this post was submitted on 02 May 2025
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Request for desired features on a self hosted ereader app. (lemmy.ca)
submitted 6 days ago by hperrin@lemmy.ca to c/selfhosted@lemmy.world
11 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/43297441

I just started working on a self hosted Android & iOS ereader app. I’d like to know what features you would like to see if you use this kind of app.

Current Planned Features

  • Support for EPUB, TXT, and HTML ebooks.
  • Syncing over WebDAV. (Bring your own server. I’m not hosting people’s pirated libraries.)
  • Multiple libraries (a WebDAV server is a library), and multiple users per library.
  • Current progress from offline reading will get synced when back online.
  • Dark mode.
  • Custom fonts and themes.
  • Text to speech.
  • Keep awake.
  • Orientation lock.
  • Open source. (GPL license)
  • Native apps using React Native.
  • Animations can be turned completely off.
  • Really good e-ink screen support.
  • Tablet and phone sized device support.

Background

I use a Boox Palma, but sometimes I don’t have it with me, and I’d like to read on my iPhone.

With the current ereaders I know of, there’s always some downside. Syncing costs money, rendering is janky, page turn animations can’t be disabled, themes cost money (really???), no cross platform support, etc.

I want to learn how to build native apps with React Native, so I’m using this as a learning project. I’m not trying to make money on it, so it’ll be open source, and you have to have your own WebDAV server with all your ebooks on it to sync.

Non-Planned Features

Some things I just can’t do or won’t help me learn, so I’m not going to do them.

  • PDF support. (Maybe in the future, but not the initial version.)
  • Web app. (I don’t want to host it.)
  • Kindle app. (React Native doesn’t support them.)
  • Syncing over anything but WebDAV. (I’ll be using WebDAV properties, and I’m not interested in doing any other providers.)

So I’d like to know, what are some features you would like to see, and what are the pain points you’ve experienced with your current ereader apps?

top 11 comments
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[–] realbadat@programming.dev 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

OPDS is the only real hard requirement for me in an eBook reader app.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

I’ve never even heard of that. There’s an NPM package for it, so I might be able to add it if that package works in React Native.

Is this used for syncing read state, or just keeping a catalog of your own books?

[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

OPDS is the standard for ebook distribution. Most eBook apps support it, I bet your boox does too.

You can subscribe to a feed and browse the catalogue and download a book. Some popular OPDS catalogues are:

  • Feedbooks
  • Internet Archive
  • Manybook
  • Project Gutenberg
  • Standard Ebooks
  • unglue.it

If you use Linux, check out Foliate reader from Flathub.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Ok, thank you! If I can add support for that, I definitely will.

[–] Zeoic@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Kavita has OPDS support, so if you need a selfhosted OPDS server to test with, that would be a good option. Would be great if the app worked well with Kavita in general too, it has a good API you could work with.

[–] realbadat@programming.dev 2 points 6 days ago

Its the only way I roll when it comes to ebooks

Actually its the only thing I'd like to find in an open comic reader for iOS (iPad, my only iOS device, work bought it for me). Panels supports it (paid version), but I have yet to find an open source solution for iOS that does (for comics specifically).

For android quite a few do out of the box. Definitely recommended.

I'd also recommend checking out a server that uses it to try it out. Calibre-server supports it if you want to check it out.

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I would be interested in something that can sync with Calibre-Web

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

If Calibre-Web can sync with WebDAV, it should work. I don’t know about it though, so I don’t know if that’s possible.

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 2 points 5 days ago

There is an API that you can call to sync Kobo e-readers with calibre.

https://jccpalmer.com/posts/setting-up-kobo-sync-with-calibre-web/

It just depends on if this would work with your current thoughts on how your app works.

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, Calibre is ubiquitous at this point. You really can’t discuss ebooks without it inevitably coming up. Syncing with calibre would be huge, because it would open the door to the single largest library management program in use.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

If you start up the content server in Calibre, you can connect to it with any OPDS compatible ereader app.