Calibre 9 and Box Cloud Storage

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

When you are using calibre, the box software should not be running. You can restart it after you close calibre.

They probably don't have their files downloaded locally, that's why they need to have Box running. Of course it's a catastrophe waiting to happen. Their library may already be messed up without them even noticing.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

They probably don't have their files downloaded locally, that's why they need to have Box running. Of course it's a catastrophe waiting to happen. Their library may already be messed up without them even noticing.

Given it's a two-way sync, I agree. This is why I use the method shown in the video I posted. That way I can do a one-way sync when I want to. Also, I can use FreeFileSync to do so.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given it's a two-way sync, I agree. This is why I use the method shown in the video I posted. That way I can do a one-way sync when I want to. Also, I can use FreeFileSync to do so.

I use an active library (not my main library) in Dropbox all the time without any mapping. But I only sync when calibre is not running and only use the library on a single computer. All the files are locally available. No issues for many years (and I do run the library check regularly). Having the sync running in the background all the time and moreover having the files cloud-only is a recipe for disaster.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I use an active library (not my main library) in Dropbox all the time without any mapping. But I only sync when calibre is not running and only use the library on a single computer. All the files are locally available. No issues for many years (and I do run the library check regularly). Having the sync running in the background all the time and moreover having the files cloud-only is a recipe for disaster.

I use an external drive connected to my desktop (now a mini-PC) to store my working library. I do have backups. I've never had a problem with my setup. I am the only one here that runs calibre so I know I'm the only one accessing the libraries. I am only running one instance of calibre at a time. My last backup was to OneDrive before running calibre 9 on my working libraries. I did copy two of my libraries to my main laptop when beta testing just to be safe.

[dizzy274]

Hi, just to clarify what I'm doing, and by the way I'm 'he' not 'they'. My Calibre library is not networked, it is a single library on Box cloud storage. I am the only user, so it is exactly the same as if it were local storage, again I am the only person accessing it.

When I have finished editing the library, I close Calibre and run MegaSync to sync to a copy of Calibre on Mega, one level of backup. Overnight I have MegaSync on one of my Android tablets set to sync to a local copy of Calibre on my tablet, a second level of backup.

I run Calibre's database integrity checks fairly regularly and the only errors I get are minor and similar to those that I occasionally got when running Calibre on my local hard drive.

I took the Cloud route because I wasn't happy with the level of backup I could have from my PC. Sure I could copy to an external drive or across my network to another of my PCs, but those methods have their own problems.

I think my solution is fairly elegant and works for me. The only slight concern I have is that should some corruption occur it would be extrapolated through the levels of backup, but that would apply to any local backup scenario as well.

Best Regards
Ian.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

Hi, just to clarify what I'm doing, and by the way I'm 'he' not 'they'. My Calibre library is not networked, it is a single library on Box cloud storage. I am the only user, so it is exactly the same as if it were local storage, again I am the only person accessing it.

When I have finished editing the library, I close Calibre and run MegaSync to sync to a copy of Calibre on Mega, one level of backup. Overnight I have MegaSync on one of my Android tablets set to sync to a local copy of Calibre on my tablet, a second level of backup.

I run Calibre's database integrity checks fairly regularly and the only errors I get are minor and similar to those that I occasionally got when running Calibre on my local hard drive.

I took the Cloud route because I wasn't happy with the level of backup I could have from my PC. Sure I could copy to an external drive or across my network to another of my PCs, but those methods have their own problems.

I think my solution is fairly elegant and works for me. The only slight concern I have is that should some corruption occur it would be extrapolated through the levels of backup, but that would apply to any local backup scenario as well.

Best Regards
Ian.

Box should not be running while calibre is open.

The safest way to back up is to have your active library on a local drive, and use FreeFileSync or similar software to create a mirrored copy on a cloud drive.

That said, I too have a couple of my active libraries in Dropbox. I don't have Dropbox running while calibre is open, though. And for my main library I use the mirrored backup route.

[dizzy274]

Hi, I should have emphasised that both the syncs are one way only.

Ian.

[dizzy274]

Rats, the quick reply got posted before the one it refers to.

Ian.

[dizzy274]

Rats again, the posts are in the right order.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree. I have to have Box running in order to see my Calibre Library. It's just like having a local Library, nobody else has any interaction with it at any time. Surely thousands of people use Box and similar apps to interact directly with cloud storage, I don't know.

Best Regards.
Ian.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

Rats again, the posts are in the right order.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree. I have to have Box running in order to see my Calibre Library. It's just like having a local Library, nobody else has any interaction with it at any time. Surely thousands of people use Box and similar apps to interact directly with cloud storage, I don't know.

If you have to have Box running, this usually means your files are not locally downloaded, but are only available online. And that can easily corrupt your library. The warning is in the manual:

If you are using a file-syncing tool it is essential that you make sure that both calibre and the file syncing tool do not try to access the calibre library at the same time. In other words, do not run the file syncing tool and calibre at the same time.

[dizzy274]

Hi Sirtel,

Box is not a file-syncing tool; you're quite right the Calibre Library is NOT on local storage.

Megasync is a file-syncing tool and is not running at the same time as Calibre, it's also a read only one way sync and cannot alter the Calibre Library. Seems that I'm doing exactly what your quote says I should be doing, which is not surprising as I read all that stuff before setting it up.

Ian.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

Hi Sirtel,

Box is not a file-syncing tool; you're quite right the Calibre Library is NOT on local storage.

Megasync is a file-syncing tool and is not running at the same time as Calibre, it's also a read only one way sync and cannot alter the Calibre Library. Seems that I'm doing exactly what your quote says I should be doing, which is not surprising as I read all that stuff before setting it up.

Ian.

Box, like other cloud drives, is a file-syncing tool.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dizzy274

Hi, just to clarify what I'm doing, and by the way I'm 'he' not 'they'. My Calibre library is not networked, it is a single library on Box cloud storage. I am the only user, so it is exactly the same as if it were local storage, again I am the only person accessing it.

When I have finished editing the library, I close Calibre and run MegaSync to sync to a copy of Calibre on Mega, one level of backup. Overnight I have MegaSync on one of my Android tablets set to sync to a local copy of Calibre on my tablet, a second level of backup.

I run Calibre's database integrity checks fairly regularly and the only errors I get are minor and similar to those that I occasionally got when running Calibre on my local hard drive.

I took the Cloud route because I wasn't happy with the level of backup I could have from my PC. Sure I could copy to an external drive or across my network to another of my PCs, but those methods have their own problems.

I think my solution is fairly elegant and works for me. The only slight concern I have is that should some corruption occur it would be extrapolated through the levels of backup, but that would apply to any local backup scenario as well.

Best Regards
Ian.

If you are running the box software while using calibre, Box will try to do a two-way sync. It does not have a backup feature. You would need to use rsync and winfsp in order to mount Box as a drive and then you can use FreeFileSync to do a one-way sync to Box.

[dizzy274]

Sorry to be obtuse here. I really can't see the difference between having the Calibre Library on ( say ) an external drive and using Box, it's just a longer piece of string.

There's no file for Box to sync to, there's just one instance of it, I access the Calibre Library directly as I would if it was on any local drive.

Ian.

[dizzy274]

Hi Jon,

Box can't do a two way sync as it has nothing to sync to, I don't have a copy of my library on any local drive, if I did you'd be right, probably. You're not thinking of the late unlamented Box Sync are you?

Ian.

Ian.