calibre-server

Start a server to distribute e-books. Access at

$ calibre-server

$ calibre-server --port [port]

$ calibre-server --username [username] --password [password]

calibre-server [OPTIONS] [calibre_library_path...]

Example:
calibre-server --port 8080 --username myuser --password mypass --enable-write --daemonize /path/to/my/Calibre/Library

--port
    Specifies the network port for the server to listen on. Default is 8080.

--listen-on

calibre-server is a robust command-line utility designed to host your Calibre e-book libraries as a web server. It provides a convenient way to access, browse, search, and download books from your collection using any web browser or Calibre's dedicated content server client. This tool supports serving multiple libraries simultaneously, offers user authentication for secure access, and can be configured to listen on specific network interfaces and ports. It's an indispensable component for sharing your digital library within a local network or over the internet, dynamically serving metadata, covers, and actual book files. The server also generates an OPDS feed, allowing compatible e-readers and applications to directly discover and download books.

Running calibre-server exposed to the internet without HTTPS and strong authentication is highly discouraged due to security risks. The --enable-write option grants significant power to logged-in users, allowing them to modify your valuable library; it should be used with extreme caution or avoided for public-facing servers. Ensure the specified port is open in your system's firewall to allow incoming connections.

Performance can be a concern with very large libraries or a high number of concurrent users, potentially consuming significant system resources.

calibre-server is frequently deployed on home servers, Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, or virtual private servers (VPS) to provide centralized access to an e-book collection. For internet-facing deployments, it is highly recommended to place calibre-server behind a reverse proxy (such as Nginx or Apache). This setup allows the proxy to handle SSL termination, load balancing, and more robust security features, while calibre-server focuses solely on serving the library content.

By specifying multiple Calibre library paths as arguments to the command (e.g., calibre-server /path/to/libA /path/to/libB), the server can simultaneously serve all of them. Each library will then be accessible via a distinct URL path on the server, typically like /server/libraryA and /server/libraryB.

The server automatically provides an OPDS (Open Publication Distribution System) feed. This standard allows many modern e-readers and mobile applications to browse, search, and download books from your Calibre library directly without needing a web browser, offering a seamless integration experience for dedicated e-book devices.

calibre-server is an integral part of the Calibre e-book management suite, which was initially created by Kovid Goyal in 2006. Starting as a tool to convert e-book formats (libprs500), Calibre rapidly evolved into a comprehensive solution for e-book organization, conversion, and consumption. The content server functionality, provided by calibre-server, was introduced to enable remote access to Calibre libraries, making it a pivotal feature for users wishing to share or access their digital collections across various devices and networks. It has been under continuous active development, reflecting the evolving needs of digital book enthusiasts.

calibre(1), calibredb(1), calibre-customize(1), nginx(8), apache2(8)