Hello recently set-up custom built server with Windows Homer Server v1, love everything about it, MS hit the mark with this one IMHO. Not long after installing it I found this site looking for addons and it has become my goto website for addons and the odd question or problem I can't seem to puzzle out on my own.
Using it for storage streaming media, using My Movies, and recently decided to use it to store out e-book collection so that we could access them from our Android tablets and smartphones.
Prior to this each device had to have the external SD card removed and placed into my computer to have Calibre save the EPUB files to the card then reinserted into the device, very time consuming for me since I am the IT pro of the two of us.
Decided to have Calibre do all this for me using the server option built in to it, procedure was dead simple and figured someone else on here might be interested in doing the same thing so I decided to make a tutorial for the procedure I used.
I don't have any i-devices but would bet that it wouldn't be hard to set this up the same only difference would be on the client device on WHS all the steps would be the same.
Step 1: Download Calibre from list link - http://calibre-ebook.com/download
Step 2: Download the Any Service Installer for this link - http://forum.wegotse...vice-installer/
Step 3: Download the Windows Server 2003 Resource Tool Kit (Any Service needs this) from this link - http://www.microsoft...&displaylang=en
Step 4: Copy or move all files to your WHS
Step 5: Install Calibre and a wizard will guide you through all the steps, I choose Android tablet since that will be the main device to read the books but there are a number of options to choose from choose the one that best fits your needs. I had trouble with WHS blocking the default port of 8080, so you can change this e.g. 8088
Step 6: Install Windows Server 2003 Resource Tool Kit
Step 7: Unzip the Any Service folder then double click the anyservice program file, once the program starts browse to c:\program files\windows resource kits\tools as the location for the resource tools. Browse to c:\program files\calibre2\calibre-server.exe as the program to make a service. Name the service anything you would like and click create.
Step 8: Now we have to start the service. Click the start button and goto All Program, Administrative Tools & click Services. Locate the service with the name you provided, I named mine Calibre-Server. Click the service and choose Start the Service
Right now the service is running and if you open a web browser and point it to your WHS IP address with colon and the port number you used earlier, ex. 78.158.2.4:8088, you will see the calibre server page appear.
To save books onto the library takes some additional steps
Step 1: RDP into WHS and open the computer folder, from there select D:\ drive, double click shares, and create a new folder. Name this folder Calibre Library
Step 2: Now right click the Calibre Library folder and select properties. Click Sharing and select to share this folder, the default settings will be fine. Click permissions and allow full control for everyone.
Step 3: Now under the start menu, all programs, Calibre, start the calibre program. Look for a button that is a number of books with a # books and click the small arrow to bring up a menu, choose Switch Create Library. In new location browse to D:/shares/Calibre Library and choose to create a new library at this location and copy structure from this library if you wish, alterately if you already have a copy of calibre on your computer you can do this on the desktop to transfer all the books in your library to this location. Click OK.
I personally use the copy of Calibre on my desktop to manage the e-books I have and acquire then but linked it to the library on WHS to serve them to all our devices.
To use this in FBreader on an Android device simply start FBReader and choose Network Library when it asks for the location use the same address as above only adding /opds the the end, ex. 78.158.2.4:8088/opds then simply choose ok and it will find the library catalog and display your books.
While it seems like this would take a lot of time, it took me only about 20-30 minutes and saves me a ton of work when new books are purchased since they are now available to all devices at once and take up no space on the external SD cards themselves. I hope someone finds this helpful any questions please ask and I will answer asap.
Using it for storage streaming media, using My Movies, and recently decided to use it to store out e-book collection so that we could access them from our Android tablets and smartphones.
Prior to this each device had to have the external SD card removed and placed into my computer to have Calibre save the EPUB files to the card then reinserted into the device, very time consuming for me since I am the IT pro of the two of us.
Decided to have Calibre do all this for me using the server option built in to it, procedure was dead simple and figured someone else on here might be interested in doing the same thing so I decided to make a tutorial for the procedure I used.
I don't have any i-devices but would bet that it wouldn't be hard to set this up the same only difference would be on the client device on WHS all the steps would be the same.
Step 1: Download Calibre from list link - http://calibre-ebook.com/download
Step 2: Download the Any Service Installer for this link - http://forum.wegotse...vice-installer/
Step 3: Download the Windows Server 2003 Resource Tool Kit (Any Service needs this) from this link - http://www.microsoft...&displaylang=en
Step 4: Copy or move all files to your WHS
Step 5: Install Calibre and a wizard will guide you through all the steps, I choose Android tablet since that will be the main device to read the books but there are a number of options to choose from choose the one that best fits your needs. I had trouble with WHS blocking the default port of 8080, so you can change this e.g. 8088
Step 6: Install Windows Server 2003 Resource Tool Kit
Step 7: Unzip the Any Service folder then double click the anyservice program file, once the program starts browse to c:\program files\windows resource kits\tools as the location for the resource tools. Browse to c:\program files\calibre2\calibre-server.exe as the program to make a service. Name the service anything you would like and click create.
Step 8: Now we have to start the service. Click the start button and goto All Program, Administrative Tools & click Services. Locate the service with the name you provided, I named mine Calibre-Server. Click the service and choose Start the Service
Right now the service is running and if you open a web browser and point it to your WHS IP address with colon and the port number you used earlier, ex. 78.158.2.4:8088, you will see the calibre server page appear.
To save books onto the library takes some additional steps
Step 1: RDP into WHS and open the computer folder, from there select D:\ drive, double click shares, and create a new folder. Name this folder Calibre Library
Step 2: Now right click the Calibre Library folder and select properties. Click Sharing and select to share this folder, the default settings will be fine. Click permissions and allow full control for everyone.
Step 3: Now under the start menu, all programs, Calibre, start the calibre program. Look for a button that is a number of books with a # books and click the small arrow to bring up a menu, choose Switch Create Library. In new location browse to D:/shares/Calibre Library and choose to create a new library at this location and copy structure from this library if you wish, alterately if you already have a copy of calibre on your computer you can do this on the desktop to transfer all the books in your library to this location. Click OK.
I personally use the copy of Calibre on my desktop to manage the e-books I have and acquire then but linked it to the library on WHS to serve them to all our devices.
To use this in FBreader on an Android device simply start FBReader and choose Network Library when it asks for the location use the same address as above only adding /opds the the end, ex. 78.158.2.4:8088/opds then simply choose ok and it will find the library catalog and display your books.
While it seems like this would take a lot of time, it took me only about 20-30 minutes and saves me a ton of work when new books are purchased since they are now available to all devices at once and take up no space on the external SD cards themselves. I hope someone finds this helpful any questions please ask and I will answer asap.