Best of 3 options to Serve calibre libray in the cloud and edit library locally

[halloleo]

I'm sold on calibre. My library is small, but growing. I like the organisational features and that I can access the content remotely (OPDS/HTML).

So now I'd like to setup a sustainable system: I want to edit the calibre library locally on my Mac and serve the library via OPDS in the cloud so that I can access it even when I switch my Mac off. The Cloud instance will probably live on a Linode CentOS VM, the local instance on a 2015 MacBook Pro.

What is a good setup for this? I saw quite a few forum threads touching on this, but I figure there are 3 options:

1. Have on the local Mac a master library which I edit with a local calibre for Mac and which is synced to a library in the the cloud instance where a calibre-server serves it to the internet. (Question here: How to trigger the sync? On change or periodically? )

2. Have one library in the cloud instance which is edited as remote library from my Mac and which is served at the same time via a calibre-server on the cloud instance. ( Question here: How do remote libraries work? - The term occurs in the manual, but I didn't find much explanation about it. )

3. Have one library in the cloud instance and a calibre for Linux on the cloud instance too which shows its UI via X11 on my Mac and serves the library to the Internet. ( Question here: How good is a remote GUI on an (outdated) Xquartz on my Mac?)

[mdclanahan]

I just set up the Calibre server on a Raspberry Pi, personally. My implementation is a bit different (my secondary library isn't in the cloud), and it sounds like you have more Linux experience than I do, so this shouldn't be a difficult project for you.

That said, #1 sounds the most like my setup. I have my master libraries on my Mac Mini, from which I do all my library maintenance. As for syncing, I am periodically using FreeFileSync to one-way mirror my Mac libraries to an external drive, which I then disconnect from the Mac and connect to the RPi. This software scans the source directory, scans the destination directory, and only copies anything that is new/changed. I plan to only take the server offline long enough to do maybe a monthly sync.

This implementation is much more simple that what you're planning, but perhaps FreeFileSync could be of some use to you.

[stumped]

i was about to recommend free file sync, i see that's already done. i run sync manually ( 1 way mirror) to cloud copy of my local calibre library in dropbox. I never looked into automating that. It updates changes very quickly
MOON READER + gives multiple options: it can directly access dropbox folders if configured or via an app like calibrebox. I have that on android tablets
if your local library mac with ODPS is alive, moon reader can access that directly also, if configured for the ODPS server location

[halloleo]

Thanks for the details about option 1 (Syncing two libraries).

I'm still curious about option 2 (Remote library), but I better ask taht in the Library forum.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by halloleo

Thanks for the details about option 1 (Syncing two libraries).

I'm still curious about option 2 (Remote library), but I better ask taht in the Library forum.

2. Doesn't really work for main Calibre GUI and is a recipe for library corruption if you try it via mounted FTP folder or something. If there's a reference in the manual to remote library, that likely means via Calibre content server.

Edit:
Yep, found the reference.

 --library-path, --with-library
Path to the calibre library. Default is to use the path stored 
in the settings. You can also connect to a calibre Content server 
to perform actions on remote libraries. To do so use a URL of the 
form: http://hostname:port/#library_id for example, 
http://localhost:8080/#mylibrary.

[halloleo]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

2. Doesn't really work for main Calibre GUI..

Indeed. See Kovid's reply in the Library Managment sub-forum: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh....php?p=3962655