Calibre won't connect to iTunes (OS X)

[GRiker]

You can use calibre's content server (search the forum), or you can save books to your desktop from calibre, then add them to iTunes manually.

G

[Debra Hanff]

Sorry, I'm such an IT 'greenie' that I can't follow much of the discussion above. All I know is that calibre and iTunes no longer connect for me since 10.6.3. iTunes. How do I connect my iPad to Calibre's content server? I don't understand this instruction. Can someone break it down for me step-by-step?

[adrianne]

I'm a techie, and I had to dig for a while to find the answers.
http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq.html has most of the steps. I've cut and pasted them here for convenience.

On your Calibre server/laptop/desktop computer:
The easiest way to browse your calibre collection on your Apple device (iPad/iPhone/iPod) is by using the calibre content server, which makes your collection available over the net. First perform the following steps in calibre

Set the Preferred Output Format in calibre to EPUB (The output format can be set under Preferences->Interface->Behavior)
Set the output profile to iPad (this will work for iPhone/iPods as well), under Preferences->Conversion->Common Options->Page Setup
Convert the books you want to read on your iPhone to EPUB format by selecting them and clicking the Convert button.
Turn on the Content Server in calibre‘s preferences and leave calibre running.
Now on your iPad/iPhone you have two choices, use either iBooks (version 1.2 and later) or Stanza (version 3.0 and later). Both are available free from the app store.

This part isn't in the FAQ:
If you're on a Mac, you'll need to figure out your IP address. To do that, click on the apple in the upper left corner of your screen, then "System Preferences" then "Network" which is under "Internet and Wireless". In the left column, click on the network connection option you use. In the righthand box, it will say "Status: Connected" And something similar to, "Wi-Fi is connected to network and has the IP address 192.168.1.2"

On your iPad:
Start the Safari browser and type in the IP address and port of the computer running the calibre server, like this:

http://192.168.1.2:8080/
Replace 192.168.1.2 with the local IP address of the computer running calibre [the address found in system preferences/network]. If you have changed the port the calibre content server is running on, you will have to change 8080 as well to the new port. The local IP address is the IP address you computer is assigned on your home network. A quick Google search will tell you how to find out your local IP address.

You will see a list of books in Safari, just click on the epub link for whichever book you want to read, Safari will then prompt you to open it with iBooks.

I clicked on "Open in ..." and it let me choose one of the several eReaders that I'm test driving on my iPad.

Hope this helps!

[Jane87]

Thank you adrianne, that is very helpful. I am not a techie either, so how do I find my port?

Thanks!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Jane87

Thank you adrianne, that is very helpful. I am not a techie either, so how do I find my port?

Thanks!

Look at what you set it at in Preferences: Sharing: over the net
Remember to open (allow) that port to Calibre.exe Incoming in your firewall

[Jane87]

Thank you for your reply thducks, when I go to Sharing there is nothing. When I choose Internet Sharing, it says

Internet Sharing: Off
You cannot start Internet Sharing because you have not selected a port to share you connection.

Share your connection from: Airport

To computers using: On | Ports
___ | Ethernet
___ | Firewire

If I choose Ethernet (which I don't know if that is right, I just know my iPad is not connected by Firewire) I can turn on the Internet Sharing but it still doesn't provide me with a port number.

Thanks!

[PeterT]

You should be looking in calibre's preferences, not the Mac's....

[Jane87]

Oooh! Thank You PeterT!

I found it.

[GRiker]

Originally Posted by mwheinz

If you google for "itunes 10.6.3 applescript" you'll see developers complaining on stackoverflow, (http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...90383#11090383) and users complaining about their scripts breaking (http://www.leancrew.com/all-this/201...hon-appscript/).

Thanks to these links posted by mwheinz, I discovered a temporary solution that allows calibre to connect to iTunes 10.6.3 (OS X). With Kovid's help, I've submitted the necessary patches which will be included in the next release of calibre (0.8.58).

I can't emphasize enough that this is a temporary (and not very elegant) solution. Apple has made it very clear that they intend to limit inter-app communications for security purposes.

G

[Devon]

Thank you!

[drlolly]

Many thanks for this.
I have an iPad and it is so frustrating getting files on and off it. iTunes is something that I have decided I detest. Now I can't connect Calibre to iTunes. Instead of turning me off Calibre, it is turning me off the iPad and iTunes.
So many thanks if you can get it to work again.
If I use the content server in the meantime, will it take up time and lots of Megabytes to transfer the books from Calibre to iPad?
Or should I wait for your solution?

[GRiker]

The next release of calibre with restored ability to connect to iTunes 10.6.3 should be released in the next day or so.

Using the content server is a simple way to quickly browse your library and transfer eBooks to your iDevice without using iTunes, but the full metadata is not transferred, only the title and author information. The size of the eBook on the iDevice is the same regardless of which approach you use.

Either way delivers eBooks to your iDevice, it's up to you which approach to use. You can also mix your usage, you don't have to always do it the same way. Use the approach that's more convenient at the moment.

G

[drlolly]

this has been v helpful
thanks so much

[drlolly]

fantastic.
put 2 books on using content server.
Maybe there is a way to completely avoid iTunes.
Any ideas as to how to back up the other way from iBooks to Calibre?

[unboggling]

GRiker, thanks for the temporary fix. Works well for me.