What is the best way to replace all my calibre kepubs with kepubify ones?

[lealla]

Hi all,

After experiencing some big issues with page number displays on my kobo when reading kepubs, I tried using kepubify instead of calibre to convert an epub. Amazingly, it fixed my page number issue!

What I'd like to do now, is replace all my existing calibre converted kepubs (around 3000) with ones converted with kepubify.

Can anyone recommend a method that is as seamless and as automated as possible?

My first few attempts were not successful - I couldn't figure out how to batch convert and have the new kepubs replace the old ones - or at least, end up in the same folder as the epub.

Thank you for any advice!

[codychan]

Note that in Calibre, when you try to Send books to your kobo, Calibre will first convert the epub books (using kepub output plugin) to .kepub.epub in temporary directory in you PC and then send the .kepub.epub file to your kobo, after that, Calibre will delete the temporary directory.

@geek1011 is developing kepubify output plugin for Calibre (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=312308) to replace the kepub output plugin, it is still in early development, but you can just try it or just wait.

Currently kepubify doesn't work with Calibre, but you can try to convert all your epub files to .kepub.epub files using kepubify, and load them into Calibre and them send the .kepub.epub files to Kobo, but I never try it, I'm not sure it will work or not.

[lealla]

Originally Posted by codychan

Note that in Calibre, when you try to Send books to your kobo, Calibre will first convert the epub books (using kepub output plugin) to .kepub.epub in temporary directory in you PC and then send the .kepub.epub file to your kobo, after that, Calibre will delete the temporary directory.

@geek1011 is developing kepubify output plugin for Calibre (https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=312308) to replace the kepub output plugin, it is still in early development, but you can just try it or just wait.

Currently kepubify doesn't work with Calibre, but you can try to convert all your epub files to .kepub.epub files using kepubify, and load them into Calibre and them send the .kepub.epub files to Kobo, but I never try it, I'm not sure it will work or not.

Thanks for the info codychan.
At the moment I have already converted all my epubs into kebubs with calibre, so when I copy to the kobo there is no conversion. I have both a kepub and an epub file for each book and they are sitting in my calibre folder/library together.

With my test file, I just converted one epub file with kepubify, renamed it from *.kepub.epub to just *.kepub and replaced the existing kepub in my calibre library.

It worked perfectly, but I can't do that individually for 3000 books, so am hoping there might be a way to automate it - I can automate renaming the kepub files with no trouble, but it's more about getting them in the right folders so calibre can find them, and not causing a conflict of interest with the existing kepubs before I delete them.

Ideally, it would be great if I could:

1) Delete all the kepubs in calibre (easily done).
2) Drop my entire calibre library folder into Kepubify and have it create kepubs in the same folders as each individual epub file
3) Have calibre 'discover' the new kepubs alongside the epubs and add them to each books entry.

Do you think this can be done?

[codychan]

Originally Posted by lealla

With my test file, I just converted one epub file with kepubify, renamed it from *.kepub.epub to just *.kepub and replaced the existing kepub in my calibre library.

Why would you rename .kepub.epub to .kepub? The kepub file in kobo device is .kepub.epub.

Originally Posted by lealla

Ideally, it would be great if I could:

1) Delete all the kepubs in calibre (easily done).
2) Drop my entire calibre library folder into Kepubify and have it create kepubs in the same folders as each individual epub file
3) Have calibre 'discover' the new kepubs alongside the epubs and add them to each books entry.

Do you think this can be done?

I believe this can be done.
1. easily done like you said
2. You just convert all your epub books in you calibre library to .kepub.epub using kepubify. (You just need to find the directory for Calibre library, my books are in multiples subdirs inside of one big dir, I don't know kepubify supports subdir or not).
3. If the files contain the same metadata, they will be put into one single entry in Calibre library with multiple formats, you can try several files in Calibre libbrary and then do it for all your books if that is OK.

[codychan]

Note that, when I send my books to kobo using Calibre, Calibre will convert them before sending them to kobo, the converted .kepub.epub will not take more disk space once this progress finished(like I said they will be deleted).

And I note that you convert your files manually and keep both formats of files. It is really unnecessary and they will take more disk space, and for over 3000 books, that is a lot and you will spend a lot of time just for one conversion.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by lealla

Ideally, it would be great if I could:

1) Delete all the kepubs in calibre (easily done).
2) Drop my entire calibre library folder into Kepubify and have it create kepubs in the same folders as each individual epub file
3) Have calibre 'discover' the new kepubs alongside the epubs and add them to each books entry.

As you already have kepubs in the library, you can cheat a little. You could run kepubify against the epub and replace the current kepub. That should work. You could probably use the Open With plugin to run a kepubify. That wouldn't be a great way to do it 3000 books, but it should work for a few to test, or redo the conversion if you changed the epub.

Alternatively, you run kepubify against the epub, and use the calibredb command to add the kepub to the library.

Both methods would need a script to iterate over the library, find the epubs and run the commands needed.

And most importantly, do a backup of the library before starting.

[geek1011]

I would suggest the following steps, for now (until I finish the plugin, which won't be for a bit):
1. Backup the calibre library (after closing calibre)
2. Delete all .kepubs
3. Run kepubify on the calibre library folder
4. Batch rename the outputted .kepub.epub s into .kepub s (but keep the directory structure)
5. Merge the converted folder into the calibre library one
6. Start calibre again

I would do it this way, as as davidfor said, you can cheat and replace the books. Kepubify is also fastest when converting multiple books all at once. Also, this way needs the least scripting and is pretty simple.

[Carmelocotonto]

Originally Posted by geek1011

I would suggest the following steps, for now (until I finish the plugin, which won't be for a bit):
1. Backup the calibre library (after closing calibre)
2. Delete all .kepubs
3. Run kepubify on the calibre library folder
4. Batch rename the outputted .kepub.epub s into .kepub s (but keep the directory structure)
5. Merge the converted folder into the calibre library one
6. Start calibre again

I would do it this way, as as davidfor said, you can cheat and replace the books. Kepubify is also fastest when converting multiple books all at once. Also, this way needs the least scripting and is pretty simple.

But I have copied the book 'milibro.kepub' to kobo (without calibre) and does not recognize it. Ebooks ends '.kobo' are not into library. Why do you rename kepub.epub to .kepub?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Carmelocotonto

But I have copied the book 'milibro.kepub' to kobo (without calibre) and does not recognize it. Ebooks ends '.kobo' are not into library. Why do you rename kepub.epub to .kepub?

Using the double extension of ".kepub.epub" is a convention on the Kobo devices. I don't know of anything else that would recognize it (except maybe kepubify). Using it elsewhere is difficult as most OSes and applications are only looking at the actual extension when determining file type.

But, calibre doesn't actually have any restriction on the file type. You can add anything to the library and it will do most of the basic functions. That means that if you change the title or author in the metadata, the file will be renamed just as an epub will be. But, you cannot do things like convert the book, get metadata from it or update the metadata. For these functions, you need plugins. The plugins can be included in the base calibre, or user written plugins. For kepubs, the plugins needed to give full support have been created. And when they were created, the extension "kepub" was adopted. And the drivers know to rename the files when they are sent to Kobo devices.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by geek1011

I would suggest the following steps, for now (until I finish the plugin, which won't be for a bit):
1. Backup the calibre library (after closing calibre)
2. Delete all .kepubs
3. Run kepubify on the calibre library folder
4. Batch rename the outputted .kepub.epub s into .kepub s (but keep the directory structure)
5. Merge the converted folder into the calibre library one
6. Start calibre again

I would do it this way, as as davidfor said, you can cheat and replace the books. Kepubify is also fastest when converting multiple books all at once. Also, this way needs the least scripting and is pretty simple.

I have to admit I haven't run kepubify before, and I hadn't realised it would do the directory structure like that (I would have been lazy and just shoved them all in a single directory). Having just tested it, can I suggest two extra options? An in-place option so that the output is put in the same location as the input. And an option to use "kepub" as the extension. Those would simplify this task a lot (and the latter would be useful for your plugin).

[lealla]

Originally Posted by geek1011

I would suggest the following steps, for now (until I finish the plugin, which won't be for a bit):
1. Backup the calibre library (after closing calibre)
2. Delete all .kepubs
3. Run kepubify on the calibre library folder
4. Batch rename the outputted .kepub.epub s into .kepub s (but keep the directory structure)
5. Merge the converted folder into the calibre library one
6. Start calibre again

I would do it this way, as as davidfor said, you can cheat and replace the books. Kepubify is also fastest when converting multiple books all at once. Also, this way needs the least scripting and is pretty simple.

Thank you geek1011! That is exactly what I did and it not only worked like a charm, it was SO FAST! The conversion was quick, copying and merging the libraries - all of it was as seamless as I had hoped. Now, to copy them all to my kobo and enjoy proper page numbers again!

Thank you for your help, I am really looking forward to your plugin when it is ready, but until then, I'll be using kepubify to convert my books.