Some additions [LWN.net]

Some additions

Posted Apr 2, 2025 20:39 UTC (Wed) by jzb (editor, #7867)
In reply to: Some additions by Cyberax
Parent article: Catching up with calibre

"This is still possible, but you need a physical Kindle device. You need to download books onto the device, and then you can import them into the library. The same de-DRM plugin still works."

Does this work with the new(ish) Kindle (KFX) format? I get an error about that from calibre when trying to copy one over from a Kindle. ("KFX is a virtual book format, and cannot be transferred from the device.") My understanding - which may be wrong - was that this required the old AZW3 format and Amazon doesn't send that format to newer Kindles. My Kindle DX can't download content at all now, since it doesn't have Wi-Fi... Perhaps I can find an older Kindle model that's pre-KFX with Wi-Fi on eBay for any items in my library I haven't converted already.

"3. You can _create_ EPUBs with media overlays using ( https://smoores.gitlab.io/storyteller/ ). "

I get a 404 for that one. I think this is it now? Looks like it expects an audiobook to sync with the EPUB.

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Some additions

Posted Apr 2, 2025 20:50 UTC (Wed) by Cyberax (✭ supporter ✭, #52523) [Link]

> Does this work with the new(ish) Kindle (KFX) format?

I don't think so? Older Kindles still use the AZW3 format, and it's still apparently present for all the books in the Amazon store including the newest releases. I have a 6-year old Kindle Oasis that can download everything from my book collection, it's jailbroken with OTA updates disabled. I know that there are also people now working on making a downloader that emulates a Kindle device.

KFX might be more difficult to un-DRM in the future. Apparently, newer Kindles have multiple (more than 10) decryption strategies and Amazon can selectively activate them for each book.

My backup plan is to build an AI agent that uses a Kindle reader app, clicks the "page turn" buttons, and OCRs the text :)

> I get a 404 for that one. I think this is it now? Looks like it expects an audiobook to sync with the EPUB.

Yes, correct. This is a tool that allows you to make your own EPUBs with media overlays. I'm using it on Audible audiobooks (easily downloadable) and Kindle-derived EPUBs.

Some additions

Posted Apr 19, 2025 1:03 UTC (Sat) by kmeyer (subscriber, #50720) [Link]

At least some versions of KFX can be decrypted. https://github.com/apprenticeharper/DeDRM_tools/blob/mast...