Calibre Error: Bad Location - Page 2

theducks · 03-20-2014, 12:54 PM

I just don't get where you are seeing this bad entry

Screen shot please, include enough surrounding screen for us to clearly understand 'where'

Bermudagirl · 03-20-2014, 05:35 PM

fidvo · 03-20-2014, 06:26 PM

I don't know of any way to clear entries off that particular list, but you shouldn't have to go into that list very often.

Your libraries should all be listed on the Library drop-down menu, and if they don't all fit, they should at least be on the Quick Switch submenu. I would think it would be much faster to switch between libraries that way.

In fact, the only reason I can think of to go into that screen is to add a new library to Calibre's Quick Switch, which you should rarely have to do.

Bermudagirl · 03-20-2014, 06:55 PM

You're right fidvo. I've just realised it's much quicker to switch using the Quick Switch menu!

theducks · 03-20-2014, 07:10 PM

OK, I see now.
That is the History list for the choose Library dialog.

I believe that is stashed (recently used list) somewhere in the Registry. A registry cleaner may clear those.

eschwartz · 03-20-2014, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

OK, I see now.
That is the History list for the choose Library dialog.

I believe that is stashed (recently used list) somewhere in the Registry. A registry cleaner may clear those.

It is actually in %CalibreConfig%\dynamic.pickle (across all platforms -- well, actually I don't have OSX to check) but you can't edit it by hand since it's in binary.

BetterRed · 03-22-2014, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It is actually in %CalibreConfig%\dynamic.pickle (across all platforms -- well, actually I don't have OSX to check) but you can't edit it by hand since it's in binary.

@Bermudagirl - I think that dynamic.pickle file contains history of updates, and library creates etc, but nothing very useful in normal operations. So try this:-

exit calibre
rename dynamic.pickle to dynamic.picklesave
start calibre it will lead you through the Welcome Wizard,
it should offer sensible defaults,
and I think those spurious libraries should be gone.

if anything goes awry:-

exit calibre
delete dynamic.pickle
rename dynamic.picklesave to dynamic.pickle
start calibre and you should be back to where you are now

once you're satisfied everything is OK - ie after using calibre for whatever time you think necessary, I'd probably give it week, then:-

exit calibre
delete dynamic.picklesave
start calibre and everything should be OK

BR

Bermudagirl · 03-23-2014, 12:32 PM

Thank you BetterRed - will try that and see how it goes!

Bermudagirl · 03-23-2014, 12:43 PM

BetterRed I've done exactly as you said. Everything is fine apart from the fact I still have the spurious libraries.
I think I'm just going to give up on trying to sort this little problem. As fidvo said, I should rarely have to use the drop down box but use the quick switch menu much more, so that's what I will do!
Many thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions!
You're such a helpful and friendly bunch here!

BetterRed · 03-23-2014, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bermudagirl

BetterRed I've done exactly as you said. Everything is fine apart from the fact I still have the spurious libraries.

@Bermudagirl - Then that is indeed curious, because eschwartz is more often right than he is wrong

I just looked at my drop down list in Switch/Create. There's a lot of 'spurious' locations there - all created by me at some time or other, and all removed by me via the Remove Library function. None of them appear in the dynamic.pickle file - I loaded it into a Hex editor and did eyeball and viewer searches.

So I think you've discovered something that's not generally known. When a library is removed, it's not removed from the most recently used (MRU) list that's used in Switch/Create. Whether that's a 'bug' or not is highly debatable. I'm not aware of any programs that attempt to keep such lists up to date. The attachment is what I get from Word if I select a file from it's MRU list that's no longer there.

I also searched the registry for one of my 'spurious' library names, unsurprisingly it didn't find it - calibre does not use the registry, because its a Windows artefact that has no 'equivalent' in Unix-like OS's such Lunix and OS/X.

So where does calibre keep that MRU list? Surprise, surprise it's in %CalibreConfig%\history.plist - which is an editable file. This is what I found there - the entries with a * are 'spurious' libraries.

Code:

	<key>lineedit_history_choose_library_dialog</key>
	<array>
*		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\newmedia\newmediaLibrary</string>
		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\Media</string>
*		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\Media Test</string>
		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\Empty</string>
*		<string>C:\Users\BetterRed\SkyDrive</string>
*		<string>D:\CalibreLibrary</string>
*		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\MediaTest</string>
*		<string>MediaTest</string>
*		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\Media Templates</string>
*		<string>E:\Calibre Libraries\NewTest</string>
	</array>

So I deleted those entries (calibre not running) and they no longer appear in the Switch/Create location list

Added : the list of libraries that calibre does 'know' about is in the %CalibreConfig%\gui.json file, in an entry named library_usage_stats

BR

Bermudagirl · 03-23-2014, 07:52 PM

Many thanks BetterRed. Will have a look at it tomorrow!
Excuse my ignorance, but can I ask where I will find it and how I access %CalibreConfig%\history.plist?

eschwartz · 03-23-2014, 08:00 PM

I just rattled off the first location that seemed to have the right data. dynamic.pickle had a bunch of old library locations for me. Possibly some sort of caching, then? It has all kinds of miscellaneous history stuff in it...

So... I discovered

Code:

cd ~/.config
grep -rn 'calibre' -e "Calibre Libraries"

returns

Spoiler:

Code:

Binary file calibre/iterator.pickle matches
Binary file calibre/dynamic.pickle matches
Binary file calibre/edit-book-dynamic.pickle matches
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:18:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:19:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/misc testing</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:20:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/new random waste</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:21:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Testy</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:22:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:23:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:24:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:25:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:26:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/edit-book-history.plist:27:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Baen</string>

calibre/history.plist~:18:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/misc testing</string>
calibre/history.plist~:19:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/new random waste</string>
calibre/history.plist~:20:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Testy</string>
calibre/history.plist~:21:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist~:22:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist~:23:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist~:24:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist~:25:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist~:26:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Baen</string>
calibre/history.plist~:27:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist~:28:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Main</string>
calibre/history.plist:19:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/misc testing</string>
calibre/history.plist:20:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist:21:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/new random waste</string>
calibre/history.plist:22:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Testy</string>
calibre/history.plist:23:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist:24:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist:25:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist:26:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist:27:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/********</string>
calibre/history.plist:28:		<string>/home/schwartze/Calibre Libraries/Baen</string>

Plus stuff (a lot) in viewer.json.

Should've done this in the first place...

Iterator.pickle has bookmarks from everywhere, I think.
dynamic.pickle has a collection of references for file-chooser dialogs.
I think the pickles must have cached data that can be safely ignored.

edit-book-dynamic.pickle=dynamic.pickle, basically, as does
edit-book-history.plist=history.plist

Possibly clean up both plists to be safe?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bermudagirl

Many thanks BetterRed. Will have a look at it tomorrow!
Excuse my ignorance, but can I ask where I will find it and how I access %CalibreConfig%\history.plist?

Same as before, in the calibre configuration directory reached from Preferences ==> Miscellaneous

BetterRed · 03-23-2014, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I just rattled off the first location that seemed to have the right data.

But, but you wrote - It is actually in %CalibreConfig%\dynamic.pickle

I assumed you were using the 'actually' stemming from this 'actual' - Presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

Maybe you were using the condescending 'actuaaalee' variant as favoured by some of the actual and wannabee British upper classes

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Possibly clean up both plists to be safe?

I think (hint) edit-book-history.plist must have inherited its MRU list from history.plist. Some of my 'spurious' libraries ceased to exist since before Book Editor was even a glimmer in Kovid's eye.

BR

AnotherCat · 03-23-2014, 10:24 PM

I am not sure that there is any problem to spend time resolving. It seems, but I am no expert on the innards of Calibre, however, as others have said that this is a history list. It is also a list that is not ordinarily used in the day to day use of Calibre - it presents a list of possibilities from the past should one ever have necessary recourse to that part of the menu tree.

If so, perhaps it should be looked at it in the same light as one would with the recent documents lists in the likes of the Microsoft Office applications, etc., for example, where those normal and low levels of anxiety do not get their knickers in a twist if there are items on those history lists which no longer exist, or which have been later moved to another folder and so also made inaccessible from the list. One can, of course, often (but not always) clean those lists by setting the list length temporarily to zero, or for which tools such as CCleaner will also clear for popular applications; but whoever bothers much?

Unless there is some other special importance of the list being correct for Calibre to operate correctly and be used efficiently, which is doubtful, it looks to me that people may be looking for a problem here when there really is none

.

For the record, there are 10 libraries in my own list, some of which still exist and others that do not. I am quite confident that I have over the course of time created more libraries that that (and which been deleted) and so it may be that the history list is a stack 10 deep, last on top - well 10 is a nice round number anyway

.

eschwartz · 03-23-2014, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

But, but you wrote - It is actually in %CalibreConfig%\dynamic.pickle

I assumed you were using the 'actually' stemming from this 'actual' - Presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

Maybe you were using the condescending 'actuaaalee' variant as favoured by some of the actual and wannabee British upper classes

I thought it was actual, as it happens it merely seemed. Ah well, at least I was right and it isn't in the registry.

So I started us moving in the right direction.

Quote:

I think (hint) edit-book-history.plist must have inherited its MRU list from history.plist. Some of my 'spurious' libraries ceased to exist since before Book Editor was even a glimmer in Kovid's eye.

BR

I figured as much, but I don't know how they intersect, or to what extent they may act as backups to each other. In fact, I wonder why both are needed at all. history.plist contains editor-specific data, so it's not just straight-up inheritance of history.plist into edit-book-history.plist, plus further independent changes -- config data is being saved (and mirrored) to both locations. Though edit-book-history.plist had an extra 3 lines of "lineedit_history_tweak_book_find_edit" search history.

@AnotherCat I for one am happy at the excuse to learn more about the innards of calibre.

03-23-2014, 07:52 PM	#26
Bermudagirl Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 192164 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Scotland Device: iPad Mini 4	Many thanks BetterRed. Will have a look at it tomorrow! Excuse my ignorance, but can I ask where I will find it and how I access %CalibreConfig%\history.plist? Last edited by Bermudagirl; 03-23-2014 at 07:57 PM.

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03-20-2014, 12:54 PM	#16
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,054 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I just don't get where you are seeing this bad entry Screen shot please, include enough surrounding screen for us to clearly understand 'where'

03-20-2014, 05:35 PM	#17
Bermudagirl Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 192164 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Scotland Device: iPad Mini 4

03-20-2014, 06:26 PM	#18
fidvo Addict Posts: 309 Karma: 1645952 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: none	I don't know of any way to clear entries off that particular list, but you shouldn't have to go into that list very often. Your libraries should all be listed on the Library drop-down menu, and if they don't all fit, they should at least be on the Quick Switch submenu. I would think it would be much faster to switch between libraries that way. In fact, the only reason I can think of to go into that screen is to add a new library to Calibre's Quick Switch, which you should rarely have to do.

03-20-2014, 06:55 PM	#19
Bermudagirl Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 192164 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Scotland Device: iPad Mini 4	You're right fidvo. I've just realised it's much quicker to switch using the Quick Switch menu!

03-20-2014, 07:10 PM	#20
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,054 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	OK, I see now. That is the History list for the choose Library dialog. I believe that is stashed (recently used list) somewhere in the Registry. A registry cleaner may clear those.

03-23-2014, 12:32 PM	#23
Bermudagirl Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 192164 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Scotland Device: iPad Mini 4	Thank you BetterRed - will try that and see how it goes!

03-23-2014, 12:43 PM	#24
Bermudagirl Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 192164 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Scotland Device: iPad Mini 4	BetterRed I've done exactly as you said. Everything is fine apart from the fact I still have the spurious libraries. I think I'm just going to give up on trying to sort this little problem. As fidvo said, I should rarely have to use the drop down box but use the quick switch menu much more, so that's what I will do! Many thanks to everyone for your help and suggestions! You're such a helpful and friendly bunch here!

03-23-2014, 10:24 PM	#29
AnotherCat .... Posts: 1,547 Karma: 18068960 Join Date: May 2012 Device: ....	I am not sure that there is any problem to spend time resolving. It seems, but I am no expert on the innards of Calibre, however, as others have said that this is a history list. It is also a list that is not ordinarily used in the day to day use of Calibre - it presents a list of possibilities from the past should one ever have necessary recourse to that part of the menu tree. If so, perhaps it should be looked at it in the same light as one would with the recent documents lists in the likes of the Microsoft Office applications, etc., for example, where those normal and low levels of anxiety do not get their knickers in a twist if there are items on those history lists which no longer exist, or which have been later moved to another folder and so also made inaccessible from the list. One can, of course, often (but not always) clean those lists by setting the list length temporarily to zero, or for which tools such as CCleaner will also clear for popular applications; but whoever bothers much? Unless there is some other special importance of the list being correct for Calibre to operate correctly and be used efficiently, which is doubtful, it looks to me that people may be looking for a problem here when there really is none . For the record, there are 10 libraries in my own list, some of which still exist and others that do not. I am quite confident that I have over the course of time created more libraries that that (and which been deleted) and so it may be that the history list is a stack 10 deep, last on top - well 10 is a nice round number anyway .

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