Remove DRM from the vitalbook .vbk format for converting ebook/reading w/ebook reader

[daphnis]

I have created a macro on the Mac that will convert VBK to PDF. It uses the program Keyboard Maestro and was developed with version 7. VitalSource Bookshelf version 6.6 was also used to develop the workflow. All this was done on 10.10.4 (Yosemite).

The workflow will loop through a printing cycle and print the maximum number of pages that are allowed by that publication. There are several things that need to be specified manually, and those are in the color red. Those in orange may or may not need to be changed; it's up to you to test and find out.

The main thing to customize in addition to the steps in red or orange is the number of repeat cycles to run. The "Repeat Actions" step loops through the actions to print in blocks of X number. Determine how many times to repeat by <Total number of pages that are specified with integers> divided by <Max Number of pages to print in each run>. For example, if there are 180 pages that are numbered (doesn’t include pages that are numbered with Roman numerals), and you can print a maximum of 10 pages at a time, then set the Repeat action to 18 times. Note that if the number of pages isn’t even divisible, then repeat to the highest possible number, then you’ll have to manually print the excess both after this number, and before if the book uses Roman numerals.

I have used this to convert about 2,000 pages into PDFs, and I hope it helps someone else in the future.

[violetnight]

Thanks, daphnis, I can't wait to try it!

[xCake]

Originally Posted by daphnis

I have created a macro on the Mac that will convert VBK to PDF. It uses the program Keyboard Maestro and was developed with version 7. VitalSource Bookshelf version 6.6 was also used to develop the workflow. All this was done on 10.10.4 (Yosemite).

The workflow will loop through a printing cycle and print the maximum number of pages that are allowed by that publication. There are several things that need to be specified manually, and those are in the color red. Those in orange may or may not need to be changed; it's up to you to test and find out.

The main thing to customize in addition to the steps in red or orange is the number of repeat cycles to run. The "Repeat Actions" step loops through the actions to print in blocks of X number. Determine how many times to repeat by <Total number of pages that are specified with integers> divided by <Max Number of pages to print in each run>. For example, if there are 180 pages that are numbered (doesn’t include pages that are numbered with Roman numerals), and you can print a maximum of 10 pages at a time, then set the Repeat action to 18 times. Note that if the number of pages isn’t even divisible, then repeat to the highest possible number, then you’ll have to manually print the excess both after this number, and before if the book uses Roman numerals.

I have used this to convert about 2,000 pages into PDFs, and I hope it helps someone else in the future.

I tried using it, but it was just too confusing for me. I'm not very tech-savvy. Also, VitalSource caught on to this 'bypass' so they changed the maximum allowed number of pages to print to 2 pages.

Sigh... I just wanted to view the book on my Kobo e-reader... What a bunch of assholes.

[jccalhoun]

I found someone's github with a method to directly convert the books to epub: https://github.com/GMMan/Extractor.epub
However, it doesn't work on the current version of the vitalsource software. To get it to work on Windows you need to uninstall the current version install the old version from their site that is indicated as being for XP and Vista: https://support.vitalsource.com/hc/e...wnload-Options (works fine on Win10)

Apparently it works through the vitalsource program allowing files to interact with each other so someone made up an epub that can extract the actual files from inside the vbk files. I successfully converted 4 out of the 5 books I tried. One wouldn't work but I'm not sure if it is my fault or not.

[penguinman]

I have tried downloading the pub from github, but when I try to sideload it, it doesn't work.

[thecurryface]

not working