Does a Kobo update remove plugins, like nightmode?

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I also keep a back-up copy of my configuration folder.

That's a good idea. Thank you. I've now done the same (copy on my NAS RAID).

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by marp68

So, thanks everyone for all help and suggestions. Both Calibre and reader updated with NickelMenu working.

Good. I'm glad to hear it.

[marp68]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I do this as well, but I also keep a back-up copy of my configuration folder. Just recently my computer unexpectedly crashed and lost all my calibre customizations (the config folder still existed, but for some reason calibre no longer read it). I deleted the old config folder and replaced it with the one from backup. All worked as before.

Do you just copy the configuration folder or is it a feature in calibre that you use to copy it? If I need to restore Calibre, do I first reinstall Calibre and then just switch the configuration file with the backed up one?

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by marp68

Do you just copy the configuration folder or is it a feature in calibre that you use to copy it? If I need to restore Calibre, do I first reinstall Calibre and then just switch the configuration file with the backed up one?

From the Calibre FAQ:

How do I move my calibre data from one computer to another?

You can export all calibre data (books, settings and plugins) and then import it on another computer. First let’s see how to export the data:

Right click the calibre icon in the main calibre toolbar and select Export/import all calibre data. Note that if there is currently a device connected, this menu option will not be available – so, disconnect any connected devices. Then click the button labelled Export all your calibre data. You will see a list of all your calibre libraries. Click OK and choose an empty folder somewhere on your computer. The exported data will be saved in this folder. Simply copy this folder to your new computer and follow the instructions below to import the data.

Install calibre on your new computer and run through the Welcome wizard, it does not matter what you do there, as you will be importing your old settings in the next step. You will now have an empty calibre, with just the Getting Started guide in your library. Once again, right click the calibre button and choose Export/import all calibre data. Then click the button labelled Import previously exported data. Select the folder with the exported data that you copied over earlier. You will now have a list of libraries you can import. Go through the list one by one, and select the new location for each library (a location is just an empty folder somewhere on your computer). Click OK. After the import completes, calibre will restart, with all your old libraries, settings and calibre plugins.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by marp68

Do you just copy the configuration folder or is it a feature in calibre that you use to copy it? If I need to restore Calibre, do I first reinstall Calibre and then just switch the configuration file with the backed up one?

There is an export-import feature in Calibre, but I've never used it. I just copy the config folder. Yes, first install Calibre and then switch the config folder.

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

There is an export-import feature in Calibre, but I've never used it. I just copy the config folder. Yes, first install Calibre and then switch the config folder.

This is what I actually did - I was writing a second post about it, but @Sirtel beat me to it

(I back up my libraries separately, and frequently, with FreeFileSync.)

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

If memory serves, NickelMenu is supposed to persist through firmware updates. However, my inclination would be to play safe and do the firmware update first.

I've never had NickelMenu need to be reinstalled after a firmware update.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

Updating Calibre doesn't remove installed plugins, settings etc.

According to the Calibre plugin index, QualityCheck is a plugin.

FWIW, I maintain a document setting out my Calibre configuration, including a list of plugins that I have installed, their settings, and images of the toolbars. This simplifies things if I ever need to install it again.

That used to be true. But due to calibre now having KePub support natively, calibre 8.0.1 will disable the Kobo KePub plugins.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by marp68

That seems very clever to do.

What about the My Shelves column, the genre categories I have created for this column to label the books? Will they be intact when updating Calibre?

It's not longer called shelves. Kobo changed the name to collections (which is the correct name).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

You will need to edit it to remove the hash marks from the items that you want to use before it'll do anything. You might find that you have some lines like this:

menu_item :main :Sleep ower :sleep
menu_item :main :Shutdown ower :shutdown
menu_item :main :Reboot ower :reboot
menu_item :main :USB Connection :nickel_misc :force_usb_connection

Note that those lines do not begin with a hash. These examples would give menu items Sleep, Shutdown, Reboot and USB connection, and they should then do what they say. Obviously, those might not be the particular ones that you want to use: they're just ones that I like.

You need to use a code block to remove the smilies.

menu_item :main     :Sleep              :power :sleep
menu_item :main     :Shutdown           :power :shutdown
menu_item :main     :Reboot             :power :reboot
menu_item :main     :USB Connection     :nickel_misc :force_usb_connection

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's not longer called shelves. Kobo changed the name to collections (which is the correct name).

My Shelves is the name the OP uses for their collections column. It has nothing to do with what Kobo calls collections.

I too use a custom column named "shelves" for my Kobo collections.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

My Shelves is the name the OP uses for their collections column. It has nothing to do with what Kobo calls collections.

I too use a custom column named "shelves" for my Kobo collections.

Well, I know Kobo originally used Shelves as the name. But that was wrong back then. It should have been collections, That's what it was called before Kobo Readers existed.

But yes, it was my mistake for misreading that it was the column name.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Well, I know Kobo originally used Shelves as the name. But that was wrong back then. It should have been collections, That's what it was called before Kobo Readers existed.

And before any ereaders existed, I kept my books on <pause for suspense> shelves. And yes, I had SF on one set of shelves, F on another set of shelves, cooking and food related books on another set of shelves and everything else on a last set of shelves. I didn't go out and buy collections, I went out and bought or built book shelves. And yes, the basement did look much like a library branch.

[Quoth]

I still have shelves and bookcases with shelves and built-in shelves I made. Sections are by approximate genre: Thrillers, Fantasy, SF, Reference, Plays, Romance, Detective, Mystery, Poetry, Books on Writing, Irish & Celtic related, Younger etc. Terry Pratchett has 2 & 1/2 shelves!
Some sections are alphabetic. I've stopped buying paper books but people still give them to me. Some genres use more than one bookcase. Maybe still 2,500 paper titles not counting ones packed in boxes in the hall to go to my son's library when he has made it.

So my Kobo/Sony Collections use the same genres. The Sony driver was initially set to use tags, which are a mess (due to the ebook providers), but it can use the column setup for Kobo. I briefly managed collections on Kindle, till I got newer models and then one Amazon sync messed up the old models.

[Aleron Ives]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

Gah! this forum interprets a colon followed by a p as an emoticon!

menu_item :main :Sleep :power :sleep

For situations like these, you can check the box "Disable smilies in text" under "Additional Options" before you post. :)