Location of Calibre libraries

[fredex]

When I first started using Calibre, when I would create a custom library it would appear as a sub-library of the main calibre library.

More recently, Calibre has started dropping all these custom libraries in my (Liinux) home directory. two questioins:
1. how can I get it to stop doing that?
2. How can I move all those misplaced libraries to where I want them?

Thanks in advance!

PS:
BTW I'm still using Calibre 3.x because 4.x won't run on my Centos-7 desktop.

[theducks]

to find where a book (Library entry): select book: tap 'O'
the file explorer opens: shoeing the PATH to that book: 2 levels up should be the Library folder (Author folders+ metadata.db + a JSON file)

Libraries can NOT contain different Libraries PERIOD. Calibre will not create these
OTOH a VL (Virtual Library) is just a logical (filtered) subset of the current Library

[fredex]

OK, maybe I didn't use the right terminology...
early in my Calibre use, when I added a new library it was stored on disk as a subdirectory of the main Calibre Library.

More recently I became more proactive about storing each author's work in its own library. After creating many such libraries I realized that they are all being created as subdirectories in my home directory, thereby cluttering it badly.

I don't know what changed, or what I did differently, but I'd like to be able to move them all out of my home directory, so that they become subdirectories underneath the main Calibre Library.

I expect that if I just mv them, calibre won't be able to find them, so I need to know the proper way to do that, and also how to avoid the issue in the future.

I'm not having trouble finding out where the books are stored, but rather I want to know why they are where they are, and how to resolve the problem.

Assistance/guidance would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

Fred

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by fredex

OK, maybe I didn't use the right terminology...
early in my Calibre use, when I added a new library it was stored on disk as a subdirectory of the main Calibre Library.

More recently I became more proactive about storing each author's work in its own library. After creating many such libraries I realized that they are all being created as subdirectories in my home directory, thereby cluttering it badly.

I don't know what changed, or what I did differently, but I'd like to be able to move them all out of my home directory, so that they become subdirectories underneath the main Calibre Library.

I expect that if I just mv them, calibre won't be able to find them, so I need to know the proper way to do that, and also how to avoid the issue in the future.

I'm not having trouble finding out where the books are stored, but rather I want to know why they are where they are, and how to resolve the problem.

Assistance/guidance would be appreciated, thanks in advance!

Fred

If you are thinking about mucking about outside calibre as the mv suggests, I'd recommend you should read this sticky from the Library Management forum: Want to change folder structure or file names in the Calibre library? . Also read the two links in the sticky (one from the calibre FAQ, the other from Worldwalker).

Basically, they say keep your sticky fingers off the calibre library. If you want a pretty directory structure, save to disk with a template to create whatever directory structure you want. Modifying the calibre library structure is NOT A GOOD IDEA. The calibre database has no idea of what you are doing and an inconsistent database is not fun.

Moving ahead with your issue, basically, click on switch/Create library and create a new library at the location you chose.

Two options here.

1. Select create an empty library at the new location. You may want to select copy structure from the current library and then copy the old library contents to the new library
   
2. Select move current library to new location.

I prefer the first option as I was once bitten when moving a library with issues resulted in an unusable library at the new location. If your library check okay, the second option may be best for you.

Given that calibre will let you search and sort to your heart's content, I see little reason for worrying about having a "pretty" directory structure.

For my Linux VM, I created a new directory called calibre in my home directory, moved the default calibre library into that location and then created my Intake calibre library inside the calibre directory. Any other libraries are created as virtual libraries within the calibre library.

[theducks]

Calibre DOES NOT permit Libraries within Libraries

You can create Logical Libraries (Virtual Libraries), which are subsets of the main.

[BetterRed]

@fredex - I have my calibre related data organised within a directory structure roughly like this, it's on my D: (Data) drive:

Calibre

Autoadd
Campaigns

2013
2016
2019

Editing
Libraries

Books
Covid-19
Intake
Journals
Media
Test

PseudoDevice
Scripts

The bolded folder names are calibre libraries, the green ones are symlinks to archival libraries on a server drive.

BR