How do you Clear out the Rubbish?

Ghostcat · 11-26-2023, 12:13 AM

I have just replaced my Clara HD with a Clara 2E. Only to find the Authors tab to be full of C**p (spurious authors with no books), making browsing by author almost unusable. This is either a ploy by KOBO to get you to buy books or when you sync content will be downloads. As I use SideloadMode, the later will never happen.

The question is "What is the (best|easiest|quickest) way to delete them. As my master library is in Calibre on my PC, I don't mind wiping the entire reader, if this will get rid of them.

Sirtel · 11-26-2023, 12:24 AM

What spurious authors? I only have actual authors with books on the device there, and I don't even use the sideloaded mode, although I never sync.

I archive all my Kobo purchases, so they wouldn't clutter my devices (I sideload everything, even my Kobo purchases). Perhaps that's why I have no authors with nonexistent books on my Kobos.

DNSB · 11-26-2023, 01:05 AM

The first suggestion that comes to mind is if you have enabled show previews on the third page of the KoboTouch/KoboTouchExtended driver? If so, you should be able to remove the books.

If that doesn't work, I would suggest trying the full factory reset (More => Device Information and under Advanced, => Developer Options => Factory reset your ereader (last item in the menu). You will need to enable Developer option by doing a search for devmodeon if you don't see the Developer options menu item).

After this finishes and you setup your Clara 2e & update the firmware but before sending any ebooks from calibre, check how many authors are showing.

Katja_hbg · 11-26-2023, 03:14 AM

Are there any non-epubs on your reader like images or txt from exported notes? As far as I remember, I had something similar some months ago.

JSWolf · 11-26-2023, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

What spurious authors? I only have actual authors with books on the device there, and I don't even use the sideloaded mode, although I never sync.

I archive all my Kobo purchases, so they wouldn't clutter my devices (I sideload everything, even my Kobo purchases). Perhaps that's why I have no authors with nonexistent books on my Kobos.

The problem is that the default template for sending books to a Reader makes directories based on the author name. When all books in those directories are deleted, the empty directories remain.

A new default template (IMHO) needs to be used such as books/... instead of the author name for directories.

JSWolf · 11-26-2023, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostcat

I have just replaced my Clara HD with a Clara 2E. Only to find the Authors tab to be full of C**p (spurious authors with no books), making browsing by author almost unusable. This is either a ploy by KOBO to get you to buy books or when you sync content will be downloads. As I use SideloadMode, the later will never happen.

The question is "What is the (best|easiest|quickest) way to delete them. As my master library is in Calibre on my PC, I don't mind wiping the entire reader, if this will get rid of them.

GO into the Kobo driver you are using be it KoboTouch or KoboTouchExtended. Go to Preferences > Plugins and search for the driver you are using. Then select the driver and click Customize plugin. Under Save template, remove the code that creates author directories and put in books/ (at the beginning) and leave the rest of it. Then you won't get author directories that eventually become empty.

Sirtel · 11-26-2023, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The problem is that the default template for sending books to a Reader makes directories based on the author name. When all books in those directories are deleted, the empty directories remain.

A new default template (IMHO) needs to be used such as books/... instead of the author name for directories.

How can the OP have empty directories on a brand-new device?

JSWolf · 11-26-2023, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

How can the OP have empty directories on a brand-new device?

Copying over from the old device. If you don't know which directories have eBooks, you'd copy them all.

Sirtel · 11-26-2023, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Copying over from the old device. If you don't know which directories have eBooks, you'd copy them all.

Well, I haven't changed the default directory for book saving, but I don't see any authors with 0 books on my Kobo. Then again, I always delete books from Calibre, not from the device. Does Calibre remove an empty directory when deleting a book?

JSWolf · 11-26-2023, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Well, I haven't changed the default directory for book saving, but I don't see any authors with 0 books on my Kobo. Then again, I always delete books from Calibre, not from the device. Does Calibre remove an empty directory when deleting a book?

I just tested it and yes, calibre does remove the empty directory.

John F · 11-26-2023, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghostcat

I have just replaced my Clara HD with a Clara 2E. Only to find the Authors tab to be full of C**p (spurious authors with no books), making browsing by author almost unusable. This is either a ploy by KOBO to get you to buy books or when you sync content will be downloads. As I use SideloadMode, the later will never happen.

The question is "What is the (best|easiest|quickest) way to delete them. As my master library is in Calibre on my PC, I don't mind wiping the entire reader, if this will get rid of them.

I used a SQL statement to delete authors that weren't on the device (or something like that), and was happy with the result. I didn't notice any side effects. I only sideload.

Sirtel · 11-26-2023, 06:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I just tested it and yes, calibre does remove the empty directory.

Good to know, thanks.

JSWolf · 11-26-2023, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Good to know, thanks.

I wonder what rubbish I have left because of deleting on the Libra 2. I'll have to have a look. I'll make a backup and have a look that way.

DNSB · 11-26-2023, 02:15 PM

If nothing else, check out the Deleting preloaded books from Kobo starting around message #27 for a discussion of removing the previews showing on a Kobo placed in sideload mode.

Ghostcat · 11-27-2023, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

If nothing else, check out the Deleting preloaded books from Kobo starting around message #27 for a discussion of removing the previews showing on a Kobo placed in sideload mode.

Thank you for the link DNSB.

As I use Linux most of the article was not applicable. However, feeding the sql statement into sqlite3 got rid of all the dross, whilst leaving all of the books I had side loaded. Also, 2 DB backups was defiantly a good idea, which I hadn't even considered.

11-26-2023, 12:13 AM	#1
Ghostcat Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 582370 Join Date: Apr 2023 Device: Kobo Clara 2E	How do you Clear out the Rubbish? I have just replaced my Clara HD with a Clara 2E. Only to find the Authors tab to be full of C**p (spurious authors with no books), making browsing by author almost unusable. This is either a ploy by KOBO to get you to buy books or when you sync content will be downloads. As I use SideloadMode, the later will never happen. The question is "What is the (best\|easiest\|quickest) way to delete them. As my master library is in Calibre on my PC, I don't mind wiping the entire reader, if this will get rid of them.

11-26-2023, 01:05 AM	#3
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 43,345 Karma: 165170674 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	The first suggestion that comes to mind is if you have enabled show previews on the third page of the KoboTouch/KoboTouchExtended driver? If so, you should be able to remove the books. If that doesn't work, I would suggest trying the full factory reset (More => Device Information and under Advanced, => Developer Options => Factory reset your ereader (last item in the menu). You will need to enable Developer option by doing a search for devmodeon if you don't see the Developer options menu item). After this finishes and you setup your Clara 2e & update the firmware but before sending any ebooks from calibre, check how many authors are showing. Last edited by DNSB; 11-26-2023 at 01:08 AM.

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11-26-2023, 12:24 AM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,758 Karma: 236462758 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	What spurious authors? I only have actual authors with books on the device there, and I don't even use the sideloaded mode, although I never sync. I archive all my Kobo purchases, so they wouldn't clutter my devices (I sideload everything, even my Kobo purchases). Perhaps that's why I have no authors with nonexistent books on my Kobos.

11-26-2023, 03:14 AM	#4
Katja_hbg Groupie Posts: 179 Karma: 158116 Join Date: Oct 2015 Device: Kobo Glo HD (landscape), Kobo Aura One	Are there any non-epubs on your reader like images or txt from exported notes? As far as I remember, I had something similar some months ago.

11-26-2023, 02:15 PM	#14
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 43,345 Karma: 165170674 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	If nothing else, check out the Deleting preloaded books from Kobo starting around message #27 for a discussion of removing the previews showing on a Kobo placed in sideload mode.

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