[GUI Plugin] calibre Updater

[dunhill]

Calibre Updater is a GUI plugin designed to streamline the update process of calibre directly from the interface. Instead of manually checking the website or opening a separate terminal, this plugin automates the download and launch of the official installer across different operating systems.

Almost automatic installation on all three systems

Windows: There's no need to go through the installation wizard (Next, Next...). Simply confirm the plugin's prompt and accept Windows' permission, which displays the official installer signed by Kovid Goyal. From there, the installation continues automatically, with a progress bar, and Calibre reopens automatically upon completion.

MacOS: There's no need to drag Calibre to Applications or choose between keeping or replacing the previous version. The plugin safely replaces the application (if something goes wrong, the previous version remains intact) and reopens Calibre. It works on Macs with Apple Silicon and Intel processors.

Linux: It uses the official Calibre installer, displays progress in a log window, and notifies you if authentication fails.

Gracious Calibre shutdown

The plugin waits for Calibre to completely close before installing, without a fixed time limit. Thus, tasks that other plugins perform upon closing, such as backing up settings, finish before the installation begins, regardless of how long they take.

Previously, the Viewer and Book Editor ran in the background without notification. Now, the plugin notifies you if either is open and lets you choose: close them yourself (to save changes), have the plugin close them, or cancel.

It also notifies you if there are ongoing tasks, such as conversions, metadata downloads, or uploads to a device, and waits for them to finish or be canceled.

Change List

Automatic translation to the Calibre interface language, with a button to view the original English text. This can be disabled in the settings.

Beta Versions (Preview)

Beta versions are trial versions of Calibre that are installed manually. The plugin can notify you when a new version is available (option in the settings), but it never downloads or installs them. If you have a Beta version installed, the plugin doesn't modify it: it only notifies you when a newer stable version is released, and the update is up to you.

If you're using the regular version of Calibre, none of this affects you: the plugin only installs official stable versions.

Security and Diagnostics

Downloads with certificate verification and file integrity checks.

If something goes wrong, Calibre is never left partially installed: the installer or the downloads page opens to complete the installation manually.
A log file (calibre-updater.log) is saved in the downloads folder, which is useful for reporting problems.

The plugin also differentiates our calibre installation.

Translations:
Calibre Updater is available in English (the original language) and 18 other languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Serbian (Latin American), Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese (China), Korean, Arabic, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil), Galician, and Tamil. Spanish, French, German, and Italian were the first languages ​​translated for the plugin. The other fourteen were chosen based on the progress of Calibre's translation. All languages ​​with a fully translated Calibre interface and those with over 80% translation were included. This ensures that users of Calibre in these languages ​​also see the plugin in their own language, instead of encountering only the English menu within a translated program.

Note Version:

Spoiler:

Calibre Updater 1.21.0

Almost automatic installation on all three systems

Windows: There's no need to go through the installation wizard (Next, Next...). Simply confirm the plugin's prompt and accept Windows' permission, which displays the official installer signed by Kovid Goyal. From there, the installation continues automatically, with a progress bar, and Calibre reopens automatically upon completion.

macOS: There's no need to drag Calibre to Applications or choose between keeping or replacing the previous version. The plugin safely replaces the application (if something goes wrong, the previous version remains intact) and reopens Calibre. It works on Macs with Apple Silicon and Intel processors.
Linux: It uses the official Calibre installer, displays progress in a log window, and notifies you if authentication fails.

Gracious Calibre shutdown

The plugin waits for Calibre to completely close before installing, without a fixed time limit. Thus, tasks that other plugins perform upon closing, such as backing up settings, finish before the installation begins, regardless of how long they take.

Previously, the Viewer and Book Editor ran in the background without notification. Now, the plugin notifies you if either is open and lets you choose: close them yourself (to save changes), have the plugin close them, or cancel.

It also notifies you if there are ongoing tasks, such as conversions, metadata downloads, or uploads to a device, and waits for them to finish or be canceled.

Change List

Automatic translation to the Calibre interface language, with a button to view the original English text. This can be disabled in the settings.

Beta Versions (Preview)

Beta versions are trial versions of Calibre that are installed manually. The plugin can notify you when a new version is available (option in the settings), but it never downloads or installs them. If you have a Beta version installed, the plugin doesn't modify it: it only notifies you when a newer stable version is released, and the update is up to you.

If you're using the regular version of Calibre, none of this affects you: the plugin only installs official stable versions.

Security and Diagnostics

Downloads with certificate verification and file integrity checks.

If something goes wrong, Calibre is never left partially installed: the installer or the downloads page opens to complete the installation manually.
A log file (calibre-updater.log) is saved in the downloads folder, which is useful for reporting problems.

The plugin also differentiates our calibre installation.

Translations:
Calibre Updater is available in English (the original language) and 18 other languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Swedish, Serbian (Latin American), Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese (China), Korean, Arabic, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil), Galician, and Tamil. Spanish, French, German, and Italian were the first languages ​​translated for the plugin. The other fourteen were chosen based on the progress of Calibre's translation. All languages ​​with a fully translated Calibre interface and those with over 80% translation were included. This ensures that users of Calibre in these languages ​​also see the plugin in their own language, instead of encountering only the English menu within a translated program.


V 1.19 French translation

[v1.17.0]
- ADD: Multi-threaded parallel fetching for Stable, Beta, and Changelog data.
- IMP: Non-blocking UI execution and removed synchronous HTTP requests from the main GUI thread.
- IMP: Lazy loading support for Changelog in UpdateNoticeDialog.
- FIX: Reduced background check time overhead from ~45s down to ~15s.
- FIX: Improved cached version handling on startup.

V 1.16.0
New Features and Improvements

Intelligent Version Check: Clicking the plugin icon checks your installed version against the latest version available on calibre's servers in real time.

Blocking Unnecessary Reinstallation: If you already have the latest version, the plugin will display an informative dialog box indicating this and prevent a redundant update/download.

Improved Confirmation Clarity: When an update is available, the dialog box explicitly states your current installed version and the new version you will be updating to (e.g., Do you want to update calibre from version v7.5.0 to version v7.6.0?).

Note on Click Behavior: When you click the update icon, the dialog box may take a couple of seconds to appear. This is normal and expected behavior, as the plugin performs a network query at that precise moment to compare your current version with the latest published version before displaying the corresponding message.

V 1.15.0 Cambio de nombre

V 1.10.0 Beta version bug fixed
The latest version numbers, both stable and beta, have been visually added to the arrow next to the icon.


V 1.9.0 Notification of beta versions (not downloadable).
Displays a list of recent changes for the stable version.

V 1.4.0 MacOS Support Restored & Optimized: Seamless .dmg downloading and mounting, followed by a graceful Calibre shutdown using native AppleScript (osascript) to ensure database integrity.

V1.3.0
Improved Startup Experience: Added a 15-second delay before checking for updates at startup. This prevents UI lag and avoids overlapping with Calibre's native update notifications.
New Version Filtering Option (JSWolf's suggestion): Added a new checkbox in the settings: "Only notify for maintenance releases".
If enabled, the automatic pop-up will only appear for point releases (e.g., 7.5.1, 7.5.2).
If disabled (default), the plugin will notify you of every new version available.
Refined macOS Support: Improved the update logic for Mac users. The plugin now correctly downloads and opens the .dmg file for a smoother manual installation.
Windows Process Handling: Enhanced the shutdown sequence of auxiliary processes (ebook-viewer, ebook-edit, etc.) to ensure a clean installation of the .msi file.

Bug Fixes: Strengthened SSL connection handling for version checking across different network environments.


v1.2.9 New: Proactive Update Detection
Smart Startup Check: The plugin now automatically checks for the latest Calibre version 5 seconds after launch.
One-Click Update Dialog: If an update is found, a new dedicated window appears showing the new version number. You can start the update immediately with the "Update Now" button or postpone it with "Not Now".


v1.2.3 KDE/Konsole Support: Added specific compatibility for Kubuntu and other Plasma-based distros.

v1.2.2:
macOS: Updated user instructions to reflect manual intervention. Since macOS security (Gatekeeper/Permissions) often prevents automated shutdowns and overwrites in /Applications, the plugin now guides the user to close calibre and perform the "drag and drop" manually after a successful download.
UI Polish: Rephrased dialog messages to be more accurate depending on the detected Operating System.

The message that will appear for mac users will be this
caliber Updater
Do you want to download the update?

IMPORTANT: This plugin is designed for official/standard installations (from the calibre website). If you use Flatpak, AppImage, or Portable versions, you must update them MANUALLY.

macOS Instructions: Please close calibre manually now. Then, locate the downloaded disk image (.dmg) in your configured folder, drag the calibre icon to your Applications folder and select "Replace" when prompted.

Note: The file will be saved in your Downloads folder unless a custom path is set in the plugin configuration.

You can check the latest changes here:
https://calibre-ebook.com/whats-new


v1.2.1:
Improved Process Management (Windows): Based on feedback from @kovidgoyal, the plugin now proactively terminates child processes (ebook-viewer.exe, ebook-edit.exe, etc.) before launching the installer to prevent "file in use" errors.
Smart Wait Loop (Windows): Following @JSWolf's observation, I've implemented a monitoring loop that waits for calibre to fully release all database locks and background tasks (like metadata flushing or settings backups) before starting the update.
Enhanced Linux Experience: Better terminal handling for the restart process. The plugin now uses disown to ensure calibre restarts seamlessly after the update is finished.
Internationalization: Added full translations for French and Brazilian Portuguese.

Special thanks to the community members for their technical insights and testing!

v1.2.0:
Download Folder Selector: You can now choose exactly where you want the installer to be saved (.msi or .dmg). Ideal for those who want to keep their downloads folder clean or use a temporary folder.
Dynamic Version Detection: The plugin no longer uses generic names. It now queries the official Calibre server directly to obtain the exact version number (e.g., calibre-64bit-9.5.0.msi).
Intelligent Forced Closure (Windows): The `--shutdown-running-calibre` command has been implemented before launching the installer. This ensures that Calibre releases all files and the database, preventing "file in use" errors during the update.

v1.1.1:
Improved Path Detection: Now using QStandardPaths to dynamically find the Downloads folder. This solves the "folder not found" error for users with OneDrive backup enabled or non-English system paths.
Redirection Fix: Updated the download URLs to ensure the installer is downloaded correctly (fixing the 3KB file issue).
macOS Stability: Better handling of the .dmg file to prevent "damaged image" errors on newer versions like Tahoe.
Clearer Instructions: Updated the confirmation dialog to be more explicit about which calibre installations are supported.

v1.1.0:
Implementation of QStandardPaths to detect dynamic paths, fixing errors with OneDrive and custom folders in Windows.
General improvements: Optimized downloads on macOS Tahoe to the "Downloads" folder to avoid security blocks and files being marked as corrupt.

v1.0.9:
Introduction of interactive links to what's new (HTML) and improved visual compatibility of the confirmation window.

[dunhill]

Reserved

[JSWolf]

Can you make it show that what's new that you can get from the official website?

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you make it show that what's new that you can get from the official website?

"I understand! However, the philosophy of this plugin is to keep it as lightweight and 'one-click' as possible. Fetching and formatting the 'What's New' data from the website adds a layer of complexity that goes beyond the current scope. I'll consider adding a direct link to the official changelog in the confirmation dialog for the next version."

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you make it show that what's new that you can get from the official website?

Does that sound good to you, JSWolf?

[JSWolf]

Can you make it so we get to see what's new without having to go to the website?

[gbm]

Tested on Linux Mint 22.3 - Cinnamon--works.

bernie

Originally Posted by dunhill

"I understand! However, the philosophy of this plugin is to keep it as lightweight and 'one-click' as possible. Fetching and formatting the 'What's New' data from the website adds a layer of complexity that goes beyond the current scope. I'll consider adding a direct link to the official changelog in the confirmation dialog for the next version."

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Can you make it so we get to see what's new without having to go to the website?

Thank you for the suggestion! I understand how convenient it would be to see the changelog directly in the plugin.
However, implementing a built-in 'What's New' viewer brings two significant challenges:
Stability: It would require 'web scraping' the official site. If the website layout changes even slightly, the plugin would break, requiring constant maintenance for a secondary feature.
Localization: calibre's changelog is only published in English. To show it to all users, I would need to integrate a third-party translation engine, which adds a lot of complexity and potential privacy/connectivity issues to what is meant to be a lightweight 'action' tool.
To keep the plugin fast, stable, and simple, I've included a direct link to the official 'What's New' page in the confirmation dialog. Most modern browsers will offer to translate that page automatically into your preferred language with one click.
I hope you understand the choice to keep the plugin focused on its main task: updating calibre reliably!
Furthermore, I believe it's important to respect the official website's traffic. By visiting the 'What's New' page directly, users stay connected with the official project, supporting the author's site statistics and visibility.

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by gbm

Tested on Linux Mint 22.3 - Cinnamon--works.

bernie

GBM, thanks for your feedback. I'm hoping for comments from people who use both Windows and macOS in case any settings need fine-tuning. Enjoy!

[BetterRed]

@dunhill - FTR: no need to screen scrape, it's in Changelog.txt at github.

That said, if someone can't be bothered to look at the What's new in their browser (and use its translate feature) they're are unlikely to read its content no matter how its presented.

BR

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@dunhill - FTR: no need to screen scrape, it's in Changelog.txt at github.

That said, if someone can't be bothered to look at the What's new in their browser (and use its translate feature) they're are unlikely to read its content no matter how its presented.

BR

Thanks for the tip about the GitHub Changelog.txt, BR! That's definitely a cleaner source for data.

However, I agree with your second point: if someone isn't willing to click a link to stay informed, they probably won't read the content regardless of the format. For now, I'll stick with the link to the official site to keep the plugin's 'action-oriented' philosophy and support the official project's visibility.

Cheers!

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by dunhill

Thanks for the tip about the GitHub Changelog.txt, BR! That's definitely a cleaner source for data.

However, I agree with your second point: if someone isn't willing to click a link to stay informed, they probably won't read the content regardless of the format. For now, I'll stick with the link to the official site to keep the plugin's 'action-oriented' philosophy and support the official project's visibility.

Cheers!

I don't understand the problem Linux users have with calibre installs. As well as installing calibre on two Windows boxes and a couple of portables I also install it an out of date Arch box. All from the Windows computer I am using right now — takes all of 4-6 minutes.

Ditto Sigil… installed 2.75 on the Arch system early this morning… it's being used as we speak. Its about the same distance from me as it is from the Starlink satellites it uses :lol:

BR

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dunhill

Thank you for the suggestion! I understand how convenient it would be to see the changelog directly in the plugin.
However, implementing a built-in 'What's New' viewer brings two significant challenges:
Stability: It would require 'web scraping' the official site. If the website layout changes even slightly, the plugin would break, requiring constant maintenance for a secondary feature.
Localization: calibre's changelog is only published in English. To show it to all users, I would need to integrate a third-party translation engine, which adds a lot of complexity and potential privacy/connectivity issues to what is meant to be a lightweight 'action' tool.
To keep the plugin fast, stable, and simple, I've included a direct link to the official 'What's New' page in the confirmation dialog. Most modern browsers will offer to translate that page automatically into your preferred language with one click.
I hope you understand the choice to keep the plugin focused on its main task: updating calibre reliably!
Furthermore, I believe it's important to respect the official website's traffic. By visiting the 'What's New' page directly, users stay connected with the official project, supporting the author's site statistics and visibility.

You have to scrape the website anyway tp get the files to download. If the website changes, then the plug-in needs to be updated. No different. As for traffic, that too is no different. Before I download the a new version of calibre, I do look at what's new. So that would be no more traffic to the site then it is now. I would think most people would look at what's new. As for What's New only in English, that's not a problem. Firefox and Chrome both have built-in translation.

Downloading a new version of calibre without seeing what's new means we won't be seeing what's been fixed and what's been added. That tells us what's changed. There is no way I would go an update calibre without reading what's new unless it was a .1 fix. How many others would update without reading what's new? Also, if you send us to the website to read what's new, we may was will just download calibre while we are there and then what use is the plug-in?

[DiapDealer]

I think everyone has been very patient about explaining why the "what's new" idea for this plugin is not in the cards at this time. This plugin won't be for everyone. Very few plugins are. This one might not be for you.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I think everyone has been very patient about explaining why the "what's new" idea for this plugin is not in the cards at this time. This plugin won't be for everyone. Very few plugins are. This one might not be for you.

IMHO, without what's new, it won't be for most people.