Accessing Calibre Library on Windows PC from Linux Machine via Docker

Nero · 03-25-2023, 03:46 PM

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding my Calibre library. I'm running it on a Linux machine using Docker and I'm wondering if it's possible to access the library from the Calibre app on my Windows PC instead of using the content server website. While the content server is working correctly, I can't seem to find an option within the Windows app to connect to it. I apologize if this question seems basic, but I'm new to using Calibre and would appreciate any help.

Thank you in advance!

DNSB · 03-25-2023, 11:55 PM

A very bad idea. Sharing data from within a Docker container is not fun even after you have the Docker volumes setup. If you had your calibre instance installed in Linux, accessing a calibre database from two calibre instances is a great path to database corruption. If you were using calibre installed in Linux, you might be able to get away with this for a while sharing the calibre library over the network and making sure that one calibre instance was shutdown before the other was started. Even there, you are likely to run into the issues with running calibre with it's database on a network share.

And yes, people have gotten away with this for fairly long times. Then they show up here whinging that my database has problems, my libraries have disappeared, etc.

Quoth · 03-26-2023, 01:47 PM

Three things:
1. Calibre is a single user system. Better to somehow have a copy (rsync when Calibre isn't running?) on each computer, otherwise eventually it will go bad.
2. Calibre is only meant to connect to local storage, as is the case for many programs. Networking is rarely atomic. Local can include a mounted USB Mass Storage Mode, sata, scsi, ide or whatever device, but not a LAN connected device.
3. Why run Calibre inside Docker on Linux anyway?

I rsync a copy when Calibre isn't running.

Nero · 03-26-2023, 10:37 PM

I use Docker because I want to access the same library wherever I go, so doing it locally does not make sense for me, as I hate having to remember the page number in the book that I'm reading (hence why I use Plex for my rips). When I installed Calibre, I thought that I could just have a server client and a user client, so that I could connect to the server, read the PDF with the Calibre reader, and when I would close it and open it on another device, it would remember the page. I realize that it doesn't work like that (or I don't see how), so I'll use a VPN and just use Calibre-web. I wanted to use the Calibre reader since I liked it a lot, but this is what I could think of. I get that Calibre probably isn't meant for this, but that's how I would like it to work.

Also, I don't think that running it on Docker would make it any different since it's mounted to a directory on my server that I can access through SMB, so what's the catch? It works just like any other installation but makes it easier to be up 24/7, as I have a server in my home that does just that.
Thanks anyway

DNSB · 03-26-2023, 10:50 PM

See I am getting errors with my calibre library on a networked drive/NAS? in the calibre FAQs. And, yes, you can find quite a few people posting after the dancing bear stops dancing. calibre is intended to be a single user application with local storage used for the database/library. The calibre content server is the recommended method of accessing your calibre library from other computers.

Since you are mentioning accessing your library from wherever you go, where is your Docker container located if not on your LAN? If it is external to your network, it is even more likely that you will run into issues.

Nero · 03-27-2023, 08:49 PM

I use tailscale to connect to my local network, which is basically a VPN without port forwarding, since my ISP controls my open ports.
I also back up everything automatically, so if there are any database corruptions or anything like that, I can just rollback. I guess I'll have to see how it goes, if it gets corrupted, maybe I'll change my approach.

DNSB · 03-28-2023, 12:17 AM

Keep your backups current and be very certain that you have only one instance of calibre accessing your library. Good luck!

03-25-2023, 03:46 PM	#1
Nero Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2023 Device: None	Accessing Calibre Library on Windows PC from Linux Machine via Docker Hi everyone, I have a question regarding my Calibre library. I'm running it on a Linux machine using Docker and I'm wondering if it's possible to access the library from the Calibre app on my Windows PC instead of using the content server website. While the content server is working correctly, I can't seem to find an option within the Windows app to connect to it. I apologize if this question seems basic, but I'm new to using Calibre and would appreciate any help. Thank you in advance!

03-25-2023, 11:55 PM	#2
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 40,599 Karma: 157444382 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	A very bad idea. Sharing data from within a Docker container is not fun even after you have the Docker volumes setup. If you had your calibre instance installed in Linux, accessing a calibre database from two calibre instances is a great path to database corruption. If you were using calibre installed in Linux, you might be able to get away with this for a while sharing the calibre library over the network and making sure that one calibre instance was shutdown before the other was started. Even there, you are likely to run into the issues with running calibre with it's database on a network share. And yes, people have gotten away with this for fairly long times. Then they show up here whinging that my database has problems, my libraries have disappeared, etc. Last edited by DNSB; 03-25-2023 at 11:58 PM.

03-26-2023, 01:47 PM	#3
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 12,378 Karma: 92073397 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	Three things: 1. Calibre is a single user system. Better to somehow have a copy (rsync when Calibre isn't running?) on each computer, otherwise eventually it will go bad. 2. Calibre is only meant to connect to local storage, as is the case for many programs. Networking is rarely atomic. Local can include a mounted USB Mass Storage Mode, sata, scsi, ide or whatever device, but not a LAN connected device. 3. Why run Calibre inside Docker on Linux anyway? I rsync a copy when Calibre isn't running. Last edited by Quoth; 03-26-2023 at 01:51 PM.

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03-26-2023, 10:37 PM	#4
Nero Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2023 Device: None	I use Docker because I want to access the same library wherever I go, so doing it locally does not make sense for me, as I hate having to remember the page number in the book that I'm reading (hence why I use Plex for my rips). When I installed Calibre, I thought that I could just have a server client and a user client, so that I could connect to the server, read the PDF with the Calibre reader, and when I would close it and open it on another device, it would remember the page. I realize that it doesn't work like that (or I don't see how), so I'll use a VPN and just use Calibre-web. I wanted to use the Calibre reader since I liked it a lot, but this is what I could think of. I get that Calibre probably isn't meant for this, but that's how I would like it to work. Also, I don't think that running it on Docker would make it any different since it's mounted to a directory on my server that I can access through SMB, so what's the catch? It works just like any other installation but makes it easier to be up 24/7, as I have a server in my home that does just that. Thanks anyway

03-26-2023, 10:50 PM	#5
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 40,599 Karma: 157444382 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	See I am getting errors with my calibre library on a networked drive/NAS? in the calibre FAQs. And, yes, you can find quite a few people posting after the dancing bear stops dancing. calibre is intended to be a single user application with local storage used for the database/library. The calibre content server is the recommended method of accessing your calibre library from other computers. Since you are mentioning accessing your library from wherever you go, where is your Docker container located if not on your LAN? If it is external to your network, it is even more likely that you will run into issues.

03-27-2023, 08:49 PM	#6
Nero Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2023 Device: None	I use tailscale to connect to my local network, which is basically a VPN without port forwarding, since my ISP controls my open ports. I also back up everything automatically, so if there are any database corruptions or anything like that, I can just rollback. I guess I'll have to see how it goes, if it gets corrupted, maybe I'll change my approach.

03-28-2023, 12:17 AM	#7
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 40,599 Karma: 157444382 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Keep your backups current and be very certain that you have only one instance of calibre accessing your library. Good luck!

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