A question about Calibre Portable

svenlind · 04-25-2018, 10:42 AM

I have just downloaded and installed Calibre Portable in a folder on a local hardddisk.

I then transferred settings from C:\Users\<my name>\AppData\Roaming\calibre to the folder in question.
I also transferred my 4 calibre libraries to the folder.

Everything looks as in the "normal" Calibre. (Windows 10)

That was suspiciously easy.

The reason for this transfer is that it will be so much easier to copy Calibre with settings and libraries to another destinations for backup purposes. I don't really need the portable property.

Ny question is, do I miss something compared to the "normal" Calibre?

I use the 64 bit "normal" Calibre.

theducks · 04-25-2018, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenlind

Ny question is, do I miss something compared to the "normal" Calibre?

I use the 64 bit "normal" Calibre.

You can convert more complex books, that will run out of memory on a 32 bit program.

fidvo · 04-25-2018, 11:52 AM

Also, you're limited in where you can have your libraries, but it looks like you already know that.

svenlind · 04-26-2018, 06:49 AM

Thank you for your replies. It seems that the main difference, for me, is that the portable is a 32 bits program.

I tried a few conversions with "normal" but still quite large books measured by filesize, and the differences in conversion times were not very clear to me.

I then found the largest book in pages, The Complete Works of Rudyard Kipling,
which according to the page count plugin has 4500 pages. It was converted from epub to azw3 using both the normal Calibre and the Portable Version:

Normal Calibre: 5 min 30 sec.
Portable Calibre: 6 min 8 sec.

I think I will migrate to the portable version, but still keep the 64 bit version if I should encounter a very complicated book.

I have 16 GB ram in my system but the use of memory was almost identical in the two tests.

itimpi · 04-26-2018, 10:50 AM

There are some books that the 64-bit version can convert that the 32-bit version cannot. It is a factor of the internal complexity of the book - not its absolute size.

BetterRed · 04-26-2018, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenlind

The reason for this transfer is that it will be so much easier to copy Calibre with settings and libraries to another destinations for backup purposes. I don't really need the portable property.

If you keep your libraries in a common parent directory (e.g. ...\Ebooks), then all you need to back up is that directory and the configuration directory. The default location for the latter is %APPDATA%\calibre.

If you don't use different configurations for different users, you could move the configuration directory to the libraries' parent directory (e.g. ...\Ebooks) and set the CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY Environment variable to that location. Then your backup of Ebooks will catch everything that needs backing up.

If you backup the entire Calibre Portable folder, you'll be wasting backup storage space and time by backing up almost 200mb of 'program'. If you only backup the libraries and Settings from within the Calibre Portable folder then you'd be doing exactly what I described above.

BR

svenlind · 04-27-2018, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If you keep your libraries in a common parent directory (e.g. ...\Ebooks), then all you need to back up is that directory and the configuration directory. The default location for the latter is %APPDATA%\calibre.

If you don't use different configurations for different users, you could move the configuration directory to the libraries' parent directory (e.g. ...\Ebooks) and set the CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY Environment variable to that location. Then your backup of Ebooks will catch everything that needs backing up.

If you backup the entire Calibre Portable folder, you'll be wasting backup storage space and time by backing up almost 200mb of 'program'. If you only backup the libraries and Settings from within the Calibre Portable folder then you'd be doing exactly what I described above.

BR

This is an excellent idea!

Terisa de morgan · 04-27-2018, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svenlind

This is an excellent idea!

I've been doing it for years and it has resisted two computer updates and sharing between three desktops.

svenlind · 04-27-2018, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terisa de morgan

I've been doing it for years and it has resisted two computer updates and sharing between three desktops.

Nice to know. It works beautifully, and now I have easy backup and can keep my 64 bit Calibre.

04-25-2018, 10:42 AM	#1
svenlind Fanatic Posts: 502 Karma: 10488899 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Oasis 3, Kobo Sage and Libra 2,Ipad mini 5	A question about Calibre Portable I have just downloaded and installed Calibre Portable in a folder on a local hardddisk. I then transferred settings from C:\Users\<my name>\AppData\Roaming\calibre to the folder in question. I also transferred my 4 calibre libraries to the folder. Everything looks as in the "normal" Calibre. (Windows 10) That was suspiciously easy. The reason for this transfer is that it will be so much easier to copy Calibre with settings and libraries to another destinations for backup purposes. I don't really need the portable property. Ny question is, do I miss something compared to the "normal" Calibre? I use the 64 bit "normal" Calibre.

04-26-2018, 06:49 AM	#4
svenlind Fanatic Posts: 502 Karma: 10488899 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Oasis 3, Kobo Sage and Libra 2,Ipad mini 5	Thank you for your replies. It seems that the main difference, for me, is that the portable is a 32 bits program. I tried a few conversions with "normal" but still quite large books measured by filesize, and the differences in conversion times were not very clear to me. I then found the largest book in pages, The Complete Works of Rudyard Kipling, which according to the page count plugin has 4500 pages. It was converted from epub to azw3 using both the normal Calibre and the Portable Version: Normal Calibre: 5 min 30 sec. Portable Calibre: 6 min 8 sec. I think I will migrate to the portable version, but still keep the 64 bit version if I should encounter a very complicated book. I have 16 GB ram in my system but the use of memory was almost identical in the two tests. Last edited by svenlind; 04-26-2018 at 12:58 PM. Reason: Spelling

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04-25-2018, 11:52 AM	#3
fidvo Addict Posts: 296 Karma: 1599870 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: none	Also, you're limited in where you can have your libraries, but it looks like you already know that.

04-26-2018, 10:50 AM	#5
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	There are some books that the 64-bit version can convert that the 32-bit version cannot. It is a factor of the internal complexity of the book - not its absolute size.