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#1 |
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Can I rsync my library?
My laptop was my daily driver for 7ish years, then about six months back I finally built a proper new desktop tower. I did a one-time export of my Calibre configs and libraries over to the new desktop with the assumption that it would become my daily driver, but for various reasons it continues to be my laptop. Now the library is out of sync again.
Both the laptop and the PC are running Linux. Can I safely rsync the Calibre Library directory between the two endpoints directly? This would be easier than my current method of using a flash-drive go-between (e.g. rsyncing from laptop -> flash drive, then flash-drive -> desktop). I had heard it was a bad idea to try to rsync across different OS's, but if they're both Linux, I'm assuming it should be fine? |
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#2 |
the rook, bossing Never.
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It seems fine doing a one-way rysnc, But I only change stuff on one Linux box. Also I use a preset settings via grsync that only overwrites old files and never removes anything.
You may end up with extra caltrash, or extra stuff, so occasionally I do an export, copy that to server, delete calibre library on server and laptop and then (g)rysnc. The export is then an archive. I might delete an archives export after a new one is made. Keep both Linux and Calibre at same revision. I do also have a test linux box and a VM with Win10 (but only a few ebooks on that) out of curiosity. I use my workstation which has a 4K screen and UPS. I rsync to a server. I rsync from that to a laptop if I'm going out somewhere, and then I don't change anything on Calibre. I might edit or write LO Writer or plain text when out, and then manually copy via lan back to workstation. I also do backups using Timeshift and direct copies to Ext4 USB HDD. |
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#3 |
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Looking at screenshots of grsync--does it have the ability to do a verbose dry-run before running like the cmdline does?
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#4 |
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FreeFileSync works very well and can do a one way sync. It's very easy to use. There is a Linux version.
Given that both are Linux, it will be fine. https://freefilesync.org |
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#5 |
Resident Curmudgeon
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#6 |
the rook, bossing Never.
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#7 |
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Just to confirm: which file is the Calibre database itself? Is it the metadata.db file? Is there anything else I need to copy over?
I installed grsync and did the laptop->flash drive->computer sync, and could see that it mostly moved only new books since my last export/restore (along with a bunch of metadata files in the ebook folders, and inexplicably some EPUBs that are very old--dunno if the folder name changed or if rsync detected some file corruption, or what). But Calibre itself is not showing any of the new books. I opened the metadata.db file in a sqlite browser and I can see none of the new books are in the data table, so I'm assuming that file failed to copy over for some reason. |
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#8 |
Custom User Title
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metadata.db is the database, yes.
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#9 |
Well trained by Cats
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The whole folder is The Library.
It is a Hybrid. The DB MUST be in lockstep with those other files. Those names and (ID) are stored in the DB. That is why the rule about messing under the skirt as even the tiniest change can break the linkage. Incremental (mirror) backups, copy all changed items (the files along with the DB) |
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#10 | |
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Quote:
The library is the folder that contains metadata.db and any other files in that folder and all subfolders and all files under that folder. |
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#11 |
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No, not at all. metadata.db is *a* database, but it is not *the* calibre database. The calibre db is all the folders and subfolders and all the files, starting from the folder containing metadata.db. THAT is the calibre db. All of it.
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#12 |
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Not necessarily. The CALIBRE_OVERRIDE_DATABASE_PATH environment variable allows for having the metadata.db in a separate location than the library files.
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#13 | |
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Quote:
But the point remains. The library is part of the complete database. If you move files around inside those folders, the metadata.db will no longer match. So both the metadata.db and all the "library" files need to be from the same point in time. Simplest to just treat them *all* as "the database". |
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#14 |
null operator (he/him)
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We don't refer to a bricks and mortar library as a catalogue or card index. If you asked me about a calibre 'database', I might ask which 'database'?
All calibre libraries have at least two files which are regarded as 'databases' -- metadata.db and .calnotes.notes.db, and some libraries can have another two -- full-text-search.db and metadata_pre_restore.db. Added: Dataset would be a good word to refer to a calibre library in the abstract. BR Last edited by BetterRed; 04-29-2024 at 12:20 AM. |
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#15 |
Wizard
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I rsync my Calibre installation to a remote computer a couple times a day. Been doing this for years. Never ever had a problem, even when I accidentally left Calibre running on the source machine.
My specific set up:
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Tags |
linux, rsync |
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