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

[lkmiller]

You actually want them to be AZW files. On 1.23 you'll still be able to use Alf's tools with Method 2 or 4. On 1.25 just Method 2 with odamizu's workaround (Mac only, not PC).

[bdillahu]

I have this working fine with 1.25.2 as above, except for one particular book. It shows as a *.awz file, but Calibre just warns it has DRM. Other books (tried 6-7) work fine.

Thoughts?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by bdillahu

I have this working fine with 1.25.2 as above, except for one particular book. It shows as a *.awz file, but Calibre just warns it has DRM. Other books (tried 6-7) work fine.

Thoughts?

For detailed help with drm removal, you'll need to ask at Apprentice Alf's blog, or Apprentice Harper's Github repository.

[bdillahu]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

For detailed help with drm removal, you'll need to ask at Apprentice Alf's blog, or Apprentice Harper's Github repository.

OK, figured I would explore here if people were seeing (for example) newer books being different, or something like that, or if this was somehow related to the ongoing discussion.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by bdillahu

OK, figured I would explore here if people were seeing (for example) newer books being different, or something like that, or if this was somehow related to the ongoing discussion.

The only possible way to tell would be by detailed discussion of drm removal, i.e., your problem with one book. That isn't permitted at MobileRead.

[bdillahu]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The only possible way to tell would be by detailed discussion of drm removal, i.e., your problem with one book. That isn't permitted at MobileRead.

Gotcha, thanks.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

You actually want them to be AZW files. On 1.23 you'll still be able to use Alf's tools with Method 2 or 4. On 1.25 just Method 2 with odamizu's workaround (Mac only, not PC).

On my Mac, both KF8 and KFX download with an .azw extension. When it's KFX, the .azw file is accompanied by a voucher file, azw.md and azw.res.

Anon_me's .azw files were KFX since s/he's a Mac user reporting .azw/.res/.md. So those azws are not actually what one wants.

Originally Posted by bdillahu

I have this working fine with 1.25.2 as above, except for one particular book. It shows as a *.awz file, but Calibre just warns it has DRM. Other books (tried 6-7) work fine.

Thoughts?

Any chance it's KFX leftover from before renderer-test was disabled? Maybe try removing the book and re-downloading just to be sure?

[lkmiller]

Yes, both Kindle for Mac and PC usually give the generic AZW extension to the main book file. But on K4Mac 1.23 you'd still be able to use Method 2 or 4, right? Isn't it just k4Mac 1.25 where you'd see it change to KCR without the workaround?

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Yes, both Kindle for Mac and PC usually give the generic AZW extension to the main book file. But on K4Mac 1.23 you'd still be able to use Method 2 or 4, right? Isn't it just k4Mac 1.25 where you'd see it change to KCR without the workaround?

Maybe I'm misreading.

anon_me wrote that they were getting .azw/.res/.md. That's KFX.

You then wrote: "You actually want them to be AZW files."

So I wrote that if the azw files are KFX, you do not actually want them. That's all I was trying to say.

Method 2 works for K4Mac 1.23. I assume it also works for Method 4, but I've never actually tried it as I avoid KFX.

Method 2 also works for K4Mac 1.25 if you just download the book without opening it. This is because K4Mac 1.25 first downloads an .azw. If renderer-test is disabled, that AZW is KF8 (if renderer-test is enabled, that AZW is KFX).

If the AZW is KF8, K4Mac 1.25 will convert it to KCR when the book is opened. To avoid that conversion, you have to make sure to just download the book without opening it by using right-click + download or menu bar > file > download. If you double-click the book, it will convert the AZW/KF8 to KCR and open the book.

[lkmiller]

Ok, my misunderstanding. I thought it sounded like they were wondering why it wasn't changing from AZW to KCR. But, of course, they were asking about getting AZW/KF8 instead of AZW/KFX files.

[lkmiller]

I don't have a Mac to test this myself. But from what I've seen at GitHub, you still can't use Alf's tools with Kindle for Mac 1.25. The workaround allows you to get KF8 files, but the tools can't find the key to unlock them.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

I don't have a Mac to test this myself. But from what I've seen at GitHub, you still can't use Alf's tools with Kindle for Mac 1.25. The workaround allows you to get KF8 files, but the tools can't find the key to unlock them.

The workaround works on my Mac. I am able to get KF8 files using K4Mac 1.25.2 that Alf can unlock. (I wouldn't have posted this workaround if all I could do was download a locked KF8 file.)

From what I can tell, this also worked for others on MobileRead here and here (except for one book that may be tpz) and also for a GitHub user here.

But maybe the four of us are just special?

[lkmiller]

Hmm, maybe. Because a couple people reported on this GitHub issue that they had to go back to 1.23.

[pdurrant]

When Kindle for Mac/PC updates in-place, it must keep the same user key (otherwise all the books would need to be downloaded again). So it's possible that someone installs Kindle for Mac pre-1.25, gets the key, and it then updates to 1.25 and with the work-around, can still get access to KF8 files for which they have the key.

But this, I admit, is pure speculation. And probably about as far as we're allowed to go on MobileRead.

[odamizu]

When I was originally trying to figure this out, I tested it both ways:

First I did a clean install of 1.25.2 on a new user account on my Mac. I was able to get Alf-friendly KF8 using the workaround.

Then I deleted the K4Mac 1.25.2 app and the Kindle folder in Library > Application Support, so no trace of K4Mac. I then installed 1.23.1 and upgraded to 1.25.2. I got an Alf-friendly KF8 that way, too.

ETA: I also only tested this using standalone Alf as I don't use Calibre for Alf-itizing. Though it would be odd if it only worked using the standalone tools and not Calibre.