Deeply bothered by Calibre (lack of) conversion

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

You don't go drilling down in the directories of your computer's file management to find the converted books from Calibre, (is that what you're doing?) unless you've intentionally used the Save to Disk option.

Have you connected the Kindle via USB and does Calibre see the device? If the answer is yes, after conversion, select the book and use the Send to Device option. Once you eject the Kindle, look in the Docs tab on the Kindle.

I do 'going drilling down' and I do it for various reasons; I'm comfortable with it and it's the way I've handled computer files for decades . . .

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by theducks

WHY are you looking in the folder? Calibre should be treated like a Black Box.
Calibre is a Librarian. Use the GUI and let it deliver the books to your device when needed.

BTW the Details (the book Icon in the lower corner) or I(nformation) pane show what formats Calibre has. a failed conversion, will not be logged as available. You also need to review the conversion logs, when they do fail to know WHAT needs attention.

I look into folders for a variety of reasons . . . avoid unnecessary duplications, backups, sorting/organizing to name a few. I generally don't like 'blackbox' situations where I am supposed to be content with 'some magic happens here' . . . I think I should be able to find what I'm looking for and expect to have software I use handle things in (more or less) an intuitive manner.

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I could be mixing things up, but I think MOBI is the one people use when they send files to Amazon using the email address. I used AZW3 on my Voyager pretty exclusively, and they worked just fine.

Another question - and we have to be careful about details - but are the books you are trying to convert DRM-free? Can you open them in the Calibre viewer to read?

You could be trying to convert ebooks containing digital rights management (DRM) in force. If so, you might have to check out the Apprentice Alf blog to get the plugs for removing that first.

I'll check it out both suggestions, thanks.

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

My understanding is you select an epub book then click convert books and choose to convert it to mobi by changing the output format. Then once the job stops and is no longer showing activity in the job queue (lower right corner) you are unable to find the mobi book.

When I convert a book from epub to mobi the new mobi book will show up immediately in the formats line of the Book details window, see attached. You can choose what shows in the Book details window by going to Preferences - Look & feel - Book details tab.

Also as previously described, after selecting a book, you can open the path to the folder for those formats (files) by clicking on the Click to open link (see attached) next to Path: in the Book Details window or by simply pressing the letter O while the book is selected (see attached).

If you click on the Jobs Queue (see attached) did the job finish or did it fail? If it failed click Show job details (see attached) and share the details with us.



Calibre is the "REALLY GOOD" utility for converting books from one format to another. I can see why you are frustrated. You are seemingly following easy procedures yet have been unable to find the output file. Once you figure out what is wrong with your system, set-up or assumptions converting books will be very easy.

Upon further examination, it seems that I was using both individual book conversion and bulk conversion. It appears that the individual book conversions were and are taking place correctly. The bulk ones were not. There may be a problem with what I'm expecting the 'bulk' function to mean and what Calibre thinks it means so I'll have to do a bit more digging to see which one of us (or what combination of us) are right/wrong. In any case, as long as I convert one book at a time, things seem peachy (thus far).

[theducks]

Originally Posted by obieephyhm

Upon further examination, it seems that I was using both individual book conversion and bulk conversion. It appears that the individual book conversions were and are taking place correctly. The bulk ones were not. There may be a problem with what I'm expecting the 'bulk' function to mean and what Calibre thinks it means so I'll have to do a bit more digging to see which one of us (or what combination of us) are right/wrong. In any case, as long as I convert one book at a time, things seem peachy (thus far).

Bulk convert works 80% the same.
What you lose in bulk mode is the ability to fine tune the options PER BOOK.
Bulk mode uses the first one that applies: except for what the single (bulk convert) screen allows:
1)any previous settings used with that book
2)the current Conversion preferences settings

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

BTW you reall need a smaller mouse if you need both hands

I usually have to use two hands on a mouse because of disability.

Some people have one hand glued to their mouse and the other glued to their their Twitter feed - solution Voice Commands, "Hey Siri/Cortana/Echo/whatever! Press the ^%$#*&# 'O' key -- Now!"

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by obieephyhm

I look into folders for a variety of reasons . . . avoid unnecessary duplications, backups, sorting/organizing to name a few. I generally don't like 'blackbox' situations where I am supposed to be content with 'some magic happens here' . . . I think I should be able to find what I'm looking for and expect to have software I use handle things in (more or less) an intuitive manner.

I don't hold with the black box model either

But one needs to recognise that calibre is a database application. For reasons of efficiency and performance it uses the file system to avoid overloading the database with a BLOB for every format and cover image. This enables it to load a library database into memory, which is how it gets its search and sort performance. As a consequence the names of library sub-folders and files must be kept in strict synchronicity with the database.

So my rule is look but don't touch, i.e. no additions, deletions or name changes to the folders and files in a calibre library folder.

BR

[deback]

Originally Posted by theducks

Right click: Open containing location

BTW you reall need a smaller mouse if you need both hands

Did you by chance read what I wrote wrong or did you just misunderstand what I originally said? I said "hand" and not "hands."

I use hotkeys and macros as often as I can and hate having to use a mouse, but when I have to use the mouse, I use one hand (as I originally said).

[theducks]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I usually have to use two hands on a mouse because of disability.

Some people have one hand glued to their mouse and the other glued to their their Twitter feed - solution Voice Commands, "Hey Siri/Cortana/Echo/whatever! Press the ^%$#*&# 'O' key -- Now!"

BR

I just talk to my cats. Hey!Get off my arm so I can move my Mouse
Do they listen? Nope! They are cats

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by obieephyhm

I look into folders for a variety of reasons . . . avoid unnecessary duplications, backups, sorting/organizing to name a few. I generally don't like 'blackbox' situations where I am supposed to be content with 'some magic happens here' . . . I think I should be able to find what I'm looking for and expect to have software I use handle things in (more or less) an intuitive manner.

Ummm... Perhaps you should not be using calibre then. The calibre database keeps tracks of files and directories and manually making any changes is a very bad idea. You could use the open containing folder to see the files in a books directory. I use save to directory to get my library for backup, the Find Duplicates plugin for locating duplicate files, etc. Sorting and organizing is all done from within calibre to avoid breaking the database/file structure relationship.

I would ask that lease try to avoid intuitive in relation to software when you actually seem to mean it works the way the last program I used works. AKA, the baby duckling syndrome. It ranks right up with "user friendly" in my list of words/phrases overused by marketing departments.

One question is that after you do an epub to mobi conversion, does the number of mobi books under Formats in the left column increment?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by obieephyhm

Upon further examination, it seems that I was using both individual book conversion and bulk conversion. It appears that the individual book conversions were and are taking place correctly. The bulk ones were not. There may be a problem with what I'm expecting the 'bulk' function to mean and what Calibre thinks it means so I'll have to do a bit more digging to see which one of us (or what combination of us) are right/wrong. In any case, as long as I convert one book at a time, things seem peachy (thus far).

Have you set the default output format to mobi? If you did prior conversions, did you remove the checkmark from use saved conversion settings for individual books?

I got burned by first one time when I did a test convert on one ebook from epub to AZW3 and then bulk converted a batch from epub to epub. The output format was not sticky as I had assumed.

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by theducks

Bulk convert works 80% the same.
What you lose in bulk mode is the ability to fine tune the options PER BOOK.
Bulk mode uses the first one that applies: except for what the single (bulk convert) screen allows:
1)any previous settings used with that book
2)the current Conversion preferences settings

I'll double check them -- but, at the moment is it the bulk runs that don't seem to be outputting anything at all that I can find. Could it be operator error. Sure. Thing is I find the lack of flexibility (like being able to put all bulk output into a single directory of my choice so that I can check them before putting them into my library filing system) frustrating.

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I don't hold with the black box model either

But one needs to recognise that calibre is a database application. For reasons of efficiency and performance it uses the file system to avoid overloading the database with a BLOB for every format and cover image. This enables it to load a library database into memory, which is how it gets its search and sort performance. As a consequence the names of library sub-folders and files must be kept in strict synchronicity with the database.

So my rule is look but don't touch, i.e. no additions, deletions or name changes to the folders and files in a calibre library folder.

BR

Yeah. Sigh. That appears to be what works best although I find it a bit frustrating that I can't maintain a single file system of all my books so I can keep up with additions, deletions etc. etc.

[obieephyhm]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Have you set the default output format to mobi? If you did prior conversions, did you remove the checkmark from use saved conversion settings for individual books?

I got burned by first one time when I did a test convert on one ebook from epub to AZW3 and then bulk converted a batch from epub to epub. The output format was not sticky as I had assumed.

Mobi is set as the default. I have not worked with it for awhile now because of a small crisis with my medicare which has necessarily occupied most of my time and attention these last two weeks. I'll check the other settings the next time I make a run at Calibre again over the weekend. Thanks.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by obieephyhm

Yeah. Sigh. That appears to be what works best although I find it a bit frustrating that I can't maintain a single file system of all my books so I can keep up with additions, deletions etc. etc.

Calibre ships with a comprehensive set of command line programs, some of which do not impose an structure on where files are located, and how they are named. See Command Line Interface

i think I'm right in saying those named calibre_xxxx are library related, and the rest are not. Some optional plugins can be invoked from the command line - unfortunately I am not aware of a list of such plugins.

BR