New MOBI output plugin, testing needed

[siebert]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As you say, the fact that calibre created the MOBI file is documented in the creator record. So if some tool needed to differentiate between calibre generated and kindlegen generated files (highly unlikely since there are multiple versions of kindlegen as well as non kindlegen tools amazon uses to produce MOBI files) that tool can check for the creator EXTH record containing calibre. I have just about zero motivation to generate the half a dozen different types of MOBI files and check that everything still works on a Kindle without the 204-207 records. Incidentally, does such a tool actually exist?

I don't know if such a tool exists. I just don't like to see things getting broken without a good reason.

Of course a tool could check the creator entry, but the author has to be aware that he must do it and it's an additional effort.

Would you like to see other tools creating ebooks with the creator tag set to "calibre (0.8.16) [http://calibre-ebook.com]"?

--kindlegen is a debug option and as such is not suitable for inclusion in the GUI. I do not intend to maintain it/make it robust. Maintaining one set of mappings from epub to mobiml is quite enough work, thank you. Remember that running kindlegen does not just create the binary wrapper it also re-processes the markup. In most cases this is harmless, but I highly doubt it will be harmless in all cases. And then kindlegen is a moving target, one over which I have no control.

As others already needed such a solution enough to create a plugin for this purpose, I'd think it would be easier to just use the already existing debug option and make it official, which is probably done with little effort.

If you don't like the maintaining effort, maybe the plugin developer will commit himself to do the maintenance?

Ciao,
Steffen

[siebert]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

So if some tool needed to differentiate between calibre generated and kindlegen generated files [...] that tool can check for the creator EXTH record containing calibre.

This is also a false statement.

I didn't test the mentioned plugin, but I'm rather sure that the generated mobis will contain the calibre creator record, too though the file was created by kindlegen not calibre. And using the kindlegen option does it definitively.

Ciao,
Steffen

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by siebert

I don't know if such a tool exists. I just don't like to see things getting broken without a good reason.

You mean you dont know if anything actually breaks and yet you feel free to volunteer extra work for me. No wonder I ignore you.

If you don't like the maintaining effort, maybe the plugin developer will commit himself to do the maintenance?

That plugin was created to address the periodical issue, which is now fixed. Making something "official" implies that some calibre developer is responsible for maintaining it and since calibre developers come and go, in the final analysis I am responsible for maintaining it. The plugin exists, if someone wants to use kindlegen with calibre, they can use the plugin.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by siebert

This is also a false statement.

Back you go onto my ignore list.

[siebert]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You mean you dont know if anything actually breaks and yet you feel free to volunteer extra work for me. No wonder I ignore you.

If I run with a big sharp knife through a crowd of people, I also don't know if I'll hurt someone (or myself). Being a responsible person I just don't do it.

The effort to remove the lines which are setting the bogus EXTH records is next to nothing.

Ciao,
Steffen

[siebert]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Back you go onto my ignore list.

I'm wondering how I always manage to get off of it?

And "false" was just meant as the opposite of "true", not as a judgement, in case you misunderstood that.

Ciao,
Steffen

[siebert]

Perhaps I should use reverse psychology for my future requests:

"10383: MOBI Output: Remove the --kindlegen option so I don't have to deal with people demanding kindlegen support in calibre"

For now I can only recommend Wil Wheatons motto "Don't be a dick!"

Ciao,
Steffen

PS: If you wanted to annoy me with your commit, please bear in mind I'm already running my own fork of calibre, so it's easy for me to undo that commit.

[AppleTard]

A quick question: is this new plugin enabled by defaul on Calibre 0.8.18, or do I still have to add the tweak?

[kovidgoyal]

It is enabled by default. You can turn it off by setting the tweak to False.

new_mobi_writer = False

[lovebeta]

Found a bug with the new mobi writer. If I open the WSJ file created by the new writer, select View Sections & Articles -> View Articles List, then there is a line says "Unknown" beneath every article (see the attached pic). I can confirmed that it is the issue of the new writer by turning it off in the tweak settings. I guess it is caused by missing author metadata for each articles.

[kovidgoyal]

The new writer writes unknown for a missing author. I suppose it could write a blank instead, but I prefer Unknown.

[lovebeta]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

The new writer writes unknown for a missing author. I suppose it could write a blank instead, but I prefer Unknown.

Is it configurable? Also can we skip byline if the author is unknown? I actually prefer the old layout since it saves space -- there are only three lines to show the snippet after all.

[kovidgoyal]

IIRC, the layout is unaffected, even if set to a blank the kindle still takes the same space for the entry. And no it isn't configurable, you would have to edit the source code.

[lovebeta]

I see. still don't understand why there's no byline for files produced by the old writer. There must be so flag that kindle uses to determine whether to show that line, no?

[kovidgoyal]

Yeah, but my Kindle 3 was totalled in the move to India, so I'm not in a position to experiment to find out.