Tips for loading a large library onto a KO2

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I bought my KO2 mainly so I could have a larger proportion of my Ebook library (which is in Calibre) on it. I’ve learnt a few things over the last 48h which may be of interest to others, so I thought I’d share them.

Firstly, you need to know how to check if the Kindle is currently busy indexing books. To do this, tap the “search” box from the library screen, and enter a nonsense search string. When the results screen appears (which will show zero matches if you’ve entered a random nonsense search string) if “Text in Books” is highlighted, tap it, and it will say “NNN books not yet indexed” (should that be the case). Tap that line, and it’ll show you what the books are.

@HarryT: This behavior has changed somewhat in the months since you posted the OP. In 5.9.6.1, if searching for random nonsense such as "fgtt", search shows "There are no results found in your library or the store". If you select "Search Everywhere for "fgtt", a new search screen will load. "Text in Books (0)" is grayed out.

However, if you search for a real word likely to be found, then select "Search Everywhere…", "Text in Books (NNN)" is selectable. Select it, and the books featuring your word will be displayed, and the end of the search shows "NNN books not yet indexed". Then it behaves as you indicated.

Cheers!

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Cootey

@HarryT: This behavior has changed somewhat in the months since you posted the OP. In 5.9.6.1, if searching for random nonsense such as "fgtt", search shows "There are no results found in your library or the store". If you select "Search Everywhere for "fgtt", a new search screen will load. "Text in Books (0)" is grayed out.

However, if you search for a real word likely to be found, then select "Search Everywhere…", "Text in Books (NNN)" is selectable. Select it, and the books featuring your word will be displayed, and the end of the search shows "NNN books not yet indexed". Then it behaves as you indicated.

Cheers!

Interesting. That would be a change that has not happened in forever. I check that out next time I put a new book on my reader.

ETA: Actually, I was curious enough to try. The behavior has not changed from Harry's. The only thing that now shows up, which may not have been showing up before, is the not yet indexed books at the end of a successful search. The search for nonsense words is still the faster and easier way - if text in books IS greyed out, then no books are indexing, only if it IS NOT greyed out opening it will show how many are not yet indexed. And then clicking on the number will open the list.

[HarryT]

It's also perhaps worth noting that "Text in Books" will always be greyed out while the library list is still updating after adding or removing books. On my Oasis 2 (which currently has 9265 books on it) it takes a good 15-20 minutes for the list to update after disconnecting from my PC, so the "search for nonsense words" method can't be used during that time.

[Readirect]

You can disable indexing altogether if you don't need x-ray or text search AND that makes a world of difference.

Delete the Search Indexes folder and replace it with a text file of the same name.

Kobo, btw, doesn't have this issue.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Readirect

You can disable indexing altogether if you don't need x-ray or text search AND that makes a world of difference.

What does indexing have to do with x-ray?

[badgoodDeb]

I like to use text search, to remind me who John Doe is. I search for the name, and usually the first instance in the book will call him "John Doe, the pot boiler ...." and reminds me where he fits into the story.

But, I'm not the orig poster. Maybe they don't care about text search!

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I like to use text search, to remind me who John Doe is. I search for the name, and usually the first instance in the book will call him "John Doe, the pot boiler ...." and reminds me where he fits into the story.

If the book has x-ray, highlighting "John" or "Doe" or "John Doe" will pop up a brief description of John Doe, which may be a snippet from the first instance in the book or a brief description from shelfari or wikipedia or elsewhere. Opening x-ray then will show a timeline of the book with a dot for each mention. There is an option to blank out the time line beyond where you are in the book.

[badgoodDeb]

"a brief description from shelfari or wikipedia or elsewhere."

I'm not willing to get info from elsewhere, as it may affect the storyline. So I don't use X-ray. I'd rather just search for the name.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Readirect

You can disable indexing altogether if you don't need x-ray or text search AND that makes a world of difference.

A world of difference to what? Indexing doesn’t affect anything at all once it’s done, and it doesn’t take that long to do. Why would anyone not want to be able to search a book?

[mdclanahan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

it doesn’t take that long to do.

You started this thread! The amount of time indexing takes for large libraries is literally the whole point.

[mdclanahan]

Originally Posted by Readirect

You can disable indexing altogether if you don't need x-ray or text search AND that makes a world of difference.

Delete the Search Indexes folder and replace it with a text file of the same name.

Kobo, btw, doesn't have this issue.

This intrigues me. I sideload all my books from Calibre, so x-ray doesn't matter to me at all, and I'm pretty sure I could live without text search.

If you delete this folder and replace it with a txt file, are you still able to search for books by title/author?

Thanks,
mdclanahan

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mdclanahan

You started this thread! The amount of time indexing takes for large libraries is literally the whole point.

But once one has the library loaded, indexing the occasional new book takes only a couple of minutes for the average book.

You hold the Kobo up as a counter-example, but when I had my Kobo H2O it would sit there for literally hours with a "Processing books" message on the screen when a large batch of books was added. At least the Kindle does its indexing in the background, so one can read while it happens.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But once one has the library loaded, indexing the occasional new book takes only a couple of minutes for the average book.

You hold the Kobo up as a counter-example, but when I had my Kobo H2O it would sit there for literally hours with a "Processing books" message on the screen when a large batch of books was added. At least the Kindle does its indexing in the background, so one can read while it happens.

I just help a friend of mine swap the uSD card in her new Clara HD for a 32GB card and then we loaded her calibre library (11,024) books on it. Took about 2.5 hours to copy the books over and 1.25 hours to process them. The processing stage is one place where Kobo has really improved their firmware. We started the copy about the time the Alouettes/Red-Blacks game kicked off, started processing before the game ended and it was finished by the time she and my wife watched Farewell, My Concubine—again!!!—but then I'm not a big Leslie Cheung fan.

BTW, if I hadn't trusted her ability to do quality control on her library, I would never have considered the copy everything in one mass approach but she makes me look very laid back and relaxed when it comes to checking inbound books.

Ummm... forgot, after the processing stage, I used Kobo Utilities to update the metadata including the series info which took another 10 minutes.

[foxden_vixen]

I have a large library that I am trying to load from Calibre on to my Kindle Fire HD 10 7th gen. I tried the search above and don't get the ability to search everywhere. I have tried it in several different locations on my Kindle. Now what? I would like to see the progress of indexing my books.

[HarryT]

I’ve absolutely no idea how the Fire app differs from eInk Kindles. I’d suggest asking your question in the Fire forum.