Calibre won't connect to iTunes (OS X)

[Devon]

I updated iTunes last night, and everything was still working. This morning when I reopened Calibre, it won't connect to iTunes. I get an error message:

calibre, version 0.8.55
ERROR: Error: Error communicating with device

Unknown property, element or command: 'sources'

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/device.py", line 82, in run
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/device.py", line 339, in _books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/apple/driver.py", line 3166, in books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/apple/driver.py", line 2184, in _get_library_books
File "site-packages/appscript/reference.py", line 580, in __getattr__
AttributeError: Unknown property, element or command: 'sources'

Help Please!

Oh! I forgot, I am on a Mac

[GRiker]

This bug has been reported.

It appears that Apple has implemented 'sandboxing' for the 10.6.3 iTunes update. This means that external apps are unable to use AppleScript to control apps, which is how calibre communicates with iTunes.

I will keep looking at this, as it's possible that there's something else happening. In the meantime, you can either downgrade to a previous version of iTunes, or use calibre's content server.

[Devon]

Thank you

[GRiker]

After more research, I'm convinced that the problem is indeed the sandboxing that Apple has promised since the release of OS X Lion last year. I created a post in the sticky section of this sub-forum with more information.

The next release of calibre will include code to detect a sandboxed version of iTunes and inform the user that calibre can't connect to iTunes.

[joeru]

Is there no way to turn off sandboxing for iTunes?

[paulsalter]

when i check in activity monitor for iTunes it says that it is not sandboxed (unlike Safari which it says is)

is sandboxing implemented more into the OS for some apps which the user cannot see

[GRiker]

Originally Posted by paulsalter

when i check in activity monitor for iTunes it says that it is not sandboxed (unlike Safari which it says is)

I am guessing about the sandboxing because from version 10.6.1 to 10.6.3 iTunes fails to respond to OSA queries, and it's been widely anticipated for some time that iTunes would have OSA access turned off. Apart from a bug on Apple's part that somehow managed to entirely shut down OSA for iTunes, I don't know what else might have caused the sudden blackout.

I see that the sandboxing status shows 'No' in Activity Monitor (thanks for pointing that out, I didn't know that was available). Another possibility is that Apple simply shut down OSA for iTunes.

It could also be that calibre, as an app not distributed by the app store, has been sandboxed, thus shutting down OSA communications. However, iTunes version 10.6.1 still works with the latest calibre release (0.8.56).

G

[paulsalter]

Originally Posted by GRiker

How are you finding the sandbox status in Activity Monitor?

if you right click on the headers and select sandbox, it gives a yes/no against each running app saying if it uses sandboxing

that is my understanding, could be wrong, there might be more to sandboxing than this

[kakkalla]

Thanks for the advice GRiker. I am now having to download my books onto my iPad via the content server as you suggest. This works well but I have lost all my series information in the title of my books. Very annoying.

I have been trying to get a plugboard to work so that the series info is inserted into the title of the book but have failed. See this thread I created: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=2115966

How can iPad users now get their books on the iPad with the series info in the title like before when using the 'Connect to iTunes' option in calbire? Is there a tutorial on how to do this now that sandboxing has been implemented in iTunes?

I read this article: http://www.howtogeek.com/114063/how-...-ebook-series/

but have had no luck. I don't even have the 'epub' option in the drop down list under Format (choose first).

Can some guru please help people like me who are not all that savvy in IT? It would be greatly appreciated!

[mwheinz]

Hmmm... I am still able to run my collection of iTunes apple scripts on my machine. Is it possible that they've just changed the scripting API?

[GRiker]

Originally Posted by mwheinz

Hmmm... I am still able to run my collection of iTunes apple scripts on my machine. Is it possible that they've just changed the scripting API?

Certainly possible. The driver uses a python scripting library called appscript to communicate with iTunes. That library worked without problems through iTunes 10.6.1, and now with 10.6.3, it no longer works. I haven't been able to find anything indicating internal scripting changes, but something clearly has changed.

[mwheinz]

Originally Posted by GRiker

something clearly has changed.

Indeed. It's been a while since I tried it, so I don't know if this is new - but when I tried to use osascript to execute one of my working scripts I got this:

[porkchop iTunes]> osascript ./Copy\ Selected\ Tracks\ MT.scpt
./Copy Selected Tracks MT.scpt: execution error: No user interaction allowed. (-1713)

I'm not a python user, normally, but I'm willing - do I need to install anything special to add osascript support to python?

[Devon]

If you put the Series info in the tag section, and title sort - it seems to work. I have been dropping the books straight into iTunes, after tweaking them with Calibre. All my Metadata seems to transfer.

I know you said that there is no fix - but you all are so brilliant, that I have to tell you that I am still hopeful

[mwheinz]

GRiker,

It occurs to me from digging around that it might work if calibre generated a *.scpt file then executed it with osascript. Might only be a temporary fix, however, if Apple is really going to eliminate scripting.

Hmmm... I assume that means Automator is gone, too...

[ashamam]

Hmm a simple workable solution atm would be to tune the save to disk functionality to be able to perform the same metadata magic that the direct import to iTunes used to. I have tried all sorts of exports and cannot get metadata to stick and update in the export files when dumped into iTunes. Now either iTunes is either remembering the first import and then overwriting all future imports of the same book (after deletion in iTunes) or the metadata isn't updating properly on export.

I've set the appropriate preferences to update metadata, I've also tried converting from epub to epub and also tried the modify epub plugging.

But exporting to a folder and dragging to iTunes would be relatively painless. Obviously non-ibooks readers are also an option but you lose the push updates to your multiple devices and page syncing.