Calibre 2.0 Crashing at start up

[jgaiser]

All XP users

Kovid is not going to support XP. The easiest way to end complaints is to prevent calibre from installing on XP machines.

You have source available. You have instructions to remove that restriction. If that doesn't work for you, return to 1.48 and live with that until/when you are able to upgrade your systems.

XP is dead. There will be no further security updates and there will be no more support for the OS. Microsoft's answer to problems is "We told you so".

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

All XP users

Kovid is not going to support XP. The easiest way to end complaints is to prevent calibre from installing on XP machines.

You have source available. You have instructions to remove that restriction. If that doesn't work for you, return to 1.48 and live with that until/when you are able to upgrade your systems.

XP is dead. There will be no further security updates and there will be no more support for the OS. Microsoft's answer to problems is "We told you so".

If you (XP Users) were not moving away from XP because you thought Windows 7 was like Vista, that isn't so. Windows 7 is good and Windows 8.1 is good too if you have the right hardware and install Classic Start Menu.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

There is. It's called 1.48 (the last Qt4 version).

This.

Now, I don't think any program is required to run on XP; that being said, I do admire Google and Mozilla (among others) for not locking out XP users.

Then again, they have a bigger dev team than calibre.

[oj829]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

I am using Calibre 2.0 on Windows XP SP3 without problems.

I am being prevented from upgrading by the new version of Calibre installing or running on my XP PC despite V2.0 appearing to work correctly on my PC.

You can open Calibre 2.0 on XP, run it without crashes, but then be surprised down the line by a specific circumstance or book.

e.g., I have XP/SP3, a CPU which supports SSE2, and Calibre2 with the updated version (6.0.9) of the tools.

I thought I was buzzing along, doing everything I could do before, but eventually I opened a specific epub to read in the calibre reader (9MB, published by "Author & Company", OverDrive-->ADE2.0-->Tools609-->Calibre Library), which crashes qtcore5.dll when the reader attempts to load the book's "flow".

I could even do epub-->epub conversion in Calibre, and reload the Calibre-created, license-stripped epub back into ADE 2.0 and read it, but attempts to read or edit the title in Calibre? Out of the question.

Not a lecture, just a story.

Also, soon there will be developments in epub format, device drivers, etc. You have to weigh how important those things are in your book workflow when considering what to do in the future.

[Thasaidon]

[QUOTE=oj829;2911024]You can open Calibre 2.0 on XP, run it without crashes, but then be surprised down the line by a specific circumstance or book.


That is quite true but you could be surprised down the line by a specific circumstance or book on any operating any setup.

Last night I set up a Calibre development environment and am now running Calibre 2.1. I have kept my original Clibre 2.0 installation just in case and will replace it with the previous version if I start getting problems.

The instructions in the manual for doing this could be made clearer. The basic problem is that they have been written by someone who is too knowledgeable and so assumes that the reader has more knowledge than is the case. A very common problem!

[The_Bird]

Same thing, I ran Calibre 2.0 on XP SP3 without any problems... I can't afford evolution to new hardware and W7 or 8... And now I can't update Calibre...

I feel betrayed...

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you (XP Users) were not moving away from XP because you thought Windows 7 was like Vista, that isn't so. Windows 7 is good and Windows 8.1 is good too if you have the right hardware and install Classic Start Menu.

This. Win7 works fine, and so does Win8.1 + Classic Shell (or similar utility).

[Toxaris]

Originally Posted by The_Bird

Same thing, I ran Calibre 2.0 on XP SP3 without any problems... I can't afford evolution to new hardware and W7 or 8... And now I can't update Calibre...

I feel betrayed...

That is quite harsh. Kovid has good reasons not to support XP anymore and it his his full right to do this. He is actually quite easy about it, as he gives the opportunity to build the latest version of Calibre yourself.
Why should he support his program on an OS that is no longer supported by Microsoft themselves (after a very lengthy period...)? That can introduce issues out of his control.
Disappointment I can understand, but betrayed? Did Kovid made you a promise?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by oj829

You can open Calibre 2.0 on XP, run it without crashes, but then be surprised down the line by a specific circumstance or book.

e.g., I have XP/SP3, a CPU which supports SSE2, and Calibre2 with the updated version (6.0.9) of the tools.

I thought I was buzzing along, doing everything I could do before, but eventually I opened a specific epub to read in the calibre reader (9MB, published by "Author & Company", OverDrive-->ADE2.0-->Tools609-->Calibre Library), which crashes qtcore5.dll when the reader attempts to load the book's "flow".

I could even do epub-->epub conversion in Calibre, and reload the Calibre-created, license-stripped epub back into ADE 2.0 and read it, but attempts to read or edit the title in Calibre? Out of the question.

Not a lecture, just a story.

Also, soon there will be developments in epub format, device drivers, etc. You have to weigh how important those things are in your book workflow when considering what to do in the future.

Very well said. Another thing I can see happening is new plugins/drivers not supporting Qt4.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

The instructions in the manual for doing this could be made clearer. The basic problem is that they have been written by someone who is too knowledgeable and so assumes that the reader has more knowledge than is the case. A very common problem!

I think, rather, that the instructions assume anyone setting up a development environment would be the type to understand such instructions.

If anything, this is wise. It ensures anyone keeping 2.x alive on XP is knowledgeable enough that *issues* will not blindside them. If it was as easy as say running an installer, all the riffraff would do it, and Kovid would get a million bug reports that "calibre 2.x on XP just ate my library!!!"

[jbacelar]

Originally Posted by mikapanja

If you're worried about potential crashes, make a disclaimer like "Install on Windows XP at your own risk". If something happens, one can always revert to an earlier version.

Totally agree.

Please Kovid.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by jbacelar

Totally agree.

Please Kovid.

I disagree.
A disclaimer does not stop the whiners. (does not even slow some of them down. Just look at all the 'No longer runs on my NAS', threads.)

[chaley]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I think, rather, that the instructions assume anyone setting up a development environment would be the type to understand such instructions.

If anything, this is wise. It ensures anyone keeping 2.x alive on XP is knowledgeable enough that *issues* will not blindside them. If it was as easy as say running an installer, all the riffraff would do it, and Kovid would get a million bug reports that "calibre 2.x on XP just ate my library!!!"

To further support eschwartz's comment: running from source requires that the installed calibre binary be compatible with the source. From time to time changes are made in source that are incompatible with calibre V(yesterday) and require calibre V(today) to be installed. Recognizing this situation takes some experience because the usual symptom is a strange crash. In addition, from time to time there are runtime library changes that fix bugs or add features. The ICU library changes over time are a good example.

Couple this with the fact that calibre now refuses to install on XP as well as refuses to run. This means that as soon as the next calibre runtime changes for whatever reason, XP users will be required to run the portable version of calibre in order to get the up-to-date binary. Although it is possible to run from source using the binaries from the portable version, it isn't completely obvious how to set it up.

Bottom line: keeping XP alive by running from source will require technical expertise. There is no way around it.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by theducks

(does not even slow some of them down. Just look at all the 'No longer runs on my NAS', threads.)

Now that is an excellent example and argument for a total XP cut off. And they aren't all "No longer runs ...". There are many asking why it won't run to begin with. The many "Why can't I change calibre's file system?" posts further support your point.

[The_Bird]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Disappointment I can understand, but betrayed? Did Kovid made you a promise?

ok, betrayed is maybe too hard. Disappointed if you want... Some people don"t speak english natively and have to learn it some day...

Yes K Goyal is entitled to do whatever he wants with his program, sorry to bother you with my betr... disappointment