Calibre 9 and Box Cloud Storage

[dizzy274]

Hi All,

I've just updated to Calibre 9.0, now I can't access my cloud library, suddenly it seems as though all books have disappeared.

I'm using Box and I can access it from my Android phone and everything is as it should be, the library is there and so are all the books.

It seems as if Calibre has created a local library on my 'C' drive and is looking at that. I can add a book to the calibre library and it is the only one in the Calibre library.

I've done quite a bit of analysis of the problem and I'm as sure as I can be that it isn't Box at fault, some how Calibre has decided not to look at the cloud drive.

Best Regards.

Ian.

[Sirtel]

Just point calibre to your actual library folder (right-click on the Library icon -> Switch/create library).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

Hi All,

I've just updated to Calibre 9.0, now I can't access my cloud library, suddenly it seems as though all books have disappeared.

I'm using Box and I can access it from my Android phone and everything is as it should be, the library is there and so are all the books.

It seems as if Calibre has created a local library on my 'C' drive and is looking at that. I can add a book to the calibre library and it is the only one in the Calibre library.

I've done quite a bit of analysis of the problem and I'm as sure as I can be that it isn't Box at fault, some how Calibre has decided not to look at the cloud drive.

Best Regards.

Ian.

You should never use your calibre library on cloud storage. But if you insist on doing so, you should map a drive letter to your cloud storage.

Here is how to do so. I know this is about OneDrive. But rclone can do Box as well. Watch the video and you'll see how to do it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Just point calibre to your actual library folder (right-click on the Library icon -> Switch/create library).

Box is a server on the net aka Cloud Storage). Given that calibre 9 is using updated qt, it could be that it needs the server mapped to a drive letter.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Box is a server on the net aka Cloud Storage). Given that calibre 9 is using updated qt, it could be that it needs the server mapped to a drive letter.

I think it also keeps a local folder, like Dropbox. I had no issues with my Dropbox libraries and calibre 9 (the files were all downloaded and locally available).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I think it also keeps a local folder, like Dropbox. I had no issues with my Dropbox libraries and calibre 9 (the files were all downloaded and locally available).

It does not sound like the OP is using the library on local storage.

There is a change in qt as someone else was having a problem with his NAS and had to map it to a drive letter to get it working again.

[dizzy274]

I've been using Box for years with no problems; so long in fact that I can't remember how I set it up! Is there a reason not to use cloud storage? I guess if I'd seen that Calibre didn't support Box, I'd never have used it. Incidentally my Box library is synced to a Mega cloud library and then MegaSync downloads it to my tablet, so I'm happy that I'm well backed up. I use Calibre Sync to access the Mega Library and used to use Calibre Companion to look at the Box Library.

I have to admit that I've not bothered to keep up with Calibre's development as everything has worked perfectly for me for years.

Does Calibre not officially support cloud Storage?

Best Regards.
Ian.

[Sirtel]

Calibre doesn't officially support either network drives or cloud storages. That said, if the files have been dowloaded to your computer and available locally (meaning, not placeholders for cloud-only files), you always pause syncing while calibre is open and access your library only from one device, it should work. Ignore any of those conditions and you'll run the risk of corrupting your library.

[haertig]

Wow, maybe I should update my Calibre. I'm still running version 5.44. I didn't think I was THAT far out of date, but it appears I am.

[gbm]

NO.
https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...rked-drive-nas

Do not put your calibre library on a networked drive.

A filesystem is a complex beast. Most network filesystems lack various filesystem features that calibre uses. Some don’t support file locking, some don’t support hardlinking, some are just flaky. Additionally, calibre is a single user application, if you accidentally run two copies of calibre on the same networked library, bad things will happen. Finally, different OSes impose different limitations on filesystems, so if you share your networked drive across OSes, once again, bad things will happen.

bernie

Originally Posted by dizzy274

I've been using Box for years with no problems; so long in fact that I can't remember how I set it up! Is there a reason not to use cloud storage? I guess if I'd seen that Calibre didn't support Box, I'd never have used it. Incidentally my Box library is synced to a Mega cloud library and then MegaSync downloads it to my tablet, so I'm happy that I'm well backed up. I use Calibre Sync to access the Mega Library and used to use Calibre Companion to look at the Box Library.

I have to admit that I've not bothered to keep up with Calibre's development as everything has worked perfectly for me for years.

Does Calibre not officially support cloud Storage?

Best Regards.
Ian.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

I've been using Box for years with no problems; so long in fact that I can't remember how I set it up! Is there a reason not to use cloud storage? I guess if I'd seen that Calibre didn't support Box, I'd never have used it. Incidentally my Box library is synced to a Mega cloud library and then MegaSync downloads it to my tablet, so I'm happy that I'm well backed up. I use Calibre Sync to access the Mega Library and used to use Calibre Companion to look at the Box Library.

If I had a nickel for every post in the last year that started with the equivalents of "I've been using <cloud storage of your choice> for years without problems" and ends with "now my library is inaccessible/corrupt/whatever", I'd be able to afford a venti hot chocolate at the local Starbucks.

Originally Posted by dizzy274

Does Calibre not officially support cloud Storage?

calibre uses an SQLite database and the creators of that code do not recommend using SQLite on a network. See SQLite Over a Network, Caveats and Considerations for more information.

Another quote on using SQLite over a network is:

SQLite is primarily designed as a lightweight, serverless, embedded database that stores data in a single local file, not for direct access over a network by multiple clients. Direct use over a network file system is strongly discouraged due to latency and unreliable file-locking mechanisms in many network file systems, which can lead to database corruption.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Calibre doesn't officially support either network drives or cloud storages. That said, if the files have been dowloaded to your computer and available locally (meaning, not placeholders for cloud-only files), you always pause syncing while calibre is open and access your library only from one device, it should work. Ignore any of those conditions and you'll run the risk of corrupting your library.

But never ever use Google Drive as that will 100% corrupt the calibre library. Even as just a backup, the library will be corrupt.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

I've been using Box for years with no problems; so long in fact that I can't remember how I set it up! Is there a reason not to use cloud storage? I guess if I'd seen that Calibre didn't support Box, I'd never have used it. Incidentally my Box library is synced to a Mega cloud library and then MegaSync downloads it to my tablet, so I'm happy that I'm well backed up. I use Calibre Sync to access the Mega Library and used to use Calibre Companion to look at the Box Library.

I have to admit that I've not bothered to keep up with Calibre's development as everything has worked perfectly for me for years.

Does Calibre not officially support cloud Storage?

Best Regards.
Ian.

I'm interested in how you are connecting to Box.

[dizzy274]

Solved and an apology to Calibre.....

Simple solution, the Box Drive application that was supposed to run at start up was disabled, I've no idea why. I enabled and everything is ok.

I'm still going to use Box for my Calibre files, I'm sure that people have been using the cloud for Calibre and have experienced corruption, maybe I'm just lucky. On the other hand I did have a disk crash that wiped out all my Calibre files. That's what backups are for, in both cases.

Thanks to all who tried to help.

Best Regards.
Ian.

PS - As far as I can recall, to connect to Box I just pointed Calibre to the folder Box created on my system, logged into Box when it was requested and that was it. It was a long time ago!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

PS - As far as I can recall, to connect to Box I just pointed Calibre to the folder Box created on my system, logged into Box when it was requested and that was it. It was a long time ago!

When you are using calibre, the box software should not be running. You can restart it after you close calibre.