Changing Calibre from Windows to Linux mint

[Dopedangel]

How should I go about it. Because of how filenames are treated differently in Linux and Windows copying the calibre library and pointing the Linux calibre to it probably won't work.
I could import them to a new calibre library but I don't want to loose my custom columns etc. Has anyone done it any pitfalls to look out for.

Sent from my SM-G925I

[kovidgoyal]

Just use the import/export tool: https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...ter-to-another

[enuddleyarbl]

My Calibre library is still sitting on an NTFS partition that I use to share data with Windows. When I switched to Linux, I just pointed the Linux version of Calibre to that same library. I haven't had any issues with that (AFAIK).

EDIT: Of course, I don't have any custom columns and such. So, I don't know if I'd have lost those. Sorry.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DaveLessnau

My Calibre library is still sitting on an NTFS partition that I use to share data with Windows. When I switched to Linux, I just pointed the Linux version of Calibre to that same library. I haven't had any issues with that (AFAIK).

EDIT: Of course, I don't have any custom columns and such. So, I don't know if I'd have lost those. Sorry.

Give it time
You will. (been there with a dual boot)

Specifically CASE name that you will almost always have to fix from the Linux side (because windows is insensitive to case.)
It will happen with any Author or Title change in Calibre

smith, joe => Smith, Joe can result in 2 versions of the book if changed in Linux

[eschwartz]

Use the Library Management tool to check for and fix issues.

Check Library will tell you if case sensitivity has made calibre lose track of files. (This is likely the case, but not guaranteed.)
Restore Database will fix that, preserving custom columns etc. It will destroy saved conversion settings.

[fidvo]

I switch back and forth between both operating systems all the time. As others have pointed out, there can be a few issues, but if you're careful there shouldn't be a problem.

I would recommend you first make a back up of your data. Just copying the files to a new location is fine; the custom column settings are stored with the library itself. But as Kovid mentioned, the import/export tool might be better.

When you first open your library under Linux, run the Check Library tool. There may be some issues with file name case (hopefully only a few), in which case Check Library will say that there are missing books and that there are extra files.

DO NOT HAVE CALIBRE AUTOMATICALLY FIX THESE! You will lose books this way.

Make a note of them, then open the library on Windows. For each of the bad books, rename the author and/or the title to something completely different, then change them back to the way they were before. This should fix the case problems.

Open the library on Linux again and run the Check Library tool again. If there are still any issues, repeat the above to fix them.

(Note that I used a different method that's not recommended. I renamed the files manually myself. But I was VERY careful of what I was doing. If you're not confident in your ability to fix it this way, don't do it)

Once there are no more issues, you should be good to go.

If you switch back and forth between Windows and Linux, you should probably run Check Library periodically to see if any more issues have been introduced. And on Windows, never directly rename an author or book to change letter case. Use the two-step method I mentioned above.

[theducks]

The Quality check PI has a few Book Path tools in Fix

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

How should I go about it. Because of how filenames are treated differently in Linux and Windows copying the calibre library and pointing the Linux calibre to it probably won't work.
I could import them to a new calibre library but I don't want to loose my custom columns etc. Has anyone done it any pitfalls to look out for.

MAKE BACKUP.
Then copy the data to a Linux Partition and tell Calibre to open the library in the new place.
The library directory contains the database file and all custom columns will be there.
I do not think you should have problems.
I have tested this only to limited extent, but I think that you can copy libraries across the systems.
You DO have to install the plugins and copy the plugins setup from one system to another. When moving Calibre from one Linux to another I just copy the ~/.config/calibre directory from the old system and install the calibre over it on the new machine. This preserves plugins and setup for plugins.
EDIT: I have edited the correct directory with plugins and calibre config from /opt/calibre to ~/.config/calibre

I like to start the new installation for a major version instead of update from time to time to get rid of lots of software I have installed and no longer want or use. So I prepare in advance.
Please note that I have updated the last few versions of Mint Linux without starting from scratch.
I typically install a new system plus a few favorite pieces of software and then I install further software when I need it. It is not a problem, usually you just type apt-get install gvim or whatever. I can set up the new system to my liking in a couple of hours - I preserve configuration of mail and browser across systems the following way:

When I install Mint Linux I usually do this:
- make primary partition sda1, about 30GB, for system /
- make primary partition sda2, same size as sda1. Here you will install the next version of Linux Mint *IF* you decide to start from scratch
- make swap partition - there used to be requirement to have the size 2x RAM, but that was at the time when typical memory was measured in Megabytes.
- make Home partition sda4, using the remaining space. Mount as /home/

set up the system and create an user account. I personally would name it Rosa.
When the system is done, there will be /home/Rosa directory for all your files. I also create (as a root) /home/Common and /home/Books directories, with the owner Rosa.
I place Calibre Library and other book related directories to /home/Books and set up Firefox and Thunderbird to use profile directories in /home/Common/mail and /home/Common/firefox_profile.
You can also save documents, photos and videos and other things into /home/Common

Now, when the next Mint Linux codenamed Sarah comes out I just install it to /sda2 and set up user Sarah.
Now I have /home/Rosa/ and /home/Sarah/ directories, but both have the same uid, so, until you set up your new release exactly the way you wish you can log into either account and use mail, browser and Calibre library across the system.
You can not have the same user name in both systems, because you do not want the settings from one system to apply to the other system, and those are typically saved in your home directory. You will want to copy just documents and suchlike.

[kovidgoyal]

The import/export tool takes care of all OS difference related problems automatically. So unless you plan on switching between OSes with the same library repeatedly, you should use the tool.