Seeking advice on moving Calibre library to smaller hard drive

gerretsen · 08-27-2023, 06:37 PM

So I've got a pretty big library (~20000 files, 150GB) on my desktop that I'd like to copy to my laptop, which has an SSD that's only about 300 GB. I tried using Calibre's export functionality to create about 150 1GB files which I then transferred to my laptop with a 30 GB thumb drive I've got. When I tried importing them in my laptop's Calibre installation, it tried to make copies of everything and so I quickly ran out of disk space.

Is there a way I can still use the exported files to rebuild the library on my laptop without having to make a separate copy? How would you suggest I transfer my library? Ideally I'd like to avoid manually copying the library folder. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

JSWolf · 08-27-2023, 06:58 PM

Given that SSD drives have dropped in price, I highly suggest you either upgrade the SSD or add in another SSD. Get a 2TB M.2 SSD.

theducks · 08-27-2023, 07:54 PM

Why sneakernet (thumb drive)?

Just copy the entire Library folder to the Laptop over your network.
The target location should MUST NOT have anything.
Why not use an external Spinning Rust drive. The LIBRARY is not a speed hog demon. Most operations are under 1M (unless you do Manga)

BetterRed · 08-27-2023, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Why not use an external Spinning Rust drive. The LIBRARY is not a speed hog demon. Most operations are under 1M (unless you do Manga)

↑ ↑ ↑ ✔

If you put Manga, other comic genres, audio or video files into a calibre library it doesn't impact performance for most operations. My Media (mainly audio and video) library is 1200GB, my Books library is 2.8GB there is no substantial difference in performance because 90% of what I do (e.g. search, sort, etc) doesn't involve the format files.

Apart from smaller physical size there's no advantage in having a calibre library on external SSD that costs 2-3 times as much as a similar capacity HDD.

BR

JSWolf · 08-28-2023, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

↑ ↑ ↑ ✔

If you put Manga, other comic genres, audio or video files into a calibre library it doesn't impact performance for most operations. My Media (mainly audio and video) library is 1200GB, my Books library is 2.8GB there is no substantial difference in performance because 90% of what I do (e.g. search, sort, etc) doesn't involve the format files.

Apart from smaller physical size there's no advantage in having a calibre library on external SSD that costs 2-3 times as much as a similar capacity HDD.

BR

The problem is that in most cases, it's not convenient to use an external HD with a laptop and an external SSD drive is a lot easier to use.

Quoth · 08-28-2023, 05:42 PM

Makes no difference operating SSD vs HDD via USB mass storage. It's a box and a USB cable. Mount & eject is identical.
The differences are not use, but:
SSD more expensive
SSD is faster (but SATA SSD are a lot slower than NVMe and you might need USB 3.x to see).
Some HDD are 1/4 speed of other HDD, especially cheap backup drives.
An ordinary HDD (not shingled, Hamr, Helium) will last for decades powered off, an SSD can fade.

My Calibre Library is on HDD on PC and Laptop, but both have SSD for OS. I did test 5000 ebooks on the SSD (desktop decent NVMe) and the HDD isn't much different. The FTS is speedy. Conversion OK. Enabling FTS slows down conversion and adding a bit due to index building.

I'd only use an external SSD or HDD if I didn't have enough internal space. I did have an XP VM on a cheap slow HDD via USB - SATA adaptor box and amazingly it was very much faster than the laptop it was cloned from.

A decent external HDD (SATA-USB in a box) will work fine with calibre if the laptop isn't big enough. Though it's slow rather than difficult to clone a laptop HDD to a bigger drive and then expand the partition.
Done it with 40G to 120G IDE on a laptop XP (20 years ago, still works) and 512G to 2T SATA on laptop Linux Mint last year.

JSWolf · 08-28-2023, 05:51 PM

M.2 SSD is a lot smaller and easier to deal with. You don't need to plug them into a power source. You can use them with USB very easily. And on a laptop, M.2 SSD is so much easier to use then a USB hard drive. Don't let @Quoth put you off SSD via USB.

Quoth · 08-28-2023, 06:15 PM

Modern 2.5" USB 1T and 2T HDDs happily run off the USB port, cheap, robust and small.

@JSWolf Are you thinking of 3.5" Workstation HDDs in a USB box? Certainly they are big, heavy, less robust and need a separate hefty 12V PSU.

JSWolf · 08-28-2023, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

Modern 2.5" USB 1T and 2T HDDs happily run off the USB port, cheap, robust and small.

@JSWolf Are you thinking of 3.5" Workstation HDDs in a USB box? Certainly they are big, heavy, less robust and need a separate hefty 12V PSU.

Not small enough for a laptop on your lap.

theducks · 08-28-2023, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Not small enough for a laptop on your lap.

a Velcro patch and it sticks to the back of the screen.

The one thing about using a USB anything with a Laptop, is breaking the connector in the laptop if you bump the cord.

Quoth · 08-29-2023, 05:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Not small enough for a laptop on your lap.

I know they are called laptops, but that's not a place I've ever seen them being used.

My USB box with a 2T SATA laptop HDD in it is 132 grams. That's allegedly 4.7 ounces according to Internet. It could easily be attached to the laptop for anyone wanting to awkwardly use it on their knees, lap, legs or tummy. Powered via the USB. Works even on an old Android phone (which is about the same size, 4.3″ screen) via OTG passive adaptor, though a powered hub is more friendly for phone battery!

But unless I was wanting to share an external drive between computers I'd update the internal disk(s). Even my 2002 Laptop (mini IDE) was able to be upgraded (2003) and in 2015 a SATA drive and small SATA-mini IDE was fitted in the Media bay. Current laptop is NVMe SSD but I ordered the option cable (€10) with it and fitted a SATA HDD internally also.

BetterRed · 08-29-2023, 06:28 AM

Laptops on laps have been largely superseded by handheld phones and tablets.

BR

theducks · 08-29-2023, 12:21 PM

Lap Scorchers
And that was an issue with a 386 back around 1990.
Processors have gotten even more power hungry in later years.
The only thing that allowed the form factor to persist, was better batteries (W/Kg)

08-27-2023, 06:37 PM	#1
gerretsen Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2023 Device: none	Seeking advice on moving Calibre library to smaller hard drive So I've got a pretty big library (~20000 files, 150GB) on my desktop that I'd like to copy to my laptop, which has an SSD that's only about 300 GB. I tried using Calibre's export functionality to create about 150 1GB files which I then transferred to my laptop with a 30 GB thumb drive I've got. When I tried importing them in my laptop's Calibre installation, it tried to make copies of everything and so I quickly ran out of disk space. Is there a way I can still use the exported files to rebuild the library on my laptop without having to make a separate copy? How would you suggest I transfer my library? Ideally I'd like to avoid manually copying the library folder. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

08-28-2023, 05:42 PM	#6
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,933 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Makes no difference operating SSD vs HDD via USB mass storage. It's a box and a USB cable. Mount & eject is identical. The differences are not use, but: SSD more expensive SSD is faster (but SATA SSD are a lot slower than NVMe and you might need USB 3.x to see). Some HDD are 1/4 speed of other HDD, especially cheap backup drives. An ordinary HDD (not shingled, Hamr, Helium) will last for decades powered off, an SSD can fade. My Calibre Library is on HDD on PC and Laptop, but both have SSD for OS. I did test 5000 ebooks on the SSD (desktop decent NVMe) and the HDD isn't much different. The FTS is speedy. Conversion OK. Enabling FTS slows down conversion and adding a bit due to index building. I'd only use an external SSD or HDD if I didn't have enough internal space. I did have an XP VM on a cheap slow HDD via USB - SATA adaptor box and amazingly it was very much faster than the laptop it was cloned from. A decent external HDD (SATA-USB in a box) will work fine with calibre if the laptop isn't big enough. Though it's slow rather than difficult to clone a laptop HDD to a bigger drive and then expand the partition. Done it with 40G to 120G IDE on a laptop XP (20 years ago, still works) and 512G to 2T SATA on laptop Linux Mint last year. Last edited by Quoth; 08-28-2023 at 05:49 PM.

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08-27-2023, 06:58 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,657 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Given that SSD drives have dropped in price, I highly suggest you either upgrade the SSD or add in another SSD. Get a 2TB M.2 SSD.

08-27-2023, 07:54 PM	#3
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,012 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Why sneakernet (thumb drive)? Just copy the entire Library folder to the Laptop over your network. The target location should MUST NOT have anything. Why not use an external Spinning Rust drive. The LIBRARY is not a speed hog demon. Most operations are under 1M (unless you do Manga)

08-28-2023, 05:51 PM	#7
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,657 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	M.2 SSD is a lot smaller and easier to deal with. You don't need to plug them into a power source. You can use them with USB very easily. And on a laptop, M.2 SSD is so much easier to use then a USB hard drive. Don't let @Quoth put you off SSD via USB.

08-28-2023, 06:15 PM	#8
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,933 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Modern 2.5" USB 1T and 2T HDDs happily run off the USB port, cheap, robust and small. @JSWolf Are you thinking of 3.5" Workstation HDDs in a USB box? Certainly they are big, heavy, less robust and need a separate hefty 12V PSU.

08-29-2023, 06:28 AM	#12
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,701 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Laptops on laps have been largely superseded by handheld phones and tablets. BR

08-29-2023, 12:21 PM	#13
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,012 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Lap Scorchers And that was an issue with a 386 back around 1990. Processors have gotten even more power hungry in later years. The only thing that allowed the form factor to persist, was better batteries (W/Kg)

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