Why Does Portable Calibre Lose My Libraries?

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:

I have recently started using the portable version so I can always get consistent columns - I just move the flash drive! But, since using it I have noticed that EVERY time I install an update, Calibre loses track of my libraries, keeping only the quick Start guide in the "Calibre" library. I have to "Switch/Create" all of my libraries each time. Is there something I'm doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Sparky

[theducks]

an aside to your problem

I don't understand "so I can always get consistent columns"

Columns are part of the (metadata) DB structure with the backup JSON file having Library specific ways to recreate those (and other Library stuff)

User level stuff (what Libraries are in use, Plugins and other USER preferences) are in the configuration folder.

It has been awhile, but the installer did not stomp on existing configuration files.
So the question is. What are you doing (precise steps for an upgrade) that causes you to HAVE this happen?

[eschwartz]

I think what the OP is saying is he wants consistency across computers.


I have no idea why an upgrade would bork things, but the portable launcher is in general not great at tracking your library of it is outside very specific locations.

I prefer(red) the dev launcher from PortableApps.com

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:

There were no actual steps I took! I downloaded the update, executed the installer, and then executed the program. And, voila, only the one library was there.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Sparky

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by TheArtfulDodger

Any ideas?

@TheArtfulDodger - Calibre Portable is designed to be installed on a portable device as a self contained application, and it is assumed that the portable device will be attached to different computers over which the user has little control.

Thus it expects the libraries to be on the same portable device in the Calibre Portable directory. This is a simple but effective way to get around the difficulties presented by Windows use of drive letters which change from one machine to the next.

Whilst it's possible to 'attach' a library that's stored at a location using a full path including a drive letter via Library->Switch/Create dialogue, it won't be 'remembered'. To do so would require keeping a record of the drive letter and that would render the installation non-Portable.

BR

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:

My library is on the same 16GB Flash drive with the program. Here's the setup:

Y:\Calibre Portable
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre - Location of Calibre.
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre Library - Where Calibre put its library.
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre Settings - Created by Calibre.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My Libraries - Where I have each of my 7 libraries.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My Libraries\My library 1.
.
.
.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My Libraries\My library 7.

And, I told the program that was the location of my libraries during a previous installation and everything worked perfectly! However, when I installed an update, it did not know about my 7 libraries.

So, I am not sure what's going on. However, everything you said about using a flash drive to carry portable Calibre and my libraries around so the organization of each library would always be the same!

Thanks in advance.

Sparky

[eschwartz]

As BetterRed said, Calibre Portable only supports remembering one library.


IMHO the http://PortableApps.com Dev launcher for calibre is superior, as it makes use of the powerful PortableApps.com framework for portableizing sotware to keep track of the drive letter and update the configuration files (among other things).
Get it here: http://portableapps.com/node/20518

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:

I'll read up on it and give it a try - thanks for the tip.

I guess that doesn't really serve as a solution - it's really a work-around! I'd be interested to hear what Kovid Goyal has to say about the situation?

Thanks for the help.

Sparky

[fidvo]

Despite what others have said, Calibre can remember multiple libraries. I've been running it this way for years.

You need to make a slight change to your folder structure. Specifically, get rid of your "My Libraries" folder. So you would have:

Y:\Calibre Portable
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre - Location of Calibre.
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre Library - Where Calibre put its library.
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre Settings - Created by Calibre.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My library 1.
.
.
.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My library 7.

If you do this, Calibre should remember them all.

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by fidvo

Despite what others have said, Calibre can remember multiple libraries. I've been running it this way for years.

You need to make a slight change to your folder structure. Specifically, get rid of your "My Libraries" folder. So you would have:

Y:\Calibre Portable
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre - Location of Calibre.
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre Library - Where Calibre put its library.
Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre Settings - Created by Calibre.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My library 1.
.
.
.
Y:\Calibre Portable\My library 7.

If you do this, Calibre should remember them all.

That is exactly what I do as well. All the libraries need to be at the top level of the Calibre Portable folder.

[Terisa de morgan]

Not really, calibre portable doesn't forget my libraries at all, and they're at other hierarchy, but they are at the same device (of course, for a portable library).

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by fidvo

Despite what others have said, Calibre can remember multiple libraries. I've been running it this way for years.

<snip>

If you do this, Calibre should remember them all.

Me too.

Aside : this also works; if the device uses NTFS (e.g. a 2.5" portable drive), you can put the libraries elsewhere on the device, drop relative path symbolic links to the libraries into the Calibre Portable folder, and then use Library->Switch/Create library ... to 'attach' the symlinks.

Added : when I tried to create a library within a sub directory of Calibre Portable (v2.49) I got an appropriate error message, viz:



BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

As BetterRed said, Calibre Portable only supports remembering one library.

Actually, what BetterRed said was

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Thus it expects the libraries to be on the same portable device in the Calibre Portable directory.

BR

[eschwartz]

Ah, sorry. Misread your post.

(It probably doesn't help that I haven't used Calibre Portable on a Windows computer in over a year. )

[TheArtfulDodger]

Hello:

I am sorry for the delay in writing back but I had to wait for another update to evaluate what I saw the last time. So, here's what happened:

When I updated the last time, I got only the Calibre library. So, as it seemed the easiest suggestion to implement, I decided to try what fidvo suggested. I simply copied one of my libraries from Y:\Calibre Portable\My Libraries\My library 1 to Y:\Calibre Portable\My library 1 and all of a sudden, all of my libraries were there!

So, I needed to wait for another update, which I found today. I installed portable Calibre to Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre but instead of installing there, it installed at Y:\Calibre Portable\Calibre\Calibre Portable\Calibre! So naturally, it only showed the one Calibre library! What am I doing wrong? Do I need to install only to Y:\?

All help and advice is much appreciated!

Sparky