KindleUnpack (MobiUnpack): Extracts text, images and metadata from Kindle/Mobi files

adamselene · 11-12-2009, 02:50 PM

Most of this post now by pdurrant.

KindleUnpack is a set of python scripts that take a Kindle/Mobipocket ebook and extracts the HTML, images and metadata contained in the ebook, and puts them in a form suitable for passing to KindleGen.

For KF8 files and combined Mobipocket and KF8 files, it also can produce separated mobipocket and KF8 files, and also the original source files if those are included in the ebook. In addition, for KF8 files it can produce an 'ePub', although if the HTML isn't compliant with ePub standards, the 'ePub' won't be either.

For Amazon's .azw4 files, it will extract the PDF that's been wrapped up in Amazon's .azw4 file format.

Downloads available:
Version 0.81 of the python scripts (including .pyw graphics front end)
Version 0.81 of a drag&drop AppleScript version.
Version 0.81 of a drag&drop 64-bit AppleScript version fo Mac OS X 10.6 and later..
A calibre plugin version of the scripts is available in this thread.

For anyone not interested in KindeGen and KF8, there's a copy of the last version of the single-file script, mobiunpack 0.32.

The name of the script was changed to KindleUnpack with version 0.6.1.

The Python scripts are released under GPLv3. The AppleScript Wrapper is released with unlicense.

The 0.81 version includes all bug fixes made at the git repository up until 1st December, 2018.

Many thanks to adamselene for the base code which has been built on by many of the participants of this thread.

This post is no longer being updated. For the very latest version of KindleUnpack, see The GitHub Repository maintained by KevinH: https://github.com/kevinhendricks/KindleUnpack

pdurrant

[Original Post:]

I reimplemented huff/cdic compression in Python, and did a few other things while I was at it. The new script:

* decompresses about 25x faster than mobihuff.py
* uses much less memory (about 16x on my largest test file)
* implements conversion of uncompressed and Palmdoc-compressed files
* handles trailing data correctly in all cases

Check it out: http://www.mit.edu/afs/athena/user/m.../mobiunpack.py

PLEASE NOTE that this tool is only for decompressing unencrypted Mobipocket files. It does not decrypt DRMed files. Do not ask me for help breaking DRM.

adamselene · 11-14-2009, 12:22 AM

The latest version (0.07, same location) is even faster—now about 50x as fast as mobihuff.py.

quocsan · 11-14-2009, 08:20 AM

Great job!
Thank you, Adamselene.

HansTWN · 11-15-2009, 10:04 PM

time to get working on those Topaz files! Wink, wink!

pdurrant · 02-05-2010, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamselene

PLEASE NOTE that this tool is only for decompressing unencrypted Mobipocket files. It does not decrypt DRMed files. Do not ask me for help breaking DRM.

Many thanks for this. I have moved the latest versions into the first post in this thread now. (Being a moderator has some advantages.)

soalla · 02-05-2010, 02:33 PM

thanks to both of you!!

pdurrant · 02-05-2010, 07:05 PM

I've now tweaked the script to also output the images.

Note that the HTML file is the raw contents of the Mobipocket file, and so the img attributes in it aren't proper HTML, and don't point to the extracted images. To get working images in the HTML, a bit of search/replace will be needed, although it should be possible to do it with a single grep, as I've tried to make the file names easy to use with what's in the HTML file.

Jellby · 02-06-2010, 05:04 AM

Pssst, remove the __MACOSX directory

pdurrant · 02-06-2010, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

Pssst, remove the __MACOSX directory

OK, done. Saved 48 bytes!

pdurrant · 02-09-2010, 04:03 PM

Tweaked again, mostly by some_updates from the Dark Reverser's blog comments, to output some of the metadata from the file.

I've added to his work by getting the metadata output as an opf file resembling the original file used to generate the Mobipocket file.

However, the raw output of the 'html' in the Mobipocket file need a fair bit of work on it yet before it'll be possible to regenerate the file using Mobipocket Creator or KindleGen.

That's my eventual aim with this, however.

pdurrant · 02-18-2010, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

However, the raw output of the 'html' in the Mobipocket file need a fair bit of work on it yet before it'll be possible to regenerate the file using Mobipocket Creator or KindleGen.

That's my eventual aim with this, however.

By taking code from other sources and tweaking it, Version 0.17 (above) now creates an opf file, a folder of images, and an html file that are ready for use with Mobipocket Creator.

Simply opening the opf file with Mobipocket Creator, and choosing to build re-creates the original Mobipocket book. Of course, it also means that it's easy to correct any typos in the HTML file first.

quocsan · 02-19-2010, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

By taking code from other sources and tweaking it, Version 0.17 (above) now creates an opf file, a folder of images, and an html file that are ready for use with Mobipocket Creator.

Simply opening the opf file with Mobipocket Creator, and choosing to build re-creates the original Mobipocket book. Of course, it also means that it's easy to correct any typos in the HTML file first.

Thank you pdurrant!
You have done a great job!
B.T.W, Could you please make a small Python script that can change eBook metadata (e.g eBook's title)?
Sometimes, we need to change the titles for grouping eBooks.
Thank you in advance for your attention.

mbovenka · 02-19-2010, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quocsan

Thank you pdurrant!
You have done a great job!
B.T.W, Could you please make a small Python script that can change eBook metadata (e.g eBook's title)?
Sometimes, we need to change the titles for grouping eBooks.
Thank you in advance for your attention.

If you have Calibre installed, 'ebook-meta' will do what you want. If you haven't, you should :-).

pdurrant · 02-19-2010, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quocsan

Thank you pdurrant!
You have done a great job!
B.T.W, Could you please make a small Python script that can change eBook metadata (e.g eBook's title)?
Sometimes, we need to change the titles for grouping eBooks.
Thank you in advance for your attention.

I use Mobiperl for that (with a little Applescript wrapper).

quocsan · 02-19-2010, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I use Mobiperl for that (with a little Applescript wrapper).

I see. But I meant title in UNICODE (eBook => 'Sách Điện Tử' in Vietnamese).
MobiPerl cannot deal with title in UNICODE.
I have changed eBooks' titles with WinHex. But I dislike to do that by hand.
OK, I'll try with ... Google.
Thank you for attention.

11-14-2009, 12:22 AM	#2
adamselene Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 11050 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Touch, Kindle 2	The latest version (0.07, same location) is even faster—now about 50x as fast as mobihuff.py. Last edited by adamselene; 11-14-2009 at 01:02 AM.

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11-14-2009, 08:20 AM	#3
quocsan Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 2204 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: none	Great job! Thank you, Adamselene.

11-15-2009, 10:04 PM	#4
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	time to get working on those Topaz files! Wink, wink!

02-05-2010, 02:33 PM	#6
soalla Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: iPod Touch, Sony PRS-505	thanks to both of you!!

02-05-2010, 07:05 PM	#7
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 72,546 Karma: 309960766 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	I've now tweaked the script to also output the images. Note that the HTML file is the raw contents of the Mobipocket file, and so the img attributes in it aren't proper HTML, and don't point to the extracted images. To get working images in the HTML, a bit of search/replace will be needed, although it should be possible to do it with a single grep, as I've tried to make the file names easy to use with what's in the HTML file.

02-06-2010, 05:04 AM	#8
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,537 Karma: 19000001 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	Pssst, remove the __MACOSX directory

02-09-2010, 04:03 PM	#10
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 72,546 Karma: 309960766 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	Tweaked again, mostly by some_updates from the Dark Reverser's blog comments, to output some of the metadata from the file. I've added to his work by getting the metadata output as an opf file resembling the original file used to generate the Mobipocket file. However, the raw output of the 'html' in the Mobipocket file need a fair bit of work on it yet before it'll be possible to regenerate the file using Mobipocket Creator or KindleGen. That's my eventual aim with this, however.

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