MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Best way to allow for remote access of my Calibre library?

Magic815 · 05-07-2022, 03:38 PM

My current installation:
My Calibre Library and database are located on an always-on server which is on my home network:
\\xxx.xxx.x.xxx\Data\Media\EBooks

And I interface with that library from my Windows PC, where my single installation of Calibre resides. So whenever I want to add eBook(s) to my Calibre library, I turn on my Windows PC and use its Calibre install to add the book, edit the metadata, run the various plugins (Count Pages, etc.), convert to my output format of choice, and then send the eBook(s) to my device by connecting it to my Windows PC via USB.

What I'd like to do:
I'd like to be able to set up 24/7 remote access to my eBook library, so that I can also have the option to add a book to my eReader while not at home (when I don't have USB connection/access to my Windows PC).

Am I understanding that one option would be to turn on Calibre Content Server from my Windows PC Calibre install, reverse proxy to a domain I run, and that would provide me with website remote access to my library? But I'm assuming the issue is now my Windows PC needs to be on 24/7, to provide this 24/7 remote access? (And does Calibre need to be open/running on the Windows PC to keep the Content Server link going?)

Are there other avenues to allow for remote access to my Calibre library that don't require my Windows PC to now be always on? The always-on server (xxx.xxx.x.xxx) on my home network (where the library/dB resides anyways) is able to run docker containers, which would always be running. Would it make sense for me to consider running Calibre, calibre-web, or COPS as a docker container on my server - in addition to my Windows PC Calibre install? Or would there be issues with two things (my server docker and my Windows PC Calibre install) accessing the same library/dB? If that would be an issue, could there be a way to have a synced duplicate of my library/dB that the server docker container points to, while my Windows PC install sticks to interfacing with the main library/dB location? Has anyone got suggestions on how to go about this?

05-07-2022, 03:38 PM	#1
Magic815 Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 98 Join Date: May 2022 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 11th Gen (2021)	Best way to allow for remote access of my Calibre library? My current installation: My Calibre Library and database are located on an always-on server which is on my home network: \\xxx.xxx.x.xxx\Data\Media\EBooks And I interface with that library from my Windows PC, where my single installation of Calibre resides. So whenever I want to add eBook(s) to my Calibre library, I turn on my Windows PC and use its Calibre install to add the book, edit the metadata, run the various plugins (Count Pages, etc.), convert to my output format of choice, and then send the eBook(s) to my device by connecting it to my Windows PC via USB. What I'd like to do: I'd like to be able to set up 24/7 remote access to my eBook library, so that I can also have the option to add a book to my eReader while not at home (when I don't have USB connection/access to my Windows PC). Am I understanding that one option would be to turn on Calibre Content Server from my Windows PC Calibre install, reverse proxy to a domain I run, and that would provide me with website remote access to my library? But I'm assuming the issue is now my Windows PC needs to be on 24/7, to provide this 24/7 remote access? (And does Calibre need to be open/running on the Windows PC to keep the Content Server link going?) Are there other avenues to allow for remote access to my Calibre library that don't require my Windows PC to now be always on? The always-on server (xxx.xxx.x.xxx) on my home network (where the library/dB resides anyways) is able to run docker containers, which would always be running. Would it make sense for me to consider running Calibre, calibre-web, or COPS as a docker container on my server - in addition to my Windows PC Calibre install? Or would there be issues with two things (my server docker and my Windows PC Calibre install) accessing the same library/dB? If that would be an issue, could there be a way to have a synced duplicate of my library/dB that the server docker container points to, while my Windows PC install sticks to interfacing with the main library/dB location? Has anyone got suggestions on how to go about this?