Can Calibre install covers for Cool Reader?

[T.BugReporter]

New tablet (Lenovo IdeaTab), new reader program (Cool Reader), and newly confused user: for my old tablet, Calibre would transfer extra files to allow the reader program to show the book's cover art, but so far all I'm seeing are bland generic covers. The docs for Cool Reader say that it doesn't try to extract cover art until you actually start reading a book (which is fine with me, because many of my books don't actually have cover art within the file), but it makes more sense for Calibre to save Cool Reader the trouble and just preinstall the cover art I've already designated for each book.

[Some less relevant notes about how I use Calibre and my tablet:

Spoiler:

I don't keep Calibre running in sever mode; when I'm done with the books on the tablet, I use an actual physical wire, connect the tablet to my PC, erase the books that are on the tablet, and load new ones onto it - maybe two to three dozen at a time. The new tablet came with the standard Google Play Books app, but I can't use it because it wants to use cloud storage for everything. (Most of my reading is done on trains, where WiFi and clouds are unavailable.) I was fairly happy with the reader app on my old tablet, but it's proprietary and unavailable for anything else. I chose Cool Reader to replace it (despite it's ugly default theme and way too many configuration options) because it's free and open source, but if anyone has other opinions, I'm willing to listen.

]

Now it may be that the bland generic covers I'm seeing are just a side effect of only recently getting my PC to recognize the tablet (the MTP setting on this tablet is so well hidden that I'm still not sure how to get to it if I ever need to change it again), however, I suspect that the cover issue is more complicated than that. What else do I have to do to get the cover graphics loaded onto this tablet in a place and format that Cool Reader will recognize?

[BetterRed]

@T.BugReporter - Can't answer you question but in case you missed it, here's a 800+ post thread titled Coolreader on Android

BR

[chaley]

Calibre makes no attempt to support specific reader apps because there lies perdition. There are so many of them, they change so quickly, and what they want and need is often so very mysterious that such an attempt would be close to futile.

FWIW: I tried FBReader and Cool Reader, but ended up using Moon+ (pro because I wanted to support the developer and wanted syncing). I use Calibre Companion to manage my library (full disclosure: I am one of CC's developers). For me the reader app is simply that, a reader app. I use none of Moon+'s library organization features, because all of that is done in CC.

[T.BugReporter]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

in case you missed it, here's a 800+ post thread titled Coolreader on Android

I did see that, but Cool Reader's developer seems a bit overwhelmed or preoccupied right now. I decided to start from this end because I know from experience that Kovid and the Calibre users here usually have the answers before I even know to ask the questions.

Originally Posted by chaley

Calibre makes no attempt to support specific reader apps because there lies perdition. There are so many of them, they change so quickly, and what they want and need is often so very mysterious that such an attempt would be close to futile.

I can see that, however, Calibre is so configurable that I was hoping that someone here had already concocted the magic formula to accomplish this.

Originally Posted by chaley

FWIW: I tried FBReader and Cool Reader, but ended up using Moon+ (pro because I wanted to support the developer and wanted syncing). I use Calibre Companion to manage my library (full disclosure: I am one of CC's developers). For me the reader app is simply that, a reader app. I use none of Moon+'s library organization features, because all of that is done in CC.

I considered installing CC, but I didn't think it would get me anything that I can't accomplish by connecting to a PC and using Calibre itself - and with my modus operandi, I never have any need for "library organization" that can't be postponed until the next time I connect the tablet to the PC.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by T.BugReporter

I considered installing CC, but I didn't think it would get me anything that I can't accomplish by connecting to a PC and using Calibre itself

This is generally true if you have limited needs. But by default CC will get you the covers in a nice arrangement easily sorted by Tags, Authors, Titles, Series or any custom column and allow you to open the book in whatever ereader you choose. Since covers are your current issue ...

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by T.BugReporter

I did see that, but Cool Reader's developer seems a bit overwhelmed or preoccupied right now. I decided to start from this end because I know from experience that Kovid and the Calibre users here usually have the answers before I even know to ask the questions.



I can see that, however, Calibre is so configurable that I was hoping that someone here had already concocted the magic formula to accomplish this.



I considered installing CC, but I didn't think it would get me anything that I can't accomplish by connecting to a PC and using Calibre itself - and with my modus operandi, I never have any need for "library organization" that can't be postponed until the next time I connect the tablet to the PC.

Coolreader as far as I know does not support cover images outside the book. If the cover is set properly inside the book Coolreader detects and shows it properly in the library view.

[Kaverin]

I had a problem with this too on the covers of epub format books a long time ago when I first started using Coolreader and my Nook Simple Touch. I think I found the answer on the forum here somewhere. It was pretty simple but it will involve some editing of the file to make sure that the metadata section of the content.opf file in the epub contains this line:

<meta name="cover" content="cover.jpg" />

where cover.jpg is a file in the epub's image collection. There are probably many ways to go about that, but I like using Sigil to edit stuff like that since I also clean out the CSS files in epubs and use my own. With that code and the picture file in the epub, the proper cover should show up inside Coolreader's library display. I'm only familiar with epub though, since that's the only ebook format I deal with.