automating news downloads

jimh12345 · 07-06-2011, 04:57 PM

I'm using Calibre to push some news feeds to my Kindle and it works nicely. I tried to automate this process, by using Windows Task Scheduler to wake my PC from 'sleep' and starting Calibre. The batch file waits for the network connection to be restored, by repeatedly calling 'ping' on a well-known site until it succeeds. Then the batch file waits a few seconds and starts Calibre. Calibre fails to download the feeds and pops up a message saying "network connection unavailable". I've been unable to troubleshoot this so far.

Another problem is that although I can schedule Calibre to download a feed on a particular day, it apparently won't update that feed during the day.

Who has had success automating Calibre in this way and how did you do it?

PeterT · 07-06-2011, 05:32 PM

Could you try an alternate approach. Leave Calibre running at all times (minimized to System Tray) with the news feed scheduled for download, and then have a Windows task scheduled to wake up your computer 5 minutes before the Calibre task is set to go.

barnt · 07-06-2011, 05:50 PM

I automated Calibre to download news every day and works fine. I created a task with Windows Task Scheduler to start Calibre exactly a the same time that Calibre has scheduled to download the news. It works, the pc wake up and connect. In the Windows Task Scheduler, in Conditions tab, in Energy I selected "Wake the computer to run this task"

barnt · 07-06-2011, 06:04 PM

But the first times I also have the same problem. Calibre don't connect because Windows, by default, after unattended wake up, go to sleep after 1 or 2 minutes. To fix this I modified the register and now works fine. I dont remember wich key modified. Im searching now

barnt · 07-06-2011, 06:12 PM

To fix this problem with timeout after unattended wake up
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/17...d-wake-up.html

jimh12345 · 07-06-2011, 06:20 PM

I don't want to leave the PC running all night. So I did create a task (with Windows Task Scheduler) to 'wake from sleep'. I don't think the problem is that the PC is going back to sleep too soon - Calibre should have plenty of time to do the downloads. It seems like Calibre is not recognizing the internet connection, although a 'ping' succeeds.

jimh12345 · 07-06-2011, 06:51 PM

My other problem is that some news feeds update during the day, but Calibre won't keep checking. I can't schedule it to download more than once a day. This makes it hard for me to solve the first problem because if I try to test my task, Calibre comes up but doesn't try to download, apparently it thinks it already did that earlier in the day.

barnt · 07-07-2011, 07:21 AM

I suggest you to do a test. Create a new windows task to run Calibre in the next 15 minutes, for example, schedule Calibre to download news at the same time, and leave your pc in sleep mode. So you can see what happens. In my case Calibre don't have enough time to download news and send it by mail in 2 minutes

Yo can schedule Calibre to download more than once a day. Select Every x days and enter a number less than 1 (0.1, 0.3, etc)

jimh12345 · 07-07-2011, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnt

I suggest you to do a test. Create a new windows task to run Calibre in the next 15 minutes, for example, schedule Calibre to download news at the same time, and leave your pc in sleep mode. So you can see what happens. In my case Calibre don't have enough time to download news and send it by mail in 2 minutes

I've done that. Calibre comes up and does nothing; it seems it's decided it already downloaded the feeds that day and doesn't need to do it again. I tried deleting all the previous downloads in the GUI. Still did nothing. Or is it waiting for something, and will eventually do the download? Trying to guess the scheduling rules is frustrating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnt

Yo can schedule Calibre to download more than once a day. Select Every x days and enter a number less than 1 (0.1, 0.3, etc)

That could be very helpful - thanks. (And who would ever guess that a fractional number has that effect?)

07-06-2011, 04:57 PM	#1
jimh12345 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 2012 Join Date: May 2011 Device: kindle	automating news downloads I'm using Calibre to push some news feeds to my Kindle and it works nicely. I tried to automate this process, by using Windows Task Scheduler to wake my PC from 'sleep' and starting Calibre. The batch file waits for the network connection to be restored, by repeatedly calling 'ping' on a well-known site until it succeeds. Then the batch file waits a few seconds and starts Calibre. Calibre fails to download the feeds and pops up a message saying "network connection unavailable". I've been unable to troubleshoot this so far. Another problem is that although I can schedule Calibre to download a feed on a particular day, it apparently won't update that feed during the day. Who has had success automating Calibre in this way and how did you do it?

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07-06-2011, 05:32 PM	#2
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,155 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	Could you try an alternate approach. Leave Calibre running at all times (minimized to System Tray) with the news feed scheduled for download, and then have a Windows task scheduled to wake up your computer 5 minutes before the Calibre task is set to go.

07-06-2011, 05:50 PM	#3
barnt Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle 3	I automated Calibre to download news every day and works fine. I created a task with Windows Task Scheduler to start Calibre exactly a the same time that Calibre has scheduled to download the news. It works, the pc wake up and connect. In the Windows Task Scheduler, in Conditions tab, in Energy I selected "Wake the computer to run this task"

07-06-2011, 06:04 PM	#4
barnt Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle 3	But the first times I also have the same problem. Calibre don't connect because Windows, by default, after unattended wake up, go to sleep after 1 or 2 minutes. To fix this I modified the register and now works fine. I dont remember wich key modified. Im searching now

07-06-2011, 06:12 PM	#5
barnt Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle 3	To fix this problem with timeout after unattended wake up http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/17...d-wake-up.html

07-06-2011, 06:20 PM	#6
jimh12345 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 2012 Join Date: May 2011 Device: kindle	I don't want to leave the PC running all night. So I did create a task (with Windows Task Scheduler) to 'wake from sleep'. I don't think the problem is that the PC is going back to sleep too soon - Calibre should have plenty of time to do the downloads. It seems like Calibre is not recognizing the internet connection, although a 'ping' succeeds.

07-06-2011, 06:51 PM	#7
jimh12345 Connoisseur Posts: 71 Karma: 2012 Join Date: May 2011 Device: kindle	My other problem is that some news feeds update during the day, but Calibre won't keep checking. I can't schedule it to download more than once a day. This makes it hard for me to solve the first problem because if I try to test my task, Calibre comes up but doesn't try to download, apparently it thinks it already did that earlier in the day.

07-07-2011, 07:21 AM	#8
barnt Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: Kindle 3	I suggest you to do a test. Create a new windows task to run Calibre in the next 15 minutes, for example, schedule Calibre to download news at the same time, and leave your pc in sleep mode. So you can see what happens. In my case Calibre don't have enough time to download news and send it by mail in 2 minutes Yo can schedule Calibre to download more than once a day. Select Every x days and enter a number less than 1 (0.1, 0.3, etc)

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