Calibre keeps remounting the secondary drive

[meghane_e]

Every time after my laptop reboots and I've logged back in, Calibre mounts my D:\ drive (an SD card). I keep "Ejecting" the D: drive and it stays unmounted after the laptop repeatedly goes to Sleep or wakes up. Why does it keeps re-mounting it? 'Library > Switch/create' says Calibre's pointing to the (correct) library on my C:\ drive whether D: drive is mounted or not. And it seems to be the right library according to the fake books I added.

The only information I can find so far that might help is about Ignored Devices. Is it possible to NOT have to put D:\ in the Ignored Devices list? I do make and keep my backup library on the D: drive. I almost never point to it but I'd like to be able to once in a while.

Thanks for the pointers!

[theducks]

Eject it from the Library DEVICE Menu, NOT the O/S.
Calibre remembers active settings like Connect to folder, and reconnects upon startup

[meghane_e]

I do Eject from the Device menu. Not Library menu. Does the Library menu have an 'Eject' option? Anyway, I only mention the Library menu simply to confirm that it is pointing to the correct active Library location on the C: drive. In other words Calibre points to the correct C: drive Calibre library whether the D: drive is mounted or not. I'm just providing that info in case it's relevant. Anyway, I Eject from Device button/menu/thing because the Device button only shows up when the D: drive is mounted. And when I have to reboot my laptop, D: is mounted again. So it doesn't seem to be saving the setting. Is there some other thing to mark off to force a save or anything?

[kovidgoyal]

The relevant setting is Preferences->Tweaks->Specify a folder calibre should connect to at startup

[meghane_e]

Originally Posted by theducks

Eject it from the Library DEVICE Menu, NOT the O/S.

Hmm, what do you mean by 'not the O/S'? Are talking about the operating system? I have not been ejecting or unmounting my D: drive on my computer, OS or physical. Otherwise, not sure what O/S is standing for here.

To clarify, I'm doing 'Device > Eject' from the Calibre main toolbar. The Device menu button only shows up when Calibre mounts the D: drive. [Please correct my terminology because I suspect mine isn't quite right.] And it is not saving the 'Device > Eject' setting when I have to reboot my laptop.

1. Reboot laptop
2. Launch Calibre
3. Device button/menu visible. The toolbar that matches Toolbars & menus > 'main toolbar with device attached' is displayed.
4. so 'Device > Eject' D: unmounted.
5. No Device button visible, regular 'main toolbar' with no device attached displays correctly.
6. Close Calibre (I just use the upper right windows 'X' so maybe not saving the setting that way?)
7. Repeat steps 1 & 2.
8. Result: Calibre launches into step 3 again.

[meghane_e]

Thanks, Kovid! I checked that variable. It looks like it's already pointing to the right location (see attachment). Are there any other places or variables to check? Or maybe a file I can check to see if it's pointing to D: somewhere?

I guess one other possibility I just thought of. My library is at '<me>\OneDrive\Calibre Library'. Could it be that the laptop is restarting too soon after Calibre closes and before the main metadata.db has a chance to sync? Since there are no current updates requiring computer restarts, I'll leave it on with Calibre closed down and wait to see if OneDrive completes a sync of the folder. Just in case.

RESULT: Dang it. I closed Calibre, then made sure OneDrive had completely sync'd my files, then rebooted. Calibre launches pointing at D: still. Dang it. So that didn't do it. :'(

[kovidgoyal]

That is the only variable that controls automatic connect to folder at startup. If your D: drive is being connected to despite that, then it is likely your drive is being detected as a device. Run calibre in debug mode and you should see what device it is being detected as in the debug log, then you can disable the device driver for that deive in Preferences->Plugins

[meghane_e]

I attached the debug file for the steps:
1. Restart Calibre in debug mode
2. Visual inspection: Device attached, 'Main menu bar for device attached'
3.(approx. order sorry) Pick book, open book, close book, open metadata, close metadata
4. Eject device using Main menu bar > Device > Eject
5. Visual inspection: Main menu bar (no device attached)
6. (approx. order sorry) Pick book, open book, close book, open metadata, close metadata
7. Close Calibre

OK, the only variable I saw that seems (in my ignorant opinion) applicable is "SaveVirtualLibrariesToColumnGUI device connected". When Calibre launches it is set to True. After I eject the device it is set to False. However, I'm confused that there is no debug output for step 6 like there seemed to be for Step 3. The debug file just stopped after the Eject.

I don't know what "SaveVirtualLibrariesToColumnGUI device connected" really means. The number of books whether the "SaveVirtualLibrariesToColumnGUI device connected" is true or false is the same and it seems like all the same books, so it doesn't seem like it's thinking it's a different library. And that's about where my brain ends. My search on the Calibre docs, the forum, and Google for "SaveVirtualLibrariesToColumnGUI device connected" and "SaveVirtualLibrariesToColumnGUI" turned up literally no results.

Thank you for help, pointers or workarounds!
-Meghan

[BetterRed]

@meghane_e - I think that "Save Virt..." message comes from the Save Virtual Libraries To Column plugin.

You need that plugin if you want a custom column that shows the virtual libraries in which a book appears in an external application, most especially Calibre Companion.

Try disabling/removing that plugin.

BR

[kovidgoyal]

There is nothing in that debug log that indicates calibre is what is mounting D: It's not being detected as a device.

The only other suggestion I have is run calibre with --ignore-plugins and see if the problem goes away.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by meghane_e

Thanks, Kovid! I checked that variable. It looks like it's already pointing to the right location (see attachment).

Go to the tweak again and remove the path. You currently have calibre set to automatically connect to C:\\Users\\megha\\OneDrive\\Calibre Library as a device. This tweak needs to be empty or it will always connect to this folder as a device on startup.

# Specify a folder calibre should connect to at startup

auto_connect_to_folder = 'Clear the path found here, click apply, then restart'
.

[meghane_e]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

Go to the tweak again and remove the path.
...
auto_connect_to_folder = 'Clear the path found here, click apply, then restart'

Thanks for response, Doc. To clarify, Kovid suggested checking that variable. I interpreted that he meant setting it to the folder the Library was at, but you're saying not to because it is being read as a device? Is this because the Library is on OneDrive or is it because auto_connect translates to any folder path reading as a device, even C: drive?

TEST: Last night I moved my library from OneDrive to C: drive. To understand your suggestion, I changed the auto_connect_to_folder variable to the new path, 'C:\\Users\\megha\\Calibre_Library_laptop'; applied change; quit/restarted calibre. No change; it restarted with a device attached.

Then I set the auto_connect_to_folder path to ''; applied change; quit/restart. SUCCESS!! No device attached. Thank you SO much for giving me a solution!

I never saw that variable prior to Kovid's suggestion, but the folder path was already set when I checked. So something I did from the GUI set it or a plugin did. For posterity: it seems like auto_connect to a folder might as well be auto_connect a device, yes?

Thank you everyone for working the problem! Thank you, Doc, for the solution

[theducks]

Originally Posted by meghane_e

Thanks for response, Doc. To clarify, Kovid suggested checking that variable. I interpreted that he meant setting it to the folder the Library was at, but you're saying not to because it is being read as a device? Is this because the Library is on OneDrive or is it because auto_connect translates to any folder path reading as a device, even C: drive?

TEST: Last night I moved my library from OneDrive to C: drive. To understand your suggestion, I changed the auto_connect_to_folder variable to the new path, 'C:\\Users\\megha\\Calibre_Library_laptop'; applied change; quit/restarted calibre. No change; it restarted with a device attached.

Then I set the auto_connect_to_folder path to ''; applied change; quit/restart. SUCCESS!! No device attached. Thank you SO much for giving me a solution!

I never saw that variable prior to Kovid's suggestion, but the folder path was already set when I checked. So something I did from the GUI set it or a plugin did. For posterity: it seems like auto_connect to a folder might as well be auto_connect a device, yes?

Thank you everyone for working the problem! Thank you, Doc, for the solution

It is a Device setting, not the Start with Library setting.
Folder devices are commonly used when the manufacturers device can't be identified (specific device detection fails) or when a user wants to use "sneaker net" (SD cards) to get books to devices