multiple Calibre instances (different libraries)

[meghane_e]

Hello,
Not sure where I can post this question/conundrum.

I have multiple Calibre libraries on my local and remote machines (one is for professional books, another is my fiction, one is a staging library where I can work on book formatting issues without accidentally overwriting the originals files, one is a small Calibre testing library for column changes, etc without overwriting original metadata).

Are there any good ways to be able to work on two different libraries concurrently? I can switch back and forth fine if I'm not doing any long running tasks but even doing backups can subsume a particular library.

Thank you!

[BetterRed]

I have multiple libraries, for similar reasons.

... a staging library where I can work on book formatting issues without accidentally overwriting the originals files ...

Rather than a separate library, before I start editing a book's content I copy the format file(s) I have into the book's 'data' folder, and then edit what's in the library.

If I want to discard the edited version, I use calibre->remove->remove specific format, to put it into calibre's trash can, and then add what's in the data folder into the book - usually via file manager->copy and calibre->Add books->Paste from clipboard.

Because the format file editors (ebook-edit, sigil, word, pdf-xchange-edit, WinRAR etc) are separate processes, when I'm editing something in one library I can switch to another library, providing I don't do something stupid while I'm there.

I use a File Sync tool (GoodSync) to backup all all of my data, including calibre libraries… it won't run if anything else is running.

BR

[JSWolf]

There is an easier way. I have a library where I keep unedited books. I also have a library where I make my edits. When I want to edit something, I copy from the source library and then switch libraries and I can edit from there.

[meghane_e]

That's essentially what I do for my Staging library - I use the "Copy to Library" for that.
I just was listing the different libraries out in order to justify my request for information on if there's a way to run multiple instances. Sorry I didn't really lay that out very well...

So if I want to run a backup on my Main library, it subsumes the calibre.exe (on my machine). But meanwhile, what if I want to switch to the Staging library and work on some of the files there?

And as I say that now, it seems like using the CLI for some of that would make more sense, huh? Run the backup from the CLI. Launch the epub editor of files from the CLI.

I guess, I've gotten really sucked into using the UI. ::face palm::

[Sirtel]

I do what BetterRed does, and copy the original to the book's data folder before editing. I don't particularly like multiple separate libraries and want to keep their number as low as possible (currently I have three - my main library, one for interacting with my Kobos and one for deDRMing Kindle books, where I keep the Amazon originals). So I edit in my main library. I use the calibre editor, so nothing is done outside the library.

But I'd like to use multiple calibre instances too sometimes, on different libraries. Yes, it can be done via a second Windows user account, but that's a pain (you must give the second account permissions to access your main account).

Yes, I know it could be dangerous.

[BetterRed]

@meghane_e - Calibre doesn't have a specific backup feature, so which calibre feature are you using to do backups of your libraries and configuration?

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I do what BetterRed does, and copy the original to the book's data folder before editing. I don't particularly like multiple separate libraries and want to keep their number as low as possible (currently I have three - my main library, one for interacting with my Kobos and one for deDRMing Kindle books, where I keep the Amazon originals). So I edit in my main library. I use the calibre editor, so nothing is done outside the library.

But I'd like to use multiple calibre instances too sometimes, on different libraries. Yes, it can be done via a second Windows user account, but that's a pain (you must give the second account permissions to access your main account).

Yes, I know it could be dangerous.

If you're editing an epub from Library A there's nothing to prevent you switching to Library B and doing whatever… I do it quite often

Example: I'm editing a transcript of a podcast (in my Media library), and reference is made to Fukuyama's Origins of Political Order, which I know I have in my Books library. So, I switch to my Creators library, find Fukuyama where I know there'll be a calibre://search link to Fukuyama in my Books library.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If you're editing an epub from Library A there's nothing to prevent you switching to Library B and doing whatever… I do it quite often

Yes, when I'm editing the file. But not when I'm editing metadata or doing something else requiring the use of GUI (I don't use CLI, because I'm no computer expert and CLI is Greek to me).