using replicator software to move calibre folder to another computer

dcarlozzi · 06-24-2010, 10:07 PM

I've used Karen's Replicator software to copy additional books in my Calibre folder from one computer to another computer, but the Calibre software interface on the other computer is not reading the books from the replicated folder.

The books are in the folder itself but not appearing in the Calibre interface. How do I get Calibre to read the additional books from the other computer?

Thanks for any suggestions.

DoctorOhh · 06-24-2010, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcarlozzi

I've used Karen's Replicator software to copy additional books in my Calibre folder from one computer to another computer, but the Calibre software interface on the other computer is not reading the books from the replicated folder.

The books are in the folder itself but not appearing in the Calibre interface. How do I get Calibre to read the additional books from the other computer?

All of the info on books is held in the metadata.db file. Just placing books in the calibre library won't work. If you want to move some books from one calibre library to another one way is to select the books you want to move and export them via the save to disk feature. Then they need to be imported into the other library via the add books feature.

The following procedure will let you copy select books from your Calibre library and add all of those books along with all covers and metadata that currently exist for those books to a different library.

1. Go to Preferences - Add/Save - Saving books tab
2. Ensure that the following are checked.

Save cover separately
Update metadata in saved copy
Save metadata in OPF file

3. Click OK
4. Quit Calibre, control-Q or right click on system tray and select quit.
5. Start Calibre.
6. In your calibre library select all books you wish to copy to the other libray.
7. Select Save to Disk, create a new directory to export these books to, click OK.

Calibre is now exporting all the files you selected and any metadata or covers that you have updated/added.

8. Take that directory full of books to your second computer.
9. Start calibre.
10. Click on the drop down arrow next to the Add Books icon (top left) select Adding books from directories, including sub directories (multiple books per directory, assumes every ebook file is a different book) now select the directory you previously exported/saved to disk your books to.

Calibre is now restoring all your backed up books. This could take a while. Wait for it to finish.

I hope this helps.

dcarlozzi · 06-25-2010, 12:10 AM

Wow-Thank you so much for the info.

itimpi · 06-25-2010, 03:03 AM

If the replicator software is also copying the metadata.db file then you should see the new books.

Issues that might cause this not to work are:
- calibre being open on the source computer and locking the metadata.db file so it cannot be replicated.
- calibre being open on the target computer so the metadata.db file cannot be written. Even if it was, calibre expects to have exclusive access to the metadata.db file while it is running so would not see any changes.

In short, as long as you replicate both the book files and metadata.db file, and Calibre is not running at either end while this takes place then it should dock OK.

DoctorOhh · 06-25-2010, 03:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcarlozzi

I've used Karen's Replicator software to copy additional books in my Calibre folder from one computer to another computer, but the Calibre software interface on the other computer is not reading the books from the replicated folder.

If the replicator software is also copying the metadata.db file then you should see the new books.

Issues that might cause this not to work are:
- calibre being open on the source computer and locking the metadata.db file so it cannot be replicated.
- calibre being open on the target computer so the metadata.db file cannot be written. Even if it was, calibre expects to have exclusive access to the metadata.db file while it is running so would not see any changes.

In short, as long as you replicate both the book files and metadata.db file, and Calibre is not running at either end while this takes place then it should dock OK.

If your goal is to replicate completely the same library in two spots then listen to itimpi. This is good advice.

My advice was based on two people with different libraries wanting to transfer some books but not overwrite one library with another.

dcarlozzi · 06-25-2010, 10:12 AM

Thanks again for that info. My goal was to have two exact libraries on my desktop and notebook. I had some new books on the notebook that needed to go onto the desktop.

I may have had the Calibre interface open on the desktop computer I was copying into from the USB drive which held the new files from the notebook. I did have the new metadata file on the USB but will the metadata file replicate anew since it has the same name in both sources but different mbs?

itimpi · 06-25-2010, 10:24 AM

With most replicator software you can control whether files are copied based on date, change in file size, etc. The default is normally that the newer file is copied. You can always copy the metadata.db file manually in the worst case as that tends to be the critical one.

capidamonte · 06-25-2010, 06:09 PM

Are your computers networked together, or are you using an intermediate medium (USB thumbdrive?) to share the libraries?

If you're using a thumbdrive, you might consider setting up Calibre as a portable app, running directly from the thumbdrive, and then simply replicating the library as a backup on both machines (with an autostart or batch file.)

That way your library is backed up in two places, and you're always current without having to remember which library is most recent (and so you don't overwrite the latest library with the older one.)

Even if you lose the thumbdrive, you can just restore from either backup.

If they're networked, can Karen's Replicator do a sync? If so, you should be able to set it up to mutually-mirror the folders, as long as Calibre isn't running on either machine. Set it up as a 4:30AM repeating, automated job -- set it and forget it. (You'd probably have to set both machines to kill Calibre before it ran.)

Another elegant solution is Dropbox. Put your library in your Dropbox folder, and let it do the auto-syncing. Every change is local, but mirrored to the online server, and back to your other machines. Dropbox gives 2 gigs free, and you can social network your way to 8gb for free.

cap

Dopedangel · 06-26-2010, 12:51 PM

If your library is less than 2gb I would recommend using dropbox (2gb is free).
Any new addition you make in one computer would be added to the other automatically.
The only thing is you have to remember to run calibre on one computer at a time.

dcarlozzi · 07-02-2010, 01:27 PM

Hi- Thanks for the replies...like the Dropbox idea..

Do I need to transfer my main desktop Calibre folder into the Dropbox. If so, what is the best way to do that?

Also, Can I access my books on my notebook if I'm offline and if my desktop crashes, will my Calibre folder be in my notebook computer Dropbox still?

itimpi · 07-02-2010, 02:01 PM

With dropbox you always have a local copy of your files as well as the copy in the 'cloud'. You actually work with the local copy of files, and behind the scenes Dropbox is syncing changes to the 'cloud' copy which also makes the changes visible to other machines syncing to the same dropbox account.

As long as you have been online so that your local dropbox files are current, you can work off-line and any changes you make will be synced as soon as you come back on-line. The only issue is to make sure you have come online so that changes can be synced before you start working on the same dropbox files on another machine.

chaley · 07-02-2010, 02:15 PM

Also, make sure you turn calibre off before shutting a machine down so that dropbox can copy calibre's database. Do not shut down the machine until dropbox reports that all files are synced.

While calibre is running, the database is locked, so dropbox can't copy it. Shutting down the machine will kill calibre and break the lock, but also kills dropbox. The copy may or may not have happened. The database stored in the cloud might not be the same as the database on the machine, leading to conflicts, possible data loss, and general confusion.

dcarlozzi · 07-02-2010, 03:18 PM

Still not sure where to copy/put/move the main Calibre desktop folder and how to copy/put/move it there?? Thanks much for replies.

itimpi · 07-02-2010, 03:22 PM

When you install Dropbox you will be asked to create a local Dropbox folder. Just put your Calibre library folder inside that one.

dcarlozzi · 07-02-2010, 04:03 PM

How will the Calibre software be able to find where I moved the folder? Do I need to run the Wizard again to set up the new location of the folder?

06-24-2010, 10:07 PM	#1
dcarlozzi Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony prs-505, iPad	using replicator software to move calibre folder to another computer I've used Karen's Replicator software to copy additional books in my Calibre folder from one computer to another computer, but the Calibre software interface on the other computer is not reading the books from the replicated folder. The books are in the folder itself but not appearing in the Calibre interface. How do I get Calibre to read the additional books from the other computer? Thanks for any suggestions.

07-02-2010, 01:27 PM	#10
dcarlozzi Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony prs-505, iPad	re: using Dropbox for backup Hi- Thanks for the replies...like the Dropbox idea.. Do I need to transfer my main desktop Calibre folder into the Dropbox. If so, what is the best way to do that? Also, Can I access my books on my notebook if I'm offline and if my desktop crashes, will my Calibre folder be in my notebook computer Dropbox still?

07-02-2010, 02:01 PM	#11
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	With dropbox you always have a local copy of your files as well as the copy in the 'cloud'. You actually work with the local copy of files, and behind the scenes Dropbox is syncing changes to the 'cloud' copy which also makes the changes visible to other machines syncing to the same dropbox account. As long as you have been online so that your local dropbox files are current, you can work off-line and any changes you make will be synced as soon as you come back on-line. The only issue is to make sure you have come online so that changes can be synced before you start working on the same dropbox files on another machine. Last edited by itimpi; 07-02-2010 at 02:05 PM.

07-02-2010, 03:18 PM	#13
dcarlozzi Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony prs-505, iPad	using Dropbox for backup Still not sure where to copy/put/move the main Calibre desktop folder and how to copy/put/move it there?? Thanks much for replies.

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06-25-2010, 12:10 AM	#3
dcarlozzi Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony prs-505, iPad	Wow-Thank you so much for the info.

06-25-2010, 03:03 AM	#4
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	If the replicator software is also copying the metadata.db file then you should see the new books. Issues that might cause this not to work are: - calibre being open on the source computer and locking the metadata.db file so it cannot be replicated. - calibre being open on the target computer so the metadata.db file cannot be written. Even if it was, calibre expects to have exclusive access to the metadata.db file while it is running so would not see any changes. In short, as long as you replicate both the book files and metadata.db file, and Calibre is not running at either end while this takes place then it should dock OK.

06-25-2010, 10:12 AM	#6
dcarlozzi Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony prs-505, iPad	Thanks again for that info. My goal was to have two exact libraries on my desktop and notebook. I had some new books on the notebook that needed to go onto the desktop. I may have had the Calibre interface open on the desktop computer I was copying into from the USB drive which held the new files from the notebook. I did have the new metadata file on the USB but will the metadata file replicate anew since it has the same name in both sources but different mbs?

06-25-2010, 10:24 AM	#7
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	With most replicator software you can control whether files are copied based on date, change in file size, etc. The default is normally that the newer file is copied. You can always copy the metadata.db file manually in the worst case as that tends to be the critical one.

06-25-2010, 06:09 PM	#8
capidamonte Not who you think I am... Posts: 374 Karma: 30283 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu Device: PocketBook 360 -- Ivory	Are your computers networked together, or are you using an intermediate medium (USB thumbdrive?) to share the libraries? If you're using a thumbdrive, you might consider setting up Calibre as a portable app, running directly from the thumbdrive, and then simply replicating the library as a backup on both machines (with an autostart or batch file.) That way your library is backed up in two places, and you're always current without having to remember which library is most recent (and so you don't overwrite the latest library with the older one.) Even if you lose the thumbdrive, you can just restore from either backup. If they're networked, can Karen's Replicator do a sync? If so, you should be able to set it up to mutually-mirror the folders, as long as Calibre isn't running on either machine. Set it up as a 4:30AM repeating, automated job -- set it and forget it. (You'd probably have to set both machines to kill Calibre before it ran.) Another elegant solution is Dropbox. Put your library in your Dropbox folder, and let it do the auto-syncing. Every change is local, but mirrored to the online server, and back to your other machines. Dropbox gives 2 gigs free, and you can social network your way to 8gb for free. cap

06-26-2010, 12:51 PM	#9
Dopedangel Wizard Posts: 1,765 Karma: 30063305 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Device: Boyue	If your library is less than 2gb I would recommend using dropbox (2gb is free). Any new addition you make in one computer would be added to the other automatically. The only thing is you have to remember to run calibre on one computer at a time.

07-02-2010, 02:15 PM	#12
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,032 Karma: 7257323 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	Also, make sure you turn calibre off before shutting a machine down so that dropbox can copy calibre's database. Do not shut down the machine until dropbox reports that all files are synced. While calibre is running, the database is locked, so dropbox can't copy it. Shutting down the machine will kill calibre and break the lock, but also kills dropbox. The copy may or may not have happened. The database stored in the cloud might not be the same as the database on the machine, leading to conflicts, possible data loss, and general confusion.

07-02-2010, 03:22 PM	#14
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	When you install Dropbox you will be asked to create a local Dropbox folder. Just put your Calibre library folder inside that one.

07-02-2010, 04:03 PM	#15
dcarlozzi Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony prs-505, iPad	How will the Calibre software be able to find where I moved the folder? Do I need to run the Wizard again to set up the new location of the folder?

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