Sharing a library between 2 profiles on the same computer

[cconti]

I have Calibre on the same computer, but I use one Windows Profile for work related stuff and one for Gaming/Entertainment.

I have calibre on both profiles and they share the same folder, but I am not sure they share the same database. In fact, I am pretty sure they don't.

Is there a way to sync the two copies of Calibre so that no matter which profile I am using (and no matter which profile I use to add books) I see the same data?

Thank you.

[eschwartz]

If they are using the same library folder, they are using the same library database.

Now, you may run into issues regarding file permissions, but other than that, I don't think you will have any problems.
(Do be sure not to run calibre from both user accounts at the same time!!!)

[chaley]

Don't keep the calibre library in the user (\Users\whoever) or Documents folder (My Documents) because they change when you switch users. Instead put it in a dedicated folder somewhere (e.g., C:\MyLibrary) that both users can see. Move the library using one user. Shut down calibre, switch to the other user, and use calibre's Switch Library command to open the library at the new location. From this point on both users will see the same library.

As eschwartz says, do not run calibre on the same library as different users. Bad things will happen. This means that you can't use the tray icon, and you must explicitly stop/shut down calibre before you switch users.

[PeterT]

I wonder if there would be any benefit in also using the CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY environment variable to ensure that all preferences and settings are also shared between the two user profiles? See Customizing calibre | Environment variables for all such variables.

[phossler]

Originally Posted by chaley

Don't keep the calibre library in the user (\Users\whoever) or Documents folder (My Documents) because they change when you switch users. Instead put it in a dedicated folder somewhere (e.g., C:\MyLibrary) that both users can see.

Possibly C:\Users\Public\Documents\Calibre would work

Windows doesn't like files and folders placed in the root

[chaley]

Originally Posted by phossler

Possibly C:\Users\Public\Documents\Calibre would work

Windows doesn't like files and folders placed in the root

Odd. I put folders and files in the root all the time. I wonder what I do differently? (Win7Pro x64).

BTW: using Public\Documents\Calibre is a good idea.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by chaley

Odd. I put folders and files in the root all the time. I wonder what I do differently? (Win7Pro x64).

BTW: using Public\Documents\Calibre is a good idea.

the 'Public' solution also works with W10

(and, while not recommended discouraged, I have had repeared success using Copy to Library from another (XP) computer on my wired LAN to a Library NOT IN USE. )

re: Root
Did you tweak your UAC rules?
I believe the rule only applies to C: , not other letters

[eschwartz]

I have had repeated success putting lots and lots of stuff in folders directly under C:\ ... on heavily locked down school computers.

I don't believe Windows has ever had a problem with it -- C:\ is nothing special, it's just where important, UAC-protected folders like "Program Files" and "WINDOWS" go.

I sort of had the impression (probably an assumption) that that was officially how you are supposed to share files between users. It is somewhat difficult from what I remember to give another user read/write privileges to a folder in your home directory.

[cconti]

Thank you guys. I am not sure what is going on but after testing again I can report that:

1) The two instances of Calibre share the same folder
2) They are different and the latest import plus a specific book I checked are not identical (the imports are not there and the book is there and in the same folder but it has different metadata.
3) My computer uses an SSD drive (500GB Samsung) so my documents folders are in different document drives. To explain:
a. Profile "Work" has the profile folders (My Documents, My Pictures, etc.) on Drive D:\
b. Profile "Gaming" has the Profile folders on Drive Z:\ (I used Z:\ because it is as far alphabetically from D:\ as possible).

Additionally, my book repository is on drive Z:\ but on the top level and not inside "My Documents" for "Gaming" profile.
The actual path is
Z:\books\Calibre-Library1
while the "my Documents" folders are respectively:
D:\My Documents
Z:\My Documents

Therefore I have no idea what may be going on, it's really confusing because the few posts I found before posting here (none dealt exactly with this issue, but some came close in explaining how the Calibre Library works) lead me to believe that all I had to do was pointing Calibre to the same directory outside of any specific Profile folder.

Yet, it doesn't work.

Additionally, since I don't like to have my epub and Mobi libraries to be polluted with PDF files (since PDFs are often very large and hard to read on my iPhone and even my iPad, I created a separate Calibre Library for PDFs and one for all the formats that are not Mobi,epub and PDF (AZW, etc.).

My "Work" Calibre has all these libraries, each in a separate folder under "Z:\books\" but my "Gaming" Calibre doesn't. So at least the libraries are different for sure. No doubt about that.
Ideally, I would like my Gaming Calibre to reflect those too so I don't have to duplicate all the work I have done in separating the books by format.

I have half a mind of starting from scratch, create a new "Books" folder and a new library structure inside and then move the folders. I may even uninstall Calibre and make sure I have only one copy.

Now that I think of it, before I upgraded my SSD to the 500GB one, I used to install a lot of programs, including Calibre, under D:\Program Files (x86) because my 250GB SSD was too small to hold the OS and all my programs (especially my games and some of my work programs).
When I upgraded I did a clean reinstall and I installed Calibre under C:\Program Files (x86)
Could it be possible that my Gaming Profile for some weird reason is using the left over installation in D:\ ? I'll probably have to delete that to make sure. I kept the old programs under D:\ in case I needed a reminder of what to install and I intended to delete them once the migration was finished.
As I said, I thought about that possibility as I was writing this post, so I'll check and let you guys know.

Other than that, I am baffled. I am no virgin when it comes to file and program management. I think I'll need to look into this a bit more. Now that I think of it, I also noticed that the two Calibre versions have different plugins installed too, so maybe I am using different program instances after all.

Thank you again.

[BetterRed]

The reason there are different plugins is that the two users have different configuration data, by default it is stored at the users %APPDATA% location (normally C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming) in the subdirectory calibre.

Task Manager will show you the disk location of an executing program, right click program name in the Processes tab and select Properties.

If you want the users to share the configuration data you should move one (which ever is the 'better') of them to a common location. I suggest the same location as the libraries. Then for each user you'll need to set the CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY Environment variable to reference that location.

BR

[eschwartz]

As BetterRed said, different users will have different default configuration directories.

But the libraries themselves are stored all in one folder, and metadata is part of the library, not calibre-wide configuration.

If both Windows Users are accessing a calibre library at " Z:\books\Calibre-Library1\", but they are seeing different metadata, then that means the two users are seeing two different " Z:\books\Calibre-Library1\metadata.db" files.
Which should be impossible, except maybe in some really convoluted scenario involving networked drives, multiple physical PCs, and a really bad connection???


Can you double-check that you are using the exact library folders you think you are using?

[PeterT]

I guess I must be writing at too advanced a level. I was SURE| I had posted about the different configuration directories and the environment variable that needed setting.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I guess I must be writing at too advanced a level. I was SURE| I had posted about the different configuration directories and the environment variable that needed setting.

Indeed you did, at 23:57. My log says I shut down my computer at 22:21.

When I visited the thread this morning I'm pretty sure I was taken to chaley's 02:26 post. That's happened before - not often enough or repeatable to raise as an issue. Maybe someone else logs on as me

Times are AEST times.

BR

[cconti]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

The reason there are different plugins is that the two users have different configuration data, by default it is stored at the users %APPDATA% location (normally C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming) in the subdirectory calibre.

Task Manager will show you the disk location of an executing program, right click program name in the Processes tab and select Properties.

If you want the users to share the configuration data you should move one (which ever is the 'better') of them to a common location. I suggest the same location as the libraries. Then for each user you'll need to set the CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY Environment variable to reference that location.

BR

Thank you very much. I suspected there was some config file involved. Most programs have it.

Someone else suggested I look at the environment variable, but I haven't had time to look into it since I last read that post, but it sounded like it was a good lead.

If the location of that file can be changed (which I suspect is what your link will take me to) Then I'll do that, otherwise I could try using a symlink to fool the system.

Anyway, I'll give this a shot and let you guys know. Thanks for the help.

[cconti]

Quick Update. Yesterday while using Calibre in "Gaming" profile, I imported a book I made sure I didn't already have.
Just now, working in my "Work" profile, I searched for that book and I found it. I opened the containing folder and sure enough "creation Date" was yesterday.

So they do share the same folder. Is it possible that in previous cases I didn't give Calibre time to process the new database?

I will still check that the Env. Variable is shared. That could account for some differences I am still seeing, but at least now I see some logic.

Thank you.