Device not ejecting?

Phssthpok · 02-06-2016, 05:22 AM

I'm using Calibre 2.49 (32-bit) in Windows 8.1. Having updated my Kindle, I select "eject" from the Devices menu and all the device related buttons disappear from the toolbar as if the device was ejected successfully. However, Windows won't eject it because it was still in use... and this is now the third time in a row that this has happened. As Goldfinger said to James Bond, "Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but the third time it's enemy action."

Further investigation shows that the process which has a handle open for the device is an instance of calibre-parallel.exe, with this command line:

Code:

calibre-parallel.exe --pipe-worker "from calibre.utils.ipc.pool import run_main, worker main; run_main(worker_main)"

...which, without knowing what has been pumped into worker_main, tells me very little. The process isn't using any processor time, but neither does it terminate. Killing it allows me to eject the device, and doesn't seem to have any effect on anything else; but it does require a certain amount of effort on my part to find the process responsible and then kill it, which is annoying. What I'm wondering is, what might this process be doing that it still has an open handle after the device has been ejected? Anyone have any ideas?

kovidgoyal · 02-06-2016, 08:17 AM

As far as I know, there are no worker processes involved with devices in core calibre at all -- all device interaction is handled in a separate thread, not a worker process. The only thing I can think of that could possibly launch a worker process for the device is reading metadata of files on the device. What file is open on the device?

Phssthpok · 02-06-2016, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As far as I know, there are no worker processes involved with devices in core calibre at all -- all device interaction is handled in a separate thread, not a worker process. The only thing I can think of that could possibly launch a worker process for the device is reading metadata of files on the device. What file is open on the device?

Damn, I forgot to check the handle itself, rather than just the process associated with the the handle... I'll try and make it happen again and let you know.

Phssthpok · 02-06-2016, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

What file is open on the device?

It is indeed the metadata file (metadata.calibre) that's it's hanging on to.

There is a difference this time: instead of the one process I described, there are 3 processes: a calibre-parallel.exe (no command-line parameters) with 2 subprocesses, one of which is another calibre-parallel.exe with no command-line parameters, and the other one with these parameters:

Code:

--pipe-worker "from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.completion.worker import run_main, main; run_main(main)"

As I write, the Kindle was ejected from within Calibre just over 40 minutes ago, Calibre is no longer showing the device tools on the toolbar, the metadata file hasn't been written to since, but all three processes still have an open handle to the metadata file, are all idle, and I can't eject the device.

kovidgoyal · 02-06-2016, 10:25 PM

https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...ba580e85aaf844

Phssthpok · 02-07-2016, 04:13 AM

Aha, so that was it! Many thanks, as always.

02-06-2016, 05:22 AM	#1
Phssthpok Age improves with wine. Posts: 576 Karma: 95229 Join Date: Nov 2014 Device: Kindle Oasis, Kobo Libra II	Device not ejecting? I'm using Calibre 2.49 (32-bit) in Windows 8.1. Having updated my Kindle, I select "eject" from the Devices menu and all the device related buttons disappear from the toolbar as if the device was ejected successfully. However, Windows won't eject it because it was still in use... and this is now the third time in a row that this has happened. As Goldfinger said to James Bond, "Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but the third time it's enemy action." Further investigation shows that the process which has a handle open for the device is an instance of calibre-parallel.exe, with this command line: Code: calibre-parallel.exe --pipe-worker "from calibre.utils.ipc.pool import run_main, worker main; run_main(worker_main)" ...which, without knowing what has been pumped into worker_main, tells me very little. The process isn't using any processor time, but neither does it terminate. Killing it allows me to eject the device, and doesn't seem to have any effect on anything else; but it does require a certain amount of effort on my part to find the process responsible and then kill it, which is annoying. What I'm wondering is, what might this process be doing that it still has an open handle after the device has been ejected? Anyone have any ideas?

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02-06-2016, 08:17 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,347 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	As far as I know, there are no worker processes involved with devices in core calibre at all -- all device interaction is handled in a separate thread, not a worker process. The only thing I can think of that could possibly launch a worker process for the device is reading metadata of files on the device. What file is open on the device?

02-06-2016, 10:25 PM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,347 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...ba580e85aaf844

02-07-2016, 04:13 AM	#6
Phssthpok Age improves with wine. Posts: 576 Karma: 95229 Join Date: Nov 2014 Device: Kindle Oasis, Kobo Libra II	Aha, so that was it! Many thanks, as always.

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