"Best" DRM format for conversion?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by JeffElkins

Only once When you have a keys.txt Convertlit works under Linux to remove DRM from .lit

However, you can not buy/download a LIT file unless you use Windows/IE.

BOb

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bmwvan

My most gracious thanks to all of you who have helped me. After an hour or so arguing with Microsoft, I was able to get my key installed (thanks to Harry and all for that tip) and have been able to take two DRM5 books and convert them to lrf. Long live the forum!

Van

What was it you needed to do in order to get MS Reader to once again read DRMed eBooks? Mine acts the same way yours does. But I managed to get my key before that happened so I'm ok. But if I ever want to sort it...

[angelaruk]

Help! I bought a .lit book (from Fictionwise) tried to run clit on it and ended up with a folder full of html and jpg files - no one single file that I could run through calibre to convert to lrf. I don't understand as I thought I had done exactly what I have done with the two or three lit books that I previously bought. I'm new to all this and not particularly technical so a plain English explanation of what you think I might have done wrong would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by angelaruk

Help! I bought a .lit book (from Fictionwise) tried to run clit on it and ended up with a folder full of html and jpg files - no one single file that I could run through calibre to convert to lrf.

ConvertLIT does two things, Downconvert (crack the DRM, but leave as a LIT) and Extract (pull all the files out of the LIT). You have managed to do both, but you only need do the first because Calibre will do the rest once you have a DRM-free LIT.

[angelaruk]

Ok thanks, but I don't seem to have any choices for what clit does - I have a clit.exe file in the folder and when I open that it gives me the option to choose a book then it just goes ahead and does its thing - am I missing something obvious?

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by angelaruk

am I missing something obvious?

Google/"I'm feeling lucky" for "ConvertLIT GUI"

[angelaruk]

Perfect solution - thanks so much!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by angelaruk

Ok thanks, but I don't seem to have any choices for what clit does - I have a clit.exe file in the folder and when I open that it gives me the option to choose a book then it just goes ahead and does its thing - am I missing something obvious?

If you type clit without any parameters it will give you some help.

BOb

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by angelaruk

Ok thanks, but I don't seem to have any choices for what clit does - I have a clit.exe file in the folder and when I open that it gives me the option to choose a book then it just goes ahead and does its thing - am I missing something obvious?

With one parameter it "explodes" the book to its OEB source. If, however, you give it a 2nd parameter (also the name of a LIT file) it will create a DRM-free LIT file rather than explode the file.

[Gravitas]

Originally Posted by angelaruk

Ok thanks, but I don't seem to have any choices for what clit does - I have a clit.exe file in the folder and when I open that it gives me the option to choose a book then it just goes ahead and does its thing - am I missing something obvious?

I was doing the same thing - if you just click the clit.exe file in wondows you get no options and it does the exploded conversion thing.

You need to run it from a command line. Lots of people have grown up with windows and may not have used a command line, but it's pretty straight forward.

shout up if you need help with it and I'm sure you'll receive plenty

[MarciaCat]

Originally Posted by Gravitas

I was doing the same thing - if you just click the clit.exe file in wondows you get no options and it does the exploded conversion thing.

You need to run it from a command line. Lots of people have grown up with windows and may not have used a command line, but it's pretty straight forward.

shout up if you need help with it and I'm sure you'll receive plenty

I'm shouting out! I always do the 'exploding' version but I'd like to do the 'command line' version.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by MarciaCat

I'm shouting out! I always do the 'exploding' version but I'd like to do the 'command line' version.

As gwynevans said, it may be easiest to use the GUI version (google for ConvertLIT GUI).

To, instead, use the command line version, first copy clit.exe and keys.txt to your directory of LIT files. Then open a command window (START > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt) or (START > Run > type in cmd). In the resulting command window:

cd dirpath
clit

The full "dirpath" starts with a capital letter, e.g. C:\, and I usually get it by copying and pasting from the Address header of a windows open on that directory (in this case the LIT directory). Using the ConvertLIT command without arguments, as above, gives you a usage message. This should be enough to get you going (you want the downconvert option). Don't forget to put filenames with spaces in them within quotes.

It is possible that you don't need to copy clit.exe and keys.txt to the local directory, but the above definitely works.

[JSWolf]

The best way to explode a LIT file is to use ConvertLIT to remove the DRM and then use lit2oeb to explode it to it's component parts. Supposedly, ConvertLIT has a few bugs that cause it to not work on some malformed LIT files. Lit2oeb fixes these bugs. Lit2oeb is part of Calibre.

[RWood]

clit also produces an opf file that is used by Mobipocket creator to produce Mobi format books and also seems to be used by calibre to pull together all of the component pieces for creating a great looking lrf file.

[MarciaCat]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

As gwynevans said, it may be easiest to use the GUI version (google for ConvertLIT GUI).

To, instead, use the command line version, first copy clit.exe and keys.txt to your directory of LIT files. Then open a command window (START > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt) or (START > Run > type in cmd). In the resulting command window:

cd dirpath
clit

The full "dirpath" starts with a capital letter, e.g. C:\, and I usually get it by copying and pasting from the Address header of a windows open on that directory (in this case the LIT directory). Using the ConvertLIT command without arguments, as above, gives you a usage message. This should be enough to get you going (you want the downconvert option). Don't forget to put filenames with spaces in them within quotes.

It is possible that you don't need to copy clit.exe and keys.txt to the local directory, but the above definitely works.

I'm beginning to think this is all above me. I found my way to the command line window but I couldn't figure out where to find the clit.exe and keys.txt and how to copy them to the LIT directory . Is the LIT directory the "LitConverter AutoIt v3 Compiled Script" file or is it "My Library" that I've got in "My Documents"? I get confused real easily when it comes to computer/geek speak!

Maybe I should just stick to the exploded version and be happy with that!