Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre

[lkmiller]

@ampws
The file you want isn't CR!... If it is from a Kindle, go back up one folder (items01) and add the KFX from there. Should be title_ASIN.kfx. If Kindle for PC, file name is ASIN_EBOK.azw.

eta: if you need more help, ask over at noDRM's GitHub.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by ampws

Not only that but the kfx file is enormous 24.5mb as opposed to 2.5mb in the kindle for pc folder in my documents.

As JSWolf pointed out books in KFX format are made up of multiple files that get combined when imported into calibre. The listing for that book on Amazon's website shows "File size: 21.0 MB". It becomes a bit larger after import into calibre because removing the book's KFX DRM also removes compression from the files.

Originally Posted by ampws

And what is with calibre suddenly listing books with the CR!**** tag.

You will see that if you import the entire folder instead of just the specific main book file with the .azw extension. You should be able to fix that by configuring automatic adding preferences in calibre to ignore "md" files prior to importing books from Kindle for PC.

Originally Posted by ampws

Anyway here is the error message that came up when I tried to convert the kfx:

Creating KF8 output
...
ValueError: Stepped into a tag that generated no chunks.

You log shows that DRM was successfully removed and the book was converted successfully from KFX into EPUB. The failure that occurs is in the conversion from EPUB to AZW3 format. That is an area I am not familiar with.

[jpetts99]

Hi All

My new method of getting an Amazon book into Calibre works with a KFX delivered to a Kindle Voyage, but not to a Colorsoft. That's not a problem, except in the case where there is content in colour.

It appears that the colour images are not being delivered to the Voyage, but they are to the Colorsoft.

I have the latest firmware on both devices and the latest versions of the KFX and DeDRM plugins, and I'm using Calibre 8 on Windows 10.

I have double-checked that the DSN of the Colorsoft is correctly entered in the DeDRM plugin.

When I try Add books in Calibre, and double-click on the KFX file on the .../Items01 directory, nothing at all happens.

Anyone have any idea what's going wrong?

The k4pc process works fine.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by jpetts99

Hi All

My new method of getting an Amazon book into Calibre works with a KFX delivered to a Kindle Voyage, but not to a Colorsoft. That's not a problem, except in the case where there is content in colour.

It appears that the colour images are not being delivered to the Voyage, but they are to the Colorsoft.

I have the latest firmware on both devices and the latest versions of the KFX and DeDRM plugins, and I'm using Calibre 8 on Windows 10.

I have double-checked that the DSN of the Colorsoft is correctly entered in the DeDRM plugin.

When I try Add books in Calibre, and double-click on the KFX file on the .../Items01 directory, nothing at all happens.

Anyone have any idea what's going wrong?

The k4pc process works fine.

I think it's the new method that the ColourSoft uses to connect to your computer over USB.

[ampws]

Hi JHowel

I can confirm that the DRM was removed as caliber can read the kfx file in its reader.

The problem is that somehow caliber 8 cannot convert the kfx file to any other format.

You log shows that DRM was successfully removed and the book was converted successfully from KFX into EPUB. The failure that occurs is in the conversion from EPUB to AZW3 format. That is an area I am not familiar with.

Ps.
Thanks for the MD tip.

[texasnightowl]

Originally Posted by jpetts99

Hi All

My new method of getting an Amazon book into Calibre works with a KFX delivered to a Kindle Voyage, but not to a Colorsoft. That's not a problem, except in the case where there is content in colour.

It appears that the colour images are not being delivered to the Voyage, but they are to the Colorsoft.

My understanding is that with kfx, amazon attempts to "optimize" the files for the device it is sending to. A Voyage is only grayscale/b&w, so books sent to the Voyage only get images in b&w. The Colorsoft supports color, so books "optimized" for the Colorsoft do get color images.

I have the latest firmware on both devices and the latest versions of the KFX and DeDRM plugins, and I'm using Calibre 8 on Windows 10.

I have double-checked that the DSN of the Colorsoft is correctly entered in the DeDRM plugin.

When I try Add books in Calibre, and double-click on the KFX file on the .../Items01 directory, nothing at all happens.

Anyone have any idea what's going wrong?

The k4pc process works fine.

On this part, sorry, I don't know. I don't have a Colorsoft. In theory if Calibre recognizes the device, and since you can browse to the folder, I would think it would work? But...make sure you are selecting the right file. It should end with .azw and not azw.md or azw.res. Just .azw.

Alternately, instead of browsing to the directory, after you connect your Colorsoft, click on the "Device" button in the Calibre toolbar and it should show you the books on the device and then just right click the book and choose add to library?

[JSWolf]

However, if there is an ePub version of the eBooks you want, buy them in ePub. With ePub you get the correct image resolution and if any of the images are supposed to be in color, you get them in color.

You do not get the really stupid games Amazon plays with images in eBooks.

[jpetts99]

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

My understanding is that with kfx, amazon attempts to "optimize" the files for the device it is sending to. A Voyage is only grayscale/b&w, so books sent to the Voyage only get images in b&w. The Colorsoft supports color, so books "optimized" for the Colorsoft do get color images.

Yep, that's correct.

On this part, sorry, I don't know. I don't have a Colorsoft. In theory if Calibre recognizes the device, and since you can browse to the folder, I would think it would work? But...make sure you are selecting the right file. It should end with .azw and not azw.md or azw.res. Just .azw.

The content is delivered in KFX, not AZW format. I can still get the content with colour images using k4pc, but it would be so much easier not to have to do that. Sigh.

I used to work in the Kindle group, and back then (2013) the team was customer focused. Now? Customer hostile...

[Quoth]

I replaced the battery in my K3/Graphite so that I can get azw3 instead of kFX now that download & transfer is gone. KFX messes up more than images. A stupid Amazon design to improve Cell/Mobile delivery, reading before download complete and per device optimisation and encryption/lock-in. At least azw3 is based on epub. They now have no concept of honouring publishers requesting DRM free.

Amazon is about control & exploitation, even though they still claim to be the most customer-centric company in the world.

[jpetts99]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I replaced the battery in my K3/Graphite so that I can get azw3 instead of kFX now that download & transfer is gone. KFX messes up more than images.

Yep, I think I'll resurrect my old Touch and/or my MME. I have accounts both at .com and .co.uk, so I'll have one for each.

Amazon is about control & exploitation, even though they still claim to be the most customer-centric company in the world.

I got kicked out from Amazon, partly because I had a public row with a director about just how hostile to the customer the Alexa division had become.

[redbaron]

Having some issues trying to download and convert from Kindle for PC. Followed the directions on the first page, and can confirm that the only version of Kindle for PC running on my computer is 2.4.0 (70904). I installed the correct plugins for Calibre (KFX Extract and DeDRM). I made sure DeDRM had the correct key (default_key) for the Kindle app.

When I download the book files to my PC and load them into Calibre for conversion every one of them comes up as KFX-ZIP and won't let me convert the files because of DRM. What am I doing wrong?

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by redbaron

Having some issues trying to download and convert from Kindle for PC. Followed the directions on the first page, and can confirm that the only version of Kindle for PC running on my computer is 2.4.0 (70904). I installed the correct plugins for Calibre (KFX Extract and DeDRM). I made sure DeDRM had the correct key (default_key) for the Kindle app.

When I download the book files to my PC and load them into Calibre for conversion every one of them comes up as KFX-ZIP and won't let me convert the files because of DRM. What am I doing wrong?

Detailed help on DeDRM is not permitted on MobileRead. Post your question on GitHub at https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools/issues

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by jpetts99

Yep, I think I'll resurrect my old Touch and/or my MME. I have accounts both at .com and .co.uk, so I'll have one for each.

Hiya! I see from your profile details that you have "Every single Kindle ever." Would you be willing to use one of them to test the just-released firmware v5.18.1 and see if KFX files downloaded to these devices still work with DeDRM and calibre?

[jpetts99]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Hiya! I see from your profile details that you have "Every single Kindle ever." Would you be willing to use one of them to test the just-released firmware v5.18.1 and see if KFX files downloaded to these devices still work with DeDRM and calibre?

Of course. I'm away from home till tomorrow, but I can do it when Ireturn, and I'll post results.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by redbaron

Having some issues trying to download and convert from Kindle for PC. Followed the directions on the first page, and can confirm that the only version of Kindle for PC running on my computer is 2.4.0 (70904). I installed the correct plugins for Calibre (KFX Extract and DeDRM). I made sure DeDRM had the correct key (default_key) for the Kindle app.

When I download the book files to my PC and load them into Calibre for conversion every one of them comes up as KFX-ZIP and won't let me convert the files because of DRM. What am I doing wrong?

I'd guess your deDRM version is too old.