Calibre sync with kobo for Android tablets

manujosephv · 10-08-2013, 02:39 PM

Hi,

I am a total noob in Calibre. I am using an android tablet and Kobo for Android as my reader. I wanted to sync my ebooks along with the last read position across my android and PC. I stumbled upon Calibre on that quest.

Anybody manage to do this?

davidfor · 10-08-2013, 09:33 PM

As far as I know the only syncing of reading position between devices and calibre are for the Kobo ereaders using my Kobo Utilities plugin. Each device would need something written to pull the reading position back to calibre, store it in a common format and then update it back. That gets worse for Android devices as there are a lot of reading apps which will all work differently.

As you use the Kobo app, it might be possible using code from my plugin. I suspect that the same database is used for the app as for the devices. Unfortunately, I have no way to test this theory as I don't have an Android device.

manujosephv · 10-08-2013, 11:37 PM

With what little knowledge I have, when I looked into the way Kobo stores ebooks I found out that they are actually converting epubs to a series of html files with supporting files for the metadata in separate folders that have random names(not the name of the epub but random serial number type folders).

There is a file inside which maps the folder name(they call it unique name) to the actual name of the book.

I don't have a kobo reader and so I dont know how the reader stores its books. Is it in the same way?

I tried a lot to find where Kobo is saving the reading position but was unable to do so. If I could find that and figure out how calibre is maintaining the reading position then may be I can manage to sync it through dropbox or something..

But right now am at a loss.

davidfor · 10-09-2013, 01:01 AM

No, that is completely different to the Kobo ereaders The epubs are stored intact on the device. They are processed to extract metadata and the TOC which are kept in an SQLite database. The reading position is stored in the database.

manujosephv · 10-09-2013, 11:13 PM

I did a little more research and found out that the android app stores epubs as when it is extracted. i,e if you change the .epub extension to .zip and extract the file you will get the format in which the android app stores them.

Code:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220019

And the sqlite file which is being used to store the last read position, is it specific to each epubs or is there a central sqlite file which the reader uses?

And I was thinking if I can copy the folder from Android to my laptop and get dropbox to sync it, is there anyway calibre can read this?

I know its a long shot, but just asking.

PeterT · 10-10-2013, 12:17 AM

On Kobo eReaders there is a single SQLite database that serves both as the index into what books are on the device, the chapter info (extracted from the book when it is loaded), the shelving options, and the last read indicator and finished indicators.

manujosephv · 10-10-2013, 12:22 AM

My android device is not rooted and therefore cannot read the sqlite file where I am guessing the read position is stored.

So does this mean that to have any progress, I would need to root the device and get calibre to read the sqlite file and somehow integrate it into the application?..

I think I would go with syncing the read position with my own cloud, the brain

davidfor · 10-10-2013, 12:32 AM

I'd forgotten about that thread.

Unless the app is updating something in those files, then it wouldn't help. And calibre itself wouldn't read those files as a single book. An extra plugin would be needed.

My Android knowledge is pretty minimal. But, I would have expected the database to be with the books. That is how the ereaders and the desktop app work.

manujosephv · 10-11-2013, 11:20 PM

Most probably yes. The reading positions might be stored in an sqlite database, and to access that I need to root my device. But even then a separate plug-in is needed.

So I decided its not worth the pain.. hehe..

Thanks anyways..

10-08-2013, 02:39 PM	#1
manujosephv Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Android Tablet	Calibre sync with kobo for Android tablets Hi, I am a total noob in Calibre. I am using an android tablet and Kobo for Android as my reader. I wanted to sync my ebooks along with the last read position across my android and PC. I stumbled upon Calibre on that quest. Anybody manage to do this?

10-08-2013, 11:37 PM	#3
manujosephv Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Android Tablet	With what little knowledge I have, when I looked into the way Kobo stores ebooks I found out that they are actually converting epubs to a series of html files with supporting files for the metadata in separate folders that have random names(not the name of the epub but random serial number type folders). There is a file inside which maps the folder name(they call it unique name) to the actual name of the book. I don't have a kobo reader and so I dont know how the reader stores its books. Is it in the same way? I tried a lot to find where Kobo is saving the reading position but was unable to do so. If I could find that and figure out how calibre is maintaining the reading position then may be I can manage to sync it through dropbox or something.. But right now am at a loss. Last edited by manujosephv; 10-08-2013 at 11:39 PM. Reason: Additional information

10-09-2013, 11:13 PM	#5
manujosephv Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Android Tablet	I did a little more research and found out that the android app stores epubs as when it is extracted. i,e if you change the .epub extension to .zip and extract the file you will get the format in which the android app stores them. Code: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220019 And the sqlite file which is being used to store the last read position, is it specific to each epubs or is there a central sqlite file which the reader uses? And I was thinking if I can copy the folder from Android to my laptop and get dropbox to sync it, is there anyway calibre can read this? I know its a long shot, but just asking. Last edited by manujosephv; 10-09-2013 at 11:21 PM. Reason: Additional info

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10-08-2013, 09:33 PM	#2
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303822 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	As far as I know the only syncing of reading position between devices and calibre are for the Kobo ereaders using my Kobo Utilities plugin. Each device would need something written to pull the reading position back to calibre, store it in a common format and then update it back. That gets worse for Android devices as there are a lot of reading apps which will all work differently. As you use the Kobo app, it might be possible using code from my plugin. I suspect that the same database is used for the app as for the devices. Unfortunately, I have no way to test this theory as I don't have an Android device.

10-09-2013, 01:01 AM	#4
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303822 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	No, that is completely different to the Kobo ereaders The epubs are stored intact on the device. They are processed to extract metadata and the TOC which are kept in an SQLite database. The reading position is stored in the database.

10-10-2013, 12:17 AM	#6
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,918 Karma: 76440364 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	On Kobo eReaders there is a single SQLite database that serves both as the index into what books are on the device, the chapter info (extracted from the book when it is loaded), the shelving options, and the last read indicator and finished indicators.

10-10-2013, 12:22 AM	#7
manujosephv Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Android Tablet	My android device is not rooted and therefore cannot read the sqlite file where I am guessing the read position is stored. So does this mean that to have any progress, I would need to root the device and get calibre to read the sqlite file and somehow integrate it into the application?.. I think I would go with syncing the read position with my own cloud, the brain

10-10-2013, 12:32 AM	#8
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303822 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	I'd forgotten about that thread. Unless the app is updating something in those files, then it wouldn't help. And calibre itself wouldn't read those files as a single book. An extra plugin would be needed. My Android knowledge is pretty minimal. But, I would have expected the database to be with the books. That is how the ereaders and the desktop app work.

10-11-2013, 11:20 PM	#9
manujosephv Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2013 Device: Android Tablet	Most probably yes. The reading positions might be stored in an sqlite database, and to access that I need to root my device. But even then a separate plug-in is needed. So I decided its not worth the pain.. hehe.. Thanks anyways..

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