diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf/input.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf/input.py
index df74a7b3cb..2622d82d99 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf/input.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf/input.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ class RTFInput(InputFormatPlugin):
         parser = ParseRtf(
             in_file    = stream,
             out_file   = ofile,
+            #deb_dir = 'I:\\Calibre\\rtfdebug',
             # Convert symbol fonts to unicode equivalents. Default
             # is 1
             convert_symbol = 1,
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/ParseRtf.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/ParseRtf.py
index f494b7a9c1..3a804792c5 100755
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/ParseRtf.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/ParseRtf.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class ParseRtf:
         self.__convert_wingdings = convert_wingdings
         self.__convert_zapf = convert_zapf
         self.__run_level = run_level
-        self.__exit_level = 0
+        #self.__exit_level = 0
         self.__indent = indent
         self.__replace_illegals = replace_illegals
         self.__form_lists = form_lists
@@ -162,8 +162,7 @@ class ParseRtf:
         elif os.path.exists(the_file):
             pass # do nothing
         else:
-            message = "\nThe file '%s' cannot be found" % the_file
-            msg = message
+            msg = "\nThe file '%s' cannot be found" % the_file
             raise RtfInvalidCodeException, msg
     def __check_dir(self, the_dir):
         """Check to see if directory exists"""
@@ -180,8 +179,7 @@ class ParseRtf:
             test = codecs.open(the_file, 'r', 'ascii', 'strict')
             test.close()
         except UnicodeError:
-            message= "\n%s is not a correct ascii file" % the_file
-            msg = message
+            msg = "\n%s is not a correct ascii file" % the_file
             raise RtfInvalidCodeException, msg
         return 1
     def parse_rtf(self):
@@ -204,27 +202,29 @@ class ParseRtf:
             copy_obj.set_dir(self.__debug_dir)
             copy_obj.remove_files()
             copy_obj.copy_file(self.__temp_file, "original_file")
-        # new as of 2005-08-02. Do I want this?
+        # Function to check if bracket are well handled
         if self.__debug_dir or self.__run_level > 2:
             self.__check_brack_obj = check_brackets.CheckBrackets\
             (file = self.__temp_file,
                 bug_handler = RtfInvalidCodeException,
                     )
-        # convert Macintosh line endings to Unix line endings
+        # convert Macintosh and Windows line endings to Unix line endings
+        #why do this if you don't wb after?
         line_obj = line_endings.FixLineEndings(
                 in_file = self.__temp_file,
                 bug_handler = RtfInvalidCodeException,
                 copy = self.__copy,
-                run_level = self.__run_level,
+                #run_level = self.__run_level,
                 replace_illegals = self.__replace_illegals,
                 )
-        return_value = line_obj.fix_endings()
-        self.__return_code(return_value)
+        line_obj.fix_endings()
+        #return_value = line_obj.fix_endings() #calibre: no return in this function, why keep it?
+        #self.__return_code(return_value)
         tokenize_obj = tokenize.Tokenize(
                 bug_handler = RtfInvalidCodeException,
                 in_file = self.__temp_file,
-                copy = self.__copy,
-                run_level = self.__run_level,)
+                copy = self.__copy,)
+                #run_level = self.__run_level,)
         tokenize_obj.tokenize()
         process_tokens_obj = process_tokens.ProcessTokens(
             in_file = self.__temp_file,
@@ -529,36 +529,27 @@ class ParseRtf:
             )
         output_obj.output()
         os.remove(self.__temp_file)
-        return self.__exit_level
+        #return self.__exit_level
     def __bracket_match(self, file_name):
         if self.__run_level > 2:
             good_br, msg =  self.__check_brack_obj.check_brackets()
             if good_br:
                 pass
-                # sys.stderr.write( msg + ' in ' + file_name + "\n")
+                #sys.stderr.write( msg + ' in ' + file_name + "\n")
             else:
                 msg += msg +  " in file '" + file_name + "'\n"
                 raise RtfInvalidCodeException, msg
-    def __return_code(self, num):
-        if num == None:
-            return
-        if int(num) > self.__exit_level:
-            self.__exit_level = num
+    #def __return_code(self, num): calibre not used
+    #   if num == None:
+    #       return
+    #   if int(num) > self.__exit_level:
+    #       self.__exit_level = num
     def __make_temp_file(self,file):
         """Make a temporary file to parse"""
         write_file="rtf_write_file"
         read_obj = file if hasattr(file, 'read') else open(file,'r')
         write_obj = open(write_file, 'w')
-        line = "dummy"
-        while line:
-            line = read_obj.read(1000)
-            write_obj.write(line )
+        for line in read_obj:
+            write_obj.write(line)
         write_obj.close()
-        return write_file
-    """
-mi<tg<open______<style-sheet\n
-mi<tg<close_____<style-sheet\n
-mi<tg<open-att__<footnote<num>1\n
-mi<tg<empty-att_<page-definition<margin>33\n
-mi<tg<empty_____<para\n
-"""
+        return write_file
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/check_brackets.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/check_brackets.py
index 418469467d..53f9363d63 100755
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/check_brackets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/check_brackets.py
@@ -34,18 +34,16 @@ class CheckBrackets:
         try:
             last_num = self.__open_bracket_num.pop()
         except:
-            return 0
+            return False
         if num != last_num:
-            return 0
+            return False
         self.__bracket_count -= 1
-        return 1
+        return True
     def check_brackets(self):
         read_obj = open(self.__file, 'r')
-        line = 'dummy'
         line_count = 0
-        while line:
+        for line in read_obj:
             line_count += 1
-            line = read_obj.readline()
             self.__token_info = line[:16]
             if self.__token_info == 'ob<nu<open-brack':
                 self.open_brack(line)
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/line_endings.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/line_endings.py
index 543ae5dd83..6511657aa9 100755
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/line_endings.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/line_endings.py
@@ -23,45 +23,33 @@ class FixLineEndings:
             bug_handler,
             in_file = None,
             copy = None,
-            run_level = 1,
+            #run_level = 1, calibre why keep it?
             replace_illegals = 1,
             ):
         self.__file = in_file
         self.__bug_handler = bug_handler
         self.__copy = copy
-        self.__run_level = run_level
         self.__write_to = tempfile.mktemp()
         self.__replace_illegals = replace_illegals
     def fix_endings(self):
-        ##tempFileName = tempfile.mktemp()
         illegal_regx = re.compile( '\x00|\x01|\x02|\x03|\x04|\x05|\x06|\x07|\x08|\x0B|\x0E|\x0F|\x10|\x11|\x12|\x13')
-        #nums = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,  11,  14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19]
-        """
-read_obj = open(self.__file, 'r')
-line = read_obj.read(1000)
-regexp = re.compile(r"\r")
-macintosh = regexp.search(line)
-read_obj.close()
-        """
         # always check since I have to get rid of illegal characters
-        macintosh = 1
-        if macintosh:
-            line = 1
-            read_obj = open(self.__file, 'r')
-            write_obj = open(self.__write_to, 'w')
-            while line:
-                line = read_obj.read(1000)
-                # line = re.sub(regexp,"\n",line)
-                line = line.replace ('\r', '\n')
-                if self.__replace_illegals:
-                    line = re.sub(illegal_regx, '', line)
-                    # for num in nums:
-                        # line = line.replace(chr(num), '')
-                write_obj.write(line )
-            read_obj.close()
-            write_obj.close()
-            copy_obj = copy.Copy(bug_handler = self.__bug_handler)
-            if self.__copy:
-                copy_obj.copy_file(self.__write_to, "line_endings.data")
-            copy_obj.rename(self.__write_to, self.__file)
-            os.remove(self.__write_to)
+        #read
+        read_obj = open(self.__file, 'r')
+        input_file = read_obj.read()
+        read_obj.close()
+        #calibre go from win and mac to unix
+        input_file = input_file.replace ('\r\n', '\n')
+        input_file = input_file.replace ('\r', '\n')
+        if self.__replace_illegals:
+            input_file = re.sub(illegal_regx, '', input_file)
+        #write
+        write_obj = open(self.__write_to, 'wb')
+        write_obj.write(input_file)
+        write_obj.close()
+        #copy
+        copy_obj = copy.Copy(bug_handler = self.__bug_handler)
+        if self.__copy:
+            copy_obj.copy_file(self.__write_to, "line_endings.data")
+        copy_obj.rename(self.__write_to, self.__file)
+        os.remove(self.__write_to)
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/process_tokens.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/process_tokens.py
index 9cb7c3c6a4..072d8b02e4 100755
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/process_tokens.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/process_tokens.py
@@ -645,10 +645,8 @@ class ProcessTokens:
         return 'tx<nu<__________<%s\n' % token
     def ob_func(self, pre, token, num=None):
         self.__bracket_count += 1
-        ##return 'ob<%04d\n' % self.__bracket_count
         return 'ob<nu<open-brack<%04d\n' % self.__bracket_count
     def cb_func(self, pre, token, num=None):
-        ##line = 'cb<%04d\n' % self.__bracket_count
         line = 'cb<nu<clos-brack<%04d\n' % self.__bracket_count
         self.__bracket_count -= 1
         return line
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/tokenize.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/tokenize.py
index 45887f33e7..e162e8c992 100755
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/tokenize.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/rtf2xml/tokenize.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ class Tokenize:
             in_file,
             bug_handler,
             copy = None,
-            run_level = 1,
+            #run_level = 1,
     ):
         self.__file = in_file
         self.__bug_handler = bug_handler
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ class Tokenize:
     def __create_tokens(self):
         self.__compile_expressions()
         read_obj = open(self.__file, 'r')
-        write_obj = open(self.__write_to, 'w')
+        write_obj = open(self.__write_to, 'wb')
         line_to_read = "dummy"
         while line_to_read:
             line_to_read = read_obj.readline()
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class Tokenize:
         write_obj.close()
     def tokenize(self):
         """Main class for handling other methods. Reads in one line \
-        at a time, usues method self.sub_line to make basic substitutions,\
+        at a time, uses method self.sub_line to make basic substitutions,\
         uses ? to process tokens"""
         self.__create_tokens()
         copy_obj = copy.Copy(bug_handler = self.__bug_handler)
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/processor.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/processor.py
index c53d630ed6..91c274a7b1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/processor.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/txt/processor.py
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 Read content from txt file.
 '''
 
-import os
-import re
+import os, re
 
 from calibre import prepare_string_for_xml
 from calibre.ebooks.markdown import markdown
@@ -30,7 +29,7 @@ def convert_basic(txt, title='', epub_split_size_kb=0):
     txt = re.sub('(?<=.)\s+$', '', txt)
     # Remove excessive line breaks.
     txt = re.sub('\n{3,}', '\n\n', txt)
-
+    
     #Takes care if there is no point to split
     if epub_split_size_kb > 0:
         length_byte = len(txt.encode('utf-8'))