Digital books from Camden Miniature Steam

[Andy Thompson 3Participant @andythompson3]

Hi y'all.

Hoping one of you with more IT sense than me can help. I have bought two books from Camden – specifically Vol1 and 2 of The Stirling Engine Design. I believe I have successfully downloaded these to my android tablet. Camden tell me to click on index.html to open the book with my internet browser. However this just shows the title with no links to the pages.

Has anyone been able to read these books or a downloaded html book on a tablet. Does anyone know how these books are meant to work. Does anyone know of a suitable app – google books and fullreader did not work…..

Does anyone know why IT has to be such a pain in the ass…..

[Andy Thompson 3Participant @andythompson3]

[MongerJAParticipant @mongerja]

Yep I have the same issue and it annoys the hell out of me.

John

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

I have just had a quick look at **LINK**

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0236/3059/files/Download_Instructions.pdf?10167590579375987832

It all seems quite straightforward, if a little laboured.

Two questions:

1. Did you follow those instructions exactly ?
2. What tablet and browser are you using ?

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ changed ‘computer’ to ‘tablet in [2]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/06/2023 18:07:56

[Anonymous]

index.html should just be an entry point to the book formulated as a website, to open it in the browser. What happens if you click on the book title? Do you have a <next> arrow anywhere?

(I hate Android with a vengeance and don't use it, so I'm not really familiar with any quirks that it has.)

[Andy Thompson 3Participant @andythompson3]

Michael. I am using a samsung galaxy tab A 2016 running android 8.1 Yes the instructions are simple and I have followed them. I believe I have downloaded all the files. I got a zip file and expanded that so it should all be there. I have directories with a jpg for each page and a bunch of html files.

I tried opening with the chrome browser and with samsung internet browser which is all you should need to open and run html files.

I think the problem is with android or the tablet – various unintelligible comments on the forums. Maybe it is a security thing. Just checking here if anyone has been successful or knows more about this than me.

As a workaround – I would be happy if I could open the pages in photo gallery and just scroll through. However – google will not scroll in alphabetical order – even if I rename the pages as page001..page170. I kid you not – you can list in the correct order but when you scroll it jumps around by date created.

I guess others here have read such books from Camden – maybe on desktop – but mine was last updated in 2003…

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Andy …others more familiar with Android might be able to explain, but I suspect the problem could be the age of your operating system and browser.

Like Peter, I don’t really get on with Android

My trusty iPad is Wi-Fi only, but when I needed a new ‘phone I couldn’t justify buying an iPhone so I ended-up with one running Android 11.

I will have a dig-around … see if any of the comments make sense to me.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ I have just found this [which seems to make some sense]
https://www.quora.com/Why-cant-Chrome-read-a-local-HTML-file-on-Android

For ease of reference, I will copy the text

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/06/2023 18:47:33

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

As noted above:

Chrome on Android does have the ability to read local HTML files, but there are certain limitations that can prevent it from doing so. One possible reason why Chrome may not be able to read a local HTML file on Android is due to the file location or permission settings.

When you try to open a local HTML file in Chrome on Android, the browser may not be able to access the file if it is stored in a restricted folder or location that Chrome doesn't have permission to access. For example, if the file is stored on the device's internal storage or on an external SD card that is not mounted properly, Chrome may not be able to read it.

Another reason why Chrome may not be able to read a local HTML file on Android is due to security concerns. By default, Chrome on Android is designed to block access to local files to prevent malicious content from being loaded into the browser. This is a security feature designed to protect your device from potential harm.

To overcome these limitations, you can try copying the HTML file to a location where Chrome can access it, such as the Downloads folder or the root of the SD card. You may also need to adjust your device's permission settings to grant Chrome access to the file. Additionally, you can try using a different browser or a file manager app that has permission to access local files to open the HTML file on your Android device.

[Anonymous]

Andy, FWIW, Camden says this in its notes:

"Clicking on the icon ʻindex.htmlʼ should open the book in your browser complete with control
panel at the bottom of the panel. In the unlikely event it doesnʼt open, then open the folder
called ʻincʼ, then open the folder called html and click on the file at the top when the book should
open."

You didn't mention a "control panel at the bottom" does that mean you don't see one. Can you "open the folder called 'inc' on your tablet?

[Andy Thompson 3Participant @andythompson3]

Thanks guys,

I can see folder inc and file index.html. When I click on index.html – I just get a page of text – the title of the book with some strange characters. I suspect it is not running the html script behind this to give me the index and pages.

I note the comments about Chrome security and have put this in the downloads folder and tried to give it ang permissions. I have tried samsung internet which I think is the same. I downloaded firefox browser but cannot find a way to attempt to open it with that.

If I could download a gun I might shoot myself….

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Andy Thompson 3 on 21/06/2023 19:04:15:

[…]

If I could download a gun I might shoot myself….

.

I know the feeling … I get it almost every time I use my wretched ‘phone

MichaelG.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Do they have a sample book that can be downloaded free to test the system? if not they need to be told to set one up pronto,

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

If you can work out index.html's full pathname, it may be possible to open from Chrome or any other browser.

For example, file:///home/dave/devel/webserver/index.html

Note the URL starts file:// and is followed by the complete name.

The URL directs the browser to : the local file index.html, which is in the folder 'webserver', which is in the folder 'devel'; which is in the folder 'dave'; which is in the folder 'home'.

The book's Android pathname will follow the same convention, but the folder names above 'inc' will be different.

I think the problem is Android. It's organised and customised to suit Smart Phones, and I don't understand it well enough to give clear instructions. index.html should just work, but Android has a bunch of security and other differences that might make the book fiddly to open.

You might try eBoox, an Android e-reader that lists zip as an input. It may be able to open and read from the zip download directly, or allow the Android to be searched for index.html

If no-one can explain how to tweak Android, the simple answer is to read the book on a Windows, Linux, or Mac computer or an e-reader.

Dave

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Hi All,

I also have a Galaxy Tab A of unknown age, must be about 7 or more years by associated events! It opens with the title and followed by 6 which I assume is the Android number. I have in the past experienced exactly the same difficulties in downloading stuff from Camden, but in all fairness, I suspect it's not Adam's fault but more me, as in a past ( very aggravating)work colleagues annoying quote, "operator malfunction." After passage of time and unreliable memory, cant remember how I resolved the problem which I succeeded in doing….eventually. As regards MichaelG 's remark about the age and mine seems to take ages to recharge and is a bit flakey in operation, I decided to splash out this week and obtained an up to date S8. I will also have to fork out another tranche of dosh to replace my even much older mobile which keeps cutting out mid- call, volume so low I have to put in on loudspeaker just to hear it normally. Back to subject, I find Adam's downloadable guff is less than satisfactory from my point of view, to the extent of putting me off any further purchases of that type. I emphasize that it's me and my struggles with technology – been left school too long!

John

[Andy Thompson 3Participant @andythompson3]

Thanks guys – good to know I am not the only one bamboozled.

Dave – I tried typing path name into both google and firefox – no luck. Depending on input – sometimes it tries a Google search, somtimes it does nothing and once I got stopped by an insecure connection. I have also tried several ebook readers but these do not accept html format.

I have downloaded and tried various apps that will probably bugger up my tablet. I give up. The only way to read the books is by viewing the jpegs of the pages. Even then I have had to download a new photo gallery app and manually rename files because google scrolls photos in semi random order.

To be fair to Adam at Camden, he has offered a refund, but I want to read the books. I think they should investigate what does and does not work and at least put that on their sales pitch. They warn that it does not work on kindle but it is meant to work on computer, laptop (and many are Chromebook these days), ipad and similar and mobile phones. I think not anything android. It does put me off buying further books…….

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Bazyle on 21/06/2023 20:05:51:

Do they have a sample book that can be downloaded free to test the system? if not they need to be told to set one up pronto,

.

A very sensible suggestion, Bazyle

As a self-help alternative [which may, or may not, be valid for testing], I can offer a link to these files which have kindly been ‘liberated’ by the authors.

**LINK** : https://www.quekett.org/resources/littleimp

The structure is probably similar to those being offered by Camden, and the HTML is simple.

Anyone wishing to experiment with Android can download any of these which appeal

[ or just a small one if the content is of no interest to you! ]

MichaelG.

[Andy Thompson 3Participant @andythompson3]

OK – I may have the definitive answer. I had an online chat with someone in a company called fljpsnack. They seem to do software that makes flipbooks which is the digital format that Camden sell. He said and I quote

"The flipbooks are not meant to be downloaded, our platform is online and browser based.

You can download them on a Windows PC or a Mac for self hosting if you wish."

Self hosting will not work with Android – he did not explain why.

You should be aware of that and perhaps Camden should highlight it on their sales or download instructions…

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

A lot to be said for good old traditional paper books.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Andy Thompson 3 on 22/06/2023 14:48:40:

OK – I may have the definitive answer. I had an online chat with someone in a company called fljpsnack. They seem to do software that makes flipbooks which is the digital format that Camden sell. He said and I quote

"The flipbooks are not meant to be downloaded, our platform is online and browser based.

You can download them on a Windows PC or a Mac for self hosting if you wish."

Self hosting will not work with Android – he did not explain why.

…

My mum has an Android Galaxy 8, so I'm mildly familiar. It doesn't have what I would call a desktop. All you can do is run an App, by default on mum's machine that's the browser, which is sawn-off!. Works well for most purposes, but in comparison with Windows, Mac, and Linux, Android 8 is very constrained. Partly I think because its implemented for simplicity and security, and partly because early tablets and smart phones didn't have the horse power needed run greedy applications. Android isn't a general purpose computer yet and it looks like you've hit one of the things it doesn't do.

Android and the hardware have advanced considerably since 8, so a new tablet might work. An expensive experiment if it doesn't though!

My sympathies – why is nothing ever easy?

Dave

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

I had great difficulty some years ago finding a suitable application that would act as a local web server (eg equivalent to Apache on my Linux boxes) on an early version of Android as I wanted to host a copy of my quite large web site offline for demo purposes- tho I finally got it partly working it was a right hassle, Android seems to be intended solely as a device to push externally hosted web pages to the user.

ETA – it can’t be processor power as the Pi 3 & 4 make an excellent job of doing just that; which are certainly less powerful than many of the later chips supporting Android 8 – it’s a deliberate decision to cripple Android for this function

Edited By Frances IoM on 22/06/2023 16:11:36

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Andy Thompson 3 on 22/06/2023 14:48:40:

OK – I may have the definitive answer. I had an online chat with someone in a company called fljpsnack.

[…]

.

Well done, Andy

Might I hazard a guess that there is a little typo in your opening line ?

**LINK** : https://www.flipsnack.com

 

.

If so … then it’s worth noting this statement:

Get a fully responsive, mobile friendly flipping book that works flawlessly in any modern browser

.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 22/06/2023 18:03:14

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