Cleaning up my library and my library folder

[kaufman]

I was keeping my Calibre library in dropbox and doing a lot of library cleanup. Somehow I managed to get into the following situation:

I had some books with missing metadata files, some with missing cover files, and some with missing book files. I also had more 75 books in my library folder then I had in my library. 73 more covers and 73 extra opf file. I also had some empty folders where the books had been deleted.

Is there a search that I can run in Caibre for missing covers? For missing book files? For missing opf files? While I am on the subject, is there a search to find books without descriptions?

Is there something I can run to clean up my library folder? I though having calibre move my folder to a new directory would do it, but I still had the extra 75 epubs.

Thanks.

[BetterRed]

@kaufman

books with no cover - search - cover:false
books with no book files - search - formats:false
books with no comments (description) - search - comments:false

Run both phases of Library Maintenance->Library Check - the second will tell you about discrepancies between the database and the folders - and some options to fix.

re missing opf files - the only way I know of to create new ones is to do a conversion - but there maybe something better so don't rush off down that rabbit hole before others get a chance to respond. Its something that maybe Check Library function could detect and correct

Oh, and there are a bunch of 'goodies' in the Quality Check plugin that do much of the above and lots of other stuff

BR

[theducks]

Missing metatdata.opf ?

Someone has been playing under the skirts or letting a 'file cleaner' run amok

Never fear: run (from the Library Icon):
Library Maintenance: Library metadata backup status: click-Queue all books.

This takes quite some time to run. Just minimize and do other stuff.
The same place as the button shows the count remaining.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

Missing metatdata.opf ?

Someone has been playing under the skirts or letting a 'file cleaner' run amok

Not necessarily. If I copy some books from library A to library B and then close calibre without opening library B then the books I copied to library B won't have any opf files. I only just 'discovered' this.

Originally Posted by theducks

Never fear: run (from the Library Icon):
Library Maintenance: Library metadata backup status: click-Queue all books.

This takes quite some time to run. Just minimize and do other stuff.
The same place as the button shows the count remaining.

I knew there had to be a better way

And the calibredb backup_metadata command will do the same thing but should be faster - http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/cli/calibredb.html#

BR

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by kaufman

I was keeping my Calibre library in dropbox and doing a lot of library cleanup. Somehow I managed to get into the following situation:

FYI. You most likely know this, but for folks just tuning in when you run calibre from Dropbox you should pause syncing in Dropbox prior to running any feature that may change your database or books, IE. book conversion(s), metadata update, library maintenence etc...

[kaufman]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

FYI. You most likely know this, but for folks just tuning in when you run calibre from Dropbox you should pause syncing in Dropbox prior to running any feature that may change your database or books, IE. book conversion(s), metadata update, library maintenence etc...

I didn't know this, but I do now. Thanks to you and to everyone else for the help.