Plugboards not working with new Kindle

[nosmokingbandit]

I just upgraded to a new Kindle Basic and copied my library over. But it seems my plugboard setup isn't working.

any format:any device = ([{series:|| }{series_index:0>2s|[|] }{title}] -> title)

If I understand correctly this shouldn't care that my kindle device has changed. But when I sync a book like `Old Man's War` appears as `Old Man%27s War` on my kindle instead of `Old Man's War [01] Old Man's War`

I'm not sure where the percent-encoded apostrophe is coming from either, but that is less important than the plugboard just plain not doing anything.

[nosmokingbandit]

Bump?

Nobody knows how to fix Calibre?

[kovidgoyal]

plugboards wont work if the mobi files you are sending are joint mobi files (have both old and new formats inside them). Convert to azw3 and send those to be sure they are not.

[nosmokingbandit]

I converted them with kindlegen using the args `-dont_append_source` and `-c0`, which from what I understand should create a plain azw3.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by nosmokingbandit

I converted them with kindlegen using the args `-dont_append_source` and `-c0`, which from what I understand should create a plain azw3.

A Master MOBI created by kindlegen has three main components: old-style MOBI format, newer KF8/AZW3 format, and the original source file.

The -dont_append_source option eliminates only the last of these, leaving the other two. -c0 disables compression making the file larger.

[nosmokingbandit]

I'm not going to pretend I understand what any of that actually means. Calibre isn't doing what it is set up to do and isn't giving any kind of warnings or errors. How do I make it work again?

[Bookstooge]

Have you confirmed that you're actually sending an azw3 to the new kindle? Have you configured the device to accept azw3's and not mobi's?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by nosmokingbandit

I'm not going to pretend I understand what any of that actually means. Calibre isn't doing what it is set up to do and isn't giving any kind of warnings or errors. How do I make it work again?

Actually, calibre is doing what it was setup to do. Perhaps not what you thought you were setting it up to do but that's for a different discussion.

Next question is what version of calibre and what operating system are you using?

Have you tried generating a ebook file with only one format in it? Though that means you might want to use Kindle Previewer. KindleGen is a bit long in the tooth⁠—the last update I'm aware of was in 2014. You could try using calibre to convert your input file for kindlegen to mobi making sure the MOBI file type in the MOBI output is set to old or convert it to azw3 instead of using KindleGen.

BTW, here a sample from the end of logfile from kindlegen in verbose mode converting a fanfic set in David Weber's Honorverse. I didn't even remember that I had the executable left in backup.

Info(prcgen):I1041: The file format version is V8
Info(prcgen):I15000:  Approximate Standard Mobi Deliverable file size :   0000330KB
Info(prcgen):I15001:  Approximate KF8 Deliverable file size :   0000396KB
Info(prcgen):I1036: Mobi file built successfully

Please pay special attention to the second and third to last lines. Then go back and read kovidgoyal's response to you. Please note a mobi file with KF7/mobi and KF8/azw3 is referred to as a joint mobi.

[DNSB]

An alternative to converting with calibre is to use the KindleUnpack plugin to separate the mobi/KF7 and azw3/KF8 components. A bit messy but probably a cleaner result than a calibre conversion. See image for the result of splitting my test file.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by nosmokingbandit

I'm not going to pretend I understand what any of that actually means. Calibre isn't doing what it is set up to do and isn't giving any kind of warnings or errors. How do I make it work again?

Convert using calibre to azw3 why on earth are you converting using kindlegen.

[Quoth]

• Ancient Kindles (< 3.4,x firmware?) or devices that only take mobi, not epub: Use old Mobi. Though in a general sense font embedding doesn't work, the old mobi does support Serif, Sans and Monospace; all in normal, bold, italic and bold + italic, if the CSS is correct.
• Kindles with 3.4.x firmware or newer: Use AZW3 /KF8 (azw)
• Sharing copyright free content to people with unknown Kindle model, or publishing for Kindle on Smashwords: Dual Mobi (= old Mobi + the azw3 version of KF8). User has to pick Publisher in Aa or they get old Mobi. All the embedded fonts need to make sense and are ignored in non-kf8 mode. The actual font files need to be in the ebook. I've not found any Kindle where Dual Mobi doesn't work, but best avoided if you know what sort of Kindle is the destination.
• Any ereader, phone or tablet that can use epub OR uploading to Amazon KDP: Use epub2.
• Converting from ANYTHING not epub2 to anything: Convert to epub2 first.

If images are correctly sized for most 5" to 8" ereaders already then use "Tablet" as the profile, not the actual target device. There is CSS that allows display of images as a percentage of screen width.

[nosmokingbandit]

Originally Posted by Bookstooge

Have you confirmed that you're actually sending an azw3 to the new kindle? Have you configured the device to accept azw3's and not mobi's?

Yep, and the Jobs queue doesn't show any conversion taking place. Though if plugboards can fail silently this might also be failing silently.

Originally Posted by DNSB

An alternative to converting with calibre is to use the KindleUnpack plugin to separate the mobi/KF7 and azw3/KF8 components. A bit messy but probably a cleaner result than a calibre conversion. See image for the result of splitting my test file.

I'll check that out. I have a bash script that automates all of my conversion anyway so adding another step like this is trivial.

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Convert using calibre to azw3 why on earth are you converting using kindlegen.

Because Calibre likes to add unneccesary stuff to the conversion like duplicate TOCs at the end. The better question is why on earth would you allow the plugboards to fail silently? Users should never be left in the dark about why something didn't work as expected. When the criteria is any book on any device and it doesn't work there is some serious neglect taking place.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by nosmokingbandit

Because Calibre likes to add unneccesary stuff to the conversion like duplicate TOCs at the end. The better question is why on earth would you allow the plugboards to fail silently? Users should never be left in the dark about why something didn't work as expected. When the criteria is any book on any device and it doesn't work there is some serious neglect taking place.

Not if you have selected the proper option for the conversion: Convert> AZW3 output> (check box) "Do not add Table of Contents to book."

[kovidgoyal]

Because Calibre likes to add unneccesary stuff to the conversion like duplicate TOCs at the end. The better question is why on earth would you allow the plugboards to fail silently? Users should never be left in the dark about why something didn't work as expected. When the criteria is any book on any device and it doesn't work there is some serious neglect taking place.

Feel free to not use calibre in that case.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by nosmokingbandit

Because Calibre likes to add unneccesary stuff to the conversion like duplicate TOCs at the end. The better question is why on earth would you allow the plugboards to fail silently? Users should never be left in the dark about why something didn't work as expected. When the criteria is any book on any device and it doesn't work there is some serious neglect taking place.

Considering that when you were told that you can't do what you are trying with joint mobis, you still seem to want someone to tell you that you can? That you have not managed to give any reason as to why you seem to want to blame calibre for your apparent inability to understand your KindleGen generated mobis are joint mobis? That both the azw3 and mobi conversion output settings have the first setting of Do not add Table of Contents to book?

Have you ever restarted calibre in debug mode to see what the debug log shows?