Update Metadata on Device While Connected

[dogmayor]

I'm looking for a way to get Calibre to update the metadata of the files added to my Kobo while the device is still connected. I have the KoboTouchExtended plugin installed which updates metadata on connection. However, any files added will not have their metadata updated until I eject and reconnect the device.

I've tried the KoboUtilities plugin, but when I select 'Update metadata in device library' I get the message: calibre, version 6.11.0
Kobo Utilities - Device library updated: Update summary:
Books updated=0
Unchanged books=0
Books not on device=1
Total books=1

After ejecting and reconnecting it is then able to find the books and just lists them as unchanged.

I tried my best to find a solution on this myself but I'm not too good with this kind of thing, so hopefully someone out there will help me. What would be the best way to go about this?

[Terisa de morgan]

There is no other way, sorry. Kobo has to include books in the database for calibre to send the metadata, and the process only happens after the ereader is ejected. This is a two-steps method, no way around it.

[ownedbycats]

More specifically, the book needs to be imported to Kobo's database before it can be changed.

If you're not afraid of mucking around with configuration files, NickelMenu for Kobo will allow you to add a "connect USB" option so you don't need to take out the cable to re-connect it. This helps a bit.

[dogmayor]

Oof. Wish I had known that before spending so much time troubleshooting. I probably should have considered after the first hour of testing that the processing the Kobo was doing after ejection was a factor. Oh well, thanks for the information.

The NickelMenu route is close enough to what I was trying to accomplish anyway. I'll have to do some tinkering with that when I get the chance.

Thank you!

[uli]

Also NickelSeries can save an eject and update for the series metadata.

[dogmayor]

So I am able to prompt the USB pop-up using NickelMenu. I also see

rescan_books_full    - forces a full usb connect/disconnect cycle

It seems to function the same way whether or not the device is connected via USB. It did add a book downloaded wirelessly in KOReader to the stock catalog, but even when the device was plugged in, the metadata did not update.

Maybe I'm being greedy, but is forcing the USB connection dialog the furthest I can take this?

[ownedbycats]

Here's my configuration file

menu_item : main : USB Connect : nickel_misc : force_usb_connection
menu_item : library : USB Connect : nickel_misc : force_usb_connection   
menu_item : main : Toggle Autoconnect : nickel_setting: toggle : auto_usb_gadget

[dogmayor]

Toggling auto_usb_gadget is what I was missing. Works perfectly now, thanks!

[Wiggo]

auto_usb_gadget - Automatically enable USB mass storage on connection

I don't understand this. In WinExplorer I see my Kobo always automatically and why should this help to avoid the second connect?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I don't understand this. In WinExplorer I see my Kobo always automatically and why should this help to avoid the second connect?

You don't necessarily need that bit. Usually, Kobo prompts to connect, but the prompt failed to appear when my SleepCover was closed. So I just set up a toggle to let it connect without the prompt.

I think you can also add it as an permanent, but I wanted to be able to turn it off easily in case I needed to.

[dogmayor]

Originally Posted by Wiggo

I don't understand this. In WinExplorer I see my Kobo always automatically and why should this help to avoid the second connect?

Unfortunately, it doesn't avoid the second connection. It seems the second connection is required so my goal became minimizing the number of steps needed. Enabling auto_usb_gadget bypasses the connection prompt on Kobo which is just one less thing to do.

I haven't actually given up on a solution with less steps being possible, but it's gonna take me forever to figure out if it's even doable. I'm thinking something sent to the device that triggers automatically when both new books have been added and an eject has just completed, which then runs NickelMenu's force_usb_connection, waits for Calibre to update metadata, and then finally ejects. Any ideas on if/how this could be done?

[ownedbycats]

Not that I'm aware of, but you might want to go ask over in the Kobo forum.

My method when adding a new book is:

1. Connect the book with the cable. Autoconnect will connect.
2. After the file sends to device, eject the device.
3. Open the SleepCover (if it already isn't) and wait for the 'importing' dialog to finish. (It sometimes takes a few seconds to detect.)
4. Use the 'USB Connect' on the menu to connect a second time.

Then I use a custom Action Chain that uploads cover to device and pre-sets the font.

[isarl]

Originally Posted by dogmayor

I haven't actually given up on a solution with less steps being possible, but it's gonna take me forever to figure out if it's even doable. […] Any ideas on if/how this could be done?

Did you look at NickelSeries? It literally does exactly what you want – patches your Kobo so that, when importing new content, it also reads the Series metadata.

Originally Posted by uli

Also NickelSeries can save an eject and update for the series metadata.

[Wiggo]

Thx guys, now I understand

[dogmayor]

Originally Posted by isarl

Did you look at NickelSeries? It literally does exactly what you want – patches your Kobo so that, when importing new content, it also reads the Series metadata.

I probably should have specified I'm trying to do this for files that Kobo can not read embedded metadata from. As far as I can tell the Kobo can already read embedded metadata from epubs and kepub files, so it would have to be a p. niche case for me to need to use it. Unless I missed something and it also works for other file types.