Point Calibre to Folder

[Jafofubar]

Originally Posted by theducks

Delete Library from the Library icon. YOU CAN NOT delete the currently displayed Library, only others that Calibre knows.

Ok that explains why it looks like the library is still there but when I try to point it to where the library actually is, it gives an error something about that's the same library, pick somewhere else and wants an empty folder.
I finally got it back working properly on my main computer. It took some effort to sort of trick Calibre into doing what I want but it's back to working on the main computer. But I cannot point Calibre to those files on another computer (in a folder that is sync'd from the main computer). With all the things I've tried and all the help I've been given by you and others here, maybe that's as good as it gets now.
Thanks again

[Jafofubar]

Originally Posted by gbm

See the little icon next to the down arrow? It will open a file manger window that will let you navigate to the location of your calibre library. Highlight it then make sure that:

Use the previously existing library at the new location is checked.

bernie

Thanks. I've tried that. Clicking on the down arrow does not show the path to where the library is so I browse to it by clicking the icon next to the down arrow or typing the path and it still wants that folder to be empty.
Thanks!

[theducks]

Empty folders are only required to MAKE A NEW library.


Use existing is the flip. It requires the folder HAVE a metadata.db (and matching Author folders)

[Jafofubar]

Originally Posted by theducks

Empty folders are only required to MAKE A NEW library.


Use existing is the flip. It requires the folder HAVE a metadata.db (and matching Author folders)

Seems it wants to move the existing library to the new folder and it wants that folder to be empty. That's all I can think of.

[dunhill]

Check what type of Caliber you are using, will it be Portable?

[Jafofubar]

Originally Posted by dunhill

Check what type of Caliber you are using, will it be Portable?

No, it isn't.
Thanks

[Jafofubar]

Just for closure for all of you that have tried to help me with this issue, this is what I've done to get it working as best I can:

• Put a copy of both libraries in a new place on both computers (PC1 and PC2)
• Uninstalled Calibre and removed all settings (running the startup wizard wasn't working for me so I went to the extreme)
• Reinstalled Calibre on both computers and pointed each installation to the new folder on its own computer.
• Shut down Calibre on both computers
• Moved the library folder on PC1 to the synchronization folder
• Started Calibre on PC1
• Calibre couldn't find the library where it should be so it prompted me asking where it was
• I pointed it to the new location (in my synchronization folder) and told it it had moved and Calibre was happy with that on PC1
• Sync'd that folder to PC2
• Removed the library folders on PC2
• Started Calibre on PC2
• Calibre couldn't find the library where it should be so it prompted me asking where it was
• I pointed it to the new location on PC2 (in the synchronization folder) and told it it had moved and Calibre was happy with that on PC2

So now it works. There is one thing wrong where it keeps changing the names of the libraries on PC2 and showing "sync conflict" errors in the folders with the metadata.db files. Hopefully this won't cause too much trouble but I'm going to keep good backups in case something goes wrong. As I said in a previous post, the help files warn me against trying to do what I'm doing so I understand I'm do so at my own risk.

I don't know why this was so very difficult this time when I've done this before and it was much easier!

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions and help!

[theducks]

I don't remember you ever mentioning SYNC.

Calibre does not like to be on an active sync folder (see the FAQ ).

Google drive renames things: Absolutely the worst thing to do with Calibre files or folders. Those names ARE their locations

[Jafofubar]

Originally Posted by theducks

I don't remember you ever mentioning SYNC.

Calibre does not like to be on an active sync folder (see the FAQ ).

Google drive renames things: Absolutely the worst thing to do with Calibre files or folders. Those names ARE their locations

I'm pretty sure I mentioned it a couple of times. I use Syncthing. I have a local folder, it's sync'd to another computer. The second computer sees it as a local folder as well. It's not a cloud thing. It's all local. I know it's not recommended by Calibre and I respect that. I'm willing to take the risk. My guess is that since the path is somewhat different on the two computers and maybe also the fact that it IS a different computer with a different name/GUID etc, it is resulting in the "sync conflict" log files I'm seeing. For the short term, this is working for me. For the long term, I'll likely look into just remoting to one of the computers to use Calibre instead of using Syncthing. I already have NoMachine set up and it works great so I'll likely just switch to that method at some point.
Thanks again!

[theducks]

the main folder (the one that contains Metadata.db) is the Library name
Everything else is relative, so pointing to the proper place is all that is needed.

Pause sync while using Calibre. Stop Calibre WHEN syncing so ALL file sync . I shadow my Library frequently using FreeFileSync.