Mobipocket Decoder Tool

[jotache]

I’m afraid that after many attempts I still can’t get mobidedrm to work. I’ve read all the messages on two long threads in the forum and followed all the instructions – or so I believe. I installed Python 2.6 then copied to \tools\scripts the script mobidedrm version 0.01 and 0.02 and changed the extension to .py. Whichever version I run I get the ‘usage’ message. I guess this means that the script is recognised as I don’t get any error message.

The script usage asks for infile.mobi, outfile.mobi and PID. I have two PIDs one for my laptop one for Palm XT (I would also like to try a Sony). I started with the PID for the PC I’m using to run the script, then the other one, but it didn’t help.

The books I’m trying to process have the extension .prc which doesn’t match the required .mobi extension for the infile. I tried without much conviction changing the extension of the book from .prc to .mobi but it didn’t help. I then tried to convert from prc to mobi using calibre but a message says that first the drm protection has to be removed using a third party program. So I’m back to square one.

The exact command I’m using is:
‘mobidedrm book1.prc book2.prc mymobipidxxxxxxx’ where xxxx is the PID.

This seems to obey the instruction of pdurrant in message #10 of 12-07-2008 that I quote. Am I still doing something wrong?

I changed the names of the ebook files to make them shorter and more meaningful. However if I input the original file name or the exact name of the ebook as it appears in the metadata, it doesn’t help either. I’ve also tried with and without a space between ’mymobipid’ and the actual number. I also tried the actual downloaded file in the ‘my ebooks’ folder and not a copy. In the command line I used underscores like this _ instead of spaces. I also tried several different books. The PID for my PC has a $ sign, the PID for my Palm XT has no symbols, only uppercase letters and digits.

I’m out of ideas and would welcome any help for which thanks in advance.

Pdurrant wrote: You're not using the correct command line.

MobiDeDRM says:
Usage: mobidedrm infile.mobi outfile.mobi PID

You enter:
mobidedrm.py Name_of_Book.prc mymobipid#

You should enter:
mobidedrm.py Name_of_Book.prc Name_of_Unlocked_Book.prc mymobipid#

[llasram]

Originally Posted by jotache

The exact command I’m using is:
‘mobidedrm book1.prc book2.prc mymobipidxxxxxxx’ where xxxx is the PID.

You don't say exactly what error you're getting, but at the very least you should not have the text "mymobipid" in your command. If the book-file you want to remove DRM from were "book1.prc" and the book-file you want to create were "book2.prc" and your PID were "FUZZY$BUNNY" then the command you should type is:

mobidedrm book1.prc book2.prc "FUZZY$BUNNY"

Keeping the quote marks (") around the PID. If you've named the script something like mobidedrm.py instead of just mobidedrm, then you should type that instead -- whatever you were doing before that actually ran the command albeit unsuccessfully.

[wallcraft]

The extensions .mobi and .prc are both used for MOBI ebooks, and both are ok for mobidedrm. As llasram says, the 3rd argument is the actual PID which is 10 characters long. Putting this is quotes may help on some machine types, and should not hurt. Finally, the latest version is 0.05. I suggest looking for it first in recent comments to the Darkreverser's Weblog (New Blog), which often contains links to the scripts.

[jotache]

 You don't say exactly what error you're getting
Jotache: I’m not getting any error, just the usage message.
 If the book-file you want to remove DRM from were "book1.prc" and the book-file you want to create were "book2.prc" and your PID were "FUZZY$BUNNY"
Jotache: Yes, that is correct (except of course for the PID example).
 then the command you should type is: mobidedrm book1.prc book2.prc "FUZZY$BUNNY"
Jotache: I have tried all variants of this except that I include the extension .py as part of mobidedrm which then reads mobidrm.py
If I remove the extension from the script name and don’t put the extension in the command I get the usual error message ‘not a command or batch file etc. etc.’
 at the very least you should not have the text "mymobipid" in your command.
Originally I didn’t have it, but inserted it when I read the message from pdurrant that I quoted in my message.
 Keeping the quote marks (") around the PID.

Jotache: I tried with and without the quote marks and neither works. BTW I am typing the whole command directly in the command window and not copying or pasting anything or running a batch file. Once I get it to work I’ll probably write a small batch file, but I have to get there first.

 If you've named the script something like mobidedrm.py instead of just mobidedrm, then you should type that instead

Jotache: Indeed. My command(s) reflect the file name of the script: in one case mobidedrm.py and in another case (a separate command run independently of the other) mobidedrm002.py – I did it this way so I can have both scripts in the same directory / folder. Tha ‘usage’ message tells me which version of the script I have run.

 -- whatever you were doing before that actually ran the command albeit unsuccessfully.

Noted. Many thanks for your help.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jotache

Jotache: I’m not getting any error, just the usage message.

Then you are doing something wrong. Can you post a screen capture of your command window after you run the command. Make sure to clear the cmd window, run the command, then just show that here.

You can obscure your PID if you like in the screen cap.

BOb

[jotache]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

> The extensions .mobi and .prc are both used for MOBI ebooks, and both are ok for mobidedrm.

Yes, that is how I understand it after reading the messages in the forum.

> the 3rd argument is the actual PID which is 10 characters long. Putting this is quotes may help on some machine types, and should not hurt.

Noted


> Finally, the latest version is 0.05. I suggest looking for it first in recent comments to the Darkreverser's Weblog (New Blog), which often contains links to the scripts.

I saw the references to version 0.05 but I also read that the earlier versions are supposed to work also. Instead of amending the script I prefer to wait and see if the a link to the amended script turns up.

[jotache]

I can't get the Prt Sc key to work. Here is a copy and paste of the screen.


C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>mobidedrm.py age.prc age2.prc "xxxxxxxxxx"
MobiDeDrm v0.01. Copyright (c) 2008 The Dark Reverser
Removes protection from Mobipocket books
Usage: mobidedrm infile.mobi outfile.mobi PID

C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>mobidedrm age.prc age2.prc "xxxxxxxxxx"
'mobidedrm' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>mobidedrm002.py age.prc age2.prc "xxxxxxxxxx" MobiDeDrm v0.02. Copyright (c) 2008 The Dark Reverser
Removes protection from Mobipocket books
Usage:
mobidedrm infile.mobi outfile.mobi PID

C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>mobidedrm002.py age.prc age2.prc xxxxxxxxxx
MobiDeDrm v0.02. Copyright (c) 2008 The Dark Reverser
Removes protection from Mobipocket books
Usage:
mobidedrm infile.mobi outfile.mobi PID

C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jotache

C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>mobidedrm.py age.prc age2.prc "xxxxxxxxxx"
MobiDeDrm v0.01. Copyright (c) 2008 The Dark Reverser
Removes protection from Mobipocket books
Usage: mobidedrm infile.mobi outfile.mobi PID

This looks right. Is age.prc in the C:\Python26\Tools\scripts folder?

BOb

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by jotache

I’m not getting any error, just the usage message.

The usage message should only come up if you have 0 or 1 or 2 arguments. If you have 3 or more, then the script should try to do something and you should get a different message.

Try using my pid_checksum.py as a drop in replacement for mobidedrm.py. This does not strip DRM, so it is perfectly ok to post its results here. It will give a Usage message if it does not have exactly 1 or 3 arguments (you should have 3 with the 3rd the PID).

[jotache]

pilotbob - Thanks and yes, age.prc is in the folder - I just rerereverified.

wallcraft - Thanks, I'll try your suggestion later. I'm going for a walk. This is driving me nuts!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jotache

C:\Python26\Tools\scripts>mobidedrm.py age.prc age2.prc "xxxxxxxxxx"
MobiDeDrm v0.01. Copyright (c) 2008 The Dark Reverser
Removes protection from Mobipocket books
Usage: mobidedrm infile.mobi outfile.mobi PID

Just for giggles try:

python mobidedrm.py age.prc age2.prc "xxxxxxxxxx"

Also, can you run

python --version

and tell me what the results are?

BOb

[jotache]

I’m there! Many many thanks for your help and for pointing me in the right direction. Of course I wasn’t able to run python.exe (renamed python26.exe) from the …\scripts directory, but everything worked perfectly when I copied python26.exe to the …\scripts directory. I was able to dedrm a couple of books that I tried on a spare laptop.

Is it always necessary to invoke python.exe (not a big deal)?

[jotache]

BTW the Python version is 2.6.1

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jotache

Is it always necessary to invoke python.exe (not a big deal)?

Not sure what you problem was. It shouldn't necessary be if the .py extension is probably associated to the python exe which should happen when you run the installer. If just looked like you weren't getting any parameters passed in.

BOb

[jotache]

I'm not sure myself. When I invoked python.exe I got an error message, and when I copied it to the scripts folder the problem disappeared. I also verified that .py is associated with python26. Weird.