Calibre Library for multiple users?

[ginchiller]

Hello,
first of all I want to apologize for all the misstakes I will make, English isn't my first language but I hope it is good enough to understand the meaning.

I have a very large collection which i share with my family but the way I do it now is pretty inconvenient. From time to time I make a full backup and when I visit my relatives I replace their library...
So now I wanted to make a central solution that is standing at my home and can be accessed from anywhere and I wanted to ask if anyone has some experience with a similar problem.

I am thinking on getting the whole library on an external raid 1 hard disk raid, which is accessed via usb. A raspberry pi 3 should run the calibre server but the version which can be installed is very old (under 1 i think) and i could not find a detailed tutorial how to install it from source. Also the library should be managable from different users. Let's say one of my relative would want to sort some things out/rename them/add books (the last action can be don through an auto import folder for calibre as long as I know).

Thank you.

[eschwartz]

You can use a Raspberry Pi, but:

• Install Arch Linux ARM. Then you will have a modern, up to date operating system which includes up to date versions of calibre.
• Install calibre-git from the AUR. The precompiled distro package includes a bug that prevents successful password authentication from mobile devices.

As for multi-user management, that is upcoming and expected in calibre v3 -- which is still being worked on and is nowhere near ready, and there is no projected finish date yet.
As you suggested, adding books at least can be done through auto-import.

• You can save books once they have been corrected and renamed etc., using Save to Disk on the family member's PC.
• Then copy the saved ebook onto the Raspberry Pi.
• Run a script periodically via cron or systemd, using the calibredb backend to add those books to the library.

...

P.S. Your English is more than sufficient to make yourself understood, and many people don't speak English as their first language so grammatical errors are generally excused. You did fine.
Also, feel free to set your location in your profile details, that way people will automatically know to be extra forgiving of your grammar even without you saying anything.

[ginchiller]

Thank you for your quick, kind and detailed answer!

The points you made change a lot for me and make things way more easy, thank you again. I am going to install and configure everything in the next few days and will give feedback how it went.

Also I have updated my location

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by ginchiller

Thank you for your quick, kind and detailed answer!

The points you made change a lot for me and make things way more easy, thank you again.

Happy to help.

I am going to install and configure everything in the next few days and will give feedback how it went.

Thanks -- we always appreciate feedback. Confirmed success stories are
Also other people who find your thread can benefit from your observations.

Also I have updated my location