does sideloading to a Sony ereader with Calibre work well with Linux?

[Gregg Bell]

This PRS 300 ereader I have is permanently stuck in screen freeze. The Sony techs say it was either Calibre's fault or Linux's. They said use Sony Reader Library. But SRL only works on Windows and Mac. I'm going to return the Sony but when I buy something in the future (either Kindle or Kobo) is the Linux/Calibre mix going to work for me or do I need to get something with Windows? Thanks.

[Section8]

I've used calibre on Linux to sideload to many different ereaders with no problems - Sony T1, Nook simple touch & color, now a paperwhite.

My understanding is Kovid develops calibre on Linux, so I would expect its base functions to be supported there.

[theducks]

I think there were issues with MTP devices.
Devices that behave like disks were fine

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by Section8

I've used calibre on Linux to sideload to many different ereaders with no problems - Sony T1, Nook simple touch & color, now a paperwhite.

My understanding is Kovid develops calibre on Linux, so I would expect its base functions to be supported there.

Well, that's good to know because I really do like Calibre.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by theducks

I think there were issues with MTP devices.
Devices that behave like disks were fine

If USB drives are MTP devices, well,that's when things started getting snarky for me. The eReader was mounted and while I was even just trying to put a pdf from a usb drive into Calibre Calibre was delaying and all-around snarky and finally my usb drive was no longer recognized by the computer. I finally got the pdf into calibre and when I sideloaded it into my ereader the ereader got stuck loading and I got this message:

Spoiler:

The SONY XML cache "'/media/gregory/495C-0DBA/database/cache/media.xml'" does not exist. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your reader.

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/device.py", line 87, in run
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/device.py", line 502, in _books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/driver.py", line 201, in books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/usbms/driver.py", line 249, in books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/driver.py", line 209, in sync_booklists
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/driver.py", line 197, in initialize_XML_cache
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/sony_cache.py", line 102, in __init__
DeviceError: The SONY XML cache "'/media/gregory/495C-0DBA/database/cache/media.xml'" does not exist. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your reader.

So is the moral of the story to avoid transferring stuff to Calibre via a usb drive WHILE THE EREADER IS MOUNTED? (Because when the eReader was no longer mounted the usb drive worked great with Calibre.)

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

If USB drives are MTP devices, well,that's when things started getting snarky for me. The eReader was mounted and while I was even just trying to put a pdf from a usb drive into Calibre Calibre was delaying and all-around snarky and finally my usb drive was no longer recognized by the computer. I finally got the pdf into calibre and when I sideloaded it into my ereader the ereader got stuck loading and I got this message:

Spoiler:

The SONY XML cache "'/media/gregory/495C-0DBA/database/cache/media.xml'" does not exist. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your reader.

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/device.py", line 87, in run
File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/device.py", line 502, in _books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/driver.py", line 201, in books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/usbms/driver.py", line 249, in books
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/driver.py", line 209, in sync_booklists
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/driver.py", line 197, in initialize_XML_cache
File "site-packages/calibre/devices/prs505/sony_cache.py", line 102, in __init__
DeviceError: The SONY XML cache "'/media/gregory/495C-0DBA/database/cache/media.xml'" does not exist. Try disconnecting and reconnecting your reader.

So is the moral of the story to avoid transferring stuff to Calibre via a usb drive WHILE THE EREADER IS MOUNTED? (Because when the eReader was no longer mounted the usb drive worked great with Calibre.)

Houston, We have a problem.
Maybe your device can't keep up (this should not happen) and falls offline.
Send that puppy for service or replacement.

Without Calibre running. Use the OS to save a Big file (that will fit) to the device.
Does that survive the transfer?

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by theducks

Houston, We have a problem.
Maybe your device can't keep up (this should not happen) and falls offline.
Send that puppy for service or replacement.

Without Calibre running. Use the OS to save a Big file (that will fit) to the device.
Does that survive the transfer?

Hey ducks. Yeah, I transferred a 4.8MB .png file. No problem. The thing is it's always loading. (I have to go through this jerry-rigged process just to get it to shut off.)

I've gone through the soft re-set, hard re-set. Now a Sony guy told me to format the eReader with Fat32. I'm going to throw a post into Calibre 'devices' to see what people say. Do you think that will work?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

I'm going to throw a post into Calibre 'devices' to see what people say. Do you think that will work?

Moderator Notice
Please refrain from doing that - see Posting Guidelines - 3. Duplication

If you want a post moved PM one of the Moderators, they're listed at the bottom of the relevant forum index.

Merging threads is something best avoided

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Hey ducks. Yeah, I transferred a 4.8MB .png file. No problem. The thing is it's always loading. (I have to go through this jerry-rigged process just to get it to shut off.)

I've gone through the soft re-set, hard re-set. Now a Sony guy told me to format the eReader with Fat32. I'm going to throw a post into Calibre 'devices' to see what people say. Do you think that will work?

If by "hard reset" you mean the process described here, then no, reformatting the ereader's main memory will do nothing. The reset already did a reformat.

BTW: both Kovid and I used Sony readers when we built the Sony device drivers back in 2010/2011. He used Linux and several reader models, and I used Windows and a pair of PRS-350s one of which is still going strong. Neither of us had any problems putting PDFs onto the reader. Your reader sounds like it is well-and-truly broken. Even if you manage to make it work again, I would have zero confidence that it will continue to work. I strongly recommend that you replace it if you still can.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Please refrain from doing that - see Posting Guidelines - 3. Duplication

If you want a post moved PM one of the Moderators, they're listed at the bottom of the relevant forum index.

Merging threads is something best avoided

Understand. Thanks.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by chaley

If by "hard reset" you mean the process described here, then no, reformatting the ereader's main memory will do nothing. The reset already did a reformat.

BTW: both Kovid and I used Sony readers when we built the Sony device drivers back in 2010/2011. He used Linux and several reader models, and I used Windows and a pair of PRS-350s one of which is still going strong. Neither of us had any problems putting PDFs onto the reader. Your reader sounds like it is well-and-truly broken. Even if you manage to make it work again, I would have zero confidence that it will continue to work. I strongly recommend that you replace it if you still can.

Thanks chaley. Yeah, that's the version of the hard re-set I did. But it was even tricky getting the thing to turn off to do the hard re-set. I did manage to get to the re-set screen but couldn't do the re-set. It was just a mess.

Thanks for advice. I can return it so that is what I will do. Appreciate it.