Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#11

Post by kemayo » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 7:53 PM UTC

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

You cannot -- Kindle ebooks are in a format called KFX (or AZW/mobi or AZW3, depending on when you got them), which this tool doesn't support as an input.

If you wanted to do that, I'd just use Calibre, which has really comprehensive format conversion abilities: https://calibre-ebook.com

Most Kindle ebooks have DRM as well, which I think is currently hard to remove -- there's a plugin for calibre that you could try. Some publishers don't apply it, though, so maybe.

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#12

Post by jordanrobinson » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 7:53 PM UTC

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

I haven't tried with this tool yet but I would be surprised if so, purchased Kindle books usually have quite a bit of DRM involved.

There are methods to strip it using old versions of the desktop kindle app that have exploits, but it's not overly easy to do if you're not familiar with stuff like that.

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#13

Post by dsr_ » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 7:54 PM UTC

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

No, your Kindle books are AZW3 or such, and they also have DRM applied.

If you strip the DRM, with tools which are common to find on the net, you can then use Calibre to convert them to EPUB, which is a very common format.

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#14

Post by JadeNB » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 7:54 PM UTC

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

In case the question isn't about the format but about the DRM, Apprentice Alf has a wonderful plugin for Calibre: https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#15

Post by kemayo » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 7:54 PM UTC

nadermx wrote: post #8

kemayo wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kindle has jumped around in formats over the years. It's been AZW (which is basically mobi), AZW3, and now KFX. I assume that KFX is what this tool is calling "Kindle".

It currently does AZW3 for kindle, but I will add in the sub option to choose from those three formats.

Oh, that option being listed as "Kindle" is just there so people don't need to understand file formats currently? :D

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#16

Post by nadermx » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 7:57 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #15

nadermx wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It currently does AZW3 for kindle, but I will add in the sub option to choose from those three formats.

Oh, that option being listed as "Kindle" is just there so people don't need to understand file formats currently? :D

just about, trying to make it easy to understand

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#17

Post by andrewzah » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 8:12 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #11

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

You cannot -- Kindle ebooks are in a format called KFX (or AZW/mobi or AZW3, depending on when you got them), which this tool doesn't support as an input. If you wanted to do that, I'd just use Calibre, which has really comprehensive format conversion abilities: https://calibre-ebook.com Most Kindle ebooks have DRM as well, which I think is currently hard to remove -- there's a plugin for calibre that you could try.…

Removing drm from .azw3 is easy. [0] All you need is the ID of your kindle, since it's tied to your device.

There is also a plugin for Calibre, although I haven't tested this myself. I'm not sure if it requires a device ID or not. [1]

[0]: https://alexwlchan.net/2019/08/removing-the-drm-from-my-kind...

[1]: https://github.com/apprenticeharper/DeDRM_tools/wiki/Exactly...

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#18

Post by criddell » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 8:16 PM UTC

JadeNB wrote: post #14

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

In case the question isn't about the format but about the DRM, Apprentice Alf has a wonderful plugin for Calibre: https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com

And unfortunately I don't think the DRM for the latest format (KFX) has been cracked yet. The best anybody can do is work around it by getting Amazon to send you the book in an older Kindle format but then you lose all the nice things that you get with KFX.

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#19

Post by unicornporn » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 8:19 PM UTC

davidhbolton wrote: post #7

rhino369 wrote: post #2

Nice tool. I thought kindle files were mobi? Any difference?

The ones with DRM are .azw, basically an encrypted .mobi. Calibre is your friend. https://calibre-ebook.com/

And (another fun fact) if you want to email EPUBs to your kindle, just make the file extension .png (!?) and it will be automatically converted, without the need for Calibre.

Re: Show HN: Epub.to – ePub to pdf, mobi, Kindle, and an API

#20

Post by amluto » Sat, Feb 06, 2021, 8:26 PM UTC

kemayo wrote: post #11

zigzaggy wrote: post #3

Can I use this to change my purchased kindle books into ebooks for all devices? I’m somewhat tech literate, but pretty ignorant about e-book file types.

You cannot -- Kindle ebooks are in a format called KFX (or AZW/mobi or AZW3, depending on when you got them), which this tool doesn't support as an input. If you wanted to do that, I'd just use Calibre, which has really comprehensive format conversion abilities: https://calibre-ebook.com Most Kindle ebooks have DRM as well, which I think is currently hard to remove -- there's a plugin for calibre that you could try.…

Calibre is great, but IMO it’s the wrong approach for this particular conversion. Use KindleUnpack instead, which is close to lossless.

https://github.com/kevinhendricks/KindleUnpack

This is a fantastic way to read books published by Tor on multiple devices. Now if only Tor would sell the ePub files on their website. (Tor eBooks are not DRMed.)