[GUI Plugin] Marvin XD

[lealla]

Hi all,

I just bought Marvin and was trying to connect to calibre.

I didn't realise there might be a problem until I couldn't connect, and came here for help and saw that there have been issues in the past directly connecting calibre to Marvin.

Am I right in thinking that the direct connection via USB, using the two plugins (IOS + XDMarvin) doesn't work for anyone?

Or have I done something wrong?

I've been playing for an hour, and checking all the settings, but it still won't connect. The ipad connects to the computer (and shows up in itunes) but nothing in calibre.

I'm using Windows 7, an Ipad 3, and the most recent version of Calibre, and most recent ipad update.

[ShellShock]

Correct, the connection just won't work with IOS 8.3 or later, and there is no prospect of this being fixed. Blame Apple for locking down IOS. However, you can use Marvin with online storage, like Dropbox.

[eschwartz]

Has anyone tried reaching out to Kris to have Marvin reworked to use VendDocuments instead of VendContainer?

[lealla]

Originally Posted by ShellShock

Correct, the connection just won't work with IOS 8.3 or later, and there is no prospect of this being fixed. Blame Apple for locking down IOS. However, you can use Marvin with online storage, like Dropbox.

That's a real shame - it was the main reason I bought Marvin in the first place! Reason 1 to do a bit more research first!

I've just tried to use calibre's content server to copy my books across, but I can't seem to find a bulk copy option. I really don't want to copy each book one by one, as I have 2000 of them.

Is there a way to copy all of them in one swift go? I'd rather not use dropbox if I don't have to, as all my ebooks are set up nicely in calibre, in their own folders ect and it would be frustrating to go into each folder to find the epub.

Thanks for any advice!

[ShellShock]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Has anyone tried reaching out to Kris to have Marvin reworked to use VendDocuments instead of VendContainer?

I haven't, because I assumed he had stopped working on Marvin, and we would still need someone to change the plugins too. And selfishly, I am still on IOS 8.2.

[Pinecone]

There was an update to Marvin recently.

But now, the content server option does not seem to work. At least between my iPad Mini (iOS8.3) and my laptop (Win7)

If I use Marvin to try to connect to the Calibre content server, it never seems to find it.

And if I try to use Safari to go to the content server, it stops with an error that the server stopped responding.

[lealla]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

There was an update to Marvin recently.

But now, the content server option does not seem to work. At least between my iPad Mini (iOS8.3) and my laptop (Win7)

If I use Marvin to try to connect to the Calibre content server, it never seems to find it.

And if I try to use Safari to go to the content server, it stops with an error that the server stopped responding.

I can still connect to the Calibre content server, but I still have the problem that there is no way I'm going to individually import each one of my books.
When I click "multiple books" it says, click on each book to add to the list. Is there a 'Add All' button I'm just not seeing?

I ran a quick test with dropbox to see if there was a way to bulk import, but it too wanted me to select each one by one.

This seems to be a massive oversight on behalf of Marvin - I must be missing something?

[Wyndham]

When I first started using Marin I used iTunes to send books to my iPhone and iPad. Unlike Stanza which could only receive a few books at a time, I was able to successfully copy over a thousand eBooks in one go (through iTunes).

I've not used this for a while but I can't see any reason why this would not still work.

I've placed my Calibre libraries in DropBox and can see the books in a list using Marvin. From that list you can open single books. There is also a synchronise option which I have not tried yet which might download the entire library from DropBox, or at least any eBooks not in Marvin.

There are other methods such as Calibre's content server but this and the other methods are better explained elsewhere. If you are loading Marvin for the first time, your best bet is probably drag n drop into iTunes.

[lealla]

Originally Posted by Wyndham

When I first started using Marin I used iTunes to send books to my iPhone and iPad. Unlike Stanza which could only receive a few books at a time, I was able to successfully copy over a thousand eBooks in one go (through iTunes).

I've not used this for a while but I can't see any reason why this would not still work.

I've placed my Calibre libraries in DropBox and can see the books in a list using Marvin. From that list you can open single books. There is also a synchronise option which I have not tried yet which might download the entire library from DropBox, or at least any eBooks not in Marvin.

There are other methods such as Calibre's content server but this and the other methods are better explained elsewhere. If you are loading Marvin for the first time, your best bet is probably drag n drop into iTunes.

Here's where I'm at:

I tried to synchronise a dropbox folder, but I believe that it is just for transferring data, such as where you are up to in a book. I couldn't get it to recognise a folder.

I tried to downgrade my ipad, but I just don't have the skills for that, got very confused :P

So, I am desperate NOT to use iTunes, I used to do that (the whole using calibre to copy to itunes and then sync). But it really stuffed up my itunes catalogue and I don't want to go back there...

So, before I give up entirely, any last suggestions for importing a whole library to Marvin that doesn't use iTunes?

[Brucio]

Originally Posted by svenlind

There is indeed a lot of software in Calibre and Marvin.

You can transfer books from Calibre to Marvin like this:

In Marvin use Get books > OPDS > Search local network > Calibre library.

You must previously have started the Calibre Server to do this:

In Calibre Connect/Share > Start Content Server.

It also works in 8.3. It will even transfer metadata from Calibre to Marvin.

The only disadvantage is that you can't see those books that are already in Marvin.

This was helpful in allowing me to download books from Calibre on my laptop to Marvin on my iPad. But it is still very frustrating that I know of no way to SYNC books between them, now that the plugins don't work. Does anyone know of any progress or workaround regarding syncing?

[incumbent]

Sync books back into Calibre from Marvin? Did that ever work?

[Montana Harper]

Originally Posted by incumbent

Sync books back into Calibre from Marvin? Did that ever work?

It worked wonderfully until Apple released iOS 8.3, which broke the functionality.

[Frenchdummy]

Hi. Really need a French translation of this tool. I don't know how to install it and/or make it work. I have Marvin app. Calibre OSX and books. Please Help. Any French speaker here ?

[PollyQ]

(My French is almost certainly worse than Frenchdummy's English, but here goes nothing.)

Quel version de iOS avez-vous? S'il >= 8.4, les "plug-ins" Marvin XD et iOS reader applications ne fonctionnent pas. Quelle dommage! Je suis desolée!

Sorry, that's about it for my French.

Hope this was a little helpful, at least.

[JainaSJedi]

I am having the same problem with my new Iphone 6S plus. My original ipad mini was getting dated so I decided to upgrade assuming that everything would still work. Turns out it was actually a downgrade in terms of ebook organization. This was the reason I abandoned my kindle long ago. I couldn't organize a large ebook collection in a timely manner on my chosen reading device.

Does anyone know if there's another IOS reader that will communicate with Calibre for ebook organization into collections and series? Or is it time to buy another Kindle?