Best way to move books purchased from Kobo into Calibre?

[TuxGirl]

Is it better to download them to the device and then sync them over to Calibre, or is there a good way to download them directly to the computer and then move them over. The computer is a Linux box, so Kobo desktop app is not an option.

Thanks!

[GeoffR]

I don't know if there is a best way, it is just a matter of what you prefer.

The way I do it is to download the book from the Kobo website to my Linux computer using the web browser, and then import it to Calibre. (For DRM books Adobe Digital Editions is needed for downloading: the web browser downloads an .ascm file and automatically opens ADE to download the book itself. Older versions of ADE run okay in Wine on Linux, I use version 1.7.2 but if you are downloading from Google Play or OverDrive then you'd need version 2.0.1)

I think the advantage of doing it that way is that it's the same method for Kobo books as for other retailers of DRM-free or Adobe DRM ePubs, and also I get the publisher's original ePub rather than Kobo's KePub version.

[Question Mark]

Originally Posted by TuxGirl

Is it better to download them to the device and then sync them over to Calibre, or is there a good way to download them directly to the computer and then move them over. The computer is a Linux box, so Kobo desktop app is not an option.

Thanks!

From the Kobo store, download any books you have purchased to your computer. That saves an ACSM file to your computer. Then open the ACSM file with Adobe Digital Editions. Close ADE. Then find the My Digital Editions program folder on your computer and copy the epub files over to Calibre.

That's the way I learned to do it. But perhaps there is an easier way.

[bearymore]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I don't know if there is a best way, it is just a matter of what you prefer.

The way I do it is to download the book from the Kobo website to my Linux computer using the web browser, and then import it to Calibre. (For DRM books Adobe Digital Editions is needed for downloading: the web browser downloads an .ascm file and automatically opens ADE to download the book itself. Older versions of ADE run okay in Wine on Linux, I use version 1.7.2 but if you are downloading from Google Play or OverDrive then you'd need version 2.0.1)

I think the advantage of doing it that way is that it's the same method for Kobo books as for other retailers of DRM-free or Adobe DRM ePubs, and also I get the publisher's original ePub rather than Kobo's KePub version.

I've got ADE 4.5 running almost perfectly under Codeweaver's latest Crossover version of Wine. What's the advantage of the epub as opposed to the kepub?

[chrisridd]

If you've got lots of books from Kobo then another good way is to use the Obok Calibre plugin, which is part of Apprentice Alf's tools. That is able to import every book - in one operation - from the Kobo Desktop app into Calibre.

So:

1. Install Kobo Desktop app
2. Run it and log in with your Kobo credentials. Wait for it to download your library.
3. Stop the Kobo Desktop app. Run Calibre.
4. Run the Obok plugin, select "all books". Add/import into Calibre.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

If you've got lots of books from Kobo then another good way is to use the Obok Calibre plugin, which is part of Apprentice Alf's tools. That is able to import every book - in one operation - from the Kobo Desktop app into Calibre.

She mentioned in her post that she's using Linux, so Kobo Desktop isn't an option.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by bearymore

What's the advantage of the epub as opposed to the kepub?

On your computer, an ePub is easy to edit using Calibre (or Sigil). That's handy if there's something in the formatting of a book that you'd like to change.

I only have ePubs on my PC and I have Calibre auto-convert them to kepubs when I send the books to my Kobo, using the Extended Driver.

I like how the Kobo handles kepub better than ePub. But I don't need to keep them on my PC.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I only have ePubs on my PC and I have Calibre auto-convert them to kepubs when I send the books to my Kobo, using the Extended Driver.

This is what I do as well.

[MGlitch]

I could be mistaken but I think any kepub free of DRM would be editable in sigil as well.

I'd test this out but I'm away from my computer for a little over a week so chances are someone can either confirm or correct my statement

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by bearymore

I've got ADE 4.5 running almost perfectly under Codeweaver's latest Crossover version of Wine.

Good to know that is possible, thanks. I am not likely to upgrade past 2.0.1 unless/until it becomes necessary though, just in case some retailer I buy from ever decides to switch over to the hardened DRM.

What's the advantage of the epub as opposed to the kepub?

It is not a big thing, since KePubs are just ePubs with some extra stuff added by Kobo they can be read in Calibre or any ePub reader (one DRM has been removed) and it seems to be possible to remove the stuff added by Kobo to get back close to the publisher's original ePub by using the Modify ePub plugin.

But I'd still prefer just to start with the original ePub that hasn't been through the process of conversion to KePub and back, just because it is simpler and eliminates one possible source of problems. Since KePub is Kobo's proprietary creation they can change the method they use at any time and so there is no way to be sure something hasn't been lost in the conversion without downloading the original ePub version for comparison anyway.

(I know some self-published books don't actually have an original ePub version because the author just uploaded a Word doc, and Kobo created both the ePub and KePub versions from that.)

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I could be mistaken but I think any kepub free of DRM would be editable in sigil as well.

I'd test this out but I'm away from my computer for a little over a week so chances are someone can either confirm or correct my statement

Yes you can edit them with Sigil, Calibre or anything else that can edit an ordinary ePub. But the KePub will have a lot of extra markup that makes it very messy inside compared to most ordinary ePubs, so it is probably easier to remove all the extra Kobo stuff (effectively converting it back to plain ePub) before editing.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

Yes you can edit them with Sigil, Calibre or anything else that can edit an ordinary ePub. But the KePub will have a lot of extra markup that makes it very messy inside compared to most ordinary ePubs, so it is probably easier to remove all the extra Kobo stuff (effectively converting it back to plain ePub) before editing.

^That. Just because you can edit kepub with Sigil doesn't make it preferable. Kepubs in Sigil are a mess.

[helour]

Latest Kobo Desktop (4.3.7007) on wine-1.8 works well.

BTW @bearymore: How often do I have buy new version of CrossOver? Can I run older CrossOver on the new Kernel?

Thx.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by TuxGirl

Is it better to download them to the device and then sync them over to Calibre, or is there a good way to download them directly to the computer and then move them over. The computer is a Linux box, so Kobo desktop app is not an option.

Thanks!

You might be able to run ADE 2.0.1 under Wine, but it's a hassle to get it working if you can. If you cannot get ADE 2.0.1 running, you are best dual-booting Windows or running Windows in a V. Then you can easily run ADE 2.0.1. You download your ePub as ePub and with the DRM removal plugin for Calibre, you can remove any DRM.

[petercreasey]

Originally Posted by Question Mark

From the Kobo store, download any books you have purchased to your computer. That saves an ACSM file to your computer. Then open the ACSM file with Adobe Digital Editions. Close ADE. Then find the My Digital Editions program folder on your computer and copy the epub files over to Calibre.

Q, when I tried to do this, Calibre says it can't open it or convert due to the DRM.

What do I need to do?

Thanks!