Ubuntu 12.04 launching issue

weidbrewer · 11-04-2013, 11:30 PM

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere - my google fu failed me. If it has been, please just point me in the right direction.

I have Calibre running on my Ubuntu server at home, and I link to the library there from my laptop and wife's computer. Some time within the last few updates, it has ceased to launch and connect to the library from the launcher - it will now only launch from terminal with sudo.

Just tonight, the launcher started doing nothing at all on the laptop, while one my wife's computer (and formerly my laptop) I get the message: "Bad database location u'/path/to/library'. Will start with a new, emptu Calibre library.

If I launch from terminal with just "sude calibre," everything starts and connects as it should. This didn't used to be necessary, so it'd be great if I could figure out whey it's doing it now.

Note: Verion 12.04 of Ubuntu, Unity, fully patched and updated. Version 1.9 of Calibre.

kovidgoyal · 11-04-2013, 11:58 PM

If it works only with sudo, it will be because file permissions on your library folder are messed up.

weidbrewer · 11-05-2013, 09:46 AM

Thanks for the response, Kovid. I suppose that's possible, but I'd considered that unlikely. I haven't touched the permissions on that folder in, literally, years...and a straight connection (from desktop, not through Calibre) still connects with no problems, and I can freely change files in there (Create, delete, rename, etc.) And also, it wouldn't explain why the launcher itself on one computer has ceased to do anything.

Any other ideas? (And, just for completion's sake, what are the optimal permissions for that folder so that I can double check when I get home?)

theducks · 11-05-2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weidbrewer

Thanks for the response, Kovid. I suppose that's possible, but I'd considered that unlikely. I haven't touched the permissions on that folder in, literally, years...and a straight connection (from desktop, not through Calibre) still connects with no problems, and I can freely change files in there (Create, delete, rename, etc.) And also, it wouldn't explain why the launcher itself on one computer has ceased to do anything.

Any other ideas? (And, just for completion's sake, what are the optimal permissions for that folder so that I can double check when I get home?)

connects?

http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq....rked-drive-nas

Network attached devices are iffy (and not supported)
Network Attach might imply Group permissions to be 'rwx'
(Local need User to be 'rwx')

weidbrewer · 11-05-2013, 04:08 PM

<shrugs> Might not be supported, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds it easier to file my books on my laptop in the living room and not in the closet where I keep the server. It's worked without a hitch up until now, so I figured there was no harm in seeing if anyone else ran into (and solved) the same problem.

weidbrewer · 11-05-2013, 08:17 PM

Okay, I checked and the permissions on the library itself are still fine. Here is the full text of my error when trying to connect from my laptop:

Code:

ERROR: Bad database location: Bad database location u'/media/library'. Will start with  a new, empty calibre library

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/main.py", line 245, in initialize_db
  File "site-packages/calibre/db/legacy.py", line 70, in __init__
  File "site-packages/calibre/db/legacy.py", line 44, in create_backend
  File "site-packages/calibre/db/backend.py", line 349, in __init__
  File "site-packages/calibre/utils/filenames.py", line 115, in is_case_sensitive
IOError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: u'/media/library/calibre_test_case_sensitivity.txt'

The two things that stand out are:

u'/media/library' is the location of the mount on the laptop - so the problem is definitly with permissions here, not server side, which might be what Kovid meant.
I have also confirmed that Calibre opens fine on the Windows partition of this same computer, if that makes any difference
the "/calibre_test_case_sensitivity.txt" file is something that seems to be created when I launch the application, and it is created with locked permissions. Even if I chmod it server side, it re-locks when I try Calibre again. Again, not sure if any of this matters.

So, that's where my trouble-shooting has brought me.

theducks · 11-05-2013, 08:27 PM

Accessing the same Library (resides on windows drive) is asking for pain.
I am still cleaning up filesystem garbage leftover from a rename

Book Author\Book title (23)\Book Title.epub
Book Author\Book Title (23)\Book title.epub

are being found in the same folder (using Ubuntu Saucy)
Windows barfs when trying to copy the file (the paths are IDENTICAL to XP)

Another warning: don't mix OS access to the same library

weidbrewer · 11-05-2013, 08:33 PM

Boy, I can't say anything right with you, can I?

All I said was that I checked it from my Windows partition. This was to verify that things were working and that the problem was particular to my Ubuntu partition on the laptop. I have now confirmed that it can be accessed remotely without permission issues from Windows, and I've confirmed that the library permissions on the Ubuntu server were also set correctly.

All I'm trying to figure out is why only just recently, something that was working stopped working and how I can work around it, if possible. Part of the process for troubleshooting anything is to verify that you are, in fact, dealing with one problem and not several.

theducks · 11-05-2013, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weidbrewer

Boy, I can't say anything right with you, can I?

All I said was that I checked it from my Windows partition. This was to verify that things were working and that the problem was particular to my Ubuntu partition on the laptop. I have now confirmed that it can be accessed remotely without permission issues from Windows, and I've confirmed that the library permissions on the Ubuntu server were also set correctly.

All I'm trying to figure out is why only just recently, something that was working stopped working and how I can work around it, if possible. Part of the process for troubleshooting anything is to verify that you are, in fact, dealing with one problem and not several.

Have at it.
It is free advice.
It is your foot.

11-04-2013, 11:30 PM	#1
weidbrewer Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook	Ubuntu 12.04 launching issue Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere - my google fu failed me. If it has been, please just point me in the right direction. I have Calibre running on my Ubuntu server at home, and I link to the library there from my laptop and wife's computer. Some time within the last few updates, it has ceased to launch and connect to the library from the launcher - it will now only launch from terminal with sudo. Just tonight, the launcher started doing nothing at all on the laptop, while one my wife's computer (and formerly my laptop) I get the message: "Bad database location u'/path/to/library'. Will start with a new, emptu Calibre library. If I launch from terminal with just "sude calibre," everything starts and connects as it should. This didn't used to be necessary, so it'd be great if I could figure out whey it's doing it now. Note: Verion 12.04 of Ubuntu, Unity, fully patched and updated. Version 1.9 of Calibre.

11-05-2013, 08:17 PM	#6
weidbrewer Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook	Okay, I checked and the permissions on the library itself are still fine. Here is the full text of my error when trying to connect from my laptop: Code: ERROR: Bad database location: Bad database location u'/media/library'. Will start with a new, empty calibre library Traceback (most recent call last): File "site-packages/calibre/gui2/main.py", line 245, in initialize_db File "site-packages/calibre/db/legacy.py", line 70, in __init__ File "site-packages/calibre/db/legacy.py", line 44, in create_backend File "site-packages/calibre/db/backend.py", line 349, in __init__ File "site-packages/calibre/utils/filenames.py", line 115, in is_case_sensitive IOError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: u'/media/library/calibre_test_case_sensitivity.txt' The two things that stand out are: u'/media/library' is the location of the mount on the laptop - so the problem is definitly with permissions here, not server side, which might be what Kovid meant. I have also confirmed that Calibre opens fine on the Windows partition of this same computer, if that makes any difference the "/calibre_test_case_sensitivity.txt" file is something that seems to be created when I launch the application, and it is created with locked permissions. Even if I chmod it server side, it re-locks when I try Calibre again. Again, not sure if any of this matters. So, that's where my trouble-shooting has brought me.

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11-04-2013, 11:58 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,164 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	If it works only with sudo, it will be because file permissions on your library folder are messed up.

11-05-2013, 09:46 AM	#3
weidbrewer Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook	Thanks for the response, Kovid. I suppose that's possible, but I'd considered that unlikely. I haven't touched the permissions on that folder in, literally, years...and a straight connection (from desktop, not through Calibre) still connects with no problems, and I can freely change files in there (Create, delete, rename, etc.) And also, it wouldn't explain why the launcher itself on one computer has ceased to do anything. Any other ideas? (And, just for completion's sake, what are the optimal permissions for that folder so that I can double check when I get home?)

11-05-2013, 04:08 PM	#5
weidbrewer Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook	<shrugs> Might not be supported, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds it easier to file my books on my laptop in the living room and not in the closet where I keep the server. It's worked without a hitch up until now, so I figured there was no harm in seeing if anyone else ran into (and solved) the same problem.

11-05-2013, 08:27 PM	#7
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,889 Karma: 59840450 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Accessing the same Library (resides on windows drive) is asking for pain. I am still cleaning up filesystem garbage leftover from a rename Book Author\Book title (23)\Book Title.epub Book Author\Book Title (23)\Book title.epub are being found in the same folder (using Ubuntu Saucy) Windows barfs when trying to copy the file (the paths are IDENTICAL to XP) Another warning: don't mix OS access to the same library

11-05-2013, 08:33 PM	#8
weidbrewer Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook	Boy, I can't say anything right with you, can I? All I said was that I checked it from my Windows partition. This was to verify that things were working and that the problem was particular to my Ubuntu partition on the laptop. I have now confirmed that it can be accessed remotely without permission issues from Windows, and I've confirmed that the library permissions on the Ubuntu server were also set correctly. All I'm trying to figure out is why only just recently, something that was working stopped working and how I can work around it, if possible. Part of the process for troubleshooting anything is to verify that you are, in fact, dealing with one problem and not several.