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Old 12-20-2011, 06:16 AM   #1
parasit
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Synchronize databases

Hi,
I use Calibre on two, sometimes three computers. The main library I have at home, but on the laptop I have a full copy. The problem arises when being away from home adds new files. If there are several, the problem is not large. But if there are more and something in the main library was changed, it become troublesome.

Is there a tool to synchronize two (or more) libraries?
I mean mostly about adding new files and update the changed ones.
If not, I think I might try to write them myself, maybe be useful to someone.

BR
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Old 12-20-2011, 06:36 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by parasit View Post
Is there a tool to synchronize two (or more) libraries?
I mean mostly about adding new files and update the changed ones.
If not, I think I might try to write them myself, maybe be useful to someone.
Richcopy should work fine for updating from the main library to the secondary libraries. Check out this post.
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Old 12-20-2011, 07:09 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by dwanthny View Post
Richcopy should work fine for updating from the main library to the secondary libraries. Check out this post.
Although I use Ubuntu and Mac, but I understand how it works. I can use rsync for example, the question whether it would not lead to inconsistency in the database?
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Old 12-20-2011, 07:18 AM   #4
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Although I use Ubuntu and Mac, but I understand how it works. I can use rsync for example, the question whether it would not lead to inconsistency in the database?
rsync should work fine, I would advise that calibre be shutdown on both machines during the sync. Also the sync needs to be one way from the master library to the secondary libraries.
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Old 12-20-2011, 07:38 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by dwanthny View Post
rsync should work fine, I would advise that calibre be shutdown on both machines during the sync.
This is clear
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Also the sync needs to be one way from the master library to the secondary libraries.
This is problem, i need full sync.
Usually i add new files on laptop, but sometimes my wife adds some files on home PC. The same problem appear when i want exchange files with my friends.

I think about tool which compare both databases and adds files/db entrys on both machines. I found in forum thread how gain acces to database and rest should be easy
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Old 12-20-2011, 08:04 AM   #6
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If you know what date range is involved, then the easiest thing would be to sort on one instance into date added order and then use Calibre's ability to copy books between libraries for those that are involved. Not foolproof, but does not need any new capability.
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Old 12-20-2011, 08:08 AM   #7
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@parasit - noooooo - you are heading down a path to disaster. Remember that the path to a calibre book includes a numerical id that represents the calibre book id, incremented and unique to the database. What do you think is going to happen when your wife adds book #100 "Foo" and you add book #100 "Bar", since you are both trying to add to the same base database?

All of the FAQ threads and posts around the place are all there for a reason. Calibre is a single user database. Synchronising it between a laptop and another machine is fine provided you only ever add/rename books on one of those machines, and then do a full sync before making changes on the other machine and vice versa. You *cannot* make changes on both simultaneously and then expect to be able to merge the two together again.
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Old 12-20-2011, 08:54 AM   #8
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@parasit - noooooo - you are heading down a path to disaster. Remember that the path to a calibre book includes a numerical id that represents the calibre book id, incremented and unique to the database. What do you think is going to happen when your wife adds book #100 "Foo" and you add book #100 "Bar", since you are both trying to add to the same base database?
I understand how it works, but i want the same titles not the same db structure.
Want use a "tool" to compare databases but add books by default methods.
Eg. if in DB1 is Frank Foobarsky "Foo" (100) and in DB2 is Bob Barfoosky "Bar" (100).
I need to do:
1. Generate lists (authors, titles, isbn, etc) from both DB's (in read only mode)
2. Copy missing titles to any tmp dir
3. Add all copied files to db. Even calling "calibre /tmp/foo.epub", although it is probably a better method.

Finally i got all titles on both machines, but with different ID's.
DB1 - Foo (100), Bar (101)
DB2 - Bar (100), Foo (101)

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You *cannot* make changes on both simultaneously and then expect to be able to merge the two together again.
When use this method i can add files on both machines simultaneously.
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Old 12-20-2011, 09:01 AM   #9
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When use this method i can add files on both machines simultaneously.
Let us know how it turns out.
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Old 12-20-2011, 10:28 AM   #10
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@parasit - My comments were in relation to the previous suggestions on this thread, discussing the likes of robocopy, rsync etc. It sounded like you intended to sync the directories and then modify the database, which isn't going to work for the reasons I outlined.

As for what you have now described, I think you are still going to have a lot of issues. For instance your original post mentioned updates, not just additions. What do you do when books are renamed, by a title/author/series change? Or a new version that is under a different id? I think you are pushing the proverbial uphill but my only intent was to warn you that it is not a trivial exercise in case you wasted a lot of time finding that out for yourself

My personal recommendation would be that instead of trying to compare the databases with external tools etc, that you instead just put a shared directory that you use Save to Disk with, one for you, one for the wife. So when you add a book yourself to your library, you then use Save to Disk to put it in the shared directory that your wife can then do an import from, and vice versa. Setup your automerge options to replace an existing version. You will still get caught out if one of you renames an author/title name, but you can catch that with Find Duplicates plugin.

Stick the shared directories on something like Dropbox, and job done. It is how I share books with friends/family - they just perdiodically import into Calibre from the shared folder specific to them and remove the books from it when done.
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Old 12-20-2011, 11:56 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiwidude
that you instead just put a shared directory that you use Save to Disk with, one for you, one for the wife.
A good tip, but how do you manage to transport the metadata to the other Calibre database this way?
I mean the informations that might not be included in the file (e.g. cover, auhors, date, etc.).
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Old 12-20-2011, 12:23 PM   #12
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I'm more rude My calibre library is directly into the dropbox directory, but it works because only one user updates it at any moment, and I don't start calibre at the "slave" directory without syncronizing
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Old 12-20-2011, 12:34 PM   #13
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@Loeffel - under Preferences->Saving books to disc, make sure you have "Save cover separately" and "Save metadata in OPF file" checked.

Then the person importing the books should make sure they use the "Add books from directories including subdirectories (One book per directory)" option on the Add menu (the second option). That will use the metadata exported into the opf file which is the complete set.
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