calibre-web-on-FreeNAS.md

Calibre-web on FreeNAS

Creating the Jail

• Step 1 - Name Jail and Choose FreeBSD Release

  • Name: calibre-jail
  • Jail Type: Default(Clone Jail)
  • Release: 11.3-RELEASE

• Step 2 - Configure Networking

  • DHCP Autoconfigure IPv4 (check)
  • VNET (check)

• Step 3 - Confirm Options

Running the Jail and setting up calibre-web

1. Start the jail and go to the shell.
2. Make sure you have installed the package manager:

pkg update

3. Install git, pip, python and sqlite3:

pkg install git && pkg install py37-pip && pkg install python && pkg install sqlite3 && pkg install py37-sqlite3

4. Clone the calibre-web repository

cd /
git clone https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web.git

5. Follow the "Quick start":

cd calibre-web/
pip install --target vendor -r requirements.txt

6. Execute:

python cps.py

Open your web browser and go to http://[jail-ip-address]:8083, if everything goes fine you will see:

7. Stop de Jail and add the mountpoint of your library (do not forget to check the Auto-start box in the edit section)

8. Start the Jail, go to the jail's shell and create an startup script:

touch /calibre-web/cw-startup.sh

echo '#\!/bin/sh' >> /calibre-web/cw-startup.sh
echo 'nohup python /calibre-web/cps.py &' >> /calibre-web/cw-startup.sh

chmod +x /calibre-web/cw-startup.sh

9. Add the script to the crontab

echo '@reboot root /calibre-web/cw-startup.sh' >> /etc/crontab

10. Restart the jail and go to http://[jail-ip-address]:8083

If somebody pastes without thinking: after step 4 and before step 5, you need to cd calibre-web :)

@foscoj thank you for having noticed that, I fixed it.

If I'm right you are installing python3.7 under step 3 but that would require "pip3 install --target vendor -r requirements.txt" under point 5 according to the Quick Start guide, i.e. you're lacking the number 3 behind pip in your command. Or am I mistaken?

EDIT: I just tried that command and it doesn't work :) I guess the Quick Start guide is not correct then, so thanks for your guide here!

One other question: how can I change the user, the app is running as?

And under #8 I am not sure if you need to go into the jail's shell after starting it or stay in the FreeNAS system.

@achmetinternet under #8 you're right it's the jail's shell.

Thanks, installed fine following instructions. After mounting and restarting, at the basic configuration screen, I get DB Location is not Valid, Please Enter Correct Path. It is not accepting anything as a path, and the folder icon for what i assume is explorer doesn't open. Something wrong with my mapping? Permissions?

Thanks, installed fine following instructions. After mounting and restarting, at the basic configuration screen, I get DB Location is not Valid, Please Enter Correct Path. It is not accepting anything as a path, and the folder icon for what i assume is explorer doesn't open. Something wrong with my mapping? Permissions?

I have the same issue.

@daddydaycare @Hu51, sorry both for the late response I've been busy, I really don't know about your issue either how to fix it. If you get to solve it please share it.

I had the same error.. it expects that whatever folder we provide has caliber DB. so I installed the caliber mac app that created DB for me that I copied to NAS and mounted it by using that path it worked.

root@calibre:/mnt/books # ls
John Schember	metadata.db

I yet to see that can I add books using the web version OR not OR it's just a read-only view of the provided DB. Yet to see. but I passed this error state.

Yup. I can update too.. but for that have to enable "Enable Uploads" from admin Configuration.

I had the same error.. it expects that whatever folder we provide has caliber DB. so I installed the caliber mac app that created DB for me that I copied to NAS and mounted it by using that path it worked.

root@calibre:/mnt/books # ls
John Schember	metadata.db

I yet to see that can I add books using the web version OR not OR it's just a read-only view of the provided DB. Yet to see. but I passed this error state.

Thank you! This worked for me.

same issue than @daddydaycare, and the 'browse' icon does not work.
From the caliber-web shell, I cannot cd in the source (/mnt/LaCie/calibre_library) even if well defined in mount point, with 'open' permissions
any idea ?

Uhm I got that far but what the frick is the login on Calibre?
Before anyone questions me... my first TrueNAS

FOUND IT.
admin
PW:admin123

Setup your thing.

I had the same error.. it expects that whatever folder we provide has caliber DB. so I installed the caliber mac app that created DB for me that I copied to NAS and mounted it by using that path it worked.

Hi @daddydaycare : what do u mean by "mounted it by using that path"... on my side, I created also a caliber DB and copy it to the NAS, but I cannot enter any path !

I followed your guide to setup the calibre-web.
I have an open share that hosts my books. I had to copy metadata.db from my Mac to the jail.

The Problem:

1. Can't update the Metadata i.e. No Book Covers are shown. see below pic.

2. When I wish to read book in Browser, It gives the following error (even for the PDF formats):

I wonder if you need to install Calibre pkg separately in the jail?

I resolved it completely by not only moving the metadata.db file but also the whole Calibre Library Folder to TrueNAS Core jail. Then add that Calibre Library folder as a Mount point to the jail and boom...Bobs your uncle!

if you wish to convert books as well and use the community plugin. check out here: https://www.truenas.com/community/threads/how-to-install-calibre-web-in-truenas-core-12-0.89868/

ran python cps.py but nothing seemed to happen..everything was ok til that point
Am pretty new to all this, so any pointers welcome
cheers

I resolved it completely by not only moving the metadata.db file but also the whole Calibre Library Folder to TrueNAS Core jail. Then add that Calibre Library folder as a Mount point to the jail and boom...Bobs your uncle!

I got the same msg "database no valid" after finishing setup (step #10) and came up with a similar solution. What I did was to set a SMB Share in TrueNAS for my Windows machine, download the Calibre exe file from the website, and when prompted during install which folder should be used I refered to the SMB share I created earlier (in my case the share is my calibre folder 'from' mountpoint, e.g. mainpool/calibre -> /mnt/library). Note that the folder should be empty at install (you can copy stuff later) and it creates the database in the folder. With that out of the way I just loged into the [calibreip:8083] and threw in /mnt/library. Cheers for the very nice script and tutorial!

My solution: Use truenass for storage. Build proxmox box. put OMV vm in. Sort portainer and away you go. No more jails, old packages, and broken stuff. Just works and is current. Best move I ever did. Keeping my Truenas box for now. But at some point,,,, the hardware might be better utilized with linux

Hi!

June, 2022: after also installing py38-Flask and py38-Flask-Login, I have this error after python cps.py:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "cps.py", line 28, in <module>
    from cps.main import main
  File "/usr/local/calibre-web/cps/__init__.py", line 29, in <module>
    from .MyLoginManager import MyLoginManager
  File "/usr/local/calibre-web/cps/MyLoginManager.py", line 24, in <module>
    from flask_login import LoginManager
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/flask_login/__init__.py", line 16, in <module>
    from .login_manager import LoginManager
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/flask_login/login_manager.py", line 24, in <module>
    from .utils import (login_url as make_login_url, _create_identifier,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/flask_login/utils.py", line 13, in <module>
    from werkzeug.security import safe_str_cmp
ImportError: cannot import name 'safe_str_cmp' from 'werkzeug.security' (/usr/local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/werkzeug/security.py)```