How to install and configure COPS with PHP Embedded Server as a Calibre eBooks Server on Raspberry Pi

This guide was created to address the issue of resource hogging by Calibre built-in Server on my Raspberry Pi, and replacing it with the COPS as an alternative.  COPS is coded by Mr. Sebastien Lucas.  The reason I choose to run COPS on the PHP Embedded Server is because it is for use in a small network, and I don’t need a heavy duty webserver.

My Raspberry Pi 4 was installed with Raspbian Buster.

Update your Raspberry Pi

 sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Install all the additional modules for PHP

             sudo apt-get install php-gd php-sqlite3 php-json php-intl php-xml php-mbstring php-zip

Create directory to download COPS

  

             cd /var/www

             sudo mkdir cops

             cd cops

Download the latest version of COPS from https://github.com/seblucas/cops/releases

sudo wget https://github.com/seblucas/cops/releases/download/1.1.3/cops-1.1.3.zip

Decompress the downloaded file

sudo unzip cops-1.1.3.zip

Do not copy Calibre Library into COPS directory, but make a link to it

            sudo ln -s "/home/pi/Calibre Library" library

Create a config_local.php file

            sudo nano config_local.php

It should open nano editor with a blank file.  Paste the following into the editor:

<?php

    if (!isset($config))

        $config = array();

    $config['calibre_directory'] = './library/';

    $config['cops_title_default'] = "COPS";

$config['cops_use_url_rewriting'] = "0";

               

CTRL-O to save the file

CTRL-X to exit the editor

Create the COPS Service

           sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/cops.service

It should open nano editor with a blank file.

Paste the following into the editor:

[Unit]

Description=Cops Service

After=network.target

[Service]

Type=simple

User=root

Group=root

ExecStart=/usr/bin/php -S 192.168.50.1:8080 -t /var/www/cops/

Restart=always

RestartSec=3

[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

CTRL-O to save the file

CTRL-X to exit the editor

I am using the Raspberry Pi IP number as 192.168.50.1 and on port 8080.

My Raspberry wifi is running as an AP and a client using RaspAP, the AP has the IP

Address range from 192.168.50.1 to 192.168.50.250.  The client IP Address is

dependent on the router DHCP for connection to the internet.

Enable COPS Service (automatically run when Raspberry Pi boots up)

sudo systemctl enable cops.service

To understand more of the command, you go to https://fedoramagazine.org/what-is-an-init-system/ or you can type the following in the command prompt

man systemctl

      To start the COPS Service

sudo systemctl start cops.service

That’s it. I hope you find this guide useful.

Useful Resources:

https://github.com/seblucas/cops                                                 - Github for the source code

https://blog.slucas.fr/projects/calibre-opds-php-server/                - Sebastien Lucas’ Blog