Étagère
Étagère browses a Calibre library stored on your own Nextcloud, shows the full record for every book, and downloads the files. It does not read books — that is your reading app's job, and you already have one you like.
What it does
* Signs in to Nextcloud through the browser, using a revocable app password
* Reads the Calibre catalogue and keeps it available offline
* Covers, authors, series, ratings, publisher, languages, tags, identifiers, descriptions
* Search, sort and filter by tag, author or series
* Downloads EPUB and any other format Calibre holds, in the background
* Serves the library to an e-reader over Wi-Fi, for devices that can download from a web page
What it does not do
* No reader built in
* Never writes to your server — the library is read-only
* No account, no telemetry, no advertising
How it works
A Calibre library is a folder with a metadata.db catalogue and one subfolder per book. Étagère finds that file over WebDAV, downloads it once, and reads it locally. Covers and book files are fetched on demand, never in bulk. The catalogue is only re-downloaded when it has actually changed, so the app stays usable offline.
Sharing with an e-reader
Many e-readers can download a file from a web page but cannot read OPDS catalogues. Étagère turns the phone into a small web server on your local network, with pages designed for e-ink: no JavaScript, no thumbnails in lists, pure black on white, large tap targets. A single book can also be offered under a short address that is easy to type on an e-ink keyboard.
Traffic on that local server is unencrypted, since e-reader browsers rarely cope with anything else. Use it on a network you trust.
Requirements
A Nextcloud account and a Calibre library stored on it. Étagère does not create libraries; use Calibre on a computer for that.
Free software under the GNU GPL v3.
What it does
* Signs in to Nextcloud through the browser, using a revocable app password
* Reads the Calibre catalogue and keeps it available offline
* Covers, authors, series, ratings, publisher, languages, tags, identifiers, descriptions
* Search, sort and filter by tag, author or series
* Downloads EPUB and any other format Calibre holds, in the background
* Serves the library to an e-reader over Wi-Fi, for devices that can download from a web page
What it does not do
* No reader built in
* Never writes to your server — the library is read-only
* No account, no telemetry, no advertising
How it works
A Calibre library is a folder with a metadata.db catalogue and one subfolder per book. Étagère finds that file over WebDAV, downloads it once, and reads it locally. Covers and book files are fetched on demand, never in bulk. The catalogue is only re-downloaded when it has actually changed, so the app stays usable offline.
Sharing with an e-reader
Many e-readers can download a file from a web page but cannot read OPDS catalogues. Étagère turns the phone into a small web server on your local network, with pages designed for e-ink: no JavaScript, no thumbnails in lists, pure black on white, large tap targets. A single book can also be offered under a short address that is easy to type on an e-ink keyboard.
Traffic on that local server is unencrypted, since e-reader browsers rarely cope with anything else. Use it on a network you trust.
Requirements
A Nextcloud account and a Calibre library stored on it. Étagère does not create libraries; use Calibre on a computer for that.
Free software under the GNU GPL v3.
