Special MOBI files and sideloading

AcidWeb · 11-03-2013, 03:01 AM

Hi,

I'm author of tool that prepare special KF8 MOBI comic type files. And I have small QA issue. Files produced by my software should not be touched or reconverted by any means during uploading it to Kindle through Calibre. It simply corrupt my files. Calibre don't parse comic type MOBI correctly. (Not a bug - more like missing feature.)

Obviously that completely depend on end user Calibre settings and I highly doubt there is some proper solution - but I have to ask:

There is any way to mark MOBI file on header level that will tell Calibre to don't touch it in any way during sideloading?

Some technical stuff about my conversion process:

Program create EPUB file with embedded Amazon code - Panel View support.
EPUB file is converted with KindleGen. I hate that program but it is only software on planet that create comic type MOBI correctly.
Ready MOBI is handled by modified KindleUnpack that extract KF8 part and set header 501 to EBOK. ASIN is intentionally left empty.
File is ready. And it is working perfectly on Kindle (And only there. Even Calibre build-in reader parse it wrong.) - if no other converter touched it before uploading.

Thank you in advance.

kovidgoyal · 11-03-2013, 03:21 AM

All calibre does during sideloading is update metadata. And no there is no header field that can be set to tell calibre to not update metadata.

AcidWeb · 11-03-2013, 03:25 AM

OK. Thank you. If that is all what Calibre do during sideloading then everything is caused by additional conversion started by user.

I will use bigger letters in documentation about this issue and hope that people start to read it :-)

kovidgoyal · 11-03-2013, 03:50 AM

The only time calibre does a conversion during sending is if the book does not exist in a format supported by the device being sent to. And this can be controlled by the user by right clicking the device icon in calibre and setting which formats the device supports.

AcidWeb · 11-03-2013, 04:03 AM

Yep. I think that some people just force AZW usage (or found other creative way to break things :-)). I received only handful of reports about problems with Calibre. So I think that I can categorize all cases of this problem as PEBKAC :-)

Katsunami · 11-06-2013, 03:04 PM

The default format used by Calibre for the Kindle is MOBI. Some users (like me) change that and set the default format to AZW3.

If users do this, AND disable MOBI as a format, then Calibre will convert your book to AZW3 before sending it.

Just tell people to not disable the MOBI format. AZW3 can be the default format, but Calibre will still send the MOBI file if that is the only one available, IF the format is enabled.

AcidWeb · 11-06-2013, 03:07 PM

Yep. I already come to the same conclusions.

11-03-2013, 03:01 AM	#1
AcidWeb KCC Co-Author Posts: 845 Karma: 765434 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Poland Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Special MOBI files and sideloading Hi, I'm author of tool that prepare special KF8 MOBI comic type files. And I have small QA issue. Files produced by my software should not be touched or reconverted by any means during uploading it to Kindle through Calibre. It simply corrupt my files. Calibre don't parse comic type MOBI correctly. (Not a bug - more like missing feature.) Obviously that completely depend on end user Calibre settings and I highly doubt there is some proper solution - but I have to ask: There is any way to mark MOBI file on header level that will tell Calibre to don't touch it in any way during sideloading? Some technical stuff about my conversion process: Program create EPUB file with embedded Amazon code - Panel View support. EPUB file is converted with KindleGen. I hate that program but it is only software on planet that create comic type MOBI correctly. Ready MOBI is handled by modified KindleUnpack that extract KF8 part and set header 501 to EBOK. ASIN is intentionally left empty. File is ready. And it is working perfectly on Kindle (And only there. Even Calibre build-in reader parse it wrong.) - if no other converter touched it before uploading. Thank you in advance. Last edited by AcidWeb; 11-03-2013 at 03:12 AM.

11-06-2013, 03:07 PM	#7
AcidWeb KCC Co-Author Posts: 845 Karma: 765434 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Poland Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Yep. I already come to the same conclusions. Last edited by AcidWeb; 11-06-2013 at 03:12 PM.

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11-03-2013, 03:21 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,866 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	All calibre does during sideloading is update metadata. And no there is no header field that can be set to tell calibre to not update metadata.

11-03-2013, 03:25 AM	#3
AcidWeb KCC Co-Author Posts: 845 Karma: 765434 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Poland Device: Kindle Oasis 2	OK. Thank you. If that is all what Calibre do during sideloading then everything is caused by additional conversion started by user. I will use bigger letters in documentation about this issue and hope that people start to read it :-)

11-03-2013, 03:50 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,866 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The only time calibre does a conversion during sending is if the book does not exist in a format supported by the device being sent to. And this can be controlled by the user by right clicking the device icon in calibre and setting which formats the device supports.

11-03-2013, 04:03 AM	#5
AcidWeb KCC Co-Author Posts: 845 Karma: 765434 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Poland Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Yep. I think that some people just force AZW usage (or found other creative way to break things :-)). I received only handful of reports about problems with Calibre. So I think that I can categorize all cases of this problem as PEBKAC :-)

11-06-2013, 03:04 PM	#6
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	The default format used by Calibre for the Kindle is MOBI. Some users (like me) change that and set the default format to AZW3. If users do this, AND disable MOBI as a format, then Calibre will convert your book to AZW3 before sending it. Just tell people to not disable the MOBI format. AZW3 can be the default format, but Calibre will still send the MOBI file if that is the only one available, IF the format is enabled.

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