Possible lead on converting epub to kepub...

sean.scott · 08-13-2013, 12:38 AM

I'm new to eReaders in general and just purchased the Kobo Aura HD. While I was waiting for delivery I downloaded the Kobo Android app on my 1st gen Nexus 7. I noticed that I would only accept epub files and not mobi. Once you load the epub files on to the device, you need to use the app to import them. The process of importing them on the Android seems to create a new file (or directory of files, rather) and the newly imported book acts exactly like a kepub with cover art, ToC, links, chapter progress etc.

The file structure that the Android app creates in it's /kobo directory looks like this:

Which is basically the same exact file name as the files under the /.kobo/kepub/ which are zipped up (without the .zip extension).

Here's what a kepub downloaded from Kobo's store looks like after being extracted:

I tried zipping up the files I extracted from the Android, removing the leading S- and trailing -# and placing it on the Kobo. Unfortunately, the Kobo didn't recognize the file.

I feel like on the right path here, but I'm too tired to keep playing around with it tonight. Maybe someone with more experience could figure it out.

(PS - why would Kobo make the Android app convert epubs to look nice on Androids, but not on devices that we actually paid them money for?)

Cheers,
Sean

PeterT · 08-13-2013, 12:51 AM

Um... this is all well known. There is a major internal difference in the layout of the (x)html files in that Kobo adds a large number of spans to the contents, to add bookmark support to their rendering engine.

Please check the Kobo Extended plugin for calibre in the calibre forum.

tshering · 08-13-2013, 03:52 PM

Welcome sean.scott!

Thank you for sharing this information!

Did you make sure that the mimetype file is uncompressed and on the first position in the zip file? Did you add an extension (.kepub.epub or .epub)? If you did, the Aura should be able to read it.

Could you please look whether the (x)html files contain tags like <span class="koboSpan" id="kobo.1.2"> and report it here?

jgoguen · 08-14-2013, 06:17 PM

As the developer for the Kobo Touch Extended plugin, and developing a conversion plugin to create KePub files, I'm interested in any new information you have. Please take a look around the plugin thread (see my signature for the link) and the various other KePub threads around this forum and the calibre forum, there may be information there that can fill in any blanks you may have and you can see where we're at so far. Hopefully you can fill in some of our blank spots too

sean.scott · 08-14-2013, 11:20 PM

Thanks for the advise tshering. I don't see any of the kobo specific tags in the html files.

I did however zip up the files that the Android Kobo app created. When I changed the extension to .kepub.epub, I got the standard: No cover art, chapters work correctly, but the device forgets your chapter position behavior.

The good news is, renaming the zipped up files back to just the .ebpub extension makes the ebooks much better for me.

- The formatting looks much exactly like the kepub. The original epub files had no separation of pages, chapters, etc. and the links in the ToC didn't work. Using the version that the Android app generated, it's formatted just the the kepub. Cover art works, chapters are separated, etc.

- No chapter progress, it simply displays the page number at the bottom. This number seems dependent on the text size sometimes it shows the same page # for two consecutive pages

While I do prefer the chapter progress that the real kepub (and the automatic conversion on the actual Android creates), I'm happy enough with good formatting to do it this way.

I'm still not sure why the Kobo Android app will automatically format the epubs, but the actual device wont. Guess they want you to buy books from the Kobo store...

jgoguen, I'll definitely browse the plug-in thread and look forward to the ability to actually convert to real kepubs.

-Sean

jgoguen · 08-15-2013, 04:42 AM

Based on your description of not having any Kobo-specific tags and the Kobo forgetting your chapter position in the KePub mode, you do not have a KePub at all but rather a standard ePub. It sounds like the Android app uses the same renderer for both, which is not the case for Kobo devices. Devices have the Adobe RMSDK for ePub files and the ACCESS renderer for KePub files.

sean.scott · 08-16-2013, 01:49 AM

That makes sense. I'm definitely starting with a regular ePub. I just hate the way the Kobo just merges all of the pages together and doesn't make allow the ToC to have links. Whatever the Android app does when it imports the standard ePub, it makes the end result much more readable on the Kobo.

08-13-2013, 12:38 AM	#1
sean.scott Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 8300 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kobo Aura HD	Possible lead on converting epub to kepub... I'm new to eReaders in general and just purchased the Kobo Aura HD. While I was waiting for delivery I downloaded the Kobo Android app on my 1st gen Nexus 7. I noticed that I would only accept epub files and not mobi. Once you load the epub files on to the device, you need to use the app to import them. The process of importing them on the Android seems to create a new file (or directory of files, rather) and the newly imported book acts exactly like a kepub with cover art, ToC, links, chapter progress etc. The file structure that the Android app creates in it's /kobo directory looks like this: Which is basically the same exact file name as the files under the /.kobo/kepub/ which are zipped up (without the .zip extension). Here's what a kepub downloaded from Kobo's store looks like after being extracted: I tried zipping up the files I extracted from the Android, removing the leading S- and trailing -# and placing it on the Kobo. Unfortunately, the Kobo didn't recognize the file. I feel like on the right path here, but I'm too tired to keep playing around with it tonight. Maybe someone with more experience could figure it out. (PS - why would Kobo make the Android app convert epubs to look nice on Androids, but not on devices that we actually paid them money for?) Cheers, Sean Last edited by sean.scott; 08-13-2013 at 12:42 AM.

08-14-2013, 11:20 PM	#5
sean.scott Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 8300 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kobo Aura HD	Thanks for the advise tshering. I don't see any of the kobo specific tags in the html files. I did however zip up the files that the Android Kobo app created. When I changed the extension to .kepub.epub, I got the standard: No cover art, chapters work correctly, but the device forgets your chapter position behavior. The good news is, renaming the zipped up files back to just the .ebpub extension makes the ebooks much better for me. - The formatting looks much exactly like the kepub. The original epub files had no separation of pages, chapters, etc. and the links in the ToC didn't work. Using the version that the Android app generated, it's formatted just the the kepub. Cover art works, chapters are separated, etc. - No chapter progress, it simply displays the page number at the bottom. This number seems dependent on the text size sometimes it shows the same page # for two consecutive pages While I do prefer the chapter progress that the real kepub (and the automatic conversion on the actual Android creates), I'm happy enough with good formatting to do it this way. I'm still not sure why the Kobo Android app will automatically format the epubs, but the actual device wont. Guess they want you to buy books from the Kobo store... jgoguen, I'll definitely browse the plug-in thread and look forward to the ability to actually convert to real kepubs. -Sean Last edited by sean.scott; 08-14-2013 at 11:32 PM.

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08-13-2013, 12:51 AM	#2
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,545 Karma: 74358018 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Um... this is all well known. There is a major internal difference in the layout of the (x)html files in that Kobo adds a large number of spans to the contents, to add bookmark support to their rendering engine. Please check the Kobo Extended plugin for calibre in the calibre forum.

08-13-2013, 03:52 PM	#3
tshering Wizard Posts: 3,489 Karma: 2914715 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: kobo touch	Welcome sean.scott! Thank you for sharing this information! Did you make sure that the mimetype file is uncompressed and on the first position in the zip file? Did you add an extension (.kepub.epub or .epub)? If you did, the Aura should be able to read it. Could you please look whether the (x)html files contain tags like <span class="koboSpan" id="kobo.1.2"> and report it here?

08-14-2013, 06:17 PM	#4
jgoguen Generally Awesome Person Posts: 1,080 Karma: 2178847 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: /dev/kmem Device: Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Oasis	As the developer for the Kobo Touch Extended plugin, and developing a conversion plugin to create KePub files, I'm interested in any new information you have. Please take a look around the plugin thread (see my signature for the link) and the various other KePub threads around this forum and the calibre forum, there may be information there that can fill in any blanks you may have and you can see where we're at so far. Hopefully you can fill in some of our blank spots too

08-15-2013, 04:42 AM	#6
jgoguen Generally Awesome Person Posts: 1,080 Karma: 2178847 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: /dev/kmem Device: Kobo Clara HD, Kindle Oasis	Based on your description of not having any Kobo-specific tags and the Kobo forgetting your chapter position in the KePub mode, you do not have a KePub at all but rather a standard ePub. It sounds like the Android app uses the same renderer for both, which is not the case for Kobo devices. Devices have the Adobe RMSDK for ePub files and the ACCESS renderer for KePub files.

08-16-2013, 01:49 AM	#7
sean.scott Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 8300 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kobo Aura HD	That makes sense. I'm definitely starting with a regular ePub. I just hate the way the Kobo just merges all of the pages together and doesn't make allow the ToC to have links. Whatever the Android app does when it imports the standard ePub, it makes the end result much more readable on the Kobo.

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