Calibre metadata files query

[Josieb1]

Hi

I've got my calibre in Dropbox so its accessable by multiple laptops. I made a mistake on one laptop and bulk changed the series info on 800 books to the same name (I meant to bulk add a new tag). I'm trying to work out my easiest resolution. I managed to get to another laptop and pause sycing so i have the database files from that laptop pre change and I was on that PC earlier today so they are uptodate

Can I just replace the metadata.bd file from the unsynced laptop into Dropbox? and will that put back my series info? or am I looking at letting dropbox fully sync then adding the data back manually?

[jimbob101]

If you stopped the sync on the second laptop then the first thing I would do is make a copy of your library from this laptop. The Metadata for the individual books is stored in the opf file with the book itself so the calibre metadata file on it's own won't help.

Once you have made a backup on the second laptop then allow it to sync. Once the sync has completed copy the backuped library back overwriting all files in the dropbox folder. This will replace the "messed up" version with the version on the second laptop that is still has ok metadata.

This should work based on what I see happening when I sync my Calibre library on my laptop with the backup version on an external drive. My internet is so slow there is no point using dropbox for Calibre. No matter what happens make the copy from the second laptop and verify that it is correct before doing anything.

[eschwartz]

As jimbob101 said, if you know the copy on the second laptop is good then you can simply copy it and restore it after Dropbox does its thing.

But if not... well, the easiest and least-interactive thing in my opinion is to revert your entire Dropbox by a couple hours so the synced changes get undone.
Dropbox Support may be able to do this for you, but I used the following python script: https://github.com/eli-schwartz/dropbox-restore

...

A series change only affects the database, and the backup metadata.opf files, so the actual changes will be minimal.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by jimbob101

If you stopped the sync on the second laptop then the first thing I would do is make a copy of your library from this laptop. The Metadata for the individual books is stored in the opf file with the book itself so the calibre metadata file on it's own won't help.

Once you have made a backup on the second laptop then allow it to sync. Once the sync has completed copy the backuped library back overwriting all files in the dropbox folder. This will replace the "messed up" version with the version on the second laptop that is still has ok metadata.

This should work based on what I see happening when I sync my Calibre library on my laptop with the backup version on an external drive. My internet is so slow there is no point using dropbox for Calibre. No matter what happens make the copy from the second laptop and verify that it is correct before doing anything.

I've let the other laptop sync now, but thanks for the sugestion. If I'm stupid enough to do this again I'll bear that in mind. It's only 200 books that actually were in a series and I made a catalogue of them before I allowed the sync to resume. I can revert it all manually at the weekend. once i've done those 200 I can delete the new 'series' name which will take care of the other 600.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

As jimbob101 said, if you know the copy on the second laptop is good then you can simply copy it and restore it after Dropbox does its thing.

But if not... well, the easiest and least-interactive thing in my opinion is to revert your entire Dropbox by a couple hours so the synced changes get undone.
Dropbox Support may be able to do this for you, but I used the following python script: https://github.com/eli-schwartz/dropbox-restore

...

A series change only affects the database, and the backup metadata.opf files, so the actual changes will be minimal.

Thanks for the script but tbh I'll feel safer reverting it all manually. I don't feel comfortable playing with dropbox as we have too much stuff on there. It's not as bad as I first feared.

[Josieb1]

I just thought, my third PC that's connected to my Dropbox Calibre is a MAC could I use that devices Dropbox folder to overwrite the one actually in Dropbox? My other two PCs which have both synced up to Dropbox (and down) are Windows laptops. My MAC hasn't been switched on today at all.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Thanks for the script but tbh I'll feel safer reverting it all manually. I don't feel comfortable playing with dropbox as we have too much stuff on there. It's not as bad as I first feared.

I totally understand.

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I just thought, my third PC that's connected to my Dropbox Calibre is a MAC could I use that devices Dropbox folder to overwrite the one actually in Dropbox? My other two PCs which have both synced up to Dropbox (and down) are Windows laptops. My MAC hasn't been switched on today at all.

Assuming that the Mac was up-to-date before you made the mistake...
It should be no different than overwriting the Dropbox folder on the Windows computer.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I totally understand.



Assuming that the Mac was up-to-date before you made the mistake...
It should be no different than overwriting the Dropbox folder on the Windows computer.

Thank you . I'll take a look at my MAC and see what I've updated since the weekend. I am quite prolific with Claibre but it might only be a few books. I'll make sure my router is off before I turn it on first so it can't update