How do I import Calibre settings from regular Win Calibre to Calibre Portable?

[ABW]

Finally USB drive sizes are big enough to accommodate my Calibre Library (56GB) and I would like to switch to Calibre Portable. However, my Calibre setting are heavily customized, like use of plugins, custom columns, column order and plugin settings.
I tried to copy the calibre settings from the directory it is currently installed to the location I have installed the Calibre Portable. plugins seem to be there, but plugin settings, custom columns, column order etc. is all gone.

Is there an easy way to export Calibre and plugin settings and then import them to Calibre Portable?

[itimpi]

Some information such as custom columns is library specific and therefore stored in the metadata.db file for that particular library. Not sure why that would not have come across when you copied the library folder.

Other information is user specific. When you have Calibre portable running, did you go into Preferences to check where it is looking for settings so that you copied the settings to that location.

Having said that I believe that there can be problems with some plugins which store absolute path information in the preferences.

[Crisu]

itimpi, thank you for your reply.
If it is not easy, then perhaps I should not upgrade Portable.
What I am trying to do is to take my whole ebook library with me when I am on holiday or in a business trip. i do not want to put my library to any cloud - because of the size and performance.

Isn't the Calibre Portable the best option?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Crisu

itimpi, thank you for your reply.
If it is not easy, then perhaps I should not upgrade Portable.
What I am trying to do is to take my whole ebook library with me when I am on holiday or in a business trip. i do not want to put my library to any cloud - because of the size and performance.

Isn't the Calibre Portable the best option?

Portable is a great option.

Maybe some knowledgeable soul will create a simple to use utility to 'Make this Library Portable (copy)'
All you do is attach a portable storage device (with sufficient space )
and run the utility.

The Utility would:
Install the latest 'Portable'
read the current Calibre configuration for available Library names (or simply use the Last used one)
Verify there is room enough.
Then replace the 'standard, default portable library contents' with that libraries contents.

copy over the configuration folder, making adjustments as needed

While portable, can access alternate (non-default) Libraries, those are a simple 'copy' and for most users, not an issue

[eschwartz]

Or copy over certain files/folders. Go to %APPDATA%\calibre and copy these into calibre Portable\Data\settings\config (based off of a PortableApp setup I don't know how the structure differs if at all) and copy:


basically everything except for dynamic.pickle history.plist iterator.plist customize.py and viewer.json. These have absolute paths locations, but fortunately thats all theyre needed for. when starting portable without these, it does the setup.
viewer.py server_access_log.txt and server_error_log.txt are junk -- don't even bother with them.

what stuff does:
--- customize.py --------------------- lists all your user-installed plugins, hard-coded paths so you will need
--------------------------------------------------- to "properly" install
--- conversion ----- (folder) -------- this has custom settings when converting books
--- device_drivers_*.py ------------ these have custom settings applied to a specific eReader device
--------------------------------------------------- named in place of the *
--- fonts -------------- (folder) -------- cache of system fonts?? probably junk
--- global.py ---------------------------- contains the path to the current library, among others -- may have to
--------------------------------------------------- reset library location but it should be all right.
--- gui.json ----------------------------- column widths, toolbar settings, etc.
--- gui.py -------------------------------- includes search histories
--- metadata_sources - (folder) - settings for downloading metadata
--- plugins -------- (folder) ---------- has user-installed plugins and config data. zip folders are the plugins,
---------------------------------------------------- plus jsons that have config stuff. haven't seen anything
---------------------------------------------------- with paths in any of MY plugins at least
--- server.py --------------------------- sets the content server stuff, basically a bunch of defaults that weren't changed
--- tweaks.py -------------------------- all of your custom tweaks
--- server_*_log.txt ------------------ records browser usage of content server when activated. Junk.



just reinstall all plugins, close calibre, then copy these (everything besides dynamic.pickle history.plist iterator.plist customize.py and viewer.json AND the junk) and it should be fine. But if your computer explodes, turns into an evil robot or starts launching nukes at Russia it wasn't my fault.

[Crisu]

Originally Posted by theducks

Portable is a great option.

Maybe some knowledgeable soul will create a simple to use utility to 'Make this Library Portable (copy)'
All you do is attach a portable storage device (with sufficient space )
and run the utility.

The Utility would:
Install the latest 'Portable'
read the current Calibre configuration for available Library names (or simply use the Last used one)
Verify there is room enough.
Then replace the 'standard, default portable library contents' with that libraries contents.

copy over the configuration folder, making adjustments as needed

While portable, can access alternate (non-default) Libraries, those are a simple 'copy' and for most users, not an issue

That would be awesome! I hope some developers are picking up that idea!

[Crisu]

Thank you for your reply.

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Or copy over certain files/folders. Go to %APPDATA%\calibre and copy these into calibre Portable\Data\settings\config (based off of a PortableApp setup I don't know how the structure differs if at all) and copy...

I tried that before I posted my original post, as I said only certain things were OK, like plugins and their buttons in menu, but all plugin preferences were lost

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Crisu

Thank you for your reply.



I tried that before I posted my original post, as I said only certain things were OK, like plugins and their buttons in menu, but all plugin preferences were lost

AFAIK plugin (user type) preferences were stores in the plugins folder along with the plugin.zip

Calibre (the ones that are part of calibre) plugins are stored elsewheres.

[Crisu]

Originally Posted by theducks

AFAIK plugin (user type) preferences were stores in the plugins folder along with the plugin.zip

Calibre (the ones that are part of calibre) plugins are stored elsewheres.

Thank you!

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by theducks

AFAIK plugin (user type) preferences were stores in the plugins folder along with the plugin.zip
Calibre (the ones that are part of calibre) plugins are stored elsewheres.

For instance, the device_drivers_*_.py (where * is the name of a certain device) has the specific settings for sending to a certain device.

The folder "conversion" contains the settings under Preferences --> Conversion.

The folder "plugins" contains ALL user-installed plugins as .zips, plus .jsons containing the settings for those plugins. Copying the whole plugins folder should preserve those.