Calibre --with-library

jdege · 11-25-2017, 07:48 PM

For some months now, I've been uploading books to the Linux box that I keep my Calibre library on, shutting down calibre-server, running calibredb to add the book, and then starting up calibre-server again.

If I didn't shut down calibre-server first, I'd get an error:

Quote:

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.

I'd tried running calibredb with --with-library, but I'd get "refused" errors. I finally figured out why, I had to add --enable-local-write when I ran calibre-server. With that in place, I can run calibredb --with-library without problems.

But I am still having to shutdown calibre-server in order to run the main calibre UI. Even when I run it with the same --with-library argument that made calibredb work, I get the same error message when I run the calibre command.

Does the main calibre UI work, when run with --with-library pointing to an instance of calibre-server?

Is it intended to?

I find having access to my libraries from my mobile devices very convenient. Having to shutdown calibre-server every time I run the local UI much less so.

theducks · 11-25-2017, 08:28 PM

Calibre server and Calibre(GUI) are no longer mutual.
'Only one ' is now the rule

jdege · 11-25-2017, 08:59 PM

So, how do I work with my library, from the desktop?

kovidgoyal · 11-25-2017, 09:41 PM

YOu either run the server from within the GUI or you do the shutdown server, run GUI, start server dance.

jdege · 11-25-2017, 10:38 PM

Any plans on fixing that?

I mean, the whole point of having a server is to have it running 24x7, whether anyone is logged into the box or not.

theducks · 11-25-2017, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdege

So, how do I work with my library, from the desktop?

The builtin Server (optionally) RUNS along with the GUI. You can just minimize the GUI when not actively making changes.
The main difference from the Old way, is the new server (GUI or standalone) offers access to all know libraries, where the old GUI only offered the current library. You could run a standalone server alongside allowing acces to another Librery.
Now, there is no need for that dance.

jdege · 11-25-2017, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

The builtin Server (optionally) RUNS along with the GUI. You can just minimize the GUI when not actively making changes.

I can't run the GUI at all, unless I'm logged into the machine, which I normally am not.

I may go a week or more without logging into the server machine. I have calibre-server configured with Upstart to start automatically when the machine boots, just like every other server I have running on the machine (sshd, httpd, etc.)

It's the way servers are supposed to work.

kovidgoyal · 11-25-2017, 11:02 PM

Simply write a script that stops the server and then launches calibre and starts the server when calibre quits. You can also have the GUI run its embedded server automatically on startup so your server downtime is not going to be down for more than a few seconds. It's only linux that has this pretty artificial distinction between servers that can have no GUI and GUI programs that cannot run 24x7.

The GUI is never going to be able to connect to a server as a backend, but the server is going to gain the ability to edit metadata/add/convert books, etc. via its own UI.

jdege · 11-25-2017, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

It's only linux that has this pretty artificial distinction between servers that can have no GUI and GUI programs that cannot run 24x7.

Are you telling me that you could configure the GUI to run as a Windows service that auto-started at startup? How?

kovidgoyal · 11-26-2017, 12:23 AM

Just put it in startup programs, and enable the system tray and use --start-in-tray

jdege · 11-26-2017, 12:35 AM

My understanding was that programs in the startup folder don't run until the user logs in.

kovidgoyal · 11-26-2017, 01:30 AM

Yes, and what is the problem with a user logging in? It's not like the windowing sub-system is not running already.

jdege · 11-26-2017, 01:57 AM

I get up in the morning, have breakfast, go to work.

During lunch I read a book on my Android tablet. I finish the book, decide to download the next book in the series so I start Calibre Companion and tell it to connect to my Content Sever.

And if I was using the GUI as my server, unless I'd remembered to login before I left for work and left my computer logged in, it isn't running.

The whole point behind a server is that is configured to be running anytime the computer is on, without human interaction. If my computer is running, my ssh server is running, and my http server, whether I've logged in or not. If the power goes out, when it comes back on the computer boots up, and all the services restart.

That's how all of the standard services work. It's how I have calibre-server configured on Linux, and it's how I'd have it configured if I was using Windows. From wherever I am in the world, I can download books from my Calibre library.

I'd thought that was the whole reason calibre-server existed.

kovidgoyal · 11-26-2017, 04:55 AM

Huh? In either case you need to have your server running. And it is trivial to setup windows to login automatically on start up.

jdege · 11-26-2017, 07:38 AM

Setting up the computer to log in on boot means leaving it logged in when no one is present, and that's a huge security weakness. And it assumes that there is only userid on the computer.

If my wife or kids need to use the machine, they either need to use the same login, which defeats the whole purpose of having separate logins, or they logout and log in as a different user, which shuts down Calibre.

Unless, of course, you put Calibre in the all-users startup folder, in which case it will start up no matter which user logs in. But then, it will try to run multiple copies, when multiple users are logged in simultaneously, which many versions of Windows support.

Face it. Calibre-server is a better tool for configuring 24×7 access to a Calibre library than the GUI.

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11-25-2017, 08:28 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,800 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Calibre server and Calibre(GUI) are no longer mutual. 'Only one ' is now the rule

11-25-2017, 08:59 PM	#3
jdege Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Samsung Tablet	So, how do I work with my library, from the desktop?

11-25-2017, 09:41 PM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,857 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	YOu either run the server from within the GUI or you do the shutdown server, run GUI, start server dance.

11-25-2017, 10:38 PM	#5
jdege Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Samsung Tablet	Any plans on fixing that? I mean, the whole point of having a server is to have it running 24x7, whether anyone is logged into the box or not.

11-25-2017, 11:02 PM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,857 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Simply write a script that stops the server and then launches calibre and starts the server when calibre quits. You can also have the GUI run its embedded server automatically on startup so your server downtime is not going to be down for more than a few seconds. It's only linux that has this pretty artificial distinction between servers that can have no GUI and GUI programs that cannot run 24x7. The GUI is never going to be able to connect to a server as a backend, but the server is going to gain the ability to edit metadata/add/convert books, etc. via its own UI.

11-26-2017, 12:23 AM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,857 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Just put it in startup programs, and enable the system tray and use --start-in-tray

11-26-2017, 12:35 AM	#11
jdege Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Samsung Tablet	My understanding was that programs in the startup folder don't run until the user logs in.

11-26-2017, 01:30 AM	#12
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,857 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes, and what is the problem with a user logging in? It's not like the windowing sub-system is not running already.

11-26-2017, 01:57 AM	#13
jdege Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Samsung Tablet	I get up in the morning, have breakfast, go to work. During lunch I read a book on my Android tablet. I finish the book, decide to download the next book in the series so I start Calibre Companion and tell it to connect to my Content Sever. And if I was using the GUI as my server, unless I'd remembered to login before I left for work and left my computer logged in, it isn't running. The whole point behind a server is that is configured to be running anytime the computer is on, without human interaction. If my computer is running, my ssh server is running, and my http server, whether I've logged in or not. If the power goes out, when it comes back on the computer boots up, and all the services restart. That's how all of the standard services work. It's how I have calibre-server configured on Linux, and it's how I'd have it configured if I was using Windows. From wherever I am in the world, I can download books from my Calibre library. I'd thought that was the whole reason calibre-server existed.

11-26-2017, 04:55 AM	#14
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,857 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Huh? In either case you need to have your server running. And it is trivial to setup windows to login automatically on start up.

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11-26-2017, 07:38 AM	#15
jdege Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Samsung Tablet	Setting up the computer to log in on boot means leaving it logged in when no one is present, and that's a huge security weakness. And it assumes that there is only userid on the computer. If my wife or kids need to use the machine, they either need to use the same login, which defeats the whole purpose of having separate logins, or they logout and log in as a different user, which shuts down Calibre. Unless, of course, you put Calibre in the all-users startup folder, in which case it will start up no matter which user logs in. But then, it will try to run multiple copies, when multiple users are logged in simultaneously, which many versions of Windows support. Face it. Calibre-server is a better tool for configuring 24×7 access to a Calibre library than the GUI.