Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Gatesway

I purchased the book on Amazon, and then downloaded it to my Mac from my content library in the Amazon website. I did link my Kindle in the process.

And which Kindle? A Fire?

[Gatesway]

Yes. The device is a Kindle Fire.

I'm guessing that is the issue?

[Gatesway]

However, I do have a Kobo Libra color eReader that I just got....and was contemplating returning.

Would this help?

[Mike.Connors]

Originally Posted by jhowell

If you have a renderer-test file in the Kindle for PC application folder then it is left over from when a previous version of the program was installed and it is unused now. Changing or deleting it will have no effect on anything.

Thank you.

[lkmiller]

@Gatesway
The "download & transfer" method only works for books for E-ink Kindles and that book isn't available for E-ink Kindles even if you have one. Try a copy from Kindle for Mac. See method 2 in the first post for details.

[Mike.Connors]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Amazon's version numbering scheme for this app is complicated and inconsistent.

The full version number of a Kindle for PC software release has four components (major, minor, very minor, and build) expressed as "a.b.c (d)". For example "2.4.0 (70904)" or "2.4.1 (70946)". The build number is required to uniquely identify an app version because Amazon releases multiple beta versions with the same "a.b.c" numbers.

Complicating things, the file name used for downloading and installing the program only has three of those components: KindleForPC-installer-a.b.d.exe. For example "KindleForPC-installer-2.4.70904.exe".



You should download version "2.4.0 (70904)" which has the file name "KindleForPC-installer-2.4.70904.exe".

Ooof. Most everyting you took time to explain to me is clearly written at the beginning of Method 2 at the start of the thread. I don't know how I missed it. Appreciate the duplicate effort and apologize for generating it at the same time.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Gatesway

Yes. The device is a Kindle Fire.

I'm guessing that is the issue?

What version of the Kindle for Mac app are you using? You may want to check the first message in this thread and check through Method 2: Kindle for PC/Mac. Unless you have the classic Kindle for Mac 1.40(?), you will not be able to import the files. OTOH, the new K4Mac versions should only be downloading KFX.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jhowell

It sounds like you are unsure about that. How did you obtain this file?

The eBook is available for the following devices. An eInk Kindle is not one of them.

Kindle Fire Tablets
Fire HD 8 (8th Generation)
Fire 7 (9th Generation)
Fire HD 10 (9th Generation)
Fire HD 8 (10th Generation)
Fire HD 10 (11th Generation)
Fire HD 10 Plus
Fire 7 (12th Generation)
Fire HD 8 (12th Generation)
Fire HD 8 Plus

Free Kindle Reading Apps
Kindle for Web
Kindle for Android
Kindle for Android Tablets
Kindle for iPhone
Kindle for iPad
Kindle for PC

[odamizu]

Nevermind. @Gatesway decided to give up.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Mike.Connors

Apologies in advance for what are probably more basic questions I should already know the answers to. It has been awhile since I've used Calibre and I'm just learning of the recent changes by Amazon requiring changes in the way Calibre is used.

In the past, I have been using an older version of KFPC because it worked for me. One of those steps required me to rename the renderer-test.exe file in the application to renderer-text.xxx. I cannot recall specifically why I did this even after reading my own detailed notes. Anyway, I was successful with many books using the old KFPC and the old methods with an older version of Calibre.

Now, I have a new book, a new version of KFPC (2.2.0) and the current version of Calibre. Out of habit, I guess, I renamed the renderer file as I had been doing and then delivered my new book to KFPC. I have 3 questions...

1. Did the renderer file still need to be renamed?
2. If no, is the fact that I did rename it before delivering my new book going to prevent me from successfully using Calibre to do what it does?
3. If no, is it really as simple as what it says in Method 2 at the top of this thread in that all I have to do is import the .azw file into Calibre to let it do what it does?

Yes, I have the 10.0.9 D***M and 2.15.0 KFK Input plugins already loaded in Calibre.

Thank you.

I believe renaming of renderer.exe was to prevent download of KFX. I don't know if that's still possible with 2.2 as I've never used it.

I didn't start using K4PC for decoding until 2.4.0, and I did not do any renaming, and it works fine. I want KFX in most cases as I'm dealing with print replica or fixed layout content.

My usual workflow is to download AZW3 from Content page, but that does not work for print replica, and I've found converting AZW3 to ePub for fixed layout books is tricky: calibre doesn't support it and KindleUnpack can have issues too. But converting from KFX always seems to work well.

[Lief]

Originally Posted by tomsem

and I've found converting AZW3 to ePub for fixed layout books is tricky: calibre doesn't support it and KindleUnpack can have issues too. But converting from KFX always seems to work well.

For that I just convert it to zip to get the original images (at least for manga and comics, not sure if it works for other things) and I use Epub Manga Creator
https://wing-kai.github.io/epub-manga-creator/
to rebuild the fixed layout ePub from scratch.
It create the best standard fixed layout ePub.
But you are right, KFX conversion to ePub is easier even for fixed layout it just require calibre cli

(PS. for those that would like to try the command is:
calibre-debug -r "KFX Input" -- -e "file.kfx" "newfile.epub"
)

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by Lief

But you are right, KFX conversion to ePub is easier even for fixed layout it just require calibre cli

Or the 'From KFX' GUI toolbar entry that comes with the KFX Input plugin.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Lief

For that I just convert it to zip to get the original images (at least for manga and comics, not sure if it works for other things) and I use Epub Manga Creator
https://wing-kai.github.io/epub-manga-creator/
to rebuild the fixed layout ePub from scratch.
It create the best standard fixed layout ePub.
But you are right, KFX conversion to ePub is easier even for fixed layout it just require calibre cli

(PS. for those that would like to try the command is:
calibre-debug -r "KFX Input" -- -e "file.kfx" "newfile.epub"
)

Thanks. I've never really understood what convert to ZIP is for, at least I see there is a use case for it.

I am getting a bit weary that there seem to be so many ways to get a good fixed layout ePub, where one would do. I'd like it to be calibre itself, but at least so far, KFX is winning for me.

I've used KindleUnpack to get image files, however, the images typically need to be renumbered, because AZW3 image files, when sorted, do not follow reading order sequence, and tools that rely on sort order won't work. Convert to ZIP does do that. One can also convert to (throwaway) ePub, which numbers them in 'spine' order, and export images with calibre Edit Book.

But all this unnecessary with KFX workflow, so I hope Amazon doesn't pull the plug on Kindle for Windows 4.2.0 any time soon, it is the only way of getting KFX for this content as far as I can tell (I can import from a Kindle but these have no color images).

One annoyance I have is that publishers are too lazy to create a functional ToC even where the typical 200 p comic/manga has chapters.

KFX workflow does not solve that problem, and since KFX is not editable, I have found myself re-creating one that does have a ToC (with Kindle Create) before converting to other formats. It's a lot of work, especially if you want the resulting KFX to have panel view like the original. Kindle Create's Automatic generation of panels does not work very well; where is ML when you need it?

So I'm probably going to embrace imperfection, and do without the ToC that I think should be there.

[Lief]

Originally Posted by tomsem

KFX workflow does not solve that problem, and since KFX is not editable, I have found myself re-creating one that does have a ToC (with Kindle Create) before converting to other formats. It's a lot of work, especially if you want the resulting KFX to have panel view like the original. Kindle Create's Automatic generation of panels does not work very well; where is ML when you need it?

So I'm probably going to embrace imperfection, and do without the ToC that I think should be there.

Try Epub Manga Creator is just better than Kindle Create, it is also easy to create the ToC.
Of course only if you are not using KFX.

[Gatesway]

Originally Posted by DNSB

What version of the Kindle for Mac app are you using? You may want to check the first message in this thread and check through Method 2: Kindle for PC/Mac. Unless you have the classic Kindle for Mac 1.40(?), you will not be able to import the files. OTOH, the new K4Mac versions should only be downloading KFX.

I'm using Kindle for the Mac version 7.17.1 currently. Last week, I did a group conversion of all of my books (290) and every one of the converted to EPUB perfectly. Since then, I purchased the book (that I'm having issues with) that is AWZ4 and can't get it converted. I've spent a bunch of time and I'm about ready to move on.

Thank you all for your help!