Can I use Calibre's CLI tools for an app?

markvb · 04-14-2012, 12:37 AM

I wonder if Calibre's licence allow's developers to create apps that make use of calibre's CLI tools such as ebook-convert.

kovidgoyal · 04-14-2012, 01:08 AM

Yes, you can, as long as you do not distribute calibre with your app. If you do that, you have to open source your app.

markvb · 04-14-2012, 01:44 AM

So I can use Calibre's CLI tools, but if I include any part of calibre source code, I have to open source my app.

If I do not include any calibre source code, and I just ask my users to install Calibre before using my app, I do not have to open source it.

Is that right?

I plan to open source my app anyway, that's just to make sure I understood you.

Thank you

kovidgoyal · 04-14-2012, 03:23 AM

It's a bit of a gray area. The GPL specifies that if an GPLed component is an "essential" part of your software then your software must be GPLed. Whether that applies to the case of asking your users to install calibre separately is not entirely clear.

markvb · 04-15-2012, 09:13 PM

Nice, Im going to open source it no matter what it doesn't really matter.

Im not a Python nor Qt expert, and Im finding it difficult to extract the ebook-convert tool from Calibre's codebase and bundle it as a separate command line tool that can be used independently.

Has this been done before? If not, could you give me any hint as from where to start?

kovidgoyal · 04-15-2012, 10:00 PM

You cant extract ebook-convert, you'll have to bundle all of calibre, for example ebook-convert uses Qt for SVG rasterization and rendering HTML covers in epub.

04-14-2012, 12:37 AM	#1
markvb Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: none	Can I use Calibre's CLI tools for an app? I wonder if Calibre's licence allow's developers to create apps that make use of calibre's CLI tools such as ebook-convert.

04-15-2012, 10:00 PM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You cant extract ebook-convert, you'll have to bundle all of calibre, for example ebook-convert uses Qt for SVG rasterization and rendering HTML covers in epub. Last edited by kovidgoyal; 04-15-2012 at 10:14 PM.

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04-14-2012, 01:08 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Yes, you can, as long as you do not distribute calibre with your app. If you do that, you have to open source your app.

04-14-2012, 01:44 AM	#3
markvb Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: none	So I can use Calibre's CLI tools, but if I include any part of calibre source code, I have to open source my app. If I do not include any calibre source code, and I just ask my users to install Calibre before using my app, I do not have to open source it. Is that right? I plan to open source my app anyway, that's just to make sure I understood you. Thank you

04-14-2012, 03:23 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,858 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It's a bit of a gray area. The GPL specifies that if an GPLed component is an "essential" part of your software then your software must be GPLed. Whether that applies to the case of asking your users to install calibre separately is not entirely clear.

04-15-2012, 09:13 PM	#5
markvb Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2012 Device: none	Nice, Im going to open source it no matter what it doesn't really matter. Im not a Python nor Qt expert, and Im finding it difficult to extract the ebook-convert tool from Calibre's codebase and bundle it as a separate command line tool that can be used independently. Has this been done before? If not, could you give me any hint as from where to start?

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