Calibre Zen 0.1.0, on calibre 9.14.0. The first release.
Calibre Zen is calibre with a modern look and a few reworked parts: the same
program, the same libraries, the same plugins, the same conversion engine.
It installs beside calibre rather than over it, keeps its own settings,
and opens any calibre library. Libraries stay in calibre's format, so calibre
can go on opening them too; just not both programs on the same library at
the same time.
What is in it
- A restyled interface: colours, spacing and shapes from a single token
set, with light, dim and dark appearances and six colour schemes,
switchable from the toolbar. - A filter panel in place of the tag browser's tree, a preview of the
selected book above the list, a Grid/Table switcher, and the book list
drawn as a table around a composite Details column. - Line icons throughout (Tabler), Inter as the interface face, and a rebuilt
status bar: library, sort, counts, device, server and jobs. - A short welcome that walks through what moved, one page per change.
- An update check that watches Calibre Zen's own releases, not calibre's.
- A Report a bug entry in the status bar, and an opt-in crash report
for failures in Calibre Zen's own code that shows exactly what would be
sent before anything is.
Every part has an off switch (CALIBRE_ZEN_STYLE=0, CALIBRE_ZEN_FILTERS=0,
CALIBRE_ZEN_CENTRE=0, ...), which is how before/after was compared while
building it. BUILDING.md and src/calibre_zen/README.md in the source
describe how it is put together.
Installing
The packages are calibre's own 9.14.0 builds with Calibre Zen's Python laid
over them; nothing is recompiled.
Windows. calibre-zen-0.1.0-windows-x64.msi installs to Program Files
with Start menu entries, and a later .msi upgrades it in place.
calibre-zen-portable-installer-0.1.0.exe unpacks a Calibre Zen Portable
folder that keeps its library and settings inside it; run a newer installer
over the folder to upgrade. calibre-zen-0.1.0-windows-x64.zip is the same
tree to unpack anywhere. None of the three is code-signed yet, so SmartScreen
will warn on first run: More info → Run anyway. A Microsoft Store listing
is in progress; the .msix here is that submission and is not meant to be
installed by hand.
macOS. calibre-zen-0.1.0-macos.dmg, universal, signed with a Developer
ID and notarized. Drag Calibre Zen to Applications.
Linux. calibre-zen-0.1.0-linux-x86_64.txz or -arm64.txz. Unpack
anywhere and run calibre-zen/calibre-zen. calibre-zen/zen-bin/ holds the
command-line tools under prefixed names (zen-calibredb,
zen-ebook-convert, ...) so it can sit on PATH beside a normal calibre.
Source. calibre-zen-0.1.0.tar.xz is the tree as tagged.
Each file has a .sha256 beside it. latest.json is the feed the update
check reads.
Known gaps
- Windows packages are unsigned, and the installer dialogs still show
calibre's own banner art. - No
calibre://URL handler is registered on Windows, so links of that
kind open calibre when it is installed. - Nothing installs itself from inside the app yet: the notice points at the
release, and installing the new package is the update.