Kobo Libra Colour gets TOC messed up

[LenaWolf]

I found the cause of the issue. It actually can occur both with KEPUB and with plain EPUB. This happens if in the Kobo Touch plugin under "Collections and Uploads" tab, right at the bottom you have ticked the option "Do not treat replacements as new books". Note that it is ticked by default.

When you make changes to your EPUB and send it to the device, the table of contents may become corrupted, regardless of whether you actually moved things around or not. It does not happen always, but it is baffling when it does happen.

The solution is thus to keep that option unchecked and to allow Kobo to treat your new uploads as new books. This ensures that no stray cache data is interfering with it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by LenaWolf

I found the cause of the issue. It actually can occur both with KEPUB and with plain EPUB. This happens if in the Kobo Touch plugin under "Collections and Uploads" tab, right at the bottom you have ticked the option "Do not treat replacements as new books". Note that it is ticked by default.

When you make changes to your EPUB and send it to the device, the table of contents may become corrupted, regardless of whether you actually moved things around or not. It does not happen always, but it is baffling when it does happen.

The solution is thus to keep that option unchecked and to allow Kobo to treat your new uploads as new books. This ensures that no stray cache data is interfering with it.

That's not the solution. That's actually more of a hassle then it needs to be. Leave that option checked. If you've made changes to the ToC, after you plug your Kobo in for the 2nd time to update the metadata, select the eBooks that you've changed the ToC and with the Kobo Utilities plugin, select Update ToC for selected books. That will update the ToC in the database so you won't have any issues with the ToC.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by LenaWolf

I found the cause of the issue. It actually can occur both with KEPUB and with plain EPUB. This happens if in the Kobo Touch plugin under "Collections and Uploads" tab, right at the bottom you have ticked the option "Do not treat replacements as new books". Note that it is ticked by default.

When you make changes to your EPUB and send it to the device, the table of contents may become corrupted, regardless of whether you actually moved things around or not. It does not happen always, but it is baffling when it does happen.

The solution is thus to keep that option unchecked and to allow Kobo to treat your new uploads as new books. This ensures that no stray cache data is interfering with it.

You don't understand How Kobo does things.
That PROCESSING message is your KOBO READING the book and extracting useful parts like TOC, basic Metadata and Cover.

The second connect brings in more / extended metadata (Series ...) This is because the internal DB is BEING created and there in no place to look during the first pass.
This is the ONLY time step 1 is done., so when you send an updated book, the stored TOC does no get looked at.

Enter Kobo Utilities. There are tools included that can compare the chosen item to the current book (in Calibre) and offer the chance to send an Update direct to the DB. I suggest you take a gander at all the choices on offer (free ) in the utilities.

[Sirtel]

Personally I always send any re-edited books as new books, after removing the old version. I find it simpler that way. The reading progress can be restored via Kobo Utilities, if there is any progress to speak of.

[LenaWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Personally I always send any re-edited books as new books, after removing the old version. I find it simpler that way. The reading progress can be restored via Kobo Utilities, if there is any progress to speak of.

This is exactly what happens if you untick that option. The old version is removed first, and the new version is loaded as a new book. Saves one step.

You don't get any dupicate books with this method, by the way. You get a duplicate if you upload one as KEPUB and the other as EPUB. But Kobo recognises the same format, so whether you send EPUB via Calibre or copy the file directly, Kobo knows it is the same format and overwrites it.

The thing is that I aim to create an EPUB file that is usable on a variety of readers and not just on Kobo Libra. For this reason I don't want to go too specialised. I understand now why the TOC never got messed up when I simply copied the EPUB to the reader with the File Manager: Kobo always processes such files as new books.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by LenaWolf

This is exactly what happens if you untick that option. The old version is removed first, and the new version is loaded as a new book. Saves one step.

You don't get any dupicate books with this method, by the way. You get a duplicate if you upload one as KEPUB and the other as EPUB. But Kobo recognises the same format, so whether you send EPUB via Calibre or copy the file directly, Kobo knows it is the same format and overwrites it.

The thing is that I aim to create an EPUB file that is usable on a variety of readers and not just on Kobo Libra. For this reason I don't want to go too specialised. I understand now why the TOC never got messed up when I simply copied the EPUB to the reader with the File Manager: Kobo always processes such files as new books.

Because the 2nd copy is going to be treated as a new book, you will lose your reading position and any highlights/bookmarks. It's just a lot easier to keep replaced books as the same book. Don't uncheck that option.

[LenaWolf]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Because the 2nd copy is going to be treated as a new book, you will lose your reading position and any highlights/bookmarks. It's just a lot easier to keep replaced books as the same book. Don't uncheck that option.

If you are reading the book, you are absolutely right. But I am not reading it - I wrote it! I am making an EPUB so that I could publish it. This is a very different usage.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Because the 2nd copy is going to be treated as a new book, you will lose your reading position and any highlights/bookmarks. It's just a lot easier to keep replaced books as the same book. Don't uncheck that option.

It's easier for you. For me it's easier to reload every book as a new one. I don't highlight, annotate or use bookmarks, and the reading progress can be restored easily enough if needed.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That's not the solution. That's actually more of a hassle then it needs to be. Leave that option checked. If you've made changes to the ToC, after you plug your Kobo in for the 2nd time to update the metadata, select the eBooks that you've changed the ToC and with the Kobo Utilities plugin, select Update ToC for selected books. That will update the ToC in the database so you won't have any issues with the ToC.

For myself, I don't use that option. If I edit an ebook, I simply resend it and use Kobo Utilities to change the reading status to restore any reading progress and status.

It's a lot easier than trying to remember which books might have changes that require updating the ToC.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DNSB

It's a lot easier than trying to remember which books might have changes that require updating the ToC.

Since I have a Last_modified and Edited columns
I simply select all by either, run the TOC update. It puts a tic on the ones that NEED updating, where I do the second.
The tic (removal) allows you to NOT affect that title.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For myself, I don't use that option. If I edit an ebook, I simply resend it and use Kobo Utilities to change the reading status to restore any reading progress and status.

It's a lot easier than trying to remember which books might have changes that require updating the ToC.

A solution to that is to use the Reading List plugin to make a list of books that need a ToC update. Then after you've done the ToC update, you can remove those books from that list.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A solution to that is to use the Reading List plugin to make a list of books that need a ToC update. Then after you've done the ToC update, you can remove those books from that list.

This is a lot more convoluted than simply sending all books over as new and restoring reading progress with one click. Granted, if you highlight and annotate a lot, this is probably your only option; but for those of us who neither highlight nor annotate, there's no need to do all that. Sending edited books over as new works just fine.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

This is a lot more convoluted than simply sending all books over as new and restoring reading progress with one click. Granted, if you highlight and annotate a lot, this is probably your only option; but for those of us who neither highlight nor annotate, there's no need to do all that. Sending edited books over as new works just fine.

I would think if you are writing the book, that you would highlight to make edits/corrections.

[LenaWolf]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I would think if you are writing the book, that you would highlight to make edits/corrections.

I simply have my text on the computer and make changes as I am reviewing the book on the eReader. No need to mark up anything because it isn't the ePub file that I edit but the original source or the conversion rules in Calibre.