Stop Calibre from scanning a device before it can be configured?

[taosaur]

So, for the time being I'm just using Calibre Companion for Android and keeping my devices the hell away from a direct connection to Calibre, but is there a preference anywhere to turn off the behavior where Calibre automatically scans a newly connected device before it can be configured? I'm trying to let Calibre manage multiple Android devices with a variety of media already in place, but when I connect a device for the first time Calibre spends upwards of twenty minutes scanning gigs and gigs of files I don't want it to manage in the first place. The job cannot be stopped short of disconnecting the device and crashing Calibre, which may be cathartic but still leaves me with effectively a twenty minute startup time next time the device is connected before I can start telling Calibre what I actually want it to do.

I've looked in the Preferences, but there was no obvious category to try to turn off that setting and nothing in the non-obvious categories that looked likely. For the time being I will treat Calibre like the hungry-eyed forty-something at the bar and only connect my Android devices via Calibre Companion, but it seems like this would be a basic setting that should have been addressed by now.

The corollary concern is that I'm thinking Calibre will not recognize a device that was previously connected wirelessly if I then connect it via USB, meaning that it will scan those gigs and gigs along with the content I actually want it to manage which it will not realize it is already managing.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by taosaur

So, for the time being I'm just using Calibre Companion for Android and keeping my devices the hell away from a direct connection to Calibre, but is there a preference anywhere to turn off the behavior where Calibre automatically scans a newly connected device before it can be configured?

If you don't want to manage Android devices at all, you could disable the MTP device plugin (Preferences -> Plugins -> Device interface plugins -> MTP device interface).

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by taosaur

The corollary concern is that I'm thinking Calibre will not recognize a device that was previously connected wirelessly if I then connect it via USB, meaning that it will scan those gigs and gigs along with the content I actually want it to manage which it will not realize it is already managing.

The data from any connected device whether via CC or USB use the same two files to store info, metadata.calibre and driveinfo.calibre so when connected via USB it will know what is already on the device from its library. Now how long it will take on first hook up I have no idea. Connect it and see.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

The data from any connected device whether via CC or USB use the same two files to store info, metadata.calibre and driveinfo.calibre so when connected via USB it will know what is already on the device from its library. Now how long it will take on first hook up I have no idea. Connect it and see.

CC does not use the metadata.calibre and driveinfo.calibre files.

When you connect via MTP, calibre will scan the device and presumably find the books that were placed there by CC. Calibre may or may not recognize that the books came from calibre because book matching requires accurate metadata inside the book, which may or may not be there. CC uses calibre's metadata instead of the book's metadata, so book matching in calibre is usually more accurate.

Three things must happen for CC to know about books places on the device by calibre:
1) calibre must have placed the books in the folder that CC uses for that book format.
2) CC must have the option "Scan on connect" selected.
3) You must connect CC to calibre as a wireless device so CC's scanning will happen.

It is probably not a good idea to use both CC and MTP connections on the same device.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

CC does not use the metadata.calibre and driveinfo.calibre files.

That's what happens when you make an assumption.

On the rare ocassion I have gone form mtp to wireless I never noticed a difference because my books have the same metadata and I have scan for books on connect enabled.

Originally Posted by chaley

It is probably not a good idea to use both CC and MTP connections on the same device.

The times I connected via MTP was for testing to help others. Otherwise I only connect and transfer books via CC.

Thanks for clarifying my ignorance.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

If you don't want to manage Android devices at all, you could disable the MTP device plugin (Preferences -> Plugins -> Device interface plugins -> MTP device interface).

The whole point is that I DO want Calibre to manage the devices, but only EPUBs and PDFs, and I can't tell Calibre what I want until it has already scanned all my CBR/CBZ and assorted other files. It seems nuts that Calibre Companion has a "scan on connect" toggle but Calibre itself does not.

Regardless, my wireless network seems faster than MTP anyway, so I'll probably just continue doing everything wirelessly. It might be worthwhile to disable MTP in Calibre just to avoid accidents.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by taosaur

The whole point is that I DO want Calibre to manage the devices, but only EPUBs and PDFs, and I can't tell Calibre what I want until it has already scanned all my CBR/CBZ and assorted other files. It seems nuts that Calibre Companion has a "scan on connect" toggle but Calibre itself does not.

Calibre allows you to select what folders to scan, but you will have to be hooked up to see the option.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

Calibre allows you to select what folders to scan, but you will have to be hooked up to see the option.

Yep, that would be one element of the "configuring" I would like to be able to do before Calibre spends 20-30 minutes poking into every nook and cranny of my device for any kind of file it can recognize. I would be amazed if there's no 'off' button for scan-on-connect in Calibre's preferences, but apparently neither I nor anyone reading this thread has found it.