Renaming files using "download metadata" changes checksum

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by thehawkman

So. The way I am doing it is, drag the file to Calibre, click on it -> edit metadata -> download metadata individually -> Click the "download metadata button" -> Accept the proposed covers -> OK -> then "save to disk". Either writing the metadata to the file, or the saving to disk part changes the file.
...
The first file is the one I renamed using Calibre. The second is the original.

Until now you have been claiming that you are simply having calibre rename the file which happens anytime the metadata author or title is changed in the calibre library. Renaming the file does NOT change the size of the file by a single byte.

You are using the Save to disk feature which is more than simply renaming the file. The Save to disk feature exports a book from calibre's library (where the book had already been "renamed" because of the metadata download) and during the export process, embeds the new metadata and often the new cover into the file and will most likely always change the size of the file.

Finally being specific in what you are actually doing clearly exposed what you were not saying previously. And using a specific Title for this thread (Renaming files using "download metadata" changes checksum) which was clearly wrong on its face added to the previous confusion folks had.

Personally I would run a CRC compare tool on my books and delete binary duplicates prior to adding the books to calibre, but that's my way of doing things.

Good Luck with your project.

[thehawkman]

OK, so I shouldn't use save to disk. How do I use the renaming features of Calibre so I don't have to go through files manually without altering their checksum, then?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by thehawkman

OK, so I shouldn't use save to disk. How do I use the renaming features of Calibre so I don't have to go through files manually without altering their checksum, then?

Calibre has no "renaming features" per se. Whenever any Author or Title is changed the corresponding file's name in calibre's database is renamed as needed. The problem here is that the internal naming of files has a UUID number appended and sometimes it is truncated so not to exceed path/file character limits.

I guess what I'm saying is your out of luck. Calibre just doesn't have that feature. It is such an odd request that I have seen it asked for in this forum in the last four years. Maybe you stated it clearly earlier, but what is this getting you? What is the ultimate goal? I think you may have to reconsider your work flow.

Update: One thought does come to mind. Go to Preferences - Plugins - Metadata writer plugins and disable the metadata writer for the format your dealing with, click Apply and try using the Save to disk feature again. It might give you what you want.

Good Luck.

[thehawkman]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

Calibre has no "renaming features" per se. Whenever any Author or Title is changed the corresponding file's name in calibre's database is renamed as needed. The problem here is that the internal naming of files has a UUID number appended and sometimes it is truncated so not to exceed path/file character limits.

I guess what I'm saying is your out of luck. Calibre just doesn't have that feature. It is such an odd request that I have seen it asked for in this forum in the last four years. Maybe you stated it clearly earlier, but what is this getting you? What is the ultimate goal? I think you may have to reconsider your work flow.

Update: One thought does come to mind. Go to Preferences - Plugins - Metadata writer plugins and disable the metadata writer for the format your dealing with, click Apply and try using the Save to disk feature again. It might give you what you want.

Good Luck.

Your suggestion didn't work, the metadata writer plugin didn't allow configuration, but the answer lay elsewhere. I got it!!! By pure luck, but I got it. Just as I was about to call it quits, I noticed it. Go to Calibre->Preferences->Saving files to disk-> Uncheck "Update Metadata in saved copies". That's it. You can then save the file to disk neatly, with the cover and all, in its own folder, with the title in the format that I want, and keeping the file unchanged. The file is renamed but it remains unaltered (as proven by the fact that the checksum remains the same on the "saved to disk file". Just what I wanted. Case closed. Thanks for this great software.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by thehawkman

Your suggestion didn't work, the metadata writer plugin didn't allow configuration, but the answer lay elsewhere.

Not that it matters, but my suggestion does work. I said to disable the plugin (big button at the bottom of the plugins page) not configure. It does allow you to disable the plugin.

Originally Posted by thehawkman

I got it!!! By pure luck, but I got it. Just as I was about to call it quits, I noticed it. Go to Calibre->Preferences->Saving files to disk-> Uncheck "Update Metadata in saved copies".

Excellent, already an option. Great that you found it.