Getting started
Trove is a self-hosted library for your ebooks, comics and audiobooks. It reads your book folders, fills in metadata, and lets you read in the browser or on your devices. Everything stays on your own server.
What you need
- A server with Docker and Docker Compose, or an Ubuntu or Debian server with systemd for a native install
- About 2 GB of memory, plus room for your books
- Port 6060 free (you can put a reverse proxy in front of it)
- An internet connection if you want Trove to look up covers and book details online
1. Install Trove
With Docker, Trove runs next to a PostgreSQL container; the installation guide has the complete docker-compose.yml. For a native install:
git clone https://github.com/X2-Consult/trove.git
cd trove
./install.shMoving from BookLore? The installation guide covers that too: your library, users and reading progress come with you.
2. Create the admin account
Open Trove in your browser (http://your-server:6060). The first time, it asks you to create the administrator account: a username, your name, an email address and a password of at least 8 characters. Then sign in. See Admin account.
3. Add a library
On the empty dashboard, click Create Your Library. Give the library a name, add the folders that hold your books, and click Create. Trove scans the folders straight away and books appear as they're found. Your first library walks through each option, and Folder structure explains how Trove groups files into books.
Trove reads these formats:
| Kind | Formats |
|---|---|
| Ebooks | EPUB, MOBI, AZW3 (AZW), FB2 |
| Documents | |
| Comics | CBZ, CBR, CB7 |
| Audiobooks | M4B, M4A, MP3, Opus (a single file or a folder of tracks) |
4. Add more books
- Copy them into a library folder. With Watch folders on, Trove picks them up by itself; otherwise use Re-scan Library from the library's menu.
- Drop them into the Bookdrop folder. Trove reads each file, looks up its details, and holds it for you to review before it goes into a library. See Bookdrop.
- Upload them with the upload button in the top bar, straight into a library or into Bookdrop. Files can be up to 100 MB each unless an admin changes the limit in Application settings.
5. Read
Open a book and click Read (or Play for audiobooks). Trove has a reader for each kind of book, and remembers your place:
| Reader | For | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| eBook reader | EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2 | Highlights and notes, bookmarks, search, themes, your own fonts |
| PDF reader | Search, zoom, page spreads, annotations | |
| Comic reader | CBZ, CBR, CB7 | Fit modes, two-page spreads, right-to-left reading, slideshow, notes |
| Audiobook player | M4B, M4A, MP3, Opus | Chapters, playback speed, sleep timer, bookmarks |
To read elsewhere, connect a Kobo, sync your place with KOReader, browse the library from any OPDS reading app, or email a book to a Kindle.
Where to next
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Metadata settings | Which online sources Trove uses for covers and details, and whether it writes them into your files |
| Magic shelves | Shelves that fill themselves from rules |
| Users and permissions | Accounts for the rest of your household, and what each can do |
| Single sign-on | Signing in with Authentik, Authelia or another OIDC provider |
Common questions
Can I use Trove away from home?
Yes. Put it behind a reverse proxy with HTTPS; the native installer can set up Caddy or nginx with a Let's Encrypt certificate for you. See the installation guide.
What should I back up?
The PostgreSQL database, Trove's data folder (covers, uploaded fonts and icons, and other files Trove creates) and your book folders.
Which e-readers work with Trove?
Kobo devices sync directly. KOReader (on Kobo, Kindle, PocketBook, Android and more) syncs your reading position. Any app that speaks OPDS can browse and download your books.
Where do I report a problem?
On GitHub.