Guided Setup

All Settings

Welcome to CLU

This walkthrough gets your library working, explains each feature area and links to the documentation. You can skip any step and come back later from Settings or the gear menu. First, a quick check of this install.

System Check
...
The database check failed, so setup cannot continue. Fix it first (see Settings → Database).

Setup walkthrough documentation

How do you plan to use CLU?

Your answers decide which steps come next. You can change them by coming back here.

Do you already have comics organized in folders?

We'll go through every section in order. Each one can be skipped.

What do you want CLU to do? Pick any that apply.

Libraries

A library is a folder of comics CLU browses, indexes and manages. CLU runs in Docker, so it can only see folders you map into the container as volumes, for example /path/on/your/server:/data/comics in docker-compose.yaml.

Your libraries
Folders found in the container

Folders under /data and other volumes you mapped. Add the ones that hold comics.

Indexing...

More options in Settings → Libraries · Documentation

Metadata

Metadata providers tell CLU what each comic is (series, issue, credits, cover date) and supply the release lists behind the pull list and Wanted. Credentials are tested before they are saved.

Metron is required for the pull list, Wanted, subscriptions, the folder scan and the Mylar3 import. ComicVine is optional.
Metron
Create a free account
Username and password sign-in is no longer supported. Add an API token from your Metron account.
ComicVine API (optional)
Get an API key

Used for tagging and as a fallback when Metron has no match.

ComicVine local database (optional)

A local copy of ComicVine: fast lookups with no rate limits. CLU can download it for you (around 540 MB, unpacking to several GB), so pick a path on a volume with room.

Grand Comics Database (GCD) (optional)

A local GCD SQLite dump:

Or the GCD website login:

When CLU writes ComicInfo.xml

Provider order per library and more options in Settings → Metadata · Documentation · ComicVine DB · GCD

Import from Mylar3

The importer reads a copy of Mylar's mylar.db and config.ini. Your watchlist becomes Pull List series, and your SABnzbd or NZBGet client, Newznab indexers and ComicVine key come across too. You review everything before anything changes.

Not imported: Torznab indexers, torrent clients and blackhole folders. Mylar's own database is never opened; the files are copied, read and deleted.

Before you start
  • A library that holds your Mylar series folders
  • Metron, to identify each series. Without it, series are added with ComicVine-only ids.
Last import
Not run
The importer has a Back to Guided Setup button that brings you back to this step. If an import is cut short by Metron's daily limit, run it again: it skips what is already on the Pull List.

Documentation

Map your folders to the Pull List

CLU reads the series.json and cvinfo files that Mylar and other apps leave in series folders, and adds each series to the Pull List. Clear matches are added straight away; folders that could be more than one series are left for you to review.

Starting...
    Review on the Pull List
    The review is kept for 15 minutes. After that, run Scan Library on the Pull List page again.

    Pull List · Documentation

    Folder Monitoring

    CLU watches a download folder (WATCH) and processes every comic that lands in it, converting, renaming and then moving it to a holding folder (TARGET). Downloads, the Wanted list and the Mylar3 import all deliver through these two folders, so they must be outside /data.

    Folders
    Save the folders first.
    Processing
    Removes scanner and release-group tags and other clutter, leaving a name like Series 001 (2024).cbz. Works from the file name alone, so no metadata is needed. This is not renaming from metadata.
    Bulk and automatic tagging rename each comic they tag to this pattern, filled from its metadata. With clean-up on, files leaving WATCH use it too, filled from the file name and any ComicInfo.xml. A token with nothing to fill it is left out.
    From the file name: {series_name} {issue_number} {volume_number}. Need metadata: {issue_title} {issue_year} {issue_month_m} {issue_month_M}. {volume_year} is the series start year from metadata; without it, the year in the file name.
    Preview:
    Trash
    MB

    Move patterns, character replacements and more in Settings → File Processing · Documentation

    Downloads

    CLU can fetch the issues on your Wanted list from three sources. Auto-download tries the sources that are on, in the order below, and every download is delivered through the WATCH folder. GetComics needs no setup; Usenet and DC++ need a client you already run.

    Sources
    Tried in this order:
    GetComics

    Nothing to set up: CLU searches GetComics and downloads from the mirrors each post offers.

    Mirrors, in the order they are tried (one that is off is never used):
    Searches without downloading anything. It can take a minute.
    Usenet client

    CLU moves a finished download into WATCH from the folder the client reports, so the client’s completed-downloads folder must be mapped into CLU at the same path. If it is not, the download finishes but stays where the client put it.

    Indexers

    Usenet needs at least one Newznab indexer to search.

    AirDC++

    Hubs are set up inside AirDC++ itself; CLU searches the ones it is connected to.

    AirDC++ reports paths as it sees them. Target Directory is where it saves finished downloads, written the way AirDC++ sees it. If CLU sees that folder at a different path (AirDC++ on Windows, or in its own container), put CLU’s path in Target Directory (as CLU sees it).

    Search variants, custom headers and more in Settings → Download API and Download Clients · Documentation · Usenet · Indexers · Source priority

    Schedules

    CLU runs its housekeeping on a timetable: re-indexing your library, checking your pull list for new issues and, if you want it to, downloading what is missing. Pick your timezone first so the times below read as your local time.

    A fixed offset with no daylight saving: change it when your clocks change.
    Turns on the daily file index rebuild and series sync at their current times.
    JobHow oftenTimeDay
    Weekly Packs are on, so they drive GetComics downloads and its schedule below is ignored. Change that on the Schedules page.

    Weekly Packs, Komga sync and run-now buttons on the Schedules page · Documentation

    Users and sharing

    With one account, CLU needs no login: whoever opens it is the owner. Add a second account and everyone has to log in, and each person gets their own reading progress, lists and permissions.

    Will anyone else use this CLU?
    CLU stays login-free. Anyone who can reach this address can use and change everything, so keep it on your home network or behind a reverse proxy with its own login. Reading apps connect over OPDS with no password.
    1. Your owner account

    Once login is on you will need these to get back in, so set them first.

    2. Add an account

    Saving this turns login on for everyone. You stay logged in on this browser.

    Limit an account to some libraries or folders, and add more, on the Users page.
    Reading apps

    Apps such as Panels and Chunky read your library over OPDS at https://comics.samgrieve.co.uk/opds/. Scripts use an API token, and Komga sync sends your reading progress to a Komga server: both are in Settings.

    Users page · Documentation

    Notifications

    CLU can tell you when a download finishes or fails, when wanted issues reach your library, and if the database is damaged. It sends through Apprise, which supports Discord, Telegram, Pushover, ntfy, email and many more.

    See the Apprise wiki for the URL format of each service. Lines starting with # are ignored.
    Notify me when

    Settings → Notifications · Documentation

    Personalization

    Pick how CLU looks. This is the default for everyone; each user can choose their own theme later from their Account page.

    Select a theme to change the look and feel of the application. Dark themes are marked.
    Theme preview
    Cyborg
    Save to apply it.

    Dashboard layout, folder thumbnails and more in Settings → Personalization · Documentation

    Repair tour

    The library health scan opens every comic to check it is readable, and finds orphaned files, empty folders and duplicates. It works through the library a batch at a time, so a large library is covered over several runs.

    Library health scan
    hours
    Starting...
      Where to fix things
      Problem Files Damaged archives, failed conversions, orphans and empty folders, with retry, salvage, replace and delete. Duplicates Exact and likely duplicates found by the scan. Keep one and send the rest to the trash, or dismiss the group. Source Wall Edit ComicInfo.xml across a folder in a table, and see which provider tagged each file.

      Documentation

      Summary

      Here is where your setup stands. Each row links back to its step or to the full settings. You can run this again at any time from Settings or the gear menu.

      SectionStatus
      System Check
      ...