Moving files to library in the same hard drive volume

[duytrung]

Hi all,
I use calibre portable version
As far as I know, when open Calibre, drag and drop items from windows explorer to calibre will add the items into Calibre database. The file will be copied, read meta data, ect. However, I found that it is really really slow in the same volume. While after adding, I just want to remove the file in the directory to free up disk space because my books are already in calibre library (located in the folder "calibre portable").

I don't know any method for calibre to just move the books into the library to save them in the database. I have tried to import files to library someway but not successful due to the admin rights or something like that.

Please!

Thank you.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Hi all,
I use calibre portable version
As far as I know, when open Calibre, drag and drop items from windows explorer to calibre will add the items into Calibre database. The file will be copied, read meta data, ect. However, I found that it is really really slow in the same volume. While after adding, I just want to remove the file in the directory to free up disk space because my books are already in calibre library (located in the folder "calibre portable").

I don't know any method for calibre to just move the books into the library to save them in the database. I have tried to import files to library someway but not successful due to the admin rights or something like that.

Please!

Thank you.

@duytrung - if the books are already in the calibre library, and you have a backup of it, then you can, at your own risk, delete the original copy using windows explorer. Calibre won't know nor care because it does not record the location from which a book was added.

When calibre adds books to a library it always takes a copy and leaves the original in place, its up to you whether or not you keep the original, and for how long. The exception is if you use the automatic adding feature -- see Preferences->Add books->Automatic adding. When you use this feature, after copying the file calibre will delete it from the auto-add directory.

Assuming you're not in a corporate environment, calibre should not require admin rights if you have the your permissions set consistently. If you are in a corporate environment then you may need to talk to your IT support people.

BR

[duytrung]

@BetterRed
Thank you very much for your reply. I will give a try for "automatic-adding" feature. It seems to be what I'm looking for.

[duytrung]

Hi all, I just wonder why I added the items I wanted to add into Calibre library by moving them into the specified "automatic adding" folder, means that the items will be deleted after Calibre added them to the library. But some file were still there for a long time.

Why do the items still there?
How to force adding items automatically no matter some of the items were already in the library? (Some items Calibre thinks that they are already duplicates but in fact they are not)

Thank you! :-)

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Hi all, I just wonder why I added the items I wanted to add into Calibre library by moving them into the specified "automatic adding" folder, means that the items will be deleted after Calibre added them to the library. But some file were still there for a long time.

Why do the items still there?
How to force adding items automatically no matter some of the items were already in the library? (Some items Calibre thinks that they are already duplicates but in fact they are not)

Thank you! :-)

@duytrung -are the files Read Only?

Is the file extension checked in Preferences->Add books->Automatic Adding->Ignore files... automatic adding?

BR

[duytrung]

Thanks BetterRed, I will give a try then...


Regards!

[duytrung]

Hi BetterRed,

There files are not 'Read-Only' however, how ever the files exist in "auto added" folder are still there. I think that there any error/bug in the program.

Regards

TN

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Hi BetterRed,

There files are not 'Read-Only' however, how ever the files exist in "auto added" folder are still there. I think that there any error/bug in the program.

Regards

TN

@duytrung - Did the books get added ?

Did you check the ignore list, if a format is ignored then files with that format (file type, extension) are not added to the library, nor are they deleted; i.e. they are ignored - see attachment

BR

[duytrung]

Previously I did not choose to ignore any file type. I didn't tick any type of file to ignore because I want to add all. But I found that the behavior of Calibre is like this:

[If I move ~10 items into the auto-add folder]
1. Calibre add one item
2. Display a message in the tray saying that one book was added.
3. Wait for a moment to add more item.

If I move too many item into the auto add folder, it seems Calibre doesn't want to add them into the library and doesn't delete them. And I have to wait for a very long long time. Probably calibre want to read all the metadata but it take a very long time and it sometime not responding/hang.

Kind regards

TN

[theducks]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Previously I did not choose to ignore any file type. I didn't tick any type of file to ignore because I want to add all. But I found that the behavior of Calibre is like this:

[If I move ~10 items into the auto-add folder]
1. Calibre add one item
2. Display a message in the tray saying that one book was added.
3. Wait for a moment to add more item.

If I move too many item into the auto add folder, it seems Calibre doesn't want to add them into the library and doesn't delete them. And I have to wait for a very long long time. Probably calibre want to read all the metadata but it take a very long time and it sometime not responding/hang.

Kind regards

TN

Please define: 'too many' . I have done as many as 50 with success.

Autoadd runs as a Calibre background task. If you interact with Calibre, it pauses.

And yes, the GUI does not show the updated (new books) status until the last book has been processed.
Failure to delete seems to happen in rare case (adding more books to a running AutoAdd task seems to one trigger event)

[duytrung]

Hi TheDucks,

I have an old collection that contains around 2000s items, I just set the attribute to normal (not read only), then move to the auto-add folder. However, calibre add one item at first and then remove it, then I had to wait for a very long long time. The auto add, as I felt, did not work as expected so I had to try move 10, then 20 then 50 items, 100 was ok. Calibre moved them to library and delete those in auto-add folder. But moving 300, 500 items to auto add folder, the files were process very very slow and seems still there. I choose to move 50 at a time and the job has done.

Kind regards

TN

[theducks]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Hi TheDucks,

I have an old collection that contains around 2000s items, I just set the attribute to normal (not read only), then move to the auto-add folder. However, calibre add one item at first and then remove it, then I had to wait for a very long long time. The auto add, as I felt, did not work as expected so I had to try move 10, then 20 then 50 items, 100 was ok. Calibre moved them to library and delete those in auto-add folder. But moving 300, 500 items to auto add folder, the files were process very very slow and seems still there. I choose to move 50 at a time and the job has done.

Kind regards

TN

A lot of work gets done during adding.
It gets done in background so as to not block other use.

You wanted auto delete, which was why you used autoadd instead of the normal 'add' and a manual delete.

When I first built my Library back in 09'
I Moved a block of books to a 'Work Folder' and had Calibre do the Add from there. Once the add completed, I spot checked, the emptied 'Work" and repeated.
A bit faster, but more work that way.

You got done, so no more worry.
Do remember to Backup your Library folder so you never need to do this task again.

[duytrung]

Thanks TheDucks,

What you said is correct. I want a auto-add functionality and autoremove items when job done. However, I recognize that the process of normal adding and autoadd seems to long. I just want to request a feature that directly move the ebook file into Calibre into its folder instead of copying and delete the files afterwards.

I believe that it will be productive for future library management. That's it.

Regards

TN

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Thanks TheDucks,

What you said is correct. I want a auto-add functionality and autoremove items when job done. However, I recognize that the process of normal adding and autoadd seems to long. I just want to request a feature that directly move the ebook file into Calibre into its folder instead of copying and delete the files afterwards.

I believe that it will be productive for future library management. That's it.

Regards

TN

I cannot see this ever happening!

The process of adding a book involves database updates and renaming the added files to meet the Calibre standards and match the database. This is effectively what the current auto-add functionality provides.

I am not sure what you are envisaging that might be different to the current process?

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by duytrung

Thanks TheDucks,

What you said is correct. I want a auto-add functionality and autoremove items when job done. However, I recognize that the process of normal adding and autoadd seems to long. I just want to request a feature that directly move the ebook file into Calibre into its folder instead of copying and delete the files afterwards.

I believe that it will be productive for future library management. That's it.

Regards

TN

@duytrung - a move (via use of hardlinks) would only work if the Autoadd folder is on the same volume as the library and the volume's device supports hardlinks. FAT32 is one of the file systems that don't support hardlinks - many users keep their library and calibre portable on FAT32 thumb drives.

I suspect the 'slowness' you're experiencing with Autoadd is as much to do with the writing of new folders and files than to the deleting of items from the Autoadd folder - try excluding the library from your anti-virus.

BR