Auto-Sync Computer Library Contents to Device

[sweebez]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but is there a straightforward way to automatically (or with a single click) one-way sync changes from the computer library to a connected device (basically, what iTunes was doing in 2001)? If I add a book to the computer library, it should be copied to the device, and if I remove a book from the computer library, it should be deleted from the device. Is that possible? I see "Send to Device" can add books from the computer to the device, but I do not see an automatic way to remove books that were deleted from the computer library. It would be great to not have to manually duplicate every change across two libraries (computer and device). Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[PeterT]

Check out the [GUI Plugin] SmartEject. It won't automatically copy the books but will display what is NOT on the device and let you transfer them.

[sweebez]

Thanks, and it's a good start -- Since Calibre already has "On Device" and "In Library" tags, I would have hoped it would be relatively straightforward to Delete if InLibrary=N and Copy if OnDevice=N. I suspect the implementation somehow complicates matters in a way that is not immediately obvious, but if anyone knows of a plugin that handles something similar, I'd be very interested in hearing about it!

[Sirtel]

Maybe the Reading List plugin can do it. I don't use it myself, so can't say for sure.

[sweebez]

Good idea. Tried it today, but could not figure out how to make it work as intended. Willing to keep trying other plugins if they're out there!

[kodermike]

Reading List is the answer. In the config menu you can select what books get transferred (you can supply a regular search expression), and even say which reading lists are applied to which device. There’s a decide tab for letting reading list know the connected device is one it should consider. Then whenever a device connects that’s in that list, read list can run at connect and update the device. I use it with a headless setup to update my koreader readers.

[sweebez]

Reading List did not work for me -- Although it appears to add new books to the device, it does not delete from the device books that I removed from the library. My configuration attempts were "Auto populated from search" with a query of ".*" (to return all results in library), and both (1) "Replace device with list, add new items only" and (2) "Replace device with list, add/overwrite all" options were attempted with no luck.

From other threads on this forum, it appears Reading List removes a book from the device only if the book is in the purgatory state of (1) still existing in the calibre library and (2) not appearing on the reading list. Thus, Reading List will not address the most common scenario: Deleting a book already on the device where that book has already been removed from (or was never present in) the calibre library. Although that functionality may be intentional, the issue unfortunately remains.

Other plugins were also unsuccessful. The plugin SmartEject almost works: It checks for duplicate, added or deleted books on the device and offers to show them to you if there are any. It helps by saving the time of actually entering the device search query inlibrary:False and the library search query ondevice:False, but because it has no option to automate the next step of actually adding or deleting the items returned by the searches, it is only a partial solution.

Ideally, the plugin would perform simple logic like the below, upon connection or button click:
** Device search: inlibrary:False --> Delete from target device folder
** Library search: ondevice:False --> Add from library to target device folder

Any plugins I missed? Obvious errors in implementing Reading List or SmartEject? If no solutions exist, is anyone interested in making one?

[fogice]

I use a saved search to filter the library for books that aren't on the device, which is:
ondevice:false

You can do the inverse while in Device view with:
inlibrary:false
Note that if you do this as a saved search, you have to select it in Library view, then switch to Device view.

[sweebez]

You're right about saving searches, and it seems the first step of searching seems to be solvable a few different ways, including what you list; it's that next step of automating what to do with those search results has so far proven elusive.

[fogice]

Originally Posted by sweebez

You're right about saving searches, and it seems the first step of searching seems to be solvable a few different ways, including what you list; it's that next step of automating what to do with those search results has so far proven elusive.

Heh, I didn't notice that you were writing your post above while I was doing mine. Yeah, not automated, just trying to give you a workaround.

[sweebez]

Appreciate you -- The hunt continues!

[PeterT]

You could always post in the SmartEjecr thread of plugins and request an enhancement to automatically add / remove content.

[sweebez]

Good idea PeterT -- So requested!

[sweebez]

Update: The SmartEject developer is not interested. Does anyone have the skills to code this feature? If so, please message me with a quote!

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by sweebez

Update: The SmartEject developer is not interested. Does anyone have the skills to code this feature? If so, please message me with a quote!

Update: he is interested now

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