How to convert ebooks with Calibre
There are various formats through which ebooks are distributed. The PDF file format has proven to work best for me. It happens often that I find materials in EPUB or MOBI format.
To convert them to PDF I use Calibre. It is a cross-platform open-source software that can be used to organize ebooks into libraries. Written in Python computer programming language, Calibre is free as in beer.
The fact that the program is free of charge is not the only good thing about it. It's very rich in features and highly performant.
How to install Calibre in Windows
Requirements:
- Windows 10 or higher
You can download the binary release from here. The installation is easy and straightforward.
How to install Calibre in Linux
To install Calibre on Debian based distros type:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install calibre
To install Calibre on Fedora type:
sudo dnf install calibre -y
To install Calibre on CentOS Stream 9 type:
yum install mesa-libGL-devel
sudo -v && wget -nv -O- https://download.calibre-ebook.com/linux-installer.sh | sudo sh /dev/stdin
Note: I tried to install Calibre on CentOS Linux 7, but it failed due to an outdated glibc package. I decided to install CentOS Stream 9.
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| Calibre running on Fedora 38 |
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| Calibre running on CentOS Stream 9 |
How to convert the ebook
First open Calibre and go to Add books to add the ebook to the library. Then select the ebook you want to convert and click on Convert books.
Select the output format and click OK.
As the conversion process begins, you can easily track the progress through a progress bar inside the job.
The same result can be also achieved through the command line:
convert-ebook Windows_10_inside_out.epub Windows_10_inside_out.pdf
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| Conversion process through command line on Windows 10 |
Final thoughts
The conversion of a single ebook from one format to another can be easily achieved in a few clicks through the GUI version of Calibre. Unfortunately, this is not practical when you want to convert many ebooks simultaneously.
If you are interested in converting ebooks in bulk to a specific format supported by Calibre then read my article to learn how to do it with the help of a Python script.
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