Can I use the ebook viewer without opening Calibre database?

[eschwartz]

I already told you how to install the command-line tools.

And you said you have a way to create associations for an executable path.


To open a particular ebook:

/usr/bin/ebook-viewer $ebook_file

[ibu]

@eschwartz

I'm sorry, I don't understand if your "auto updater" on Github will solve the task I have.

Is there anyone who tried the auto updater from Eli on OS X and was able to create an association?

Open a particular ebook is not my task.

[eschwartz]

Again, once you create the symlinks, you can create a file association that merely passes the selected book as a parameter to `/usr/bin/ebook-viewer`. You did say you know how to create an arbitrary association to a command-line executable -- well, that will need to use the symlink, not the *.app

My updater includes code to create the symlinks, but you could also run (as root) the command that the updater would run:

ln -sf /Applications/calibre.app/Contents/console.app/Contents/MacOS/* /usr/bin/

[ibu]

Thanks for your hints.

I will try to find out, how to login as "root".
To be honest: I have no experience at all with the terminal.
And therefor it's difficult for me to understand and to control what really happens, when I perform a command.

Do I have to perfom that command each time, when a new calibre version has been installed?

I hope, that Kovid will offer a separate standalone app "ebook viewer" in the future.
That would be great.

[eschwartz]

Just the once is all you need to create a symlink.

I don't know if Kovid *can* offer a standalone app. I assume if it were possible he'd already have done it.

I think this may just be a limitation of Apple's policy about standalone, self-contained applications. How do you tell the OS that secret executables hidden inside the package can also run GUI programs?

[ibu]

I tried to find out how to "login as root" on OS X.

Many results. Seems to be complicated because of the security policies of Apple. I nearly don't understand anything of the hints.

May be someone reads this thread who is an experiences OS X user and likes to explain the steps which solve the task.

Thanks for all your hints, Eli. Sorry, that I'm not able to follow the explanations about the terminal commands.

[eschwartz]

It shouldn't be that hard... just begin the command with "sudo" to temporarily become root.

e.g.

sudo ln -sf /Applications/calibre.app/Contents/console.app/Contents/MacOS/* /usr/bin/

[kovidgoyal]

Simply launch the viewer from inside calibre, then right click the viewer dock icon and select keep in dock. That will give you a way to launch the viewer without starting the rest of calibre. As for file associations -- I have made a change that will allow you to associate /Applications/calibre.app/Contents/ebook-viewer.app with files in the next release.

[ibu]

@Eli

It seem's to be harder to solve than just a "sudo".

With sudo I just get a "operation not permitted".

I suppose, the reason is the gatekeeper function of OS X.
As I posted before, there are many results, when you search for "login as root". Seem to be complicated to add such symlinks.

@Kovid
Thanks a lot!
I'm looking forward to that release.

[eschwartz]

Oh, right -- Apple did their weird System Integrity Protection thing, which you will have to disable or else install the symlinks to /usr/local/bin/ instead of /usr/bin/

[ibu]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As for file associations -- I have made a change that will allow you to associate /Applications/calibre.app/Contents/ebook-viewer.app with files in the next release.

Works perfectly. Thanks a lot Kovid!

[Sean Patrick]

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/h...plications-mac
This link solved my issue getting epubs to open with the Calibre ebook viewer. Mac OX High Sierra 10.13 Calibre v2.61