Create non-fiction pamphlet on Linux?

[cootcraig]

My primary workstation(s) run Linux. I've started reading ebooks and use Calibre as my ebook archive. I've gotten interested in creating non-fiction pamphlets for my own use and on occasion for direct distribution to others.

I have a private personal journal I keep with Nanoc, a static site generator. Vim is used as the editor. Yes, I'm a tech geek (now retired).

In the past I've used LyX – The Document Processor for work related technical reports. In fact, my first thought is write in LyX and then convert to epub in Calibre.

Discussion please. Let me know about existing threads to look at.

[rcentros]

I use Linux and have created a few ePub documents, but my method is extremely simple. Like you, I use a text editor for the initial writing (Jstar, a WordStar-like Joe variant), then I read that file into LibreOffice Writer (after removing the extra hard carriage returns so the text will flow, probably not necessary in vim). Then I format the document however I want, save as ODT and read that into Calibre. And then just convert to ePub. It comes out pretty well. Nothing fancy. No diagrams or images.

[cootcraig]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I use Linux and have created a few ePub documents, but my method is extremely simple. Like you, I use a text editor for the initial writing (Jstar, a WordStar-like Joe variant), then I read that file into LibreOffice Writer (after removing the extra hard carriage returns so the text will flow, probably not necessary in vim). Then I format the document however I want, save as ODT and read that into Calibre. And then just convert to ePub. It comes out pretty well. Nothing fancy. No diagrams or images.

I will try LibreOffice Writer. I'm likely to want images and diagrams occasionally, Writer might be just the thing.

[gmw]

Note that LibreOffice v6 has an epub filter of its own now. I have not yet tried it out, but you may be able to avoid the Calibre step for epub construction - if you want.

[cootcraig]

How about HTML -> pandoc -> epub
This looks promising to me. I have actually used "Pro Git"


Creating an ebook with pandoc

A real book

To see what this would look like for a real book, let’s convert Scott Chacon’s book Pro Git, which he wrote using pandoc’s markdown variant and released under a Creative Commons license. (If you use the book, please consider buying a copy to help support his excellent work.)

[gmw]

If HTML is what you write in then pandoc might be a reasonable choice.

I try to keep the production chain as short as I can. I write in LibreOffice and from there I can go direct to epub (ebooks - currently via plug-in but now hopefully by built-in filter) or to PDF (print books), so I'm covered. But narrative fiction is easy. For non-fiction you're going to have to shop around until you find what works for you, starting with the base/original source material - whether that be raw HTML, LaTeX or whatever. (Saying you use Vim as an editor doesn't actually tell us what you're creating.)

[cootcraig]

The thead so far

rcentros workflow

Originally Posted by rcentros

my method is extremely simple. Like you, I use a text editor for the initial writing
...
then I read that file into LibreOffice Writer
...
the text will flow, probably not necessary in vim). Then I format the document however I want
...
save as ODT and read that into Calibre. And then just convert to ePub.

gmw suggestion all in LibreOffice Writer

Originally Posted by gmw

Note that LibreOffice v6 has an epub filter of its own now.

pandoc markdown -> pandoc -> epub

And another workflow. I work with Nanoc already and have programmed with Ruby

Nanoc static HTML site generator like Ruby Red Bricks with follow up

All in LIbreOffice would be the most direct route.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by gmw

I try to keep the production chain as short as I can. I write in LibreOffice and from there I can go direct to epub (ebooks - currently via plug-in but now hopefully by built-in filter) or to PDF (print books), so I'm covered. ...

If Writer in LibreOffice had the WordStar keystrokes I might write directly in it more often. But I'm not that fond of WYSIWYG for the writing process because I'm always worried about "how it looks" instead of what I'm writing. And text files will always be readable and easily manipulated. But mostly it's the WordStar keystrokes and commands that I want. They're hard-wired into my fingers from my DOS days.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by cootcraig

[...] gmw suggestion all in LibreOffice Writer [...]

Not sure I'd characterise my posts as suggesting "all". My first post merely suggested that you might try doing the "to epub" step using LibreOffice. The second post mentioned that I do it all in LibreOffice but was not supposed to indicate that I expected you to - that is going to depend on the requirements of your non-fiction publication. However, I do stand by the idea that keeping your toolchain as short as you can is a good thing (unless you also want to publish a book called "the making of my book" ).

Originally Posted by rcentros

If Writer in LibreOffice had the WordStar keystrokes I might write directly in it more often. But I'm not that fond of WYSIWYG for the writing process because I'm always worried about "how it looks" instead of what I'm writing. And text files will always be readable and easily manipulated. But mostly it's the WordStar keystrokes and commands that I want. They're hard-wired into my fingers from my DOS days.

It took me a long while to get comfortable with OpenOffice (before LibreOffice) - from my WordPerfect days - but mostly I get along okay now. You might find that someone has built WordStar key support for LibreOffice if you were tempted to go down that path - chances are that you're not the only one with fingers wired that way.

[cootcraig]

Another approach. Ruby Red Bricks writes about Ruby ePub with Franklin

Franklin is a static-site framework, optimized for online books.

[cootcraig]

Originally Posted by gmw

The second post mentioned that I do it all in LibreOffice but was not supposed to indicate that I expected you to

Understood, LibreOffice will a good place to start and produce something. Complications can come later, as is my wont.

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by gmw

Note that LibreOffice v6 has an epub filter of its own now. I have not yet tried it out, but you may be able to avoid the Calibre step for epub construction - if you want.

LibreOffice EPUB output is still very rough.

It's mostly just a basic wrapper around their XHTML export.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by gmw

It took me a long while to get comfortable with OpenOffice (before LibreOffice) - from my WordPerfect days - but mostly I get along okay now. You might find that someone has built WordStar key support for LibreOffice if you were tempted to go down that path - chances are that you're not the only one with fingers wired that way.

If I could get WordStar keystrokes in LibreOffice Writer I would be happy, but I would probably still write the first draft in Jstar. Extremely fast and clean. I've set up small scripts (like DOS batch files, I think "scripts" is the right term) to open Jstar in the right sub-directory. One script (for example) is jsnote. I just type jsnote and it opens a new instance of Jstar in my Notes sub-directory of Documents. Actually, I click F12 to open Guake terminal, type jsnote and I'm ready to type in the time it takes to type the eight keystrokes (including ENTER). And I don't use the mouse at all to move around the document (though I can for cutting and pasting to WYSIWYG applications). Now if I just do some writing I would be ready to go.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

LibreOffice EPUB output is still very rough.

It's mostly just a basic wrapper around their XHTML export.

Agreed. I haven't been very happy with ePubs produced in LibreOffice, but I've got an older version so I thought maybe things had improved with the newer versions. I've had a lot better luck importing the LO Writer file (in native format) to Calibre and then converting to ePub from there.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by cootcraig

Understood, LibreOffice will a good place to start and produce something. Complications can come later, as is my wont.

Even my process is more complicated than I've currently described. Yes, I produce the epub directly from LibreOffice (see a below), but still do a clean up using Sigil - editing the CSS and HTML directly where I choose ... we all make things more complicated, whatever we might proclaim as good practice.

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

LibreOffice EPUB output is still very rough.

It's mostly just a basic wrapper around their XHTML export.

That's said to hear. I currently use Writer2xhtml (actually a slightly modified version I created during a period when the developer wasn't maintaining the project). I see the developer is saying now:

The EPUB export will be removed. Since vesion 6, LibreOffice features a native EPUB export. It is expected that this will evolve into a suitable alternative to the EPUB export in Writer2LaTeX. Writer2LaTeX 1.6 will still be maintained for users relying on the EPUB export.

Which will be me until the built-in comes up to standard. I've had a very good run with Writer2xhtml, I think it creates an excellent starting position for final clean up in Sigil.

Originally Posted by rcentros

If I could get WordStar keystrokes in LibreOffice Writer I would be happy, but [..] Now if I just do some writing I would be ready to go.

Given the popularity of WordStar back then I would have thought there would be more obvious support being added to open-source projects. Did WordStar users not become software developers? The closest I can find is this:
Wordstar shortcuts for Writer. The link is offered for information, NOT recommendation. From the post it seems apparent this is only partial solution, use at your own risk, backup your existing settings first, etc. etc..

As I sit here typing this I could be spending the time on a project that's been waiting for me for almost 12 months with bugger all very little progress thanks to work taking up all my head space. ... I think this all presents a lesson in the difference between professional and amateur. I am a professional software developer, I can turn it on and off at will (well, on, turning off is much harder). I am, regrettably, only an amateur writer, turning it on takes considerable and effort which means I need a big slice of time just to get started.