Calibre
PandaReader was built around a Calibre library on a home server. It reads Calibre's own database for metadata and can also act as a wireless device that Calibre sends books to directly.
Calibre libraries on a server
Point any server's starting folder at a Calibre library, the folder that contains metadata.db and the author folders. The scan notices the database and switches from filename parsing to reading the catalogue. Nothing is written to the library; the app only reads.
If the same library is reachable from two servers, or mirrored on a NAS and a cloud share, add both. Each book appears once with both copies listed.
What is read from metadata.db
| Field | Used for |
|---|---|
| Title and sort title | Shelf titles, grouping copies of the same book, A–Z index |
| Authors | Author links on the detail page, the Authors sheet, grouping |
| Series and series index | The Series tab and the series line on the detail page. Real membership from Calibre, not a title pattern. |
| Tags | Filtering and the bulk-tag action |
| Date added | Default shelf sort and the recently-added toggle |
| Publication date | Order of books inside a series or an author's list |
| Formats | Every format Calibre holds for the book, readable or not, on the detail page |
| Comments | The description on the detail page |
Books on servers without Calibre fall back to filenames, with series guessed from "(Series, #N)"-style patterns and no dates, which sort to the end.
Wireless device connection
Calibre can send books to a device over the network using its "Smart Device" driver. PandaReader implements that protocol, so Calibre treats the phone like a plugged-in e-reader without any server in between.
- In Calibre, open Connect/share on the toolbar and choose Start wireless device connection. Leave the port automatic unless you have a reason, and set a password if you like.
- In PandaReader, open the Calibre Wi-Fi dialog from the shelf menu. The app discovers Calibre on the LAN; pick it, enter the password if you set one, and connect.
- Send books from Calibre as you would to any device. They arrive with full metadata and appear on the shelf under the source "Calibre (Wi-Fi)".
- Disconnect from either side when done. The transfer runs as a foreground service so the screen can lock while a large batch sends.
Calibre speaks first in this protocol, so the app waits for Calibre's greeting rather than announcing itself. If nothing happens, check that both devices are on the same network and that the desktop firewall allows Calibre's wireless port.
Tips
- A library pushed over Wi-Fi and the same library on a server merge into one entry per book, with progress shared across copies.
- Calibre's series data is authoritative. The online lookups only run for books that have no series in Calibre.
- Converting to EPUB in Calibre gives the best reading experience; MOBI, AZW3 and FB2 also use the text engine, while PDF and comics use their own viewers.