This post is for Kindle and Cybook users

[amalthia]

for a long time Sony users were able to use the program Calibre to manage our ebook library, and convert LIT, Mobi, html, rtf/word documents into LRF or Epub. It's a GREAT program. I use it all the time.

Now Kindle and Cybook users can use Calibre too. I checked the changelog for the newest version. http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/wiki/Changelog and it appears that they've added Kindle and Cybook detection and the ability to convert files to mobi. (I'm sure the first version will probably have bugs but what I'm going to test tonight is batch convert and see if I can make mulitple mobipocket files)

I'm rather excited about this development. :)

Comments

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Okay, so I downloaded it and I can't see a way to convert a file to a mobi file. Where is the command line?

[amalthia]

I haven't had the chance to test this yet. I'm still at work. :(

but I have one time used the command prompt to do a LRF2LRF in order to change the margins.

you have to use the command line it should be any2mobi.

so from the command prompt i normally move the story I wanted converted into the C: drive to make things easier for me.

I type in any2mobi thefilename and hit enter.

http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/user_manual/cli/any2mobi.html

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah, when you said command line, I was thinking inside the program, not the *windows command line*. But I figured it out.

And it did work. I used an rtf file and created a *.mobi file which I loaded manually (which is the only way to load them as far as I can tell) and could read it. So, yay!

This is actually easier than mobipocket creator.

[amalthia]

Once the bugs are worked out (like the program not liking html) I think they'll add it to the graphic interface. :) I don't think many people know how to use the command line and to be honest I can use it I'm just not as comfortable with it.

And yes Calibre is so much easier than Mobipocket creator. I looked at Creator and I think my eyes kind of went crosseyed. :)

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

I've been playing with it. It likes simple html all right and simple rtf, but anything fancy doesn't work as well.

I have a story I just tried to code and it couldn't deal with the different fonts and colors. I got one long file of text without breaks at all.

[amalthia]

I get the feeling it's going to take a few more versions before the kinks in this mobi conversion are worked out it took about 10 versions before epub got better. but the good news is that the program now supports mobi. :) I never thought I'd see that happen.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I think it may hang on bigger files, too. I've just tried to create a file that was just under a meg. It's still either processing it, or it's hung. Still, it's so easy to use.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Okay, I was wrong. It did convert the big rtf file, but it took about 7-8 minutes.

[amalthia]

Well it's a start... I was hoping it would be less buggy though. It shouldn't take 7-8 minutes to convert. How did the mobi version come out though?

I wanted to test it with files that have a table of contents and images and see how that goes.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Yes, it did come out eventually. And it took about 7-8 minutes. I commented on my post after it finally finished. The smaller files were very quick.

p.s.

[amalthia]

to use this feature you have to use the command line. Not sure if you need python installed or not though? I had python installed some time ago to use mobidedrm.

Re: p.s.

[meri-oddities.livejournal.com]

Python is not required. I just went to the directory where the file was and typed any2mobi [file name] and it took a second or two, and then it was there. It does not like fancy html, however.