.acsm files?

mattrix · 11-11-2022, 01:45 AM

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm confused.
I had the impression that ADE functioned as a download manager, so that when your reader is connected an ebook is downloaded from the internet onto your reader.

When I buy a DRM'ed book from a random book shop is the .ascm tied to me? my adobe id? Or could I gift it to someone else to fulfill?

I have come across the DeACSM plugin that will get a DRM'ed book and put it into the calibre library. Presumably calibre can then upload it to my ereader. Doesn't the uploaded book need to be re-encrypted to match the reader?

Can calibre 'import' and restore encrypted books from the reader?
FWIW, I am using a KoboGlo. Will calibre 'import' the kepubs from my reader?

Sirtel · 11-11-2022, 04:05 AM

The deACSM plugin is mainly used to remove the DRM without having to install ADE. After the DRM has been removed, there won't be any need to re-encrypt (why would you want to do that?).

Calibre can't import encrypted books, AFAIK. It's easy to remove the DRM from Kobo books, however.

JSWolf · 11-11-2022, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The deACSM plugin is mainly used to remove the DRM without having to install ADE. After the DRM has been removed, there won't be any need to re-encrypt (why would you want to do that?).

Calibre can't import encrypted books, AFAIK. It's easy to remove the DRM from Kobo books, however.

The DeACSM plugin was written because ADE can sometimes be a real pain to deal with under Linux.

mattrix · 11-11-2022, 05:08 AM

According to the deACSM page, it does not remove DRM. It just removes the need to use ADE.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=341975

I'm trying to stay within the stores T&C's, so if there is no need to remove DRM .....

I just don't understand how it is supposed to work.

Sirtel · 11-11-2022, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattrix

According to the deACSM page, it does not remove DRM. It just removes the need to use ADE.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=341975

I'm trying to stay within the stores T&C's, so if there is no need to remove DRM .....

I just don't understand how it is supposed to work.

It was written to help with DRM removal. That's what it's supposed to do. If you don't want to remove the DRM, you'll have no need for it or Calibre. Calibre can't help you with handling encrypted books, it has never been meant for that.

JSWolf · 11-11-2022, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

It was written to help with DRM removal. That's what it's supposed to do. If you don't want to remove the DRM, you'll have no need for it or Calibre. Calibre can't help you with handling encrypted books, it has never been meant for that.

If you don't remove DRM, you can still use the plugin to download DRMed ePub to Calibre and then put on your Reader if it's authorized (RMSDK).

haertig · 11-11-2022, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Calibre can't import encrypted books, AFAIK.

I think it can. But it can't display them for reading. But they will import and can then be sideloaded via Calibre can't they? To read the book, you would have to sideload the book to a device that has been authorized in the books DRM scheme however.

I seem to remember doing this a long time ago when I first started using Calibre. Nowadays, every book I buy has the DRM stripped from it immediately, so I haven't actually tried to use Calibre to import and keep a DRM-ed book. I could be remembering incorrectly since it's been years since I've attempted that.

theducks · 11-11-2022, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haertig

I think it can. But it can't display them for reading. But they will import and can then be sideloaded via Calibre can't they? To read the book, you would have to sideload the book to a device that has been authorized in the books DRM scheme however.

I seem to remember doing this a long time ago when I first started using Calibre. Nowadays, every book I buy has the DRM stripped from it immediately, so I haven't actually tried to use Calibre to import and keep a DRM-ed book. I could be remembering incorrectly since it's been years since I've attempted that.

Correct
Calibre can store and send, it just can't update, Edit or View.

Quoth · 11-11-2022, 09:29 AM

Though if you Add a DRMed ebook to Send to a Device that it was authorised by supplier, for instance, that works. But if you later install DeDRM you need to delete the ebook and Add it again to remove the DRM.

I never delete the original downloads or original created documents even though "Add" to Calibre creates a copy, because that copy is part of the library. Particularly I'll delete (remove) docx, zip, txt IN calibre or anything else "Added" that needs conversion to be an ebook.

Sirtel · 11-11-2022, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haertig

I think it can. But it can't display them for reading. But they will import and can then be sideloaded via Calibre can't they? To read the book, you would have to sideload the book to a device that has been authorized in the books DRM scheme however.

I seem to remember doing this a long time ago when I first started using Calibre. Nowadays, every book I buy has the DRM stripped from it immediately, so I haven't actually tried to use Calibre to import and keep a DRM-ed book. I could be remembering incorrectly since it's been years since I've attempted that.

Some encrypted books are stored in a protected storage (on the device) not accessible or even visible to Calibre. I don't know if that's the case with Kobo kepubs, though.

JSWolf · 11-11-2022, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Some encrypted books are stored in a protected storage (on the device) not accessible or even visible to Calibre. I don't know if that's the case with Kobo kepubs, though.

KePub are accessible on Kobo Readers.

Quoth · 11-11-2022, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Some encrypted books are stored in a protected storage (on the device) not accessible or even visible to Calibre. I don't know if that's the case with Kobo kepubs, though.

Nook perhaps. Some old devices using ADE need the file copied to a particular location.

But certainly you can download an Amazon Kindle file to PC instead of direct to device, add it to Calibre without removing DRM (no deDRM plugin) and Send to Device via USB. But only works, of course, for the Kindle you picked on the Amazon download page if the file has DRM.

DNSB · 11-11-2022, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

It was written to help with DRM removal. That's what it's supposed to do. If you don't want to remove the DRM, you'll have no need for it or Calibre. Calibre can't help you with handling encrypted books, it has never been meant for that.

The DeACSM is now the ACSM plugin and was written to allow you to download the file specified in the .acsm file which is very handy on systems where ADE is not an option (Linux without having fun with Wine, for example). It does not and can not remove DRM. DRM removal, if possible, is done by the DeDRM plugin when the book is imported to calibre regardless of the source of the import.

And oddly, I do have some encrypted books in my calibre library where for ethical reasons (it's not a book I purchased for the most part), I do not wish to remove the DRM.

Sirtel · 11-11-2022, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

The DeACSM is now the ACSM plugin and was written to allow you to download the file specified in the .acsm file which is very handy on systems where ADE is not an option (Linux without having fun with Wine, for example). It does not and can not remove DRM. DRM removal, if possible, is done by the DeDRM plugin when the book is imported to calibre regardless of the source of the import.

I know it doesn't remove DRM by itself. But helping with removing the DRM was its main purpose, going by the posts here and on GitHub.

Keeping DRMed books in Calibre is totally useless IMO. You could just create an empty book for retaining information. The encrypted file itself is pointless.

Yeah, I'm virulently anti-DRM. In any of its manifestations.

DNSB · 11-11-2022, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I know it doesn't remove DRM by itself. But helping with removing the DRM was its main purpose, going by the posts here and on GitHub.

For many of the people in these forums, removing DRM is important. OTOH, the DeDRM plugin will attempt to work on any ebook imported to calibre regardless of the source. Would you care to claim that calibre's entire raison d'être was removing DRM? That ADE's purpose was removing DRM? The K4PC/K4Mac's purpose is removing DRM?

With that in mind, I have to ask what does the ACSM plugin do that can't be done by using ADE to download the books and then importing them to calibre? Other than making it possible on systems where ADE is not an option for most people and saving steps in the process.

Even a quick perusal of the ACSM plugin code will show that it does not have any DRM removal code in it.

11-11-2022, 01:45 AM	#1
mattrix Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 89260 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: KoboGlo	.acsm files? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I'm confused. I had the impression that ADE functioned as a download manager, so that when your reader is connected an ebook is downloaded from the internet onto your reader. When I buy a DRM'ed book from a random book shop is the .ascm tied to me? my adobe id? Or could I gift it to someone else to fulfill? I have come across the DeACSM plugin that will get a DRM'ed book and put it into the calibre library. Presumably calibre can then upload it to my ereader. Doesn't the uploaded book need to be re-encrypted to match the reader? Can calibre 'import' and restore encrypted books from the reader? FWIW, I am using a KoboGlo. Will calibre 'import' the kepubs from my reader?

11-11-2022, 05:08 AM	#4
mattrix Enthusiast Posts: 35 Karma: 89260 Join Date: Jul 2014 Device: KoboGlo	According to the deACSM page, it does not remove DRM. It just removes the need to use ADE. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=341975 I'm trying to stay within the stores T&C's, so if there is no need to remove DRM ..... I just don't understand how it is supposed to work. Last edited by mattrix; 11-11-2022 at 05:25 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Reading apps that work with .acsm/Files	tomsem	Apple Devices	4	06-02-2021 02:56 PM
Can I read .acsm files?	curiousreader1	Devices	3	09-12-2016 07:18 AM
PRS-T2 Reader, that can handle acsm files	ottischwenk	Sony Reader	7	01-11-2013 12:33 PM
Calibre can't transfer .acsm files?	wyldmint	Calibre	7	08-30-2010 10:38 AM
I can't open acsm files	BookCat	Sony Reader	8	12-27-2009 09:52 PM

11-11-2022, 04:05 AM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,471 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	The deACSM plugin is mainly used to remove the DRM without having to install ADE. After the DRM has been removed, there won't be any need to re-encrypt (why would you want to do that?). Calibre can't import encrypted books, AFAIK. It's easy to remove the DRM from Kobo books, however.

11-11-2022, 09:29 AM	#9
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,030 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Though if you Add a DRMed ebook to Send to a Device that it was authorised by supplier, for instance, that works. But if you later install DeDRM you need to delete the ebook and Add it again to remove the DRM. I never delete the original downloads or original created documents even though "Add" to Calibre creates a copy, because that copy is part of the library. Particularly I'll delete (remove) docx, zip, txt IN calibre or anything else "Added" that needs conversion to be an ebook.