Kobo Clara HD	Thank you!

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