Moving Calibre library to Dropbox folder (on same HDD and partition)

[larryvega]

First off, thanks so much to the developer for making this wonderful tool available! It's a magnificient piece of work.

I'm using Calibre portable. I just moved my Calibre Library from a the default location in the Calibre installation folder to my Dropbox folder on the same drive and partition ( C: ). It was a lot of books and it took quite a long time (which I don't quite understand. When moving on the same drive (and partition), then why actually physically moving the files?). I used the option "Calibre Library - Switch/create library... - and chose the Dropbox folder as "New location" with the option "Move current library to new location". But after restarting Calibre (portable version) it reverted back to using the old folder as the calibre library. It shows the list of all the books that were there at the time of moving the folder. However, since the files are not actually there anymore, when trying to view a book in this list, I just get the error "ERROR: cannot view - >bookname< has no available formats".

How do I set the default Calibre Library to the new Dropbox folder? I don't want to move all the files again. It took a looooong time for Dropbox to upload.

If I use "Calibre Library - Switch/create library... - and chose the dropbox folder as "New location" none of the three options make sense:

1) "Use the previously existing library at the new location". NO! The new location has all the books already - in fact it has more, as I added some more before restarting Calibre after moving the library.

2) "Create an empty library at the new location". NO! The new location has all the books already.

3) "Move current library to new location". NO! It's already done (well, at least the files themselves have been moved).

So what do I do from here? I really don't want to make Dropbox starting to do a lot of work again... If the easiest way is to do some registry editing, then just let me know. I've done that often before, but don't want to risk mucking things up if there's a proper way

Thanks in advance!
- Larry

[eschwartz]

Option one tells calibre to use the "previously existing library", that is, the one located at the chosen folder, and add it to calibre as a library. As opposed to option two which creates a brand new library at the named location.

Not sure why calibre doesn't remember the new location, but just use option 1 to open the library from the moved-to location.

And the reason why calibre took a while to move is because it doesn't know whehter or not the new location is on the same partition, so it cannot hardlink the folder, it must copy+delete everything. I'm sure Kovid has a good reason why, though. So the fact that it's on the same drive doesn't actually help.

This is why on the occasion that I had to move a library, I do it from the file explorer. You need to make sure you copy the ENTIRE "Calibre Library" folder, and then calibre will open up with a popup saying the library cannot be found, please select the new location or else select forget this library.

Somehow during your transfer, the database didn't get removed??

[larryvega]

Thanks for your quick reply

Okay, I get it! In that case I think:
"Use an already existing library (located at the new location specified above) as the new library at that location."
... would be a better description for option 1.

When I do that it loads the library. But only until I restart Calibre. Then it reverts back to the default location. I guess this is a portable version issue. Obviously the portable version does not store anything in the registry (since that's one of the points of being a portable version). Maybe the normal version stores the path there...

I'll probably install the normal version sometime soon.

Also thanks for the tip concerning moving the library

- Larry

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by larryvega

Thanks for your quick reply

Okay, I get it! In that case I think:
"Use an already existing library (located at the new location specified above) as the new library at that location."
... would be a better description for option 1.

When I do that it loads the library. But only until I restart Calibre. Then it reverts back to the default location. I guess this is a portable version issue. Obviously the portable version does not store anything in the registry (since that's one of the points of being a portable version). Maybe the normal version stores the path there...

I'll probably install the normal version sometime soon.

Also thanks for the tip concerning moving the library

- Larry

@Larry - FYI : I'm pretty sure the installed version of calibre doesn't use the registry either, apart from the entries the Windows Installer puts there in order to do an un-install. Everything is in the configuration folder, including the library paths, although I'm not sure where they are.

BR

[theducks]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@Larry - FYI : I'm pretty sure the installed version of calibre doesn't use the registry either, apart from the entries the Windows Installer puts there in order to do an un-install. Everything is in the configuration folder, including the library paths, although I'm not sure where they are.

BR

Global.py

# library path
# Path to directory in which your library of books is stored
library_path = u'C:\\Temp\\Test_Lib'

[eschwartz]

Somehow I neglected to notice you are using the portable version. The portable version I believe depends on storing your library/libraries within the calibrePortable folder, and cannot handle them being outside. It can't remember the new location since it is not relative to the portable folder structure.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

Global.py

# library path
# Path to directory in which your library of books is stored
library_path = u'C:\\Temp\\Test_Lib'

I think that's the current (last used) library - where's the list of libraries

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Somehow I neglected to notice you are using the portable version. The portable version I believe depends on storing your library/libraries within the calibrePortable folder, and cannot handle them being outside. It can't remember the new location since it is not relative to the portable folder structure.

Not true, I have portable 'hooked' up to my three major libraries which aren't even on the same drive. When I start portable it always loads the Calibre Library in Calibre Portable, so I have to select the other libraries from the list,.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by larryvega

How do I set the default Calibre Library to the new Dropbox folder? I don't want to move all the files again. It took a looooong time for Dropbox to upload.

The simple solution (If you have the room) is to move Calibre portable to Dropbox as well. I have been running this exact setup for years.

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Not true, I have portable 'hooked' up to my three major libraries which aren't even on the same drive. When I start portable it always loads the Calibre Library in Calibre Portable, so I have to select the other libraries from the list,.

As you state calibre portable will always start from the Calibre Library within the Calibre Portable folder tree. Afterwards you can point to, and it will remember, any library you wish.

However, if a user has all of their libraries on a flash drive and will be moving between various computers (where the drive letter may vary) then it is best to have all of the libraries within the Calibre Portable folder tree as well.

[eschwartz]

I wonder if the PortableApps version would do a better job, since it acts like a regular calibre install except it does the usual PortableApps magic to configure drive letters and registry keys on startup.

I do know it will open in the last used library, but I don't know the precise differences from Kovid's version.

(I keep on being told Kovid's version has improved tremendously from when I first heard of it, but I always used the PortableApps version and never saw the need to change.)

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I wonder if the PortableApps version would do a better job, since it acts like a regular calibre install except it does the usual PortableApps magic to configure drive letters and registry keys on startup.

Six of one half a dozen of the other. There is no magic, as long as the libraries are within the calibre portable folder drive letters do not matter.

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I do know it will open in the last used library, but I don't know the precise differences from Kovid's version.

So does the official calibre portable as long as the library is within the calibre portable folder.

Calibre portable is the 32 bit version of calibre packaged to look for its folders within the calibre portable folder. Beyond the initial startup there is zero difference between Calibre portable and Calibre 32bit.

[larryvega]

Thanks to everybody for the extra input.

DoctorOhh, I followed your advice and placed Calibre Portable (official) within the Dropbox folder and all my libraries within its folder. Now this part works flawlessly.

However, now new problems have arised... But I'll start some new threads on those subjects.