Okay, seriously confused about MobiDeDrm

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Frankly I have come to the conclusion that people that basically use a PC for Web/Mail are much better off with Mac/Linux than Windows. They are much safer and you can use a much less powerful (cheaper) PC and get better performance to boot.

BOb

I tend to disagree with that. The problem with that approach is twofold.

First, Mac's generally tend to be more expensive, with basic PC laptops available for very low prices. While you may be able to get a eMac for a reasonable price, PC hardware is usually cheaper.

The second problem that pops up is when something goes wrong (and it will no matter what OS) ar they need to know how to do something, who will provide support.

I nor anyone in my immediate group of family or friends use OSX, so there is a lack of knowledge on how to use and fix any issues. This support structure problem is quiet commonplace, as outside the US, a very small percentage of users (about 5% I think) have Macs.

The problem is even wore with Linux, as getting support, especially for someone not very Tech literate. I'm pretty comfortable with Tech, but getting something done in Linux can be very convoluted at times, even with friendly builds like Ubuntu. While the pre loaded version on the eeepc looks interesting and easy to use, it still has its limitation.

With windows, despite its issues, you can be pretty sure that most anywhere in the world you can find someone to help you with it if needed. You can also find that it is much more easier to find software and utilities for it, with most new programs or services offering PC support first.

As such while I would personally like to get used to OSX, I would be very doubtful on switching a person to a Mac, without a support structure, be that of friends or family, or the Local Apple Genius bar.

[daviddem]

Hi,

Having read this thread, I feel sorry for those among us who are not so computer literate. Has anybody thought of converting the Python scripts into .exe's and make a small GUI? A quick Googling session tells me it should be possible. I am not a Python expert, but I could try my hand at it, as my contribution to the community. Of course I would not post the files here or link to them...

Can a Python expert here tell me if there would be any major issue with this?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by daviddem

Having read this thread, I feel sorry for those among us who are not so computer literate.

It is amazing to me how many people use a computer today are not computer literate. It is painful to watch some people use the PC. Computer literate to me is that you understand...

...what a folder/directory is.
...how to navigate in Explorer with the folders view open.
...how to navigate in the cmd window.
...what the PATH is.
...what the windows update shield means.
...how to customize/navigate their start menu so they don't just have 50 icons on the desk top.
...that you can delete an installer after you run it (rather than leaving it as an icon on your deskop.

Anyway... I see no reason why you could not make a Python UI for this. Other than the fact that creating DRM removing tools is a violation of the DMCA (in the US). The command line script is just the least common denominator and very easy to distribute since it is just plan text.

BOb

[bbusybookworm]

I also have a question for our Python Maestros

While I'm currently using the script without difficulty, I was wondering about something which could speed up my process somewhat.

I currently have ereader2html.bat file in my scripts folder inside which I have the following sequence

" ereader2html.py NameofFile.pdb NameofFolder "MYName" 12345678 "

Now I was wondering whether it was possible to modify this command so that when I run it, it automaticly detects any files with a pdb extension in the same folder and runs the script on it and then saves it to a folder of the same name.

so if there was a file xyz.pdb in the same folder it would convert it and save it to a folder xyz in the same place.

thoughts?

[daviddem]

OK, so I managed to create an exe file using py2exe (it actually creates the exe and puts all the needed dependencies (dll's, etc) in a folder, ready for distribution. It seems to work. I say seems, because I don't owe a DRMed file to try it, but the program runs and acts normally if I run it on a non DRMed file, or with bad PID, etc.

So now I could create a GUI with Visual Basic to handle the exe. Trouble is I don't have my VB here with me. Maybe I will look at doing the interface in Python/tk, but as I said, I have no knowledge of Python programming. I did some work in tk in the past though.

Will see.

[koland]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Now I was wondering whether it was possible to modify this command so that when I run it, it automaticly detects any files with a pdb extension in the same folder and runs the script on it and then saves it to a folder of the same name.

so if there was a file xyz.pdb in the same folder it would convert it and save it to a folder xyz in the same place.

Not sure how easy it would be in python, but it is a trivial excercise to do this using a command/batch file. Just as it is to do the same the mobidedrm. You end up needing two batch files, one processes each file in the directory, the second accepts the variable needed to define the filename/directory and calls the python script.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by koland

Not sure how easy it would be in python, but it is a trivial excercise to do this using a command/batch file. Just as it is to do the same the mobidedrm. You end up needing two batch files, one processes each file in the directory, the second accepts the variable needed to define the filename/directory and calls the python script.

Actually one batch should do it.

The command would appear like:

For %%i in (*.pdb) Do command parameters.

Where command is the python script and the parameters are the standard arguments for the script. Use %%i wherever you need the file name.

For help open a cmd window and type: help for

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Actually one batch should do it.

The command would appear like:

For %%i in (*.pdb) Do command parameters.

Where command is the python script and the parameters are the standard arguments for the script. Use %%i wherever you need the file name.

For help open a cmd window and type: help for

The following Syntex works to Pick up the file name

For %%i in (*.pdb) Do ereader2html.py %%i Foldername "My Name" 12345678

But How can I get it to get the folder name from the file name itself without gaining the pdb extension?

Just Dropping the %%i instead of the folder name is obviously not going to work.

For %%i in (*.pdb) Do ereader2html.py %%i %%i "My Name" 12345678

While adding an additional character to that i.e. %%i-1 does work, it still leaves the .pdb extension as part of the Foldername.

For %%i in (*.pdb) Do ereader2html.py %%i %%i-1 "My Name" 12345678

So when the file name is xyz.pdb, the output folder comes out as xyz.pdb-1


While it is a great improvement in terms of speed from my previous approach and I appreciate you help i this , I'll like to get rid of the pdb from the Folder name .

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

But How can I get it to get the folder name from the file name itself without gaining the pdb extension?

%%~pi

From the for help:

In addition, substitution of FOR variable references has been enhanced.
You can now use the following optional syntax:

%~I - expands %I removing any surrounding quotes (")
%~fI - expands %I to a fully qualified path name
%~dI - expands %I to a drive letter only
%~pI - expands %I to a path only
%~nI - expands %I to a file name only
%~xI - expands %I to a file extension only
%~sI - expanded path contains short names only
%~aI - expands %I to file attributes of file
%~tI - expands %I to date/time of file
%~zI - expands %I to size of file
%~$PATH:I - searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable and expands %I to the
fully qualified name of the first one found.
If the environment variable name is not
defined or the file is not found by the
search, then this modifier expands to the
empty string



BOb

[bbusybookworm]

Just an update that the Batch command really works well with MobiDeDRM, using the following syntex

For %%i in (*.prc) Do mobiddrm04.py %%i %%~ni-1.prc 5UMRXH2$UK

pause

This combined with a Mobi2HTML Batch script is really going to save me a lot of time, especially when I go on one of my Book buying Binges

MOdified it slightly to leave the original file there, so that there is less chance of confusion

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Just an update that the Batch command really works well with MobiDeDRM, using the following syntex

For %%i in (*.prc) Do mobiddrm04.py %%i %%i 5UMRXH2$UK

pause

This combined with a Mobi2HTML Batch script is really going to save me a lot of time, especially when I go on one of my Book buying Binges

I suggest switching to mobi2oeb instead of mobi2html. Mobi2oeb works when the Mobipocket eBook is in high compression. mobi2html will not work in those cases. And I have come across some highly compressed commercial eBooks.

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I suggest switching to mobi2oeb instead of mobi2html. Mobi2oeb works when the Mobipocket eBook is in high compression. mobi2html will not work in those cases. And I have come across some highly compressed commercial eBooks.

Hmm, your right about Mobi2Html not working with every file.
I currently have both Mobi2Html and MobiHuff scripts and swith when one doesn't work.

Where can I find the Mobo2Oeb script? In Calibre?

If so, is the syntex the same as for these others scripts ?

Thanks

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

%%~pi

From the for help:

In addition, substitution of FOR variable references has been enhanced.
You can now use the following optional syntax:

BOb

Thanks, adding %%~ni removes the extension.

As I've never really used the FOR etc, I appreciate all and any help you and the others are providing

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Thanks, adding %%~ni removes the extension.

As I've never really used the FOR etc, I appreciate all and any help you and the others are providing

Sure... this thread is like deja vu... perhaps a Wiki entry is in order?

BOb

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

Hmm, your right about Mobi2Html not working with every file.
I currently have both Mobi2Html and MobiHuff scripts and swith when one doesn't work.

Where can I find the Mobo2Oeb script? In Calibre?

If so, is the syntex the same as for these others scripts ?

Thanks

Mobi2oeb is not quite the same. If you are mass converting, then you'll end up with the images all in the same images directory if you do it all in the same directory. But you could modify your script to sort out the eBooks based on the title and create seperate directories and move each eBook and go to each directory and then run the command. Mobi2oeb works way better then mobihuff. And in some cases, better then mobi2html.