Recommend eReader for a self-hosted Kavita server? reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FireInTheWoods · 2023-11-27 15:53 I'm brand new to eBooks and have started building a large collection that I'm planning to self-host on a Kavita library. I haven't yet purchased an eReader. I don't need note-taking capabilities. I just want the best eReading experience with my own self-hosted library and am willing to pay for a better experience. Appreciate your patience with my noob question and thank you for your recommendations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ive_been_up_allnight · 2023-11-27 16:11 There are only really 2 big players in the eReader market. Kindle and kobo. You will need to do a feature compare of the different models of each to decide what you need in one. I like my kindle Paperwhite though. Easy to get books on to with caliber. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- nosyrbllewe · 2023-11-27 16:24 If you are fine with Android apps, CDisplayEx is really great for comics/manga and has native Kavita support. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-27 16:38 calibre-web plays really nice with my kindle paperwhite. just click the `send to e-reader` button on any book and it appears on the kindle, ready to go ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FireInTheWoods · 2023-11-27 17:19 Thank you for the reply. Any experience with BOOX e-ink displays? Someone had recommended those for use with Kavita. I'm realizing I'm more out of my depth than I thought with this. I'm not a very technical person, but I have my own self-hosted Plex server, which is what drew me to Kavita because it seemed to offer similar capabilities. The idea of sitting on my couch and haphazardly thumbing through my book collection appeals to my ADHD. However, I get the impression that this may not be possible. It sounds like most folks send a single book to their e-reader one at a time, which involves a certain degree of commitment. Though maybe that is 'the way'. Appreciate your time ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-11-27 17:21 Its even better with a Kobo, because you can set it up as a Sync server and "replace the Kobo Store" with your Calibre server. It makes it so any book you have on your server will appear like something youve purchased from the Kobo Store, and let you download it from the server to device, directly from your Kobo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FireInTheWoods · 2023-11-27 18:02 Thank you kindly for your reply. I've just started using Calibre to help me clean up my metadata. But I haven't explored Calibre-web. I was really hoping for a plex-like experience with kavita whereby I could casually peruse my library. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe_Isko · 2023-11-27 18:08 I haven't used BOOX, but they are more on the e-Scribe side of things than what I would call an E-reader. If you live near a best buy, you can try demos of all these out. I'm a big fan of the 6 inch e-reader format for reading. The scribe devices are more about writing and note taking. They work surprisingly well, but I wouldn't want to use them for reading since they aren't really ergonomic the same way a 6 inch reader is. Unfortunately, Kindle is pretty locked down. I got mine a while go, so I was able to jail break it and keep compatibility with my drm free epub collection. But honestly, if I had to choose again now, I would definitely check out the kobo offerings. I don't connect my kindle to the internet. As far as cloud synch goes - it's not worth the hassle. Remember that books barely take up any memory - even a gig is hundreds of ebooks. It is a bit of a hassle, but I definitely still get that satisfying feeling of having an entire book collection in one place. I really want someone to make an open source e-reader that has a linux kernel on it. The only open source one right now basically relies on a micro-controller. It would be a huge triumph to distribute an open source device that has KOReader and comes pre-loaded with a bunch of project Gutenberg books. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- violet-crayola · 2023-11-27 18:09 Calibre server + kobo reader ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ursa_Solaris · 2023-11-27 19:05 Alright, I guess in lieu of a better FOSS solution coming along, I'm getting a Kobo. Thanks for sharing this, I had no idea it supported that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-11-27 19:16 I wrote a post up about it on the kobo sub, if you wanted some perspective on it - https://www.reddit.com/r/kobo/comments/zdmsom/from _kindle_oasis_3_to_kobo_libra_2_as_a_calibre/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- janaxhell · 2023-11-27 19:22 Can you link some tutorial about this? I don't need it now, because I have a Kobo N514 with 32 Gb microsd, but if/when I decide to buy a new one, I'll be forced to use your method. I already have all my books on a server on both Kavita, Ubooquity and COPS, so I just need the Kobo configuration part I guess. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-11-27 19:23 Its directly in the documentation :) https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web/wiki/Kobo-Integration ---------------------------------------------------------------------- janaxhell · 2023-11-27 19:33 Ah, I don't have Calibre Web, just COPS, I'll check that, thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- adamshand · 2023-11-27 20:56 I use Calibre on my laptop to manage my book collection and Calibre- web on a server with the Kobo extension enable to sync books automatically with my Kobo. It works pretty well! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MeudA67 · 2023-11-27 21:52 In Calibre, you can also run a web server. On her Kindle Paperwhite, my wife simply goes to the "experimental web browser" and browse to 192.168.....:8080, which shows all the available books. From there she downloads the mobi version of the book she wants and done. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-27 21:54 Yes calibre-web (separate thing from calibre itself.. confusing name) is just like plex for books. It even has a [dark mode that looks exactly like plex](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1200/0*nwMYcQ 8JppH9chXU.png) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-27 21:55 nice! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- alwaysforgetmynames · 2023-11-28 02:45 I recommend a Boox device because you can download from the Google Play Store. Makes things like using Tailscale into your Kavita server easier. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WarriusBirde · 2023-11-28 03:28 Huh. I had been using it for browser based reading and never considered using it for device downloading as I was just using the built in OPDS server instead. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 07:50 oh yeah, I never read on screens, only my kindle. the thing I like about calibre-web is my wife, my mother, my brother all have their own accounts for my library and they all have kindles as well, so they can browse the books and just send whatever they want to their kindles for reading. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 07:53 >Unfortunately, Kindle is pretty locked down. I got mine a while go, so I was able to jail break it and keep compatibility with my drm free epub collection my kindle isn't jailbroken and i can read any epub i send to it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 07:54 i have my calibre-web library accessible via a cloudflare tunnel. a nice simple custom url that my family can access easily. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jogai-san · 2023-11-28 11:29 You didnt specify a budget, so reMarkable. If you want something cheaper, i'd go with kobo. But more importantly, buy something that is supported by [koReader](https://github.com/koreader/koreader/releases). This can connect with your selfhosted odps server for maximum convenience. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe_Isko · 2023-11-28 15:50 Do you have to do it from the Amazon app? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 16:12 no not at all, i don't touch any amazon apps anywhere. every kindle has its own email address (look in the settings to find it.. it will be something like [Gabe\_Isko2365237@kindle.com](mailto:Gabe_Isk2365237@kindle.com)) and you can email any books to that address and they'll appear right in your library. You can try that right now if you like and you'll see it works. Calibre-web has send to e-reader functionality that lets you enter this email in CW's settings, and on each book a ['send to e-reader' bu tton](https://preview.redd.it/01xbah18vif91.png?width=465&format=png&a uto=webp&s=dba8c2268a997a8e38ddf70cb8611579cf3c1f72) appears. When you click that button the book is automatically emailed to your kindle, without you having to do any emailing yourself. there's a little write-up of how to do it [here](https://www.nodinrogers.com/post/2021-04-03-how-to-enable- emailing-books-to-your-kindle-from-calibre-web/) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 16:21 any particular models you'd recommend? looking on ebay to maybe pick up a cheaper one to try this out, but loads of them seem to be very old. i know nothing whatsoever about kobos so a bit lost. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe_Isko · 2023-11-28 16:43 Id be careful, that email definitely goes through amazon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-11-28 16:43 Not really - It depends on how you prefer the form factor. I liked the side handle of the kindle oasis, so I went with a Libra 2 during their holiday sales last year. If you like the normal form factor, then the Clara 2e/Nia is probably what you want (or an older model). You can't sideload audiobooks, so don't use that as a deciding feature of which one you pick up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 21:04 thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-28 21:05 oh for sure, but.. so what ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe_Isko · 2023-11-29 07:56 This is Selfhosted man! What is the the point of going through all the trouble of self hosting a library for your eReader if you have to email your books to amazon? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-29 08:03 I'm agnostic on that point tbh. Not every battle is worth fighting. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe_Isko · 2023-11-29 16:14 Yeah, but I'm saying, what is the point of running kavita in the first place, you should just use kindle cloud reader. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-29 16:16 because i prefer calibre-web? this isn't an all-or-nothing situation, i'm not a fundamentalist about this stuff, it's just a bit of fun ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gabe_Isko · 2023-11-29 16:44 I mean, you can do whatever you want. But my recommendation in a self hosting sub is to do something where you self host it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-11-29 16:45 fair enough. i'm less zealous about the whole thing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-01 17:52 so i've been thinking about this since you posted it, and been looking at picking up a kobo clara to try it out. But i'm struggling a bit to properly visualise how it works and can't find any screenshots. In my head, you set it all up and then there's a tab or something on the kobo that displays a view of your calibre-web library, and if you want to sync a particular book or books to your kobo then you tap those or something. Is that how it works, or have i got the wrong idea here? I assume it doesn't auto-sync the entire library, as in my case that would be too large for the kobo. any chance you could post some photos of what yours looks like? much appreciated if so ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-12-01 23:29 Here, I recorded a short demo video of it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIuC-liKQFo I start off syncing books, aka 'adding new books in calibre web to my catalog'. Once it syncs them, they aren't actually downloaded to the Kobo - Just cataloged as if I had purchased them from the kobo store. The kobo knows those books exist in the cloud, and can be downloded. I download a book, then just go around the UI to show how it looks, the fact that your Calibre Metadata (series) carries over to the Kobo and groups your books into neat stacks if your Calibre is nice and clean, and then show the front page. Theres some things I prefer about the UX of a kindle, but I can't live without the Utility of being able to just sync my calibre web books directly from my kobo like this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-02 20:24 oh thank you so much for doing that. so if i'm understanding correctly, this looks pretty much as I was describng above. The kobo displays your library but doesn't download anything until you tell it to, then just downloads that one thing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-12-02 20:29 Yep, exactly ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-02 20:30 fantastic, i love it. going to try and pick up a kobo to try it out. thank you very much again for making that effort, I had no idea this was even a thing until you posted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-04 23:05 sorry, couple more questions. all the other threads and comments I read about this say that the kobo will try and sync your entire calibre-web library to the kobo, and I realised I hadn't asked if, in your video, you're viewing your whole CW library or perhaps a specific kobo shelf you'd set up in CW for syncing? I'm quite keen on figuring out exactly how this works, as my CW is larger than the 8GB on the clara HD i'm looking at buying ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-12-04 23:10 Again - It 'syncs' your entire library in the sense that it will list every available item as an item on your kobo. It *does not* download every single item in your library to your kobo - It only actually downloads the specific items you choose from your Calibre-Web server to the storage of the Kobo. In the video, I added a 'downloaded' filter at one point - Each of those books were actually on my kobo and readable offline. Every other book was stored on the server, but the kobo knew it was there and downloadable if you wanted to get it. Think of it like the Amazon Store on the kindle: You don't have every book you've ever bought downloaded at once, but instead you can pick which books you've purchased and download those to your kindle from your amazon account. Here, Calibre-Web functions as a replacement for the 'amazon account', and lets you only see all the books you have available to download - Then you just download what you want to read ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-04 23:14 right right, my apologies, I was misunderstanding 'sync' to mean 'download'. I'm with you now. As far as creating this set up goes, is this [widely-shared post](http s://web.archive.org/web/20220311174306/https://www.brandonjkessler.com /2021/04/26/setup-kobo-sync-in-calibre-web/) reflective of your experience? It looks very straightforward compared to the kobo sync page in the actual calibre-web wiki (thanks once again for your patience with my questions) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-12-04 23:19 Yep - That looks pretty much exactly like what I did. It did take me a few tries to get Collections syncing properly, but I left a note about that in my OG post. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-04 23:20 nice, thank you very much. you really sparked my interest with this. i'd never looked at kobos before you posted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-12-04 23:22 Id never had an interest in one either until I found out I could use it with Calibre-Web. Now Ill never go back to kindle haha ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-04 23:24 exactly! i just need to work out if it's possible for sync / downloads to be possible from CW remotely, as I expose it over the internet at e.g. [www.crispylibrary.com](https://www.cirspylibrary.com) rather than IP:port ---------------------------------------------------------------------- XxNerdAtHeartxX · 2023-12-04 23:27 I did attempt to put it through my reverse proxy, and ran into some issues with the header size and books being too big. If you can configure your proxy to work around that, it should be straightforward, but I remember getting a but frustrated trying to make it work and gave up lol. Be sure to check out the documentation and github issues around setting up the kobo sync with a proxy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CrispyBegs · 2023-12-04 23:29 i use a cloudflare tunnel for access, so i'm not sure if that works the same way or not. i don't have nginx or anything else locally.