3.0.0 Content Server and iOS version

[TomCombs]

Support for Content Server 3.0.0 appears to vary by iOS version as well as by browser version. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/server.html#browser-support may need additional clarification about OS versions.

My iPad 2 runs iOS 9.3.5, released less than a year ago (August 2016). 9.3.5 is the most recent iOS version Apple has released for the iPad 2. iOS version 9.3.5 bundles AppleWebKit 601.1.46 and Safari 601.1.

This iPad 2 fails to connect to the full-blown 3.0.0 Content Server via Safari 601.1; or via Google Chrome 59.0.3071.102; or via Mozilla Firefox 7.5 (3349); or via Opera Coast 5.04. Since the last three browsers are their most recent iOS versions, it appears the problem is with iOS and not with the browsers. Javascript is enabled in the settings for Safari and simple Javascript test websites work in the other browsers.

All of the above browsers work in the limited 3.0.0 Content Server /mobile mode on the iPad 2. (Incidentally, in all of the above browsers, the message about "click here to use the mobile mode" goes by too quickly to be useful -- it's replaced almost immediately by an unhandled error box. I had to find out about the /mobile option from the manual.)

My wife's iPad 9.7 runs iOS 10.3.2, which bundles AppleWebKit 603.2.4 and Safari 602.1. On iOS 10.3.2, Safari 602.1, and the above versions of Chrome and Firefox, all work with the full-blown 3.0.0 Content Server. (I didn't test Opera Coast.)

Please let me know if you want me to run additional tests on the iPad 2 for HTML5 and/or CSS3 support.

[kovidgoyal]

On iOS Apple allows only a single browser engine, so Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc are all actually the same browser. And yes, the server is only likely to work on the latest version of iOS (I tested it on iOS 10.3.2 -- even there I had to add tons of workarounds for things Apple's browser engine does not support).

I can certinaly add a note about iOS versions to the manual. I didn't do so because I thought that Apple devices were usually quite good at being kept up-to-date. But I guess I forgot about devices for which updates are no longer available.

[wfischer]

Kovid, would it be possible to find a workaround for iOS 9.3.5? This is the final version for iPad 2 and 3, of which there are certainly tons around and still in use for a couple of years. This is becoming particularly urgent now since the latest version of iTunes will no longer support the transfer to iBooks, so the standard way of bringing e-books into the iPad is gone now as well.

[kovidgoyal]

Use the /mobile page of the server, it should work on all versions of iOS to download books into iBooks.

[wfischer]

Thanks! This works. Is there a similar workaround for Calibre Companion? It can't find the server either.

[kovidgoyal]

No idea, you should ask about CC in its forum, as far as I know, it works fine with calibre 3.x

[sciurius]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Use the /mobile page of the server, it should work on all versions of iOS to download books into iBooks.

Yes, but it is very limited, and doesn't provide for metadata browsing and on-line reading.

I'm sure the javascript errors can be worked around? Or is it something very fundamental?

[kovidgoyal]

No pre 10.3 version of iOS safari have simply too many limitations to make the server work with them. As it is there are a whole bunch of worarounds for limitations in current Safari.

[leloustic]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Use the /mobile page of the server, it should work on all versions of iOS to download books into iBooks.

Hi, firstable, thank you so much for your great software Calibre I've been using since years.

Since I'm using a Kobo Glo, I'd like to know if there's a simple way to convert my iPhone in a Calibre Content server. This would be very useful when I don't have my computer with Calibre Server On.

It's impossible to connect to DropBox for instance with a Kobo, I thought it could be a solution but it doesn't work.

Many thanks!

leloustic from France.

[kovidgoyal]

I'm not sure what you are asking? You want to transfer books from an iphone to a Kobo?

[leloustic]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I'm not sure what you are asking? You want to transfer books from an iphone to a Kobo?

Exactly!

[kovidgoyal]

I dont know of any way to do that, sorry.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by leloustic

Hi, firstable, thank you so much for your great software Calibre I've been using since years.

Since I'm using a Kobo Glo, I'd like to know if there's a simple way to convert my iPhone in a Calibre Content server. This would be very useful when I don't have my computer with Calibre Server On.

It's impossible to connect to DropBox for instance with a Kobo, I thought it could be a solution but it doesn't work.

Many thanks!

leloustic from France.

Calibre Content Server? Nope.

Simple HTTP server, the Documents by Readdle apps has a Wi-Fi Drive feature that lets you access content stored in the Documents app via web browser.

[leloustic]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Calibre Content Server? Nope.

Simple HTTP server, the Documents by Readdle apps has a Wi-Fi Drive feature that lets you access content stored in the Documents app via web browser.

Thanks ilovejedd! I've tried this solution with Readdle. It seems to be working, but it's very buggy and I hardly can access to my library. I'll probably try to create a simple HTTP server with my whole Calibre Library...

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by leloustic

Thanks ilovejedd! I've tried this solution with Readdle. It seems to be working, but it's very buggy and I hardly can access to my library. I'll probably try to create a simple HTTP server with my whole Calibre Library...

Why not just use Calibre's built-in content server function then? That's probably easiest.

If you want something low power, I believe Calibre works on Raspberry Pi.

https://opensource.com/article/17/6/...i-ebook-server