Totally lost and about to give up

DocTock · 05-12-2023, 05:13 PM

I HAVE searched extensively in this forum and elsewhere and the answers are making things WORSE for me.

Total NEWB questions (IF the answers are super obvious and all this question does is annoy you - PLEASE assist with links to explanations in plain ENGLISH, not in command line code answers)

Situation:
I have a large Calibre library stored on my Win machine (E: drive), with copies on my Macbook (internal HDD), and on a OneDrive account.

I have a sparkly new iPad air 5th gen

I cannot get the iPad to connect in any way shape or form.
I've tried Calibre e-book reader app, Caliber Companion, several other .mobi readers, etc.
I've watched the YouTube videos from "Digitize your Books" until I can almost recite them.

BUT...
When I try to use Calibre reader app on both Mac and Win machines I get:
"Error - No existing library found"
&
I'm stuck on the line in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnWWaCSmBY4
starting ~ 1:13 "... install a client that mirrors the data in the cloud to your local [computer]..."
Sorry - I don't speak IT...

HELP PLEASE!

DNSB · 05-12-2023, 06:23 PM

Using a NAS (network attached storage) for storing a calibre library is a very bad idea. From the calibre FAQs:

I am getting errors with my calibre library on a networked drive/NAS?¶

Syncing your calibre library while you are using it is, again, not a good idea. Remove your calibre library from OneDrive syncing and set up a manual sync process to run when you are not using calibre.

Using a calibre library shared between two computers is yet another bad idea. The first time you forget to close calibre on one computer and open it on the other is going to drive that lesson home.

As for getting the no library error? How are you trying to open the e-book reader? Does calibre open the library when you open it on Windows or MacOS?

Your iPad will not run the calibre e-book reader app (Windows, MacOS or Linux only). If you are trying to open the calibre e-book reader app on your Windows or MacOS computer from within calibre, it should work. From outside calibre, you would need to set up your computer to open the ebook with the e-book reader app. You can also run the calibre web server (see Preferences => Sharing over the net to set up the web server).

After all that, you should be able to open your OneDrive copy of your library on an iPad using the OneDrive app to access books there.

tvg · 05-13-2023, 11:01 AM

To try to help you get one step further.
Assumption is that you do not want all of your books on your ipad.
Install on the ipad the onedrive app
Install on the ipad calibre sync, but first read if you think it will solve your problem ( i think so)
Also install a reader app on your ipad.( marvin or many others)
Use onedrive to login to your onedrive site and find the calibre library
Use calibre sync to browse and send the book to your reader app

As said innother comment: take very much care while syncing stuff, changing it in two places might corrupt your library, so take care you have an offline backup ( usb or whatever) that is not connected in any way to this experiment

theducks · 05-13-2023, 11:40 AM

It is better to just put a COPY of your library in the cloud if you need a cloud solution WITHOUT 2 WAY SYNC. That is safe. You just refresh the cloud copy when you add books (free file sync is great for that. Again 1-way, AKA Mirror)

arpeggioaccele · 05-23-2023, 09:12 AM

What you're doing should be possible: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4Z_w4CeTeQI

I installed calibre companion on my macbook to test it out, but it looks like there's a subscription so I don't think I'd use that, but it looks like it should work as long as you have your calibre library in onedrive properly, i.e. a folder "Library" that contains the folders for authors and the database file, and you select the Library folder to open.

If the error you keep getting is a that there is no existing library, it might be that the database file is missing, possibly? I think that's what allows the program to identify that there is a library there.

I have never personally tried to do it this way, I used calibre-web once and I liked that— as long as I was on my local network I could access the server run from my laptop. But I just am so used to Apple Books that I transfer all the epub files into itunes... it's awful but I can't stand the interface of other readers.

Please provide more details of your calibre library in one-drive if it still didn't work.

theducks · 05-23-2023, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arpeggioaccele

I installed calibre companion on my macbook to test it out, but it looks like there's a subscription so I don't think I'd use that, but it looks like it should work as long as you have your calibre library in onedrive properly, i.e. a folder "Library" that contains the folders for authors and the database file, and you select the Library folder to open.
<snip>
Please provide more details of your calibre library in one-drive if it still didn't work.

CC is now abandonware. Do not waste your money. Back when, it was great, but the originators sold it off . (I can guess that keeping up with never ending Android change was 1 reason)

DuskyRose · 05-24-2023, 10:43 AM

If you want all your books on your iPad, like I do, then this is what I do. I save all my books in epub format in a "ebook Library" file that's seperate from the Caliber Library. I use the tags to sort into subject files inside of that.

I use "FileBrower Professional" on my ipad. Then set up a manual sync between my ipad and my hard drive. With this program, you have to remember to reconnect the two before any syncing process. They're not connected all the time.

Then go into my hard drive through the FB program, and create a backup task for the library of epubs. I make sure that the sync is --one way--. That is, I can copy and update the epubs to my iPad, but NOT update any files on the hard drive. If I mess up a file on my iPad, I don't want it changing those on the hard drive.

Then just sync regularly.

Then, when I want a book, I can search for it by name in the files in the FB app, and it'll ask me what iPad App I want to open it in. I still have Marvin, so open the book in that, and I'm ready to go.

05-12-2023, 05:13 PM	#1
DocTock Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2023 Device: ipad air	Totally lost and about to give up I HAVE searched extensively in this forum and elsewhere and the answers are making things WORSE for me. Total NEWB questions (IF the answers are super obvious and all this question does is annoy you - PLEASE assist with links to explanations in plain ENGLISH, not in command line code answers) Situation: I have a large Calibre library stored on my Win machine (E: drive), with copies on my Macbook (internal HDD), and on a OneDrive account. I have a sparkly new iPad air 5th gen I cannot get the iPad to connect in any way shape or form. I've tried Calibre e-book reader app, Caliber Companion, several other .mobi readers, etc. I've watched the YouTube videos from "Digitize your Books" until I can almost recite them. BUT... When I try to use Calibre reader app on both Mac and Win machines I get: "Error - No existing library found" & I'm stuck on the line in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnWWaCSmBY4 starting ~ 1:13 "... install a client that mirrors the data in the cloud to your local [computer]..." Sorry - I don't speak IT... HELP PLEASE!

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05-12-2023, 06:23 PM	#2
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 35,401 Karma: 145435140 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Forma, Clara HD, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Using a NAS (network attached storage) for storing a calibre library is a very bad idea. From the calibre FAQs: I am getting errors with my calibre library on a networked drive/NAS?¶ Syncing your calibre library while you are using it is, again, not a good idea. Remove your calibre library from OneDrive syncing and set up a manual sync process to run when you are not using calibre. Using a calibre library shared between two computers is yet another bad idea. The first time you forget to close calibre on one computer and open it on the other is going to drive that lesson home. As for getting the no library error? How are you trying to open the e-book reader? Does calibre open the library when you open it on Windows or MacOS? Your iPad will not run the calibre e-book reader app (Windows, MacOS or Linux only). If you are trying to open the calibre e-book reader app on your Windows or MacOS computer from within calibre, it should work. From outside calibre, you would need to set up your computer to open the ebook with the e-book reader app. You can also run the calibre web server (see Preferences => Sharing over the net to set up the web server). After all that, you should be able to open your OneDrive copy of your library on an iPad using the OneDrive app to access books there.

05-13-2023, 11:01 AM	#3
tvg Member Posts: 15 Karma: 42 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: netherlands Device: iphone and ipad	To try to help you get one step further. Assumption is that you do not want all of your books on your ipad. Install on the ipad the onedrive app Install on the ipad calibre sync, but first read if you think it will solve your problem ( i think so) Also install a reader app on your ipad.( marvin or many others) Use onedrive to login to your onedrive site and find the calibre library Use calibre sync to browse and send the book to your reader app As said innother comment: take very much care while syncing stuff, changing it in two places might corrupt your library, so take care you have an offline backup ( usb or whatever) that is not connected in any way to this experiment

05-13-2023, 11:40 AM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,801 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	It is better to just put a COPY of your library in the cloud if you need a cloud solution WITHOUT 2 WAY SYNC. That is safe. You just refresh the cloud copy when you add books (free file sync is great for that. Again 1-way, AKA Mirror)

05-23-2023, 09:12 AM	#5
arpeggioaccele light mode user Posts: 66 Karma: 16268 Join Date: May 2023 Location: New England Device: I use the Calibre ebook-viewer on macos and Apple Books on ios.	What you're doing should be possible: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4Z_w4CeTeQI I installed calibre companion on my macbook to test it out, but it looks like there's a subscription so I don't think I'd use that, but it looks like it should work as long as you have your calibre library in onedrive properly, i.e. a folder "Library" that contains the folders for authors and the database file, and you select the Library folder to open. If the error you keep getting is a that there is no existing library, it might be that the database file is missing, possibly? I think that's what allows the program to identify that there is a library there. I have never personally tried to do it this way, I used calibre-web once and I liked that— as long as I was on my local network I could access the server run from my laptop. But I just am so used to Apple Books that I transfer all the epub files into itunes... it's awful but I can't stand the interface of other readers. Please provide more details of your calibre library in one-drive if it still didn't work.

05-24-2023, 10:43 AM	#7
DuskyRose Guru Posts: 726 Karma: 9209502 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Boox Palma, Kdle Scribe & Paperwhite, Kobo Eclipsa 2e & Libra 2, Ipads	If you want all your books on your iPad, like I do, then this is what I do. I save all my books in epub format in a "ebook Library" file that's seperate from the Caliber Library. I use the tags to sort into subject files inside of that. I use "FileBrower Professional" on my ipad. Then set up a manual sync between my ipad and my hard drive. With this program, you have to remember to reconnect the two before any syncing process. They're not connected all the time. Then go into my hard drive through the FB program, and create a backup task for the library of epubs. I make sure that the sync is --one way--. That is, I can copy and update the epubs to my iPad, but NOT update any files on the hard drive. If I mess up a file on my iPad, I don't want it changing those on the hard drive. Then just sync regularly. Then, when I want a book, I can search for it by name in the files in the FB app, and it'll ask me what iPad App I want to open it in. I still have Marvin, so open the book in that, and I'm ready to go.