Linux/Windows (dual boot) using same Calibre db?

[patrik]

Is it safe to use and update the same Calibre Library from a dual boot system. Sometimes from Windows and sometimes from Linux (but never the same time of course). Calibre versions would be kept the same (I assume there would be cases I may forget and there would be one version between for a short period of time).

The library would be on ntfs, local disk.

[BetterRed]

Calibre versions shouldn't pose a problem, the core data base is very stable, caveat: some plugins add tables to the database - you'd want to keep them in synch too.

Hopefully using NTFS should avoid file system rule differences - e.g. case sensitivty, non ascii names, path lengths etc - I would do some testing to make sure.

BR

[JSWolf]

I would stick with only running Calibre under Windows as that's where it works best and you don't have to worry about permissions and case issues since Linux is case sensitive and Windows is not.

So you could end up creating multiple directories because of different case in Linux and then have an issue with Windows because of this. So stick with just Windows and do not run Calibre in Linux.

[patrik]

Thanks BR, hopefully Kovid will chime in if their is something else that could corrupt or make problems.

John, I understand you position. I'm a linux user and have happily been using Calibre on linux for many years. I'm also having a Windows instance, and it would be nice to have the same library, since it's on the same computer anyway. (And the lib is too large to keep synching with a master copy, which would be easy if the lib was small.)

If no one gives a technical reason not to do it, I'll probably go ahead and do it and see what happens. (I got backup.)

[kovidgoyal]

path length limits are enforced on windows not linux, so you can end up with files that are inaccessible on windows. And you have to make sure the NTFS volume is mounted case-insensitively on linux.

[patrik]

OK, thanks.

[Adoby]

Using a calibre library varying from Linux and Windows may, because of the differences between the filesystems mentioned above, lead to silent corruption of the calibre library.

You update metadata and add new books and things look fine for months. But slowly book formats are orphaned in folders that look, but are not, identical to another folder. I've been there.

One possible fix is to move all the books to another library. And then manually move the books left orphaned and abandoned.

This problem was one reason (not the only) why I stopped using Windows at home. Now, for some years, I have only used Linux (and some Android) at home.

Apart from poor sleep, some twitching and extreme sensitivity to penguins, I have not had any pr

[PTrenholme]

I've been doing it for years without significant problems. Even with libraries on USB drives, or on various servers. In fact, my main library is on a server on my local network, and mountable from any system that can run Calibre. (Well, perhaps not any system. Is there an Android version of Calibre available? Now that 1Tb microSD chips are "a thing," any "no space for a full Android Calibre" seems moot.)

[Gandulf]

I will only be using windows for KFX conversion, so is seems it should be ok to do it?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Gandulf

I will only be using windows for KFX conversion, so is seems it should be ok to do it?

You should be able to get away with that. One of my co-workers has his main library on Linux and a Windows VM which he uses for creating KFX for his Kindles. However he is not sharing the entire library, the books imported into his Linux calibre instance, metadata & editing are done and then they are saved to disk. On the Windows VM, they are imported into calibre and re-saved to disk after conversion.

Originally, he did share the entire library but after a bad experience with, I suspect, case sensitivity issues corrupting his library, he went with his current setup.

[Gandulf]

Thx, won't risk entire library so will creating a blank new library that is shared and after conversion to KFX then copied to my full library. Or is that still a risk?

[rantanplan]

I recommend putting the library on a BTRFS disk. The NTFS driver for Linux is not as fast as the https://github.com/maharmstone/btrfs driver for Windows.

I've been using a similar setup for my Steam library, I install all my games on a shared library and can access the BTRFS drive from both systems. No problem at all.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Gandulf

Thx, won't risk entire library so will creating a blank new library that is shared and after conversion to KFX then copied to my full library. Or is that still a risk?

It might be a risk to that shared library but I suspect a minimal risk.

[theducks]

IIRC there may be filename CASE issues if you add in Linux. Linux will not found have issues.

The other thing I ran into dual booting is TIME. Win sets Clock time into the clock. Linux does UTC and uses TZ to display time

There are Registry tweaks for both

[gbm]

Originally Posted by Gandulf

Thx, won't risk entire library so will creating a blank new library that is shared and after conversion to KFX then copied to my full library. Or is that still a risk?

My recommendation is not to do dual boot but set up a Windows VM. You can set up shared folders that can be access by both you Linux OS and your Windows VM. E.G. you set up a shared folder that is Your Windows calibre auto load folder. Then just use Save to Disk from your Linux calibre to export the Ebook you want to be in KFX. Then you open you windows VM open calibre your ebook is auto imported, run convert, then use Save to Disk to export your KFX formatted ebook to a shared folder--do not use your auto load folder--then just click back to your Linux calibre and drag and drop your kfx back your book detailsl panel with the original format.


This was my solution for Kindle and ADE until last November.

bernie