Difficulities using "Choose your calibre Library"

[dba901fb0]

Greetings all,

I'm hopping that this is an appropriate forum for this inquiry, if not, please guide me to an appropriate forum, in the case this board is not the appropriate place for this inquiry, please direct me to a more appropriate place.

I'm running Linux Mint 21.1, calibre being one of the e-book readers available via the Software Manager.

The difficulty for me is in the window titled "Choose your calibre Library" (location). When calibre is installed via the Software Manager it sets up a folder /home/ <Machine name> / calibre Library.

Please note; I'm not qualified nor willing to go into attempting to explain Linux structure or syntax, suffice it that "/home/ <Machine name> / calibre Library" is a path to the folder "calibre Library" this folder holds a file named metadata.db which, as most of you will know is a SQLite3 database.

Now, it's entirely possible I just don't understand what is supposed to happen next, none the less, the window called; "Choose your calibre Library" opens after clicking on an icon labeled; "calibre Library"

This window shows the current location of the folder; "calibre Library". If you try to add that address the window gives the error message;
calibre, version 5.37.0
ERROR: Same as current: The location /home/ <Machine name> /Calibre Library contains the current calibre library

If i create a new folder: "/calibre Library2" I get the following error message:
calibre, version 5.37.0
ERROR: Bad location: /home/ <Machine name> /calibre Library2 is not an existing folder.

For what it's worth; I created just such a folder prior to attempting to move through this processes.

So any ideas you would be willing to share?

Thank you for your time in reading this rather obscure screed.
Thank you if you can provide an answer and/or direct me to other sites where this question might find a better answer. (FWIW, I think I'll ask this same question over at the Linux Mint forums.

Thank you and respectfully yours dba901fb0

[Colonel Cathcart]

Maybe the problem is with the owner:group or permissions?
Can you make sure that the 2nd folder you created has these properties matching those of the 1st library.

[DNSB]

You might also want to check the calibre forums. One item that comes up very often is that it is best to install calibre from the calibre web site rather than trying to use a distro version.

[JSWolf]

Linux Repositories are notoriously bad. Don't use them and get your software from the source.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Linux Repositories are notoriously bad. Don't use them and get your software from the source.

Says a Windows user.

If the application provider says use the web site, use the website. The Repository for Mint is good and clearly labels "Debian" or "Flatpack" versions. Far better than Google Android PlayStore or Windows Store or MS Web site.

So yes, use the website for Calibre. Viber, Brother Printer Drivers. But almost all repository packages are fine.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Says a Windows user.

If the application provider says use the web site, use the website. The Repository for Mint is good and clearly labels "Debian" or "Flatpack" versions. Far better than Google Android PlayStore or Windows Store or MS Web site.

So yes, use the website for Calibre. Viber, Brother Printer Drivers. But almost all repository packages are fine.

How will you know which apps in the repository are broken? If one app is broken, there will be many more. So why not get the programs from the source and know it's not broken?

[BetterRed]

@dba901fb0 - FWIW: the folder for a new library must be empty.

Some Linux file dialogues don't play well with calibre, you can overcome that by setting the CALIBRE_NO_NATIVE_FILEDIALOGS environment variable, see ==>> https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cus...ment-variables.

Or you could install the latest version of calibre from ==>> https://calibre-ebook.com/download_linux

BR

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How will you know which apps in the repository are broken? If one app is broken, there will be many more. So why not get the programs from the source and know it's not broken?

How do you know which stuff included with Windows is broken, or which stuff in Windows store is broken, or which Android Playstore Apps are broken? Also getting them from "source" is mostly impossible.

It's easy to discover if a Linux program should be installed from the package manager, or from developer's website, or Git, or built from source.

Come back when you have seriously used Linux instead of Windows for everyday use. I used to program for Windows NT, sell, install & train to do with Windows NT and related stuff, so I can compare.

By 2014 I was seriously thinking of a Mac. I do have some boxes in the house with XP, Win7 and Win10 (which are now gathering dust) and have VMs for all 3 of those on Linux. I decided not to pay the Apple Tax.