[GUI Plugin] Library Codes

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by lith61

It's a cool plugin, but evidently on Windows 7, I have to run Calibre with Administrator privileges in order for it to show up.

Looks like UAC is blocking the plugin at the normal user level, probably because it spawns a process.

@lith61

You are referring to the Configuration dialog and its pushbutton to automatically create the custom columns you select using calibredb if you so choose. Library Codes spawns an operating system subprocess to run calibredb. If you create them manually, then there is no need for calibredb to be run as a convenience. In 'steady state', you certainly do not need to run Calibre with administrator priviledges.

I upgraded my Windows 7 laptops to Windows 10 months ago, but when I used 7, I was always an administrator, and also turned off UAC.


See the Original Post notes copied below.


DaltonST

Special Operating System Notes:

[1] Automatic creation of new Custom Columns uses Calibre's 'calibredb' command-line utility. Windows automatically installs calibredb, but OSX does not. OSX users must install the Calibre command-line utilities separately. Search www.mobilread.com for instructions. Otherwise, you will have to create new Custom Columns manually.

[2] Windows 7 users who are not 'administrators' and have not turned off 'UAC' will have problems when asking LC to automatically create new Custom Columns using Calibre's 'calibredb' command-line utility. The UAC issue will be related to LC spawning an operating system process to run calibredb. You will have to either (a) execute Calibre from a shortcut that has been configured to always run as an 'administrator', (b) on a 1-time basis run Calibre as an 'administrator' followed by immediately having LC create your new Custom Columns for you, or (c) manually create the required new Custom Columns.

[alutian]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

@cogitoxin:

LC works perfectly in Windows 10 64bit.

DaltonST

Sorry. I thought I had found just the plugin I needed, but, alas, it doesn't work in Windows 10 64-bit.

(Windows 10 Home, Version 1511, Build 10586.36)

It seems to install, but I cannot find a way to access it. There are no extra columns installed. No buttons or menu options. It shows up in the list of installed plugins, but the 'customise plug-in' button just asks me to restart Calibre.

(calibre, version 2.48.0
ERROR: Must restart: You must restart calibre before you can configure the <b>Library Codes</b> plug-in

I am the administrator and I have restarted Calibre normally, and again specifically run it 'as administrator'. I have rebooted and tried again. Uninstalled and re-installed. No joy.

Have I missed something really obvious?

Many thanks in advance,

Alutian

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by alutian

Sorry. I thought I had found just the plugin I needed, but, alas, it doesn't work in Windows 10 64-bit.

(Windows 10 Home, Version 1511, Build 10586.36)

It seems to install, but I cannot find a way to access it. There are no extra columns installed. No buttons or menu options. It shows up in the list of installed plugins, but the 'customise plug-in' button just asks me to restart Calibre.

(calibre, version 2.48.0
ERROR: Must restart: You must restart calibre before you can configure the <b>Library Codes</b> plug-in

I am the administrator and I have restarted Calibre normally, and again specifically run it 'as administrator'. I have rebooted and tried again. Uninstalled and re-installed. No joy.

Have I missed something really obvious?

Many thanks in advance,

Alutian

@Alutian:

I personally use only Windows 10 64bit. I develop all of my plugins exclusively in Windows 10 64 bit.

Did you add the icon to your toolbar? Calibre > Preferences > Toolbar.


DaltonST

[alutian]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

@Alutian:


Did you add the icon to your toolbar? Calibre > Preferences > Toolbar.


DaltonST

Just tried that - but there is no 'Library Codes' icon to add to any of the toolbars.

(Did find 'Polish Books' though, never knew it existed! )

[DaltonST]

Originally Posted by alutian

Just tried that - but there is no 'Library Codes' icon to add to any of the toolbars.

(Did find 'Polish Books' though, never knew it existed! )

@alutian:

1. Go to Calibre > Preferences > Plugins.
2. "Remove" Library Codes.
3. Restart Calibre.
4. Manually download the librarycodes.zip file from the OP.
5. Go to Calibre > Preferences > Plugins.
6. "Load Plugin from File".
7. Exit from Calibre (don't just restart).
8. Run Calibre.

Just to be safe, always run Calibre "as an administrator" via a shortcut that is configured to always do so.

Also, perhaps you have some odd antivirus issues that stopping the installation for some odd reason. Check the logs of software such as that on your pc.

Download several other plugins and try to install them. See what happens.



DaltonST

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

Just to be safe, always run Calibre "as an administrator" via a shortcut that is configured to always do so.

Running calibre as admin disables some functionality , see Using the viewer or doing any conversions results in a permission denied error on Windows

...you can run calibre as Administrator, but doing so will cause some functionality, such as drag and drop to not work.

It may be a Qt 'thing'.

BR

[alutian]

Originally Posted by DaltonST

@alutian:

1. Go to Calibre > Preferences > Plugins.
2. "Remove" Library Codes.
3. Restart Calibre.
4. Manually download the librarycodes.zip file from the OP.
5. Go to Calibre > Preferences > Plugins.
6. "Load Plugin from File".
7. Exit from Calibre (don't just restart).
8. Run Calibre.

Just to be safe, always run Calibre "as an administrator" via a shortcut that is configured to always do so.

Also, perhaps you have some odd antivirus issues that stopping the installation for some odd reason. Check the logs of software such as that on your pc.

Download several other plugins and try to install them. See what happens.



DaltonST

No joy...

I tried the above again just in case... and again, but uninstalling/re-installing Calibre instead of restarting or exiting + a full power off/power on cycle of Windows (Windows restart is not perfect sometimes )

Anti-virus is Windows Defender, so should not be a problem. Windows logs show nothing of interest.

The only thing I can think of which is not a standard installation of Windows 10 64-bit is that my temp and tmp folders are not on the same drive as the Windows installation. Windows is on C:, temp files are on A:, a RAMDrive.

One last try... off to install Calibre 32-bit... Last hope!


No hope! Didna work.

[BetterRed]

@alutian - FWIW: you can give calibre an alternative (dedicated) location for its temporary files via it's Environment variables. For peace of mind it might be worth eliminating that 'wrinkle'.

And, are you running calibre 'normally' - ie not using "Run as Administrator"

BR

[jemsoo7]

Running Calibre 2.47.0 PORTABLE and encounters same symptoms as stated here, i.e it appears in plugins but is found nowhere and clicking on it gives the same message to "restart calibre to configure plugin...". Has given calibre.exe and calibredb.exe admin properties in "Compatibility" Options but it makes no difference. UAC is disabled also for the purpose. Q+S installs correctly however.... has not tried it yet thought. Running on Windows 8.1 64bit.

[DaltonST]

@jems007:

Please list all of the other optional plugins that you have downloaded and installed, and that appear as icons on your toolbar as normal.

DaltonST

[DaltonST]

@alutian:

Please list all of the other optional plugins that you have downloaded and installed, and that appear as icons on your toolbar as normal.

DaltonST

[theducks]

If you are running 'Portable' (starting using the standard BAT), it expects TO USE specific differences in location of the configuration (and all the User-Security rights).

Running as a hybrid (Portable installed ON a internal Drive) requires you to modify the startup to fit your situation.

Most PI stick close to the Calibre model and work well when installed by the same Program as they are expected to run under
( <Configuration folder>/plugins ) . Some PI add another depth to their configuration for additional support to keep all the requirements together and not allow them to spread over the system.

[DaltonST]

@alutian and @jems007:

As a benchmark, please install the following plugins, and report back whether or not their icons appear on your toolbar properly after you have added them to your toolbar in Calibre > Preferences:

Count Pages
Extract ISBN
Find Duplicates
Quality Check
View Manager
Modify ePubs

Library Codes has never been tested on anything except Windows 10 64, on which it was developed.

@alutian, you have a non-standard Windows 10 installation. Question: do all of the benchmark plugins install and appear on the toolbar? Or not? If not, then the problem is your Windows 10 installation.

@jems07, you use Windows 8.1. Ditto as above.

Given the ~5,000 downloads of Library Codes, only you have reported issues that were not related to Windows 7 UAC Administrator issues.

The whole Administrator thing has to do with Library Codes spawning operating system subprocesses that Windows 7 disallows.



DaltonST

[DaltonST]

The Library Codes configuration .json file on my PC has the path:

"C:\Users\DaltonST\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins \Library Codes.json"


My Calibre executable has the path:

"C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe"


All of my Calibre libraries are on drives S: or X:.


Everything work perfectly on my Windows 10 64.




DaltonST

[jemsoo7]

Has done an install of Calibre64bit and installed library codes. It works all fine. It creates the custom columns fine.... it appears only with the portable (downloaded from calibre site) i guest its 32bit version the portable.

The gui.json in the 64bit version shows the "Library Codes" in "action-layout-toolbar-device": [ , among others and

"library_codes:gui_parameters_dialog": {
"__class__": "bytearray",
"__value__": "AdnQywACAAAAAANOAAABIgAABR0AAAOOAAADVgAAAUEAAAUVA AADhgAAAAAAAAAAB4A="
},

whereas in the portable version the gui.json DON'T show any details about "Library Codes"
portable settings folider:
J:\PortableApps\Calibre\Calibre Settings\plugins

64bit version settings folder:
C:\Users\jemsoo7\AppData\Roaming\calibre

in the folder: J:\PortableApps\Calibre\Calibre Settings\plugins
there is no "Library Codes.json" but only the "Library Codes.zip" file....

could it be with the 32bit version or a permission issues on the DLL as i have put all different exe files compatibility: run as administrator in the J:\PortableApps\Calibre\Calibre folder.

i have installed most of the plugins from mobileread for testing purposes meanwhile all works fine (except a few like PrincePDF for linux). Photo is from the Portable Version...