Calibre not seeing online-only files in Dropbox library?

[ARSjade]

Been using Calibre + Dropbox for library storage for years now.

Somewhere in the recent past, it seems like Calibre stopped seeing all the "online only" files in the library. That is, the hundreds of books that are in my library (stored in Dropbox, but marked to "online only") are not being recognized by Calibre.

How do I fix this? The books are all there, but the library in Calibre went blank...

[Sirtel]

The only way to fix this is to make the files local.

[theducks]

This is the reason
https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...ive-nashttp://

You have been 'getting away with doing this' till now.

It bit you (which was not unexpected. The only question was WHEN)
Fine to use the cloud for a backup (avoid Google drive, it changes file names)

[ARSjade]

Huh. I'm a little confused. On that page, it says this:

"If you must share the actual library, use a file syncing tool like DropBox or rsync instead of a networked drive. If you are using a file-syncing tool it is essential that you make sure that both calibre and the file syncing tool do not try to access the calibre library at the same time. In other words, do not run the file syncing tool and calibre at the same time."

How do I set the cloud as a backup then but not as the main file source? Is there some setting for that?

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by ARSjade

Huh. I'm a little confused. On that page, it says this:

"If you must share the actual library, use a file syncing tool like DropBox or rsync instead of a networked drive. If you are using a file-syncing tool it is essential that you make sure that both calibre and the file syncing tool do not try to access the calibre library at the same time. In other words, do not run the file syncing tool and calibre at the same time."

How do I set the cloud as a backup then but not as the main file source? Is there some setting for that?

I think that what it is trying to say is that you should always have a local copy, but that you can then run a syncing tool to make a copy in the cloud. Calibre gives no guarantee of behaviour if not running off a local copy of the files.

[slm]

Originally Posted by ARSjade

Huh. I'm a little confused. On that page, it says this:

"If you must share the actual library, use a file syncing tool like DropBox or rsync instead of a networked drive. If you are using a file-syncing tool it is essential that you make sure that both calibre and the file syncing tool do not try to access the calibre library at the same time. In other words, do not run the file syncing tool and calibre at the same time."

How do I set the cloud as a backup then but not as the main file source? Is there some setting for that?

Dropbox lets you select folders to keep on the local drive. Select the Calibre library and you should be fine. (If you are using Windows, the Dropbox icon in the system tray opens to a page that has a "profile picture" in the upper right. click that to get to settings.