Connecting calibre to Acer Iconia Tab A500

[Ramzay]

I have calibre running under Windows 7 Universal 64-bit OS. I have a new Acer Iconia Tab A500, which is Android 3.1 tablet.

Unfortunately, also Iconia connects to PC via USB and registers itself with Windows it does it not as a removable disk, but as media device. And though manually I can do the same manipulation Iconia files in Windows Explorer as I would do with removable disk, because Windows does not assign a disk letter, calibre does not detect the device.

It was suggested to me by Kovid Goyal to use content server. So far, everything I saw on the subject is too technical and too Apache and Linux centric.

Does anybody have a step-by-step instruction how to configure calibre content server under Windows (preferably using IIS) and how to hook to an Android device with Aldiko reader?

Thank you very much.

[aruangra]

In Calibre, just click connect/share>Start Content Server

You can access your ebooks from a web browser pointing to 192.168.XX.XX:8080

If you use Aldiko in your tablet, simply add the URL to the catalog. You can seamlessly download your ebooks.

[Ramzay]

Originally Posted by aruangra

In Calibre, just click connect/share>Start Content Server

You can access your ebooks from a web browser pointing to 192.168.XX.XX:8080

If you use Aldiko in your tablet, simply add the URL to the catalog. You can seamlessly download your ebooks.

The IP address you mentioned (192.168.XX.XX:8080) did you mean the local network IP address of the computer hosting calibre content server?

I have started calibre content server, but I do not see any new localhost Web site to come up in IIS, although calibre had changed Start Content Server menu option to Stop Content Server.

[Ramzay]

Please ignore my previous post. I have figured it all out. It is really simple and everything works just beautifully. Thank you very much.

[rionada]

What was the "easy solution"?
I can't get my Calibre (windows 7 computer) to recognize my A500.
Thanks

[theducks]

Originally Posted by rionada

What was the "easy solution"?
I can't get my Calibre (windows 7 computer) to recognize my A500.
Thanks

Content servers NEVER recognize devices.
Content server is a web page that any browser can acces ti download books (no upload, no edit anything... Just content)

[rionada]

Sorry, but I'm new to this and I have no idea what you just said has to do with getting Calibre to recognize my Iconia. From what I gather - this can be accomplished. What I need to know is how. And since I am new to Android tablets - I need rather specific instructions. Can anyone help out?... Please, please, please.

[ClairePMR]

Originally Posted by aruangra

In Calibre, just click connect/share>Start Content Server

You can access your ebooks from a web browser pointing to 192.168.XX.XX:8080

If you use Aldiko in your tablet, simply add the URL to the catalog. You can seamlessly download your ebooks.

I'm another new android tablet user and have done exactly as you suggested here using Aldiko. I can easily see all of my Calibre library content on my tablet, but every time I try to download one of the files, the download fails. Any ideas what might be causing that? My tablet is Android 2.3, if that makes a difference.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cklls

I'm another new android tablet user and have done exactly as you suggested here using Aldiko. I can easily see all of my Calibre library content on my tablet, but every time I try to download one of the files, the download fails. Any ideas what might be causing that? My tablet is Android 2.3, if that makes a difference.

you can NOT have a password set (in Calibre Content server preferences) with Android browsers

[ClairePMR]

Well, that did the trick! Thank you, and Karma to you!!!

[blak4dr]

rionada, the truth of the matter is that you cannot connect the Iconia to your computer in a way that calibre will recognize it, so you have to find a workaround.

To do this, you will need to use a feature calibre called the content server. It is basically a website setup by calibre that will allow you to access the content of your library and download books in your favorite reading app.

In the past, I have used Aldiko to read my books, but nowadays, I have switched to Mantano. They both have the needed feature to access opds catalogs.

Now let us walk you through it:

- Start calibre.
- Access the preferences page.
- In the Sharing section, click sharing over the net. You have now access to the content server page.
- Leave the default options and most definitely do not put any username and password (as android has trouble with identification in that matter).
- In the middle of the page, you have a "start server" button. Press it. Your content server is started.

- LEAVE CALIBRE RUNNING !!! if you close it, the content server will close. There is a way to start it independently, but you will have to figure it out elsewhere

Now your tablet.

I don't know what you reading software is, but there are now two ways to access your library.

Your library is now on the air. I expect that you have a wifi network at home for your iconia. That is what you will use.

- requirement: to have easy access, you need the network name of the computer running calibre. This is easily found -- and corrected if necessary -- in the system properties of your computer. Mine is t130 (I set it up this way to have easy access), so I will take that as an example. Replace t130 with your computer names in the address I will give.

- Now that you have your computer name, we will access the content server. There are two different ways. Through your internet browser or directly from your reading app if it supports the feature.

- Internet browser: start your browser and type in the address bar:
http://t130:8080/browse

then browse. You have access to your library. Download the books and then import them into your reading app.

- reading app: you need to have an app that supports opds catalogs, like Aldiko or Mantano for example (but there are others). Access the catalog page and setup new catalogue that you can call calibre or whatever you like. for an address, use:
http://t130:8080/opds

Then you can access your library and import books directly from there.

I hope this helps you.

[mayoi]

Originally Posted by blak4dr

Then you can access your library and import books directly from there.

I hope this helps you.

This was so easy! I set up both the standard browser and Aldiko on my Transformer and it works perfectly. Thanks and karma to you!

[blak4dr]

You are most welcome