Kindle Colorsoft - no cover art in library

[librosconmaria]

ahhh me too D:

[alexstaravoitau]

And is there a folder named system on your colorsoft? perhaps with different capitalisation?

Nope, although as far as I understand on macOS you can only browse Kindle contents using a designated Amazon's app, which doesn't show anything hidden.

[kovidgoyal]

USe any mtp capable program like android file transfer program

[spl237]

Originally Posted by jhowell

It is a hidden, but accessible, folder on older Kindle models. Try the file explorer option to display hidden items.

That's already enabled - no sign of a system folder at all.

[spl237]

Originally Posted by alexstaravoitau

Nope, although as far as I understand on macOS you can only browse Kindle contents using a designated Amazon's app, which doesn't show anything hidden.

Under Windows, the MTP share appears in the standard File Explorer, but there is no system folder visible at all, with any capitalisation. I have Explorer set to show hidden items, but all I can see are the usual documents / audible / fonts / screenshots directories, and .active_content_sandbox. Calibre has placed the metadata.calibre and driveinfo.calibre files into the same directory, but there is no system directory visible anywhere.

[kovidgoyal]

Then there is no way the cover workaround can work. I guess amazon noticed the workaround and decided to boil the frog a bit more by preventing sideloaded covers from working on their color devices.

*Maybe* if you manually create the system folder it might work. Worth a try anyway

[vss74]

Hi
so ive tried to create the folder system, no luck. Does not give an error but just doesnt create it. I created the folder System, and then run calibre and resend the books. The thumbnails were placed in System/thumbnails but... they still dont appear in the kindle

[kovidgoyal]

Yeah as I suspected amazon have deliberately nuked the workaround. they are trying to discourage their users from side loading little by little. It's been going on for years.

[spl237]

OK, so it sounds as if colour covers on the Colorsoft are a non-starter?

I'm experimenting with the alternative approach of converting to KFX PDOCs - that does give me coloured covers in the library, but they get overwritten immediately with covers from Amazon if the documents contain an ASIN in the metadata. I'm in the process of reconverting everything with the ASINs removed, but this is starting to look too much like hard work, so I'm very tempted to just send the Colorsoft back for a refund and get a Libra Colour instead...

[spl237]

Is there a risk Amazon will break the workaround on older devices as well with new firmware? Although I'd guess my first-gen Oasis is too old for them to care much about...

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by spl237

Is there a risk Amazon will break the workaround on older devices as well with new firmware? Although I'd guess my first-gen Oasis is too old for them to care much about...

Possibly for 10th gen and later Kindles. 8th gen and earlier Kindles are no longer receiving updates.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by spl237

OK, so it sounds as if colour covers on the Colorsoft are a non-starter?

Well I know it’s the Calibre forum and all, but you’ll definitely get colour covers if you upload your books via Send To Kindle.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Yeah as I suspected amazon have deliberately nuked the workaround. they are trying to discourage their users from side loading little by little. It's been going on for years.

This is really interesting because this seems to be affecting only the Colorsoft (so far); I don’t remember any mention of this issue with the other 2024 Kindles, even though those are also using MTP.

I reckon that covers are likely more important to people using a color device, but it’s surprising to see such a precise targeting.

[spl237]

Originally Posted by BionicGecko

I reckon that covers are likely more important to people using a color device, but it’s surprising to see such a precise targeting.

It's pretty stupid on Amazon's part - the only reason for paying extra for the Colorsoft is the covers, really - the screen is still too small for graphic novels and the like - so you then stop people showing covers on it anyway.

I've now finished converting my library to KFX PDOCs, and so I do now have all my covers on there, but I'm still debating returning the Cs for a refund just because it's such a pain!

On your point above - am I correct in thinking Send to Kindle now requires ePubs? I did use it a lot in the past, but when it switched to using ePub I had no end of trouble with it, not least due to problems with covers; that was when I swapped to using Calibre to manage the sideload.

[BionicGecko]

Originally Posted by spl237

On your point above - am I correct in thinking Send to Kindle now requires ePubs?

Kind of:

Supported file types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTM, HTML, PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP, EPUB

So basically yes, despite that long list, ePub is indeed the only supported proper ebook format.