calibre PDF conversion helper program crashes, leaving output file empty

[Delan Azabani]

Binary package hint: calibre

Converting ebooks to PDF fails in calibre. The python script crashes with

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 177, in _render_html
    self._render_book()
  File "/usr/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 145, in _render_book
    self._write()
  File "/usr/lib/calibre/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 206, in _write
    outPDF = PdfFileWriter(title=self.metadata.title, author=self.metadata.author)
TypeError: __init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'title'

and the resulting output PDF file is empty.

[Tom G. (santacruztomm)]

This is due to the pyPdf toolkit being updated.

calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py calls PdfFileWriter with a title and author, but that is not an attribute the PdfFileWriter function takes.

Just comment out that line, and make it:
outPDF = PdfFileWriter()

Don't forget to keep the same indentation, as python will not forgive.

Nuisance yes, but easy fix :)

Hope that helps,
Tom Golubev

[Tom G. (santacruztomm)]

Above is the fix

[Delan Azabani (azabani)]

Thanks for the fix you've suggested.

[Delan Azabani (azabani)]

Thanks again; I've tried it and it works perfectly.

[Claude Cesa (claude-cesa)]

Hello, i have similar problem with ubuntu 11.04 and calibre 0.7.44 converting odt to pdf

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/calibre/calibre/gui2/__init__.py", line 241, in dispatch
    self.func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib/calibre/calibre/gui2/actions/convert.py", line 170, in book_converted
    raise Exception(_('Empty output file, '
Exception: Fichier de sortie vide, le processus de conversion a probablement cessé de fonctionné

Thank you a lot if you could help me.
Claude.

[Fabrice Coutadeur (fabricesp)]

Hi Claude,

Given the traceback you attached, this seems to be another problem: please open a new bug report for it.

Thanks,
Fabrice

[Fabrice Coutadeur (fabricesp)]

Fixed in Oneiric with 0.8.2+dfsg-1ubuntu1