New Weirdness with "Search Amazon" feature

johnelle · 06-22-2023, 06:21 AM

I use this fairly heavily and just in the past week or so every time I click this option I get a splash panel "Starting Windows Subsystem for Android" and then nothing. All the other search options work normally (Google, Goodreads, etc.). At first it would still bring up the search result but now...nothing.

I suspect the wonderful world of Chrome but have no idea which of the ever changing settings might be causing this.

Anybody else solved this?

I would be happy with B&N search as a workaround but not sure if this is possible(?)

jhowell · 06-22-2023, 01:54 PM

Something similar is happening on my system running Windows 11, calibre 6.21, and Chrome 114.0.5735.134. If I click on a book identifier linking to amazon.com I first get a dialog box showing that the Windows Subsystem for Android is starting. Then after a few seconds that goes away and the Chrome browser launches and opens the expected book page at Amazon.

It does not happen every time but it always happens after a reboot. I can also force it to occur by opening the Windows Subsystem for Android settings and clicking the "Turn off" button before clicking on a link in calibre.

It seems to only happen when opening a link in calibre. Using a shortcut on my desktop with a link to the same page at Amazon opens the browser immediately without launching the Android subsystem.

I also tried using calibre portable version 5.0.1 and I am seeing the same behavior there. That makes it likely that whatever changed to make this start happening is something in Windows or possibly Chrome, not calibre itself. Though why it seems to only happen for links opened using calibre is a mystery.

I do have the Kindle app installed from the Amazon app store in Windows and that is implemented using Android emulation. I wonder if opening a link to Amazon is somehow triggering that software to start.

I plan to investigate further and will post here if I discover anything.

johnelle · 06-22-2023, 02:14 PM

But now after the Android splash panel I get nothing in Chrome. I installed a different anti-virus so I was thinking maybe f-secure's plugin might be blocking but I would expect some kind of warning.

BetterRed · 06-22-2023, 05:22 PM

You can make calibre open http:\\ URL's in another web browser, viz:

Click image for larger version

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That should give you a clue as to whether the 'weirdness' is coming from Chrome or Calibre.

BR

jhowell · 06-22-2023, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

You can make calibre open http:\\ URL's in another web browser, viz:...

I changed calibre to use Chrome to open URLs and the problem went away. I restored the default URL handling (which is supposed to also be Chrome) and the problem reappeared.

kovidgoyal · 06-22-2023, 09:45 PM

THat will be because the default handling passes the URL to the windows shell system to open. When you specify a program that program gets directly invoked bypassing the windows shell. Whatever is causing this is in the windows shell layer.

jhowell · 06-23-2023, 11:53 AM

I did some more research on this and found that my Windows system has AppUriHandlers registered to start the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) if any of the following hosts are targeted when opening a URL:

kindle-vella.amazon.com
read.amazon.com
WindowsSubsystemForAndroid.microsoft.com
www.amazon.ca
www.amazon.cn
www.amazon.co.jp
www.amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.com
www.amazon.com.au
www.amazon.com.br
www.amazon.de
www.amazon.es
www.amazon.fr
www.amazon.in
www.amazon.it

Because of that registration opening any of those using the Windows start command will launch WSA on my system, for example by entering "start http://www.amazon.com" at a command prompt.

Most of them do not do anything obvious except start WSA and then open the URL in my default browser (Chrome). However using "start http://kindle-vella.amazon.com" launches the Kindle app within WSA and shows a screen with information about Kindle Vella stories.

I do not know whether Amazon or Microsoft is responsible for this registration. They appear to be working closely on WSA and Amazon is responsible for the appstore there.

06-22-2023, 06:21 AM	#1
johnelle Zealot Posts: 119 Karma: 2137668 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Groton, MA Device: Kindle app on Samsung Tab	New Weirdness with "Search Amazon" feature I use this fairly heavily and just in the past week or so every time I click this option I get a splash panel "Starting Windows Subsystem for Android" and then nothing. All the other search options work normally (Google, Goodreads, etc.). At first it would still bring up the search result but now...nothing. I suspect the wonderful world of Chrome but have no idea which of the ever changing settings might be causing this. Anybody else solved this? I would be happy with B&N search as a workaround but not sure if this is possible(?)

06-22-2023, 02:14 PM	#3
johnelle Zealot Posts: 119 Karma: 2137668 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Groton, MA Device: Kindle app on Samsung Tab	Yes mine used to do that But now after the Android splash panel I get nothing in Chrome. I installed a different anti-virus so I was thinking maybe f-secure's plugin might be blocking but I would expect some kind of warning.

06-22-2023, 05:22 PM	#4
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,722 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	You can make calibre open http:\\ URL's in another web browser, viz: That should give you a clue as to whether the 'weirdness' is coming from Chrome or Calibre. BR

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06-22-2023, 01:54 PM	#2
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,070 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	Something similar is happening on my system running Windows 11, calibre 6.21, and Chrome 114.0.5735.134. If I click on a book identifier linking to amazon.com I first get a dialog box showing that the Windows Subsystem for Android is starting. Then after a few seconds that goes away and the Chrome browser launches and opens the expected book page at Amazon. It does not happen every time but it always happens after a reboot. I can also force it to occur by opening the Windows Subsystem for Android settings and clicking the "Turn off" button before clicking on a link in calibre. It seems to only happen when opening a link in calibre. Using a shortcut on my desktop with a link to the same page at Amazon opens the browser immediately without launching the Android subsystem. I also tried using calibre portable version 5.0.1 and I am seeing the same behavior there. That makes it likely that whatever changed to make this start happening is something in Windows or possibly Chrome, not calibre itself. Though why it seems to only happen for links opened using calibre is a mystery. I do have the Kindle app installed from the Amazon app store in Windows and that is implemented using Android emulation. I wonder if opening a link to Amazon is somehow triggering that software to start. I plan to investigate further and will post here if I discover anything.

06-22-2023, 09:45 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	THat will be because the default handling passes the URL to the windows shell system to open. When you specify a program that program gets directly invoked bypassing the windows shell. Whatever is causing this is in the windows shell layer.

06-23-2023, 11:53 AM	#7
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,070 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	I did some more research on this and found that my Windows system has AppUriHandlers registered to start the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) if any of the following hosts are targeted when opening a URL: kindle-vella.amazon.com read.amazon.com WindowsSubsystemForAndroid.microsoft.com www.amazon.ca www.amazon.cn www.amazon.co.jp www.amazon.co.uk www.amazon.com www.amazon.com.au www.amazon.com.br www.amazon.de www.amazon.es www.amazon.fr www.amazon.in www.amazon.it Because of that registration opening any of those using the Windows start command will launch WSA on my system, for example by entering "start http://www.amazon.com" at a command prompt. Most of them do not do anything obvious except start WSA and then open the URL in my default browser (Chrome). However using "start http://kindle-vella.amazon.com" launches the Kindle app within WSA and shows a screen with information about Kindle Vella stories. I do not know whether Amazon or Microsoft is responsible for this registration. They appear to be working closely on WSA and Amazon is responsible for the appstore there.