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FAQ.md

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Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is BIND?

BIND (Book Indexing Network Daemon) is an automated system that archives audiobook metadata from AudioBookBay. It collects magnet links, stores them in daily files, and serves them via RSS feed to your torrent client.

Is this the same as BIND DNS server?

No. BIND DNS is a nameserver. This BIND is an audiobook archival tool. Completely different projects with the same acronym.

Does BIND download audiobooks?

No. BIND only archives metadata (magnet links). Your torrent client downloads the actual audiobooks using those magnet links.

Is BIND legal?

BIND archives publicly available metadata (magnet links), which is legal. However, downloading copyrighted content may not be legal in your jurisdiction. BIND is for archival and educational purposes only. Use responsibly.

Installation

What are the system requirements?

  • Minimum: Any Linux system with Python 3.8+
  • Recommended: Proxmox LXC with 4GB disk, 512MB RAM, 1 CPU core
  • Docker: Docker + docker-compose

Can I run this on Windows/Mac?

Not officially supported, but it should work with Python 3.8+ installed. Manual installation only (no one-click installer).

How long does installation take?

~2 minutes on Proxmox LXC (automated installer).

Can I customize the container specs during install?

Yes. The installer prompts for:

  • Container ID
  • Hostname
  • Disk size
  • RAM
  • CPU cores
  • Network (DHCP or static IP)

Usage

How often does BIND check for new audiobooks?

Every 60 minutes by default. Configurable by editing the systemd service file.

Where are magnet links stored?

In the magnets/ directory as daily text files:

  • magnets_2026-01-03.txt
  • magnets_2026-01-04.txt
  • etc.

How do I access the RSS feed?

Navigate to http://YOUR-CONTAINER-IP:5050/feed.xml in your torrent client's RSS reader.

Can I change the RSS port?

Yes. Edit /etc/systemd/system/bind-rss.service and change the port, then:

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl restart bind-rss.service

How do I view collected magnets?

Storage

How much disk space do I need?

  • Base install: ~2GB (Debian + BIND + venv)
  • Per 100k magnets: ~35-40MB
  • Recommended: 4GB (provides safety margin)

Will magnet files fill up my disk?

Unlikely. Even at 1 magnet per hour for a year, you'd only use ~12MB. You can also prune old files as needed.

How do I clean up old magnet files?

cd /opt/bind/magnets
rm magnets_2025-*.txt  # Remove 2025 files

Can I backup the magnets?

Yes! Just copy the magnets/ directory:

cp -r /opt/bind/magnets /path/to/backup/

Updates

How do I update BIND?

pct enter <container-id>
cd /opt/bind
./update.sh

The script handles everything automatically.

What if an update breaks something?

The update script creates git tags before updating. Rollback:

cd /opt/bind
git tag  # Find backup tag
git checkout backup-20260103-123456
systemctl restart bind.service bind-rss.service

Can I test updates before applying?

Not currently. The update script updates in-place. Consider taking a container snapshot first:

pct snapshot <container-id> before-update

Troubleshooting

RSS feed shows no magnets

  1. Check if daemon is running: systemctl status bind.service
  2. Check if magnet files exist: ls /opt/bind/magnets/
  3. Check daemon logs: journalctl -u bind.service -f

Web UI not accessible

  1. Check RSS service: systemctl status bind-rss.service
  2. Check port is open: ss -tulpn | grep 5050
  3. Check firewall rules (if any)

Port 5050 already in use

Find what's using it:

ss -tulpn | grep 5050

Either stop that service or change BIND's port.

Services won't start after reboot

Check if services are enabled:

systemctl is-enabled bind.service
systemctl is-enabled bind-rss.service

If not:

systemctl enable bind.service bind-rss.service

Performance

How much CPU does BIND use?

  • Idle: <1%
  • Scraping: ~5-10% (brief spike every 60 min)

How much RAM does BIND use?

  • Daemon: 50-100MB
  • RSS server: 30-50MB
  • Total: <150MB

Does BIND slow down my system?

No. BIND is very lightweight and only scrapes once per hour.

Can I run multiple instances?

Technically yes, but not recommended. Use one BIND instance per site/source.

Torrent Clients

Which torrent clients work with BIND?

Any client with RSS support:

  • qBittorrent ✅
  • BiglyBT ✅
  • Transmission ✅
  • Deluge ✅
  • ruTorrent ✅

How do I set up auto-download in qBittorrent?

  1. View → RSS Reader (Alt+S)
  2. Right-click → New subscription
  3. Add feed URL: http://BIND-IP:5050/feed.xml
  4. Right-click feed → Download Rule
  5. Set filters and auto-download

Can I filter which audiobooks to download?

Yes, in your torrent client's RSS rules. BIND provides all magnets; your client filters.

Advanced

Can I change the scraping interval?

Yes. Edit /etc/systemd/system/bind.service:

ExecStart=... daemon --interval 30 --output-dir /opt/bind/magnets

Change 30 to desired minutes.

Can I add other audiobook sources?

Not without code changes. BIND is designed specifically for AudioBookBay. Adding other sources requires modifying the scraper.

Can I run BIND on a different port?

Yes. Edit bind-rss.service and change the port. Don't forget to update firewall rules.

Is there a Docker Compose file?

Yes! See docker-compose.yml in the repository.

Can I expose BIND to the internet?

Not recommended. BIND has no authentication. If you must, use a reverse proxy with auth (nginx, Caddy).

Development

Can I contribute to BIND?

Yes! BIND is open source (MIT license). Pull requests welcome on GitHub.

Where are the source files?

  • src/bind.py - Main daemon
  • src/rss_server.py - RSS server and web UI
  • src/core/scraper.py - AudioBookBay scraper

How do I run BIND for development?

git clone https://github.com/StarlightDaemon/BIND.git
cd BIND
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m src.bind daemon --interval 60 --output-dir magnets/

Can I add features?

Yes! See FUTURE_ENHANCEMENTS.md for planned features.

Miscellaneous

Why is it called BIND?

Book Indexing Network Daemon. It archives (indexes) book metadata.

Is BIND actively maintained?

Yes. Check GitHub for latest updates and releases.

Where can I get help?

Can I donate/support the project?

BIND is a free, open-source homelab tool. No donations accepted. If you find it useful, star the repo on GitHub!