Updating metadata deletes mobi/epub

[Old-T]

Hi,
I've tried to search for an answer to my problem but without luck.

When I import books in Calibre I just MUST have the abstract, serie and number correct (I have a hard time sleeping if I know that there are fields missing...).
I have found that sometimes (roughly 10%) of the books I've edited now are empty, i.e. only the cover and metadata is left.
I've seen this happening when I change the metadata fields, title, cover, etc.

Anyone seen this?
How to avoid it? (except for just importing the books and leave them as they are)
Bug?

// T

[theducks]

Never!
How are you doing the metadata update?
Ctrl-D
Metadata-editor
CLI

[kovidgoyal]

Dont put your calibre library on a networked or otherwise broken filesystem. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...rked-drive-nas

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Old-T

I have found that sometimes (roughly 10%) of the books I've edited now are empty, i.e. only the cover and metadata is left.
I've seen this happening when I change the metadata fields, title, cover, etc.

Are you saying the actual book file is missing?

[Old-T]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Dont put your calibre library on a networked or otherwise broken filesystem. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...rked-drive-nas

I'm running Calibre on my Linux machine and all data is on a local drive

[Old-T]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

Are you saying the actual book file is missing?

Correct

If I just browse through the books it looks normal, sometimes I have a cover picture sometimes I have the default Calibre cover, synopsis is there, it even says that the book has MOBI.
When I press "Edit metadata", the info in the upper right corner is empty.
And yes, it's gone from the drive as well.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

How are you doing the metadata update?
Ctrl-D
Metadata-editor
CLI

And what version of calibre, and what version of Linux, and which file system?

And do you ever use bulk metadata edit ?

BR

[Old-T]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

And what version of calibre, and what version of Linux, and which file system?

And do you ever use bulk metadata edit ?

BR

- Calibre 2.85.1
- Ubuntu 16.04.2
- Ext4

No bulk metadata edit.

I'll try to find a book and make a step-by-step description.
Where can I put the book?

// T

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Old-T

- Calibre 2.85.1
- Ubuntu 16.04.2
- Ext4

No bulk metadata edit.

I'll try to find a book and make a step-by-step description.
Where can I put the book?

// T

I don't think posting the book will help, but if you think it might and it's under copyright raise a bug report at Bugs : calibre, attach the MOBI and mark the post private.

But if its under copyright protection don't post it here, if you do you'll get a once only warning.

Are you running some sort of auto 'archiver' - i.e. something that scans the file system for 'inactive' files and when it finds one it squirrels them away some where? But I don't recall Ext4 having any sort of last used date - so... probably not.

You could monitor the library folder with iNotify and raise an alert when a file is moved or deleted .

BR

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Old-T

I'm running Calibre on my Linux machine and all data is on a local drive

Do you have the library in a folder that is synced to the cloud, something like Dropbox?

Originally Posted by Old-T

- Calibre 2.85.1
- Ubuntu 16.04.2
- Ext4

No bulk metadata edit.

I'll try to find a book and make a step-by-step description.
Where can I put the book?

The book won't help. Since calibre's user base is so large and no one else is reporting this issue, the odds are great that this is not a calibre issue. It seems you have a local drive, work process, or sync issue.

[theducks]

Do you have a tag called "news" applied to those titles? (and you use the Fetch Scheduled News)


I agree, this is not a Book issue, nor a Normal Calibre (on Linux) issue.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by theducks

Do you have a tag called "news" applied to those titles? (and you use the Fetch Scheduled News)

Its been so long I forgot about this possibility.

[Old-T]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

Do you have the library in a folder that is synced to the cloud, something like Dropbox?

That I have....
I'll turn of the Dropbox syncing when I'm working on the library and see if that improves the situation.
Thanks for the suggestion!
// T

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Old-T

That I have....
I'll turn of the Dropbox syncing when I'm working on the library and see if that improves the situation.
Thanks for the suggestion!
// T

This is your problem. Unless you pause syncing, anytime you edit metadata you risk misplacing books. These books aren't actually deleted. When the metadata got updated a new folder was written with the correct title / author and since your book was locked (for some reason) it was never moved to the new location.

You should be able to find these books by going to Library maintenance and running check library. Then say yes to the question, "Do you want calibre to check if the files in your library match the information in the database."

I suspect it will find many Extra titles. These are books in your library's folder structure that do not match the information in the database. Note those titles and move those out of the library to a temp folder. Once you have all of the Extra titles outside of the calibre library folder the next step is easy. Simply go to calibre, select the book entry in calibre that is missing a book, then drag the correct book from the temp folder and drop it on the Book details window. This will copy that book to that calibre entry.

If you insist on keeping your library in Dropbox (I do) you need to run Check Library once a week to make sure you haven't screwed things up by mistake. If you're not comfortable with this then it is best to move your library to a non cloud location and run a sync tool such as Free File Sync to sync your library to a backup location daily.

[BetterRed]

@Old-T -in post #3 Kovid Goyal, the creator of calibre, posted the following

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Dont put your calibre library on a networked or otherwise broken filesystem. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...rked-drive-nas

In the FAQ he referenced, there is this:

If you must share the actual library, use a file syncing tool like DropBox or rsync instead of a networked drive. If you are using a file-syncing tool it is essential that you make sure that both calibre and the file syncing tool do not try to access the calibre library at the same time. In other words, do not run the file syncing tool and calibre at the same time.

BR