Successfully running calibre 7.x in Flatpack on ChromeOS

PeterT · 11-27-2023, 06:38 PM

This is based on https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/01/how...atpak-wayland/

I thought I'd document the steps required to succesfully run the flatpack version of calibre 7.x on a ChromeBook.

Ensure ChromeOS linux environment up to date

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Install flatpak

sudo apt install flatpak

Add standard flatpak repository

flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Shutdown and restart Linux environment
Install calibre

flatpak install com.calibre_ebook.calibre

Launch calibre

flatpak run com.calibre_ebook.calibre

As expected calibre dies with message

The Wayland connection broke. Did the Wayland compositor die?

Install flatseal

flatpak install com.github.tchx84.Flatseal

Run flatseal

flatpak run com.github.tchx84.Flatseal

Select calibre and the Show details button

Initial settings
Disable the X11 windowing system and Wayland windowing system options

Launch calibre

flatpak run com.calibre_ebook.calibre

No wayland errors

Additionally calibre (and flatseal) should be found in the ChromeOS Linux apps folder.

What is not currently known is whether the flatseal edits will need to be redone on each update.

kovidgoyal · 11-27-2023, 10:39 PM

Weird, why would you need to disable both? It must be using either X11 or Wayland. I am guessing the difference between calibre 7 and 6 is that Qt was updated and now uses wayland which is broken on chromebooks.

PeterT · 11-27-2023, 11:00 PM

For the non flatpak install I used
sudo apt install libopengl0 libxcb-cursor0 libnss3

followed by the standard Kovid supplied instructions
sudo -v && wget -nv -O- https://download.calibre-ebook.com/linux-installer.sh | sudo sh /dev/stdin

I then had to set the variable QT_QPA_PLATFORM to xcb
QT_QPA_PLATFORM - On Linux set this to wayland to force calibre to use Wayland and xcb to force use of X11.

so
QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb calibre

Please note I've only done limited testing in either case.

PeterT · 11-27-2023, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Weird, why would you need to disable both? It must be using either X11 or Wayland. I am guessing the difference between calibre 7 and 6 is that Qt was updated and now uses wayland which is broken on chromebooks.

Just tested. Just disabling the wayland setting is sufficient.

kovidgoyal · 11-27-2023, 11:15 PM

Good to know, thanks. So yet another case of Wayland breaking things.

ReaderFeeder · 01-03-2025, 09:24 PM

Following instructions by PeterT for installing the non-flatpack version of Calibre 7.x I could start it from the Terminal but starting it from the icon in the Chrome OS start menu still failed until I did the following to add the environment variable:

from the Linux Terminal edit the file

/usr/share/applications/calibre-gui.desktop

I used vim, so:

sudo vim /usr/share/applications/calibre-gui.desktop

change the line:
Exec=calibre --detach %U

to read:
Exec=env QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb calibre --detach %U

If you haven't used vim or vi before it's a bit of a learning curve. type an i to enter insert mode, a q to quit insert mode and then
:wq
to write and quit vim.

11-27-2023, 06:38 PM	#1
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,235 Karma: 78869092 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Successfully running calibre 7.x in Flatpack on ChromeOS This is based on https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/01/how...atpak-wayland/ I thought I'd document the steps required to succesfully run the flatpack version of calibre 7.x on a ChromeBook. Ensure ChromeOS linux environment up to date sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade Install flatpak sudo apt install flatpak Add standard flatpak repository flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo Shutdown and restart Linux environment Install calibre flatpak install com.calibre_ebook.calibre Launch calibre flatpak run com.calibre_ebook.calibre As expected calibre dies with message The Wayland connection broke. Did the Wayland compositor die? Install flatseal flatpak install com.github.tchx84.Flatseal Run flatseal flatpak run com.github.tchx84.Flatseal Select calibre and the Show details button Initial settings Disable the X11 windowing system and Wayland windowing system options Launch calibre flatpak run com.calibre_ebook.calibre No wayland errors Additionally calibre (and flatseal) should be found in the ChromeOS Linux apps folder. What is not currently known is whether the flatseal edits will need to be redone on each update. Attached Thumbnails

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11-27-2023, 10:39 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,115 Karma: 27110892 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Weird, why would you need to disable both? It must be using either X11 or Wayland. I am guessing the difference between calibre 7 and 6 is that Qt was updated and now uses wayland which is broken on chromebooks.

11-27-2023, 11:00 PM	#3
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,235 Karma: 78869092 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	For the non flatpak install I used sudo apt install libopengl0 libxcb-cursor0 libnss3 followed by the standard Kovid supplied instructions sudo -v && wget -nv -O- https://download.calibre-ebook.com/linux-installer.sh \| sudo sh /dev/stdin I then had to set the variable QT_QPA_PLATFORM to xcb QT_QPA_PLATFORM - On Linux set this to wayland to force calibre to use Wayland and xcb to force use of X11. so QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb calibre Please note I've only done limited testing in either case.

11-27-2023, 11:15 PM	#5
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,115 Karma: 27110892 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Good to know, thanks. So yet another case of Wayland breaking things.

01-03-2025, 09:24 PM	#6
ReaderFeeder Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2020 Device: none	Following instructions by PeterT for installing the non-flatpack version of Calibre 7.x I could start it from the Terminal but starting it from the icon in the Chrome OS start menu still failed until I did the following to add the environment variable: from the Linux Terminal edit the file /usr/share/applications/calibre-gui.desktop I used vim, so: sudo vim /usr/share/applications/calibre-gui.desktop change the line: Exec=calibre --detach %U to read: Exec=env QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb calibre --detach %U If you haven't used vim or vi before it's a bit of a learning curve. type an i to enter insert mode, a q to quit insert mode and then :wq to write and quit vim.

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