PRS-T1 Instapaper epubs

zossi · 12-20-2011, 11:26 PM

hey anyone else having problems with their epubs downloaded from instapaper?

it started happening yesterday. the first page/headings of the epub shows, but there's no text inside. it doesn't matter if i download it from instapaper right on the T1, or download it first on the comp and upload it to dropbox, same blank pages..

btw, the same files load and open just fine in calibre..

gentleice · 12-21-2011, 05:48 AM

I've been experiencing the same problem. The epub displays fine using the Firefox epubreader extension and in Calibre. But no cigar with the PRS-T1 and Adobe Digital Editions. Because it's also failing to display in ADE, I reckon it's not a Sony problem?

I only experienced this with selected webpages/sites that are particularly links and graphics heavy. I don't know if that might have something to do with it. Haven't had time yet to explode the epub and examine the CSS for clues.

Harmon · 12-21-2011, 11:46 AM

Add me to the list. Since I got my T1, I am using it almost exclusively to read my Instapaper saves. I generally use my iPad to access the Instapaper site, generate an epub file and save it directly to Dropbox, and then download from Dropbox to my T1. Sometimes I download to my computer's download folder, then upload to Dropbox.

Either way, I find that both the first and last articles in the generated epub file are empty, except for (1) the title and (2) the page number, which - unlike the rest of the articles - reflects the entire range of pages that should be there but aren't. It will say "Page 8-32 of 165," for instance, while normally it will say "Page 8 of 165," then on the next page "Page 9 of 165," & so forth.

I tried reading the generated epub file on the latest Sony Reader software on my computer, with the same result. But when I opened the file in Stanza, no problem - all the articles were there & complete.

This suggests to me that the problem lies with the Sony software, not Instapaper. But I send an email off to Instapaper Support anyway.

Meanwhile, I have started working around the problem by "bracketing" my articles on Instapaper with a couple of New Yorker articles I have already read. I take advantage of how the Archive system works.

I start by deleting or filing away all the articles on the "Unread" list. I then transfer the two New Yorker articles to that list. Throughout the day, I send articles to Instapaper, which show up above the two New Yorker files. At the end of the day, I go into Instapaper, Archive and then Restore the bottom New Yorker article. This puts one New Yorker article at the top of the Unread listing, and leaves the other at the bottom. I then generate the epub file & send it off to Dropbox.

At that point, I go back into Unread and move or delete all the articles I've just sent to Dropbox, except the two New Yorker articles, which are left in the Unread list for the next day's uploading.

Rinse & repeat.

This process gives me an Instaper "book" on my T1 in which the first & last chapters are the New Yorker articles, which I've already read, so it doesn't matter that they are empty.

zossi · 12-21-2011, 06:41 PM

thanks Harmon, your "bracketing" solution works great.

also, i tried using dotepub. it does the job, but it has no way of grouping multiple articles into a single epub, an excellent feature since i can group them by topics and just dump them in dropbox to be read later..

anyway i hope this problem gets sorted out soon.

rjcroy · 12-21-2011, 11:41 PM

I am having the same problem with instapaper, ADE and the Kobo Touch.

I think what the Sony T1, Kobo Touch, and ADE all have in common is that they all use Adobe Reader software in their stack. But doesn't necessarilly mean the bug is with Adobe. What changed was the instapaper epubs.

dspitler25 · 01-07-2012, 12:28 AM

I had this same issue with my Nook Simple Touch. I tracked it down to Instapaper generating an incorrect* link to the article source below the header. The link contains non-entity ampersands (i.e. "...&whatever" vs. "...&whatever" which seems to stop ADE from rendering the rest of the page. The link at the bottom of the article contains this error too. I forwarded this thread to Instapaper with hopes they'll fix it soon.

*The links themselves, for whatever reason, aren't to the article URL but to an Instapaper URL. This only occurs on the first and last article.

opennomad · 01-09-2012, 04:03 PM

I just managed to get my epubs from instapaper working well again by unzipping them, running the html through tidy and then rezipping them

I summarized the process here http://opennomad.com/content/instapaper-epub-issues

This works great on a Linux box, but should also work on other boxes that have tidy available.

Cheers,

\@matthias

bigtext · 04-15-2012, 11:55 AM

Came across this thread doing a general google search for problems with Instapaper epubs. I have a Nook Simple Touch (1.1.0) and have rendering issues also. It will skip entire articles. The page number display at the bottom will do crazy things like jump from page 3 to 32 with no way to get to the pages in-between.

Hopefully Instapaper will fix their bad code. In the meantime you can use Calibre to clean up the bad HTML. Use the "Convert books" feature to convert from epub to epub. I've had some success with this.

12-20-2011, 11:26 PM	#1
zossi Member Posts: 14 Karma: 82374 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: US Device: Sony T1	Instapaper epubs hey anyone else having problems with their epubs downloaded from instapaper? it started happening yesterday. the first page/headings of the epub shows, but there's no text inside. it doesn't matter if i download it from instapaper right on the T1, or download it first on the comp and upload it to dropbox, same blank pages.. btw, the same files load and open just fine in calibre..

12-21-2011, 11:46 AM	#3
Harmon King of the Bongo Drums Posts: 1,622 Karma: 5927225 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Excelsior! (Strange...)	Add me to the list. Since I got my T1, I am using it almost exclusively to read my Instapaper saves. I generally use my iPad to access the Instapaper site, generate an epub file and save it directly to Dropbox, and then download from Dropbox to my T1. Sometimes I download to my computer's download folder, then upload to Dropbox. Either way, I find that both the first and last articles in the generated epub file are empty, except for (1) the title and (2) the page number, which - unlike the rest of the articles - reflects the entire range of pages that should be there but aren't. It will say "Page 8-32 of 165," for instance, while normally it will say "Page 8 of 165," then on the next page "Page 9 of 165," & so forth. I tried reading the generated epub file on the latest Sony Reader software on my computer, with the same result. But when I opened the file in Stanza, no problem - all the articles were there & complete. This suggests to me that the problem lies with the Sony software, not Instapaper. But I send an email off to Instapaper Support anyway. Meanwhile, I have started working around the problem by "bracketing" my articles on Instapaper with a couple of New Yorker articles I have already read. I take advantage of how the Archive system works. I start by deleting or filing away all the articles on the "Unread" list. I then transfer the two New Yorker articles to that list. Throughout the day, I send articles to Instapaper, which show up above the two New Yorker files. At the end of the day, I go into Instapaper, Archive and then Restore the bottom New Yorker article. This puts one New Yorker article at the top of the Unread listing, and leaves the other at the bottom. I then generate the epub file & send it off to Dropbox. At that point, I go back into Unread and move or delete all the articles I've just sent to Dropbox, except the two New Yorker articles, which are left in the Unread list for the next day's uploading. Rinse & repeat. This process gives me an Instaper "book" on my T1 in which the first & last chapters are the New Yorker articles, which I've already read, so it doesn't matter that they are empty. Last edited by Harmon; 12-21-2011 at 01:12 PM.

01-09-2012, 04:03 PM	#7
opennomad Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 100 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: kobo	easy fix using tidy I just managed to get my epubs from instapaper working well again by unzipping them, running the html through tidy and then rezipping them I summarized the process here http://opennomad.com/content/instapaper-epub-issues This works great on a Linux box, but should also work on other boxes that have tidy available. Cheers, \@matthias

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12-21-2011, 05:48 AM	#2
gentleice Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Singapore, mostly Device: PRS-T1, iPad (destroyer of eyes)	I've been experiencing the same problem. The epub displays fine using the Firefox epubreader extension and in Calibre. But no cigar with the PRS-T1 and Adobe Digital Editions. Because it's also failing to display in ADE, I reckon it's not a Sony problem? I only experienced this with selected webpages/sites that are particularly links and graphics heavy. I don't know if that might have something to do with it. Haven't had time yet to explode the epub and examine the CSS for clues.

12-21-2011, 06:41 PM	#4
zossi Member Posts: 14 Karma: 82374 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: US Device: Sony T1	thanks Harmon, your "bracketing" solution works great. also, i tried using dotepub. it does the job, but it has no way of grouping multiple articles into a single epub, an excellent feature since i can group them by topics and just dump them in dropbox to be read later.. anyway i hope this problem gets sorted out soon.

12-21-2011, 11:41 PM	#5
rjcroy Bibliophile Posts: 167 Karma: 1147338 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kobo Touch	I am having the same problem with instapaper, ADE and the Kobo Touch. I think what the Sony T1, Kobo Touch, and ADE all have in common is that they all use Adobe Reader software in their stack. But doesn't necessarilly mean the bug is with Adobe. What changed was the instapaper epubs.

01-07-2012, 12:28 AM	#6
dspitler25 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 17948 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Nook Simple Touch	I had this same issue with my Nook Simple Touch. I tracked it down to Instapaper generating an incorrect* link to the article source below the header. The link contains non-entity ampersands (i.e. "...&whatever" vs. "...&whatever" which seems to stop ADE from rendering the rest of the page. The link at the bottom of the article contains this error too. I forwarded this thread to Instapaper with hopes they'll fix it soon. *The links themselves, for whatever reason, aren't to the article URL but to an Instapaper URL. This only occurs on the first and last article.

04-15-2012, 11:55 AM	#8
bigtext Member Posts: 24 Karma: 44882 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Nook Simple Touch	Came across this thread doing a general google search for problems with Instapaper epubs. I have a Nook Simple Touch (1.1.0) and have rendering issues also. It will skip entire articles. The page number display at the bottom will do crazy things like jump from page 3 to 32 with no way to get to the pages in-between. Hopefully Instapaper will fix their bad code. In the meantime you can use Calibre to clean up the bad HTML. Use the "Convert books" feature to convert from epub to epub. I've had some success with this.

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