Cli Anything Calibre

OrganizationPopular

HKUDS

cli-anything-calibre

Command-line interface for Calibre - A stateful CLI harness for e-book library management, metadata editing, and format conversion wrapping the real Calibre tools (calibredb, ebook-convert, ebook-meta)...

Overview

Publisher	HKUDS
Repository	`CLI-Anything`
Skill name	`cli-anything-calibre`
Stars	49.5K
Forks	4.6K
Bundled files	Instructions only
License	Apache-2.0
Links	Skill source Repository Homepage

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
Self-contained
Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.
Open source
Published by HKUDS on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Cli Anything Calibre AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Store

Installed

Skills

Add skills

Import one or more skills from a public GitHub folder or a local .skill or .zip archive, or SKILL.md file.

From GitHub URLFrom .skill, .zip, or SKILL.md

GitHub repo or folder

https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything/tree/main/calibre/agent-harness/cli_anything/calibre/skills

Points to a single skill folder, or any folder that contains multiple skills. Public repos only.

CancelContinue

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything.git /tmp/CLI-Anything
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/CLI-Anything/calibre/agent-harness/cli_anything/calibre/skills .claude/skills/cli-anything-calibre

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Cli Anything Calibre in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Cli Anything Calibre on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Cli Anything Calibre is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

cli-anything-calibre

A stateful CLI harness for Calibre e-book management. Wraps the real Calibre tools (calibredb, ebook-convert, ebook-meta) to give AI agents and scripts a clean, structured interface for library operations, metadata editing, and format conversion.

Installation

This CLI is installed as part of the cli-anything-calibre package:

bash
pip install git+https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything.git#subdirectory=calibre/agent-harness

Prerequisites:

Python 3.10+
Calibre must be installed on your system (hard dependency)

bash
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install calibre

# macOS
brew install --cask calibre

# Verify tools are in PATH
which calibredb
which ebook-convert
which ebook-meta

Usage

Basic Commands

bash
# Show help
cli-anything-calibre --help

# Start interactive REPL mode
cli-anything-calibre

# Connect to a Calibre library
cli-anything-calibre library connect ~/Calibre\ Library

# Run with JSON output (for agent consumption)
cli-anything-calibre --json books list

REPL Mode

When invoked without a subcommand, the CLI enters an interactive REPL session:

bash
cli-anything-calibre
# Enter commands interactively with tab-completion and history
# Use 'help' to see available commands
# Use 'quit' or 'exit' to leave

Command Groups

Library

Library management commands.

Command	Description
`connect <path>`	Set active library path
`info`	Show library statistics (book count, formats, db size)
`check`	Verify library integrity using calibredb check_library

Books

Book operations (wrap calibredb).

Command	Description
`list`	List books with filtering and sorting
`search <query>`	Search using Calibre query language
`add <files>`	Add book files to library
`remove <ids>`	Remove books (move to trash or permanent delete)
`show <id>`	Show full metadata for a book
`export <ids>`	Export books to directory
`export-chapters <id>`	Export each chapter as separate PDF (requires EPUB format)

Command	Description
`get <id> [field]`	Get metadata (all or specific field)
`set <id> <field> <value>`	Set a metadata field
`embed <ids>`	Embed metadata into book files

Formats

Format management (wrap calibredb + ebook-convert).

Command	Description
`list <id>`	List available formats for a book
`add <id> <file>`	Add a format to a book
`remove <id> <fmt>`	Remove a format from a book
`convert <id> <input_fmt> <output_fmt>`	Convert book format

Custom

Custom columns (wrap calibredb).

Command	Description
`list`	List all custom columns
`add <label> <name> <type>`	Create custom column
`remove <label>`	Delete custom column
`set <id> <label> <value>`	Set custom field value

Catalog

Catalog generation.

Command	Description
`catalog <output>`	Generate a catalog of the library (EPUB, CSV, or OPDS)

Examples

Connect and List Books

Connect to your Calibre library and list books.

bash
cli-anything-calibre library connect ~/Calibre\ Library
cli-anything-calibre books list
# Or with JSON output
cli-anything-calibre --json books list --search "author:asimov"

Search and Filter

Search books using Calibre query language.

bash
cli-anything-calibre books search "title:Foundation"
cli-anything-calibre books search "author:asimov and tags:scifi"
cli-anything-calibre books search "rating:>3"

Metadata Editing

Set metadata fields on books.

bash
cli-anything-calibre meta set 42 title "New Title"
cli-anything-calibre meta set 42 series "Foundation"
cli-anything-calibre meta set 42 series_index 1
cli-anything-calibre meta set 42 tags "scifi,classic"
cli-anything-calibre meta set 42 rating 5

Format Conversion

Convert between e-book formats.

bash
cli-anything-calibre formats convert 42 EPUB MOBI
cli-anything-calibre formats convert 42 EPUB PDF --output /tmp/book.pdf

Export Chapters as PDFs

Export each chapter of an EPUB as a separate PDF file.

bash
cli-anything-calibre books export-chapters 42 --to-dir ./pdfs
cli-anything-calibre books export-chapters 42 --to-dir ./pdfs --chapters 1-5

Calibre Query Language

Used with books search and books list --search:


author:asimov                    # Author contains "asimov"
title:"Foundation"               # Title phrase
tags:fiction                     # Tag match
rating:>3                        # Rating greater than 3
series:"Foundation"              # Series match
pubdate:[2020-01-01,2021-12-31]  # Date range
identifiers:isbn:1234567890      # Specific identifier
has:cover                        # Has cover image
not:tags:fiction                 # Negation
author:asimov and tags:scifi     # Boolean AND

Key Metadata Fields

Field	Type	Description
`title`	text	Book title
`authors`	text	Author names (&-separated)
`tags`	text	Comma-separated tags
`series`	text	Series name
`series_index`	float	Position in series
`rating`	float	Rating 1-5
`publisher`	text	Publisher name
`pubdate`	datetime	Publication date
`comments`	text	Description/comments
`languages`	text	Language codes
`identifiers`	text	ISBN, ASIN, etc. (`type:value`)

Supported Formats

Input: EPUB, MOBI, AZW, AZW3, PDF, HTML, DOCX, ODT, FB2, TXT, RTF, LIT, and more

Output (conversion): EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, PDF, HTML, DOCX, TXT, and more

State Management

The CLI maintains session state with:

Session file: ~/.cli-anything-calibre/session.json
Library path persistence: Active library is saved across sessions
Environment override: CALIBRE_LIBRARY environment variable

Output Formats

All commands support dual output modes:

Human-readable (default): Tables, colors, formatted text
Machine-readable (--json flag): Structured JSON for agent consumption

bash
# Human output
cli-anything-calibre books list

# JSON output for agents
cli-anything-calibre --json books list

For AI Agents

When using this CLI programmatically:

Always use --json flag for parseable output
Check return codes - 0 for success, non-zero for errors
Parse stderr for error messages on failure
Verify outputs exist after export/conversion operations
Use --library flag or CALIBRE_LIBRARY env to specify library path
Chapter export requires EPUB format - convert first if needed

More Information

Full documentation: See README.md in the package
Architecture SOP: See CALIBRE.md in the agent-harness directory
Test coverage: See test_core.py and test_full_e2e.py in the tests directory
Methodology: See HARNESS.md in the cli-anything-plugin

Version

1.0.0

Frequently asked questions

What does the Cli Anything Calibre AI skill do?

Why use Cli Anything Calibre on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Cli Anything Calibre is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Cli Anything Calibre in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/HKUDS/CLI-Anything/tree/main/calibre/agent-harness/cli_anything/calibre/skills. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Cli Anything Calibre?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Cli Anything Calibre?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Cli Anything Calibre with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Cli Anything Calibre AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by HKUDS under the Apache-2.0 license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

cli-anything-calibre

Installation

Usage

Basic Commands

REPL Mode

Command Groups

Library

Books

Meta

Formats

Custom

Catalog

Examples

Connect and List Books

Search and Filter

Metadata Editing

Format Conversion

Export Chapters as PDFs

Calibre Query Language

Key Metadata Fields

Supported Formats

State Management

Output Formats

For AI Agents

More Information

Version

Frequently asked questions

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