Calibre-Web Ebook Server

Key Features

• Web-based ebook reader supporting EPUB, PDF, CBR, CBZ and other formats with customizable reading settings
• OPDS catalog feed generation for direct integration with e-reader devices and mobile reading applications
• Built-in ebook format conversion using integrated Calibre engine for transforming between EPUB, MOBI, PDF and other formats
• Send-to-Kindle email functionality for wireless ebook delivery to Amazon Kindle devices
• User management system with reading progress synchronization and personal bookshelves
• Goodreads integration for book ratings, reviews, and metadata enhancement
• Advanced search and filtering with support for custom columns and metadata fields
• Kobo e-reader synchronization for reading progress and library updates

Common Use Cases

• 1Personal digital library management for organizing and accessing ebook collections across multiple devices
• 2Family ebook sharing with individual user accounts and reading progress tracking
• 3Educational institutions providing students access to digital textbooks and course materials
• 4Book clubs and reading groups sharing recommended titles and discussion materials
• 5Small libraries and community centers offering digital book lending services
• 6Remote workers and travelers accessing their book collection from any location
• 7Publishers and authors distributing review copies and advance reader copies to reviewers

Prerequisites

• Existing Calibre library with metadata.db file or willingness to create new library structure
• 512MB available RAM for basic operation, 1GB+ recommended for large libraries over 1000 books
• Port 8083 available on host system for web interface access
• Basic understanding of ebook formats and metadata management concepts
• Storage space adequate for ebook collection plus 20% overhead for conversion cache
• SMTP email server credentials if planning to use send-to-Kindle or notification features

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  calibre-web: 
3    image: linuxserver/calibre-web:latest
4    container_name: calibre-web
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    ports: 
7      - "${CALIBRE_PORT:-8083}:8083"
8    environment: 
9      - PUID=${PUID:-1000}
10      - PGID=${PGID:-1000}
11      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
12      - DOCKER_MODS=linuxserver/mods:universal-calibre
13    volumes: 
14      - calibre_config:/config
15      - ${BOOKS_PATH:-./books}:/books
16
17volumes: 
18  calibre_config: 

.env Template

1# Calibre-Web Configuration
2CALIBRE_PORT=8083
3TZ=UTC
4PUID=1000
5PGID=1000
6
7# Path to your Calibre library (must contain metadata.db)
8BOOKS_PATH=./books

Usage Notes

Quick Start

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  calibre-web:
5    image: linuxserver/calibre-web:latest
6    container_name: calibre-web
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    ports:
9      - "${CALIBRE_PORT:-8083}:8083"
10    environment:
11      - PUID=${PUID:-1000}
12      - PGID=${PGID:-1000}
13      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
14      - DOCKER_MODS=linuxserver/mods:universal-calibre
15    volumes:
16      - calibre_config:/config
17      - ${BOOKS_PATH:-./books}:/books
18
19volumes:
20  calibre_config:
21EOF
22
23# 2. Create the .env file
24cat > .env << 'EOF'
25# Calibre-Web Configuration
26CALIBRE_PORT=8083
27TZ=UTC
28PUID=1000
29PGID=1000
30
31# Path to your Calibre library (must contain metadata.db)
32BOOKS_PATH=./books
33EOF
34
35# 3. Start the services
36docker compose up -d
37
38# 4. View logs
39docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/calibre-web-stack/run | bash

Troubleshooting