Can't add books any more

[cornishnick]

Using a Kobo Aura with the latest version of calibre, can't send books to device.

For example if I right click a book>send to device(or specific format etc) the book appears with a tick next to it under 'on device' yet hasn't sent. If I then try to add another book using this method the tick moves to the new book and the previous book becomes unchecked (with neither on the device).

I can drag and drop books from calibre to the device using file explorer but they don't then interface with calibre properly. They don't carry the collections data across and don't get sorted like the rest of the books into an authors file, instead staying at the bottom of the list.

Finding the book and matching it to the library has no effect; the book still isn't sorted and isn't in a collection.

Thinking about downgrading as previous versions worked but have read that that's not advised.

[eschwartz]

It is almost definitely not a problem with calibre.

However, I know that calibre interfaces with a database on the Kobo. Not knowing much about Kobos (I am more of a Kindle person), I can only guess, but it is possible the database got corrupted. The usual advice for a corrupted Kobo database is to log out on the Kobo and then sign back into your account.
That will, I believe, require re-processing all the books on the device.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by cornishnick

Using a Kobo Aura with the latest version of calibre, can't send books to device.

For example if I right click a book>send to device(or specific format etc) the book appears with a tick next to it under 'on device' yet hasn't sent. If I then try to add another book using this method the tick moves to the new book and the previous book becomes unchecked (with neither on the device).

You are sending a book to the device and it doesn't appear there? How are you checking? Are you looking at the disk while it is connected? Or looking for it on the device after disconnecting? If the latter, does the black processing screen get displayed when you disconnect?

There is some database checking when sending a book, but, if the book is not already in the database on the device, it is just a query. And if there is a problem with this, an error will be displayed.

I can drag and drop books from calibre to the device using file explorer but they don't then interface with calibre properly. They don't carry the collections data across and don't get sorted like the rest of the books into an authors file, instead staying at the bottom of the list.

Finding the book and matching it to the library has no effect; the book still isn't sorted and isn't in a collection.

I assume the sorting you are referring to is that you are using a metadata plugin to change the title or author to sort the books how you want. You can do this when saving to disk as well. You just need to set the metadata plugin for the "Save to disk".

For the collections, these will be maintained the next time you connect. The driver does this at every connection in case there is a change in the library.

Thinking about downgrading as previous versions worked but have read that that's not advised.

I doubt if downgrading either calibre or the firmware would help. My Kobo devices are all on the latest firmware and I use the latest calibre. I don't see this problem.

One thought is the save template in the driver configuration. When I first read this, I read it as only the last book sent is on the device. That is a sign that the save template is generating the same file name for all books when they are sent. When you send the second book, it would replaces the first book. And when you disconnect the reader, it will only have one book to process. But, you said that none were appearing on the device. That might mean the send is replacing a book sent in the last connection session and hence the device is not seeing any new books at all. Checking the save template would be a good idea.

[cornishnick]

If I send the book to device and it has the tick by it, I switch from the library to the on device screen and check. I then check in the file explorer itself.

The processing screen doesn't show when sent this way (nothing sends) but will show if dragged from library to device, however then it won't carry the metadata with it.

So far as errors, sending doesn't show an error, even when multiple are sent and only one book gets the tick.

"You just need to set the metadata plugin for the "Save to disk". Does that relate to either on the screenshots or is it somewhere else? Not sure what setting to look at there.

I'll check that, what about the save template, how to adjust that correctly?

Will check the log in/out method and report back if anything changes.

Thanks for helping

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by cornishnick

If I send the book to device and it has the tick by it, I switch from the library to the on device screen and check. I then check in the file explorer itself.

You can't find the file in explorer?

The processing screen doesn't show when sent this way (nothing sends) but will show if dragged from library to device, however then it won't carry the metadata with it.

Calibre does update the metadata when you do a save to disk. But, if you are using a metadata plugboard to change title or something when sending the book, those changes won't be made.

So far as errors, sending doesn't show an error, even when multiple are sent and only one book gets the tick.

That makes it more likely it is the save template.

"You just need to set the metadata plugin for the "Save to disk". Does that relate to either on the screenshots or is it somewhere else? Not sure what setting to look at there.

No. And I just realised I said "metadata plugin" when I meant "metadata plugboard". This is in the middle line on the main preferences page. I have been assuming you have used this before to create a plugboard for the Kobo device. You can also create one for the "save_to_disk" device.

I'll check that, what about the save template, how to adjust that correctly?

The save template you need to check is in the driver configuration. The "Sending books to devices" page has the default. When you configure the driver, it copies this and you can change it to something else. To see this, while the device is connected, right click on the device button and select "Configure this device". The one you have on the "Sending books to devices" page is a good default. I would suggest replacing what you have on the driver configuration and testing sending a couple of books. If everything works, we can look at what you had there and work out what you really wanted.

Will check the log in/out method and report back if anything changes.

Just to be clear, I was suggesting turning on debug logging not logging in or out of the device or anywhere else. The debug logging will probably show me what is wrong. But, I am think it is the save template in the driver configuration.

[cornishnick]

I can't find the book If I use the send to device (rather than save to disk) but it will show in the explorer if I use the drag and drop method.

Link to the plug board page. Doesn't seem to be anything on there, can you link to the preferred settings at all please? The only thing like this I've done is added the shelves column and setting.

I've misunderstood about the log in/out mentioned above. Turned wifi on and device said it needed to update so clicked to install that and have been stuck on the updating squares thing for some time now so not sure what's going on now.

[cornishnick]

The update froze and a full factory reset was performed :-(

Still having the same problem when trying to send to device

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by cornishnick

I can't find the book If I use the send to device (rather than save to disk) but it will show in the explorer if I use the drag and drop method.

Link to the plug board page. Doesn't seem to be anything on there, can you link to the preferred settings at all please? The only thing like this I've done is added the shelves column and setting.

Ok, you haven't made any changes there. So, it is the device driver that is configured wrong. My last post had instructions for getting to this. I'm at work at the moment, so can't take a screenshot to show you my configuration. But, when you see the configuration take a copy of whatever is in the "Save template" field. The replace it with:

{author_sort}/{title} - {authors}

That is a good default. Save the change and restart calibre when prompted. After that, the send should work.

And please post what was in the field. I'm curious about what it was.

I've misunderstood about the log in/out mentioned above. Turned wifi on and device said it needed to update so clicked to install that and have been stuck on the updating squares thing for some time now so not sure what's going on now.

Originally Posted by cornishnick

The update froze and a full factory reset was performed :-(

Still having the same problem when trying to send to device

That isn't surprising as the problem is in the configuration of calibre.

If what I said above doesn't work, then I need to see a debug log when the device is sent and you send a book. I gave instructions for that earlier. The log shows all everything that goes on when calibre talks to the device. I can usually work out what is going wrong from this.

[cornishnick]

The {author_sort}/{title} - {authors} change worked..ish. Before that there was a #myshelves entry which was trying to save everything into a myshelves epub file on the main memory which seemed to be causing trouble.

So now I can move books over, they go into the correct file system, but collections aren't working. The collection categories are on the device, the books have category data on them, but they're not going into any categories when they're sent over.

Still, a lot better than this time yesterday when it was an empty brick!

[davidfor]

Looking back, I suspect you had the driver configuration swapped. The values for the Save template and the collections columns were swapped. But, have a look at https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kobo...nd_Collections to get the configuration right. And if it is still not working, I need a debug log to look at.

[cornishnick]

All working so far. Followed the link and made the change by adding the #myshelves.

It was as you thought, the data was mixed up. How that happened or how it was set like that and still working I don't know!