cleaning up the mess

dbell01 · 04-03-2015, 04:29 PM

Hello. i just joined your forum this morning. i've been using calibre for several years just to convert various book formats to kindle format. i kept my complete booklist elsewhere so didn't care what happened within calibre. i've never worked with a database app before and and think in terms of file/folder structure.

anyway. my library has grown so much that i really need the library management of calibre. i'm now trying to teach myself how to do so via calibre's manual and this forum. i'll continue to do my best on my own, but would really appreciate a few bits of help so my future efforts move in the right direction (instead of increasing the mess).

1. i only have a netbook (very limited storage space). i want duplicates truly gone--not just shown once via the calibre software (regardless of what is actually on my hard drive). i've tested merge and remove. remove did put the duplicate folder in recycle, but, in both cases, the duplicate folder still shows in my calibre folder (with it's identifier number now the same as the folder i want to keep). what should i use to get files and folders truly gone from my hard disk? i'm itching to go into the calibre library folder and just delete them -- but have learned that is a big no no in a database. besides the disk space problem, i just don't like seeing the duplication. i often take quick looks at what i have by viewing the contents of the calibre library folder via windows explorer. i want things tidy!!

2. there seem to be a few book folders in my calibre library that i don't think i added myself. the folders don't contain a book--just the metadata (and maybe the cover). at one time, i did a bulk update of metadata/covers for the entire library. could this have added these additional folders?

sorry i'm so wordy. any help is appreciated. and i thank you all for the information you've posted on the forum. i just installed the file duplicates plug-in i learned about here, and hope it will prove helpful soon.

di

eschwartz · 04-03-2015, 05:53 PM

library icon (toolbar) ==> Library Maintenance ==> Check Library.

Any complaints listed are stuff calibre says should've been there, or calibre has no idea why they're there. It will offer to delete them for you, if the latter.

dbell01 · 04-03-2015, 11:34 PM

thank you eschwartz for your very quick reply. i did as you suggested and it turned up bunches and bunches of problems -- too many for me to not fear deleting something i shouldn't. i wanted to preserve the book addition dates, but think now my best course of action is to just start over--uninstall calibre to wipe out the library completely, then reinstall and add a single copy of all the books.

i got sloppy last fall and stopped maintaining my separate copy of new ebook additions made to calibre. since the calibre database is confused about so many of the books within its library folder, i'm afraid a simple export won't pick up all the books actually in there. sigh. i've got my work cut out for me extracting them to compile a master file to work from.

thanks again for pointing me to a useful tool (which i hope i will never need because i'll be so organized in future).

itimpi · 04-04-2015, 10:24 AM

One useful trick is to use the Calibre facility to move the library to a new location. That will move all the files that Calibre knows about. Those left behind are ones that are not mentioned in the Calibre database.

You could then run the Calibre Maintenance facility on the copied library. Hopefully there will not be many issues reported as the files should largely correspond to the database. The only issues likely to be of an significance are files Calibre thinks are "missing" where it has a database entry but no corresponding file. For these you can elect to either get Calibre to remove the entry from its database, or you can locate the missing file to keep Calibre happy. Having got a consistent library you can then look at the 'left behind' files and decide what to do with them.

dbell01 · 04-04-2015, 11:53 PM

thanks itimpi. that's a good idea. so, is it safe to copy files directly into the calibre library folders if calibre thinks they should be there? or is it better to remove the (nonexistant) book(s) then re-add the books via the calibre software? just trying to understand how sensitive the data base is to outside interference. does it care who put a file in there if the file has the right name and is in the right folder location?

BetterRed · 04-05-2015, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbell01

thanks itimpi. that's a good idea. so, is it safe to copy files directly into the calibre library folders if calibre thinks they should be there? or is it better to remove the (nonexistant) book(s) then re-add the books via the calibre software? just trying to understand how sensitive the data base is to outside interference. does it care who put a file in there if the file has the right name and is in the right folder location?

@dbell01 - the 'rules' are - don't do any of the following with a file manager, or at the command line

add any folders or files to a calibre library,
rename any folders or files in a calibre library,
delete any folders or files in a calibre

Everything can be done via the calibre GUI

You can add books via the Add Books drop down options, you can also add a book by dropping a file into the book list, you can add/replace a format in an existing book by drag/dropping the file into the Book Details panel.

In Windows if you put a shortcut to calibre.exe in your Send To folder, you can 'send' a file to calibre and it will add a book (I use this one a lot)

The folder and file names are derived from the Author Name and Book Title. Diacritics are dropped, characters like ':' and '*' will be changed to '_', and file names will be shortened to get a path length within the Windows limitations.

BR

theducks · 04-05-2015, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbell01

thanks itimpi. that's a good idea. so, is it safe to copy files directly into the calibre library folders if calibre thinks they should be there? or is it better to remove the (nonexistant) book(s) then re-add the books via the calibre software? just trying to understand how sensitive the data base is to outside interference. does it care who put a file in there if the file has the right name and is in the right folder location?

See BRs post:

For your method to work, you would have to have the precise file naming that Calibre used internally

The only chance would be from a backup of THAT LIBRARY.

Bottom line:
Keep your mitts off to avoid issues

dbell01 · 04-08-2015, 12:04 AM

thanks betterred and theducks. at least i know how the database got so messed up -- i did every single thing you listed in your don't do lists. sigh. decided the cleanest fix was to create a current master list of ebooks outside calibre, wipe out the contents of the calibre library folder, and add all the books back again. took a few days, and i lost my true acquisition dates, but i'm back in business. i still browse the calibre folder for quick looks at what i've collected for various authors, but otherwise keep my mitts off. guess it's time to pick up where i left off reading the user's manual. thanks again for all the help and tips. my new library sure is pretty.
di

04-03-2015, 04:29 PM	#1
dbell01 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2015 Device: kindle	cleaning up the mess Hello. i just joined your forum this morning. i've been using calibre for several years just to convert various book formats to kindle format. i kept my complete booklist elsewhere so didn't care what happened within calibre. i've never worked with a database app before and and think in terms of file/folder structure. anyway. my library has grown so much that i really need the library management of calibre. i'm now trying to teach myself how to do so via calibre's manual and this forum. i'll continue to do my best on my own, but would really appreciate a few bits of help so my future efforts move in the right direction (instead of increasing the mess). 1. i only have a netbook (very limited storage space). i want duplicates truly gone--not just shown once via the calibre software (regardless of what is actually on my hard drive). i've tested merge and remove. remove did put the duplicate folder in recycle, but, in both cases, the duplicate folder still shows in my calibre folder (with it's identifier number now the same as the folder i want to keep). what should i use to get files and folders truly gone from my hard disk? i'm itching to go into the calibre library folder and just delete them -- but have learned that is a big no no in a database. besides the disk space problem, i just don't like seeing the duplication. i often take quick looks at what i have by viewing the contents of the calibre library folder via windows explorer. i want things tidy!! 2. there seem to be a few book folders in my calibre library that i don't think i added myself. the folders don't contain a book--just the metadata (and maybe the cover). at one time, i did a bulk update of metadata/covers for the entire library. could this have added these additional folders? sorry i'm so wordy. any help is appreciated. and i thank you all for the information you've posted on the forum. i just installed the file duplicates plug-in i learned about here, and hope it will prove helpful soon. di

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04-03-2015, 05:53 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	library icon (toolbar) ==> Library Maintenance ==> Check Library. Any complaints listed are stuff calibre says should've been there, or calibre has no idea why they're there. It will offer to delete them for you, if the latter.

04-03-2015, 11:34 PM	#3
dbell01 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2015 Device: kindle	thank you eschwartz for your very quick reply. i did as you suggested and it turned up bunches and bunches of problems -- too many for me to not fear deleting something i shouldn't. i wanted to preserve the book addition dates, but think now my best course of action is to just start over--uninstall calibre to wipe out the library completely, then reinstall and add a single copy of all the books. i got sloppy last fall and stopped maintaining my separate copy of new ebook additions made to calibre. since the calibre database is confused about so many of the books within its library folder, i'm afraid a simple export won't pick up all the books actually in there. sigh. i've got my work cut out for me extracting them to compile a master file to work from. thanks again for pointing me to a useful tool (which i hope i will never need because i'll be so organized in future).

04-04-2015, 10:24 AM	#4
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	One useful trick is to use the Calibre facility to move the library to a new location. That will move all the files that Calibre knows about. Those left behind are ones that are not mentioned in the Calibre database. You could then run the Calibre Maintenance facility on the copied library. Hopefully there will not be many issues reported as the files should largely correspond to the database. The only issues likely to be of an significance are files Calibre thinks are "missing" where it has a database entry but no corresponding file. For these you can elect to either get Calibre to remove the entry from its database, or you can locate the missing file to keep Calibre happy. Having got a consistent library you can then look at the 'left behind' files and decide what to do with them.

04-04-2015, 11:53 PM	#5
dbell01 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2015 Device: kindle	thanks itimpi. that's a good idea. so, is it safe to copy files directly into the calibre library folders if calibre thinks they should be there? or is it better to remove the (nonexistant) book(s) then re-add the books via the calibre software? just trying to understand how sensitive the data base is to outside interference. does it care who put a file in there if the file has the right name and is in the right folder location?

04-08-2015, 12:04 AM	#8
dbell01 Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2015 Device: kindle	thanks betterred and theducks. at least i know how the database got so messed up -- i did every single thing you listed in your don't do lists. sigh. decided the cleanest fix was to create a current master list of ebooks outside calibre, wipe out the contents of the calibre library folder, and add all the books back again. took a few days, and i lost my true acquisition dates, but i'm back in business. i still browse the calibre folder for quick looks at what i've collected for various authors, but otherwise keep my mitts off. guess it's time to pick up where i left off reading the user's manual. thanks again for all the help and tips. my new library sure is pretty. di

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