Marvin 3 and iOS 13

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

There are multiple ways of getting books into Marvin.

The easiest, IMO, is using an OPDS server. You link to it, browse for your book and then tap to download. There are several public servers, or you can create your own on your own computer. I've done this for years and it works great from anywhere in the world.

Similarly, you can copy your books to your Dropbox account and download them from there.

You can also plug the phone into iTunes and transfer from there ().

I actually downloaded, and contaminated installed Kindle app on my phone to test the "if an app is updated to the new system" method of sending the book to a specific app. That didn't change anything, and kindle was updated just 2 days ago... It does take a few clicks to get the epub to Marvin via the file system, but it does work. I believe it is the same number of steps to put the epub in any non-iBooks, app.

It appears Apple has built another layer into their walled garden and made it harder for people to use the app of their choice easier to use Apple's apps...

You can actually edit the send to so that your favored apps are first on the list. I've got it set up so that Marvin is the first app for epub books.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

You can actually edit the send to so that your favored apps are first on the list. I've got it set up so that Marvin is the first app for epub books.

You can but there's no going around the new download manager in iPadOS/iOS 13. It has to download first, then you go to the downloads folder before you can use "Open in..."

On iOS 12, downloads load in the tab itself and from there, you can do direct transfer: "Open in Marvin" (or whatever app you last used to open the specific content type) and in my case, there's an extremely convenient "Save to Dropbox" option as well.

Frankly, I'm finding the updated Files app and file handling policies on iPadOS/iOS 13 more annoying than helpful. I transfer ebooks to Marvin via Dropbox. Normally, I'd browse AO3 on Safari and use "Save to Dropbox" to download EPUBs (so I get copies on my PC, too as well as easy access on other iOS devices) but on the latest iOS firmware, I've lost that very convenient direct link/option.

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

You can actually edit the send to so that your favored apps are first on the list. I've got it set up so that Marvin is the first app for epub books.

Yay - I found an article that showed how to setup Marvin as a favorite (which is probably what you were talking about). It does take a couple taps to get it to Marvin, but thats Apple for you! Once you have set Marvin as a favorite, adjust its position to be at the top of the list, then:

- select downloads folder in files
- select the "Select" link, if you just tap the file it opens in iBooks
- select the ePubs you want
- select the share button (box with an arrow coming out)
- select Copy to Marvin

iOS doesn't allow anyone to change the default app for a specific file type (article here) so you are stuck with this process with ANY reading app, not just Marvin. Hopefully, Apple will loosen their stranglehold within the next couple of decades...

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

- select downloads folder in files
- select the "Select" link, if you just tap the file it opens in iBooks
- select the ePubs you want
- select the share button (box with an arrow coming out)
- select Copy to Marvin

Sadly, selecting multiple books is useless. Marvin will only import one ebook at a time.

I think it was around iOS 8-10 when Apple made copying downloads in apps simpler. I can send to my last used app with just one tap or to another app in two (see pics). Now you have to switch to the Files app first before you can send to.

Wish there was a way to disable the download manager and go back to the old behavior.

[Turtle91]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Sadly, selecting multiple books is useless. Marvin will only import one ebook at a time.

Interesting. I know you can transfer multiples using OPDS...

You don't need to go to the files app if you just downloaded it - there is a downloads link in
the top right of the Safari window (circle with arrow).

In any case, it works - but with a couple extra clicks/taps.

Cheers,

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Interesting. I know you can transfer multiples using OPDS...

It's only the via share sheet that you can't do batch transfers. In-app OPDS and Dropbox work just fine. I find Dropbox is the most convenient with its download all option and the fact that it allows overwriting unlike other download sources (I desperately need overwrite for fanfics ).

You don't need to go to the files app if you just downloaded it - there is a downloads link in
the top right of the Safari window (circle with arrow).

Thanks for the tip!

I know about the Downloads link on the upper right. Alas, I've been tapping on the magnifying glass beside the filename instead of on the filename itself so it was opening in the Files app. Although I could've sworn that tapping on the filename previously just opened it directly in the Books app.

I think Dropbox has been updated, too, since I distinctly recall Open in/Save to Dropbox missing from the share sheet altogether and having had to copy the download to Documents (Readdle) first just so I could copy to Dropbox.

Overall, still 2-3 taps more than iOS 12 behavior but not as bad as it used to be now that I'm not needing to switch to multiple apps.

[diremommy]

Thanks. I guess once the other bugs are gone, I’ll just have to go back to using the Calibre content server every time I want to get a book onto my iPad.

[peaceridge]

With IOS 13 an externa hard drive can be connected to the ipad - how would I get books from it into Marvin?

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

With IOS 13 an externa hard drive can be connected to the ipad - how would I get books from it into Marvin?

Quite painfully, I imagine (sending books to Marvin one by one).

In the Files app, navigate to the folder with ebooks on your hard drive, long press on the ebook, Share and Copy to Marvin.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Quite painfully, I imagine (sending books to Marvin one by one).

In the Files app, navigate to the folder with ebooks on your hard drive, long press on the ebook, Share and Copy to Marvin.

Thanks. That's what I finally figured out, just hoping there was a different way. I'd love to keep all my favorite ebooks on my ipad, but there is not enough room. That's why I was hoping I could use an external drive to hold them. Oh well, hopefully Apple will come out with a new mini and I can get more storage in it - shows trying to save money with less storage is not such a good idea!

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

Thanks. That's what I finally figured out, just hoping there was a different way. I'd love to keep all my favorite ebooks on my ipad, but there is not enough room. That's why I was hoping I could use an external drive to hold them. Oh well, hopefully Apple will come out with a new mini and I can get more storage in it - shows trying to save money with less storage is not such a good idea!

Guessing you have a lot of large books?

Not counting comics, I think my ebooks total less than 10GB de-duplicated.

Prior to this year, the mini was last updated back in 2015 (iPad mini 4). I wouldn't count on an update anytime soon. Was waiting for a holiday sale on the iPad mini 5 but sadly, that was the only model that didn't go on sale this season.

[Turtle91]

Hi peaceridge, I honestly don't remember if you can multi-select with the Files-app and transfer altogether... I don't think it can. But, you might try looking into the opds functionality of Calibre. I won't say it's super easy to setup (not too difficult), but once you work your way through it you can have ALL your books available to any iThing, regardless of the memory size, at the touch of a button. I have over 2000 of my books available to me anywhere in the world (with wifi/internet) at anytime and I only have to install the few that I'm reading right then.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Hi peaceridge, I honestly don't remember if you can multi-select with the Files-app and transfer altogether...

You can multi-select in Files and send to app. The problem is Marvin isn't programmed to accept multiple files.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Hi peaceridge, I honestly don't remember if you can multi-select with the Files-app and transfer altogether... I don't think it can. But, you might try looking into the opds functionality of Calibre. I won't say it's super easy to setup (not too difficult), but once you work your way through it you can have ALL your books available to any iThing, regardless of the memory size, at the touch of a button. I have over 2000 of my books available to me anywhere in the world (with wifi/internet) at anytime and I only have to install the few that I'm reading right then.

Thanks, but I don't have internet a lot of the time, that's why I don't use the opds.

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Guessing you have a lot of large books?

Not counting comics, I think my ebooks total less than 10GB de-duplicated.

Prior to this year, the mini was last updated back in 2015 (iPad mini 4). I wouldn't count on an update anytime soon. Was waiting for a holiday sale on the iPad mini 5 but sadly, that was the only model that didn't go on sale this season.

I have more than 32gb in just academic papers (mostly pdf's). Maybe 20 gb in fiction. Dumb that I bought a 64gb ipad. It was better when I had a working Calibre Companion and could load up subsets, but it is unlikely that cc will ever get fixed, so I've been looking at work-arounds.