Help with Calibre Portable and Linux

MarkColeman · 02-19-2012, 11:00 AM

Hi

Apologies if this has been asked before, I have looked in the forums but cannot see anything.

I would like to set Calibre up to store books on a network drive.

From what I've been able to figure out myself, it seems as if I need to setup Calibre portable but I'm struggling to do so.

I am running v0.8.40 on Ubuntu 11.04 and tried to configure the calibre-portable.bat file with the location of my books but nothing happens when I run it.

If anyone could provide some advice, I would be very grateful.

Thanks

ilovejedd · 02-19-2012, 04:26 PM

Calibre Portable is Windows only. Don't know what you need to do to create a Linux equivalent. Sounds to me you only want the library on the network drive while running the actual program locally. If so, all you need to do is copy the calibre library to the network drive and add it to Calibre via the Switch/Create Library option.

mrmikel · 02-20-2012, 05:45 AM

Be aware that calibre is not yet network friendly, in that you can manage to mess up your files by having them open on more than one machine. You can also get into trouble if you try to work on files in both Linux and Windows, as file name issues can occur, since Linux and Windows do not treat file names the same.

MarkColeman · 02-22-2012, 03:52 PM

ilovejedd : thats exactly what I want to do but the metadata.db file corrupts when its on a network drive.

Mrmikel: I only use Linux and won't be using windows at all, or access from more than one machine.

Looking at the Calibre site, the way to separate the metadata.db from the actual epub files is to configure the calibre-portable.bat file and set the CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH to point to a DB on the local drive. That doesn't seem to work for me though.

Thanks for the response though, I'll keep trying to figure it out.

ilovejedd · 02-22-2012, 03:59 PM

I have no idea how to set-up environment variables in Linux. If you can set the CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH via shell or something, it might work.

MarkColeman · 02-26-2012, 03:02 PM

ilovejedd: thanks, I've just realised I've been an idiot. The calibre-portable.bat needs to be rewritten as a script for linux. Think I may be out of my depth, but I'll give it a go.....

itimpi · 02-26-2012, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkColeman

ilovejedd: thanks, I've just realised I've been an idiot. The calibre-portable.bat needs to be rewritten as a script for linux. Think I may be out of my depth, but I'll give it a go.....

If you have not already started then do not bother. I have already done that and am in the process of testing the results. I will upload the results when testing completes.

itimpi · 02-27-2012, 10:02 AM

As promised, here is a version of the Calibre-Portable.sh file for Linux. Hopefully the embedded comments are sufficient to allow any tweaking if you want something other than the default settings.

I have also included a slightly improved version of the Calibre-Portable.bat file for use with Windows.

KOVID: You might want to update the version in the calibre/resources folder with these versions.

kovidgoyal · 02-27-2012, 01:10 PM

Done.

MarkColeman · 03-05-2012, 05:07 PM

Hi itimpi, sorry I haven't been online for a bit or I woudl have said thanks for taking the time to do this, it's much appreciated much sooner.

bambuko · 02-01-2015, 06:13 AM

I know it is an old thread, but it just helped me to install Calibre Portable (Linux version) on usb HDD. The only change I had to do to Calibre-Portable.sh to make it work was:

Code:

echo "Starting up Calibre"
echo `pwd`
# original: calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"
# below modified to make it portable
"`pwd`/calibre" --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"

Thank you!

eschwartz · 02-01-2015, 06:13 PM

You should not need pwd in order to tell it to look in the current directory?

PeterT · 02-01-2015, 08:36 PM

Surely it all depends if the path includes ".".

Wouldn't a far simpler solution be

Code:

echo "Starting up Calibre"
# original: calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"
# below modified to make it portable
./calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"

bambuko · 02-02-2015, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

You should not need pwd in order to tell it to look in the current directory?

I agree, but running it with original script resulted in:

However...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Surely it all depends if the path includes ".".

Wouldn't a far simpler solution be

Code:

echo "Starting up Calibre"
# original: calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"
# below modified to make it portable
./calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"

You are absolutely right. This is indeed far simpler solution and it runs fine.
I have updated my calibre-portable.sh

eschwartz · 02-02-2015, 11:36 AM

Sorry, I meant do exactly that.

It is the usual way of running scripts from a certain directory. For instance, every "./configure; make; make install" out there.

Who needs an extra pwd?

02-19-2012, 11:00 AM	#1
MarkColeman Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Device: Kobo Touch	Help with Calibre Portable and Linux Hi Apologies if this has been asked before, I have looked in the forums but cannot see anything. I would like to set Calibre up to store books on a network drive. From what I've been able to figure out myself, it seems as if I need to setup Calibre portable but I'm struggling to do so. I am running v0.8.40 on Ubuntu 11.04 and tried to configure the calibre-portable.bat file with the location of my books but nothing happens when I run it. If anyone could provide some advice, I would be very grateful. Thanks

02-01-2015, 06:13 AM	#11
bambuko Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2014 Device: Kobo mini, Kobo Clara HD	I know it is an old thread, but it just helped me to install Calibre Portable (Linux version) on usb HDD. The only change I had to do to Calibre-Portable.sh to make it work was: Code: echo "Starting up Calibre" echo `pwd` # original: calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY" # below modified to make it portable "`pwd`/calibre" --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY" Thank you!

02-01-2015, 06:13 PM	#12
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	You should not need pwd in order to tell it to look in the current directory? Last edited by eschwartz; 02-01-2015 at 08:54 PM.

02-01-2015, 08:36 PM	#13
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,160 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	Surely it all depends if the path includes ".". Wouldn't a far simpler solution be Code: echo "Starting up Calibre" # original: calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY" # below modified to make it portable ./calibre --with-library "$CALIBRE_LIBRARY_DIRECTORY"

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02-19-2012, 04:26 PM	#2
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,111 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Calibre Portable is Windows only. Don't know what you need to do to create a Linux equivalent. Sounds to me you only want the library on the network drive while running the actual program locally. If so, all you need to do is copy the calibre library to the network drive and add it to Calibre via the Switch/Create Library option.

02-20-2012, 05:45 AM	#3
mrmikel Color me gone Posts: 2,089 Karma: 1445295 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Central Oregon Coast Device: PRS-300	Be aware that calibre is not yet network friendly, in that you can manage to mess up your files by having them open on more than one machine. You can also get into trouble if you try to work on files in both Linux and Windows, as file name issues can occur, since Linux and Windows do not treat file names the same.

02-22-2012, 03:52 PM	#4
MarkColeman Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Device: Kobo Touch	ilovejedd : thats exactly what I want to do but the metadata.db file corrupts when its on a network drive. Mrmikel: I only use Linux and won't be using windows at all, or access from more than one machine. Looking at the Calibre site, the way to separate the metadata.db from the actual epub files is to configure the calibre-portable.bat file and set the CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH to point to a DB on the local drive. That doesn't seem to work for me though. Thanks for the response though, I'll keep trying to figure it out.

02-22-2012, 03:59 PM	#5
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,111 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	I have no idea how to set-up environment variables in Linux. If you can set the CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH via shell or something, it might work.

02-26-2012, 03:02 PM	#6
MarkColeman Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Device: Kobo Touch	ilovejedd: thanks, I've just realised I've been an idiot. The calibre-portable.bat needs to be rewritten as a script for linux. Think I may be out of my depth, but I'll give it a go.....

02-27-2012, 01:10 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,843 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Done.

03-05-2012, 05:07 PM	#10
MarkColeman Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK Device: Kobo Touch	Hi itimpi, sorry I haven't been online for a bit or I woudl have said thanks for taking the time to do this, it's much appreciated much sooner.

02-02-2015, 11:36 AM	#15
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Sorry, I meant do exactly that. It is the usual way of running scripts from a certain directory. For instance, every "./configure; make; make install" out there. Who needs an extra pwd?