SD Card on Amazon Fire?

[Steven Karp]

I've just gotten an Amazon Fire (one of the cute little $50 jobbies). I'm trying to set up CC to store my books on the SD card, but it doesn't seem to be working. Even if I move the app itself to the card, the books still seem to go to internal memory. Every attempt to create a folder on the card fails.

I've read the FAQ on moving the books to SD. The folder in /Android/data/ doesn't get created, nor, of course, can I create it manually.

Full disclosure here: I'm using my registered copy of the Google Play version of CC, sideloaded onto the tablet. I'm willing to pay the $4 for the Amazon-specific version if that'll solve the problem, but honestly, cash is tight enough right now that I'd prefer not to go there if it's not required. I did try the demo Amazon version, but since the full Android app was still installed, I'm not sure it was a conclusive experiment.

Any suggestions? Alternate approaches (if I do the cloud on SD trick, will that update the "read" information, or is it read only?)?

[eschwartz]

Registration shoudn't matter, the app should simply refuse to work if the license is invalid.

But in general, you will want to either sideload the GP store infrastructure or buy the Amazon version.

[chaley]

First: the side-loaded GP CC. Unless you have installed the google play store and services, at some point CC will attempt to verify its license and fail. Other than this verification, there are very few differences between the versions.

Second: the SD card. Honest answer: I have no idea what Amazon has done with SD card support. Searching for reviews etc shows me lots of articles that say that the Amazon reader app cannot handle books on the SD card, that "storage is managed" somehow, and that in general people aren't happy with it.

On the other hand, it could be that Amazon removed the SD card restrictions, which would make sense from a support point of view. The easiest way to find out is to check the box in Settings / Other / SD Cards on Android 4.4+. This tells CC to ignore any possible restrictions and to let the user navigate the SD card to pick abd arbitrary folder. Who knows? Perhaps it will work.

[Steven Karp]

Originally Posted by chaley

First: the side-loaded GP CC. Unless you have installed the google play store and services, at some point CC will attempt to verify its license and fail. Other than this verification, there are very few differences between the versions.

So noted, and thanks for the warning. If I don't crack this problem before it fails, I'll install the play services and store to tide me over to payday. That, at least, appears to be relatively straightforward and well-understood.

Originally Posted by chaley

Second: the SD card. Honest answer: I have no idea what Amazon has done with SD card support. Searching for reviews etc shows me lots of articles that say that the Amazon reader app cannot handle books on the SD card, that "storage is managed" somehow, and that in general people aren't happy with it.

I'm getting that impression of unhappiness, yes. There's definitely some management going on: the default path shows as "/storage/emulated/10/Books/". That path, of course, doesn't show in file management apps that directly access the file system. As best I can tell, Amazon is displaying the internal storage to apps and transparently redirecting "approved" data to the SD card. Buried in the help files, I found a note that essentially says that only selected file types may be moved to SD; primarily music and video. Books are explicitly called out as not movable.

Originally Posted by chaley

On the other hand, it could be that Amazon removed the SD card restrictions, which would make sense from a support point of view.

Originally Posted by chaley

The easiest way to find out is to check the box in Settings / Other / SD Cards on Android 4.4+. This tells CC to ignore any possible restrictions and to let the user navigate the SD card to pick abd arbitrary folder. Who knows? Perhaps it will work.

I gave it a try. CC cannot create the folder. I tried putting the card in my desktop, creating the folder, and then moving the files with CC. Still no joy: CC attempts the move, but is unable to create the files.

I'm going to experiment with some workarounds involving moving the files manually.

Thanks for the advice--and the excellent software. Obviously, it's on my "can't live without it" list.

[chaley]

Somewhat off topic: in which folder does Amazon store books by default? I ask because I have a report that CC on the Fire (2015) basically is useless because downloaded books can't be opened in the built-in reader app. I have no idea what exactly the person has done, for example whether the books are amazon-format or epub, but it would be nice to have a few facts before starting down this maze of twisty passages, all alike.

Thanks.

[Steven Karp]

Originally Posted by chaley

Somewhat off topic: in which folder does Amazon store books by default? I ask because I have a report that CC on the Fire (2015) basically is useless because downloaded books can't be opened in the built-in reader app. I have no idea what exactly the person has done, for example whether the books are amazon-format or epub, but it would be nice to have a few facts before starting down this maze of twisty passages, all alike.

Apologies for the delay in responding. Life got in the way for a bit there.

The default folder is, I *think*, /kindle on the internal storage. I can't be sure because I don't have any downloaded books from Amazon--most of my collection is epub. Second possibility is /Android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files/Books/ which has a bunch of what appear to be expanded books in hex-named folders.

I suspect those folders are the few mobi files that CC stored in /Books. They show up in the Kindle Reader app, which apparently spotted them by itself. It's quite happy to open them either directly or from CC. I suspect, as you do, that your correspondent is trying to open non-Amazon format files.

I did eventually come up with a work-around for getting my library onto the SD card, but it was enough of a pain in the rear that I decided not to bother and am just keeping it on the internal storage. For the benefit of anyone else with the same problem who doesn't update their library as often as I do, here's what I came up with:

1. Create a folder on the SD card using your desktop computer and copy in all of your books (just the books, not the .opf files and the cover images) from Calibre's library.
2. Put the SD card in the device.
3. In CC's Settings, check "Other - SD Cards on Android 4.4+".
4. Check "Filenames - Use CC template everywhere" and take the defaults.
5. Connect as Wireless Device and transfer one book. It doesn't matter what, you're just initializing the database.
6. Disconnect. Optionally, update the database to include read information.
7. Change CC to point the location for the books to /storage/sdcard1/Calibre Companion (or whatever folder name you used). You can ignore the error about there already being a file with the same name when CC tries to move your one book to the SD card.
8. Connect as Wireless Device again. CC will see all of the files in the directory and retrieve the metadata from calibre. If you have a lot of books, be patient; it takes a while.

After that, when you want to add new books, put the SD card in your computer, copy the files, then put the card back in the Fire and connect to Calibre to download metadata.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Steven Karp

Apologies for the delay in responding. Life got in the way for a bit there.

No problem at all, and for the information.

[Purple Lady]

Amazon certainly did do something weird with the sd card. The only way to get to the external sd is by /storage/sdcard1. /storage/emulated and /mnt only get you to the internal sdcard. I don't have a lollipop device with an sdcard so I don't know if that's the way lollipop does it too.

ES file explorer can write to the external sd after it requests access. Moon+ can't wrte to the external sd - when I try to set the default folder to the external sd it returns an error. I think the inability to use books on the external sd is a problem for the Amazon app only. When I use ES to put a book on the external sd Moon+ can read it.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Amazon certainly did do something weird with the sd card. The only way to get to the external sd is by /storage/sdcard1. /storage/emulated and /mnt only get you to the internal sdcard. I don't have a lollipop device with an sdcard so I don't know if that's the way lollipop does it too.

ES file explorer can write to the external sd after it requests access. Moon+ can't wrte to the external sd - when I try to set the default folder to the external sd it returns an error. I think the inability to use books on the external sd is a problem for the Amazon app only. When I use ES to put a book on the external sd Moon+ can read it.

I checked hubby's Tab S2 that has lollipop 5.02 and you can get to the external sd using /storage/extSdCard and /mnt/extSdCard.

ES file explorer works the same as it did on the HD 8 - the app needs to request access first to be able to write to the external sd. CC demo couldn't write to the external sd. I chose an existing folder on the external sd as the storage location for epub in settings. It didn't give me an error when I tried to download, it just didn't download. I downloaded an azw3 to internal sd and CC gave an error when I tried to move to the external sd.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I checked hubby's Tab S2 that has lollipop 5.02 and you can get to the external sd using /storage/extSdCard and /mnt/extSdCard.

ES file explorer works the same as it did on the HD 8 - the app needs to request access first to be able to write to the external sd. CC demo couldn't write to the external sd. I chose an existing folder on the external sd as the storage location for epub in settings. It didn't give me an error when I tried to download, it just didn't download. I downloaded an azw3 to internal sd and CC gave an error when I tried to move to the external sd.

With the current CC you must use the app-private folder on the SD card.

I am looking at switching CC to use the lollipop Storage Access Framework. It is a very complicated change. Using the compatibility libraries effectively requires that I stop supporting gingerbread and honeycomb and that I start to allow some "Material Design" stuff to sneak in to CC.

I will eventually open a new thread to discuss these changes.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by chaley

With the current CC you must use the app-private folder on the SD card.

I am looking at switching CC to use the lollipop Storage Access Framework. It is a very complicated change. Using the compatibility libraries effectively requires that I stop supporting gingerbread and honeycomb and that I start to allow some "Material Design" stuff to sneak in to CC.

I will eventually open a new thread to discuss these changes.

I guess that it was too much to ask that when Google fixed the sd card problem they caused, that they do it in a way that made sense. Like the sdcard fix app for kitkat that was basically a one line entry in build.prop.

[chaley]

I received my Fire 7 today and CC works fine with the SD card, with the exception that the built-in reader doesn't remember the books either on the home screen or the reader's last read list.

My fire is running Android 5.1.1. I used Settings / Formats and Folders to move a small library to the SD card. When I opened the folder selection dialog I saw the "Use SD Card" button as expected.

After moving CC's library to the SD card I did a wireless connect. Metadata update worked fine, as did sending books to the device. I installed FBReader. I put epub, mobi, and azw3 books on the device. CC offered FBReader and the built-in reader for mobi and azw3, and only FBReader for epub.

What am I doing that you aren't doing, or vice versa?

EDIT: I am running the alpha version of CC that uses the newer Google compatibility libraries. As far as I can tell this should not make a difference in SD card handling.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by chaley

I received my Fire 7 today and CC works fine with the SD card, with the exception that the built-in reader doesn't remember the books either on the home screen or the reader's last read list.

My fire is running Android 5.1.1. I used Settings / Formats and Folders to move a small library to the SD card. When I opened the folder selection dialog I saw the "Use SD Card" button as expected.

After moving CC's library to the SD card I did a wireless connect. Metadata update worked fine, as did sending books to the device. I installed FBReader. I put epub, mobi, and azw3 books on the device. CC offered FBReader and the built-in reader for mobi and azw3, and only FBReader for epub.

What am I doing that you aren't doing, or vice versa?

EDIT: I am running the alpha version of CC that uses the newer Google compatibility libraries. As far as I can tell this should not make a difference in SD card handling.

My HD 8 has 5.1.1 as well. I don't think there's any difference in what you did compared to what I did (except it didn't work). ES File Explorer had to request access before it would write to the external sd for me - does yours work that way?

[chaley]

I started over so I could show step by step what I did.

1. Uninstall CC
2. Erase the SD card
3. With ES File explorer, look at the SD card, and in particular Android/data. CC isn't there.
   
4. Install CC. Change no settings.
5. Again with ES File explorer, look at Android/data. This time we see CC's private folder.
   
6. In CC, go to Settings / Formats and Folders. Tap the "Default" line at the top. Pick Choose Folder. I see the following, and in particular a Use SD card button.
   
7. I tap the Use SD Card button and see a warning. I tap OK and I see:
   
8. I tap Use this folder. I see an "Are you sure"?. I tap OK. I now see the Formats and Folders screen showing the path to the SD card.
   
9. I press OK to close the Formats and Folders dialog then use the Back button to get to the main CC screen. I check the path Android/data/com.multipie.calibreandroid/files with ES file Explorer. The folder is empty, as it should be.
10. I connect as a wireless device and send 2 books to CC, and epub and a mobi. Checking with ES File Explorer I see those books on the SD card.
    
11. Go to book details for the epub and choose "Open book with ...". CC offers me FBReader. Choosing that opens the book.
12. Go to book details for the mobi and choose "Open book with ...". CC offers both the built-in reader and FBReader. Choosing the built-in reader opens the book, resetting the reading position to the beginning. As expected, the book is not shown in the Fire's "Books" screen.

As far as I can tell the Fire did exactly what I expected it to do. It offered CC's private folder on the SD card and stored books there without a problem. The only "problem" is that the built-in reader doesn't remember the book, but there isn't anything CC can do about this.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by chaley

I started over so I could show step by step what I did.

1. Uninstall CC
2. Erase the SD card
3. With ES File explorer, look at the SD card, and in particular Android/data. CC isn't there.
   Attachment 146064
4. Install CC. Change no settings.
5. Again with ES File explorer, look at Android/data. This time we see CC's private folder.
   Attachment 146065
6. In CC, go to Settings / Formats and Folders. Tap the "Default" line at the top. Pick Choose Folder. I see the following, and in particular a Use SD card button.
   Attachment 146066
7. I tap the Use SD Card button and see a warning. I tap OK and I see:
   Attachment 146067
8. I tap Use this folder. I see an "Are you sure"?. I tap OK. I now see the Formats and Folders screen showing the path to the SD card.
   Attachment 146068
9. I press OK to close the Formats and Folders dialog then use the Back button to get to the main CC screen. I check the path Android/data/com.multipie.calibreandroid/files with ES file Explorer. The folder is empty, as it should be.
10. I connect as a wireless device and send 2 books to CC, and epub and a mobi. Checking with ES File Explorer I see those books on the SD card.
    Attachment 146069
11. Go to book details for the epub and choose "Open book with ...". CC offers me FBReader. Choosing that opens the book.
12. Go to book details for the mobi and choose "Open book with ...". CC offers both the built-in reader and FBReader. Choosing the built-in reader opens the book, resetting the reading position to the beginning. As expected, the book is not shown in the Fire's "Books" screen.

As far as I can tell the Fire did exactly what I expected it to do. It offered CC's private folder on the SD card and stored books there without a problem. The only "problem" is that the built-in reader doesn't remember the book, but there isn't anything CC can do about this.

I won't use CCs private folder because if you uninstall CC you lose all your books, right? It never even occurred to me to try that. Now that I think back, I was annoyed that CC prompted me to use the private folder and that I had to backout one by one to get to the root and choose my own folder. Sort of like Windows insisting that I use the buried deep download directory. Both me and my husband use the desktop and I don't want our stuff all mixed up together.

Sorry you had to go through everything step by step again.