Kavita Reading Server

Key Features

• Advanced comic and manga reader with panel-by-panel navigation and webtoon scrolling support
• Comprehensive metadata extraction and library organization with series grouping and volume detection
• Multi-user system with individual reading progress tracking and personalized libraries
• OPDS feed generation enabling integration with mobile comic reader apps like Chunky Reader and Perfect Viewer
• Smart duplicate detection and file format conversion capabilities for optimal reading experience
• Collection statistics and reading analytics with completion tracking and time spent metrics
• Responsive web interface optimized for tablets and mobile devices with offline reading capabilities
• Automated library scanning with configurable schedules and real-time file system monitoring

Common Use Cases

• 1Digital comic collectors wanting to organize and read CBZ/CBR files through a web interface with progress tracking
• 2Manga enthusiasts creating a centralized server for accessing Japanese comics across multiple devices
• 3Family households sharing ebook and comic collections with individual user accounts and parental controls
• 4Users migrating from desktop applications like CDisplayEx or ComicRack to a server-based reading solution
• 5Remote workers accessing their personal digital library from different locations through web browsers
• 6Content creators and publishers distributing digital comics internally with user access management
• 7Homelab enthusiasts building a comprehensive media server ecosystem alongside Plex or Jellyfin installations

Prerequisites

• Minimum 2GB RAM and 1GB disk space for application data, plus storage for your digital library
• Port 5000 available for web interface access, or alternative port configuration knowledge
• Existing digital comic/manga collection in supported formats (CBZ, CBR, PDF, EPUB)
• Basic understanding of file organization and directory structure for optimal library scanning
• Network access planning if enabling remote access or OPDS feeds for mobile applications
• Backup strategy for library metadata and user reading progress data stored in persistent volumes

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  kavita: 
3    image: kizaing/kavita:latest
4    container_name: kavita
5    environment: 
6      - TZ=${TZ}
7    volumes: 
8      - kavita_config:/kavita/config
9      - /path/to/manga:/manga
10      - /path/to/comics:/comics
11      - /path/to/books:/books
12    ports: 
13      - "5000:5000"
14    restart: unless-stopped
15    networks: 
16      - kavita-network
17
18volumes: 
19  kavita_config: 
20
21networks: 
22  kavita-network: 
23    driver: bridge

.env Template

1# Kavita
2TZ=UTC

Usage Notes

Quick Start

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  kavita:
5    image: kizaing/kavita:latest
6    container_name: kavita
7    environment:
8      - TZ=${TZ}
9    volumes:
10      - kavita_config:/kavita/config
11      - /path/to/manga:/manga
12      - /path/to/comics:/comics
13      - /path/to/books:/books
14    ports:
15      - "5000:5000"
16    restart: unless-stopped
17    networks:
18      - kavita-network
19
20volumes:
21  kavita_config:
22
23networks:
24  kavita-network:
25    driver: bridge
26EOF
27
28# 2. Create the .env file
29cat > .env << 'EOF'
30# Kavita
31TZ=UTC
32EOF
33
34# 3. Start the services
35docker compose up -d
36
37# 4. View logs
38docker 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/kavita-comics/run | bash

Troubleshooting