[GUI Plugin] Sending (syncing) by SSH/RSH

janvanmaar · 12-12-2010, 06:08 AM

It is a rather specific plugin but perhaps it will be useful for someone.
The plugin enables sending of books from Calibre using SSH (or RSH) protocol. It requires rsync or similar utility to be installed in the system. It can be used to send books from Calibre wirelessly to your ereader or another computer with SSH server running (on Kindle, this can be achieved by usbNetwork hack; most other readers run Linux too, so it should be possible to install SSH server). The plugin enables customization of the rsync (or equivalent) utility path, remote host details, formats of books to be sent + a Kindle specific option of refreshing the book list after sending. The advantage of rsync is that it only sends the differences between the Calibre book and the book existing on the remote host, so if the book already exists or if only metadata have changed, there will be (almost) no transfer.

Special Notes:
The implementation is simple, so it has a few shortcomings currently: Calibre cannot be used while books are being sent by SSH; the button is not integrated into the "Send to device" group; applicability on Windows is questionable and not tested under Windows at all; only one remote host at a time can be specified at the moment; only SSH login with preshared keys is currently supported. Some of the shortcomings could possibly be sorted out on request - I did not want to spend too much time implementing without knowing that somebody would actually use it.

Installation Steps:

First follow the general instructions from kiwidude mentioned here: download the zip file, install the plugin, add the 'Send by RSYNC' button by customizing the toolbar.
Finally, customize the plugin in Preferences->Plugins->User Interface Actions Plugin->Send by RSYNC. A Calibre restart seems to be necessary for any Calibre plugin customization to take effect.

hanes69 · 03-02-2011, 07:37 AM

Would be possible to enable this plugin for Windows?
There are some RSYNC utilities like http://www.itefix.no/i2/node/10650

janvanmaar · 03-06-2011, 05:02 AM

You can enable Windows by adding it to the supported_platforms in the plugin script. The plugin should be written in a platform independent way but it is still possible that some additional adjustments will be needed. I do not have Windows installed, so I cannot check...
EDIT: Just to make sure - you can only SSH to your Kindle 3 if you install usbNetwork hack and configure SSH with it.

kranu · 03-09-2011, 12:17 AM

Good work! Suggestion:

Make it a device plugin, so that integration with other features works better. If needs be, you could cache the important files (collections.json, etc) and create placeholders for other files. Then, you could use a hybrid between the Connect To Folder and Kindle driver.

janvanmaar · 03-09-2011, 09:27 AM

Thanks for suggestion! Something like that could work and would certainly be beneficial. I have not looked into implementation details of such a solution and I don't have time to look into it now but I may return to it in the future

thomass · 04-11-2011, 04:23 PM

Would be possible to enable this plugin for Windows?
I'll probably use it...

janvanmaar · 04-12-2011, 02:46 PM

I have enabled the plugin for Windows. However, note that it is not tested under Windows at all...

thomass · 04-13-2011, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janvanmaar

I have enabled the plugin for Windows. However, note that it is not tested under Windows at all...

thanks

I'll installed it. set the proper Ip. However still not working.
An external software needed? the rsync binary?

janvanmaar · 04-13-2011, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomass

An external software needed? the rsync binary?

Linux and Mac come with rsync preinstalled but you'd need an external command line utility for Windows. You can try whether the utility mentioned hanes69 works but it may be a long shot.

DonJaime · 09-04-2014, 02:15 PM

I installed this on calibre 2.1.1 and restarted. There was nothing new visible in the GUI.

Then I went to Preferences->Plugins->User Interface Actions Plugin->Send by RSYNC and got the message:

calibre, version 2.1.0
ERROR: Must restart: You must restart calibre before you can configure the Send by RSYNC plug-in

PeterT · 09-04-2014, 03:05 PM

This plugin has not been updated to handle the new QT5 libraries used by calibre 2.0 and above.

DonJaime · 09-05-2014, 02:27 AM

I tried changing PyQt4 to PyQt5 in line 41, and it initialised properly and let me cutomise it. But then it didn't actually work.

So it looks like I'll have to hope someone who knows what they are doing feels like having a look at it.

... Which has now happened. Thank-you. But...

janvanmaar · 09-05-2014, 03:32 AM

Hi DonJaime, I will have a look at this, perhaps at the coming weekend - I am not sure how much has changed in the meantime but I hope I will be able to fix it.

janvanmaar · 09-07-2014, 03:25 PM

I have fixed the problem (see the 1.0.1 file). It works fine for me now.

DonJaime · 09-12-2014, 03:17 AM

Trying to send by RSYNC still produced an ugly error message. Which has now been replaced by an informative message pointing out that the book concerned is not available in any of the formats defined in the plugin's preferences (thank-you).

Kindle users will probably want to remove EPUB from the format list and add AZW3.

09-04-2014, 02:15 PM	#10
DonJaime Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: kindle	I installed this on calibre 2.1.1 and restarted. There was nothing new visible in the GUI. Then I went to Preferences->Plugins->User Interface Actions Plugin->Send by RSYNC and got the message: calibre, version 2.1.0 ERROR: Must restart: You must restart calibre before you can configure the Send by RSYNC plug-in Last edited by DonJaime; 09-09-2014 at 08:39 AM. Reason: Shorten the page

09-05-2014, 02:27 AM	#12
DonJaime Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: kindle	I tried changing PyQt4 to PyQt5 in line 41, and it initialised properly and let me cutomise it. But then it didn't actually work. So it looks like I'll have to hope someone who knows what they are doing feels like having a look at it. ... Which has now happened. Thank-you. But... Last edited by DonJaime; 09-12-2014 at 03:18 AM.

09-12-2014, 03:17 AM	#15
DonJaime Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: kindle	Trying to send by RSYNC still produced an ugly error message. Which has now been replaced by an informative message pointing out that the book concerned is not available in any of the formats defined in the plugin's preferences (thank-you). Kindle users will probably want to remove EPUB from the format list and add AZW3. Last edited by DonJaime; 09-19-2014 at 05:12 AM.

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03-02-2011, 07:37 AM	#2
hanes69 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Would be possible to enable this plugin for Windows? There are some RSYNC utilities like http://www.itefix.no/i2/node/10650

03-06-2011, 05:02 AM	#3
janvanmaar Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3G, Samsung SIII	You can enable Windows by adding it to the supported_platforms in the plugin script. The plugin should be written in a platform independent way but it is still possible that some additional adjustments will be needed. I do not have Windows installed, so I cannot check... EDIT: Just to make sure - you can only SSH to your Kindle 3 if you install usbNetwork hack and configure SSH with it.

03-09-2011, 12:17 AM	#4
kranu I <3 my Kindle Posts: 528 Karma: 51332 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: United States Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	Good work! Suggestion: Make it a device plugin, so that integration with other features works better. If needs be, you could cache the important files (collections.json, etc) and create placeholders for other files. Then, you could use a hybrid between the Connect To Folder and Kindle driver.

03-09-2011, 09:27 AM	#5
janvanmaar Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3G, Samsung SIII	Thanks for suggestion! Something like that could work and would certainly be beneficial. I have not looked into implementation details of such a solution and I don't have time to look into it now but I may return to it in the future

04-11-2011, 04:23 PM	#6
thomass Wizard Posts: 1,669 Karma: 2300001 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Türkiye Device: Kindle 5.3.7	Would be possible to enable this plugin for Windows? I'll probably use it...

04-12-2011, 02:46 PM	#7
janvanmaar Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3G, Samsung SIII	I have enabled the plugin for Windows. However, note that it is not tested under Windows at all...

09-04-2014, 03:05 PM	#11
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,125 Karma: 78857258 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	This plugin has not been updated to handle the new QT5 libraries used by calibre 2.0 and above.

09-05-2014, 03:32 AM	#13
janvanmaar Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3G, Samsung SIII	Hi DonJaime, I will have a look at this, perhaps at the coming weekend - I am not sure how much has changed in the meantime but I hope I will be able to fix it.

09-07-2014, 03:25 PM	#14
janvanmaar Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 404 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3G, Samsung SIII	I have fixed the problem (see the 1.0.1 file). It works fine for me now.

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