Sync protocol documentation?

friflaj · 01-13-2015, 06:18 AM

Is the protocol Calibre Companion uses documented? I'd like to mimic the server side so I can make CC work with my reference manager, Zotero.

chaley · 01-13-2015, 08:11 AM

No, there is no documentation other than the code. However, calibre and CC debug logs provide a reasonable protocol trace, and the calibre device driver class documents what many of the various methods in the wireless device driver are supposed to do.

One hint: this is a push protocol. With the exception of connection, all operations are initiated by calibre.

friflaj · 01-13-2015, 03:40 PM

Cool, push is even better. How do I enable the logs for Calibre/CC? I've looked through the settings of both, and I didn't see anything beyond "Mail logs to MultiPie"

chaley · 01-13-2015, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by friflaj

Cool, push is even better. How do I enable the logs for Calibre/CC? I've looked through the settings of both, and I didn't see anything beyond "Mail logs to MultiPie"

For CC, use the setting you found but email it to yourself. Alternatively, note the path to the attachment, which is where the log file is located.

For calibre, the easiest way to get a debug log is to "restart calibre in debug mode". You do this by clicking on the down arrow on the preferences icon and making the obvious selection. After calibre restarts, the next time you quit calibre you will get a popup window containing its debug log.

The other way is to start calibre using the command "calibre-debug -g" (no quotes). The debug log will go to standard output.

friflaj · 01-13-2015, 04:34 PM

OK, I got both, but it looks like I'll have to break out wireshark. OTOH, from what I can glean from the logs, it doesn't look overly complicated.

chaley · 01-13-2015, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by friflaj

OTOH, from what I can glean from the logs, it doesn't look overly complicated.

It isn't very complicated. Most packets are JSON-encoded. The exceptions are the binary packets used for file transfer. I can't see why you would need wireshark given that you can run calibre from source and look at actual packets, but if it makes life easier for you ...

Most of the complication comes from historical evolution of the protocol. Options have been introduced over time to avoid breaking older clients. That is why you will see many "CanDoX" and "WillDoX" booleans in the handshake packets. You will see similar things in the initialization sequence, specifically around metadata and book syncing.

The protocol version # has never been used and has never changed.

friflaj · 01-14-2015, 07:23 AM

I see now. I had assumed it would have been built atop HTTP, as so much is these days, but that isn't the case, and I'm sort of restricted to HTTP because Zotero has all the plumbing for it aboard.

Thanks in any case.

01-13-2015, 06:18 AM	#1
friflaj Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Irex 1000S	Sync protocol documentation? Is the protocol Calibre Companion uses documented? I'd like to mimic the server side so I can make CC work with my reference manager, Zotero.

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01-13-2015, 08:11 AM	#2
chaley Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,424 Karma: 8012664 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Notts, England Device: Kobo Libra 2	No, there is no documentation other than the code. However, calibre and CC debug logs provide a reasonable protocol trace, and the calibre device driver class documents what many of the various methods in the wireless device driver are supposed to do. One hint: this is a push protocol. With the exception of connection, all operations are initiated by calibre.

01-13-2015, 03:40 PM	#3
friflaj Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Irex 1000S	Cool, push is even better. How do I enable the logs for Calibre/CC? I've looked through the settings of both, and I didn't see anything beyond "Mail logs to MultiPie"

01-13-2015, 04:34 PM	#5
friflaj Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Irex 1000S	OK, I got both, but it looks like I'll have to break out wireshark. OTOH, from what I can glean from the logs, it doesn't look overly complicated.

01-14-2015, 07:23 AM	#7
friflaj Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Irex 1000S	I see now. I had assumed it would have been built atop HTTP, as so much is these days, but that isn't the case, and I'm sort of restricted to HTTP because Zotero has all the plumbing for it aboard. Thanks in any case.

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