Mobiperl Mobiperl - Perl tools for handling MobiPocket files

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I will be holding my breath for your MobiPerl instructions, PilotBob.

OK... take a look and see if this helps.

Install Mobi2Mobi Mac

BOb

[tompe]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Does it need to support jpeg?

GD is used to support all the image formats that GD can read. It is also used to shrink the jpg images so they have allowed size.

[tompe]

I did a version 0.41 which is available at

https://dev.mobileread.com/trac/mobiperl/

Changes from 0.40 are:

• - Flag --addauthor added.
  
• - Flag --addexthtype added.
  
• --delexthtype now works to delete for example multiple authors. Usage: "--delexthtype author" or "--delexthtype 100".
  
• Added flag for updated title: --updatedtitle
  
• Added flag --delexthindex which can be used to specify that just on EXTH item should be deleted and 1 is the first and 2 the second and so on.
  
• Changed the license from GPL3 or later to GPL2 or later.

Anybody feel free to build Windows binaries and upload them here...

[Gudy]

Originally Posted by tompe

Anybody feel free to build Windows binaries and upload them here...

Done.

[tompe]

Thanks, also uploaded to the distribution directory.

Let me know if I broke something. I did not test all functionality before making a new distribution...

[Dr Dave]

First post here, and I hope I'm not sounding "less than bright":

I'm trying to edit the metadata on a batch of ebooks that I've pulled down from various sources and converted to something the Kindle can read using Mobipocket Creator or AmberLit Converter (mostly into .prc files now). When I load the files onto the Kindle, ALL of these files read fine, but the author and title fields are messed up. From reading through all of the posts here, I know that I can theoretically use either mobi2mobi command line or GUI to edit the metadata. I have updated my XP system to have the appropriate mobiperl-win-0.0.41 files, the mobi2mobi-GUI 0.16, all NetFramework files and updates through 3.5. When I run either the command line or GUI version of mobi2mobi everythign appears to run perfectly and the new *.mobi files are created and I get the output from the programs either in the command prompt window or on the side screen of the GUI.

Problem is that when I try to open the new files with MobiPocket Reader under XP, though the edited metadata is now correct, the program reports that the files are corrupted and cannot be read. Putting them on the Kindle and trying to open them results in a message saying the files can't be opened and a direction to go to "Managing Your Kindle" at Amazon.com.

Undoubtedly, I'm probably doing something stupid with the mobi2mobi program, but I can't figure out what it is. All of the files are placed into the same directory and the program (both command line and GUI) APPEAR to run fine and create a new output file. It's just that the output file doesn't appear to be able to be opened. The problem thus does not appear to be with the "nut behind the wheel" in terms of putting in the proper commands.

At this point, I'd kill for a suggestion on what I'm doing wrong. Thanx in advance!!!

[tompe]

Is mobi2html working on the new file? Is it working on the old file? What is the exact command line you are using? Have you checked that MobiPocket reader on XP can open the original file?

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by tompe

Is mobi2html working on the new file? Is it working on the old file? What is the exact command line you are using? Have you checked that MobiPocket reader on XP can open the original file?

Mobi2Html will unpack the new files as well as the old files. Mobipocket Reader reads the original PRC files I am trying to edit the metadata on without problems.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Mobi2Html will unpack the new files as well as the old files. Mobipocket Reader reads the original PRC files I am trying to edit the metadata on without problems.

Strange. Maybe test to just set the title to see if this works? Also the exact command line you use would be good to see to be sure that there is no problem with it. And maybe test older versions of MobiPerl since I might have introduced some bug in the latest version...

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by tompe

Strange. Maybe test to just set the title to see if this works? Also the exact command line you use would be good to see to be sure that there is no problem with it. And maybe test older versions of MobiPerl since I might have introduced some bug in the latest version...

Since neither the GUI or the command line versions have been working, I tried the suggestion to use older versions of the program using that interface. The only older version I have of the mobiperl-win-0.0.41 proggies is the 0.0.40 version and I get the same result (i.e., not readable). I'd be happy to try with yet earlier versions--do you have a link you can shoot me that gives me a download location for several earlier incarnations?

Thanx in advance for your help--I've been beating my brains out on this for since Xmas day and it's driving me nuts!

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

Since neither the GUI or the command line versions have been working, I tried the suggestion to use older versions of the program using that interface. The only older version I have of the mobiperl-win-0.0.41 proggies is the 0.0.40 version and I get the same result (i.e., not readable). I'd be happy to try with yet earlier versions--do you have a link you can shoot me that gives me a download location for several earlier incarnations?

Thanx in advance for your help--I've been beating my brains out on this for since Xmas day and it's driving me nuts!

Earlier version are at the download place:

https://dev.mobileread.com/dist/tompe/mobiperl/

And the command line you are using is something like the following:

  mobi2mobi --title "New Title" --outfile t.mobi orig.prc

[Dr Dave]

That's the command line I am using. I tried an earlier version of the Windows version of the programs with the same results.

Just found one additional oddity. When I use Mobipocket Creator to convert a file from PDF or rtf or anything else, and then use mobi2mobi to edit the author or title data, mobi2mobi works properly. When I try to use mobi2mobi on a file converted over from .lit format to .prc is when the problem arises. I've been using Amber Lit Converter to change .lit files over to .prc format---as noted earlier, the converted .prc files work fine until I try to edit the metadata with mobi2mobi).

I don't know whether the problem is simply with all .lit to .prc conversions or whether it's only with conversions using Amber Lit Converter to go from .lit to .prc. I don't know of another program that will do that conversion to test that theory.

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

I don't know whether the problem is simply with all .lit to .prc conversions or whether it's only with conversions using Amber Lit Converter to go from .lit to .prc. I don't know of another program that will do that conversion to test that theory.

Just tried a conversion using ConvertLit. The Mobi2Mobi editing worked perfectly. Only thing I can figure is that the AmberLit Converter adds something to the PRC file that is incompatible with the mobi2mobi program.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Dr Dave

That's the command line I am using. I tried an earlier version of the Windows version of the programs with the same results.

Just found one additional oddity. When I use Mobipocket Creator to convert a file from PDF or rtf or anything else, and then use mobi2mobi to edit the author or title data, mobi2mobi works properly. When I try to use mobi2mobi on a file converted over from .lit format to .prc is when the problem arises. I've been using Amber Lit Converter to change .lit files over to .prc format---as noted earlier, the converted .prc files work fine until I try to edit the metadata with mobi2mobi).

I don't know whether the problem is simply with all .lit to .prc conversions or whether it's only with conversions using Amber Lit Converter to go from .lit to .prc. I don't know of another program that will do that conversion to test that theory.

MobiPerl contains lit2mobi (for lit files were the DRM is removed).

mobi2mobi contains two code paths. One for real MobiPocket files and one for file of type TEXt. So either the prc file generated from Amber Lit is broken or I have broken the TEXt functionality. I can only test with FBReader easily but the conversion of TEXt files work with FBReader for me.

Can't Mobipocket Creator read lit files?

If you give me a file converted by Amber Lit i will look at it to see if I see something strange.

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by tompe

Can't Mobipocket Creator read lit files?

If you give me a file converted by Amber Lit i will look at it to see if I see something strange.

Mobipocket Creator cannot read .lit files--just HTML, Word, Text or PDF. The nice thing about AmberLit is that it can do batch conversions (helpful when you have several hundred files to do--unfortunately, I've converted all of the .lit files I had using that).

I'm attaching a .prc file that I converted over from AmberLit Converter to this message.