Only 99% of files are in the installation directory?

[Hendrik Boom]

The download foor linux page tells me that

There is no uninstaller. Simply deleting the installation directory will remove 99% of all installed files.

Now that only 99% assures me that the binary download won't mess with the conventions of my distro.

Where are the remaining 1% hiding out?

Why do i worry? I've heard that installing nvidia's video drivers can really mess up a Linux system to the point of requiring system reinstallation instead of smooth upgrade months later. I's like to know there's a way to remove 100% of the calibre files if that should prove necessary.

-- hendrik

[itimpi]

The 1% is probably the Calibre configuration folder in the users home folder. As far as I know Calibre never install's anything at the system level which is what I suspect you are worried about?

[avantman42]

Originally Posted by Hendrik Boom

Where are the remaining 1% hiding out?

In your home directory. ~/.calibre if I remember correctly (I'm typing this on a tablet, so I can't check right now)

[kovidgoyal]

The 1% refers to .desktop files used to create menu entries and register file associations and the program launchers in /usr/bin.

If you are so concerned, use your distro calibre package, you will then have a partially broken and outdated version of calibre, and you wont get any support for it, but you will have avoided the theoretical risk of making your system un-upgradeable. It's your choice.

[Adoby]

Or have a separate Linux install, only for calibre. Either on a separate partition, a USB stick or in a Virtual Machine. VirtualBox is nice and most likely included in your favorite distro and very easy to use. Great for crazy experiments and source installs that might break your main Linux package system.

[Hendrik Boom]

I've never had problems with Debian's calibre, except for being out of date. Now that I've got a Kobo aura, out-of-date doesn't cut it. Not even the one in sid is that up-to-date.

Yes, I quite understand not making a special package file for every distro under the sun.
I just want to know what to watch out for if there's ever a problem.

If I know where the files are, I can take care of things. I assume the .desktop entries are in the user's home directory (though there currently aren't any) and I can ls before and after to identify what's changed in /usr/bin. I usually use stow to keep track of sideloaded software.

There's already a /usr/bin/calibre so I guess I'd have to uninstall Debian's calibre first.
But there's no ~.desktop yet. And there is a ~/Calibre\ Library, which I presume will not be affected except of course during normal use.

-- hendrik

[kovidgoyal]

.desktop files are installed using xdg-menu so where they end up depends on how xdg is configured on your system, most likely /usr/share/applications

[Hendrik Boom]

It's hiding out as /usr/share/applications/calibre.desktop

Thanks.

-- hendrik