Is it possible to prevent copying of calibre portable

drmadhupk · 07-03-2014, 06:36 AM

I am new to calibre. I am using calibre portable on my 64 gb pen drive and have added about 800 books to its library. Everything is working fine and I have tweaked calibre to my liking and needs.

I will be giving be giving this library to my students for regerence work sometimes. I dont have any issues with them copying individual books from my calibre library. But I dont want them to copy the whole calibre portable library.

But calibre portable should retain all its functionality but the whole folder should not be copied off.

I tried a few apps to prevent usb copying, but they also prevent some of the functionality of calibre from running, like addind new books and editing metadata and sending individual book file to hard disk.

How can this be achieved?

BetterRed · 07-03-2014, 08:12 AM

@drmadhupk - I doubt that it can be done. Even if you did find a way to do it then I daresay your students would see it as a challenge and crack it within a couple of days.

Have you considered making your library available via the calibre server so that your students access it via a browser. This is a bit out of date, but I think the gist of it holds true ==>> How To Access Your eBook Collection Anywhere in the World

BR

PeterT · 07-03-2014, 08:12 AM

By trust only...

drmadhupk · 07-03-2014, 09:01 AM

Thanks guys. But found a app called "usb copy protection" which fulfils all my needs. But its $50 for 10 usbs. I need to copy protect only one which is not worth. So I let go.
Have decided opt for solution provided by @PeterT..... TRUST

HarryT · 07-03-2014, 11:24 AM

Unless your books are in the public domain, allowing your students to copy them is copyright infringement.

eschwartz · 07-04-2014, 02:44 AM

Copy your library to a second flashdrive, and remove the books that you don't want/legally can't share.

cybmole · 07-04-2014, 04:16 AM

or shift format to password protected pdf or zip - but it would be tedious to invent & then not forget 800+ passwords

.

if you plan to circulate data , surely burn-to-cd is safer than flashdrive - no-one can add a virus or alter content on a finalized CD - if you have a lack of trust issue then do you really want to re-mount that flash drive once it's returned ?

PS many flash drives come with their own pre-installed security software, so you can protect the whole drive to various levels , depending on how smart that software is

eschwartz · 07-04-2014, 04:52 AM

And how smart the student is....

cybmole · 07-04-2014, 06:35 AM

Hmm AFAIK a well chosen password made of random stuff, not some word from a dictionary, is pretty much uncrackable for both PDF & ZIP. it need social engineering skills to deduce & persuade, rather than CPU power.

There are tools that will take a pdf or zip file & run an entire dictionary of all words of a given length, but brute force vs random gibberish of arbitrary length is different -

but ithe latter is also impossible to memorise, & once you create passwords file as an aide memoire, well there goes your security

07-03-2014, 06:36 AM	#1
drmadhupk Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: android	Is it possible to prevent copying of calibre portable I am new to calibre. I am using calibre portable on my 64 gb pen drive and have added about 800 books to its library. Everything is working fine and I have tweaked calibre to my liking and needs. I will be giving be giving this library to my students for regerence work sometimes. I dont have any issues with them copying individual books from my calibre library. But I dont want them to copy the whole calibre portable library. But calibre portable should retain all its functionality but the whole folder should not be copied off. I tried a few apps to prevent usb copying, but they also prevent some of the functionality of calibre from running, like addind new books and editing metadata and sending individual book file to hard disk. How can this be achieved?

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07-03-2014, 08:12 AM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,553 Karma: 26954694 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	@drmadhupk - I doubt that it can be done. Even if you did find a way to do it then I daresay your students would see it as a challenge and crack it within a couple of days. Have you considered making your library available via the calibre server so that your students access it via a browser. This is a bit out of date, but I think the gist of it holds true ==>> How To Access Your eBook Collection Anywhere in the World BR

07-03-2014, 08:12 AM	#3
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,160 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	By trust only...

07-03-2014, 09:01 AM	#4
drmadhupk Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: android	Thanks guys. But found a app called "usb copy protection" which fulfils all my needs. But its $50 for 10 usbs. I need to copy protect only one which is not worth. So I let go. Have decided opt for solution provided by @PeterT..... TRUST

07-03-2014, 11:24 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Unless your books are in the public domain, allowing your students to copy them is copyright infringement.

07-04-2014, 02:44 AM	#6
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Copy your library to a second flashdrive, and remove the books that you don't want/legally can't share.

07-04-2014, 04:16 AM	#7
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	or shift format to password protected pdf or zip - but it would be tedious to invent & then not forget 800+ passwords . if you plan to circulate data , surely burn-to-cd is safer than flashdrive - no-one can add a virus or alter content on a finalized CD - if you have a lack of trust issue then do you really want to re-mount that flash drive once it's returned ? PS many flash drives come with their own pre-installed security software, so you can protect the whole drive to various levels , depending on how smart that software is

07-04-2014, 04:52 AM	#8
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,422 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	And how smart the student is....

07-04-2014, 06:35 AM	#9
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	Hmm AFAIK a well chosen password made of random stuff, not some word from a dictionary, is pretty much uncrackable for both PDF & ZIP. it need social engineering skills to deduce & persuade, rather than CPU power. There are tools that will take a pdf or zip file & run an entire dictionary of all words of a given length, but brute force vs random gibberish of arbitrary length is different - but ithe latter is also impossible to memorise, & once you create passwords file as an aide memoire, well there goes your security