Move Calibre to new machine (Linux), keeping all books and settings?

[Moonbase59]

I’m switching my laptop from Linux Mint 21.3 to EndeavourOS (rolling, Arch-based) and need to move my Calibre, including all personal settings and my Calibre library.

How to do that safely?

Is it enough to

• rsync over the complete Calibre Library folder (called "Calibre-Bibliothek" because I’m on a German-language system)
• rsync over my ~/.config/calibre with all subfolders
• then re-install using the Linux install script on the Calibre site
• or (better) install calibre-bin from the AUR

Or must I install Calibre first, then rsync my data over?

Assume the setup is the same (same paths, same Calibre version, same username, same UID & GID, same folder structure).

[Moonbase59]

Using rsync somehow comes naturally to Linux guys and gals…

But I just found that Calibre’s creator actually provided for this situation by having a full export/import.

So to test this, what I did was:

• Exported everything on my old machine to my NAS, using Calibre’s Export all Calibre data.
• Installed extra/calibre. It even reminds you of the import on the welcome screen—nice.
• Imported everything from the NAS folder, using the new Calibre’s Import all Calibre data.
• It was complaining about a non-empty folder, because I was re-using the new Calibre’s "~/Calibre-Bibliothek" folder. Just cleared that out and tried importing again. Worked this time.
• Calibre restarted, and all my settings and books are there, like I never changed machines. Nice!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Moonbase59

I’m switching my laptop from Linux Mint 21.3 to EndeavourOS (rolling, Arch-based) and need to move my Calibre, including all personal settings and my Calibre library.

How to do that safely?

Is it enough to

• rsync over the complete Calibre Library folder (called "Calibre-Bibliothek" because I’m on a German-language system)
• rsync over my ~/.config/calibre with all subfolders
• then re-install using the Linux install script on the Calibre site
• or (better) install calibre-bin from the AUR

Or must I install Calibre first, then rsync my data over?

Assume the setup is the same (same paths, same Calibre version, same username, same UID & GID, same folder structure).

NEVER EVER install calibre from any Linux repository. Most times it's a major fail. ALWAYS install calibre from the official calibre website.

Install calibre and run it so you can find out where the configuration directory is. Then copy over your configuration directory. Then copy over your libraries.

As for using rsync, I prefer to use FreeFileSync.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As for using rsync, I prefer to use FreeFileSync.

But you run windows, not any *nix. The rsync, or GUI wrapper using grsync, is included and fine.

After doing Calibre Export and then Import, a one-way rsync with delete on destination and one Calibre instance the "main" (the only one that gets content added or edited) is fine.