Library vs. files question...

[smallhagrid]

I understand what Calibre does and so forth and refreshed my memory by completely reading this so as to TRY and avoid getting chewed out for asking:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=119175

Having said that, please (re-?) educate me, here's what I'm asking:

I've an existing collection with many titles stored in an existing mess on it's own drive letter.

Been using windows right along and now I'm starting with a Linux distro with Calibre already included in it.

The OS happily sees and mounts the NTFS drive with all it's books.

I am concerned that once I start this Linux version of Calibre and point it at the mount point with all those books it will commence to do what it did before; namely importing and copying all of them to my 'home' space or wherever it does that to (?).

Is there any way to get Calibre to USE what is already there without making a 2nd copy of each title someplace else ?

Please don't beat me for asking this, I know there is a philosophical difference between BOOKS and FILES, but at the same time having copies of copies and copies of the same stuff can make a huge and undesirable mess which I'd sooner not have to trace & clean up.

Thanks !

[itimpi]

You do not mention if there is an existing Calibre library at that location? If there is then you can switch Calibre to using it. What you cannot do is tell Calibre to use an existing set of folders and files that are not structured correctly as a Calibre library.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

I understand what Calibre does and so forth and refreshed my memory by completely reading this so as to TRY and avoid getting chewed out for asking:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=119175

Having said that, please (re-?) educate me, here's what I'm asking:

I've an existing collection with many titles stored in an existing mess on it's own drive letter.

Been using windows right along and now I'm starting with a Linux distro with Calibre already included in it.

The OS happily sees and mounts the NTFS drive with all it's books.

I am concerned that once I start this Linux version of Calibre and point it at the mount point with all those books it will commence to do what it did before; namely importing and copying all of them to my 'home' space or wherever it does that to (?).

Is there any way to get Calibre to USE what is already there without making a 2nd copy of each title someplace else ?

Please don't beat me for asking this, I know there is a philosophical difference between BOOKS and FILES, but at the same time having copies of copies and copies of the same stuff can make a huge and undesirable mess which I'd sooner not have to trace & clean up.

Thanks !

IMHO (and dual boot user experience ) Mixing access (even if only 1 at any time) Windows and Linux is not a great idea. Filename Case issues will crop up.

[smallhagrid]

Ooops - I was trying to keep my query short & it looks like I left out some needed details:

You do not mention if there is an existing Calibre library at that location?

Nope - Calibre has not even run - just installed the OS & asked before doing anything else.

Thank you, that's very good to know:

IMHO (and dual boot user experience ) Mixing access (even if only 1 at any time) Windows and Linux is not a great idea. Filename Case issues will crop up.

I've not been using Calibre for book management under windows & it will ONLY be used for that under Linux.

The only previous usage of Calibre by me has been for it's conversion and such via the portable version's separate EXE files.

My plan going forward is to switch totally to Linux & get done with windows...and this PC has an existing very stripped-down installation of win2k only anyhow which I left there for just-in-case.

Since it looks like Calibre MUST copy all these into another location & structure of it's own creation=> how may I point that specifically to an empty/new mount point which I can create just for that purpose please ?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by smallhagrid

Ooops - I was trying to keep my query short & it looks like I left out some needed details:


Nope - Calibre has not even run - just installed the OS & asked before doing anything else.

Thank you, that's very good to know:


I've not been using Calibre for book management under windows & it will ONLY be used for that under Linux.

The only previous usage of Calibre by me has been for it's conversion and such via the portable version's separate EXE files.

My plan going forward is to switch totally to Linux & get done with windows...and this PC has an existing very stripped-down installation of win2k only anyhow which I left there for just-in-case.

Since it looks like Calibre MUST copy all these into another location & structure of it's own creation=> how may I point that specifically to an empty/new mount point which I can create just for that purpose please ?

Calibre puts the files wherever you put the Library.
After that is done,you can archive the originals.


Mount point? Unless you have a separate volume just for your Library and that is NOT auto-mounted at boot time, you should just specify the Path when you configure the Library.


I have a second drive (Vault ), mounted in the Home folder.
I have 777 Group rights to the entire drive
That is it.

BTW Most Distro versions of Calibre are behind.
The preferred install is to use the command line on the Calibre Linux download page.

[smallhagrid]

Thank You !!!

I'll just create the needed space, re-install Calibre, and set it up as you've described... then wait as it copies everything and so forth - and dismount the un-needed archive afterwards.

Looks like that is the best way to go about it.

Best Wishes.

mark