ebook-convert from html to pdf crashes

[akincisor]

Binary package hint: calibre

Ubuntu version : Karmic (9.10)
Package version : 0.6.10+dfsg-0ubuntu1

Expected : To convert html input to pdf output
What happened : ebook-convert crashed with the following output

$ ebook-convert 0-Readme.html 0-Readme.pdf
1% Converting input to HTML...
InputFormatPlugin: HTML Input running on /home/srikanth/work/projects/library-build-system/scripts/0-Readme.html
Language not specified
Creator not specified
Building file list...
34% Running transforms on ebook...
Merging user specified metadata...
Detecting structure...
        Detected chapter: E-Book Library Build System
        Detected chapter: PART I - GOALS
        Detected chapter: PART II - IMPLEMENTATION
Auto generated TOC with 7 entries.
Flattening CSS and remapping font sizes...
Source base font size is 12.00000pt
Cleaning up manifest...
Trimming unused files from manifest...
Creating PDF Output...
67% Creating PDF Output
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 129, in _render_html
    self._render_book()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 104, in _render_book
    self._write()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 140, in _write
    outPDF = PdfFileWriter(title=self.metadata.title, author=self.metadata.author)
TypeError: __init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'title'
Error in sys.excepthook:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 85, in apport_excepthook
    if pr.check_ignored():
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/apport/report.py", line 753, in check_ignored
    dom = self._get_ignore_dom()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/apport/report.py", line 714, in _get_ignore_dom
    dom = xml.dom.getDOMImplementation().createDocument(None, 'apport', None)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/cssutils/__init__.py", line 137, in createDocument
    raise NotImplementedError
NotImplementedError

Original exception was:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 129, in _render_html
    self._render_book()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 104, in _render_book
    self._write()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py", line 140, in _write
    outPDF = PdfFileWriter(title=self.metadata.title, author=self.metadata.author)
TypeError: __init__() got an unexpected keyword argument 'title'
PDF output written to /home/srikanth/work/projects/library-build-system/scripts/0-Readme.pdf
Output saved to /home/srikanth/work/projects/library-build-system/scripts/0-Readme.pdf

This happens while trying to convert any html file to pdf.

[Bill Dieter (billdieter)]

I see the same problem trying to convert an epub to PDF on 10.04.

[Andrew Roden (andrew-roden)]

This looks to be upstream, but I'm too lazy to file it. For the helpful soul that does:

/usr/lib/calibre/ebooks/pdf/writer.py

Line#206
  outPDF = PdfFileWriter(title=self.metadata.title, author=self.metadata.author)

Uses a constructor that doesn't appear to exist:
  http://pybrary.net/pyPdf/pythondoc-pyPdf.pdf.html#pyPdf.pdf.PdfFileWriter-class

Changing the line to anonymous (and only) constructor in pypdf
  outPDF = PdfFileWriter()

Resolves the bomb for me. (but I still have weird start of line chars in the result)

[rodbeyer (xrodent)]

calibre uses a customized pypdf.

I copied the the contents of src/pyPdf from the calibre source into /usr/share/pyshared/pyPdf/ and it works just fine.
I probably broke some pdf export somewhere else .. *shrug*

[Twisted Lincoln, Inc. (twistedlincoln)]

I can confirm this is still an issue in both lucid and maverick. I can also confirm that the solution from post #3 works for me.

I'm not sure this is an upstream issue -- if Calibre requires a customized version of pypdf, then it makes sense that such a customized version be provided in the repositories as an alternative to the standard pypdf -- and that this package be a dependency of Calibre's deb package.

This is a very important feature in Calibre, and to leave it not functional would be very unfortunate.

[gf (gf-interlinks-deactivatedaccount)]

Hello Akincisor,
Thank you for submitting this bug and reporting a problem with Calibre. You made this bug report some time ago and Ubuntu and Calibre have been updated since then.

Could you confirm that this is no longer a problem and that we can close the ticket?
If it is still a problem, are you still interested in finding a solution to this bug?
If you are, could you let us know and, in the current version, could you run the following (only once):
apport-collect 428933
and upload the updated logs and and any other logs that are relevant for this particular issue.

Thank you again for helping make Ubuntu and Calibre better.
G

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for calibre (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]