Organizational doubt: Single library with virtual libraries vs Multiple libaries

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by LienRag

Question : how do you do that ?
I have a huge book collection taken from the Internet, with a lot of PDF in it.
So around 65 Gib.
Which means that I don't want to host it on my main computer's hard disk, just on an external disk.
But when I try to make the Calibre library on an external disk, I can't open Calibre after that without the external disk plugged in - which is clearly not what I want.

Is there a tutorial somewhere which explains how to have a main Calibre library on an external disk while still having some books on the computer itself ?

Thanks in advance !

If you have a smaller library on your computer, you just have to switch to that before you eject and remove the external drive. Then Calibre can open to that smaller library when the external drive is not connected.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The calibre library can only be in one place...

What? You can have several separate physical libraries, if you want. But yes, you need to create those separate libraries first.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

What? You can have several separate physical libraries, if you want. But yes, you need to create those separate libraries first.

I believe this is a Language subtlety.
Library is talking about the Active One.

BTW The Content server can access any known (to the GUI) Library, but like Calibre, it can then (for the session) operate on the one selected.

Other than directly attached drives, Shared or cloud delays or naming can create havoc.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by theducks

I believe this is a Language subtlety.
Library is talking about the Active One.

Yes, but the OP's problem is easily solved by having more than one library - one local and one on an external drive.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

What? You can have several separate physical libraries, if you want. But yes, you need to create those separate libraries first.

That's true, but not one library split.
I've been using Calibre since 1.48 and the only value I've seen in separate physical libraries is testing and that was marginal. Really I do testing on a separate install on a separate computer.

And if you were last using the external one it's best to connect the drive before starting Calibre again.

It's a very limited use case.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

That's true, but not one library split.
I've been using Calibre since 1.48 and the only value I've seen in separate physical libraries is testing and that was marginal. Really I do testing on a separate install on a separate computer.

And if you were last using the external one it's best to connect the drive before starting Calibre again.

It's a very limited use case.

I only have one library as well. But in the case where you don't have enough space on your local drive, but still want to open Calibre occasionally without the bother of connecting an external drive, having more than one physical library makes sense.

[PeterT]

You could always just create a calibre on an interval drive are always start calibre with the option --with-library and the path to your always available library

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

[ownedbycats]

There's the CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH environment variable but I'm not entirely sure how it works.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I only have one library as well. But in the case where you don't have enough space on your local drive, but still want to open Calibre occasionally without the bother of connecting an external drive, having more than one physical library makes sense.

Anyone without enough space for a calibre library either has more books than than they can ever read, or only giant comics or a basic Chrome book, or a 25 year old laptop that can't take a larger disk or something? Actual reflowable ebooks take a lot less space than one CD album as MP3s.

Even my 2002 laptop is 120 G byte. Still worked last I checked, but backlight getting uneven and only 32 biat XP. But I see some Chrome books have only 128 G SSD.
My 2016 laptop is 512 G, upgraded to 1T (copied existing partition to drive in USB case, expanded & swapped.
My 2020 laptop is 256 G SSD plus 2T HDD and cost less.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Anyone without enough space for a calibre library either has more books than than they can ever read, or only giant comics or a basic Chrome book, or a 25 year old laptop that can't take a larger disk or something? Actual reflowable ebooks take a lot less space than one CD album as MP3s.

Many people have more books than they can ever read, myself included. Comics are also not so unusual to have, and neither are PDF files. And people may want to keep other large files on their computers besides ebooks - music, photos, videos and so on.

[ownedbycats]

I vague remember reading an account by one user using Calibre to store arbitrary files that were neither eBooks or documents (not sure why). So someone could be using it to store disk images or something.

Also, PDF files can get pretty bulky. I have several that are 200-300 mb.

[LienRag]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

If you have a smaller library on your computer, you just have to switch to that before you eject and remove the external drive. Then Calibre can open to that smaller library when the external drive is not connected.

That seems to be a good solution, indeed.
How to do that exactly ?

First I create a small library on my computer I guess, then I plug the external drive, and create the second library on it ? But how ?
(I've been using Calibre for years but only for basic stuff)

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by LienRag

Question : how do you do that ?
I have a huge book collection taken from the Internet, with a lot of PDF in it.
So around 65 Gib.
Which means that I don't want to host it on my main computer's hard disk, just on an external disk.
But when I try to make the Calibre library on an external disk, I can't open Calibre after that without the external disk plugged in - which is clearly not what I want.

Is there a tutorial somewhere which explains how to have a main Calibre library on an external disk while still having some books on the computer itself ?

You need to start calibre using the --with-library option referencing a small library on the internal drive… e.g. an Intake or a QuickRef library, see ==>> calibre

The you can switch to the big library on the eternal drive once calibre starts… after turning it on of course.

BR

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by LienRag

That seems to be a good solution, indeed.
How to do that exactly ?

First I create a small library on my computer I guess, then I plug the external drive, and create the second library on it ? But how ?
(I've been using Calibre for years but only for basic stuff)

Click on the library icon, Switch/create library -> Create an empty library at the new location. Choose a location on your local drive. After you've done that, add those books you want to keep on your computer to it.

Then, connect your external drive and repeat the library creating procedure, only now choose a location on your external drive; and add the rest of your books to that library. Remember to switch to the local library (click on the library icon and then on the name of the local library) before you eject and remove the external drive.

[LienRag]

Thanks a lot !