[Q] Calibre settings sync between computers using dropbox

[Dopedangel]

I would like to sync my calibre settings including gui plugins using dropbox so far I have just been using dropbox to sync my library but the calibre settings between computers are different. I am using windows xp on both the computers I want the sync in so their should be no much difference.

If anyone is doing it will you please explain how to do it in easy steps.

To other helpful people that are just going to say read the manual.
Thanks but I don't want to.

[Leep]

Since you have two different installs on two different computers, I can not think of a way to automatically sync the specific settings that you have independantly chosen for each computer. The only think that I can think of that might help would to click on the little down arrow next to the preferences icon and choose "Run welcome wizard" choosing the same items on each computer. Obviously you will want to have the same version of Calibre installed on each computer.

cheers

[Dopedangel]

At the moment I just want to get the settings from my main computer that I use calibre on most of the time to the 2nd computer.
After that any settings change should sync to whatever I change to on any of the two.

One way I can think of doing that is by installing the portable calibre and using that but it is usually behind the the official calibre updates plus It would waste a lot of my dropbox space if all of calibre installed their

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

I would like to sync my calibre settings including gui plugins using dropbox so far I have just been using dropbox to sync my library but the calibre settings between computers are different. I am using windows xp on both the computers I want the sync in so their should be no much difference

I do exactly this. Calibre provides an elaborate bat file to control all variables. I have trimmed it down to just controlling the configuration location.

@echo OFF
REM CalibreRun.bat
REM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REM
REM Batch File to start a Calibre configuration on Windows
REM giving explicit control of the location of:

REM - Calibre Config Files

REM Specify the location of the Calibre Config files
REM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SET CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY=C:\My Dropbox\CalibreConfig

REM Location of calibre program files
REM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

C:
CD \Program Files\Calibre2

REM Display settings that will be used
REM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

echo CONFIG=%CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY%

REM The following gives a chance to check the settings before
REM starting Calibre. It can be commented out if not wanted.

echo "Press CTRL-C if you do not want to continue"
pause

REM Start up the calibre program.
REM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

start calibre.exe

Copy a configuration directory to your dropbox. This will be your master configuration directory, all of your plugins will reside here.

Unzip the attached batch file and place it in your dropbox. Edit the batch file so the areas above that I have placed in blue letters reflect your configuration directory and your calibre program directory.

Launch calibre via the batch file. All changes from now on will be in the configuration folder in your dropbox. Even though you will have separate installations on each computer the configuration file will now be in dropbox.

Keep in mind that if you use the Cntl R feature to restart calibre it will end up using the local configuration folder. You must always start calibre from the batch file to take advantage of one common configuration.

Future plugins will most likely include the images but if you have current plugins that have images you can create a \resources\images folder in the configuration directory and place the images there (see attached).

Create a shortcut to the batch file and set the icon to calibre.exe and you're good to go.

[Dopedangel]

Thank you seems to work.
I had to make two different bat files as my work and home computer have dropbox folder in different locations.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

Thank you seems to work.
I had to make two different bat files as my work and home computer have dropbox folder in different locations.

It is so much nicer not having to chase settings between machines.

Glad I could help.

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

Thank you seems to work.
I had to make two different bat files as my work and home computer have dropbox folder in different locations.

You might get away with one bat file if you store the bat file itself under Dropbox and use relative paths rather than absolute paths.

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by itimpi

You might get away with one bat file if you store the bat file itself under Dropbox and use relative paths rather than absolute paths.

I thought about it but was not sure if it would work

that mean instead of

SET CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY=C:\My Dropbox\CalibreConfig

I could use

SET CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY=CalibreConfig

[itimpi]

Yes as long as the batch file is at th My Dropbox level.

You can also use things like %cd%CalibreConfig to generate a full path that is relative to the location from which the barch file is being run. The batch file before modification would have used this technique to allow calibre to be run from a USB stick without having to know what drive letter had been assigned to the USB stick.