How well does Calibre co-reside with other library managers?

[Rique]

Hi all, apologies if this is covered in another thread.

I thought I saw somewhere that there might be issues if Calibre is used along with the Sony library application and also perhaps with respect to the use of the Adobe Digital Editions library manager on a Mac.

As of right now, I have installed the Sony software on a VMWare image (I have a Mac, running Windows 7 and Windows XP on VMWare Fusion images), and it works fine - I have downloaded and installed five books.

My next step is to try ADE (preferably the Mac version, but if that is an issue, I can always use a Windows version on Fusion) - and I also recall reading of problems when authorizing your device on a Windows copy of ADE - and then following that up by trying to use a Mac version. Is this also a potential roadblock? (Sorry, I know that is not really a Calibre question - but read on, please).

And then finally (this is how this concerns Calibre), I will install and learn Calibre - which may end up as my preferred library manager - assuming I get the hang of it.

Will Calibre have any compatibility issues, given I will have already installed and loaded books from Sony's library manager and also from ADE's manager?

I will be using Sony for content from their site, will be using ADE for library books (DRM and non-DRM) and will be using Calibre to convert books from fictionwise or Books on Board which are available in mobi, but not available in lrf.

Any word on potential pitfalls would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, -- Rique

[zelda_pinwheel]

i have all three installed (on a pc) although i only use the sony software to preview books from time to time and see how they will display on a sony. i use ade to check epubs or to download drm-ed epubs. i use calibre for all my library management, exclusively. i've not had any problems with compatibility (i've never bought anything from the sony store, however). i believe there used to be a problem having the sony driver installed twice (once with sony soft and once with calibre) but this was only for the 500 ; i don't think there's a problem with the 505 and later, possibly because they mount as external usb drives and don't need a particular driver to access them.

[emellaich]

I'm not sure what you mean in terms of compatibilty.

You need to be aware that Calibre creates its own directory structure in order to manage the books it catalogs. It first creates folders for each author. Then within the author folder it creates a folder for each book title. When you 'add' a book to calbre it leaves the original book where it is and then creates a new copy and places it in the proper calibre folder hierarchy.

Now, there is nothing special about these folders. Using Windows you can browse to the folders on your computer and see the documents with no problem. However, this means that you can't read the same physical book collection from two different library software programs. Each program would catalog their own set of books. If you need to share a book, then Calibre would copy it from the original place into its directory structure. Furthermore, any changes that affect the physical file would need to occur in two places.

[Rique]

@emellaich, thanks for the thoughtful and helpful reply! Naturally, your answers give birth to more questions.

I'm not sure what you mean in terms of compatibility. You need to be aware that Calibre creates its own directory structure in order to manage the books it catalogs.

Meaning, it creates its own directory structure within the desktop library? Does that have any effect on the directory structure within the Sony Reader?

It first creates folders for each author. Then within the author folder it creates a folder for each book title. When you 'add' a book to Calibre it leaves the original book where it is and then creates a new copy and places it in the proper Calibre folder hierarchy.

When you say "it leaves the original book where it is", I am assuming you mean "where it is" on the computer? It does not alter the location of the original file on the PC? Yes?

Now, there is nothing special about these folders.

Meaning, the Calibre folders?

Using Windows you can browse to the folders on your computer and see the documents with no problem.

Meaning, Calibre's folder hierarchy is not packaged in an internally managed binary - it can be accessed on the computer, making use of the standard Windows (or Mac) folder structure?

However, this means that you can't read the same physical book collection from two different library software programs.

Meaning, Calibre's library must be "read" with Calibre, separately from the Sony library or the Adobe Digital Edition's Library? Each maintains and addresses such libraries separate from the other.

Each program would catalog their own set of books. If you need to share a book, then Calibre would copy it from the original place into its directory structure. Furthermore, any changes that affect the physical file would need to occur in two places.

Meaning, that each library has its own copy of the book? Yes?

To clarify, I will not be maintaining the same books in differing libraries. I will have a set of books from Sony, a set of books from ADE, and a set of books from Calibre (acquired from Fictionwise and other sources requiring a conversion). My primary concern is the effect (or lack of same) to the Reader.

Your info is very helpful - however, I am not certain yet as to the effect of all of these different libraries to the Reader - I assume the Reader will "handle" it all?

Thanks for all of your time and trouble! -- Rique

[edited a typo - RS]

[purl4peace]

Originally Posted by Rique

@emmalaich, thanks for the thoughtful and helpful reply! Naturally, your answers give birth to more questions.


To clarify, I will not be maintaining the same books in differing libraries. I will have a set of books from Sony, a set of books from ADE, and a set of books from Calibre (acquired from Fictionwise and other sources requiring a conversion). My primary concern is the effect (or lack of same) to the Reader.

Your info is very helpful - however, I am not certain yet as to the effect of all of these different libraries to the Reader - I assume the Reader will "handle" it all?

Thanks for all of your time and trouble! -- Rique

Hello again Rique -- so does this mean you went for the Sony?

In terms of the coexistence of Calibre, ADE, and Sony Library, I run all three on the PC and my Sony is very happy working with any of them. I don't ever have all 3 (or any combination of the 3) open at the same time... don't know if that would cause problems or not.

However, for example today, I downloaded an ePub book and loaded it onto my Sony via ADE. I also used Calibre to convert a PDF to LRF and moved that to my Sony. I also opened Sony library software and did some moving around within there and everything worked just fine.

Hope this helps and answers your questions somewhat.

Best regards,

[emellaich]

I can see I created more confusion than help, sorry -grin.

I am answering in regard to Windows because its what I know. So anyway you add a book to Calibre by pushing the "Add books" button. This pulls up a Windows dialog box and you browse to a location on your disk and select the book(s) you want to add to the library.

When you add a book, Calibre does not touch the copy of the book you add. The file stays unchanged on the disk at the location where it was. Calibre copies the file into a new directory.

This new directory is just another location on the hard disk. You originally tell Calibre which directory to use for its library. Then it places all of its files in sub-directories below that directory.

Since these are all standard Windows directories you can browse to them use the windows file manager. If the original file was in a Sony or mobipocket library it is still there and it is not touched.

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, it creates its own directory structure within the desktop library? Does that have any effect on the directory structure within the Sony Reader?

yes,no

Originally Posted by Rique

When you say "it leaves the original book where it is", I am assuming you mean "where it is" on the computer? It does not alter the location of the original file on the PC? Yes?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, Calibre's folder hierarchy is not packaged in an internally managed binary - it can be accessed on the computer, making use of the standard Windows (or Mac) folder structure?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, Calibre's library must be "read" with Calibre, separately from the Sony library or the Adobe Digital Edition's Library? Each maintains and addresses such libraries separate from the other.

Yes each maintains their library separately. However, you can get to the books by browsing through the standard folder structure.

Originally Posted by Rique

Meaning, that each library has its own copy of the book? Yes?

Yes

Originally Posted by Rique

To clarify, I will not be maintaining the same books in differing libraries. I will have a set of books from Sony, a set of books from ADE, and a set of books from Calibre (acquired from Fictionwise and other sources requiring a conversion). My primary concern is the effect (or lack of same) to the Reader.

Calibre does not actually synch stuff. It sends things to the reader. The reason this is important is that Calibre doesn't assume that the reader only has contents from Calibre. Therefore, you can add things to the reader from many different sources.

However, if any of your other book managers try to synch things then you may have more of a mess. They may try to copy in any books that are not already in their software.

[Rique]

@emellaich, aha!

(that was the sound of a genuine "aha" moment!). Now I see what you were getting at.

Calibre does not actually synch stuff. It sends things to the reader. The reason this is important is that Calibre doesn't assume that the reader only has contents from Calibre. Therefore, you can add things to the reader from many different sources.

However, if any of your other book managers try to synch things then you may have more of a mess. They may try to copy in any books that are not already in their software.

That *will* be the interesting part, now won't it?

Thanks again and sorry for the typo of your nick... I went back and fixed it.

-- Rique

[Rique]

Hello again Rique -- so does this mean you went for the Sony?

@purl4peace, yes and so far all is going well!

In terms of the coexistence of Calibre, ADE, and Sony Library, I run all three on the PC and my Sony is very happy working with any of them. I don't ever have all 3 (or any combination of the 3) open at the same time... don't know if that would cause problems or not.

However, for example today, I downloaded an ePub book and loaded it onto my Sony via ADE. I also used Calibre to convert a PDF to LRF and moved that to my Sony. I also opened Sony library software and did some moving around within there and everything worked just fine.

Hope this helps and answers your questions somewhat.

Yes, thanks - that sounds very promising! It sounds like you are describing exactly how I will use the three programs - and I will not run all three at the same time, so that should not be an issue.

I think I have about 9 books loaded so far - currently reading the full text (not the excerpt) of "Team of Rivals".

Thanks again, -- Rique

[gwynevans]

The only issue with using them at the same time is that both Calibre & the Sony software have to update the same file on the Reader in order to manage collections, so to be safe, you should probably only use one to write to the device per 'connect-disconnect' session.