Comic Library Utilities

Comic Library Utilities (CLU) is a container-friendly web application that provides a suite of tools to manage, edit, and bulk-process digital comic collections. It focuses on file-level operations so users can prepare and normalize libraries for comic servers or local collections.

Key Features

• Directory operations: bulk rename, convert archives (CBR to CBZ), rebuild archives, convert PDF to CBZ, missing file checks, image enhancement, and update ComicInfo.xml
• Single-file editing: rebuild/convert individual files, crop cover, remove first image, full GUI for CBZ editing (reorder, rename, delete), add blank images, and image enhancement
• Remote downloads: send downloads from supported hosts directly to the server, download queue, Chrome extension support, and custom headers for authenticated sources
• File management UI: source/destination browsing, drag-and-drop to move files and folders, batch rename and delete operations
• Folder monitoring/automation: auto-rename, auto-convert-to-CBZ, auto-unpack, sub-directory processing, and custom naming patterns
• Optional metadata enrichment: support for importing a Grand Comics Database export into a MySQL instance to add metadata in bulk
• Docker-first deployment: provided Docker image and Docker Compose setup with configurable mounts and PUID/PGID handling

Use Cases

• Migrate and normalize large comic libraries prior to importing into a comic server
• Bulk-convert and cleanup archives and filenames for consistent library organization
• Remotely process and enqueue downloads to a central library without direct filesystem access

Limitations and Considerations

• Designed primarily to run as a container; correct volume mapping (library to /data and persistent /config) is required for full functionality
• Windows/WSL users may need to set PUID/PGID and UMASK to avoid permission issues
• Optional GCD metadata requires a separate MySQL import and can add storage/processing overhead
• Not a comic reader or catalogue server; intended for file management and preprocessing rather than delivering a reading UI

Comic Library Utilities is focused on automating and simplifying common file-level tasks for comic collectors and server administrators, making large-scale conversions and cleanup workflows repeatable and remote-manageable.