Observations on Using CC, Android 6.01 and Windows 10

[chaley]

Originally Posted by crane3

My observation is that transferring books from Calibre to the Android "internal memory" is quite faster than to the external SD card; noticeable when I sent down all the books in the library. Even with 3 or 4 books at a time, time to the SD is slower than to "memory"; with 1 book I did see a slight hesitation prior to the start of the progress graph.

A "security/permission" check each time for a book? There was a big difference in time when I first loaded CC & then changed CC lib to the SD card; but then it was also a difference in CC version also.

Your observations is correct. When using CC's default folder in main memory, CC can use "normal" file read/write operations. Once you change that folder to somewhere else in main memory or an SD card, CC uses (in the case of SD cards "must use") an Android "content provider" to manage the file. Content providers are at least 10 times slower than file operations. Thanks go to Google for this ridiculous permission/access system.

Of course, the SD card may itself be slow. In this case, cheaper is almost certainly worse.

[gsparks2]

Originally Posted by chaley

Random thought: if you are willing to take out the SD card and put into the card reader *once* then you can do the initial transfer of all your books more more quickly. Mount the SD card in the card reader then copy your entire calibre library to the card. Be sure that the metadata.db file is copied. It wouldn't be silly to try to open the copied library with calibre just to be sure.

Next, put the SD card back into your device and open it with CC's "Local library" cloud connection. You can then transfer books at SD card speed, which (I think) will be around 1/3 to 1/2 second per book, the time it takes CC to update its database.

This is what I tried to describe doing in my original post.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by gsparks2

This is what I tried to describe doing in my original post.

Sorry for the spam. I remembered the problem of plugging/unplugging the card and didn't go back to check the rest of the story.

[gsparks2]

No worries.

[gsparks2]

what is the path to CC's default folder in main memory?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by gsparks2

what is the path to CC's default folder in main memory?

It varies according to the device. The final folder is "Calibre_Companion", but the path to that folder changes.

In case it matters, note that if you change the default using CC's Formats and Folders then CC changes to using the Android SAF (Storage Access Facility). This is true even if the folder is in main memory.

[gsparks2]

Originally Posted by chaley

It varies according to the device. The final folder is "Calibre_Companion", but the path to that folder changes.

In case it matters, note that if you change the default using CC's Formats and Folders then CC changes to using the Android SAF (Storage Access Facility). This is true even if the folder is in main memory.

So once I have changed the Folder location, I cannot change back to default without CC continuing to use the Android SAF? The only way to stop CC from using SAF is uninstall and reinstall CC?

fyi, I have ordered a newer Network adapter for my PC and a newer SD card. The old ones are many years old and are undoubtedly very slow.

I used CC to move the CC library to main memory and have the download from SD Card Cloud Calibre library times down to 15 seconds per book.

Will keep you updated after new hardware comes in.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by gsparks2

So once I have changed the Folder location, I cannot change back to default without CC continuing to use the Android SAF? The only way to stop CC from using SAF is uninstall and reinstall CC?

Yes. You can make that process less painful by backing up CC's data then restoring it all except the folder location information.

I used CC to move the CC library to main memory and have the download from SD Card Cloud Calibre library times down to 15 seconds per book.

Are you (still) using the plugin I mentioned some posts back?

Will keep you updated after new hardware comes in.

Thanks.

[gsparks2]

Major breakthrough!
I uninstalled CC, deleted all of the folders on SD card and in main memory that had CC used at any time during my experimentation.

I reinstalled CC and tried to connect as a Wireless Device. I got an error message that said That the library with specific formats was located in a read only directory and mentioned something about Kit Kat.

I then uninstalled CC then Wiped Cache Partition, reinstalled CC and it then could connect as a wireless device. Undoubtedly there was something in the cache that forced CC to do some time consuming things.

I transferred 10 books from PC to CC and it only took 8 seconds. 100 books took 47 seconds. a 1000 books took 7m 18s. Woo-Hoo!
This is with the old Network Adapter.

Yes, I am still using the plugins.
Update:
Using the old SD card and connecting CC to local cloud Calibre Library, transfer of 100 books took 51 seconds.