HTML/Offline Browsing on KDX

Sheikspeare · 05-22-2010, 12:50 PM

Does anyone use the KDX to read HTML files with native hyperlinks?

As someone who doesn't have access to Whispernet, I want to know to what extent you can download a mainly text-based website off the web, load it onto your Kindle, and browse it in offline mode with all the internal hyperlinks intact.

Snorkledorf · 05-22-2010, 05:51 PM

There's one personal-development blog I like and want to have on my Kindle, so I used a Mac app called SiteSucker to download the whole thing (972 entries), batch-massaged the HTML with TextWrangler to simplify the formatting and make the internal links local, then used Mobipocket Creator to construct a ginormous 5.6 MB .prc file that the Kindle can read. One of these days I'm planning on automating the process so I can update it every month or so, as it soon gets out of date.

So I've done it like that. It's not as convenient as a folder of HTML files would be if the Kindle could handle that (wouldn't that be awesome?), but it does work.

Sheikspeare · 05-23-2010, 01:34 AM

Snorkeldorf, thank you for that. BTW, did you ever try getting the experimental browser to read the files in offline mode?

w126 · 05-23-2010, 01:59 AM

Folders of local HTML files with relative links do work on Kindle 2, at least to some extent.

The URL to access them should start with file:///mnt/us/ . For example, if you put index.html file in Kindle's 'documents' folder its URL would be file:///mnt/us/documents/index.html. However, it is best to use separate folder, other than 'documents', because offline site folders sometimes containt *.txt or *.pdf files and these would be visible in Kindle's home page when put somewhere deep inside the documents folder. Because typing URLs on the Kindle is not convenient, it's better to use PC to prepare index.html file with relative links to all your local HTML pages and sites and then bookmark this index.html in Kindle browser. For HTML pages with more complex formatting (tables) the browser should be switched to advanced mode.

However, there is a potential problem, because using the Kindle browser requires having the wireless on, even if you only access local pages (with URLs starting with 'file:'). It works for me and I live in a country with no general web access on the Kindle. I don't know if it would work for someone without actual Whispernet connection. I guess you should try it.

Sheikspeare · 05-23-2010, 04:27 AM

w126, does this mean you leave the wireless ON despite having no Whispernet connection? In other words, what you're saying is to activate the Kindle browser (even for offline browsing), the wireless functions needs to be switched on.

w126 · 05-23-2010, 06:40 AM

Yes, when you start the web browser the Kindle forces you to switch the wireless on. But I have Whispernet connection, only limited to Kindle Store and Wikipedia.

Actually, once the local HTML page is loaded you may then read it with wireless switched off. If you want to load another local HTML page (by following a link) then the wireless must be switched on again. It works like that in version 2.3.4, I don't know about other versions. Web browser is still an experimental feature and will be developed in newer versions. I don't think they expected many people using it for offline browsing and that is why the wireless requirement is there even if it does not make any sense.

Snorkledorf · 05-28-2010, 01:27 AM

w126, that's awesome! I just completely assumed that I couldn't do it as HTML, but just copying the folder as-is works perfectly!

After copying I created a bookmark to file:///mnt/us/myfolder/index.html and there it is! The article list is a bit heavy (22 pages at the smallest font...) so it's a bit slow, but that's not the Kindle's fault. Now I just wish the browser was smart enough to overlap a little bit when it goes to the next page so lines of text don't get split in half.

But hey, no more futzing around with Mobipocket Creator (for this, anyway)! Makes updates that much easer.

Thanks for the tip!

luckyclover · 12-22-2010, 06:24 PM

To keep the lines from getting split in half or jumbled together when using the 5 way controller, use the space bar to page down. To page up, hold the shift key down and then press the space bar. It works on the Kindle 3 so I assume it works on the Kindle DX. I learned it from the Kindle Bug App Browser in the Kindle store.

The Kindle 3 is locked down so that you cannot use the "file:///mnt/us/" in the internet browser. The Kindle Bug App Browser, which sales for $2 in the Kindle store, allows me to view web pages, use internet games, and use tools/apps such as calculators and stopwatch all offline by extending the Kindle internet browser and using the internet browser cache. I listed links to it below in the Kindle store.

Kindle Bug App Browser - version 1
Kindle Bug App Browser - version 2.3

FF2 · 12-22-2010, 08:17 PM

luckyclover

Can you use that application (or whatever it is) to open/read local html content on the k3? I found that the k3's browser, as you note, will not use the file:\\\ method to open local content.

luckyclover · 12-27-2010, 02:22 PM

FF2,

The Kindle Bug App Browser uses the internet cache which is basically a temporary file of the webpage. Internet cache is stored locally on the Kindle (not sure exactly where though). However, the Kindle Bug App Browser cannot access an html file that you have placed in one of the folders when using a Kindle 3 (only when using Kindle 2). Amazon locked down that ability for the Kindle 3 so the Kindle Bug App Browser is the only option that I am aware of without hacking the Kindle 3. The Kindle Bug App Browser is kind of a work around to get a similar ability but just accessing the html file in a different way.

05-22-2010, 12:50 PM	#1
Sheikspeare Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 290 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: PR-505 / Kindle DX	HTML/Offline Browsing on KDX Does anyone use the KDX to read HTML files with native hyperlinks? As someone who doesn't have access to Whispernet, I want to know to what extent you can download a mainly text-based website off the web, load it onto your Kindle, and browse it in offline mode with all the internal hyperlinks intact.

05-23-2010, 01:59 AM	#4
w126 Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 42 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2013), Onyx Boox M92, Kindle 2	Folders of local HTML files with relative links do work on Kindle 2, at least to some extent. The URL to access them should start with file:///mnt/us/ . For example, if you put index.html file in Kindle's 'documents' folder its URL would be file:///mnt/us/documents/index.html. However, it is best to use separate folder, other than 'documents', because offline site folders sometimes containt .txt or .pdf files and these would be visible in Kindle's home page when put somewhere deep inside the documents folder. Because typing URLs on the Kindle is not convenient, it's better to use PC to prepare index.html file with relative links to all your local HTML pages and sites and then bookmark this index.html in Kindle browser. For HTML pages with more complex formatting (tables) the browser should be switched to advanced mode. However, there is a potential problem, because using the Kindle browser requires having the wireless on, even if you only access local pages (with URLs starting with 'file:'). It works for me and I live in a country with no general web access on the Kindle. I don't know if it would work for someone without actual Whispernet connection. I guess you should try it. Last edited by w126; 05-23-2010 at 02:02 AM.

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05-22-2010, 05:51 PM	#2
Snorkledorf Blue. Not sad...just blue Posts: 218 Karma: 1267018 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Japan Device: Ridibooks Paper Pro	There's one personal-development blog I like and want to have on my Kindle, so I used a Mac app called SiteSucker to download the whole thing (972 entries), batch-massaged the HTML with TextWrangler to simplify the formatting and make the internal links local, then used Mobipocket Creator to construct a ginormous 5.6 MB .prc file that the Kindle can read. One of these days I'm planning on automating the process so I can update it every month or so, as it soon gets out of date. So I've done it like that. It's not as convenient as a folder of HTML files would be if the Kindle could handle that (wouldn't that be awesome?), but it does work.

05-23-2010, 01:34 AM	#3
Sheikspeare Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 290 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: PR-505 / Kindle DX	Snorkeldorf, thank you for that. BTW, did you ever try getting the experimental browser to read the files in offline mode?

05-23-2010, 04:27 AM	#5
Sheikspeare Groupie Posts: 181 Karma: 290 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: PR-505 / Kindle DX	w126, does this mean you leave the wireless ON despite having no Whispernet connection? In other words, what you're saying is to activate the Kindle browser (even for offline browsing), the wireless functions needs to be switched on.

05-23-2010, 06:40 AM	#6
w126 Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 42 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2013), Onyx Boox M92, Kindle 2	Yes, when you start the web browser the Kindle forces you to switch the wireless on. But I have Whispernet connection, only limited to Kindle Store and Wikipedia. Actually, once the local HTML page is loaded you may then read it with wireless switched off. If you want to load another local HTML page (by following a link) then the wireless must be switched on again. It works like that in version 2.3.4, I don't know about other versions. Web browser is still an experimental feature and will be developed in newer versions. I don't think they expected many people using it for offline browsing and that is why the wireless requirement is there even if it does not make any sense.

05-28-2010, 01:27 AM	#7
Snorkledorf Blue. Not sad...just blue Posts: 218 Karma: 1267018 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Japan Device: Ridibooks Paper Pro	w126, that's awesome! I just completely assumed that I couldn't do it as HTML, but just copying the folder as-is works perfectly! After copying I created a bookmark to file:///mnt/us/myfolder/index.html and there it is! The article list is a bit heavy (22 pages at the smallest font...) so it's a bit slow, but that's not the Kindle's fault. Now I just wish the browser was smart enough to overlap a little bit when it goes to the next page so lines of text don't get split in half. But hey, no more futzing around with Mobipocket Creator (for this, anyway)! Makes updates that much easer. Thanks for the tip!

12-22-2010, 06:24 PM	#8
luckyclover Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle	To keep the lines from getting split in half or jumbled together when using the 5 way controller, use the space bar to page down. To page up, hold the shift key down and then press the space bar. It works on the Kindle 3 so I assume it works on the Kindle DX. I learned it from the Kindle Bug App Browser in the Kindle store. The Kindle 3 is locked down so that you cannot use the "file:///mnt/us/" in the internet browser. The Kindle Bug App Browser, which sales for $2 in the Kindle store, allows me to view web pages, use internet games, and use tools/apps such as calculators and stopwatch all offline by extending the Kindle internet browser and using the internet browser cache. I listed links to it below in the Kindle store. Kindle Bug App Browser - version 1 Kindle Bug App Browser - version 2.3

12-22-2010, 08:17 PM	#9
FF2 Wizard Posts: 1,105 Karma: 1025784 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: WiFi Kindle3	luckyclover Can you use that application (or whatever it is) to open/read local html content on the k3? I found that the k3's browser, as you note, will not use the file:\\\ method to open local content.

12-27-2010, 02:22 PM	#10
luckyclover Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: kindle	FF2, The Kindle Bug App Browser uses the internet cache which is basically a temporary file of the webpage. Internet cache is stored locally on the Kindle (not sure exactly where though). However, the Kindle Bug App Browser cannot access an html file that you have placed in one of the folders when using a Kindle 3 (only when using Kindle 2). Amazon locked down that ability for the Kindle 3 so the Kindle Bug App Browser is the only option that I am aware of without hacking the Kindle 3. The Kindle Bug App Browser is kind of a work around to get a similar ability but just accessing the html file in a different way.

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