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• • December 7, 2012 at 4:54 am #63697
    Liang

    Member

    Hi All,

    I'm looking to convert an EPUB 2 file to MOBI and am trying to figure out an appropriate workflow.

    I have downloaded Kindle Previewer, KindleGen and MobiUnpack, none of which I really know how to use!

    From what I gather, Kindle Previewer has a version of KindleGen built in – Is this correct? When I open my EPUB file in Kindle Previewer a mobi version is created successfully but with a few minor formatting errors. I know the visible errors should be easy to fix in the CSS so I endeavour to unpack the mobi file. I drag the mobi onto MobiUnpack and a txt file and a folder are created in the same location as the original mobi.

    The text file, alarmingly, contains a long list of warnings and errors! Could anyone explain to me why this happens?

    The folder contains 4 files and 2 folders named mobi 7 and mobi 8. I can't seem to find a CSS file in the mobi 7 folder so I locate it in the mobi 8 folder instead, make a couple of changes, save the file and that's as far as I've got!

    Could anyone advise me on what I need to do next, please. I've tried using the standalone KindleGen tool in terminal but don't really know what I'm doing! Tried to follow the instructions but after dragging the KindleGen script into terminal I'm not sure which file from my newly edited mobi folder I should be dragging on top of it.

    Generally, is what I'm doing is ok? Or do I have the workflow completely wrong? Is it ok that I'm basically ignoring the mobi 7 folder? I'm guessing the numerous files are to accomodate all of the different Kindle devices but again, may be wrong?!

    Many thanks for your time. Sorry about the open-ended, rambling post!

    Mark.

  • December 7, 2012 at 6:14 am #63698
    Anne-Marie Concepcion

    Member

    I know, it's confusing. But the main thing is, don't use mobiunpack to do what you describe. You can't put humpty back together again, as you can with an epub.

    After you convert the epub to mobi with Kindle Previewer, if you see errors, go back to the epub, unzip it, fix them, rezip it, and reconvert to mobi with Previewer. That's the workflow.

    You might want to keep an unzipped epub “live” as you test your tweaks for the Kindle. Zip a copy of it, convert that epub copy to mobi, if it doesn't look right in Previewer, toss it. Go back to the unzipped epub, tweak, zip a copy, etc. Saves a couple steps.

    AM

  • December 7, 2012 at 7:18 am #63700
    Liang

    Member

    Anne-Marie,

    Thanks very much for your reply. As you suggested I do keep an unzipped epub 'live' on my desktop for the duration of my tweaking (of the epub). As the book was displaying well as an epub I didn't consider I may need to add in additional code to get the thing working as a mobi. I will add a few more rules and re-test in Kindle Previewer as you suggested.

    Thanks once again.

    Mark.

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