Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibre

[lisainIL]

Thank you all for your replies on my "use case" question!

[lisainIL]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I checked on GitHub.

If I'm reading correctly, lisainIL, you are trying this on a new Mac mini M1 running Big Sur?

That would seem to point to the problem being the M1 chip since I think Strether is running Big Sur and it sounds like it's working (other than the Chrome download issue).

Also, I just asked on the Big Sur thread in the Apple forum if anyone is having issues with Calibre and Alf: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...74#post4060274

Yes, new Mac mini with M1 chip.

I did an experiment this morning regarding keys, you can read about it on Github. (I don't want to get too technical here so I don't get in trouble again.)
I'm not sure if any of that has to do with the M1 chip.

[lkmiller]

Just want to add that lisainIL's issue is with Kindle for Mac. Here's a link to the issue over at Git Hub: https://github.com/apprenticeharper/...ls/issues/1369

[sergio0p]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm on Mac OS X, and my Kindle for Mac also just updated (Despite the checkbox setting being correct). But instead of trying to downgrade, I've used the chmod -x fix to stop it downloading KFX files. It seems to be working OK with Kindle for Mac 1.30.0 (59055), apart from the issue of it crashing on quit, which I can live with.

Similar situation here, but with chmod -x, I can download in the old format but if I try to open the book then Kindle says "preparing your book" and then it crashes. So chmod -x is fine if I want to convert to epub and read elsewhere but then I cannot read with the Kindle. Is it the same for you?

[sergio0p]

Originally Posted by Inukami

Why do people still use K4Mac/PC 1.17? Is it just that the files are all in one folder and because you don't need to disable the renderer-test?

I'm sort of wondering why I need/want to go back to 1.17 if 1.30 still works with renderer test? And are the higher versions of it also automatically updating to an even higher version or is it just 1.17? I'm assuming Amazon is just trying to get people of the lowest version and forcibly move them higher up.

Thanks,

Inukami

With me (Mojave and Kindle 1.30) if I use chmod -x on rederer-test I can download in the old format and convert to epub ... but if I try to open the book to read it on the Kindle app itself it says "preparing your book" and then it crashes. So I'm keeping an old Kindle for Mac in my Mac Pro 2013 and the Kindle 1.30 without changes in the renderer-test in the Macbook Air.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by sergio0p

Similar situation here, but with chmod -x, I can download in the old format but if I try to open the book then Kindle says "preparing your book" and then it crashes. So chmod -x is fine if I want to convert to epub and read elsewhere but then I cannot read with the Kindle. Is it the same for you?

Interesting. I am experiencing the same crash as you with 1.30.

This does not happen with 1.28, so this is new behavior with 1.30 (and maybe 1.29).

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by sergio0p

Similar situation here, but with chmod -x, I can download in the old format but if I try to open the book then Kindle says "preparing your book" and then it crashes. So chmod -x is fine if I want to convert to epub and read elsewhere but then I cannot read with the Kindle. Is it the same for you?

I don't know. I never read on Kindle for Mac. I only use it to download and import into calibre. I read on the kindle App on my iPhone and on my Kindle Voyage.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I am not a Mac user, but I suspect that you could open a Terminal window and enter the following command to prevent updates:

chmod -w "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Kindle/updates"

Someone else with more knowledge of that platform may be able to test that or suggest a different solution.

Finally had time to test this — chmod -w does indeed work to block auto-updates on Mac

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Finally had time to test this — chmod -w does indeed work to block auto-updates on Mac

Brilliant. It also works to replace the folder with a file. I'm now happily back on 1.17.1

[steakhutzeee]

Hi

I have installed latest version of Kindle for PC and following this https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...79#post4021279 the import is successfull, in AZW3. It's correct this way?

The only strange issues i noticed are that converting the files to KFX there are some hyperlinks not resolved in the logs, that the pages are not counted, that for a book there is no cover.

Any idea why?

Thanks!

[lkmiller]

Convert to KFX? Why not use Kindle for PC 1.26 and get books in that format to begin with?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Convert to KFX? Why not use Kindle for PC 1.26 and get books in that format to begin with?

Perhaps they like the better archivability of KF8, but the better readability of KFX?

(I just download to my devices from the Amazon cloud for reading, and to Kindle for Mac for archive to calibre.)

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Perhaps they like the better archivability of KF8, but the better readability of KFX?

(I just download to my devices from the Amazon cloud for reading, and to Kindle for Mac for archive to calibre.)

Hmm, if you really want to have drm-free versions of both, then it might work better to use two methods or setups to get both formats in their original versions, rather than converting.

I do what you do, Paul. Similar for Kobo kepub versus epub.

[steakhutzeee]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Convert to KFX? Why not use Kindle for PC 1.26 and get books in that format to begin with?

I tried with version 1.26 but importing the books from there into calibre, the drm were not removed by DeDrm plugin. Do not know why. How do you do that?

EDIT: I also tried to download ebooks directly from Amazon via "download & transfer via USB" and importing into Calibre, but DRM is not removed.

EDIT: Fixed the issue from my previous EDIT adding the serial number of my Kindle device in the DeDrm plugin customization settings. But the books are imported in AZW3 format and not in KFX. Any idea why?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by steakhutzeee

EDIT: Fixed the issue from my previous EDIT adding the serial number of my Kindle device in the DeDrm plugin customization settings. But the books are imported in AZW3 format and not in KFX. Any idea why?

Download and transfer via USB does not supply KFX format at this time.