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Old 03-08-2012, 01:15 AM   #1
ViktorShchedrin
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Calibre metadata.db file location

Hello to all !

Calibre is great program, many thanks to Kovid.

I need help to manage my library, i wish to separate folder/disk where books files located - let say D:\CalibreLibrary - but i wish to locate Calibre metadata.db to other disk/folder let say F:\CalibreMetaData\metadata.db or G:\MyDropBox\metadata.db

above is about home desktop... and the same option i wish to have using my laptop - metadata from dropbox, books files - different disk...

how can i manage it ?

thank you

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Old 03-08-2012, 02:51 AM   #2
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You need to use a custom startup file to launch calibre if you want to do this.

If you look in the resources sub-folder of where you installed calibre you will see the file calibre-portable.bat. This file (which is liberally commented) shows you what options you have for controlling where calibre puts its files.

However if you are thinking of using DropBox do you need to do this? Since the calibre database is normally much smaller than the associated ebook files what are you hoping to achieve?

Last edited by itimpi; 03-08-2012 at 03:06 AM.
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Old 03-08-2012, 03:37 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by itimpi View Post
You need to use a custom startup file to launch calibre if you want to do this.

If you look in the resources sub-folder of where you installed calibre you will see the file calibre-portable.bat. This file (which is liberally commented) shows you what options you have for controlling where calibre puts its files.
many thanks for advice. i using Calibre installed, not portable - till today. I will try to edit calibre-portable.bat, will see later. Can i manage startup behaviour with "standard" Calibre ? to make batch file or so ? may be thru Environment variables if possible ? how ?

i downloaded and unpack Calibre-Portable, but no such file calibre-portable.bat... should i start the Calibre-Portable first ? Calibre Settings folder empty...

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Originally Posted by itimpi View Post
However if you are thinking of using DropBox do you need to do this? Since the calibre database is normally much smaller than the associated ebook files what are you hoping to achieve?
my idea is - when i moving out from home - using laptop - to know which books i collected already... if i will manage my laptop smaller collection - let say about 10-50 books - when i will back home i will just copy metadata.db+Calibre book folder and both - desktop and laptop - will synced. is it correct ? or you can advice better idea ?

to keep metadata.db inside calibre book folder is not best idea because my library about 50 thousand books and access to see folder structure very slow... to copy i use command line (windows cmd) or Calibre send to device...

Last edited by ViktorShchedrin; 03-08-2012 at 03:51 AM.
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Old 03-08-2012, 04:07 AM   #4
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The Calibre portable download is a different thing to the calibre-portable.bat file that is part of the standard calibre release for Windows.

The calibre-portable download is a full version of calibre for windows that is pre-configured to be easy to run from a USB stick or USB drive. You cannot change its configuration.

The calibre-portable.bat file (which pre-dates the calibre-portable own load becoming available) allows for more control over file placement, but does require each user to customise it to their own particular requirements (albeit that is not a difficult tak)
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Old 03-08-2012, 04:17 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by itimpi View Post
The Calibre portable download is a different thing to the calibre-portable.bat file that is part of the standard calibre release for Windows.

The calibre-portable download is a full version of calibre for windows that is pre-configured to be easy to run from a USB stick or USB drive. You cannot change its configuration.
understood, many thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by itimpi View Post
The calibre-portable.bat file (which pre-dates the calibre-portable own load becoming available) allows for more control over file placement, but does require each user to customise it to their own particular requirements (albeit that is not a difficult tak)
should i downloaded the calibre-portable.bat file or create ? i can create, BTW, but what is the variables should in? please help - may be you can show the sample ? and where the calibre-portable.bat file should located ? Calibre folder ?
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Old 03-08-2012, 08:24 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ViktorShchedrin View Post
Hello to all !

Calibre is great program, many thanks to Kovid.

I need help to manage my library, i wish to separate folder/disk where books files located - let say D:\CalibreLibrary - but i wish to locate Calibre metadata.db to other disk/folder let say F:\CalibreMetaData\metadata.db or G:\MyDropBox\metadata.db

above is about home desktop... and the same option i wish to have using my laptop - metadata from dropbox, books files - different disk...

how can i manage it ?

thank you
I would toss this idea into the rubbish bin.

You would have 2 different metadata.db (2 local computer versions) and one file data set.
It would take very little to make a mess out of the DB pointers to the books.

This is not quite the same as 2 computers accessing the Same metadata.db, but very close... Big Mess

Keep the metadata.db with the books if you are going to use 2 computers.
If you need remote access, you might consider the Content server..

For a great Book list to take WITH you., Create a 'Catalog' (on the Conversion right-click menu) Book and take that along for reference.
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Old 03-08-2012, 09:29 AM   #7
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I would toss this idea into the rubbish bin.
many thanks... i will think again, but anyway i wish to have metadata.db separately from book files if posible... do you know how ? and may be further - can i have few libraries - let say 1 2 3... and point the Calibre which library i wish to manage ... for example something like CMD = <Calibre d:\SpanishData\metadata.db> related to books located f:\Collection.Spanish and CMD = <Calibre d:\RussianData\metadata.db> related to books located f:\Collection.Russian ?
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Old 03-08-2012, 09:45 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ViktorShchedrin View Post
many thanks... i will think again, but anyway i wish to have metadata.db separately from book files if posible... do you know how ? and may be further - can i have few libraries - let say 1 2 3... and point the Calibre which library i wish to manage ... for example something like CMD = <Calibre d:\SpanishData\metadata.db> related to books located f:\Collection.Spanish and CMD = <Calibre d:\RussianData\metadata.db> related to books located f:\Collection.Russian ?
3 Libraries = 3@ metadata.db

I see no real advantage in keeping them separate and a whole lot of disadvantages .

The CLI (see the Calibre online) Help has the info about --With Library
and other start-up switches
http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cli/calibre.html
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Old 03-08-2012, 10:58 AM   #9
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3 Libraries = 3@ metadata.db

I see no real advantage in keeping them separate and a whole lot of disadvantages.
OK.

Quote:
Originally Posted by theducks View Post
The CLI (see the Calibre online) Help has the info about --With Library
and other start-up switches
http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cli/calibre.html
i knew it... [--with-library] [path_to_ebooks]

OK. I really need advice. Please say good idea.

Let say i have 50000 books collection into one library (may be i will make few libraries next when will collect) and would like to take portion - let say 10 or 20 books with me to laptop (or other folder, doest not matter)... i think about a method to take a portion of existing library - not just save books - with metadata which i used to marks books - added tags, publishers, downloaded books covers ad books metadata etc ... sorry my shortage of Calibre knowledge, i can't find how can i do that...
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:16 AM   #10
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Quote:
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OK.



i knew it... [--with-library] [path_to_ebooks]

OK. I really need advice. Please say good idea.

Let say i have 50000 books collection into one library (may be i will make few libraries next when will collect) and would like to take portion - let say 10 or 20 books with me to laptop (or other folder, doest not matter)... i think about a method to take a portion of existing library - not just save books - with metadata which i used to marks books - added tags, publishers, downloaded books covers ad books metadata etc ... sorry my shortage of Calibre knowledge, i can't find how can i do that...
Great!

Insert your Flash drive (or mount the destined CalibreLibrary, network folder without allowing destination Calibre to be running )

Switch/Create to that folder/drive (to establish a New Library or use an existing one)
Now Switch back (your main Lib should be on the 'speed switch' list

Select Books: Right click: Copy to Library <name>


NB the reverse also works for books added in the field
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:24 AM   #11
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Let say i have 50000 books collection into one library
If you have that many books, either get a high quality USB3 flash drive or use an external HDD. I tried to use a library of just 3,000 books from a cheap Kingston 8GB flash drive and it was a painful experience. It got stuck at "Not responding" for a long time (flash drive light was blinking so I know it's reading/writing to the drive) before I just decided to force kill Calibre.
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:53 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by theducks View Post
... Insert your Flash drive (or mount the destined CalibreLibrary, network folder without allowing destination Calibre to be running )

Switch/Create to that folder/drive (to establish a New Library or use an existing one)
Now Switch back (your main Lib should be on the 'speed switch' list

Select Books: Right click: Copy to Library <name>

NB the reverse also works for books added in the field
SUPER simple, many thanks, i have not thinking this way fully, my fault.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovejedd View Post
If you have that many books, either get a high quality USB3 flash drive or use an external HDD. I tried to use a library of just 3,000 books from a cheap Kingston 8GB flash drive and it was a painful experience. It got stuck at "Not responding" for a long time (flash drive light was blinking so I know it's reading/writing to the drive) before I just decided to force kill Calibre.
ok, many thanks, your advice noticed. "main library" located to the HDD home desktop, i thinking about proper way to take a some books when travel... by laptop...
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Old 03-09-2012, 03:38 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovejedd View Post
If you have that many books, either get a high quality USB3 flash drive or use an external HDD. I tried to use a library of just 3,000 books from a cheap Kingston 8GB flash drive and it was a painful experience. It got stuck at "Not responding" for a long time (flash drive light was blinking so I know it's reading/writing to the drive) before I just decided to force kill Calibre.
I have the master copy of my library on a small external HD, with a copy on a stick that lives on my keychain. Working from that copy actually works pretty well once Calibre is started, but starting it takes ages, as does updating it from the master copy. I use FreeFileSync for that, and syncing between the master copy and the backup that lives on another external HD takes roughly 15 minutes. Syncing the USB stick takes, literally, all night (roughly 6.5 hours).

Large libraries (mine is ~47K) and USB sticks don't really mix.
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