How to Install Calibre in Linux (Ubuntu)

If you are trying to manage your ebook libraries and don’t know how. Continue reading this article because, in this tutorial, we will provide a guide on How to Install Calibre in Linux Ubuntu.

You can organize your ebook collection or convert them if they are not working, you can even edit titles of ebooks with Calibre, So installing it on a Linux system will help you to use its features.

Why install Calibre on Ubuntu?

You can use Calibre to organize your ebooks, manage them, and edit them, but one of the special features of Calibre is its Content Server, This server allows you to access your ebooks from anywhere in the world, or send them to other devices like phones and tablets.

The Calibre has two main parts: a Backend part that delivers and stores your ebooks. It also provides a simple Frontend to help you search your libraries, download books, or simply read them on the web browser, It also developed a user-friendly interface for mobile users, making it easy for them to work with Calibre. It works well with basic browsers and readers, such as Kindle and Kobo.

The Steps to Install Calibre in Linux 

You can even set up Calibre to run as a service; it means it will automatically start when you start up the server.

Requirements

• Ubuntu 20.04 or later
• RAM: Minimum 1 GB
• Root access
• Stable internet connection

Download & Install Calibre

The Calibre that is installed on Ubuntu is outdated, and it is better to download Calibre from their main website.

Install Requirements

First, update your system and install the necessary requirements.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y libfontconfig libgl1-mesa-glx

Then use ‘wget’ to download the Calibre on your Linux.

wget https://download.calibre-ebook.com/linux-installer.s

You can review its contents using the command below.

less linux-installer.sh

Now, you need to execute the script to install Calibre.

sudo sh linux-installer.sh

Make your first Library and Attach your First Book

Now that Calibre is installed, we will show you how to create a library and add a sample ebook. In this tutorial, we will use a Christmas carol by Charles Dickens from Project Gutenberg as an example.

wget http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46.kindle.noimages -O christmascarol.mobi

Then, it is required to create a directory to store your ebooks.

mkdir caliber-library

Use the following command to easily add the previously downloaded ebook to your library.

caliberdb add *.mobi --with-library caliber-library/

After you add the downloaded ebook to your library, you will see an output like this:

Added book ids: 1

Run the Calibre Server

After following the provided steps, you will have Calibre installed and a book added. So now we can start the Calibre Content Server. If you are using a Firewall, you need to allow traffic on port 8080.

sudo ufw allow 8080

Next, verify the port is open by entering the command below.

sudo ufw status

If the 8080 port is open, you should see the 8080 listed as allowed.

In order to start the Calibre server, enter the following command.

caliber-server caliber-library

After running the previous command, the server will start and display a message like this:

caliber server listening on 0.0.0.0:8080

Open your browser and navigate to the following address, you will see the Calibre interface with the book you have added before.

your_server_ip:8080

Note: Make sure to replace the address with your server’s IP.

Setting Up Calibre as a Service

Follow the provided steps to improve the usage of Calibre on your computer. To ensure the Calibre runs automatically, we have to configure it as a system service, so create a new service file by entering the command below.

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/calibre-server.service

Then, add the following configuration to start the Calibre on boot. Make sure to replace “NeuronVM” with your username and group.

## startup service
[Unit]
Description=calibre content server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=neuronvm
Group=neuronvm
ExecStart=/opt/calibre/calibre-server /home/neuronvm/calibre-library --enable-local-write

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Now we want to enable the service to start on boot and start it immediately.

sudo systemctl enable caliber-server
sudo systemctl start caliber-server

For the last step, reboot your server and make sure that your server starts automatically.

sudo reboot

These steps make sure your Calibre is set, secure, automatic, and ready to use.

Conclusion

We provided an article about How to install Calibre in Linux; we also outlined the steps to how to set it as a service to start automatically. We also covered how to add ebooks to your library. By following these steps, you can fully create a functional ebook server that is both convenient and secure.