Free Learning PacktPublishing script

packtPublishingFreeEbook.py - script that automatically grabs and download a daily free eBook from https://www.packtpub.com/packt/offers/free-learning You can use it also to download the already claimed eBooks from your account https://www.packtpub.com/account/my-ebooks

Requirements:

• Install either Python 2.x or 3.x

• Install pip (if you have not installed it yet). To install pip, download: https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py , then run the following command:

  python get-pip.py
  

• Optionally install virtualenv (pip install virtualenv)

• Once pip has been installed, run the following command:

  pip install -r requirements.txt
  

• change a name of configFileTemplate.cfg to configFile.cfg

• change your login credentials in configFile.cfg file

Usage:

1. The script [packtPublishingFreeEbook.py] might be fired up with one of 7 arguments:

• Option -g [--grab] - claims (grabs) a daily eBook into your account

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -g

• Option -gl [--grabl] - claims (grabs) a daily eBook into your account and save book info to log file specified in config file

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -gl

• Option -gd [--grabd] - claims (grabs) a daily ebook and downloads the title afterwards to the location specified under [download_folder_path] field (configFile.cfg file)

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -gd

• Option -da [--dall] - downloads all ebooks from your account

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -da

• Option -dc [--dchosen] - downloads chosen titles specified under [download_book_titles] field in configFile.cfg

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -dc

• Option -sgd [--sgd] - claims and uploads a book to [gdFolderName] folder onto Google Drive (more about setup Google Drive api in GOOGLE_DRIVE_API Setup)

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -sgd

• Option -m [--mail] - claims and sends an email with the newest book in PDF format (and MOBI if is also downloaded; see mail options confguration under [MAIL] path in configFile.cfg)

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -m

• SubOption -sm [--status_mail] - sends fail report email whether script execution was successful

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -gd -sm

• SubOption -f [--folder] - downloads an ebook into a created folder, named as ebook's title

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -gd -f

• SubOption -c [--cfgpath] - selects folder where config file can be found (default: cwd)

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -gd -c /home/usr/

2. You can set the script to be invoked automatically:

LINUX (tested on UBUNTU 16.04):

modify access permissions of the script:

$ chmod a+x packtPublishingFreeEbook.py 

cron setup (more: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CronHowto) :

$ sudo crontab -e

paste (modify all paths correctly according to your setup):

0 12 * * * cd /home/me/Desktop/PacktScripts/ && /usr/bin/python3 packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -gd > /home/me/Desktop/PacktScripts/packtPublishingFreeEbook.log 2>&1

and save the crontab file. To verify if CRON fires up the script correctly, run a command:

$ sudo grep CRON /var/log/syslog

WINDOWS (tested on win7,8,10):

schtasks.exe setup (more info: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725744.aspx) :

To create the task that will be called at 12:00 everyday, run the following command in cmd (modify all paths according to your setup):

schtasks /create /sc DAILY /tn "grabEbookFromPacktTask" /tr "C:\Users\me\Desktop\GrabPacktFreeBook\grabEbookFromPacktTask.bat" /st 12:00

To check if the "grabEbookFromPacktTask" has been added to all scheduled tasks on your computer:

schtasks /query

To run the task manually:

schtasks /run /tn "grabEbookFromPacktTask"

To delete the task:

schtasks /delete /tn "grabEbookFromPacktTask"

If you want to log all downloads add -l switch to grabEbookFromPacktTask i.e.

schtasks /create /sc DAILY /tn "grabEbookFromPacktTask" /tr "C:\Users\me\Desktop\GrabPacktFreeBook\grabEbookFromPacktTask.bat -l" /st 12:00

If you want to additionaly make command line windows stay open after download add -p switch i.e.

schtasks /create /sc DAILY /tn "grabEbookFromPacktTask" /tr "C:\Users\me\Desktop\GrabPacktFreeBook\grabEbookFromPacktTask.bat -l -p" /st 12:00

• EXAMPLE: download 'Unity 4.x Game AI Programming' and 'Multithreading in C# 5.0 Cookbook' books in all available formats (pdf, epub, mobi) with zipped source code file from your packt account

  To download chosen titles from your account, you must put them into download_book_titles in configFile.cfg as shown below:

  configFile.cfg example:

    [LOGIN_DATA]
    email: youremail@youremail.com
    email: yourpassword    
    
    [DOWNLOAD_DATA]
    download_folder_path: C:\Users\me\Desktop\myEbooksFromPackt
    download_formats: pdf, epub, mobi, code
    download_book_titles: Unity 4.x Game AI Programming , Multithreading in C# 5.0 Cookbook
    ebook_extra_info_log_file_path: eBookMetadata.log
    
    [GOOGLE_DRIVE_DATA]
    gd_app_name: GoogleDriveManager
    gd_folder_name: PACKT_EBOOKS
  

  run:

    python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -dc
  

GOOGLE_DRIVE_API Setup:

Full info about the Google Drive python API can be found here

1. Turn on the Drive API

• Use this wizard to create or select a project in the Google Developers Console and automatically turn on the API. Click Continue, then Go to credentials.
• On the Add credentials to your project page, click the Cancel button.
• At the top of the page, select the OAuth consent screen tab. Select an Email address, enter a Product name if not already set, and click the Save button.
• Select the Credentials tab, click the Create credentials button and select OAuth client ID.
• Select the application type Other, enter the name "GoogleDriveManager", and click the Create button.
• Click OK to dismiss the resulting dialog.
• Click the file_download (Download JSON) button to the right of the client ID.
• Move this file to your working directory and rename it "client_secret.json"

2. Install the Google Client Library

• Run the following command to install the library using pip:

pip install --upgrade google-api-python-client  or pip install --upgrade google-api-python-client-py3

3. Create credentials folder:

• Simply, just fire up the script with -sgd argument; During first launch you will see a prompt in your browser asking for permissions, click then allow

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -sgd

• Or if you're unable to launch browser locally (e.g. you're connecting through SSH without X11 forwarding) use this command once, follow instructions and give permission and later you can use normal command (without --noauth_local_webserver).

python packtPublishingFreeEbook.py -sgd --noauth_local_webserver

4. Already done!

• Run the same command as above to claim and upload the eBook to Google Drive.

In case of any questions feel free to ask, happy grabbing!