calibredb cli needs admin rights (sudo)

tesep · 07-22-2017, 09:12 AM

Hi,

I have problems using calibredb. When I run it without sudo it fails silently (not returning any results), only when I use sudo it succeeds:

Code:

sudo calibredb list --fields="title,author_sort,tags,cover" --for-machine

I tried to repair the rights to my database-file as well as the executables, but that didn’t change anything.

Any idea how to fix this?

I’m on macOS 10.12 Sierra.

theducks · 07-22-2017, 01:11 PM

sudo need implies there are current user 'rights' issues somewhere in the chain.

The Library (RW)
the Executables (need x permission)
the (CSV) output destination folder (RW)

kovidgoyal · 07-22-2017, 01:37 PM

Pass the correct --with-library argument to it.

tesep · 07-22-2017, 02:19 PM

Thanks for your answers!

After running the following command it works great!

Code:

chmod u+x calibredb

tesep · 07-23-2017, 08:13 AM

I just noticed that "calibredb" (without sudo) always fails silently when calibre GUI is open. When the GUI is closed sudo is not needed.

Any idea why this happens? Would be good at least to have a error message if the db is blocked!

theducks · 07-23-2017, 10:14 AM

Since 3.x, you can not run the CLI and the GUI at the same time. It is in the release notes and has been mentioned here at MR dozens of times.

I do hate silent fails, though. But is it really 'silent'? Or is the Console output just lost because of a shell script?

tesep · 07-23-2017, 07:07 PM

Sorry if this has been answered before, I searched in the forum but didn’t find any results to my question.

Hard to tell for me why there is no output.

eschwartz · 07-24-2017, 01:36 PM

Because there was a bug: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/build-...bb3229e0fff372

In the next calibre release, this will show the error message you expected to see.

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.

PeterT · 07-24-2017, 02:54 PM

Is it also a bug that running calibredb via sudo works?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

kovidgoyal · 07-24-2017, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

Is it also a bug that running calibredb via sudo works?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

No, the single instance check is per user.

tesep · 07-28-2017, 04:05 AM

Do the devs:
Can’t you let calls to "calibredb list" through? As they are not writing anything they can do no harm.
I am writing a desktop ebook-browser right now which uses the calibre-cli and closing calibre all the time really impairs the usability.

kovidgoyal · 07-28-2017, 04:17 AM

list is not readonly, any database access is not readonly, since database schemas are upgraded on any connection. You dont need to shutdown calibre, simply run the calibre content server and have calibredb connect to it.

tesep · 08-04-2017, 03:06 AM

I still don’t really see the purpose in this – worst case you get wrong data back. But I guess 99% most users will call calibredb or use calibre to edit the db, once at a time.

I want to make a minimalist ebook browser which uses the calibre db. Having to close down calibre all the time when you want to add a book makes it hardly usable. Also then making it necessary to run a content server, which is overkill if you just want to browse your own ebooks.

So my alternative now is probably getting the data directly from the SQLite db…

07-22-2017, 09:12 AM	#1
tesep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Sony PRS-350	calibredb cli needs admin rights (sudo) Hi, I have problems using calibredb. When I run it without sudo it fails silently (not returning any results), only when I use sudo it succeeds: Code: sudo calibredb list --fields="title,author_sort,tags,cover" --for-machine I tried to repair the rights to my database-file as well as the executables, but that didn’t change anything. Any idea how to fix this? I’m on macOS 10.12 Sierra. Last edited by tesep; 07-22-2017 at 02:22 PM.

07-22-2017, 02:19 PM	#4
tesep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Sony PRS-350	Thanks for your answers! After running the following command it works great! Code: chmod u+x calibredb

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07-22-2017, 01:11 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,057 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	sudo need implies there are current user 'rights' issues somewhere in the chain. The Library (RW) the Executables (need x permission) the (CSV) output destination folder (RW)

07-22-2017, 01:37 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,353 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Pass the correct --with-library argument to it.

07-23-2017, 08:13 AM	#5
tesep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Sony PRS-350	I just noticed that "calibredb" (without sudo) always fails silently when calibre GUI is open. When the GUI is closed sudo is not needed. Any idea why this happens? Would be good at least to have a error message if the db is blocked!

07-23-2017, 10:14 AM	#6
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,057 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Since 3.x, you can not run the CLI and the GUI at the same time. It is in the release notes and has been mentioned here at MR dozens of times. I do hate silent fails, though. But is it really 'silent'? Or is the Console output just lost because of a shell script?

07-23-2017, 07:07 PM	#7
tesep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Sony PRS-350	Sorry if this has been answered before, I searched in the forum but didn’t find any results to my question. Hard to tell for me why there is no output.

07-24-2017, 02:54 PM	#9
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,515 Karma: 78910202 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Is it also a bug that running calibredb via sudo works? Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

07-28-2017, 04:05 AM	#11
tesep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Sony PRS-350	Do the devs: Can’t you let calls to "calibredb list" through? As they are not writing anything they can do no harm. I am writing a desktop ebook-browser right now which uses the calibre-cli and closing calibre all the time really impairs the usability.

07-28-2017, 04:17 AM	#12
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,353 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	list is not readonly, any database access is not readonly, since database schemas are upgraded on any connection. You dont need to shutdown calibre, simply run the calibre content server and have calibredb connect to it.

08-04-2017, 03:06 AM	#13
tesep Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2017 Device: Sony PRS-350	I still don’t really see the purpose in this – worst case you get wrong data back. But I guess 99% most users will call calibredb or use calibre to edit the db, once at a time. I want to make a minimalist ebook browser which uses the calibre db. Having to close down calibre all the time when you want to add a book makes it hardly usable. Also then making it necessary to run a content server, which is overkill if you just want to browse your own ebooks. So my alternative now is probably getting the data directly from the SQLite db…

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