Do I Need Kobo Desktop App?

abrogard · 12-12-2021, 01:33 AM

I bought an ebook online from Booktopia. They were telling me I needed Kobo desktop app as I was going through the process.

I ignored that thinking it was just another marketing trick.

But when I finally got my URLink.acsm it won't open in Calibre which just tells me that it already has that book - I think it means 'urlink.acsm' for there's no title comes up anywhere.

So do I have to download/install this Kobo Desktop App and run the book through it and then somehow get it where Calibre can get it and then finally have it free and clear for me to do with as I wish?

ownedbycats · 12-12-2021, 01:47 AM

You need Adobe Digital Editions for ascm files.

You'll need DeDRM (or NoDRM, it's a bit weird right now) to get rid of the DRM -- can't give much more details on this without breaching forum rules, but google's your friend.

abrogard · 12-12-2021, 03:23 AM

I've got adobe digital ed. Must be something wrong that it's not opening it? My fault? I've allowed calibre to be the default for acsm files? I'll look into that. As to the drm I've alway had the plugins and they should still be there I think - unless recent updates ( I did one today ) mean I have to reinstall?

Later: haha. all done. I had the default set. all I had to do was tell windows to let digital editions open it and it did. then I found it in the digital ed directory and told calibre about it. calibre put it in the library. now it's safe.

Sorry to bring up this trivia.. but it had me stuck (again).

Thanks for the help.

bookaho!ic · 12-12-2021, 05:14 AM

can you not download to a download folder (not to calibre) open ADE drag the book in there and then import from mydigitaleditions library (probably in your my documents folder) to calibre

DNSB · 12-12-2021, 11:20 AM

Or since you are using calibre, add the DeACSM plugin to allow you to bypass ADE. Especially useful under Linux since you don't have to jump through many hoops in the hopes of getting ADE to work under Wine.

abrogard · 12-12-2021, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookaho!ic

can you not download to a download folder (not to calibre) open ADE drag the book in there and then import from mydigitaleditions library (probably in your my documents folder) to calibre

Yes. That's the procedure I have in fact followed.

abrogard · 12-12-2021, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Or since you are using calibre, add the DeACSM plugin to allow you to bypass ADE. Especially useful under Linux since you don't have to jump through many hoops in the hopes of getting ADE to work under Wine.

Yep. Doing that. Interested in your mention of Linux. I've given up on it again since my recent experience. I was with Mint. Did an update. It broke. Then I saw Torvald's youtube vid on 'why desktop linux sucks' and decided not to bother with it any more.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzl1B7nB9Kc&t=300s)

You're talking a desktop distro or you're referring to mainframe Linux?

DNSB · 12-12-2021, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abrogard

Yep. Doing that. Interested in your mention of Linux. I've given up on it again since my recent experience. I was with Mint. Did an update. It broke. Then I saw Torvald's youtube vid on 'why desktop linux sucks' and decided not to bother with it any more.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzl1B7nB9Kc&t=300s)

You're talking a desktop distro or you're referring to mainframe Linux?

I'm talking a desktop distro. There are people using various desktop distros happily enough and the DeACSM plugin just makes their lives easier. I'm also using it under Windows 11 since it allows me to test downloads as various ADE versions just to see if I get the newer hardened Adobe DRM.

As somewhat of a disclaimer, I run various Linux distros on my laptop using VMWare for Workstations Pro (currently VMWare Photon, SUSE Tumbleweed, Mint 20.2 and Arch Linux, not to mention a couple of Windows versions and a Mac VM). The Linux boxes I use for work are servers running as VMs on VMWare ESXi hosts.

abrogard · 12-13-2021, 12:34 AM

Well you're orders of magnitude above my level of competence in that field I think. And that's perhaps what it takes. mores the pity. i wanted to be on linux.

ownedbycats · 12-13-2021, 12:57 AM

I didn't know about the DeACSM plugin. Even as a Windows user, that'll be quite useful!

12-12-2021, 01:33 AM	#1
abrogard Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2017 Device: kindle	Do I Need Kobo Desktop App? I bought an ebook online from Booktopia. They were telling me I needed Kobo desktop app as I was going through the process. I ignored that thinking it was just another marketing trick. But when I finally got my URLink.acsm it won't open in Calibre which just tells me that it already has that book - I think it means 'urlink.acsm' for there's no title comes up anywhere. So do I have to download/install this Kobo Desktop App and run the book through it and then somehow get it where Calibre can get it and then finally have it free and clear for me to do with as I wish?

12-12-2021, 01:47 AM	#2
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,974 Karma: 75337983 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	You need Adobe Digital Editions for ascm files. You'll need DeDRM (or NoDRM, it's a bit weird right now) to get rid of the DRM -- can't give much more details on this without breaching forum rules, but google's your friend. Last edited by ownedbycats; 12-12-2021 at 01:49 AM.

12-12-2021, 03:23 AM	#3
abrogard Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2017 Device: kindle	I've got adobe digital ed. Must be something wrong that it's not opening it? My fault? I've allowed calibre to be the default for acsm files? I'll look into that. As to the drm I've alway had the plugins and they should still be there I think - unless recent updates ( I did one today ) mean I have to reinstall? Later: haha. all done. I had the default set. all I had to do was tell windows to let digital editions open it and it did. then I found it in the digital ed directory and told calibre about it. calibre put it in the library. now it's safe. Sorry to bring up this trivia.. but it had me stuck (again). Thanks for the help. Last edited by abrogard; 12-12-2021 at 03:30 AM.

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12-12-2021, 05:14 AM	#4
bookaho!ic Evangelist Posts: 466 Karma: 5575734 Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: UK Device: kobo Aura H20 2nd Ed	can you not download to a download folder (not to calibre) open ADE drag the book in there and then import from mydigitaleditions library (probably in your my documents folder) to calibre

12-12-2021, 11:20 AM	#5
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 46,210 Karma: 168983734 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Or since you are using calibre, add the DeACSM plugin to allow you to bypass ADE. Especially useful under Linux since you don't have to jump through many hoops in the hopes of getting ADE to work under Wine.

12-13-2021, 12:34 AM	#9
abrogard Groupie Posts: 168 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2017 Device: kindle	Well you're orders of magnitude above my level of competence in that field I think. And that's perhaps what it takes. mores the pity. i wanted to be on linux.

12-13-2021, 12:57 AM	#10
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,974 Karma: 75337983 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	I didn't know about the DeACSM plugin. Even as a Windows user, that'll be quite useful!