IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Bookshelf – Self-hosted eBook library that runs on object storage

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Theme 1 – Simple, flat‑file storage with OPDS/WebDAV
Many users favor a lightweight, file‑based library that can be served via OPDS or WebDAV for broad device support.
- “I have my own eBook library hosted with copyparty. It is a single binary. Runs on plain files. And speaks OPDS for integration with KOreader (Kindle) or Readest (iOS/macOS).” — philips
- “I really like the convenience of flat files and multiple protocols.” — philips

Theme 2 – Emerging all‑in‑one ebook/audiobook managers
Discussion highlights newer self‑hosted platforms that aim to replace or complement Calibre, especially those handling both books and audiobooks.
- “I recently got Bookorbit running and its quite powerful for being so young… I love that I can have one app that handles books and audiobooks.” — robbiet480
- “I'm a fan of audiobookshelf. Don't let the name fool you, it does a lot! I use it for podcasts, audio books, & ebooks.” — BloodyIron

Theme 3 – Object‑storage backends for the library
Several commenters look for or already use object‑store solutions (S3‑compatible services, Garage, Ceph, etc.) to store their ebook collections.
- “Now if only I had a good self hosted object store option” — bakies
- “Garage?” — toomuchtodo (link to GarageHQ)
- “RustFS” — mlnj
- “Ceph muahaha” — BloodyIron
- “VersityGW is very handy.” — zrail
- “Does Calibre support S3 these days as a storage backend?” — storywatch
- “No but you can use s3fs” — jilles

🚀 Project Ideas

FlatLib OPDS Hub

Summary

  • Provides a self‑hosted ebook/audiobook library built on flat files with OPDS, WebDAV, and optional S3‑compatible storage backends, solving fragmentation across Android, iOS, Kindle, and desktop.
  • Core value: single binary, zero‑config sync, and progress‑aware reading via an integrated lightweight PWA.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Personal ebook collectors, power users, small families
Core Feature Unified library exposing OPDS feeds, WebDAV, and pluggable storage (local FS, S3, R2)
Tech Stack Rust (binary), Actix‑web for HTTP, SQLite for metadata, optional aws‑s3-rs crate
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • HN users praised copyparty and BookOrbit for flat‑file OPDS/WebDAV approaches; this would combine their strengths and add cross‑device progress sync.
  • Could spark discussion about replacing heavyweight Calibre setups with a minimal, protocol‑first alternative.

PersonalS3 Lite

Summary

  • A tiny, single‑binary S3‑compatible object store that maps directly to a local directory or encrypted blob store, enabling users to host their own “object storage” for ebooks, backups, etc.
  • Core value: drop‑in replacement for S3‑compatible tools (rclone, copyparty, BookOrbit) without the operational overhead of Ceph or MinIO.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Developers and power users needing simple object storage for personal apps
Core Feature S3 API (PUT, GET, LIST, DELETE) over HTTP with optional static‑key auth
Tech Stack Go (net/http), BoltDB for metadata, optional age encryption
Difficulty Low‑Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Commenters explicitly asked for a good self‑hosted object store (bakies, toomuchtodo); this satisfies that need with minimal dependencies.
  • Enables existing tools like copyparty or BookOrbit to treat a local filesystem as S3, unlocking hybrid workflows and easy rclone syncing.

ReadSync

Summary

  • A self‑hosted progress synchronization service that stores reading position, annotations, and last‑page for EPUB, PDF, and audiobooks, accessible via a simple REST/WebSocket API.
  • Core value: enables any OPDS/WebDAV reader (KOreader, Readest, Apogee) to get WhisperSync‑like continuity across devices without relying on proprietary platforms.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Avid readers using multiple devices and apps who want seamless sync
Core Feature Sync server + client libraries (JS, Kotlin, Swift) that update position on page turn/chapter change
Tech Stack Node.js (Express) + Redis for pub/sub (or Rust/Actix + SQLite)
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Users of audiobookshelf lamented poor EPUB progress and UI; ReadSync would fill that gap for all formats.
  • Paired with FlatLib OPDS Hub, it could form a full open‑source alternative to proprietary ecosystems like Kindle WhisperSync.

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