calibre-symlinker

Create a mirrored Calibre e-Books library without duplicating it

Why?

This project started due to Calibre limitation to set custom library format since understandably it'll mess the internal database.

While this is working if you're only using Calibre both as your library manager and viewer, it would be different matter if you want to share the library to other apps—especially when you're also using Jellyfin as media manager.

How?

This application will create a mirror library from your current Calibre Library path. By utilizing sidecar .opf files provided when user imported the book to Calibre, this app will recursively reads its content then decide how to format the library based on default configuration or user-defined basic template.

Limitation

As you can read from #How?, the process on mirroring your library is extremely limited to books with .opf files available inside on your book folder. By default, .opf file will be generated and modified when you imported a book to Calibre. Unless you've restored the library using backup feature or disabled file generation, you does not need any modification to your library.

You can generate new .opf files if its missing from your book folder by following these steps:

1. Open your Terminal/Command Prompt.

2. Create a new folder destination by typing following command:

   mkdir calibreOpf
   cd calibreOpf

3. Depending calibredb is available on your PATH, copy following line, paste, and execute it:

   calibredb export --all --progress --formats "" --template "{authors:sublist(0,1, & )}/{title:.96:swap_around_articles(,)} ({id})/metadata" --dont-save-cover --dont-save-extra-files

   • If calibredb was not found:

     • Install from your package manager, if any, on Linux.
     • On Windows and assuming install path of Calibre set to default, change calibredb to "C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibredb.exe".

   • If the library was not found, or in a network (why? it aint the tool tho?):

     Consider enable sharing over network on Calibre GUI, and add additional option --library-path http://localhost:8080/#mylibrary. See more about the option in man page

4. Open your file manager by executing explorer . on Windows or nautilus . on Linux with GNOME DE.... or whatever you use in other DE... or you can use trusty cp command if you know what are you doing. 👀

5. Select all folders inside and copy. Paste it to your Calibre Library folder. If file manager found a duplicate .opf file, skip all to avoid any issues. Don't close the file manager yet, you'll need it later.

6. Finally, on your terminal, change directory to your Calibre Library folder.

7. Check any orphan .opf files inside the library by utilizing tree /F on Windows, or simply tree. If you found any, move the file to its correct book folder by matching its ID. It's recommended to set your terminal and file manager windows side-by-side so you can compare it.

Template

This program uses different variables and template approach than Calibre. By default, the tool uses {az_series_or_title}/{series}/{title} for its mirror library, and yes, the app will automatically sanitize the path.

As user, you can override default behaviour by using following built-in variables:

Available variables

Authors

• a, author: Author. Only grab unsorted, first name (Anonymous Writer)
• as, authors: Authors. All unsorted author names, delimited by & (Anonymous Writer & Mophy Ezmee)
• aza, az_author: Author, only grab first letter from unsorted name (A)
• sa, sort_author: Author, sorted name. Only grab first name (Writer, Anonymous)
• sas sort_authors: Authors. All sorted author names, delimited by & (Writer, Anonymous & Ezmee, Mophy)
• azsa, az_sort_author: Author, only grab first letter from sorted name (W)

Identifiers

• calibreid: Calibre ID
• uuid: UUID
• isbn: ISBN
• googleid: Google
• amazonid, asin: Amazon
• goodreadsid: Goodreads

Series and title

• s, series: Book series
• azs, az_series: Book series. Only grab first letter
• st, series_or_title: Book series or title. Prioritize series name if exist.
• azst, az_series_or_title: Book series or title. Only grab first letter
• t, title: Book title
• azt, az_title: Book title. Only grab first letter

Volume cataloging

• v, vol, volume: Volume, in arabic numeral (1, 2, 3, ...)
• rv, rvol, roman_volume: Volume, in Roman numeral (I, II, III, ...). Volume with additional subvolume (e.g. 1.50) will be reverted to arabic numeral instead.

Date

Note

If you want to use added date, append _add at the end of variable name instead.

• y, year: Release year
• m, month: Release month, in number
• mm, mmonth: Release month, in system-configured language. (January)
• azmm, az_mmonth: Release month, in system-configured language. Only grab first letter,
• d, day: Release day, in number
• wd, weekday: Release weekday name, in system-configured language. (Monday)

Misc

• lang, language: ISO3B language code
• pub, publisher: Publisher

String manipulation

soon. 👍

Important

While using A-Z (grab first letter) variables, the app will respect article words from a language unless the variable was prepended with dia_ (stand for don't ignore articles), for example, setting up dia_azst for "Grab first letter from series or title, don't ignore article words" on "The Ones Within" book series will return T rather O.

By default, the app will ignore English articles. To override this behaviour, read more --ignore-articles option.