Need help removing duplicate libraries

[eric.n.tech]

Hi everyone! I have a had a very annoying issue with Eagle for a while now. The issue is that I have a duplicate of many libraries. My actual lbr folder in Eagle 8.2.1 only has a single copy of all the .lbr files. However, if I go to the library manager in the available tab, it shows two of most libraries. For each library there is one which is in the lbr folder, and then another one which says it is in (urn:adsk.eagle:library:* some number*) there is also a an icon next to these libraries. Below is a screenshot showing the manage libraries tab. Any help is much appreciated.

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @eric.n.tech,

I hope you're doing well. This has popped up for a few users. Here is the procedure to remove the duplicate libraries.

1. Close EAGLE

2. Delete your eaglerc.usr file, you can find it at C:\Users\your_account_name\AppData\Roaming\CadSoft\EAGLE  (on Mac and Linux it can be found at ~/.eaglerc).

3. Go to C:\Users\your_account_name\AppData\Roaming\eagle\lbr and delete everything. ( on Mac the directory is ~/Library/Application Support/eagle/lbr and on Linux the directory is ~/.local/share/eagle/lbr)

Now restart EAGLE, you should no longer see duplication of the managed libraries. Any custom libraries you might have will not be affected by this because by default you can store libraries to these special folders now. I encourage you to keep any custom libraries in a location like the eagle folder in documents. EAGLE expects this folder to exist and will always look for it. This minimizes the need to have to move files around every time you update.

Please accept as solution if my post fully resolves your issue, or reply with additional details if the problem persists.

Also let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[eric.n.tech]

Thank you very much for the detailed reply!

Unfortunately after I follow those steps, the duplicate libraries still show in Eagle. It seems that once I delete the libraries at C:\Users\your_account_name\AppData\Roaming\eagle\lbr and the scr file, Eagle just remakes the same library files. So one question I have is: Are those library files the default ones that come with Eagle? I have checked my Lbr folder that is located at C:\EAGLE 8.2.1\lbr , and that folder contains all my custom libraries and some of the same as are located in C:\Users\your_account_name\AppData\Roaming\eagle\lbr. E.g the library "19 inch" is located in both library locations. Could that be the problem?

[rachaelATWH4]

Deleted as I was wrong....

[jorge_garcia · Accepted solution]

Hi @eric.n.tech,

That could totally be the problem. I think some more explanations are in order. Assume you have never installed EAGLE before. When you first install 8.2.1 EAGLE ships with the default set of libraries stored inside the cache folder. The idea here is that you don't have to be connected to the internet in order to have libraries. The lbr folder inside EAGLE's installation directory will be empty with the exception of the ltspice libraries if you are on a Windows machine.

When you install, the first thing that happens is that EAGLE copies the libraries from the cache folder to that AppData folder and EAGLE references them from there. The idea behind this is that the Managed libraries (read online libraries) are protected from modification. If they are modified then future associations with 3D models will fail and all sorts of other issues will arise.

If you have copied libraries from previous installations of EAGLE into the lbr folder well now you will have two copies of many libraries. You will have the one from the managed set and the one you copied to the lbr folder. Ideally the only thing you would have in the lbr folder are your personal libraries. The default EAGLE libraries will now be under the Managed library section and you can use those as a reference source for creating your own components. 

For your situation, I would recommend cleaning the lbr folder so that you only have your own custom libraries in it.

Please accept as solution if my post fully resolves your issue, or reply with additional details if the problem persists.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[eric.n.tech]

Ah, yeah that makes sense then. I have copied my lbr folder from previous version of eagle whenever I update, so that will be how it happened. 

Thanks for the great help!

[cdenneyB9ZMH]

Hi Jorge,

I had this same issue and what you proposed worked for me. But in your answer you mentioned something that kind of bums me out.

"I encourage you to keep any custom libraries in a location like the eagle folder in documents. EAGLE expects this folder to exist and will always look for it. This minimizes the need to have to move files around every time you update."

So now I understand that really, you must manage all of the user generated data in this folder. However, I really wanted to be able to use Dropbox or another similar solution to store my user generated data in. The reason for this is 3 fold

1. As a means of backup in case something should happen to my hard drive

2. As a means of syncing projects so that I can work on them from any computer. Not just my work computer but also my home computer, etc.

3. As a safety net in case I completely screw up a design and want to revert to an old version. The paid version of Dropbox keeps a revision history of all documents.

Is there any solution that EAGLE supports to be able to use Dropbox or another similar service? It sounds like it really wants me to keep everything in the Documents folder.

Thanks

-Chris

[rachaelATWH4]

---

@cdenneyB9ZMH wrote:

Hi Jorge,

I had this same issue and what you proposed worked for me. But in your answer you mentioned something that kind of bums me out.

"I encourage you to keep any custom libraries in a location like the eagle folder in documents. EAGLE expects this folder to exist and will always look for it. This minimizes the need to have to move files around every time you update."

So now I understand that really, you must manage all of the user generated data in this folder. However, I really wanted to be able to use Dropbox or another similar solution to store my user generated data in. The reason for this is 3 fold

1. As a means of backup in case something should happen to my hard drive

2. As a means of syncing projects so that I can work on them from any computer. Not just my work computer but also my home computer, etc.

3. As a safety net in case I completely screw up a design and want to revert to an old version. The paid version of Dropbox keeps a revision history of all documents.

Is there any solution that EAGLE supports to be able to use Dropbox or another similar service? It sounds like it really wants me to keep everything in the Documents folder.

Thanks

-Chris

---

Hi Chris,

No need to be bummed out! 

Jorge, actually said "like" the eagle folder in documents. However, you can put things wherever you like, you just need to update the directory settings from the EAGLE control panel under Options -> Directories...

I have an ECAD folder stored in a shared location (this could be dropbox, it's not in my case but it could be) and under that folder have my own lbr, scr, ulp, etc. I then add these paths to the directory settings. If you want to add additional directories to the default ones its a colon separated list in each section. I've removed the default lbr folder (now redundant in v8.2 as there are managed libs instead) from the list as I never use the EAGLE built in libraries. This setup has been working perfectly for me and all the directory setups migrate automatically to any new version of EAGLE you install. 

Best Regards,

Rachael

[cdenneyB9ZMH]

Thanks Rachael!

I had done that before but somehow in the process I ended up with all of these duplicate libraries. I assumed it was related to that. I can try this again though.

I too do not use any of the built in EAGLE libraries. An old timer who's been doing design work for decades told me "Never trust a footprint you didn't draw yourself." <----- Words of wisdom!

-Chris

[rachaelATWH4]

---

@cdenneyB9ZMH wrote:

I too do not use any of the built in EAGLE libraries. An old timer who's been doing design work for decades told me "Never trust a footprint you didn't draw yourself." <----- Words of wisdom!

---

They are truly wise words which I too follow strictly! 

Give the directory setup a go and if you run into any issues then stick a new question thread up here and I'm sure we'll be able to get it resolved for you 

[cdenneyB9ZMH]

Ok I've done that, but now something happened that has set me OCD ablaze! See the attached screenshot. EAGLE is now displaying two different Project folders. I'd prefer it it just showed the Projects in my Dropbox directory and nowhere else. 

[rachaelATWH4]

It's because you have got both directories listed in the directories setup for the projects path. If you don't want the original one, remove it rather than : separating it.

Best Regards,

Rachael

[cdenneyB9ZMH]

Ah-Ha!!!! I totally assumed that only one directory could be chosen for each field. Didn't realize that you could separate them by semi-colon. That's great. Thank you.

[cdenneyB9ZMH]

Ok, here's another issue I've been having. I'd had this before when I was using Dropbox. Whenever I try to save something I get an error (screenshot attached). If I just escape out of it and save again, it saves just fine. This happens at least 50% of the time that I try to save so at least it's repeatable. Anybody else having this issue?

[rachaelATWH4]

I use iCloud Drive on macOS and also Google Drive and have never seen this issue. I've not tried EAGLE with dropbox as I don't use it but as iCloud and Google seem fine I suspect this is a dropbox issue.

Best Regards,

Rachael

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @cdenneyB9ZMH,

I hope you're doing well. This type of error usually pops up when there is a permissions issue of some sort. Error Code 32 is unfamiliar to me, I'll talk to one of the devs to see if they can tell me what that error code specifically means.

Make sure there aren't any restrictions on writing to the directory you are trying to reach.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[cdenneyB9ZMH]

Hi @jorge_garcia

What's interesting is that if I cancel out of that error, and then click Cancel when it prompts me for a new save operation, if I just try saving again, it works fine. So I suspect that Dropbox is doing something that gives EAGLE a headache. 

-Chris

[jorge_garcia]

Hi Chris,

I spoke to the dev and he said that the error code is likely Dropbox giving EAGLE some trouble. It comes from some low level permission issue. EAGLE doesn't keep files open longer than necessary, his theory is that dropbox isn't releasing the files quickly enough and that's why you get the error the first time but not the second time you try to save.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,