Syncing Metadata Between Calibre Installations

JonMoss · 11-18-2013, 10:50 AM

I have Calibre installed on my laptop and that's where I do the bulk of my ebook metadata maintenance, including my ratings and reviews. I have a second install of Calibre on a Linux computer running Content Server so that my Android devices can wireless access my ebooks for an easy ereading experience at home.

Is there an 'easy' way to update the metadata between the two installs?

For example, I'll finish reading an ebook, write a review and rate it on my laptop. Then I want to update the metadata on the Linux box, but I can't seem to figure out an easy way just to copy the metadata without re-copying/re-adding the ebook as well.

Thanks,

Jon

Adoby · 11-18-2013, 11:12 AM

No. There is no easy way.

The easiest could perhaps be to update the script that start calibre on your laptop so it runs some sync utility that updates the library on the Linux computer immediately after calibre stops executing. That way any changes to the library are immediately automatically propagated to the Linux server.

Please note that you may experience problems if your laptop runs Windows and you sync to a Linux computer. Windows and Linux have different case sensitivity for filenames. In Windows the file "The Hobbit.epub" and the file "the hobbit.epub" is the same filename. But in Linux it is two different filenames.

JonMoss · 11-18-2013, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adoby

No. There is no easy way.

The easiest could perhaps be to update the script that start calibre on your laptop so it runs some sync utility that updates the library on the Linux computer immediately after calibre stops executing. That way any changes to the library are immediately automatically propagated to the Linux server.

Please note that you may experience problems if your laptop runs Windows and you sync to a Linux computer. Windows and Linux have different case sensitivity for filenames. In Windows the file "The Hobbit.epub" and the file "the hobbit.epub" is the same filename. But in Linux it is two different filenames.

And that's exactly my setup. Laptop = Windows 7 and Linux = Kubuntu

I really need a new feature that just exports or 'saves to disk' the metadata for a particular ebook that I could then import/merge with the other installation.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Jon

Adoby · 11-18-2013, 12:05 PM

Or you could do as I do.

I save all of my ebooks, or at least the "good" ones - around 3800 of them, to a tree structure on my NAS. I connect to the folder as a device. Then I use the Android app FolderSync to sync a folder on my Xoom tablet to that folder over wifi.

I have FolderSync setup to sync every hour if my tablet is charging.

theducks · 11-18-2013, 01:03 PM

Another way (avoids Linux name issues)
Set up Calibre on W7
Share the (created by you) Auto Add folder . This will be the place Your Linux user will drop books to be added.

Use The content server (runs on W7) to retrieve books from Linux (or anywhere with browser access)

Use Remote desktop connection (on W7) and the client on Linux to make Calibre changes (does interfere with concurrent desktop use

)

Adoby · 11-18-2013, 02:58 PM

It is not a Linux name issue. It is obviously a Windows name issue.

theducks · 11-18-2013, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adoby

It is not a Linux name issue. It is obviously a Windows name issue.

Linux speaketh with Antarctic dialect, windows has problems with that

latepaul · 11-18-2013, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonMoss

I really need a new feature that just exports or 'saves to disk' the metadata for a particular ebook that I could then import/merge with the other installation.

It's not 'syncing' which implies something automatic and not needing interaction, but you can copy the metadata.opf file from the laptop and load it on the linux machine using calibredb set_metadata. You'll need to identify the id of the book you want to update but that's easily done. It's the number in brackets in the folder name or you can get it from a list with 'calibredb list'.

JonMoss · 11-18-2013, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by latepaul

It's not 'syncing' which implies something automatic and not needing interaction, but you can copy the metadata.opf file from the laptop and load it on the linux machine using calibredb set_metadata. You'll need to identify the id of the book you want to update but that's easily done. It's the number in brackets in the folder name or you can get it from a list with 'calibredb list'.

I may try this on one or two of the ebooks I updated the metadata on today. I'll make a backup copy first of the metadata.opf file before I overwrite it.

Thanks, Jon

JonMoss · 11-18-2013, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonMoss

I may try this on one or two of the ebooks I updated the metadata on today. I'll make a backup copy first of the metadata.opf file before I overwrite it.

Thanks, Jon

Well, that didn't work. None of my custom metadata came along with the opf file I copied from my laptop to the Linux computer.

Where is the custom metadata stored if not in the metadata.opf file that's in the same folder as the ebook?

theducks · 11-18-2013, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonMoss

Well, that didn't work. None of my custom metadata came along with the opf file I copied from my laptop to the Linux computer.

Where is the custom metadata stored if not in the metadata.opf file that's in the same folder as the ebook?

metadata.db

eschwartz · 11-18-2013, 08:36 PM

All metadata is kept in the db and also backed up in the metadata.opf as well, even the custom metadata. However, it will not be imported if you didn't create the appropriate custom columns in the new library. Did you?

JonMoss · 11-19-2013, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

All metadata is kept in the db and also backed up in the metadata.opf as well, even the custom metadata. However, it will not be imported if you didn't create the appropriate custom columns in the new library. Did you?

Yes. I copy to this second Calibre installation on a daily basis. All the custom fields are identical in all my Calibre libraries/installs.

thorindwarf · 11-27-2013, 09:33 AM

I solved this topic with Dropbox. Both Calibre settings and Calibre library folders are on dropbox and I pointed Calibre to them. I use it from home and office pc. Everything is fine and everything is identical.
I think I had some problems with running Content server and upgrading Calibre simultaneously due to locking some files but i guess you know you should be careful on this.

BetterRed · 11-27-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonMoss

Well, that didn't work. None of my custom metadata came along with the opf file I copied from my laptop to the Linux computer.

Where is the custom metadata stored if not in the metadata.opf file that's in the same folder as the ebook?

Did you wait long enough for the metadata to be written to the opf files, its written by a low priority background thread at about 1 book a second. Its quite easy to end up with a long queue.

To be sure, close the calibre GUI and run calibredb backup_metadata before you copy the opf files to your laptop.

BR

11-18-2013, 10:50 AM	#1
JonMoss Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: Android Tablet and SmartPhone	Syncing Metadata Between Calibre Installations I have Calibre installed on my laptop and that's where I do the bulk of my ebook metadata maintenance, including my ratings and reviews. I have a second install of Calibre on a Linux computer running Content Server so that my Android devices can wireless access my ebooks for an easy ereading experience at home. Is there an 'easy' way to update the metadata between the two installs? For example, I'll finish reading an ebook, write a review and rate it on my laptop. Then I want to update the metadata on the Linux box, but I can't seem to figure out an easy way just to copy the metadata without re-copying/re-adding the ebook as well. Thanks, Jon

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11-18-2013, 11:12 AM	#2
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	No. There is no easy way. The easiest could perhaps be to update the script that start calibre on your laptop so it runs some sync utility that updates the library on the Linux computer immediately after calibre stops executing. That way any changes to the library are immediately automatically propagated to the Linux server. Please note that you may experience problems if your laptop runs Windows and you sync to a Linux computer. Windows and Linux have different case sensitivity for filenames. In Windows the file "The Hobbit.epub" and the file "the hobbit.epub" is the same filename. But in Linux it is two different filenames.

11-18-2013, 12:05 PM	#4
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	Or you could do as I do. I save all of my ebooks, or at least the "good" ones - around 3800 of them, to a tree structure on my NAS. I connect to the folder as a device. Then I use the Android app FolderSync to sync a folder on my Xoom tablet to that folder over wifi. I have FolderSync setup to sync every hour if my tablet is charging.

11-18-2013, 01:03 PM	#5
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,048 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Another way (avoids Linux name issues) Set up Calibre on W7 Share the (created by you) Auto Add folder . This will be the place Your Linux user will drop books to be added. Use The content server (runs on W7) to retrieve books from Linux (or anywhere with browser access) Use Remote desktop connection (on W7) and the client on Linux to make Calibre changes (does interfere with concurrent desktop use )

11-18-2013, 02:58 PM	#6
Adoby Handy Elephant Posts: 1,737 Karma: 26785684 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Sweden, far out in the quiet woods Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra	It is not a Linux name issue. It is obviously a Windows name issue.

11-18-2013, 08:36 PM	#12
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	All metadata is kept in the db and also backed up in the metadata.opf as well, even the custom metadata. However, it will not be imported if you didn't create the appropriate custom columns in the new library. Did you?

11-27-2013, 09:33 AM	#14
thorindwarf Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 11958 Join Date: Jul 2013 Device: Kobo Glo	I solved this topic with Dropbox. Both Calibre settings and Calibre library folders are on dropbox and I pointed Calibre to them. I use it from home and office pc. Everything is fine and everything is identical. I think I had some problems with running Content server and upgrading Calibre simultaneously due to locking some files but i guess you know you should be careful on this.