Is it OK to overwrite/update Calibre for large version jumps?

[haertig]

Is it safe/appropriate to update Calibre from version 5.44 to 7.17.0 on Linux by just overwriting the existing 5.44 install using the normal wget method? That's kind of a big version jump and I don't want to accidentally damage my library or mangle existing settings due to some incompatibility. I realize that I would/should have to download and reinstall newer versions of plug-ins.

I have always overwritten older versions in the past - never encountering any problems - but never for a version jump this large (two major releases). I do remember a large Calibre change in internals in the past, but I think that was between version 4 and version 5 (?) I don't remember that causing problems in Calibre itself, but there were problems with the DeDRM plug-in (probably others as well) until they were updated to work with the new Calibre internals.

My library and settings are backed up and I could restore that if there was damage, but I'd rather not have to do this if it's a known thing that overwriting large version jumps is not proper upgrade protocol.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[DNSB]

I would make sure you have a good backup of the library and configuration files before doing the update. I have jumped multiple versions in testing without issue but always feel happier if I have a backup. As the old IT saw goes, the best way not to need a backup is to have one.

[theducks]

IIRC Calibre detects Library schema changes and UPDATES it.
That said, Those changes now make it difficult to revert (use) to an older version of Calibre.
Heed the Backup advice (You really should be doing that already )

[PeterT]

Out of curiosity is the old install from the distribution's repository or from a manual install?

If the repository I'd suggest an uninstall via the package manager followed by the manual install

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

[haertig]

It was a manual install. Using the standard command recommended by Calibre:

sudo -v && wget -nv -O- https://download.calibre-ebook.com/linux-installer.sh | sudo sh /dev/stdin

[haertig]

Originally Posted by theducks

IIRC Calibre detects Library schema changes and UPDATES it.

This is what I would expect.

That said, Those changes now make it difficult to revert (use) to an older version of Calibre.

This could be an issue. Not for Calibre - I don't think I'll need to go back to a previous version - but for a different program I use as the web interface for my family. I use "Calibre-Web". Similar name, but this is not the official Calibre.

My main Calibre instance is on my desktop computer. The only thing that touches this master database is Calibre, and that is only run by me. But as I exit Calibre, an rsync of the entire database is done to a separate computer. On that separate computer, Calibre-Web provides my web presence from its rsync'ed copy. The sync'ing I do is one-way, always from desktop master installation to second computer for web presentation.

However, if the Calibre database on my desktop is updated to a newer schema that Calibre-Web does not understand, I will have a breakage there. This has never happened, but the version of Calibre-Web I run is similar in age to the version of Calibre I run on my desktop. The fix for an incompatible schema (hopefully!) would be to simply upgrade Calibre-Web. I believe Calibre-Web is still under active development, but I haven't looked in a while.

The reason why I don't automatically update Calibre to the newest version (I used to always do that) is because my current setup is passing the database between two different programs that are by two different developers that are not coordinated (not to my knowledge anyway). So, if I have something that works, I tend to leave it in its working condition and not tempt fate by upgrading if an upgrade doesn't fix or add a feature that I need. The reason I am considering upgrading now is simply because it has been so long since I last did. "Don't fix what isn't broken" is a good way of handling upgrades, but only to a point. You do eventually want to upgrade, just "because".

Heed the Backup advice (You really should be doing that already

In addition to the above rsync'ing from my desktop to the separate computer (which isn't a backup), I do formal backups every night to a third server. This includes the entire Calibre database and programs. And both my desktop Calibre instance and my separate server Calibre instance are redundantly backed up. These backups are done every 24 hours and each backup is kept for 90 days. Additionally, every 30 days the daily backup is flagged for longer term retention (in my case, I have chosen one year). So I have daily backups of the database for 90 days, and monthly backups for one year. Redundantly stored, since they're coming from two different computers.

My missing link is having a backup off-site. These three computers I have mentioned above are all in my house. So if my house burns down, everything goes. I used to have off-site working. I had another server over at my moms place. But unfortunately she passed away and with her went my off-site backup setup. I've been meaning to re-setup my off-site - probably to my sons house - but I haven't done that yet. I should put more urgency on getting it done. I know I could do it to some purchased computer instance in the cloud, but I'm too cheap to give that serious thought, as well as too paranoid to put my data on anybody elses computer than my own that I have sole control over. I do know how to implement encryption to work around "somebody elses computer", but now we're starting to get a little complex for my family. I am the family "I.T. Department" and if I die, good luck for them finding my backup instance up in the cloud, let alone figure out how to decrypt things. So I have to strike a balance between security and "the family could do this themselves if they had to". When I'm dealing with my own computers, in locations that don't have general public access (like family members homes), encryption of everything is not a big concern for me. I do encrypt sensitive stuff though, no matter where it resides.

I'd call this overkill, but that's what I do. Disk space is cheap, so why not? I do this for all my stuff, not just for Calibre.

[DNSB]

Much the same here as the family IT department. I do have an open in event of my death or disappearance envelope with the login credentials and other information for anyone who is going to attempt to follow me.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Much the same here as the family IT department. I do have an open in event of my death or disappearance envelope with the login credentials and other information for anyone who is going to attempt to follow me.

I have an "In the Event of my Death" folder on the desktop screen of my computer. Over the years I have attempted all kinds of documentation aimed at the family. Trying to explain things like where their movies are coming from. "That's a Plex installation running in a Docker container fronted by an NGINX reverse proxy running on this Linux server". As I looked at these attempts at documentation, I finally realized that I might as well have written them in Swahili, as much good as they'd do the family. So I added an addendum - "Call Randy - he knows Linux - and tell him 'Here's the root password'. Good Luck!"