Calibre library maintenance on two PC / Laptops

[GAnderson02]

Hi there,
I found that having one single PC or Laptop with one calibre library works fine. You can search and complete your ebook metadata so you have a clean ebook library with authors, comments, ISBN, rating and so on filled in....

It gets messy, when you need one basic software functionality: to export and import a ebook together with their covers and already filled in metadata from another calibre database.

This is not implemented yet and it seems, that synchronizing two libraries are not foreseen as well. The two ebook libraries run out of synchronization, so you have to do everything manually on the second Computer, what you already inputted on your first PC to add there the same new book too.
So basically your two calibre libraries on two computers run out synch. If you want to add one ebook you have to do it twice because the Metadata *.opt file and the cover picture is ignored when importing into the second library.

Is there anything in the future planned to deal with that Metadata and cover importing feature into another calibre library ?

It cannot be that you have no possibility to get things out of one calibre database and import it into the next calibre database - is it so hard to implement ?!

Please make it happen in the future, then I will love and use calibre again.

Thank you

[itimpi]

It is not clear what you are looking for? Is it the facility (already within Calibre) to copy books between Calibre libraries or something else?

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

It gets messy, when you need one basic software functionality: to export and import a ebook together with their covers and already filled in metadata from another calibre database.

This already exists in the Save to disk and add books features.

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

This is not implemented yet and it seems, that synchronizing two libraries are not foreseen as well. The two ebook libraries run out of synchronization, so you have to do everything manually on the second Computer, what you already inputted on your first PC to add there the same new book too.

Keeping two libraries on separate computers sync'd manually as you have found out is not easy. Syncing folders/files on separate computers is best left to the OS and programs designed to do that exact thing. Here is a thread where richcopy, xcopy and robocopy are discussed to sync between computers. Synctoy is also a solution. From Wikipedia is a list of similar tools for syncing folders/files between computers.

See also

• Robocopy
• copy (command)
• XCOPY
• Teracopy
• rsync
• SyncToy
• Ultracopier
• SuperCopier
• List of file copying software

Personally I use Dropbox to keep my library synced between computers.

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

So basically your two calibre libraries on two computers run out synch. If you want to add one ebook you have to do it twice because the Metadata *.opt file and the cover picture is ignored when importing into the second library.

You are a little confused. The *.opf file you see in calibre's library folders is created as books and metadata are added to the library or changed. The *.opf file is created as time permits in the background so you may not see this file immediately upon adding a book. This file is used by calibre specifically for disaster recovery in the event of a lost, deleted or corrupt metadata.db file.

Additionally the Save to disk feature embeds the metadata and updates the cover within the book (at least for epub, mobi and azw3). To retrieve this metadata (cover too), prior to adding the book, you must check the Read metadata from file contents rather than file name box under Preferences - Adding books.

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

Is there anything in the future planned to deal with that Metadata and cover importing feature into another calibre library ?

As described above the solution is already implemented in calibre.

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

It cannot be that you have no possibility to get things out of one calibre database and import it into the next calibre database - is it so hard to implement ?!

You are right "it cannot be." In addition to my statement above, if the library on the second computer can be mapped on the first computer then the possibility of simply right clicking on a book and using the copy to library feature exists.

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

Please make it happen in the future, then I will love and use calibre again.

Lucky for you the future is now.

[GAnderson02]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

This already exists in the Save to disk and add books features.

THANK YOU SO MUCH - THIS IS THE SOLUTION - IT WORKED AND I COULD NOT FIND IT WITHOUT YOUR GREAT HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

additional your other explanations helped me in understanding how calibre works and the "thinking" behind this feature of save to disk and add books....

Have a great day !!!

[DoctorOhh]

Welcome to Mobileread.

Originally Posted by GAnderson02

THANK YOU

You're welcome!