Suggestion: Warn if Library on Network/Cloud Drive?

[enuddleyarbl]

Since one of the recurring problems I see here involves people putting their Calibre library on a network or cloud drive, I'm wondering if it's programmatically possible for Calibre to recognize that a library is on a network/cloud drive and warn the user as they try to set it up?

[Martinoptic]

I'm sure it's possible but a lot of effort I imagine to cater for people who don't read the manual. If they did, they would know not to use network/cloud drives for general access.
Surely people don't use a program if they don't know how to? Like driving a car with your eyes shut. *end of soapboxing*

[theducks]

Originally Posted by enuddleyarbl

Since one of the recurring problems I see here involves people putting their Calibre library on a network or cloud drive, I'm wondering if it's programmatically possible for Calibre to recognize that a library is on a network/cloud drive and warn the user as they try to set it up?

I thought the same. Then I came to the conclusion that Kovid and crew would have done it.

Please suggest how this can reliably be detected, because the idea is good, but the how is elusive and gets even harder supporting cross platforms?
Remember Calibre puts reliability and cross platform at the top of the list.

A Timing test fails because of caching?
An API query (are you a networked drive type?) is a maintainers headake with all the variations.

[kovidgoyal]

There is no reliable way to detect that, as far as I know. A pure network drive may still be detectable at least with per platform code but a folder shared via dropbox/onedrive/etc is completely undetectable.

[BetterRed]

The warning is there when the library is created:



Perhaps it should be more prominent, big red font, with a couple of ☢️s.

And the FAQ, should refer to Network Storage which ought be defined to include: Cloud storage, NASes, Shared drives, Local servers, etc - i.e. everything except locally attached devices.

BR

[Dal Bhat]

Or just change that language to state, "DO NOT install the calibre library on a network drive or cloud drive or syncing app drive."

Don't explain why; just make it scary.

[Sirtel]

It is actually possible to keep your active library safely on a cloud drive (as long as that's not Google Drive) - you just have to stop syncing while calibre is open, keep all the files as locally available (not online-only) and make changes to your library strictly on one device (to avoid two-way syncing of changes). Violate one of these conditions, and you'll corrupt your library. Most folks using cloud drives to host their library violate at least one if not all three, hence the numerous complaints about errors. Also people usually keep their cloud drives constantly running in the background and syncing, so it's easy to forget to pause them.

Listing all that would of course be far too long to keep people's attention and would just be ignored, so it's best not to recommend using cloud drives at all.

[Dal Bhat]

That's why I wrote, "Don't explain why."

[BetterRed]

Obscurantism results in This

BR

[kovidgoyal]

Well I made the warning a bit more prominent: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...d9989e969c413f

[phossler]

Don't know if it helps but I have a VBS sub that checks for drive type

It tags my Google drive (which I map to a letter) as a network drive

No idea about OneDrive since I don't use it

'DriveType values:

'Value	Drive Type
Const drvUnknown = 0	        '   Unknown
Const drvRemoveable = 1	        '   Removable (USB flash drive, floppy disk, etc.)
Const drvFixed = 2              '   hard disk, SSD
Const drvNetwork = 3            '   Network drive
Const drvCDROMDVD = 4           '   CD / DVD drive
Const drvRAM = 5                '   RAM disk

Dim fso, drv

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

For Each drv In fso.Drives
    WScript.Echo drv.DriveLetter & ":  Type=" & drv.DriveType
    
    if drv.DriveType = drvNetwork then Wscript.Echo "That's a Network Drive"
    
Next

[Sirtel]

But it presumably can't detect a cloud drive folder if it's not mapped. It's just like any other folder on your hard drive. And most people don't map their cloud drives.

[Dal Bhat]

[offtopic]What is this Karma thing? I went from 10 to 1.2e6 in one go.[/offtopic]

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dal Bhat

[offtopic]What is this Karma thing? I went from 10 to 1.2e6 in one go.[/offtopic]

Attaboy points from users. Depending on how many THEY have, limits how many they can give at a go.
Have a few more

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dal Bhat

Or just change that language to state, "DO NOT install the calibre library on a network drive or cloud drive or syncing app drive."

Don't explain why; just make it scary.

Don't use "syncing app drive" as some will take it as do not use your drive that Overdrive runs on.