How add a simple cover to a custom news source?

[cptnemo]

Hello,

Sorry but I have tried hard following different indications in the forum to add to my custom recipes a simple cover image, different from the one produced by Calibre.

Could anyone provide me with an easy to copy and paste solutions to add a cover?

I tried to add this in the "Advanced Mode" box:

def get_cover_url(self):
cover_url = "actual url"
return cover_url

but Calibre gives me an error message.

Should I add something else?

Thanks!

[tylau0]

I don't see why your code snipplet doesn't work. But did not properly indent your code as follows?

class YourRecipe(BasicNewsRecipe):
    ...
    def get_cover_url(self):
        cover_url = "actual url"
        return cover_url
    ....

Also, it could be useful to figure out the error message by running the ebook-convert command-line program installed with Calibre. Details are here.

[cptnemo]

Thanks tylau0!

Now it is working...

[Hodgy]

What would I type for "actual url" if I want to use a local image file? I know I need to use the whole path, but what goes before this? Thanks.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Hodgy

What would I type for "actual url" if I want to use a local image file? I know I need to use the whole path, but what goes before this? Thanks.

file:// <path>

see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unifor...rce_Identifier

[Hodgy]

I'm still failing to get news recipe to download a cover. I have looked at similar problems on this forum and have tried:

1. adding the above code with the suggested line formatting:
def get_cover_url(self):
cover_url = "file///link/to/picture.png"
return cover_url

2. I inserted this line into the recipe in the 'class' section:
cover_url = 'file:///home/ian/Downloads/aljazeera.png'

In the job log I just see this entry at the bottom:
The cover image has an id != "cover". Renaming to work around bug in Nook Color

Does anyone have any helpful pointers? Thanks.

[kovidgoyal]

You want

    def get_cover_url(self):
         return 'file:///home/ian/whatever.jpg'

You are missing the colon

[unkn0wn]

Originally Posted by Hodgy

I'm still failing to get news recipe to download a cover. I have looked at similar problems on this forum and have tried:

1. adding the above code with the suggested line formatting:
def get_cover_url(self):
cover_url = "file///link/to/picture.png"
return cover_url

2. I inserted this line into the recipe in the 'class' section:
cover_url = 'file:///home/ian/Downloads/aljazeera.png'

In the job log I just see this entry at the bottom:
The cover image has an id != "cover". Renaming to work around bug in Nook Color

Does anyone have any helpful pointers? Thanks.

Why all this when you can just edit metadata and add the cover image after the file is created. As you are already pointing it to a file on your disk.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by unkn0wn

Why all this when you can just edit metadata and add the cover image after the file is created. As you are already pointing it to a file on your disk.

recipes are commonly used with automated delivery.
There is no post fetch EDIT

[GuillermoKindle]

@kovidgoyal Thanks ! I've finally added a custom cover, can I stamp a date in my custom covers just as Calibre does when it generates a default cover?

[kovidgoyal]

You need to generate the cover programitcally in that case, how you do it depends on what exactly you want to do. your best bet would be to use a tool like imagemagick to do it. If you want to do it using calibre then look at the various functions at the bottom of the ebooks/covers.py file in the calibre source code.