Sony PRS-T1 in Calibre

[myshkin90]

Hi, great forum (first time posting). I'm wondering if Calibre has a way of pulling notes/highlights from the PRS-T1. I read on the specs that the Sony app can do this but I really like using Calibre to sync and manage the device. I'd just really like to be able to sync my notes/highlights.

[enriquep]

Kolenka and others,

I am having some problems with my T1<>Calibre, and posting this message here as a suggestion by Kovid.

At a first stage I found a relation between some of the "symptoms" and started a thread in the Sony devices subforum [https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?t=155286] because I thought the problems could be because of a Sony bug. Later I moved to this Calibre subforum because I somehow became suspicious of the way Calibre deals with files in my (8 GB) SD card [https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?t=155390].

You can find historic information in those threads. But, to make a long story short, I am finding that quite often, and when using Calibre, the data/thumbnail of many of the books (sometimes of all of them) that are stored in the T1's SD card is "corrupted", and...

1. If you bring up their tap-and-hold "info" page it is blank (i.e., no metadata such as title, author, file path... appears).
2. When you open the book another book opens - and it is always a book that is in the main memory, not in the SD card. This doesn't always happen, but is not at all uncommon.
3. These "doomed books" never make it to the "Continue reading" position and are ignored in this respect, regardless of how much you you read them or how many times you open them.

These problems can be fixed, somehow and in the short term, by deleting the SD card's "books.db". If you do, the correct data/thumbnails reappear (after a slow refresh) but any associated "collections" info is lost.

I've done some preliminary testing that suggests that things work OK with Sony Reader and not with Calibre, and that you can see in this message: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...24&postcount=6. These tests have been done with 40 files in the card and 100 in the main memory, which is (roughly) the number I usually have.

If I can be of further help, just let me know.

[Kolenka]

I've tried a similar set of steps on my T1, and am not able reproduce the problem as you are able to. It's a little odd that the the SD card produces the problem, but internal memory doesn't. There really isn't anything special about how the driver handles an SD card versus internal memory.

Are you able to try a different SD card? I know that not all SD cards are created equal, and there are even counterfeit cards out there that have been known to cause problems for folks.

[enriquep]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

I've tried a similar set of steps on my T1, and am not able reproduce the problem as you are able to. It's a little odd that the the SD card produces the problem, but internal memory doesn't. There really isn't anything special about how the driver handles an SD card versus internal memory.

Are you able to try a different SD card? I know that not all SD cards are created equal, and there are even counterfeit cards out there that have been known to cause problems for folks.

The card I used is a Kingston Class 4 (that I bought in a very decent store... but, yes, who knows...). But, in any case, I just tried with another, previously tested card (a 1 MB SanDisk) - and I inmediatly had exactly the same problems. I understand your point that the card might be wrong, as I've been looking around and nobody else seems to be having my problems. I'm lost

In any case I can survive (at least in theory) using only the main memory and no card, which is what I'm doing now. But I don't like it. And I hate not knowing what's going on!

Thank you for your time and efforts, Kolenka.

[itimpi]

Have you checked under the Customize options for the Sony PRS-T1 driver that you have ticked the option to use the Author Sort field for authors?

[enriquep]

Originally Posted by itimpi

Have you checked under the Customize options for the Sony PRS-T1 driver that you have ticked the option to use the Author Sort field for authors?

No, it's not checked. Should it? - I'm checking it right now, just in case.

I'm attaching a copy of my customize options, in case anything else is not correct:





Also, I have a plugboard rule that might affect all this (... but it does not affect my main memory files, at least negatively!!)):

format: device-db
device: PRST1
template: {author_sort}{series:| - | }{series_index:0>2s}
destination: authors

Anything that I should, or shouldn't, have?

Thank you!

[jackie_w]

@enriquep,

If you're using a metadata plugboard to remap authors then you should make sure that Prefs - Plugins - Device Interface - Sony PRST1 - Customize - Use author sort for author is UNCHECKED. Otherwise your plugboard info will be overwritten by the simple author_sort field.

[enriquep]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

@enriquep,

If you're using a metadata plugboard to remap authors then you should make sure that Prefs - Plugins - Device Interface - Sony PRST1 - Customize - Use author sort for author is UNCHECKED. Otherwise your plugboard info will be overwritten by the simple author_sort field.

Thank you, Jackie. I've been using Calibre for a few years, but only recently I've dared doing some "advanced" <ahem> customization, adding some plugboard rules (for the T1 only the one I've just mentioned), a few very basic custom columns, etc - but am still far from an expert. So your advice is welcome, thank you!

Still, I am sure that those little (and very simple) tweaks are unrelated to "my problem". Right now the most basic testing shows me that:

1. I install a fresh new SD card in my T1 (I dare say that "any" SD card, I have 2-3 to choose from)
2. I format it using the T1's built-in function
3. I add 2 or 3 ePub files (any random, standards compliant, prevously tested, ePub files)
4. I disconnect the T1 from my computer, etc.
5. The files I just loaded are unusable, showing the symptoms I mentioned in my previous messages. Basically - they display the right thumbnails, but when I tap on them another book opens.
6. ... And if I use Sony's Reader App, it works.

I'll probably return my T1, after all

[jackie_w]

I'm afraid I can't comment on the SD card problem as I don't use one, the int mem is more than enough for me. I just didn't want you to make your current situation worse by finding your plugboard wasn't working either

[Kolenka]

Very strange that it is happening with any SD card, and again not with internal memory. That's beyond strange. Is the Sony Reader app set to auto-launch when you connect the T1? I know if two apps are messing with the same DB, it can cause problems (there's a firmware bug where if you connect the T1 while it was asleep, the T1 will continue accessing the DB and can cause corruption in the DB).

Can you send me a couple books.db files from the SD card? Ideally, I'd like to get one after it has been "corrupted" and causing problems. And another that has been handled by the Sony Reader app. If you can wipe the card between these two, that'd be even better. I'll PM you an e-mail address you can send them to.

[enriquep]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

Can you send me a couple books.db files from the SD card? Ideally, I'd like to get one after it has been "corrupted" and causing problems. And another that has been handled by the Sony Reader app. If you can wipe the card between these two, that'd be even better. I'll PM you an e-mail address you can send them to.

(No, the Reader app does not auto-launch -and in fact I very rarely use it or even "see" it, only for these few tests I've done, but I am very unfamiliar with it. I wil uninstall it as soon as possible.)

I already have the two books.db files, that I'll send you by email in a minute. I'll tell you here how I did it, for more "eyes" to see it:
- I sync'd three ePub files to the card using the Sony App.
- Disconnected my T1 and checked that the files performed as expected (they did).
- Reconnected the T1 and copied books.db #1.
- Wiped the card, switched to Calibre and copied the same three ePub files to the same card.
- Disconnected my T1 and checked that the files performed as expected (... but this time they didn't, unfortunately), reconnected my T1 and copied books.db #2.

Let's see if those files bring any light!

EDIT: Kolenka, you might have noticed that the three books added are from the same author - that is not a bug!. AND one more detail: just to give you an idea of the metadata that those files have in Calibre and that are not linked to the book, here you can see the metadata page of one of them.

[Kolenka]

Hmm, so I guess another question is: Have you let the T1 create a books.db on the card first, or is Calibre the one creating it?

The only issue I notice is that the sequence ids that are being given are wrong from Calibre, versus the Sony software. The sequence ids in my case are correct. This would explain why the books that open aren't the right ones, and leads me to one more question. The books that do open are always ones that are stored in internal memory, correct?

I suspect that the T1 expects the 'id' of a given book to be unique, across both internal memory and the SD card. A correct DB for the SD card starts counting at around 4 billion, while the internal memory starts at 1.

[enriquep]

I'll start with your easy one: Yes, the book that opens incorrectly is always one that is located in the internal memory: no exceptions.

As for the other one: I don't quite understand your question, sorry. I don't know if it is the T1 or Calibre who creates books.db in the first place. Well, yes, there are some cases when I manually delete books.db and allow thew device to "rebuild it" (I've sent you a copy of one of those "rebuilt dbs"), and in that case I can answer for sure that I have let T1 create a books.db - but that is really exceptional. If you exclude those cases I don't really know when, or how, books.db is created or changed, or what exactly does Calibre (or Sony Reader) have to do with it. I guess that a lot, but... I'm sorry.

The thing is that I do not use Sony software (only very occassionally, and exclusively to perform the few tests that I've done), but I do use Calibre regularly. Also, I've deleted books.db (very, very occassionally, as I said before) and/or reformatted (more frequently) in these last few days, so in any case books.db has been recreated fairly often - and by calibre (or in_the_context_of_my_usage_of_calibre) in 99% of cases.

I call your attention (only because perhaps it might help you when having a look at the databases) to the fact that "opening the wrong book" is not the only symptom: I know it is going to happen in advance... not because I have any psychic powers, but (apart from the fact that it always happens hehe) when I call a given book's "info" page (tap & hold) it is empty (no information on title, author, file name... nothing) - something that, actually, happens with any file stored in the SD card. After that, of course, also I tap on it and a different book opens.

[Kolenka]

If you don't know the answer, this can clear it up:

- Add a couple books to the SD card, and let the T1 load them.
- Open a book, make sure it works.
- Connect the T1 to the PC, and add a couple more books via Calibre.
- Unplug and see if the new books work or don't.

[enriquep]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

If you don't know the answer, this can clear it up:

- Add a couple books to the SD card, and let the T1 load them.
- Open a book, make sure it works.
- Connect the T1 to the PC, and add a couple more books via Calibre.
- Unplug and see if the new books work or don't.

OK, I will. But when you say, in the first line "Add a couple books to the SD card, and let the T1 load them", you mean just copy them to the card, using windows explorer (drag-and-drop) or something like that?

By the way, and in the mean time, I'll tell you something else that I've noticed a few minutes ago and that is related with the "disappearing metadata"/"no info" thing.
- I install a SD card.
- I format it (using the T1 built in function).
- I transfer three ePubs (the ones I sent you the books.db) with Calibre. The usual problems: No metadata in the info page, other books opens, etc.
- I delete them from the card, also using Calibre.
- The books are erased, but not their calibre tags or their series info, that still appears on the device (as "empty"), and has to be deleted by hand.