Clara or Paperwhite 4

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

On Kobo do you use ePub or kepub? I'm asking because I've never seen that, but I only use kepub on my Kobo.

Mostly ePub. Even when I buy a book on Kobo, I often customize the font and margins, which changes the KePub into an ePub. I don't think the ePub to KePub Calibre plugin works on Linux. (Maybe I'm wrong on that?) Never saw much reason to use it, even if it did work. But I'm probably missing something.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

...I don't think the ePub to KePub Calibre plugin works on Linux. (Maybe I'm wrong on that?)

I thought Calibre was pretty platform agnostic. I'm using an old netbook with a 32GB hard drive that can no longer update (not enough space), but Windows 10 keeps nagging me. I was considering just putting Ubuntu on it, since all I do is browse, email and mess with Calibre and Sigil.

Now you have me reconsidering...

Never saw much reason to use it, even if it did work. But I'm probably missing something.

I started using kepub because I read a lot on breaks at work and the page count by chapter helped me know if I could read another chapter or not.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Mostly ePub. Even when I buy a book on Kobo, I often customize the font and margins, which changes the KePub into an ePub. I don't think the ePub to KePub Calibre plugin works on Linux. (Maybe I'm wrong on that?)

Yes, you are wrong on that. It only uses calibre functions, or straight Python, so there are no dependencies on the OS.

[HLS]

After buying a kobo I find I like my kindles a tad better. you can rent library books on both but easier on a kobo device. Kindle you have to go to a pc on kobo you do it right on the device

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I thought Calibre was pretty platform agnostic. I'm using an old netbook with a 32GB hard drive that can no longer update (not enough space), but Windows 10 keeps nagging me. I was considering just putting Ubuntu on it, since all I do is browse, email and mess with Calibre and Sigil.

Now you have me reconsidering...

Originally Posted by davidfor

Yes, you are wrong on that. It only uses calibre functions, or straight Python, so there are no dependencies on the OS.

It looks like I was wrong on this (I've never wanted to change ePub to KePub, so I admit I'm ignorant on this). I got the Obok plugin installed without issue under Linux, but I don't think that changes ePubs to KePubs, does it? But, I think I'm thinking of the stand-alone program ... can't remember its name right now. Maybe that's what didn't work on Linux. Sorry, ZodWallop for misleading you.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

It looks like I was wrong on this (I've never wanted to change ePub to KePub, so I admit I'm ignorant on this). I got the Obok plugin installed without issue under Linux, but I don't think that changes ePubs to KePubs, does it? But, I think I'm thinking of the stand-alone program ... can't remember its name right now. Maybe that's what didn't work on Linux. Sorry, ZodWallop for misleading you.

It's the Kobo Touch Extended(I think that's the name? I'm not at home right now to confirm) that converts ePub to kepub when sending books from Calibre to Kobo. On my PC, I leave all my books as ePub.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Mostly ePub. Even when I buy a book on Kobo, I often customize the font and margins, which changes the KePub into an ePub. I don't think the ePub to KePub Calibre plugin works on Linux. (Maybe I'm wrong on that?) Never saw much reason to use it, even if it did work. But I'm probably missing something.

As far as I can tell, my Linux VM runs the KoboTouchExtended driver which converts epub to kepub on the fly without issue.

Edit: just tried the calibre kepub output plugin and geek1011's kepubify standalone program and no issues with either that I did not also have under Windows on the half dozen books I used for testing.

The VM is running OpenSUSE Tumbleweed with it's latest updates of the day.

Edit2: I don't normally use kepub on my Kobos.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

It looks like I was wrong on this (I've never wanted to change ePub to KePub, so I admit I'm ignorant on this). I got the Obok plugin installed without issue under Linux, but I don't think that changes ePubs to KePubs, does it?

The Obok plugin removes Kobo's proprietary DRM. It does not do any modifications to the internals of the epub. If you open the imported file with an editor, the mass of spans added as part of the kepub creation are still there.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Edit: just tried the calibre kepub output plugin and geek1011's kepubify standalone program and no issues with either that I did not also have under Windows on the half dozen books I used for testing.
...
Edit2: I don't normally use kepub on my Kobos.

Okay, I might have to take a look at it. But ...

Originally Posted by DNSB

The Obok plugin removes Kobo's proprietary DRM. It does not do any modifications to the internals of the epub. If you open the imported file with an editor, the mass of spans added as part of the kepub creation are still there.

Does this mean that the ePubs that Obok produces are actually KePubs? But, unless I'm mistaken (very possible), these de-DRMed KePubs work like ePubs on the Kobos, don't they?

I guess I need to look into this a little more. Once I convert the former KePubs to the margins and font I like I was happy just using them that way because they didn't have a header (which I didn't like). Now, with the new firmware, it doesn't matter.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Once I convert the former KePubs to the margins and font I like I was happy just using them that way because they didn't have a header (which I didn't like). Now, with the new firmware, it doesn't matter.

Out of curiosity, why do you adjust the margins and fonts and what do you adjust them to? Is it something beyond what Kobo allows in the settings?

I convert all of my books because I buy them from Amazon. I always go through them with Sigil, because sometimes the text isn't justified or the table of contents isn't good enough.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Does this mean that the ePubs that Obok produces are actually KePubs? But, unless I'm mistaken (very possible), these de-DRMed KePubs work like ePubs on the Kobos, don't they?

Structurally, a kepub is an epub. Assuming no DRM, any kepub should open fine in any epub viewer. And, any epub should open fine in the kepub viewer on a Kobo device. But, the kepub viewer expects certain things in the book code to work properly (eg. spans for navigation, all internal files in ToC) and can treat some code differently or uses different defaults (eg. ignores widows and orphans).

For sideloaded books on a Kobo device, it is simply whether the extension is ".epub" or ".kepub.epub" whether it is treated as an epub or kepub.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Out of curiosity, why do you adjust the margins and fonts and what do you adjust them to? Is it something beyond what Kobo allows in the settings?

I convert all of my books because I buy them from Amazon. I always go through them with Sigil, because sometimes the text isn't justified or the table of contents isn't good enough.

I convert them for three reasons. First, I want to be able to read my books (even then ones I buy from Kobo) on my my other ePub eReaders (Sonys, Tolinos, Nooks and assorted too many). Second I like a particular font and particular margins and, if I make the changes in Calibre, every one of my books comes up just the way I want them in any eReader I'm using. And third, sometimes the publisher's formatting is really lousy (I especially hate spaces between paragraphs in fiction, especially when there's a lot of dialogue), so I fix that.

I don't know how to use Sigil. I tried it once and it seemed like a really complicated application. But I understand it is a very powerful eBook editor. That said, for now Calibre seems to do what I need. (Not that I won't try to learn Sigil somewhere down the line. Right now I'm learning AsciiDoc (and AsciiDoctor) and I'm impressed. Very easy to make ePubs with it.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by rcentros

...if I make the changes in Calibre, every one of my books comes up just the way I want them in any eReader I'm using.

That makes sense. I also hop between a couple of readers, but on the Nook I just make due with the built in settings and Georgia as the font. Whatever complaints I have about Nooks, I think they do a fine job rendering books.

Originally Posted by rcentros

I don't know how to use Sigil. I tried it once and it seemed like a really complicated application. But I understand it is a very powerful eBook editor. That said, for now Calibre seems to do what I need.

From what I remember, the book editor in Calibre basically was Sigil, just rendered a little differently. I haven't used the Calibre editor in a long time, so my memories are a little fuzzy.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by davidfor

For sideloaded books on a Kobo device, it is simply whether the extension is ".epub" or ".kepub.epub" whether it is treated as an epub or kepub.

I didn't know that. I think I'll experiment a little with this. I don't know how I missed this post yesterday. Thanks.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

From what I remember, the book editor in Calibre basically was Sigil, just rendered a little differently. I haven't used the Calibre editor in a long time, so my memories are a little fuzzy.

No, the calibre ebook editor is a completely separate entity. It was started when it looked like Sigil was being abandoned. Kovid's intention was to get it on par with the Sigil function and then see what else he wanted to do. It is quite different. Replacing Sigil might have been a starting point, but the similarities are just as much "that's how editors work" as comparing to Sigil.