Error when using ebook-convert: "invalid start byte"

Emanuele42 · 12-31-2019, 07:04 AM

I get this error when I attempt any conversion using ebook-convert.
I have the DeDRM and obok plugins installed.
My platform is linux.
This is the complete failure log:

Code:

$ ebook-convert /path/Patrick_van_Veen.tmp.epub /path2/Patrick_van_Veen.epub
1% Converting input to HTML...
InputFormatPlugin: EPUB Input running
on /path/Patrick_van_Veen.tmp.epub
Found HTML cover OEBPS/Text/00_Cover.xhtml
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/phablet/.local/share/sturmreader.emanuelesorce/calibre/ebook-convert", line 20, in <module>
    sys.exit(main())
  File "/home/phablet/.local/share/sturmreader.emanuelesorce/calibre/PYTHON/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py", line 380, in main
    plumber.run()
  File "/home/phablet/.local/share/sturmreader.emanuelesorce/calibre/PYTHON/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py", line 1057, in run
    accelerators, tdir)
  File "/home/phablet/.local/share/sturmreader.emanuelesorce/calibre/PYTHON/lib/calibre/calibre/customize/conversion.py", line 241, in call
    log, accelerators)
  File "/home/phablet/.local/share/sturmreader.emanuelesorce/calibre/PYTHON/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/epub_input.py", line 256, in convert
    nopf.write(opf.render())
  File "/home/phablet/.local/share/sturmreader.emanuelesorce/calibre/PYTHON/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/metadata/opf2.py", line 1271, in render
    raw = etree.tostring(self.root, encoding='ascii', pretty_print=True)
  File "src/lxml/lxml.etree.pyx", line 3326, in lxml.etree.tostring (src/lxml/lxml.etree.c:84227)
UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf8' codec can't decode byte 0xa5 in position 0: invalid start byte
-> exit code: 1

thanks!!

kovidgoyal · 12-31-2019, 09:25 AM

You appear to have either built calibre from source or using some non-standard package of it. use the official binaries and you will be fine.

Emanuele42 · 01-01-2020, 05:22 AM

Yes. In fact what I am I doing is packaging Calibre for Ubuntu Touch. Maybe it's difficult, but could you give some suggestion on what causes the problem or what to do to solve it?

kovidgoyal · 01-01-2020, 06:09 AM

the tracebacks does not match line numbers in current calibre source, can you generate one with current source?

Emanuele42 · 01-02-2020, 09:18 AM

For this I prefer to use the Calibre version that is in the distro repository, that is 2.55.0.
But if that's a problem, I can build from current source

Interesting detail I missed in the first post is that in the container I use to build Calibre doesn't raise that error, but in the target environment it fails.

kovidgoyal · 01-02-2020, 09:19 AM

2.55 is ancient no way anyone is going to be able to help with that.

Emanuele42 · 01-02-2020, 01:20 PM

Ok I will try with latest master and report back. Thanks

Emanuele42 · 01-08-2020, 02:04 PM

I am having some issues building calibre, I am not sure I am starting from the right place since I have not found any clue or guide or documentation about building it. But I am sure it's me missing it, where can I find something helpful with that?

kovidgoyal · 01-08-2020, 08:38 PM

There is no guide as such, scripts to build all calibre dependencies are here: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/bypy

Emanuele42 · 01-10-2020, 01:12 PM

I see. But I have issues handling the Calibre buiding and in general handling the use of Calibre in my project. But I understand it's me doing not standard things so it's ok that you can't just tell me what to do.
I really care about this project I am working on, so if someone wants to assist me step by step solving this issue guiding me I will be happy to pay him for the support

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12-31-2019, 09:25 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,606 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You appear to have either built calibre from source or using some non-standard package of it. use the official binaries and you will be fine.

01-01-2020, 05:22 AM	#3
Emanuele42 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 210 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: none	Yes. In fact what I am I doing is packaging Calibre for Ubuntu Touch. Maybe it's difficult, but could you give some suggestion on what causes the problem or what to do to solve it?

01-01-2020, 06:09 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,606 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	the tracebacks does not match line numbers in current calibre source, can you generate one with current source?

01-02-2020, 09:18 AM	#5
Emanuele42 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 210 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: none	For this I prefer to use the Calibre version that is in the distro repository, that is 2.55.0. But if that's a problem, I can build from current source Interesting detail I missed in the first post is that in the container I use to build Calibre doesn't raise that error, but in the target environment it fails.

01-02-2020, 09:19 AM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,606 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	2.55 is ancient no way anyone is going to be able to help with that.

01-02-2020, 01:20 PM	#7
Emanuele42 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 210 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: none	Ok I will try with latest master and report back. Thanks

01-08-2020, 02:04 PM	#8
Emanuele42 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 210 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: none	I am having some issues building calibre, I am not sure I am starting from the right place since I have not found any clue or guide or documentation about building it. But I am sure it's me missing it, where can I find something helpful with that?

01-08-2020, 08:38 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,606 Karma: 28548974 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	There is no guide as such, scripts to build all calibre dependencies are here: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/bypy

01-10-2020, 01:12 PM	#10
Emanuele42 Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 210 Join Date: Dec 2019 Device: none	I see. But I have issues handling the Calibre buiding and in general handling the use of Calibre in my project. But I understand it's me doing not standard things so it's ok that you can't just tell me what to do. I really care about this project I am working on, so if someone wants to assist me step by step solving this issue guiding me I will be happy to pay him for the support