Multiple libraries on portable device run from multiple computers

[amagrace]

Hi all,

I use different libraries to manage my ebooks (for all the contents) and physical books I own (to keep a record as library management). Since I need to use the ebooks from different computers, I install a portable version of Calibre on a USB drive and store the library folders in the same USB drive (not in the default 'Calibre library' folder of course).

The problem is when the USB is plugged in different computer, different drive letters are assigned. So the path registered from previous run is invalid in the new run.

Is there a way to solve this problem? One possible solution I can think about is to ignore the root drive letter since they are on the same drive of the system. But how can I do this? Or is there any other way that I don't know of?

many thanks
F.T.

[theducks]

With windows, you can reserve a drive letter for a drive:
I chose 'L:' for obvious reasons

In W10: right-click the Start Logo: select Drive Management: Right-click the drive in the upper section: Change Drive Letter...: Click the change button: set the Assign Letter: OK (all the way out)
In other versions, drive Management is just located slightly different, but the steps are similar.

IIRC the drive gets a flag, and it is used by other Windows computers (If it does not, just do the steps. The computer will remember the drive)

[ilovejedd]

Store the libraries inside the Calibre Portable folder instead of root (or elsewhere) so calibre-portable.exe can automatically map paths. I tried it with drive at G: and even when the status bar says D: when mousing over, it successfully opened my other libraries. It even remembers the last library opened.

\Calibre Portable
    \Calibre
    \Calibre Library
    \Calibre Settings
    \Other Library 1
    \Other Library 2

[amagrace]

Store the libraries inside the Calibre Portable folder instead of root (or elsewhere) so calibre-portable.exe can automatically map paths. I tried it with drive at G: and even when the status bar says D: when mousing over, it successfully opened my other libraries. It even remembers the last library opened.

In fact, I used the default library inside Calibre. But I find updating the system is difficult. Update of the portable version is done simply unzipping into the place. Each time I have to move (with backup before) the library (which is huge). Putting library outside system folder gives me such flexibility.

[BetterRed]

@amagrace - when you 'update' an existing Calibre Portable the only sub folder that gets changed is the Calibre folder, the Calibre Library, Calibre Settings, and any user created libraries are left as is

Here's one I just updated from 3.18 to 3.32 - the Empty library was pre-existing - look at the folder modified dates



But if you must have your libraries outside the Calibre Portable directory, create symlinks to them within Calibre Portable folder

BR

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

But if you must have your libraries outside the Calibre Portable directory, create symlinks to them within Calibre Portable folder

Yep, this. Of course, this does require NTFS. I don't believe FAT supports symlinks.

[BetterRed]

The OP referred to 'portable/device/drive', and a 'huge' library - to me that sounds like a spinning drive - e.g. a WD Elements which ships formatted for NTFS.

BR

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

The OP referred to 'portable/device/drive', and a 'huge' library - to me that sounds like a spinning drive - e.g. a WD Elements which ships formatted for NTFS.

BR

I have 256GB USB flash drives the size of my thumbnail. At 2MB per ebook (plenty of my epubs are just 600K or so), the flash drive can support 100K books which I think is pretty huge.

Mind, one can always format flash drives as NTFS. If one just let them at factory default though, they're usually in FAT32 or exFAT.