Desktop shortcut to ebook?

[lphilpot]

This seems like a FAQ but so far I've not found it, if so.

I'm on Windows 11 and would like to create desktop / menu shortcuts to books I've added to Calibre -- To load them into the document viewer without launching the full GUI.

Is the only option to manually create a shortcut calling ebook-viewer.exe with the explicit path to the book file inside my Calibre library? I'm hoping there's something a bit more integrated...

Thanks.

[kovidgoyal]

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/url_scheme.html

[BetterRed]

Be aware: if you click on shortcut with a calibre://view-book link then:

• if its not already started the calibre library manager will start in the library specified in the link.
• if calibre library manager is already started then, if its not already there, it will switch to the library specified in the link.

I have handful of books that I refer to frequently, I use regular shortcuts to the file for those.

BR

[lphilpot]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Be aware: if you click on shortcut with a calibre://view-book link then:

• if its not already started the calibre library manager will start in the library specified in the link.
• if calibre library manager is already started then, if its not already there, it will switch to the library specified in the link.

Yes, I discovered that when I tried the calibre:// approach before posting my question. It works, but the manager launches in the process. Calling ebook-viewer.exe directly works, it's just a little more specific effort since the actual file must be found and specified.

Thanks.

[Quoth]

I'd export, "Save to disk" and then a regular shortcut. It's best to pretend the books in the library can only be accessed via Calibre.

[lphilpot]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I'd export, "Save to disk" and then a regular shortcut. It's best to pretend the books in the library can only be accessed via Calibre.

I already have books saved elsewhere, so I can always access them outside calibre. I'd add my voice to the requests for optionally linked vs. copied books except it's already a moot point, but I digress.

I guess what I could do is just use ebook-viewer.exe exclusively and keep a folder of shortcuts for books as needed. I don't have that many and I don't need any cross-document searching capabilities, etc.

Thanks.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by lphilpot

I already have books saved elsewhere, so I can always access them outside calibre. I'd add my voice to the requests for optionally linked vs. copied books except it's already a moot point, but I digress.

I guess what I could do is just use ebook-viewer.exe exclusively and keep a folder of shortcuts for books as needed. I don't have that many and I don't need any cross-document searching capabilities, etc.

Thanks.

If the calibre designer had wanted to prevent users accessing THEIR data he would have made it hard to do so, instead he made it easy - Press O et voilà… then:

• Don't like the name, right click, select Properties and change it.
• Don't like the icon, right click, select Properties and change it.
• Want to give it a hotkey, right click, select Properties and do so.
• Want to move the shortcut, go right ahead.
• Want to change the content of target, go right ahead, just don't change the name or location.
• And, if you can edit the target you could put a calibre://show-book link into it.

BR