Re-installing Calibre on a new Mac without Migration

[ZuleikaD]

I bought a new computer (Macbook Pro) and, for a variety of reasons, I doing a partial migration and a partial new install. Basically, I'm going to migrate my user account and all documents, photos, etc. but not software. Unfortunately, you can't pick and choose which software; so it's all or nothing.

For Calibre I can either download the latest version or copy it over from the old computer.

My Calibre libraries (I have two) are on an external drive that I will keep using, so I just need to point Calibre at them, once I open it up.

The complicated part is either copying over all the add-on files, extensions, preferences, logs, etc. to their proper places OR re-find, re-download and set it all up again.

These files tend to park themselves in about six different places on a Mac. Still, I think this is definitely the easier and faster way, if I have a list of exactly what I need.

Can anyone tell me exactly which files I would need to copy over and exactly where they are (coming from Catalina)?

[kovidgoyal]

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...ter-to-another

[ZuleikaD]

Thanks! That's very helpful.

It sounds like it's going to duplicate my libraries, though. My libraries are on an external drive (not NAS, just a regular drive). I'm going to continue to use this same drive with the new computer.

I can use the import function as suggested in the article and then delete the duplicate libraries. But re-writing the entire library might risk some data loss or degradation. Plus my offsite backup is going to want to re-write all those library files as new files, which I'd rather avoid.

Is there any way around that?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ZuleikaD

Thanks! That's very helpful.

It sounds like it's going to duplicate my libraries, though. My libraries are on an external drive (not NAS, just a regular drive). I'm going to continue to use this same drive with the new computer.

I can use the import function as suggested in the article and then delete the duplicate libraries. But re-writing the entire library might risk some data loss or degradation. Plus my offsite backup is going to want to re-write all those library files as new files, which I'd rather avoid.

Is there any way around that?

Plug in the drive: Switch Libraries using Create/switch USE EXISTING

Mostly done. If you have added Plugins and other user settings.
Copy the contents of the configuration folder on the old machine
and paste it into the config folder on the new machine (CALIBRE NOT RUNNING) do this before the above (you just get to do it again, if you don't)
Really done

If you van lock the assigned path (drive letter in Windows), do that, then it won't matter what port you use in the future

[ZuleikaD]

Originally Posted by theducks

If you have added Plugins and other user settings.
Copy the contents of the configuration folder on the old machine
and paste it into the config folder on the new machine...

Yes! I can easily move the files; I started with that idea. As I mentioned, this is a Mac, so there is no "configuration" folder.

So I still need to know 1) which files, 2) where they are located, 3) exactly what they are called, and 4) where they are going (if it's somewhere different) on Monterrey than on Catalina.

If I don't know that information, I'll have to go with Kovid's information to export and then import and duplicate the libraries in the process and then delete the duplicates, I guess.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ZuleikaD

Yes! I can easily move the files; I started with that idea. As I mentioned, this is a Mac, so there is no "configuration" folder.

So I still need to know 1) which files, 2) where they are located, 3) exactly what they are called, and 4) where they are going (if it's somewhere different) on Monterrey than on Catalina.

If I don't know that information, I'll have to go with Kovid's information to export and then import and duplicate the libraries in the process and then delete the duplicates, I guess.

There is a configuration folder, Apple may not call it a folder.
Preferences: Miscellaneous: click the button CONFIGURATION FOLDER

BTW it may be hidden in the file browser

[ZuleikaD]

Originally Posted by theducks

There is a configuration folder, Apple may not call it a folder.
Preferences: Miscellaneous: click the button CONFIGURATION FOLDER

BTW it may be hidden in the file browser

Thanks. I appreciate your efforts to help out. This file path doesn't exist on my computer and I've also looked in all the usual places (Preferences>Calibre, Application Support, etc.) and didn't find anything with that name or anything close.

I thought someone might have the info I needed or be able to get it quickly and share the exact paths. But since that isn't the case, I'll move on to plan B. At this point, it's probably faster for me to just do the export/import thing and delete the duplicated library.

[PeterT]

Just create a new library using all the defaults. Once that a library has been created, there HAS to be a configuration folder created. Use the Preferences menu WITHIN calibre and then the Miscellaneous/ Open configuration folder to find it. Make a note of where it is; shut down calibre and copy the exact contents of the OLD configuration folder into the new one.

Again; you find it by the calibre Preferences menu...

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