Running Calibre content server as a service

mathia · 03-14-2011, 01:51 PM

After much searching on here and other places, I found that most users are just setting up a scheduled task to run at startup. I was looking for a bit better solution that is actually running as a service. I tried the Microsoft solution (instsrv), but was never able to get it to start. Finally came across an open source solution that actually worked. It is called ServiceEx. It allows one to run just about any program as a service. Configuration is achieved via an ini file. No gui, totally command line. The one complaint I would have about it is if you make changes, it has you uninstall and reinstall the service before any changes to the ini are recognized. With a little knowledge of the registry, you should be able to make changes without having to go through all that. All in all, it solved my problem and it is no longer necessary to have the machine logged in for the web server to work.
If you're interested, it can be found here:

http://www.serviceex.com

If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them, but take it easy on me, I just signed up for this forum today. LOL!!!!

mathia · 03-14-2011, 11:09 PM

Wow...I figured there would be more interest in this topic. Looks like I was one of the few wanting to do this.
Not a hiccup so far. Works great.

Sweetpea · 03-15-2011, 05:23 AM

I have Calibre running with the microsoft tools, and I don't have to have the server logged in at all times. I would have to look up how I did it (it's somewhere on the forum), but it works perfectly...

And you should give people a chance at reading your posts. No response within 24 hours doesn't mean nobody is interrested, but more likely that people are at work/bed/dinner/breakfast/lunch/walking/doing anything but reading the forums.

Manichean · 03-15-2011, 05:51 AM

Also, you didn't post a question, so people are probably only going to answer if they want to thank you for the tip or of they have further questions.

mathia · 03-15-2011, 03:26 PM

Thanks guys.
I tried the MS tools, but kept getting a message saying it did not respond to a request to start. SO...I just moved on. Glad someone out there actually got it working with the native tools. Not a clue what I might have done wrong. Obviously, it's possible to get it to work.
Running it as a service is the best way I've seen so far. It's seamless.
By the way...um...Sweetpea (that's what I call my stepdaughter)...are you doing a scheduled task or actually running it as a service?

gabglus · 03-16-2011, 07:06 PM

Hi mathia,

Can you post the ini file please ?

I can't do it run for me

Thanks

mathia · 03-17-2011, 08:37 AM

Sure...here are the settings I am using.

[ServiceEx]
ServiceExeFullPath = "C:\Program Files\calibre2\calibre-server.exe"

; program arguments to be sent to executable
options =-p 8081 --with-library "c:\calibre library"

; can program interact with desktop [true | false] (default: true)
desktop = true

; start type (valid values: Auto Manual Disabled) (default: auto)
Start=Auto

; start the service upon installation [true | false] (default: no)
StartNow=false

Please note, I am using a different port for mine. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

gabglus · 03-17-2011, 11:43 AM

Thanks you very much

It works now!

mathia · 03-17-2011, 12:55 PM

Excellent. Glad I could be of assistance. It's a great solution. I will probably experiment to see if I can get the instsrv method to work, but I am pretty happy with my current solution.

rayuki · 07-01-2011, 12:46 AM

all i have to say is that was bloody awesome, super quick way of getting it done and now i dont need to have calibre open all the time.

now if only i could read books straight from the server instead of downloading them i would be set!

itimpi · 07-01-2011, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayuki

now if only i could read books straight from the server instead of downloading them i would be set!

If you use FireFox there is the EPUBReader add on that supports this.

rayuki · 07-01-2011, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

If you use FireFox there is the EPUBReader add on that supports this.

i use an asus transformer and im not sure if it would work for that.

what i meant to say was i want it to read from the server as in NOT download the ebook to the device. with something like 45k books in my calibre library i would prefer an option to be able to read the book from the server instead of have to download it to the device.

that addon still downloads the book somewhere which is not what im after.

sort of looking for a "Streaming" style like you can do with tvshows etc where it stays on the host PC.

PeterT · 07-01-2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayuki

what i meant to say was i want it to read from the server as in NOT download the ebook to the device. with something like 45k books in my calibre library i would prefer an option to be able to read the book from the server instead of have to download it to the device.

Convert them all to HTML and just read HTML pages :P

theducks · 07-01-2011, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayuki

i use an asus transformer and im not sure if it would work for that.

what i meant to say was i want it to read from the server as in NOT download the ebook to the device. with something like 45k books in my calibre library i would prefer an option to be able to read the book from the server instead of have to download it to the device.

that addon still downloads the book somewhere which is not what im after.

sort of looking for a "Streaming" style like you can do with tvshows etc where it stays on the host PC.

Any web page (EPUB,PDF...) you see is Downloaded (or you would not see it

)
If you have bandwidth: you could run VNC on your (GUI) Host and
run http://www.realvnc.com/products/android/1.1/userguide/ VNC terminal on your honycomb device.
Calibre viewer (or any other program) would be running on the 'server'

itimpi · 07-01-2011, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayuki

that addon still downloads the book somewhere which is not what im after.

sort of looking for a "Streaming" style like you can do with tvshows etc where it stays on the host PC.

The point is that ePub is not a serial format, so it is not really amenable to 'streaming'.

The only way I could see it working is if there was some sort of server side process that could convert the book to HTML and then deliver up the HTML pages on demand. However this is not something I have seen any references to anyone developing such a capability.

03-14-2011, 01:51 PM	#1
mathia Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Running Calibre content server as a service After much searching on here and other places, I found that most users are just setting up a scheduled task to run at startup. I was looking for a bit better solution that is actually running as a service. I tried the Microsoft solution (instsrv), but was never able to get it to start. Finally came across an open source solution that actually worked. It is called ServiceEx. It allows one to run just about any program as a service. Configuration is achieved via an ini file. No gui, totally command line. The one complaint I would have about it is if you make changes, it has you uninstall and reinstall the service before any changes to the ini are recognized. With a little knowledge of the registry, you should be able to make changes without having to go through all that. All in all, it solved my problem and it is no longer necessary to have the machine logged in for the web server to work. If you're interested, it can be found here: http://www.serviceex.com If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them, but take it easy on me, I just signed up for this forum today. LOL!!!!

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03-14-2011, 11:09 PM	#2
mathia Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Wow...I figured there would be more interest in this topic. Looks like I was one of the few wanting to do this. Not a hiccup so far. Works great.

03-15-2011, 05:23 AM	#3
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I have Calibre running with the microsoft tools, and I don't have to have the server logged in at all times. I would have to look up how I did it (it's somewhere on the forum), but it works perfectly... And you should give people a chance at reading your posts. No response within 24 hours doesn't mean nobody is interrested, but more likely that people are at work/bed/dinner/breakfast/lunch/walking/doing anything but reading the forums.

03-15-2011, 05:51 AM	#4
Manichean Wizard Posts: 3,130 Karma: 91256 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Device: Cybook Gen3	Also, you didn't post a question, so people are probably only going to answer if they want to thank you for the tip or of they have further questions.

03-15-2011, 03:26 PM	#5
mathia Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Thanks guys. I tried the MS tools, but kept getting a message saying it did not respond to a request to start. SO...I just moved on. Glad someone out there actually got it working with the native tools. Not a clue what I might have done wrong. Obviously, it's possible to get it to work. Running it as a service is the best way I've seen so far. It's seamless. By the way...um...Sweetpea (that's what I call my stepdaughter)...are you doing a scheduled task or actually running it as a service?

03-16-2011, 07:06 PM	#6
gabglus Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: KINDLE 3	Hi mathia, Can you post the ini file please ? I can't do it run for me Thanks

03-17-2011, 08:37 AM	#7
mathia Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Sure...here are the settings I am using. [ServiceEx] ServiceExeFullPath = "C:\Program Files\calibre2\calibre-server.exe" ; program arguments to be sent to executable options =-p 8081 --with-library "c:\calibre library" ; can program interact with desktop [true \| false] (default: true) desktop = true ; start type (valid values: Auto Manual Disabled) (default: auto) Start=Auto ; start the service upon installation [true \| false] (default: no) StartNow=false Please note, I am using a different port for mine. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

03-17-2011, 11:43 AM	#8
gabglus Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: KINDLE 3	Thanks you very much It works now!

03-17-2011, 12:55 PM	#9
mathia Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	Excellent. Glad I could be of assistance. It's a great solution. I will probably experiment to see if I can get the instsrv method to work, but I am pretty happy with my current solution.

07-01-2011, 12:46 AM	#10
rayuki Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Asus Transformer	all i have to say is that was bloody awesome, super quick way of getting it done and now i dont need to have calibre open all the time. now if only i could read books straight from the server instead of downloading them i would be set!

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