Does anyone have a launchd script for calibre-server?

[offby1]

I want to run calibre-server headless on my media centre Mac mini, using launchd. Does anyone already have an ideal launchd configuration for it, or should I go about prepping one?

[abigagli]

Hi, hope this doesn't come too late, but I was looking for the same thing and couldn't find an answer, so I figured it out looking at Apple documentation here: http://developer.apple.com/mac/libra...ndDaemons.html.
Applying what the docs says, I came out with something like the following property list which I saved (as root and with root:wheel owner) in /Library/LaunchDaemons/calibre_server.plist:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>calibre_server</string>
<key>OnDemand</key>
<true/>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/usr/bin/calibre-server</string>
<string>--port=[Choose your port]</string>
<string>--timeout=[Choose your timeout]</string>
<string>--password=[Choose your password]</string>
<string>--username=[Choose your username]</string>
<string>--with-library=[Choose your path to Calibre Library]</string>
</array>
<key>WorkingDirectory</key>
<string>[Suggest to put here /Users/Your_username]</string>
</dict>
</plist>

And now I have launchd automatically start calibre-server whenever I try to connect to it.
Hope this helps,
Andrea.

[paul55391]

The property list offered by abigagli didn't work for me. I modified the plist file by replacing "OnDemand" with "KeepAlive" and that worked.

[ssholloway]

paul55391: I tried using this daemon plist with KeepAlive as you suggested but it's not working. When I try to connect to 192.158.x.x:8080, which is where I have calibre set up, Safari returns a "can't open page" error. The calibre server is on a MacMini running Mavericks and I'm trying to connect on a MacAir, also running Mavericks. Both Chrome and Firefox return the same error. I also checked the list of daemons running on the Mini using launchctl and the calibre server does not show up. Did you have to make any other non-obvious changes to get this to work on your system?

[paul55391]

@ssholloway: I have two calibre libraries on an external drive that is attached to my Mac mini running Server. I'm trying to get calibre-server (the calibre content server) automatically started when the Mac mini boots. I have been unsuccessful, but the following plist file starts up calibre-server. (You will need to edit it to agree with whatever parameters you set up in calibre.) (It's similar to the one posted on this thread by abigagli, but which wouldn't work for me. Of course, I changed abigagli's file with appropriate values instead of the square-bracketed stuff.) (Note: The original plist file indents but I'm not sure how to preserve the indenting; I think there's a way to do that but I don't remember how.)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>KeepAlive</key>
<true/>
<key>Label</key>
<string>local.calibre_server_8080</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/Applications/calibre.app/Contents/MacOS/calibre-server</string>
<string>--port=8080</string>
<string>--timeout=10</string>
<string>--username=calibre</string>
<string>--password=egbdfa!</string>
<string>--with-library=/Volumes/WD3TB/Calibre Library</string>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>

[ssholloway]

@paul55391: Thanks. I'll give your plist a try this weekend. One thing I noticed you did that I didn't was to input the full path for the calibre-server executable.

[paul55391]

I posted on another thread too. Sorry, I shouldn't have. I should add that the list file(s) need to be set or it won't be processed.

Of course, you also need to set up "port forwarding" (alias, "port mapping") in your router. If you have an Apple Extreme router, I can provide the simple details if you can't figure it out.

I think you do need the full path name.

[ssholloway]

Originally Posted by paul55391

. . . I should add that the list file(s) need to be set or it won't be processed.

Thanks. I didn't understand this sentence about list file(s) but the rest of the post was clear.

At the moment, I'm just experimenting on my LAN. I use Back-to-My-Mac for VPN to my Mini (server), which has worked in the past to give me WAN access for calibre-server so I'm not sure I need to set up my Extreme any differently than it is now.

[paul55391]

The sentence should read: "I should add that the ownership for the plist file(s) needs to be set or it won't be processed." Sorry.

I used:
sudo chown root:wheel local.calibre_server_8080.plist
sudo chown root:wheel local.calibre_server_8081.plist