Multiple Libraries

gandor62 · 03-02-2009, 05:43 PM

Is there a way to run several libraries on one PC. My Wife has a small collection and so do I. So can I just have different libraries show up on the GUI.

pilotbob · 03-02-2009, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gandor62

Is there a way to run several libraries on one PC. My Wife has a small collection and so do I. So can I just have different libraries show up on the GUI.

Yes. Use the --with-library= command line option in your shortcut.

BOb

itimpi · 03-02-2009, 06:04 PM

I thought the calibre configuration infomration of that sort was stored at the username level (in Windows at least) - so all that is needed is to login with different usernames?

pilotbob · 03-02-2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

I thought the calibre configuration infomration of that sort was stored at the username level (in Windows at least) - so all that is needed is to login with different usernames?

Perhaps that is the case, it would have to be tested. But, if both users don't have their own OS profile then they would need to specify the library to use.

BOb

gandor62 · 03-02-2009, 06:18 PM

No we dont have seperate profiles, wifes books on her laptop and I want to store on our master PC. We run Windows. I thought there may have been a simple way of selecting libraries as there seems to be a lot of space in the GUI, where the Library name is stored.

gandor62 · 03-02-2009, 06:28 PM

ok next problem...lol.... I am wanting to transfer my library and the wifes library to the Master PC (Vista) from our laptops. All three have Calibre running on them. I just copied my Data directory from the laptop to the pc and all the metadata and titles all seems screwed up. And the book count seems wrong.
I've done something wrong. The master PC did have some data and ill want to wipe all that. So if I copy from the laptop and create a folder on the PC and point calibre to it, will caliber need anyother data file copied or is the metadata file the one it looks at from the datafolder that contained all my ebooks.

ilovejedd · 03-02-2009, 06:30 PM

In a somewhat similar vein, can you have two running instances of Calibre at the same time? Also, I tried searching but came up with nothing. Does Calibre have any minimum system requirements? Would it work ok with a system that only has, say 128MB RAM?

gandor62 · 03-02-2009, 06:42 PM

Ahh think ive solved my problem, Ive copied an older backup folder for calibre from the laptop. Forgot that I created a new folder when ther Epub beta started.

kovidgoyal · 03-02-2009, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

In a somewhat similar vein, can you have two running instances of Calibre at the same time? Also, I tried searching but came up with nothing. Does Calibre have any minimum system requirements? Would it work ok with a system that only has, say 128MB RAM?

No and I've never really tested it on bare bones systems. In general calibre is written in a way to minimze developemnt time not system reaources, so I wouldn't be hopeful

ilovejedd · 03-04-2009, 01:04 PM

Okay. Thanks. Did some testing on an nLited XP Pro SP3 virtual machine with 128MB RAM. It's not as stripped down as TinyXP but I think I've removed quite a bit of fat.

Added ~500 simple epub files (no images, minimal formatting) and so far so good. Memory usage peaked at ~75MB (forgot to monitor virtual memory) while adding the books but now it's idling at ~25MB (~90MB virtual memory). Available memory dipped to 9MB but at least I didn't get any out of memory errors. I was pretty surprised that adding ebooks to the nLited XP Pro virtual machine felt faster than adding them to my laptop (Vista Home Premium, Pentium Dual-Core T2080 1.73GHz, 2GB RAM). Now that I've pondered it, though, it might just be the connection. My laptop's getting the books via 802.11g wifi and the virtual machine is getting them from the same computer running VirtualPC.

gt_undergrad · 07-18-2010, 10:59 AM

Say you have two libraries, your current, and another one you intend to create. Let's say the second library is "Library 2". Make sure it is empty.

Open Calibre, and go to Preferences--> General

Now change the library location to "Library 2". Click OK.

Calibre now will copy all your books from the current library to Library 2. In Calibre, delete the books you don't intend to keep in Library 2. (Don't delete them in the folder --- you need to use Calibre to delete them!)

Now you can add books as you wish in Calibre. Whatever you have added will be in Library 2. To go back to your original library, go to Preferences and change the library to your original library. Note that you may have to quit Calibre first and restart it. Somehow on my computer Calibre only allows me to switch library once without quitting it.

Adoby · 07-18-2010, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gt_undergrad

Calibre now will copy all your books from the current library to Library 2. In Calibre, delete the books you don't intend to keep in Library 2. (Don't delete them in the folder --- you need to use Calibre to delete them!)

No! DANGER! Calibre will MOVE the books to the new library. If you delete them, they are gone. POFF!

Instead:

Copy the folder Calibre Library. The copy may be named "Calibre Library (copy)".

Then create a new shortcut for calibre, using this command:

calibre --with-library="Calibre Library (copy)"

Start Calibre using the new shortcut and verify in Preferences that you are using the copy.

Start removing/adding/experimenting.

Edit: Updated to 0.7.9 and the Preferences setting for the library is gone... Good!

gt_undergrad · 07-24-2010, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adoby

No! DANGER! Calibre will MOVE the books to the new library. If you delete them, they are gone. POFF!

Instead:

Copy the folder Calibre Library. The copy may be named "Calibre Library (copy)".

Then create a new shortcut for calibre, using this command:

calibre --with-library="Calibre Library (copy)"

Start Calibre using the new shortcut and verify in Preferences that you are using the copy.

Start removing/adding/experimenting.

Edit: Updated to 0.7.9 and the Preferences setting for the library is gone... Good!

Hi Adoby:

I'm using Calibre 0.6.38, and the scheme I posted has worked flawlessly. Calibre simply made a copy of my library when I change the preference setting to a different library. Of course, copying it first will be safer if you are not sure. In fact I have three library now and they all work flawlessly.

My feeling is that in this version (0.6.38) at least whenever a library is given Calibre will check to see whether it has a database file. If it doesn't, it will copy all books into the new library. If it already has one, it will just open what is already in there.

Thanks!

GT

pilotbob · 07-24-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gt_undergrad

My feeling is that in this version (0.6.38) at least whenever a library is given Calibre will check to see whether it has a database file. If it doesn't, it will copy all books into the new library. If it already has one, it will just open what is already in there.

IIRC changing the library path does MOVE the library not copy it. Of course, it has been quite a while since I have used that feature... when I moved my library into my Dropbox.

BOb

kovidgoyal · 07-24-2010, 01:23 PM

As of 0.7.9 multiple library management is much easier (you can switch/move libraries by clicking the calibre button on the toolbar)

03-02-2009, 05:43 PM	#1
gandor62 Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Australia Device: iPod Touch, Ipad, Kindle 2	Multiple Libraries Is there a way to run several libraries on one PC. My Wife has a small collection and so do I. So can I just have different libraries show up on the GUI.

07-18-2010, 10:59 AM	#11
gt_undergrad Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Kindle II	Here is a simple way for multiple libraries Say you have two libraries, your current, and another one you intend to create. Let's say the second library is "Library 2". Make sure it is empty. Open Calibre, and go to Preferences--> General Now change the library location to "Library 2". Click OK. Calibre now will copy all your books from the current library to Library 2. In Calibre, delete the books you don't intend to keep in Library 2. (Don't delete them in the folder --- you need to use Calibre to delete them!) Now you can add books as you wish in Calibre. Whatever you have added will be in Library 2. To go back to your original library, go to Preferences and change the library to your original library. Note that you may have to quit Calibre first and restart it. Somehow on my computer Calibre only allows me to switch library once without quitting it.

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03-02-2009, 06:04 PM	#3
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	I thought the calibre configuration infomration of that sort was stored at the username level (in Windows at least) - so all that is needed is to login with different usernames?

03-02-2009, 06:18 PM	#5
gandor62 Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Australia Device: iPod Touch, Ipad, Kindle 2	No we dont have seperate profiles, wifes books on her laptop and I want to store on our master PC. We run Windows. I thought there may have been a simple way of selecting libraries as there seems to be a lot of space in the GUI, where the Library name is stored.

03-02-2009, 06:28 PM	#6
gandor62 Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Australia Device: iPod Touch, Ipad, Kindle 2	ok next problem...lol.... I am wanting to transfer my library and the wifes library to the Master PC (Vista) from our laptops. All three have Calibre running on them. I just copied my Data directory from the laptop to the pc and all the metadata and titles all seems screwed up. And the book count seems wrong. I've done something wrong. The master PC did have some data and ill want to wipe all that. So if I copy from the laptop and create a folder on the PC and point calibre to it, will caliber need anyother data file copied or is the metadata file the one it looks at from the datafolder that contained all my ebooks.

03-02-2009, 06:30 PM	#7
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,110 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	In a somewhat similar vein, can you have two running instances of Calibre at the same time? Also, I tried searching but came up with nothing. Does Calibre have any minimum system requirements? Would it work ok with a system that only has, say 128MB RAM?

03-02-2009, 06:42 PM	#8
gandor62 Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 14 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Australia Device: iPod Touch, Ipad, Kindle 2	Ahh think ive solved my problem, Ive copied an older backup folder for calibre from the laptop. Forgot that I created a new folder when ther Epub beta started.

03-04-2009, 01:04 PM	#10
ilovejedd hopeless n00b Posts: 5,110 Karma: 19597086 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: in the middle of nowhere Device: PW4, PW3, Libra H2O, iPad 10.5, iPad 11, iPad 12.9	Okay. Thanks. Did some testing on an nLited XP Pro SP3 virtual machine with 128MB RAM. It's not as stripped down as TinyXP but I think I've removed quite a bit of fat. Added ~500 simple epub files (no images, minimal formatting) and so far so good. Memory usage peaked at ~75MB (forgot to monitor virtual memory) while adding the books but now it's idling at ~25MB (~90MB virtual memory). Available memory dipped to 9MB but at least I didn't get any out of memory errors. I was pretty surprised that adding ebooks to the nLited XP Pro virtual machine felt faster than adding them to my laptop (Vista Home Premium, Pentium Dual-Core T2080 1.73GHz, 2GB RAM). Now that I've pondered it, though, it might just be the connection. My laptop's getting the books via 802.11g wifi and the virtual machine is getting them from the same computer running VirtualPC.

07-24-2010, 01:23 PM	#15
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,136 Karma: 27110892 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	As of 0.7.9 multiple library management is much easier (you can switch/move libraries by clicking the calibre button on the toolbar)

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