Need help setting up Calibre system - 2 full control computers, 1 access only + more

varaonaid · 04-09-2016, 06:17 PM

Hello,

I'm trying to setup my ebook library to work on all my familiy's devices rather than the non-accessible mess it currently is. I have a computer that's already on all the time as a sort of family media server for music etc. Ideally, I'd like to be able to share full Calibrea read/write access on that computer plus my laptop and then also have read only access from other family member's laptop as well as all of our Android devices.

In initial searching, it appears that it's challenging for two Calibre installs to share a library. I'd love some help in getting around that.

I'm thinking of running a Calibre server as well as using my 50gb Box.com account to sync the library folder that I currently use for Calibre. This allow me multiple ways to access my books and is plenty of storage for us at this point. I can use Calibre Companion either via the Calibre Content Server as well as directly from my Box.com account.

Where I get messed up is the second computer that I need full Calibre access on. I'd like to simply point my Box.com sync folder to my Calibre libraries on both laptops. Then everything stays in sync in real time and any changes are immediately visible on both machines while not using a traditional networked folder. Each appears as local on both machines. But I'm not sure if this will work. Any thoughts?

I'd really appreciate any help and advice you could offer on this. If the way I'm trying to achieve this is impossible could you offer any alternatives? I feel confident there has to be a way to sync this up to work correctly.

Thanks so much!

theducks · 04-09-2016, 06:31 PM

Do read all the Calibre FAQ. A lot of this will be covered

Concurrent R+W access: NO
Cloud replication: Must be suspended
NAS/network shares not supported

Content server is the way to go for shared access,
But only one user can run the GUI at a time.

Dropping a book into the Auto Add folder (must be configured) is a possibility for getting books INTO the Library

varaonaid · 04-10-2016, 04:33 AM

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I'm sorry I somehow missed that section of the FAQs - as did my Google search.

I'm kind of disappointed that I can't find a reasonable way to share a library on two different computers. I get that the database is complex and all but it's still a bummer nonetheless. Suspending the Calibre software and server in order for the cloud (or otherwise) to sync the folders/files isn't a practical solution to the fact that the sync and Calibre cannot access the files at the same time. I don't reallyc seem to have a good way to work around this.

One last thing, you mentioned the "watched finder" being a possibility of something that might help. I searched for multiple possible names for that in the FAQs and Knowledgebase and couldn't find anything. Could you please point me towards what it's actually called within Calibre, where I can find help on it and the section in the software to set it up? That would be great.

Thanks again for your help.

BetterRed · 04-10-2016, 04:46 AM

"Watched Folder" = Preferences->Add-Books->Automatic Adding tab.

If I were you I would wait and see what Kovid dishes up in version 3.0. As well as a browser based viewer which you already know about, there's 'rumour' of a new browser based client and multi-user server.

If you run from source you may be able to take a sneak peak.

BR

dwig · 04-10-2016, 09:11 AM

My "solution" to needing w/r access to one library from two or three machines was to run Calibre on one machine (an always-on desktop) that has the library and to control that machine remotely when I needed to work with the library in Calibre from another machine. That way, as far as Calibre was concerned, it was running on one machine with the library on a local volume.

My tool was TeamWeaver as it was the easiest cross platform tool as my remote access machines were a Win8.1 tablet and a MacOSX destop.

Getting a book from the host machine to one of the remotes was just a matter of using Save to Disk targeting a shared folder or using a file transfer function (TeamWeaver has one) when the remote access machine was working via the Internet instead of the local home network.

Capricorn · 04-11-2016, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwig

My tool was TeamWeaver as it was the easiest cross platform tool as my remote access machines were a Win8.1 tablet and a MacOSX destop.

Instead of "Teamweaver", do you actually mean Teamviewer?

see http://www.teamviewer.com

04-09-2016, 06:17 PM	#1
varaonaid Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 97490 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Win 10 PC, Android Smartphone & Tablet, Considering my first e-ink	Need help setting up Calibre system - 2 full control computers, 1 access only + more Hello, I'm trying to setup my ebook library to work on all my familiy's devices rather than the non-accessible mess it currently is. I have a computer that's already on all the time as a sort of family media server for music etc. Ideally, I'd like to be able to share full Calibrea read/write access on that computer plus my laptop and then also have read only access from other family member's laptop as well as all of our Android devices. In initial searching, it appears that it's challenging for two Calibre installs to share a library. I'd love some help in getting around that. I'm thinking of running a Calibre server as well as using my 50gb Box.com account to sync the library folder that I currently use for Calibre. This allow me multiple ways to access my books and is plenty of storage for us at this point. I can use Calibre Companion either via the Calibre Content Server as well as directly from my Box.com account. Where I get messed up is the second computer that I need full Calibre access on. I'd like to simply point my Box.com sync folder to my Calibre libraries on both laptops. Then everything stays in sync in real time and any changes are immediately visible on both machines while not using a traditional networked folder. Each appears as local on both machines. But I'm not sure if this will work. Any thoughts? I'd really appreciate any help and advice you could offer on this. If the way I'm trying to achieve this is impossible could you offer any alternatives? I feel confident there has to be a way to sync this up to work correctly. Thanks so much!

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04-09-2016, 06:31 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,064 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Do read all the Calibre FAQ. A lot of this will be covered Concurrent R+W access: NO Cloud replication: Must be suspended NAS/network shares not supported Content server is the way to go for shared access, But only one user can run the GUI at a time. Dropping a book into the Auto Add folder (must be configured) is a possibility for getting books INTO the Library

04-10-2016, 04:33 AM	#3
varaonaid Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 97490 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Win 10 PC, Android Smartphone & Tablet, Considering my first e-ink	Thanks for taking the time to respond. I'm sorry I somehow missed that section of the FAQs - as did my Google search. I'm kind of disappointed that I can't find a reasonable way to share a library on two different computers. I get that the database is complex and all but it's still a bummer nonetheless. Suspending the Calibre software and server in order for the cloud (or otherwise) to sync the folders/files isn't a practical solution to the fact that the sync and Calibre cannot access the files at the same time. I don't reallyc seem to have a good way to work around this. One last thing, you mentioned the "watched finder" being a possibility of something that might help. I searched for multiple possible names for that in the FAQs and Knowledgebase and couldn't find anything. Could you please point me towards what it's actually called within Calibre, where I can find help on it and the section in the software to set it up? That would be great. Thanks again for your help.

04-10-2016, 04:46 AM	#4
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,733 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	"Watched Folder" = Preferences->Add-Books->Automatic Adding tab. If I were you I would wait and see what Kovid dishes up in version 3.0. As well as a browser based viewer which you already know about, there's 'rumour' of a new browser based client and multi-user server. If you run from source you may be able to take a sneak peak. BR

04-10-2016, 09:11 AM	#5
dwig Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 6718541 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...	My "solution" to needing w/r access to one library from two or three machines was to run Calibre on one machine (an always-on desktop) that has the library and to control that machine remotely when I needed to work with the library in Calibre from another machine. That way, as far as Calibre was concerned, it was running on one machine with the library on a local volume. My tool was TeamWeaver as it was the easiest cross platform tool as my remote access machines were a Win8.1 tablet and a MacOSX destop. Getting a book from the host machine to one of the remotes was just a matter of using Save to Disk targeting a shared folder or using a file transfer function (TeamWeaver has one) when the remote access machine was working via the Internet instead of the local home network.