Calibre doesn't recognize .pdb - what to do?

Isay · 01-30-2009, 12:41 PM

I just downloaded Calibre after reading about its features. I thought I could use it for everything eBook; but I can't begin because it doesn't recognize my .pdb files. I read eBooks on my Palm TX using thier eBook reader.

What do I have to do to use Calibre with my .pdb files. I need something simple as I don't speak Computer. or can I not use Calibre?

--
Isay

slm · 01-30-2009, 02:55 PM

Palm's ereader format is not yet supported in Calibre.

It may never be because Calibre generally does not support conversion of files with DRM and almost all ereader files have DRM.

wallcraft · 01-30-2009, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isay

I thought I could use it for everything eBook; but I can't begin because it doesn't recognize my .pdb files.

Are these eReader ebook files? If so, do you need to provide your credit card number to read them?

If you answered yes, then there is bad news and good news. The bad news is that your files have DRM (i.e. are encrypted) and Calibre does not support DRM-ridden files. The good news is that the python script ereader2html.py can strip the DRM and produce HTML+Images that Calibre can read. This is only kind of good news because a) stripping DRM is generally thought to be illegal in some places, and b) you will have to find ereader2html.py and learn how to run a command line python script to use it. There are multiple threads on this subject, for example ereader to mobi.

pepak · 01-30-2009, 04:25 PM

If the answer is no, you can use my converter for PalmPilot Documents.

ssimon2000 · 01-30-2009, 09:53 PM

That's interesting, because I haven't had any problems whatsoever importing PDBs into calibre. I guess I assumed that it would convert PDBs into LRFs... Are there any other formats that it doesn't support besides PDBs?

Pepak, looks like I'm going to be using your converter for quite a while.

Isay · 01-31-2009, 05:31 AM

[QUOTE=ssimon2000;339919]That's interesting, because I haven't had any problems whatsoever importing PDBs into calibre. I guess I assumed that it would convert PDBs into LRFs... Are there any other formats that it doesn't support besides PDBs?

When I tried to add my .pdb files to Calibre's library nothing showed up in the window. I wanted to cataloglue all my .pdb files in one file instead of all over the place as they are now.

--
Isay

Isay · 01-31-2009, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepak

If the answer is no, you can use my converter for PalmPilot Documents.

The converter I am using works fine for converting .pdb into other formats.

I wanted to catalogue all my .pdb files. And I wanted to see if Calibre could do a better job converting Sony files into other formats than the ABC converter. Sony is the only format I'm having real problems with converting.

--
Isay

Krystian Galaj · 01-31-2009, 08:06 AM

To clear up the matter a bit - .pdb is not an ebook format. It's Palm DataBase format, a container for whatever may be inside. It may contain Mobipocket ebook, which is readable on many e-ink readers. It may contain e-reader ebook, which isn't readable on any. Or it may contain anything else - most Palm program use pdb to store their data.
So one .pdb may be readable, the other may be not readable - depending on what they contain.

AprilHare · 01-31-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepak

If the answer is no, you can use my converter for PalmPilot Documents.

Now all I could wish for is this compiled for Linux

Does this app handle Plucker documents, as featured on gutenberg.org?

Isay · 01-31-2009, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

To clear up the matter a bit - .pdb is not an ebook format. It's Palm DataBase format, a container for whatever may be inside. It may contain Mobipocket ebook, which is readable on many e-ink readers. It may contain e-reader ebook, which isn't readable on any. Or it may contain anything else - most Palm program use pdb to store their data.
So one .pdb may be readable, the other may be not readable - depending on what they contain.

Thanks. As I only read eBooks on my Palm TX, I've come to think .pdb = eBooks. I've forgotten that it only meals Palm files.

pepak · 01-31-2009, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

Now all I could wish for is this compiled for Linux

I don't have a Linux so I can't try it, but the source compiles fine with FreePascal so you can try it...

Quote:

Does this app handle Plucker documents, as featured on gutenberg.org?

Apparently not.

wallcraft · 01-31-2009, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AprilHare

Does this app handle Plucker documents, as featured on gutenberg.org?

The Plucker source code includes explode.c, that "explodes" a Plucker file to HTML and images. There may even be a precompiled version for Linux. See SourceForge: Plucker.

JSWolf · 01-31-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepak

If the answer is no, you can use my converter for PalmPilot Documents.

Does your converter keep graphics, links, & styles?

pepak · 01-31-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Does your converter keep graphics, links, & styles?

Hardly, considering that those PDBs are just compressed plaintext...

tao · 01-10-2011, 10:05 AM

I am confused of the pdb format in Calibre. As far as I understand, only PalmDOC and eReader formats use pdb extension, Mobipocket use mobi and prc extensions.

Which format does Calibre refer to when it use the pdb extension? It seemed the documentation is not very clear on this.

01-30-2009, 12:41 PM	#1
Isay Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Germany Device: Palm TX	Calibre doesn't recognize .pdb - what to do? I just downloaded Calibre after reading about its features. I thought I could use it for everything eBook; but I can't begin because it doesn't recognize my .pdb files. I read eBooks on my Palm TX using thier eBook reader. What do I have to do to use Calibre with my .pdb files. I need something simple as I don't speak Computer. or can I not use Calibre? -- Isay

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01-30-2009, 02:55 PM	#2
slm Fool Posts: 498 Karma: 4660650 Join Date: Feb 2003 Device: Kindle: Voyage,PW1,KOA, Kobo: Clara Colour, Nook GLP, Pocketbook verse	Palm's ereader format is not yet supported in Calibre. It may never be because Calibre generally does not support conversion of files with DRM and almost all ereader files have DRM.

01-30-2009, 04:25 PM	#4
pepak Guru Posts: 610 Karma: 4150 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T3, Kobo Libra H2O	If the answer is no, you can use my converter for PalmPilot Documents.

01-30-2009, 09:53 PM	#5
ssimon2000 Member Posts: 20 Karma: 32 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 700	That's interesting, because I haven't had any problems whatsoever importing PDBs into calibre. I guess I assumed that it would convert PDBs into LRFs... Are there any other formats that it doesn't support besides PDBs? Pepak, looks like I'm going to be using your converter for quite a while.

01-31-2009, 05:31 AM	#6
Isay Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Germany Device: Palm TX	[QUOTE=ssimon2000;339919]That's interesting, because I haven't had any problems whatsoever importing PDBs into calibre. I guess I assumed that it would convert PDBs into LRFs... Are there any other formats that it doesn't support besides PDBs? When I tried to add my .pdb files to Calibre's library nothing showed up in the window. I wanted to cataloglue all my .pdb files in one file instead of all over the place as they are now. -- Isay

01-31-2009, 08:06 AM	#8
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	To clear up the matter a bit - .pdb is not an ebook format. It's Palm DataBase format, a container for whatever may be inside. It may contain Mobipocket ebook, which is readable on many e-ink readers. It may contain e-reader ebook, which isn't readable on any. Or it may contain anything else - most Palm program use pdb to store their data. So one .pdb may be readable, the other may be not readable - depending on what they contain.

01-10-2011, 10:05 AM	#15
tao Book Lover Posts: 30 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New York City Device: Sony PRS-505; Kindle 3	I am confused of the pdb format in Calibre. As far as I understand, only PalmDOC and eReader formats use pdb extension, Mobipocket use mobi and prc extensions. Which format does Calibre refer to when it use the pdb extension? It seemed the documentation is not very clear on this.

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