Also note that calibre is the work of one single developer, and the current structure is based on assumptions deep within calibre's code.
If someone was willing to step up and work on calibre to allow it to (safely) keep track of files the way other media programs can, that might change.
Then again, maybe not -- there are certain things to be said for keeping people out of the media storage, because people have a tendency to mess around.
There are things to be said for both sides, but at the end of the day it is simpler to deal with users if you just tell them "hands off".
No disappearing files when the database loses track of a networked drive, no moving files around and losing them, etc.
iTunes for one has the option to "consolidate files", which copies all loose files into the iTunes Music folder, just like calibre does by default! And I have had to deal with people who lost their iTunes music because they didn't do this.
In one case, all the music had been added from Internet Explorer's Temporary Files cache, and promptly disappeared on the next boot.
Anyway, I am a big fan of using metadata-based copying, just like Worldwalker and others. The Content Server does pretty well for that.
You mentioned keeping the metadata.db on a solid state drive -- that is possible with calibre, see:
http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cust...ment-variables
Quote:
|
CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH - allows you to specify the full path to metadata.db. Using this variable you can have metadata.db be in a location other than the library folder. Useful if your library folder is on a networked drive that does not support file locking.
|
And finally, some brand-new news.
The long-awaited Content Server revamp is underway!
Expect that within the next few months you will be able to manage calibre remotely via a writeable Content Server -- so you can support access/editing from multiple locations.
e.g. Install calibre to your NAS and setup the server for remote access, the NAS itself handles everything: management, storage, file serving... You know the classic
FAQ entry warning against NAS use? No more!
