Calibre-web help

[jmanko16]

I have Calibre setup on my Mac, and then Calibre-web running in docker on my 918+ as reading said they both shouldn’t be running at the same time on docker (not sure reason, but some compatibility issues with database).

Well either way…..Calibre-web is up and running fine, upload works, but the ebook conversion does not.

Calibre-web converter failing
" (Basic Configuration:External Binaries) set the **Path to Calibre E-Book Converter** to

/usr/bin/ebook-convert"

when I go to **Tasks** it says **Failed** on the status of the converting task.

Also, I don’t actually see the ebook-convert file I just entered it as per instructions.

TIA

Edit: Was able to figure this out, needs to add an extra variable path.

 

[tehsmallest]

Hello jmanko16,

I have the same issue - could you please let me know how you fixed it with the extra variable path? Is the setup to be done in docker or in the synology folder structure?

Thank you for your time

 

[fredbert]

Not sure exactly but here....

GitHub - linuxserver/docker-calibre-web

Contribute to linuxserver/docker-calibre-web development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

...says this:

Parameters​

Container images are configured using parameters passed at runtime (such as those above). These parameters are separated by a colon and indicate <external>:<internal> respectively. For example, -p 8080:80 would expose port 80 from inside the container to be accessible from the host's IP on port 8080 outside the container.

Parameter​	Function
-p 8083​	WebUI
-e PUID=1000​	for UserID - see below for explanation
-e PGID=1000​	for GroupID - see below for explanation
-e TZ=Europe/London​	Specify a timezone to use EG Europe/London.
-e DOCKER_MODS=linuxserver/mods:universal-calibre​	#optional & x86-64 only Adds the ability to perform ebook conversion
-e OAUTHLIB_RELAX_TOKEN_SCOPE=1​	Optionally set this to allow Google OAUTH to work
-v /config​	Where calibre-web stores the internal database and config.
-v /books​	Where your preexisting calibre database is located.

In the Advanced Settings' Environment parameters have you added:

 

[tehsmallest]

Not sure exactly but here....

GitHub - linuxserver/docker-calibre-web

Contribute to linuxserver/docker-calibre-web development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

...says this:


In the Advanced Settings' Environment parameters have you added:
View attachment 10377

Hello,

Thank you for your answer - that parameter (DOCKER_MODS = linuxserver/calibre-web:calibre) is already there.

edit: The conversion task is in status Failed

To be more specific, my conversion attempts are logged by calibre web as:
"Book id 307 - target format of . does not exist. Moving forward with convert."
And then nothing happens/is logged aymore.

The log level setup in Calibre Web is set currently at DEBUG level.

 

[fredbert]

I normally have my user permissions as near to read-only as they can be, since I do a daily sync of the Calibre library from my Mac to NAS location. I use Calibre-Web as a web front for my books.

However, I changed a user permissions to allow upload/edit/delete*. Going into a book's Edit Metadata I found I could convert to DOCX and RTF (I already maintain EPUB, MOBI, and AZW3 formats for all my books) but it failed to generate PDF and ODT formats, and I don't test the other formats.


*further testing and the user just needed Allow Edit permission (and to clean up Allow Delete).

 

[tehsmallest]

Hi @fredbert

Thank you for taking the time to answer - the calibre-web user is setup for Allow Edit/Upload/Delete. Tried to convert to RTF and I got the same result in the conversion: failed with a "Book id 307 - target format of .rtf does not exist. Moving forward with convert."
These are the last lines in the log
[2022-08-04 10:14:12,217] INFO {cps.tasks.convert:142} Book id 306 - target format of .rtf does not exist. Moving forward with convert.
[2022-08-04 10:14:14,723] DEBUG {cps.updater:329} Stable version: {'version': '0.6.19'}

Tbh, I think I have an issue with the calibre converter path in the Basic Configuration > Path to Calibre E-Book Converter
I have put in there /usr/bin/ebook-convert but I do not know if this is the correct one

Both calibre and calibre-web are installed as docker containers on a synology DS920+

To test, I put in the Basic Configuration > Path to Calibre E-Book Converter the string 123 and then saved - the option of converting books is stil available for my user in Calibre Web > Edit Metadata and when trying to use it I have the same message logged "target format of .rtf does not exist. Moving forward with convert." This tells me that Calibre-Web might display the option to convert books as soon as there is something filled in in the Basic Configuration > Path to Calibre E-Book Converter. I tried to click on the Open Folder icon at the far right of the Path to Calibre E-Book Converter field but browsing through the folders, files from there I do not know what to choose - maybe I have to set up a volume for the folder where the Calibre converter is (which tbh I do not know where might be)

Thanking you once again for the time, I wonder if this is a setup issue that needs a new thread or do you think I should continue here?

Edit: when converting directly from Calibre Synology Client (docker) using the Convert Book button works

 

[Telos]

Both calibre and calibre-web are installed as docker containers on a synology DS920+

I'm late to the conversation, but calibre includes the server... I'm not sure what calibre-web adds... but haven't used calibre-web, I'm unfamiliar. However, the calibre docker is fully featured.

Pardon the intrusion if I'm off-base here

 

[Akira]

I have both Calibre and Calibre-web running in docker.
I use Calibre to edit the database, modify metadata and do any conversions.
I have Calibre-web set to read the database but it is unable to make changes to it.
(I believe that is why they say not to run both at the same time as if they both try to add the book or make changes at the same time it will corrupt the database)
Calibre-web offers a web interface which can be logged into with a send to kindle option. This option has recently been updated in line with Amazon dropping the ability to email mobi to Kindles.
This means if I log into it I can send the books to my kindle and if my wife logs in she can send to hers without me exposing the main Calibre interface.
I've then got the Calibre-web interface exposed using SWAG so we can send ebooks to our kindles no matter where we are (SADLY the web browser on the Kindle can't quite handle the Calibre-web interface)

 

[fredbert]

@tehsmallest These are my Basic Configuration settings for External Binaries.

Though going back to how you use Calibre-Web alongside Calibre, it sounds that the ability to create new file formats isn't really needed in your deployment since you can easily use Calibre to generate them. This is how I use my setup and so I've disabled the ability to upload, edit, and delete from the main config and each user account. My library folder is sync'ed from Mac's Calibre installation. When I tried to convert to PDF or ODT (I tested and all others worked) the full log for the event was:

[2022-08-04 16:33:44,351]  INFO {cps.editbooks:318} converting: book id: 955 from: EPUB to: ODT
[2022-08-04 16:33:44,356] DEBUG {cps.services.worker:91} Add Task for user: libadmin - Convert 955
[2022-08-04 16:33:45,217]  INFO {cps.tasks.convert:142} Book id 955 - target format of .odt does not exist. Moving forward with convert.
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,173] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:254} No write access to /root/.config/calibre using a temporary dir instead
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,302] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268} Traceback (most recent call last):
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,302] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "runpy.py", line 196, in _run_module_as_main
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,302] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "runpy.py", line 86, in _run_code
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,302] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "site.py", line 45, in <module>
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,302] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "site.py", line 41, in main
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,303] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py", line 379, in main
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,303] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "calibre/ebooks/conversion/cli.py", line 332, in create_option_parser
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,303] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268}   File "calibre/ebooks/conversion/plumber.py", line 758, in __init__
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,303] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:268} ValueError: No plugin to handle output format: odt
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,303]  INFO {cps.tasks.convert:188} ebook converter failed with error while converting book
[2022-08-04 16:33:46,304] ERROR {cps.tasks.convert:192} Calibre failed with error: ValueError: No plugin to handle output format: odt

Whereas the log for a successful conversion to DOCX started with:

[2022-08-04 16:41:58,848]  INFO {cps.editbooks:318} converting: book id: 957 from: EPUB to: DOCX
[2022-08-04 16:41:58,851] DEBUG {cps.services.worker:91} Add Task for user: libadmin - Convert 957
[2022-08-04 16:41:59,352]  INFO {cps.tasks.convert:142} Book id 957 - target format of .docx does not exist. Moving forward with convert.
[2022-08-04 16:42:00,037] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:254} No write access to /root/.config/calibre using a temporary dir instead
[2022-08-04 16:42:00,080] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:254} 1% Converting input to HTML...
[2022-08-04 16:42:00,080] DEBUG {cps.tasks.convert:254} InputFormatPlugin: EPUB Input running
...
...

@Telos My reason to use Calibre-Web is, pretty obviously, that I use Calibre on Mac and am happy with it that way but was interested in adding ebooks to the NAS, in a Plex-like way. The Calibre-Web interface has a Plex theme too Then if I want I can also use the send to Kindle as mentioned by @Akira .

 

[Akira]

Only down side is Send to Kindle won't sent azw3 which means the newer kindles won't then display the book cover as the "screensaver" unless you jailbreak it.

 

[fredbert]

Only down side is Send to Kindle won't sent azw3 which means the newer kindles won't then display the book cover as the "screensaver" unless you jailbreak it.

I wondered why when using Calibre to transfer to Kindle via USB also failed to show the book cover: I look as see it defaults to sending MOBI format when I have both that and AWZ3. I'm going to play with what it transfers, though this is 'no biggie'.

 

[tehsmallest]

Thank you all for your time - I will use calibre client instead of web to convert then... and restrict the calibre web users from making any changes - they are not that many, is just family so I can get in and just convert the books for them then.

I am interested in sending books to a kindle my wife owns but tbh I would rather buy her a Kobo and just have her sync the epubs we own to her device instead of going through the Send to Kindle Setup



As a last note, in the about section of Calibre Web I have the following displayed:

Unrar	UNRAR 5.61 beta 1 freeware Copyright (c) 1993-2018 Alexander Roshal
Ebook converter	not installed
Kepubify	kepubify v4.0.4

The paths for these in the Basic Configuration > External Binaries are compliant to everything I have seen as setup before

Path to Calibre E-Book Converter - /usr/bin/ebook-convert (as mentioned before I fiddled with this one yesterday and I do not know what the About section had been displaying before that)
Path to Kepubify E-Book Converter - /usr/bin/kepubify
Location of Unrar binary - /usr/bin/unrar

Bottom line:
- will use the Calibre Client just to maintain the books and Calibre Web just to interface and sync some books with the Kobo Readers

 

[Telos]

@Telos My reason to use Calibre-Web is, pretty obviously, that I use Calibre on Mac and am happy with it that way but was interested in adding ebooks to the NAS, in a Plex-like way. The Calibre-Web interface has a Plex theme too Then if I want I can also use the send to Kindle as mentioned by @Akira .

Makes sense. I was commenting on my understanding that docker containers for both calibre and calibre-web were running, side-by-side... and as I can do pretty much all with the calibre container (upload, download, convert, merge... ), the advantage of also having calibre-web was unclear to me.

 

[Akira]

@fredbert By not showing the cover did you mean as a screensaver? Or on the actual book.

 

[fredbert]

Well I have a cover on my Kindle so I only ever see the screensaver is when I have fallen asleep reading. But I have noticed that book covers for uploads didn’t get shown.

Not sure if that’s only for MOBI format but yesterday I spent time switching them over to AZW3 versions. Plus found the Calibre device settings to change format priority and putting uploads into a single folder that I called ‘My Library’.

Also changed to Calibre 5 and updated a couple of plugins, but couldn’t get the plugins to work on Calibre 6.

Anyway, back to your question, Calibre alerted that covers for uploaded books are getting deleted by Amazon for new uploads, after ejecting the USB. But if you reconnect the device to Calibre and eject a again now the covers are retained. And this is working for me. I also changed device settings to always update metadata when connected.