Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre - Page 60

texasnightowl · 04-27-2025, 08:59 PM

Posted this over in the Amazon & DRM changes thread, but just to mention it here...

I manually updated my PW5 to new firmware 5.18.2 and I sent books to it over wifi and then added them to Calibre and everything was fine. Worked exactly the same as in 5.18.1.

The first few books were older books that still work with K4PC 2.4.0. The last 2 books I did were brand new and K4PC 2.4.0 will not download them. All worked fine on the PW5/5.18.2 to Calibre import.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=2621

DNSB · 04-28-2025, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I got the kfx files with a book published a couple of days ago, but a prc file with an older book.

Interesting. I still haven't gotten anything but prc. I tried with 2 books published today and no kfx seen. I think that the original reason for staying with the BlueStacks/K4A 8.51.1.0 (updated from K4A 4.16.0.75) was that there was a glitch that prevented KFX being a valid download type.

Sirtel · 04-28-2025, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

I think that the original reason for staying with the BlueStacks/K4A 8.51.1.0 (updated from K4A 4.16.0.75) was that there was a glitch that prevented KFX being a valid download type.

Strange then that I got those kfx files with one book (it was ordinary fiction too, not anything requiring hardened DRM). I haven't bought any more books at the moment, so it remains to be seen what happens.

odamizu · 04-28-2025, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

... I manually updated my PW5 to new firmware 5.18.2 and I sent books to it over wifi and then added them to Calibre and everything was fine. Worked exactly the same as in 5.18.1.

The first few books were older books that still work with K4PC 2.4.0. The last 2 books I did were brand new and K4PC 2.4.0 will not download them. All worked fine on the PW5/5.18.2 to Calibre import.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=2621

Awesome.

I have updated the first post.

Rellwood · Yesterday, 07:06 PM

Ok, so does this mean I need to update the firmware? Because I am running 5.16.2.1.1 and it's pulling KFX-ZIPS but won't de-DRM them. For WHATEVER reason, historically my DeDRM keeps them as KFX-ZIP files, BUT they have been DeDRM'ed. I think it's because I have the K4PC keys going back 10 years on it as well.

HOWEVER, this e-ink running that 5.16 has the blocking folder in it so it won't update, but I cant get the DRM off the file I added to Calibre as a test.

Do I need to update?

DNSB · Yesterday, 07:23 PM

Why would the K4PC keys have anything to do with removing DRM from a KFX book imported from a Kindle ereader? Have you entered the serial number for your Kindle(s) in the DeDRM plugin configuration dialog for Kindle eInk? Copy/paste from your device descriptions on Amazon is the best way to avoid errors. To import the books, browse to the directory holding them on your Kindle and open the KFX file since that location will also be used to fetch the multiple parts of the KFX package.

BTW, you should not be worrying about the firmware on your PW3s since the last firmware update for them was 5.16.2.1.1. Not quite sure what a PW3 2019 new edition is but that date would indicate a PW4 10th gen which does have an update to 5.18.1,

Lief · Today, 05:52 AM

Everytime I look at this topic to see if there is any updated method for drm removal on kindle I see a method going away... I'm so glad I decided to just switch to buying everything on kobo, easy to remove drm and the quality of images on manga is better (not really sure why)... same price (even better in italy I switched from a 3% discount on amazon gift card generated by intesa san paolo to a 4% discount on satispay kobo gift card).
To read on PC I use Cover app instead of kobo app (the kobo app for pc really sucks to read manga as it does not go really fullscreen), to read on a tablet/smartphone I could go with the official app right now but I still also convert to kindle to be also able to use the kindle app (as a reader for manga is still the best on mobile device) but I don't use my smartphone a lot. Right now my kindle 4 is really too small for manga and I think my next manga reader will be basically an android e-ink tablet, I think it would be better to get a device where I can get both kindle and kobo app instead of just one.
Also, I tried to remove the drm from a google play ebook and it works there too so there is another option where I can remove drm and where I can buy manga in Italian.

I was so used to amazon I was a little scared to make the switch to be honest....
The only bad thing is that some books are only available on amazon, fortunately not my beloved manga, but I've already found some examples. I think that in the future the real struggle will be to contact the authors to convince them to publish elsewhere.
Amazon is now a lost cause, their drm is likely to be broken in the future but it is also true that they are doing everything to keep it updated which means that any holes are unlikely to last long.
Obviously both books and manga are nothing more than a set of writings/images so in desperate situations you can always proceed manually with the creation of a DRM-free version by copying by hand/taking screenshots. But as long as you can avoid it, it's definitely better to avoid it.

I still advice those who can to switch to Kobo or other good alternatives at least for ebook where it is possible, even if you got a kindle device just use kindle previewer 3 to turn the epub that you got from kobo (drm-free or where you removed the drm) into a compatible mobi/other format compatible with kindle... or just use https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle (the quality for manga/comics/images epub will be worst than using kindle previewer and you will need to divide epub with more than 200mb in pieces but on the plus side you will get the epub on the cloud).

Do not support amazon if you can avoid it.

Ma'am-I-Am · Today, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lief

just use kindle previewer 3 to turn the epub that you got from kobo (drm-free or where you removed the drm) into a compatible mobi/other format compatible with kindle... or just use https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle (the quality for manga/comics/images epub will be worst than using kindle previewer and you will need to divide epub with more than 200mb in pieces but on the plus side you will get the epub on the cloud).

Blah, blah. I think I'll stick with Calibre. You know, like the focus of this thread.

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04-27-2025, 08:59 PM	#886
texasnightowl Guru Posts: 776 Karma: 2820992 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Device: PW5, Oasis 3, K4B(NT), K3/KK	Posted this over in the Amazon & DRM changes thread, but just to mention it here... I manually updated my PW5 to new firmware 5.18.2 and I sent books to it over wifi and then added them to Calibre and everything was fine. Worked exactly the same as in 5.18.1. The first few books were older books that still work with K4PC 2.4.0. The last 2 books I did were brand new and K4PC 2.4.0 will not download them. All worked fine on the PW5/5.18.2 to Calibre import. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=2621

Yesterday, 07:06 PM	#890
Rellwood Library Breeder (She/Her) Posts: 1,216 Karma: 1937891 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Fullerton, California Device: Kobo Aura HD (1) PW3 (4) PW3 2019 new edition (1)	Ok, so does this mean I need to update the firmware? Because I am running 5.16.2.1.1 and it's pulling KFX-ZIPS but won't de-DRM them. For WHATEVER reason, historically my DeDRM keeps them as KFX-ZIP files, BUT they have been DeDRM'ed. I think it's because I have the K4PC keys going back 10 years on it as well. HOWEVER, this e-ink running that 5.16 has the blocking folder in it so it won't update, but I cant get the DRM off the file I added to Calibre as a test. Do I need to update?

Yesterday, 07:23 PM	#891
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 44,435 Karma: 167726581 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Why would the K4PC keys have anything to do with removing DRM from a KFX book imported from a Kindle ereader? Have you entered the serial number for your Kindle(s) in the DeDRM plugin configuration dialog for Kindle eInk? Copy/paste from your device descriptions on Amazon is the best way to avoid errors. To import the books, browse to the directory holding them on your Kindle and open the KFX file since that location will also be used to fetch the multiple parts of the KFX package. BTW, you should not be worrying about the firmware on your PW3s since the last firmware update for them was 5.16.2.1.1. Not quite sure what a PW3 2019 new edition is but that date would indicate a PW4 10th gen which does have an update to 5.18.1,

Today, 05:52 AM	#892
Lief Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2021 Device: Kindle 4	Everytime I look at this topic to see if there is any updated method for drm removal on kindle I see a method going away... I'm so glad I decided to just switch to buying everything on kobo, easy to remove drm and the quality of images on manga is better (not really sure why)... same price (even better in italy I switched from a 3% discount on amazon gift card generated by intesa san paolo to a 4% discount on satispay kobo gift card). To read on PC I use Cover app instead of kobo app (the kobo app for pc really sucks to read manga as it does not go really fullscreen), to read on a tablet/smartphone I could go with the official app right now but I still also convert to kindle to be also able to use the kindle app (as a reader for manga is still the best on mobile device) but I don't use my smartphone a lot. Right now my kindle 4 is really too small for manga and I think my next manga reader will be basically an android e-ink tablet, I think it would be better to get a device where I can get both kindle and kobo app instead of just one. Also, I tried to remove the drm from a google play ebook and it works there too so there is another option where I can remove drm and where I can buy manga in Italian. I was so used to amazon I was a little scared to make the switch to be honest.... The only bad thing is that some books are only available on amazon, fortunately not my beloved manga, but I've already found some examples. I think that in the future the real struggle will be to contact the authors to convince them to publish elsewhere. Amazon is now a lost cause, their drm is likely to be broken in the future but it is also true that they are doing everything to keep it updated which means that any holes are unlikely to last long. Obviously both books and manga are nothing more than a set of writings/images so in desperate situations you can always proceed manually with the creation of a DRM-free version by copying by hand/taking screenshots. But as long as you can avoid it, it's definitely better to avoid it. I still advice those who can to switch to Kobo or other good alternatives at least for ebook where it is possible, even if you got a kindle device just use kindle previewer 3 to turn the epub that you got from kobo (drm-free or where you removed the drm) into a compatible mobi/other format compatible with kindle... or just use https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle (the quality for manga/comics/images epub will be worst than using kindle previewer and you will need to divide epub with more than 200mb in pieces but on the plus side you will get the epub on the cloud). Do not support amazon if you can avoid it.

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