Please recommend: freeware for mobi=>epub ?

[smallhagrid]

Thanks Agama:

Originally Posted by Agama

Since calibre's CLI gives you all the tools that you require, why don't you have a go at building your own GUI to utilise them? It may take a bit of effort to understand the CLI in detail and some sort of GUI designer, but it could be an interesting project and you could share your results with the calibre community.

What you've described would really be a career change for this old guy, and when that time comes (if ever ?!?) it is unlikely to be related with any sort of coding adventures.
Having worked these last 20+ years with technology after the prior 15 with powerplants & other huge machines, it's likely to be something requiring very little learning & even less physical effort than what I do presently.

There are many, many, many un- and under-employed coders who could easily do such a project in their sleep (I was once roomates with such a one many years ago, before he got rich) and I am a mental midget compared to someone like that.
(But thanks for the vote of confidence; it is undeserved by me.)

My plea for mercy in the commandline vs. the GUI realms now has made its debut on the Universe's Consciousness.
As such it will be answered at some point, inevitably - whether I ever know it or not.

Best Wishes to ALL !!!

[Agama]

Well this has got my interest. I'll have a read up about the CLI and see if I can make a small GUI for it. This could take a while since I'm quite busy right now.

(If anyone knows a reason why this would be a non-starter, or if I'm re-inventing the wheel then please let me know!)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

So the verbiage 'just delete' is quite absurd IMO here.

Not at all. You said...

Yes, I know Calibre does this - and one day when I go to 100% Linux I may use it again, but as things stand I do not like it under windows, it's mandatory file structure is simply abhorent to me, as is that it makes copies of copies of copies of everything it touches.

So, you have an eBook in ePub and you want it converted to Mobipocket. You do so have not have a copy in ePub and a copy in Mobipocket. If you no longer want the ePub copy, JUST DELETE IT. If you want to keep both, don't delete anything. You have control over what Calibre stores. You don't want something JUST DELETE IT. It's not absurd to delete what you don't want. Its very easy to do so.

[smallhagrid]

Your offer is very kind Agama:

Originally Posted by Agama

Well this has got my interest. I'll have a read up about the CLI and see if I can make a small GUI for it. This could take a while since I'm quite busy right now.

And whether it took a month or a year before manifesting it will be very appreciated for sure !!!

[Agama]

I've just spent my lunch break reading the section in the calibre manual on the CLI. The ebook-convert command is truly comprehensive, dealing with all scenarios that are possible in calibre's GUI. Adding an alternative simple GUI to sit on top of all these settings would be a major project, (and basically "re-inventing the wheel"), so I am looking at an alternative method.

I think that it would be possible to use the calibre GUI for all the conversion settings and then use a plugin to:

1) Fetch book/s from user defined source folder and add to calibre.
2) Convert book/s according to settings defined in calibre's GUI.
3) Copy converted book/s to user defined destination location.
4) Delete converted book/s from calibre.

So calibre's folder structure effectively becomes a temporary storage area with all the conversion settings handled by calibre's GUI - which also ensures that any future settings will be covered.

[fidvo]

smallhagrid:

I understand your reluctance to use Calibre. When I first stumbled onto it, I was looking for a simple conversion tool. I didn't want a full library management tool, especially because, as you said, it doesn't allow you to store your files the way you want.

But before you dismiss it, I suggest you ask yourself the following questions:

1. Why do you want to keep your files in your existing hierarchical directory structure?

In my case, I liked dividing my library into a hierarchical system of genres. But as it turns out, custom fields in Calibre give me the same functionality. All my other reasons could be handled with custom fields and the proper save-to-disk template.

In the end, I realized that the main reason I didn't want to use Calibre was because I was too stubborn to learn a new way of doing things. Once I got over my stubbornness, I decided I like Calibre's database system over a hierarchical file system.

And even in cases where I prefer a different viewer than Calibre's internal one, there's always the "Open With" plugin.

2. Is your library so big that having duplicate files is really a problem?

I have over 2000 books in my library, and I'll admit my system is not the most space-efficient. I have at least 5 copies of every book: (1) the original goes into an archive folder, (2) I convert all books to .html and clean them up and store them in a hierarchical library, (3) the .html files get imported into Calibre, (4) Calibre converts them to .epub, and finally (5) I export the .epub to another hierarchical library.

All told, I'm using several gigabytes for my ebooks. But on modern systems, that's not a lot.

3. Even if you don't use Calibre's library management, how much work are you willing to do to convert your library?

As I said before, with proper custom fields and save-to-disk template, you should be able to replicate the file structure you currently have your library in. The drawback is that you have to fill in the custom fields by hand (Update Metadata in bulk is useful in this case). So converting your existing library will probably take some time and effort.

But once you have things set up the way you want in Calibre, converting future books should be fairly simple. Import, fill in the custom fields, convert, save to disk, delete the books from Calibre.

If your library is just sorted by author name, it's even easier because you don't have to set up any custom fields or fill them in. The author's name should be filled in automatically when you import the .mobi file.

[smallhagrid]

Hello Agama and thanks for your latest reply.
As any help for ebook conversion is good help - I will continue to watch for further developments from your efforts...

Fidvo, very few people understand that in the win-doze world, structure is key.
In the appleOS sector it is nothing at all; and in the Linux world - 'home' is all one needs to know, really.

As per the above, and as said before...until such time as I become a full-time Linux user, Calibre is a poor choice and as such - is dismissed.

My windows PC will not be entreated to becoming a trash can of dupes because of ANY application developer's idea of how things MUST be.

Once again I say:
Calibre violates the idea of being a database by enforcing it's own media storage idea.
This is not acceptable to me for use under windows - period.

This persistent smashing of Calibre into my face is highly disturbing; and it brings to mind folks who know ONLY 'iphone' and 'itunes'.

To that ilk I say:
Mediamonkey is a great program - it respects the user's choices about file structures and allows them to remain intact; it is very easy to get along with.

Too bad the ereader sector is shrinking instead of growing now - or maybe the Mediamonkey folks would have made a very similar application for use with ebooks.
But at this late date it is doubtful any such thing will happen at all.

Finally - for those who care nothing about data integrity, structure or having their own organizational structure, getting ever bigger hard disks is a great solution, and good for them, I say.

As for me - here is my 'library management' application of choice:
Windows Explorer.

My choices=> my files=> my media=> my stuff=> stored MY way=>
That facet of ebook 'management' is not what I posted about, and in regards to myself my data storage is handled according to MY personal choices/preferences and is NOT open to discussion. Thank you.

Had I wished for advice in a 'library management' application, I'd have asked that specifically...but that is not what my posting is about.

My query is for a (preferably freeware) alternative for ebook file conversion functions - and my query remains unanswered as of this time.

Thank you.

[fidvo]

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

Fidvo, very few people understand that in the win-doze world, structure is key.
In the appleOS sector it is nothing at all; and in the Linux world - 'home' is all one needs to know, really.

As per the above, and as said before...until such time as I become a full-time Linux user, Calibre is a poor choice and as such - is dismissed.

My windows PC will not be entreated to becoming a trash can of dupes because of ANY application developer's idea of how things MUST be.

Fair enough. I mostly agree with you.

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

Once again I say:
Calibre violates the idea of being a database by enforcing it's own media storage idea.
This is not acceptable to me for use under windows - period.

Not sure how that violates the idea of being a database. In my opinion, a database that points to external files is more of a violation of being a database, because it's not entirely self-contained. The point of a database is that you don't have to go poking around in external files to view or maintain the data; it's all centralized.

But ignoring that argument because it's only tangentially related to the main subject, you prefer to keep your ebooks in a hierarchical file structure, and I can't really fault you for that.

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

This persistent smashing of Calibre into my face is highly disturbing; and it brings to mind folks who know ONLY 'iphone' and 'itunes'.

To that ilk I say:
Mediamonkey is a great program - it respects the user's choices about file structures and allows them to remain intact; it is very easy to get along with.

Too bad the ereader sector is shrinking instead of growing now - or maybe the Mediamonkey folks would have made a very similar application for use with ebooks.
But at this late date it is doubtful any such thing will happen at all.

Finally - for those who care nothing about data integrity, structure or having their own organizational structure, getting ever bigger hard disks is a great solution, and good for them, I say.

As for me - here is my 'library management' application of choice:
Windows Explorer.

My choices=> my files=> my media=> my stuff=> stored MY way=>
That facet of ebook 'management' is not what I posted about, and in regards to myself my data storage is handled according to MY personal choices/preferences and is NOT open to discussion. Thank you.

Believe me, I know where you're coming from. I'm the same way. When I first started using Calibre, I didn't like it for exactly the same reasons. I thought it was too itunes-like. I want to store the files in my own structure, thank you very much. I bought an off-brand ebook reader specifically because it was one of the only ones on the market at the time that stored books as files in a hierarchical directory structure that I could access through Windows Explorer. Same with my MP3 player. And don't even get me started on tablets.

So I'm definitely not one of those people "who know ONLY 'iphone' and 'itunes'."

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

Had I wished for advice in a 'library management' application, I'd have asked that specifically...but that is not what my posting is about.

My query is for a (preferably freeware) alternative for ebook file conversion functions - and my query remains unanswered as of this time.

Thank you.

Library management features aside, is there any reason why you can't use Calibre just to convert the files? Drag-and-drop into Calibre, convert, save to disk, delete from Calibre. That gets rid of the issue with having duplicates because those duplicates only exist for a few minutes at most.

That's how I get my ebooks into HTML format for manual cleanup before importing into my main library. I use a second library just for this task, which never has books in it except when converting.

[smallhagrid]

Hi Fidvo - thanks for such a great & thoughtful reply !!!

As to databases:

Not sure how that violates the idea of being a database. In my opinion, a database that points to external files is more of a violation of being a database, because it's not entirely self-contained. The point of a database is that you don't have to go poking around in external files to view or maintain the data; it's all centralized.

About a zillion years ago, back when dirt was 1st invented - a database was just that, for data.
Now things have been very blurred & folks expect things to behave like a website where ALL is a database.
From a strictly purist POV (which I truly am not...) that is some kind of all-in-one data management when it contains all the media, files, etc...
So again I refer to the apple users, most of whom have neither any idea nor need any idea of where/how anything is stored.
I am not one of those, and do maintain having such needs - as you have said you understand, thankfully.

YES !!!:

...you prefer to keep your ebooks in a hierarchical file structure, and I can't really fault you for that.

Believe me, I know where you're coming from. I'm the same way. When I first started using Calibre, I didn't like it for exactly the same reasons. I thought it was too itunes-like. I want to store the files in my own structure, thank you very much. I bought an off-brand ebook reader specifically because it was one of the only ones on the market at the time that stored books as files in a hierarchical directory structure that I could access through Windows Explorer. Same with my MP3 player. And don't even get me started on tablets.
So I'm definitely not one of those people "who know ONLY 'iphone' and 'itunes'."

Thank you.
I've noticed that I do poorly with touch-screens, so after trying a few, I stay clear of the tablets (for now).

This is precious, great info, thank you:

Library management features aside, is there any reason why you can't use Calibre just to convert the files? Drag-and-drop into Calibre, convert, save to disk, delete from Calibre. That gets rid of the issue with having duplicates because those duplicates only exist for a few minutes at most.

That's how I get my ebooks into HTML format for manual cleanup before importing into my main library. I use a second library just for this task, which never has books in it except when converting.

I've stuck with the portable version of it, and tried a few different times to make it more palatable in my little world, but always failed at it.:duh:
BUT:
Given the likelihood that I'll need it's conversion abilities and want to achieve what you've suggested above in just that manner, I'll have to try again and see if'n I have enough brains to duplicate your strategy.

Thank You !!!

[Frank44]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Sure ..

At command line

for /r %1 in (*.mobi) do "c:\Program Files (x86)\Calibre2\ebook-convert.exe" "%~dpn1.mobi" "%~dpn1.epub"

In a batch file

for /r %%1 in (*.mobi) do "c:\Program Files (x86)\Calibre2\ebook-convert.exe" "%%~dpn1.mobi" "%%~dpn1.epub"

In either case it will go through all directories starting at the current directory and convert mobi files to epubs.

The difference in the two command lines is due to the interpretation of the % symbol at the command line, and in a batch (or cmd) file.

The weird stuff %~dpn1 is just extracting the drive, path and file name from the whole file name; ie dropping the extension.

This is how I used PeterT's superb batch file command of 17th Nov 2012:
1. Install Calibre.
2. Copy your mobi files to c:\temp (or subfolders of c:\temp).
3. Copy PeterT's batch command (above) into NotePad, then save it as mobi2epub.bat in c:\windows\system32 (you may have to save mobi2epub.bat elsewhere, then give administrator permission to copy it to the c:\windows\system32 folder).
4. In Windows Explorer, navigate to c:\temp, hold down the shift key then right click, then select "Open command window here" to open the command window in c:\temp.
5. In the command window, type "mobi2epub" without the quotes. Calibre will convert the mobi files to epub.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Sure ..

At command line

for /r %1 in (*.mobi) do "c:\Program Files (x86)\Calibre2\ebook-convert.exe" "%~dpn1.mobi" "%~dpn1.epub"

In a batch file

for /r %%1 in (*.mobi) do "c:\Program Files (x86)\Calibre2\ebook-convert.exe" "%%~dpn1.mobi" "%%~dpn1.epub"

In either case it will go through all directories starting at the current directory and convert mobi files to epubs.

The difference in the two command lines is due to the interpretation of the % symbol at the command line, and in a batch (or cmd) file.

The weird stuff %~dpn1 is just extracting the drive, path and file name from the whole file name; ie dropping the extension.

See is the above helps. Books will not be added to calibre but will be converted.