Calibre 0.9.2 Portable loses libraries

[PeterT]

Why do you need 28 libraries!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DesertBrat

Well ... after I thought portable was fixed, it has reverted back to losing the libraries again.

Went through all the same iterations with the desktop version and it does not fix the problem.

I have 28 libraries, I expect to see 27 of them in the Quick Switch and the Copy to Library lists since it doesn't display the current-view library. The desktop version drops 2 libraries, the portable version drops 3 libraries.

Also, I'm running Windows 7, 64 bit. I've tried compatibility modes for Vista and XP with no change to the problem.

In the meantime, I'll just start over with the last good version and sit on it until there's some other news. I did submit a bug report to Calibre.

The Quick switch is limited to a most recent few .
For most of us, that is enough. 28

There is nothing wrong now, the recent listing (limit) /purging may have been broken and has been fixed.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by DesertBrat

I have 28 libraries, I expect to see 27 of them in the Quick Switch and the Copy to Library lists since it doesn't display the current-view library. The desktop version drops 2 libraries, the portable version drops 3 libraries.

I'm with theducks, I believe you are seeing normal operation. I thought the recent library list was limited to 26 libraries but I can't find the post talking about this. I also think extending the list to 26 was a concession to someone that had a library for every letter of the alphabet. But I do know that this list is not infinite. There definitely is a limit and I believe you have run up against it.

You might want to review the links in my earlier posts about using the library restriction to create virtual libraries. This may allow you to combine some of your libraries. It is much simpler to manage your libraries using the restricted library feature.

Let us know what Kovid says about your bug report.

Good Luck.

[DesertBrat]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

There definitely is a limit and I believe you have run up against it.

I've suspected this, but couldn't find any info in the user guide. My other thought was that something might be goofy with its operation in Win7, even though I tried Vista and XP compatibility modes to no avail.

I was incorrect that the number of dropped libraries were different between the two versions. Both desktop and portable drop 3 libraries, but the dropped libraries are different. I made a list of my library folders, then attempted to switch to each one in both programs to find which ones were dropped.

For now, I'll just combine some of the least important libraries and use tags. When things slow down (ha! my wall is plastered with sticky notes), I'll take a look at the restricted libraries and other methods of use.

Thank you for the excellent help. I suspect Kovid's answer to the bug report is going to be the same ... limits.

[DesertBrat]

And here's Kovid's response to the bug report ... have to give kudos to Kovid and his team for rapid response.

"calibre stores the locations of at most 25 libraries. And no, that
number is not going to be increased.

status wontfix"

[DesertBrat]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Why do you need 28 libraries!

Heh, I bet you're thinking "That's a lot of books!"

Actually, I discovered Calibre waaaaaay back -- I want to say around 0.4.?? or 0.5.?? -- long before I had an ereader. It was just me, my DOS/Win 3.11 laptop and a Palm m500. I used it for historical research along with a handy print-to-pdf utility on the computer. I could then convert the pdf files to searchable documents for the Palm Pilot.

Before discovering Calibre, I had a small forest of printed pages in various piles ... everywhere! Calibre can definitely be credit with saving a number of trees, not to mention disposal of ink cartridges.

My first ereader was a Sony PRS-700, with Adobe Digital Editions. But I soon became disenchanted with it, and the LRX and Adobe DRM formats. So that fell by the wayside.

Then, when I got my nook color with the Industriel easel cover so it could stand up on the table for hands-free operation, Calibre became even more valuable. I've converted the CHM help files for my finicky Adobe software to epubs and put them on the NC. The nook can stand on my desk for convenient lookup and I don't have to quit Adobe to find info in the midst of a mini-crisis.

With the advent of the Overdrive Media app, I no longer need ADE, except for books from the University of Chicago Press. Having found a few cabbages (cough) I can now just put the Adobe items through Calibre for conversion.

What probably brought my dropped libraries problem to the forefront was a matter of happenstance. I had no trouble viewing and switching between all 28 libraries on my notebooks (XP and Vista), which had seen running updates of Calibre from way back. But I got this brand new 20" all-in-one for my birthday, with a 1TB hard drive to go with my 1TB external drive. It has Windows 7, 64 bit. My libraries are stored on the external drive, and the portable is a 64GB flash drive (which are used with two netbooks and other people's computers).

You all probably know how a habit can become the "normal" thing to do. So it was probably just a fluke that all the libraries displayed on my older computers, and when I fresh-installed Calibre on the new computer ... it behaved normally ... and dropped 3 libraries according to the limits.

I can't begin to tell you the value of Calibre. It's a great tool with many different uses. Unfortunately, I have no need for many of the functions that are included in the software. Perhaps Kovid can be persuaded to consider a stripped-down version for those of us that just store, transfer and occasionally convert ... with (ahem) unlimited libraries, or at least a larger number ... say 100, lol. Chances are I could fill up 100 libraries, too, my filing system is a little irregular and designed for quick thinking.

Anyway, problem solved thanks to all of you here and Kovid. Now the dilemma is which libraries to combine for a quick-fix. Let's see ... I can combine all the Indians into one and just tag them East and West for the time being...

[Jesse Chisholm]

Related to the original query (libraries being lost) I just noticed a similar issue in 0.9.27.
I don't actually know if it is new or old, as I only just tried this particular sequence:

TO REPRODUCE:

1. Setup the default library "Calibre Library"
2. Setup a secondary "Other Library"
3. Exit Calibre (I am using Calibre Portable, but I don't believe it matters)
4. Enter Calibre
   Observe which library comes up by default and decide to look at the other.
5. Use "Quick Switch" to change libraries.
   Both libraries are listed: "Calibre Library" and "Other Library".
   Realize my brain fart, I really did want the one it started with.
6. Use "Quick Switch" to ...
   ... Hmm. ....
   ... Now that's a PROBLEM!
   Both libraries are listed: "Calibre Library" and "Calibre Library".

Both libraries have the same name!
Both are named "Calibre Library".


WORKAROUND:

1. a. Pick one of them at random.
   Observe that the names likely both appear properly now.
   It depends on whether you picked the one you were or weren't already using.
   Pick the one you really wanted.
2. b. Exit Calibre and re-enter
   Observe that the names likely both appear properly now.
   Pick the one you really wanted.

Not a major issue. But it was surprising.
I only noticed it because I instantly changed my mind and wanted to go back to the first library. Usually I work for awhile in the chosen library, then exit for the day. So I never saw it happen before.

-Jesse

[theducks]

You can use the OS to rename any Library folder EXCEPT the one called 'Calibre Library' in the Calibre Portable folder.

You will need to 'Switch/Create to re-link .
Calibre can NOT be connected to that library while renaming