a novel way to corrupt your database?

[paola]

I think I've found another way that one may unwittingly corrupt the database on their kobo. It does occasionally happen that I have both the Kobo desktop and Calibre on. In general, if I eject the device from Calibre, the device appears as ejected from the desktop app, but not always. So I think I messed up my database once thinking I had ejected correctly via Calibre, without checking all was well in the Kobo desktop.
The short of it is, check that the device appears as ejected from both if you have both running (or "double eject", once from each application - not sure whether ejecting from Calibre and closing down the desktop app also works, but I am not willing to try )

[John F]

I would guess (to be safe) you don't want to have both running at once.

[davidfor]

Been there, done that My policy is not to run both calibre and the Kobo desktop in the same session. And especially not at the same time. There is to much chance of one clobbering the changes made by the other or breaking the database.

The eject failing from calibre depends on what else is using the drive. If any application has a file on it open, then the operating system won't eject the device. I open the database an SQLite browser a lot and that prevents the eject. If I forget to close the browser before ejecting using calibre, I have to close the browser and eject using the OS.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by paola

I think I've found another way that one may unwittingly corrupt the database on their kobo. It does occasionally happen that I have both the Kobo desktop and Calibre on. In general, if I eject the device from Calibre, the device appears as ejected from the desktop app, but not always. So I think I messed up my database once thinking I had ejected correctly via Calibre, without checking all was well in the Kobo desktop.
The short of it is, check that the device appears as ejected from both if you have both running (or "double eject", once from each application - not sure whether ejecting from Calibre and closing down the desktop app also works, but I am not willing to try )

Since both programs access the device your always running the risk of corruption using both at the same time. I would recommend exiting the desktop if your planning on using calibre and the same if your in Calibre and want to use the desktop app this way you will avoid possible and probable corruption.

regards

Jack

[paola]

thank you guys - I was not planning to use both Calibre and the desktop app, but I had too many programmes open on my machine and the Kobo desktop icon wasn't showing. I generally only use Calibre, which seems to me safer and more reliable.

[DomesticExtremis]

I always close Calibre and eject from the operating
system - I noticed the Calibre eject left the ereaders
internal storage mounted on the linux fileystem.

[DNSB]

The latest way I found to do database corruption was when I was trying to duplicate the partial dismount that I noticed when I ran Windows XP on my desktop. In this case, I used a laptop where I started Calibre converting a collection of epubs to .kepub and adding them to the Kobo. Once the copy to the Kobo was started, I loaded Kobo Desktop so it started syncing and launched a backup of both the internal storage and uSD card using Teracopy so all were accessing the Kobo's storage at the same time.

After a couple of minutes, Calibre and Teracopy complained while the Kobo desktop app just sat spinning it's wheel. Looking at the mounted drives, both Kobo drives were gone from the display. When I removed the USB cable from the Kobo, it started processing and then locked up. After a restart, I grabbed a copy of the database and checked it using SQLite Database browser which gave a shopping list of errors.

Time for another factory reset.

Regards,
David

[TechniSol]

"A novel way to..." Ugh, it's an e-book reader. NOVEL? Oh, the humanity! Well, it made me chuckle any way.

Paola, not at you or your trouble, just the unintentional(?) pun in the title.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

"A novel way to..." Ugh, it's an e-book reader. NOVEL? Oh, the humanity! Well, it made me chuckle any way.

Paola, not at you or your trouble, just the unintentional(?) pun in the title.

I voted for intentional.

Regards,
David

[paola]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I voted for intentional.

Regards,
David

sadly, unintentional

[TechniSol]

We'll give you a pass on the unintentional pun, you were obviously distracted by the problem at hand, but see here, next time make an effort at intending the pun!

[Leonatus]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

"A novel way to..." Ugh, it's an e-book reader. NOVEL? Oh, the humanity! Well, it made me chuckle any way.

I grant every native english speakers his puns (I stumbled over Paola's lapse even as non-native). But I would like to deploy the opportunity to appeal at the "aborigines" to take a little care of their language in order to let strangers participate duly at the discussion, mainly in respect of the use of words that are but little known outside USA, Canada, Ausralia, UK ...

As today in the introducing article of MR: "sock puppets"? "grassroots"? "astroturfing"? The examples are manyfold.

No offence meant!

[tshering]

I can see the pun. But is there any lapse?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Leonatus

I grant every native english speakers his puns (I stumbled over Paola's lapse even as non-native). But I would like to deploy the opportunity to appeal at the "aborigines" to take a little care of their language in order to let strangers participate duly at the discussion, mainly in respect of the use of words that are but little known outside USA, Canada, Ausralia, UK ...

As today in the introducing article of MR: "sock puppets"? "grassroots"? "astroturfing"? The examples are manyfold.

No offence meant!

No offence taken. Even for "native" English speakers, there are quite a few words that are common in one country but unused in others. There is a quote about "England and America are two countries divided by a common language". Often attributed to George Bernard Shaw but a good deal of discussion about whom actually said this and even the exact wording of the quote.

At least, the astroturfing reference had a link to wikipedia which also linked to grassroots though it's a pain going through all the links to try to comprehend what could have been written in a more easily understood fashion.

Regards,
David

[paola]

Originally Posted by TechniSol

We'll give you a pass on the unintentional pun, you were obviously distracted by the problem at hand, but see here, next time make an effort at intending the pun!

oh yes: indeed I feel quite silly for not seeing it - shame on me, will try harder