[GUI Plugin] KindleUnpack - The Plugin

[awmiller]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Also ... if the original Kindlebook is huge, you may want to make sure you're using a 64-bit version of calibre on a 64-bit machine -- or even using the stand alone KindleUnpack tool.

The text book was about 160 Mb, I assume that's too big for the Calibri plugin.

From the plugin Zip I was able to use the python script, thanks for the hint!

For anyone else who has the same problem, the script is easy to use, just follow install for python as mentioned in any of the tutorials for DeDRM or KindleUnpack standalone. You dont need the stand alone however, from the latest package this script brings up a gui:
<plugin dir>\core_subtree\KindleUnpack.pyw
it will give you the op type epub but you get a pdf in the end.

[kbaerwald]

I have setup a completely new calibre environment after installing Win 10. The "KindleUnpack" plugin had been installed on my previous computer and ran flawlessly for some years.

When installing the "KindleUnpack" plugin in my new calibre environment several things happen:

- Installation via preferences places <KindleUnpack - The Plugin.zip> in "C:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugi ns"
- there is no icon in the main toolbar nor is the icon available at all for choice
- trying to customize the plugin (yes - it is visible in the list of installed plugins) results in the request to restart calibre first etc. After this the same request pops up every time I try to customize.

All other plugins for calibre installed without problems.

Is there any prerequisite which I overlooked?

Klaus

[DiapDealer]

Did you truly restart calibre? Or is it set to "close" to the system tray?

[kbaerwald]

Sure - even after restart of my laptop it does not appear in the icon list of calibre. Here some snapshots.

I believe that there is something fundamentally wrong in my setup - but what?

Klaus

P.S. Just found out that the corresponding java file (json) is missing in the "C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugi ns" directory. I have no clue with Java scripts ...

[DiapDealer]

Try launching calibre in debug mode from a command-line "calibre-debug -g" (without the quotes). If the plugin isn't initializing properly, there should be some kind of message printed there that might give a clue.

I believe that there is something fundamentally wrong in my setup - but what?

Don't dismiss the possibility that there's something wrong with the plugin. It's been a very, very long time since I've installed the plugin fresh. I, and most others likely, have been only upgrading our KindleUnpack plugins for quite a while.

P.S. Just found out that the corresponding java file (json) is missing in the "C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugi ns" directory. I have no clue with Java scripts ...

That's not a java file it's a JSON file. That's where the preferences for plugins are stored/retained. It's normal for it not to exist until the plugin is run/configured for the first time (which yours hasn't).

EDIT: OK, well it doesn't seem to be anything inherently wrong with the plugin, as I just installed it to a virgin installation of calibre (v2.37.1) and everything showed up on the toolbars selected as expected (and configuration worked) after a calibre restart. That debug output should prove enlightening when you get it. Also it looks like you are you running Windows, but I can't be sure. Nevermind, you said Windows 10-duh That info (and whether you're using an x86 or x64 flavor of calibre would be handy). Your icons look different, so I assume your using a new custom theme? If you could direct me to the one you're using, I'd like to install it and rule out the possibility that new theming functionality is somehow playing a role in this (since the plugin does supply its own icon resource. Thanks.

EDIT2: I matched the icon theme you had that doesn't seem to have any effect on a fresh install either. Unfortunately, I can't test on Windows 10 quite yet. I only have that on my employers PCs.

[kbaerwald]

Please find the content of the command window in the attached text file - I anonymized some parts (hope you understand this). There are some errors with the unpack plugin but I do not understand the basics of it.

Hope it gives you some information.

Klaus

[kbaerwald]

One more thought: the path name of the ...\AppData\Roaming\calibre contains a non-ASCII character (coming from my German first name) "Rüdiger". This ASCII decimal 252 - does this matter?

Klaus-Rüdiger

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by kbaerwald

One more thought: the path name of the ...\AppData\Roaming\calibre contains a non-ASCII character (coming from my German first name) "Rüdiger". This ASCII decimal 252 - does this matter?

Klaus-Rüdiger

I have no firsthand knowledge, but since the error says it "can't decode byte 0xfc in position 16:" and 0xfc is ASCII code for ü which is in the 16th position in the path, I'm guessing the odds are good that you just pointed out the problem.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by kbaerwald

Please find the content of the command window in the attached text file - I anonymized some parts (hope you understand this). There are some errors with the unpack plugin but I do not understand the basics of it.

Hope it gives you some information.

Klaus

Hmmm... yes. That info places the problem squarely on a portion of my plugin that allows it work with user directories containing non-ascii characters ... on EARLIER Windows platforms. Perhaps something there is now incompatible on Windows 10.

Off to investigate. Thanks!

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I have no firsthand knowledge, but since the error says it "can't decode byte 0xfc in position 16:" and 0xfc is ASCII code for ü which is in the 16th position in the path, I'm guessing the odds are good that you just pointed out the problem.

You are correct.

I found the problem.
There's a call to os.path.expanduser("~") that contains a known bug that affects non-asciii usernames on the Windows platform. I thought I had fixed this once before, but perhaps it has crept back in (or maybe I fixed it in something else--I don't know), but the short answer is: it's an easy fix. Kovid has a workaround method within calibre itself I need to use in place of os.path.expanduser. Now if I can only track down what it was!

[kbaerwald]

@DoctorOhh: that all makes sense. Here is the complete path:

<C:\Users\Klaus-Rüdiger\AppData\Roaming\calibre>

@DiapDealer: looks very promising - thanks so far!

Klaus

[kovidgoyal]

from calibre.utils.filenames import expanduser

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

from calibre.utils.filenames import expanduser

Thanks Kovid! I knew it was in utils, but I never seem to be able to remember the "filenames" part.

Anyway @kbaerwald:

See if this attached version works for you. If so, I'll update the first post with v0.81.2.

EDIT: removed attachment and updated the first post with version 0.81.2.

[kbaerwald]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Thanks Kovid! I knew it was in utils, but I never seem to be able to remember the "filenames" part.

Anyway @kbaerwald:

See if this attached version works for you. If so, I'll update the first post with v0.81.2.

One of the fastest intercontinental bug fixes I have ever seen !

Works like a charm! Thanks to all.

Klaus-Rüdiger

[DiapDealer]

We aim to please!

This is such a basic fix (and it's working for you), that I'm going to go ahead and update the first post with the new version.

Thanks for the report and the supplied data for tracking it down.

EDIT: for the record, this is where I fixed this same bug once already. I'm guessing it slipped back in during the complete overhaul that was v0.80.0.