Glo HD Issues sideloading epubs with Calibre 8.6 onto Kobo GloHD

[wherahiko]

I have regularly used Calibre to sideload ePubs onto my Kobo (GloHD).

As of yesterday, it doesn't seem to be working. (Just before yesterday's attempt, I followed the prompt to update Calibre to 8.6, so this could be the problem. However, I have just tested with a Kobo Libra H20 and found there are no issues sideloading to that device, only to my GloHD.)

Before I try to revert to an earlier version of Calibre, I'm keen to know if anyone else has experienced (and solved?) this problem. Calibre sees the GloHD fine and things look normal when 'adding to device'. When I eject the Kobo, it goes through its usual 'importing content routine' but the books just never appear. If I reconnect the Kobo to the computer and check in Calibre, they are also not on the device. However, if I check in Finder, I can see them there (and when I double-click on them from Finder, from the Kobo, they open normally in iBooks). it's very strange.

I welcome any thoughts and solutions to this issue.

[dragoworld235]

Calibre 8.7 just got released with one of the bug fixes that should concern your problem:

Kobo driver: Fix a regression that caused ancient, pre-Touch kobo devices to no longer work with calibre

Closes tickets: 2117113

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by dragoworld235

Calibre 8.7 just got released with one of the bug fixes that should concern your problem:

Glo HD is not a pre-Touch device, though.

[PeterT]

Could you maybe describe what is happening.

When the GloHD is detected by calibre are any messages displayed by calibre?

Do you have Kobo Utilities installed in calibre? If so please do a database consistency check with it.

Is the date/time correct on the GloHD?

When the device is disconnected does it display a message about processing new content?

Sent from my TB350FU using Tapatalk

[wherahiko]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Could you maybe describe what is happening.

When the GloHD is detected by calibre are any messages displayed by calibre?

No messages are displayed by Calibre; it just connects.

Originally Posted by PeterT

Do you have Kobo Utilities installed in calibre? If so please do a database consistency check with it.

I have Kobo Utilities 2.23.0 and Kobo Metadata 1.11.0 (both appear to be the latest versions available). How do I do a database consistency check?

Originally Posted by PeterT

Is the date/time correct on the GloHD?

When the device is disconnected does it display a message about processing new content?

Yes to both of these.

Thank you for your help

[wherahiko]

Originally Posted by PeterT

When the device is disconnected does it display a message about processing new content?

Trying this again a few more times, I've realised that the "importing content" screen shows black (rather than the usual white) and appears to hang at 6% each time; after that, the Kobo restarts (I get the three dots in the middle of the screen), which is also not normal.

I've just tried sideloading a book using the Finder directly, bypassing Calibre, and still get the same issue, so it appears not to be a Calibre problem.

[PeterT]

Can you post a copy of your Kobo configuration file found in .kobo/Kobo and it's called Kobo eReader.conf

What location are you sending books to (i.e. the value of the send to device template from the Kobo touch driver).

These steps are just to ensure that you're not sending books to a location that the Kobo is not scanning for content.

[wherahiko]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Can you post a copy of your Kobo configuration file found in .kobo/Kobo and it's called Kobo eReader.conf

What location are you sending books to (i.e. the value of the send to device template from the Kobo touch driver).

These steps are just to ensure that you're not sending books to a location that the Kobo is not scanning for content.

Thank you for your swift reply.

I'm sending the books to the "main memory" (via Calibre) and just dropping them into KOBOeReader (directly in Finder). I'm not sure what "the value of the send to device template from the Kobo touch driver" means?

This is the text from the configuration file. I have redacted some personally-identifying information (replaced with [redacted]), but otherwise everything is copied-and-pasted directly.

[General]
DictionaryRecentSearches= [redacted]
LibraryRecentSearches= [redacted]

[ApplicationPreferences]
AIRPLANE_MODE=true
CurrentLocale=en
DesktopSyncCount=1
DictionaryOpenCount=-1
EarliestChangeLog=4.37.21586
HomePageViewVisitCount=20
KoboLoveDialogShown=true
KoboPlusUpgradedPreviewCount=0
KoboPlusWishlistDialogShown=true
LastAffiliateSyncTime=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8c\xc2\x4\xf3{\x9a\x2)
LastFTEStep=LOGIN
LastLibrarySorter_articles_filterByArticles%28%29=sortByDateAdded()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28Barry%20Maz%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28Ben%20Brooks%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28David%20Kadavy%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28Gustave%20Flaubert%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28Hilary%20White%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28New%20Catholic%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_author_filterByAuthor%28Scott%20Hahn%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_books_filterByAllItems%28%29=sortByDateAdded()
LastLibrarySorter_shelf_filterByBookshelf%28Bible%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_shelf_filterByBookshelf%28Mum%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySorter_shelf_filterByBookshelf%28Off%20the%20horse%29=sortByNewest()
LastLibrarySubFilter_ManageBooks_filterByAllItems%28%29=filterByPurchased()
LastLibrarySubFilter_articles_filterByArticles%28%29=filterByPocketUnread()
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28Barry%20Maz%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28Ben%20Brooks%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28David%20Kadavy%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28Gustave%20Flaubert%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28Hilary%20White%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28New%20Catholic%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_author_filterByAuthor%28Scott%20Hahn%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_books_filterByAllItems%28%29=filterBySideLoaded()
LastLibrarySubFilter_shelf_filterByBookshelf%28Bible%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_shelf_filterByBookshelf%28Mum%29=
LastLibrarySubFilter_shelf_filterByBookshelf%28Off%20the%20horse%29=filterByPreviews()
LastLibrarySubFilter_wishlist_filterByWishlisted%28%29=
LastLibraryTab=Books
LastLibraryViewType_articles=viewBy5List()
LastLibraryViewType_author=viewBy5List()
LastLibraryViewType_books=viewBy5List()
LastLibraryViewType_series=viewBy5List()
LastLibraryViewType_seriesList=viewBy5List()
LastLibraryViewType_shelf=viewBy5Shelf()
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LastMostPopularSyncTime=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8c\xc0\x4\xf3\x84L\x2)
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LastSearchType_Library=Library
LastSearchType_ReadingView=Dictionary
LastSearchType_Store=Store
LastShelfListSorter_shelfList_=sortByShelfName()
LastShelfListSorter_shelfList_filterByAddToShelf=sortByShelfName()
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LastUpdateCheckTime=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8c\xc0\x4\xf1\xf7\x7f\x2)
LastWishlistSorter_wishlist_filterByWishlisted%28%29=sortByWishlistedDate()
LibraryViewVisitCount=20
LongPressDialogShown=true
MarkAsFinishedLastShown=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8c(\x4\x35\xa1n\xff)
MarkAsUnreadLastShown=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8c\x87\x4\xbb-r\xff)
MostRecentReadID="file:///mnt/onboard/Treacy, Susan/Music of Christendom_ A History, The - Treacy, Susan.kepub.epub"
OverDriveExpiryDialogShown=true
PeriodicAutoSync=false
QuickTourWidgetShown=true
ReadABookShown2=true
SearchResultsviewVisitCount=2
SignInTime=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8a%\x4V\x94n\xff)
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SmartLink_%07=3
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firstRunDate=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8a%\x1\xbe\xd3\x61\x2)
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lastPlugTime=@Variant(\0\0\0\x10\0%\x8c\xcb\x4\xb6\xe5\x45\x2)
sleepOnNextBoot=false
syncOnNextBoot=false

[Browser]
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[DialogSettings]
ReleaseNotesShown=true
ReturningReaderDialogShown=true

[OneStoreServices]
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autocomplete=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/products/autocomplete
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book_detail_page=https://www.kobo.com/{region}/{language}/ebook/{slug}
book_detail_page_rakuten=http://books.rakuten.co.jp/rk/{crossrevisionid}
book_landing_page=https://www.kobo.com/ebooks
categories=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/categories
category=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/categories/{CategoryId}
category_products=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/categories/{CategoryId}/products
dictionary_host=https://ereaderfiles.kobo.com
discovery_host=https://discovery.kobobooks.com
display_parental_controls_enabled=False
dropbox_link_account_poll=
eula_page="https://www.kobo.com/termsofuse?style=onestore"
featured_list=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/products/featured/{FeaturedListId}
featured_lists=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/products/featured
feedback=
fte_feedback=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/products/ftefeedback
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image_host=//cdn.kobo.com/book-images/
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image_url_template=https://cdn.kobo.com/book-images/{ImageId}/{Width}/{Height}/false/image.jpg
kobo_audiobooks_credit_redemption=False
kobo_audiobooks_enabled=True
kobo_dropbox_link_account_enabled=False
kobo_googledrive_link_account_enabled=False
kobo_nativeborrow_enabled=False
kobo_privacyCentre_url=
kobo_redeem_enabled=True
kobo_subscriptions_enabled=True
kobo_superpoints_enabled=True
kobo_wishlist_enabled=True
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review_sentiment=https://storeapi.kobo.com/v1/products/reviews/{ReviewId}/sentiment/{Sentiment}
sign_in_page=https://auth.kobobooks.com/ActivateOnWeb
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[Pocket]
AccessToken=[redacted]
LastSync=1751929428
RemoveContentWhenRead=true
UnsyncedUrls=@Invalid()
Username=[redacted]
[PowerOptions]
AutoSleepMinutes=5
FrontLightLevel=0
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[Reading]
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[wherahiko]

Further to the above, I have found two other posts describing something similar to my situation:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/calibre/+bug/1648589
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=350064

I'm fairly sure, now, that the issue is nothing to do with Calibre; the files do transfer to the Kobo but, for some reason, something goes wrong when the Kobo tries to process and add the new books to its database.

I have tried installing NickelMenu, as recommended in the second link above, but it didn't work either.

[Sirtel]

This is usually caused by errors in a book. Unfortunately the only way to find the culprit is to load the books one by one. If you find the book that doesn't import, open it in the calibre editor and check for errors.