Are eBooks meant to auto-convert when added through the content server?

[zodac]

I have set my preferred output to MOBI, and attempted to add an EPUB file through the content server interface on port 8081. The book was successfully added and loaded the valid metadata, but it did not convert to MOBI.

Is this expected, and if so, what logs should I look at/configuration should I change? In "Adding Actions", I have checked the boxes:
- Automatically convert added books to the preferred output format
- When auto-converting, convert even if the format being added is the same as the output format

[JSWolf]

Why would you want to convert to Mobi when you have a PW2 and can convert to KF8 instead?

[kovidgoyal]

Yes there is not auto conversion for the server. You need to convert manually. The automatic adding preference only applies to the main calibre program.

[zodac]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why would you want to convert to Mobi when you have a PW2 and can convert to KF8 instead?

Ha, that's a fair point. Right now I'm just trying to get things set up and automated, will take a look at other conversion options after that. But appreciate the heads up.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yes there is not auto conversion for the server. You need to convert manually. The automatic adding preference only applies to the main calibre program.

Ahh, that's a shame. Is it on the roadmap somewhere? Would be nice to not have to manually convert book as they get added in.

[kovidgoyal]

No I dont have any plans for it. Since the server can read books in every format there is not much incentive to convert. Its only useful if you are using the server as a delivery mechanism to some other reader app that has limited format support. But it would seem pretty odd to be adding books to the server to then just turn around and deliver to something else. Unless I suppose the adder and the reader are on different devices. In that scenario the adder is usually a full computer where you can run calibre.

[nqk]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Since the server can read books in every format there is not much incentive to convert.

I am reading on the server. It is true that it can 'read' every format, but I still have to convert md, txt (with plenty of conversion settings) to epub before reading in order to have TOC, page breaks, css.....

[kovidgoyal]

But that wont work with automated conversion since you need to specify settings.

[zodac]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

No I dont have any plans for it. Since the server can read books in every format there is not much incentive to convert. Its only useful if you are using the server as a delivery mechanism to some other reader app that has limited format support. But it would seem pretty odd to be adding books to the server to then just turn around and deliver to something else. Unless I suppose the adder and the reader are on different devices. In that scenario the adder is usually a full computer where you can run calibre.

Well my usecase is this. I use another program to search for and download eBooks, then add to Calibre through the content server. But I get a lot of eBooks downloaded in different formats, and prefer to standardise them.

Currently, I'd need to log on to the computer and convert the books once they're added, and it'd be quite nice to be able to automate that.

Unless I'm missing a way to do that already?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by zodac

Well my usecase is this. I use another program to search for and download eBooks, then add to Calibre through the content server. But I get a lot of eBooks downloaded in different formats, and prefer to standardise them.

Currently, I'd need to log on to the computer and convert the books once they're added, and it'd be quite nice to be able to automate that.

Unless I'm missing a way to do that already?

Where is it you get these eBooks?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Where is it you get these eBooks?

Jon, you need to stop looking for Jolly Rogers under every message.

[kovidgoyal]

Simply convert them before adding them?

[zodac]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Simply convert them before adding them?

Yeah, that's what I'm doing currently. But since I'm adding through the content server, and there is presumably some logic for auto-conversion that already exists, it would be a big bonus to have that available when adding through the content server too.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by zodac

Yeah, that's what I'm doing currently. But since I'm adding through the content server, and there is presumably some logic for auto-conversion that already exists, it would be a big bonus to have that available when adding through the content server too.

Auto conversion works when the device is known to the main GUI (send to settings are used).
The content serve is not the MAIN app. It does not CALL the main app.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Jon, you need to stop looking for Jolly Rogers under every message.

It is one sentence that zodac said that makes me suspicious. I could be wrong and I'm all for being proven wrong if I am in this case.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It is one sentence that zodac said that makes me suspicious. I could be wrong and I'm all for being proven wrong if I am in this case.

I tend to agree that his "other program to search for and download ebooks" and "I get a lot of eBooks downloaded in different formats" sounds extremely suspicious. I was thinking that a rather more polite method of asking about the "other program" (something like asking if the author(s) of the "other program" could have it call ebook-convert after the download, for example) and the sources it uses would have been more productive.

A more flies with honey than vinegar approach.