DRM workaround: Kindle for Android

[RustyHill]

[QUOTE=ownedbycats;4299474]If you are affected by the changes to Kindle downloads and yet don't have a Kindle device, there's now another solution: Kindle for Android.

You don't need an Android device, thanks to Bluestacks.

Just to update this, I've been looking at this method and as of Feb 28th it seems Amazon have stopped it working. I've been using:

BlueStack 5.10.230.1003.N32
Kindle for Android 8.51.1.0 (1.3.272119.0)

Both are 'latest' as of this date.

Bluestacks and Kindle work fine but...

1) the adb method does indeed extract a small (47byte) file but it is not accepted by the DRM plugin in Calibre and seems a mix of ASCI and binary Char$ - so not a proper key.

2) Amazon seem to have altered the Kindle working directory structure so even on a rooted BlueStacks, there no longer seems to be the database file which DDRM could also read.

It is possible to extract PRC files from this setup, but apart from the covers (!) they too appear encrypted.

Anyone got any more clues? Ah! just seen the msg about adb backup -all - I'll try that & revert.

[ownedbycats]

I specifically said to use an older version of Kindle for Android. The newer ones have disabled backup and likely only download KFX.

[jhowell]

It might be a good idea to make the instructions in a the first post more specific. Install BlueStacks, install the specific Kindle apk version inside BlueStacks, launch the app, sign in with your Amazon account, etc.

[RustyHill]

Thanks for that - OK, I got it working with the 'latest' version of Kindle 8.51 etc. The solution was to use the BSTweaker file manager which was a new one to me. I then copied the map_data_storage.db file (which I could not see using BlueStacks own file manager even when rooted), imported that into the Calibre DDRM plugin, which it happily swallowed, and then copied the downloaded PRC file also into Calibre and voila! A readable and exportable book!

Thanks to all who helped with this.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by RustyHill

…and then copied the downloaded PRC file also into Calibre and voila! A readable and exportable book!

That is interesting. Either you are very lucky that your book is one of the relatively few that are not available in KFX format or something about running the app within BlueStacks had an affect on the delivery format.

Would you mind sharing the ASIN of the book or letting us know whether the listing for it on Amazon says that Enhanced Typesetting is supported?

[RustyHill]

[QUOTE=jhowell;
Would you mind sharing the ASIN of the book or letting us know whether the listing for it on Amazon says that Enhanced Typesetting is supported?[/QUOTE]

It seems to work with at least two I've purchased:


ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BVBYVKMQ
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 31250 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 161 pages



ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B18XF9ZT
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1999 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 431 pages

I'll do some more investigations later today & revert.

[RustyHill]

Update:

I've tried this method with some other books from my Kindle library, some v old, some a few days old and a couple of KU (I appreciate the ethics of messing with KU and don't support it but wondered if it would work.) All worked fine, giving a PRC which Calibre DDRMd OK. I then batch converted to Epub for archiving, which also produced readable books.

[Until Az change the crypt routines again...]

OOI, I also did a clean install on a new PC of BS 5.10.250.2003 x64 rooted it via the config, and then used BST 6.9.2 beta (same as I used on the Dev platform) but the file manager could not 'see' the Android file system, despite RootCheck confirming it was rooted.

I'll try an older version of BS later & revert. Anyone else seen this behaviour?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by RustyHill

I'll try an older version of BS later & revert. Anyone else seen this behaviour?

Only thing I seen, the 4.16 Kindle app does not like the BS Android 11 beta. I could only sign into my account with Pie and Nougat. I only extracted the key out of nougat, didn't test if pie works. Now that it is working under Nougat 64bit with Kindle 4.16, I will not change a thing, neither update BS or Kindle.

[RustyHill]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

.....I will not change a thing, neither update BS or Kindle.

Sound advice!

I got it working in the end on a clean W10 box, (real not VM) and it seemed to me the issue was with the x64 HyperV aware version of BS blocking BS Tweaker file manager access - hence the red 'paperclip' logo instead of a green one. So switch off HyperV support, reboot, reinstall BS x32 Nougat, root BS, install Kindle app and it works. I actually used 8.26.0.100 (1.2.215016.0) this time so a slightly older version than I used on my Dev box y'day. Both work fine.

So that's BlueStacks 5.10.10.1013 N32 running on W10 x64 and with Tweaker 6 (6.9.2) beta. Kindle app is 8.6.0.100(1.3.215016.0) Calibre is 6.13.0 and DeDRM is 10.0.3

Downloaded books can be found in /sdcard/Android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files/B***

Key is found in /data/data/com.amazon.kindle/databases

Export the key using Tweaker file manager, import into Calibre with DDRM and then import your book in the same way. Convert to Epub for long term archive!

Enjoy!

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Only thing I seen, the 4.16 Kindle app does not like the BS Android 11 beta.

I had no problem with the Boox Tab Ultra - Android 11

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by ottischwenk

I had no problem with the Boox Tab Ultra - Android 11

I am sure my issue wasn't Android 11 related, but the specific combination of BlueStacks running Android 11 as a beta version, and the specific version of Kindle for Android i tried, which was mentioned in first post. The goal here is not to find all possible permutations of what works, but a common denominator that works for almost everybody. A Boox costs alot of money just to remove DRM.

[ottischwenk]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

A Boox costs alot of money just to remove DRM.

Of course, but now I have this device.
And that's why I tried it with it.

[hirogaku]

Hi guys is there a similar process that helps to convert a newly published book on a mac? I will delete the message from here, if it's a wrong place to publish such request, it's the only thread i could find that would discuss this kind of workaround.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by hirogaku

Hi guys is there a similar process that helps to convert a newly published book on a mac? I will delete the message from here, if it's a wrong place to publish such request, it's the only thread i could find that would discuss this kind of workaround.

BlueStacks is available for Mac. Instructions to set up adb.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by hirogaku

Hi guys is there a similar process that helps to convert a newly published book on a mac? I will delete the message from here, if it's a wrong place to publish such request, it's the only thread i could find that would discuss this kind of workaround.

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

BlueStacks is available for Mac. Instructions to set up adb.

If you got it working, please let us know exactly which version of BlueStacks and Kindle app you used in the mac. This way the first post can be updated to include that info. It should be the same, but nothing is guaranteed until someone tests it.