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https://github.com/clach04/webook_server

💩📖 Worst E-book server - light weight OPDS and web server that converts ebook formats on the fly, using Python (2 or 3) and optional Calibre convert
https://github.com/clach04/webook_server

ebook-convert ebook-converter epub ereader ereader-tools kindle mobi opds opds-catalog opds-feed opds-generator python

Last synced: 27 days ago
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💩📖 Worst E-book server - light weight OPDS and web server that converts ebook formats on the fly, using Python (2 or 3) and optional Calibre convert

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README 

          
-*- coding: utf-8 -*-



# webook_server - Worst E-book server



Home page https://github.com/clach04/webook_server



## Table Of Contents

  * [Overview](#overview)

    + [Features](#features)

  * [Alternatives](#alternatives)

  * [Getting Started](#getting-started)

    + [Debian/Ubuntu install dependencies](#debian-ubuntu-install-dependencies)

    + [Python install dependencies](#python-install-dependencies)

    + [Run](#run)

    + [Sample Run](#sample-run)

  * [systemd webook service](#systemd-webook-service)

  * [Notes and config](#notes-and-config)

    + [json config file](#json-config-file)

    + [Operating System Environment Variables](#operating-system-environment-variables)

    + [https / TLS / SSL support](#https---tls---ssl-support)

  * [Known working environments](#known-working-environments)

    + [Debian / Ubuntu / Armbian](#debian---ubuntu---armbian)

    + [Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)](#debian-gnu-linux-9--stretch-)

    + [Microsoft Windows](#microsoft-windows)

    + [cURL client](#curl-client)



Table of contents generated with markdown-toc



## Overview



This is either:



  * 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 The [wee](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/wee) book server

  * 💩📖 The worst  ebook conversion server



Basic ebook server that doesn't require a database.



Given a directory of (possibly directories of) ebooks serve a web (http) interface of the files and automatically convert to the desired format (incomplete examples; mobi, epub, fb2, html, txt, rtf, etc.). The format is specified in the URL and browsing is supported. This works great with a web browser (including the Amazon Kindle Experimental Web Browser) and [OPDS](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Publication_Distribution_System) client like [KOReader](https://github.com/koreader/koreader).



### Features



  * Serve directory of ebooks to either a web browser or an OPDS client

      * Base bones [OPDS Spec support](https://specs.opds.io/opds-1.2) - does not pretend to be complete, it implements enough for my basic usage at home

  * Simple search support for both web browser and OPDS client/readers

      * Search for recently added files/books

      * Search is case insensitive (single term) partial match support (i.e. no regex support) for path names and directories

      * Example; `book` would match a file named "mybook.txt" and a directory called "books"

  * OPTIONAL - Ebook Conversion support (currently via Calibre ebook convert tool)

  * OPDS support has no dependencies outside of Python stdlib BUT will make use of addition WSGI servers if available

      * Tested clients; KOReader (Android and Kindle), AlReader (Android), AlReaderX (Android), FBReader (Android, FBReader Premium (Android)

      * does **not** support ebook metadata (including covers/thumbails)

      * does **not** support OPDS Page Streaming Extension

 * Web browser support (Native Kindle (experimental) web browser, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Elink, Lynx, etc.) as well as OPDS clients

  * Works with Python 3.x and 2.6+



Comes with:



  * webook_opds_server.py is for **both** web browsers (e.g. the Kindle web browser) and OPDS clients like:

      * https://github.com/koreader/koreader

      * http://alreader.kms.ru/

      * https://fbreader.org/

  * webook_server.py (deprecated and only available in old legacy branch https://github.com/clach04/webook_server/tree/legacy_flask) is ONLY for web browsers (e.g. the Kindle web browser)



## Alternatives



The closest equivilents of this tool are [KindleGate](https://github.com/hzengin/KindleGate) which **only** supports conversion to mobi and https://github.com/dubyte/dir2opds.



Also take a look at:



  * Other Tools [doc similar ebook tools](https://github.com/clach04/webook_server/issues/9) has a much larger list

  * https://github.com/seblucas/cops - requires calibre2opds

  * https://github.com/calibre2opds/calibre2opds

  * https://github.com/dubyte/dir2opds

      * https://github.com/clach04/dir2opds/wiki

      * https://github.com/clach04/dir2opds/wiki/Tested-Clients



## Getting Started



Either use Operating System packages or Python packages



### Debian/Ubuntu install dependencies



For Python 2.x deployment:



    sudo apt install calibre



For Python 3.x deployment (with calibre ebook-convert exe - likely Python2):



    sudo apt install calibre



### Python install dependencies



NOTE Currently relies on [Calibre](https://github.com/kovidgoyal/calibre) ebook-convert (not documented in the Python dependency install notes below).



ONLY needed for the web browser version, not needed for OPDS



If installing/working with a source checkout issue:



    pip install -r requirements.txt



### Run



    cp example_config.json config.json

    # Optional; edit config.json with "ebook_dir" (defaults to ./ if omitted) and "temp_dir" (will use OS environment variable TEMP if omitted, if that's missing system temp location) location

    python webook_opds_server.py

    py -3 webook_opds_server.py -g example_config.json



Then open a browser to http://localhost:8080/... or issue:



    curl http://localhost:8080/

    curl http://localhost:8080/recent?n=10

    curl http://localhost:8080/file

    curl http://localhost:8080/....



### Sample Run



1. Download the sample_reading_media.zip from https://github.com/clach04/sample_reading_media/releases/tag/v0.1

2. Extract to local directory, ideally into a directory called `sample_reading_media`

3. Create a (or edit existing) config file, for example named `sample_reading_media.json`



        {

            "ebook_dir": "sample_reading_media"

        }



if setting tmp dir, mkdir -p /tmp/ebookserver/....



4. Run the server with the config file:



        python webook_opds_server.py sample_reading_media.json



5. Open Web browser to http://127.0.0.1:8080/ and browse around, for example download



      * http://127.0.0.1:8080/mobi/test_book_fb2.fb2 which will convert a FictionBook to Mobi format

      * http://127.0.0.1:8080/epub/test_book_fb2.fb2 which will convert a FictionBook to epub format (same book as above)

      * http://127.0.0.1:8080/file/test_book_fb2.fb2 and http://127.0.0.1:8080/fb2/test_book_fb2.fb2 which will download without conversion



## systemd webook service



Systemd service (e.g. for Raspbian).



For more information see:



  * https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/linux/usage/systemd.md

  * https://coreos.com/os/docs/latest/using-environment-variables-in-systemd-units.html



NOTE directory name for `ExecStart` and `WorkingDirectory` in `webook.service`.



Install



    # Potententially edit service; ExecStart, WorkingDirectory, User

    # Review config file

    sudo cp scripts/webook.service /etc/systemd/system/webook.service

    sudo chmod 644 /etc/systemd/system/webook.service

    sudo systemctl enable webook.service



Usage



    sudo systemctl stop webook.service

    sudo systemctl start webook.service

    sudo systemctl restart webook.service

    sudo systemctl status webook.service  # status and recent logs

    sudo systemctl status webook.service -n 100  # show last 100 log entries

    journalctl  -u webook.service  # show all logs



    systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled | grep webook



NOTE if changing service files, e.g. adding `Environment`, restart config (not just specific service):



    sudo systemctl daemon-reload

    sudo systemctl restart webook.service



## Notes and config



### json config file



  * config for web server config

  * ebook_dir - directory to serve, if omitted defaults to current directory (`./`)

  * temp_dir - temporary location on disk to store generated files. Will use OS environment variable TEMP if

 omitted, if that's missing system temp location. NOTE recommend using a temporary file system, on devices like RaspberryPi and SBCs with SD Cards, recommend using directory that is NOT located on SD Card to preserve card

 * self_url_path - for OPDS server, this is the public http / https address of the server and is required for search to work correctly (when behind a reverse proxy). Example `http://123.45.67.89:8080`



### Operating System Environment Variables



  * CALIBRE_EBOOK_CONVERT_EXE - full path to ebook-convert exe (if not using Calibre as a library). For Windows do NOT set with double quotes, even for paths with spaces

  * USE_CALIBRE_EBOOK_CONVERT_EXE - if set forces the use of ebook-convert exe (that is, do not use Calibre as a library)

  * TEMP - override for temp disk location, see `temp_dir` in json config

  * EBOOK_DIR - override for ebook location, see `ebook_dir` in json config

  * SENTRY_DSN - optional Sentry token - NOT applicable to OPDS server

  * LISTEN_PORT - OPDS override for config file `config.port`

  * LISTEN_ADDRESS - OPDS override for config file `config.host`



### https / TLS / SSL support



  * There is no https support for the OPDS server.

  * There is no authentication/authorization support

  * Recommendation is to use a reverse proxy (with authentication).



## Known working environments



Known to work under Linux with



### Debian / Ubuntu / Armbian



DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS"

NAME="Ubuntu"

VERSION="20.04.3 LTS (Focal Fossa)"

ID=ubuntu

ID_LIKE=debian

PRETTY_NAME="Armbian 21.08.6 Focal"

VERSION_ID="20.04"



  * Python 3.8.10 (default, Mar 15 2022, 12:22:08)

      * ebook_conversion calibre_4.99.4



### Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)



With:



  * Python 2.7.13 (default, Aug 22 2020, 10:03:02)

      * ebook_conversion calibre_2.75.1

  * Python 3.5.3 (default, Sep 27 2018, 17:25:39)

      * calibre ebook-convert exe version 2.75.1



Using the OS packages for Python and Calibre.



### Microsoft Windows



  * Python 3.7.3 (v3.7.3:ef4ec6ed12, Mar 25 2019, 22:22:05) [MSC v.1916 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32

      * calibre ebook-convert exe version 4.2.0



### cURL client



For testing. By default cURL will be detected by webook_opds_server.py

as an OPDS client (rather than as a web browser), this can be influenced

via the http accept header.



    curl -v --header "ACCEPT: */*"  # act as an OPDS client - NOTE this happens to be the default so this is not actually needed

    curl -v --header "ACCEPT: text/html"  # convince OPDS server this client is a web browser



    WEBOOK_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:9987

    WEBOOK_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:8080

    export WEBOOK_SERVER_URL



    curl ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}

    curl -v --header "ACCEPT: text/html" ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}  # convince OPDS server this client is a web browser



    curl ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}/search?q=foundation

    curl -v --header "ACCEPT: text/html" ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}/search?q=foundation  # still a web browser html search due to URL



    curl -v --header "ACCEPT: text/html" ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}/opds/search?q=foundation  # OPDS search and results

    curl -v ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}/opds/search?q=foundation  # OPDS search and results



    # OPDS file browse

    curl -v  ${WEBOOK_SERVER_URL}/file/