How to have an un-authenticated add a e-book

[Smith_oo4]

Is there a way to run calibre-server on a modern linux system such that an un-authenticated uses (i.e. no login is required) can add, delete, edit metadata, etc.?

I have tried adding the “--enable-local-write” option to my systemd unit (see below) but I still get the “Anonymous users are not allowed to make changes” error when I try to add a book. I am on calibre-server (calibre 4.13) version.

[Unit]
Description=Calibre Content Server
Documentation=https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/server.html
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=calibre
Group=calibre
ExecStart=/usr/bin/calibre-server --url-prefix /calibre --port 8080 --enable-local-write /mnt/media/ebook

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

[kovidgoyal]

Works fine for me. Did you remember to reload the systemd unit. Run the server from the command line first to make sure it works.

[Smith_oo4]

I have reloaded the systemd unit, also I do know that a few times in testing this I have also rebooted.

I have run the server from the command line two and get the same issue. Below is the full error I get when I try to add a book.

Failed to upload the file: Eat Clean_ Wok Yourself to Health - Ching-He Huang.epub
You must be logged in to make changes to the library

Failed to communicate with "/cdb/add-book/2/n/Eat%20Clean_%20Wok%20Yourself%20to%20Health%20-%20Ching-He%20Huang.epub/ebook", with status: [403 (error)] Forbidden

Anonymous users are not allowed to make changes

When I set up user authenticated I do not get this error on the server I don't get this error.

Is there an error or debug log I could set up or look through to help with the investigation?

[DNSB]

I seem to remember that --enable-local-write only works for local connections to the server. Remote connections will need to authenticate.

From the calibre documentation (bolding mine):


--enable-local-write, --disable-local-write

Allow un-authenticated local connections to make changes. Normally, if you do not turn on authentication, the server operates in read-only mode, so as to not allow anonymous users to make changes to your calibre libraries. This option allows anybody connecting from the same computer as the server is running on to make changes. This is useful if you want to run the server without authentication but still use calibredb to make changes to your calibre libraries. Note that turning on this option means any program running on the computer can make changes to your calibre libraries. By default, this option is disabled.

[kovidgoyal]

The servers logging diretives are configured via its command line options, see --help

[Smith_oo4]

Set up the log and getting no new info:

192.168.0.20 port-43568 - 08/Apr/2020:11:43:24 -0600 "POST /cdb/add-book/1/n/Eat%20Clean_%20Wok%20Yourself%20to%20Health%20-%20Ching-He%20Huang.epub/ebook HTTP/1.1" HTTPStatus.FORBIDDEN 190

I am accessing this from a remote connection. Does this mean there is no way to run calibre-server on a modern Linux system such that an un-authenticated uses (i.e. no login is required) on a remote connection can add, delete, edit metadata, etc.?

[kovidgoyal]

192.168.0.20 is not a local IP address. You need to connect to 127.0.0.1

[Smith_oo4]

Will this only work if you are connecting from a local IP address, i.e. 127.0.0.1 or localhost?

This is really not the functionality I am looking for. I would like to be able to add an e-book for another host on my local LAN. I get the security around this, so I understand why this is not an option.

[kovidgoyal]

Yes thats why the documentation for the option says "running on the same computer". It will work only if the IP address for the connection is a local one, either IPv4 or IPv6

[kovidgoyal]

And here you go: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibr...32b69aa8dd2def