10-16-2023, 03:32 PM | #1 |
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Using calibre on multiple computers
I use calibre on 2 different computers. I keep the library in my dropbox, so it should sync to each computer.
However, books added on one computer, while safely in dropbox, are not picked up in calibre on the other computer. I found the "Check Library" option which shows all the books as "Extra Titles" but I see no easy way to add them to calibre without manually going and adding each one individually. The only option the Check Library offers me for these titles is to delete them, there is no option to add them to calibre. Am I missing something that would make this easier? |
10-16-2023, 03:40 PM | #2 |
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Calibre is not meant for using on more than one device. Library corruption will result, as you've discovered.
Yes, the only option is to add the extra titles manually. That's because this is not supposed to be a regular occurrence, but an one-time mishap. If it happens regularly (as it always does when two-way cloud syncing is involved), then you're doing something you shouldn't (like using two-way cloud syncing). |
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10-16-2023, 05:27 PM | #3 | |
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@Marcy - see https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...rked-drive-nas
Quote:
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10-16-2023, 05:29 PM | #4 |
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To quote a too commonly posted item over the last 13 years:
If you keep your library on a networked drive (NAS, OneDrive, DropBox, whatever), it is not a question of if your library will be corrupted but when. See I am getting errors with my calibre library on a networked drive/NAS? in the calibre FAQs and SQLite Over a Network, Caveats and Considerations for more information. |
10-17-2023, 11:36 AM | #5 |
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Keep your calibre library away from cloud storage forever. No cloud storage has a one-way sync. They are all two-way. Because of this, your library WILL become corrupt and in some cases, unfixably corrupt.
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10-17-2023, 11:38 AM | #6 | |
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Quote:
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10-17-2023, 12:03 PM | #7 |
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For what it may be worth: I have been using Calibre since its first version. All that time, the library has been in a folder that Dropbox backs up. For a while, I ran Calibre on two computers and had all the problems others have mentioned. But once I stopped running a second copy of Calibre many, many years ago (and stopped making changes to the relevant folder outside of Calibre)I have had no problems.
YMMV. On the plus side, I have changed computers at least six times over the years and just installing Calibre and pointing it to the library folder worked fine each time. |
10-17-2023, 12:05 PM | #8 |
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No, it isn't. Keeping a back-up in Dropbox is perfectly fine. As long as it is a back-up and not a second active library.
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10-17-2023, 12:07 PM | #9 |
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It's one-way sync if you use FreeFileSync to mirror your active library to Dropbox for backup.
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07-29-2024, 01:42 PM | #10 |
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It seems to me that it should be safe to use Dropbox, if you stick to the following regimen faithfully.
Obviously, this will only work if only one person is ever using the Calibre library and it is a little tedious, but could probably be easily scripted. |
07-29-2024, 02:04 PM | #11 | |
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Quote:
You do not want to use the library from Dropbox unless you actually need to and only after you've verified that it's not corrupted or you've fixed it if it is corrupted. It's not a question of if your libraries will be corrupted, but of when. |
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07-29-2024, 03:20 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
Also, be prepared to run the library check regularly, and I mean the extended version checking if the files are in sync with the database, not only the initial check. |
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07-29-2024, 05:21 PM | #13 | |
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07-29-2024, 05:23 PM | #14 |
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07-29-2024, 05:51 PM | #15 |
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I certainly agree, that you cannot depend upon Dropbox alone, and you need to backup and check the libraries often. That said, here is a simple-minded script that works on my linux machine to do what was suggested:
Code:
dropbox start dropbox status echo -n "SYNCING CALIBRE" wait_time=15 i=0 while [ $i -le $wait_time ]; do echo -n . ((i++)) done dropbox stop echo -n "STOPPING DROPBOX" i=0 while [ $i -le $wait_time ]; do echo -n . ((i++)) done calibre echo - n "SYNCING DROPBOX" i=0 while [ $i -le $wait_time ]; do echo -n . ((i++)) done dropbox start dropbox status i=0 while [ $i -le $wait_time ]; do echo -n . ((i++)) done dropbox stop |
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