Go to beginning/start - solved at last

[Hitch]

Sorry, I haven't followed the whole convo straight through--does anyone need me to try the free sample on my Fire device? Or have you already determined that that shan't aid in troubleshooting?

Hitch

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Sorry, I haven't followed the whole convo straight through--does anyone need me to try the free sample on my Fire device? Or have you already determined that that shan't aid in troubleshooting?

Hitch

Thanks, but that won't help. The free samples have don't have the correct info in them, we know that you won't be taken to the correct stating page.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Thanks, but that won't help. The free samples have don't have the correct info in them, we know that you won't be taken to the correct stating page.

Yes, I thought not. I'm happy to make myself (or, really, my device) available in other ways if it is of use. I'm here today if needed, probably not so much tomorrow, we have dozens of kids' books w/audio I'll be listening to for sound quality checks all day tomorrow.

Hitch

[Tugger]

I have submitted a tiny test book to KDP. I have also attached it to this message.
It is supposed to start at the top of Chapter 1.

• It does not work on my Kindle 3 running 3.4 (KF8) (it shows the TOC page)
• It works perfectly on the PC Previewer.
• It works perfectly on the online Previewer.
• I downloaded the preview file and it too works perfectly on the PC Previewer.
• If I take the file and use the special split script, it then works perfectly on my Kindle.

Once it is published I will buy it, which will cost me 75p, the smallest amount allowed. I will then see if it works or not. At last we will find out if KDP really does fix this problem.

PS I'm hoping that KDP won't reject it!

[pdurrant]

I can confirm that that book is a combined mobi7/kf8, with the KF8 having an extra start text metatdata entry in the EXTH section.

[djstormer]

FYI, I'm having the same problem. I have finally managed to create an EPUB file that makes it past validator.idpf.org/. I used KindleGen to create the mobi but every time, it opens almost at the end of the book.

The following is the fourth line in the <guide> in the content.opf:
<reference type="start" href="foreword.xhtml" title="Beginning" />
However, of the almost 60 .xhtml files that make up my EPUB content, it is the second-to-last file:
<reference type="text" href="xxxx.xhtml" />
that becomes the default start page: where the book opens when you open it on the Kindle, and where it goes when you select "Go to beginning."

I don't know if this info is going to help solve the problem. I haven't delved into the matter of anchors brought up earlier in the thread, but surely - in theory at least - my .opf's type="start" should be sufficient.

(Have been at this for 15 hours straight today - totally bug-eyed now - off to bed... )

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by djstormer

The following is the fourth line in the <guide> in the content.opf:
<reference type="start" href="foreword.xhtml" title="Beginning" />
However, of the almost 60 .xhtml files that make up my EPUB content, it is the second-to-last file:
<reference type="text" href="xxxx.xhtml" />
that becomes the default start page: where the book opens when you open it on the Kindle, and where it goes when you select "Go to beginning."

There's no reason to have both a <reference type="start" item AND a <reference type="text" item in the same guide section of an ePub. Choose one or the other. There's also no reason ever for multiple "text" reference types in the guide section of an epub's OPF file. I've seen some online "how to" guides that encourage people to make a "text" reference item for every single html file that represents the book's "Text." That's bum info ... in case you've done something along those lines.

I would also recommend making the desired Start Point the very first reference item in the guide section.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

There's no reason to have both a <reference type="start" item AND a <reference type="text" item in the same guide section of an ePub. Choose one or the other. There's also no reason ever for multiple "text" reference types in the guide section of an epub's OPF file. I've seen some online "how to" guides that encourage people to make a "text" reference item for every single html file that represents the book's "Text." That's bum info ... in case you've done something along those lines.

I would also recommend making the desired Start Point the very first reference item in the guide section.

What Diap means is, your MOBI will goeth where you told it to go: the TEXT reference, not the START. ;-) Eliminate the start tag, and set your foreword to "text" and you should get the result for which you seem to be aiming. ;-)

And he's right, don't use TEXT multiple times, just use it for your desired "start" location.

Hitch

[djstormer]

DiapDealer, Hitch,

Thank you, guys. I followed your advice and placed [type="text"] on only the file I wanted the book to start on, and it worked!

Since then I also got hold of The eBook Design and Development Guide, Paul Salvette, which recommends putting only two entries in the <guide> of an EPUB that's to be converted with KindleGen:
<guide>
<reference href="content/htmltoc.html" type="toc" title="Table of Contents" />
<reference href="content/content001.html" type="text" title="Beginning" />
</guide>

So I got rid of all the other entries from my <guide> and just left those two, and although the EPUB verifier doesn't like it, it works like a charm on my Kindle.

Thank god EPUB 3 is getting rid of the <guide> - I think it slightly shortened my life!

Thanks again.

[Tugger]

My test book which I uploaded to KDP has changed status from "In Review" to "Draft". Does anyone know what that means and whether it will ever go to "Live"?

(I already checked that I had pressed the button to Publish and not the one to Save draft - by going in and pressing it again, which put me back to "In review", but now I'm back to Draft again.)

[djstormer]

I haven't gone thru every post in this thread, but I had exactly the same problem in a book I just made.

Each chapter of my book is a different file. I set the start page by taking advice I got here from DiapDealer and Hitch with just the following very abbreviated <guide>:
<guide>
<reference href="title.xhtml" type="text" title="Beginning" />
<reference href="table.xhtml" type="toc" title="Table of Contents" />
</guide>

The 60-odd remaining files do not appear in my <guide>.

I made a few .epub-to-.mobi files this way, and of the several I made, only the first I made after that change works properly when it comes to "Go to Beginning."

With the others I get the same problem that prompted this thread, i.e. "Go to Beginning" takes to you the tail end of the file just before the type="text" file.

I spent three weeks getting my book right, and now that one of the files is randomly free of this particular problem, I have drawn the line. I experimented with all sorts of things but without getting enlightened, so am putting it down to a KindleGen bug and leaving it at that.

(Very interested in solutions anyone else finds.)

[Tugger]

djstormer: This is the exact problem we are trying to get to the bottom of. The one piece of missing information is this, and you may know the answer or be able to get it...

If you actually buy one of the books with the problem and download it onto a Kindle 3 (=Kindle Keyboard), does it then have the problem or not? (The preview systems cannot be trusted and there is a theory that KDP actually fixes the problem for us.)

[djstormer]

Originally Posted by Tugger

If you actually buy one of the books with the problem and download it onto a Kindle 3 (=Kindle Keyboard), does it then have the problem or not? (The preview systems cannot be trusted and there is a theory that KDP actually fixes the problem for us.)

Hi Tugger, since I last posted, I find that the problem was my mistake.

I'm making two files for the same book: an EPUB and a mobi. As you know, there are various things you have to do different in the EPUB if you're going to be KindleGening it. I hadn't kept proper tabs on where I was at with the different versions, and found that I hadn't included my toc.xhtml in the .ncx <navMap> of my EPUB-for-.mobi. That's why Go-to-Beginning took me to the closest point in the <navMap> that the Kindle could find, i.e. the end of the previous file.

Once the <navMap> properly matched the <guide> entries, everything was fine. (With over 60 files in my navMap, renumbering was a pain in the ass though!)

[abeonis]

This discussion is a breath of fresh air. I know there is someone who is actually taking care of the "Go to Beginning" bug. I have the same problem with a K4 V 4.1.0 (1615370055). I use Kindlegen V2.5 (0626-3a91e28)

I tried for more than 5 days coding my HTML+OPF in a lot of different and exotic ways to get it work until I was informed about this discussion and the wonderful post#58 fixing the problem.

In my case, modifiying the MOBI is not an option as we are not sure it will not be rejected by KDP. So I hope that the test Tugger is running is successful (Bug fixed through the KDP process). And in the mid-term that Amazon will fix quickly this issue as they kwow what to do by just reading this discussion if they didn't lready know.

BTW, I hope someone informed Amazon support of the origin of the problem. If needed, I can do it.

So, Tugger please keep us informed. If it is OK, and in case Amazon doesn't fix the problem in Kindlegen or firmware, I will have the option to have 2 mobi. One to check the eBook on my kindle applying the Python script and another, with the bug, that will be fixed through the KDP processed.

Many thanks to all of you, I see suddendly the sun shine.

[Tugger]

It is frustrating. My test book is stuck at Draft status. I sent a message to KDP about it but they have never replied. I really don't have the time to prepare a complete fake book just to get this put live!