calibredb cannot add with content server running

[apiontek]

Prior to 3.0, I was always able to simultaneously run the content server *and* use the cli calibredb to add & remove from the library. This is useful for a headless server that runs recipes from cron jobs.

1. With 3.0, I don't need the content server to make changes, so I run it with "disable-auth," but calibredb complains that "Another calibre program such as calibre-server or the main calibre program is running." Yes, yes it is, but it's not making changes, and I never had any issue in the past.
   
2. If I pass the local content server address to calibredb, I can run searches, but to add or remove, it complains, "The username/password combination is incorrect." OK, I understand the content server can't make changes with authentication disabled, but that's an unhelpful message in that situation.
   
3. If I do enable-auth on server, I test in chrome and am able to log in, but when I pass the username & password to calibredb, it complains "A username and password is required to access this server." Yes, I know! That's why I'm providing it!

What am I doing wrong? Can you just allow an override to calibredb to allow it to modify the library even with the content server running, for those of us who don't need the content server to write to the library?

[kovidgoyal]

2. Sure it can. See the --enable-local-writes option.

[apiontek]

That's not a solution for me. I don't want visitors to make changes to the database.

I want to make changes to the database with calibredb. While the content server is running. Like I always have.

I understand I can simply downgrade to Calibre 2, but that's not a long-term solution, and I'd like the "read books in browser" feature.

[apiontek]

I now see that "enable-local-write" says it "allows anybody connecting from the same computer as the server is running on to make changes"

I missed that before. My mistake, that actually might work great. I'll test.

[sneppie]

Hi, I have exactly the same issue, using the option "--enable-local-write" does not help.

I'm starting calibre on my ubuntu 16 server with:

calibre-server /srv/ebooks --port=8090 --enable-local-write

When started, calibre works fine, but i cannot add books using:

calibredb add /srv/ebooks/toadd/ -r --with-library /srv/ebooks

Error message:

Another calibre program such as calibre-server or the main calibre program is running. Having multiple programs that can make changes to a calibre library running at the same time is a bad idea. calibredb can connect directly to a running calibre content server, to make changes through it, instead. See the documentation of the --with-library option for details.

Am I missing something? Thank you in advance!

[kovidgoyal]

Your --with-library is wrong, it has to specify a server URL. Read the help of that option.

[sneppie]

Fixed, used invalid --with-library.

Correct line is:

calibredb add /srv/ebooks/toadd/ -r --with-library http://localhost:8090/

Thanks for you help.

[sws]

Still problems after upgrade to 3.5:

1. started calibre-server with option --enable-local-write
2. try to add ebook to server:
# calibredb add --with-library http://localhost:8081/ --username "user" --password "password" x.epub
3. error:"A username and password is required to access this server"

Well, I did provide both.
What did I do wrong?

[kovidgoyal]

That error message is a bit misleading, it can also mean that the username/password is incorrect. I will fix that in the next release.

[kovidgoyal]

Oh and, if you use --enable-local-write then dont also use --enable-auth (--enable-local-write is useful only if you dont want to setup user accounts). If you do setup user accounts, they take precedence.

[sws]

Thanks for the hints.
1. Changed password and it worked. I had a "!" in the former password which wouldn't work even after escaping it.
2. I started calibre-server with both options and indeed it required username and password.

So for me issue is solved. Thanks again.

Regards,
Sebastian