GuideVault

[Shredder_guitar]

I’ve been working on a new project called Guidevault.

It’s a self-hosted web reader and library manager for video game manuals, strategy guides, and gaming magazines. The idea is pretty simple: keep your own files where they are, scan them into a clean library, and read them through a browser-based interface.

It supports things like manuals, strategy guides, magazines, local folder scanning, metadata editing, reader preferences, Docker deployment, and OPDS access for compatible readers.

Still a work in progress, but it’s finally public on GitHub for anyone interested in checking it out:

https://github.com/Shredder5262/Guidevault

 

A bit more info https://guidevault.net

Edited June 7 by Shredder_guitar

[Shredder_guitar]

Taking shape after getting metadata cleaned up a bit. 

Edited June 16 by Shredder_guitar

[rexryan]

Interesting what about comics? Metadata?

 

[Shredder_guitar]

On 6/9/2026 at 5:52 PM, rexryan said:

Interesting what about comics? Metadata?

 

You can use Kavita Reader for Comics, I want to get away from having to depend on comicrack for organizing cbz. I may support other things for video games in the future, for now it is specifically manuals, strategy guides and magazines. 
Regarding Metadata enrichment...................  stay tuned. 

Edited June 10 by Shredder_guitar

[rexryan]

Just now, Shredder_guitar said:

You can use Kavita Reader for Comics, I want to get away from having to depend on comicrack for organizing cbz.
Regarding Metadata enrichment...................  stay tuned. 

Thanks..Will follow..

 

[Shredder_guitar]

Color scape can be applied to main menu's (optional) 

 

Local Stat Visual Polish

 

Enhanced user section, added local/server based review area. 

• OPDS extra-click issue resolved.
• Docker/GHCR package released successfully.
• New container package looks good so far.
• Source/repo icon mismatch is cleaned up.
• Bad nested docs/images/images folder was removed/moved correctly.
• Release pipeline is working again.
• BUNCH of visual improvements 
   

[Shredder_guitar]

Here is a sample of json data that would be stored with a manual/strategy guide/ magazine after data enrichment....which is infinitely better for storing relevant data to an object. This would replace comicinfo.xml.  The idea is to bridge the gap between a guide/manual and the game title itself so a mixture of datapoints related both to the guide itself and the game title are stored together to make the bridge. 
guidevault-guide-metadata.json

Edited June 13 by Shredder_guitar

[Shredder_guitar]

GuideVault has been moving fast since 0.9.200.
What started as a focused reader/library app for manuals, strategy guides, and magazines has turned into a much more polished self-hosted platform.
Recent updates include:
✅ Docker runtime improvements
Poppler is now included in the Docker image so PDF-to-CBZ conversion works properly in published containers.
✅ Better manual metadata
Manuals now support shared game metadata fields like game title, franchise/series, developer, game publisher, game release year, and genre.
✅ Cover loading and cache stability
Several updates focused on making large libraries feel better: bounded cover loading queues, stale request cancellation, faster visible cover loading, and better recovery when files are renamed, moved, or replaced.
✅ Home Assistant integration
GuideVault can now publish reader/library state into Home Assistant and accept commands back from automations.
✅ Reader control from Home Assistant
Commands now support opening manuals, strategy guides, and magazines by content type, plus next page, previous page, page jump, zoom, overlay control, close reader, fullscreen, background changes, and brightness control.
✅ Magazine-specific targeting
Magazine open commands can now target an issue number and optional volume, which is important when a series has multiple issues.
✅ Task/notification cleanup
Integration messages, update notices, and running task counts now flow through the top Tasks menu instead of scattered inline messages or floating popups.
✅ Reader/cache bug fixes
Recent fixes also improve how replaced or corrected files are handled so the library cover and reader pages stay in sync instead of showing stale pages.
GuideVault is still a personal project, but it keeps getting closer to the thing I originally wanted: a clean, self-hosted way to organize, read, preserve, and automate access to game manuals, strategy guides, and gaming magazines.
Still a lot to do, but this has been a solid stretch of progress.

https://guidevault.net

Edited June 16 by Shredder_guitar

[Shredder_guitar]

GuideVault LaunchBox Connector v0.4.22 is now available.

This update is the first release package for the GuideVault LaunchBox Connector. The plugin connects LaunchBox with a running GuideVault server so games can be matched to manuals, strategy guides, and magazines, then opened directly from LaunchBox.

Recent additions include:

• Manual, strategy guide, and magazine sync support

• Sync selected or sync all options by content type

• Match review windows for checking matched content

• Badge/media asset support

• A cleaner LaunchBox-root install package

• Improved plugin status reporting

• Reduced background polling and lighter connection handling

• Compatibility with the newer GuideVault server-side connector authentication flow

The download package is structured to match the LaunchBox root folder, so installation should be simple: extract the contents into the folder that contains LaunchBox.exe.

A running GuideVault server is required. GuideVault server v0.9.260 or newer is recommended.

[Shredder_guitar]

GuideVault v1.1.0

This release focuses on library workflow cleanup, LaunchBox match review improvements, reader background customization, Docker packaging cleanup, and repository hygiene.

Added

• Added Library Tools workflows for Organize Files, JSON Write-Back, Format Conversion, Metadata Manager, and LaunchBox Match Review.
• Added uploaded reader background support with profile previews and background library management.
• Added confirmed LaunchBox match data into native metadata JSON write-back.

Improved

• Reworked LaunchBox Match Review filters, actions, details modal behavior, and confirmed-match handling.
• Improved settings navigation by grouping file and metadata tools under Library Tools.
• Improved Docker/package hygiene so runtime data, uploaded backgrounds, caches, backups, and generated packages stay out of releases.

Fixed

• Fixed repository ignore rules for local runtime data and generated files.
• Fixed Dockerfile and compose example formatting.
• Fixed build/package safety around personal data paths.

Edited June 30 by Shredder_guitar

[The_Keeper86]

This seems like a really sweet project! I love the web ui. However, I've never ran docker before but I was able to set it up and were able to some magazines, however how do I update to the latest version? 

[Shredder_guitar]

1 hour ago, The_Keeper86 said:

This seems like a really sweet project! I love the web ui. However, I've never ran docker before but I was able to set it up and were able to some magazines, however how do I update to the latest version? 

use docker compose. 
in the directory of your compose file
"Docker compose down"
"Docker compose up -d" Pulls the latest version

[The_Keeper86]

58 minutes ago, Shredder_guitar said:

use docker compose. 
in the directory of your compose file
"Docker compose down"
"Docker compose up -d" Pulls the latest version

Thanks! It still shows I'm on 0.9.260 though.

[Shredder_guitar]

That's me not updating the internal app, but updating the release package when i published it. A visual confirmation would be seeing the 'Library Tools' menu on the left hand of the settings menu. I will get the version numbers better aligned.  I will update the existing package so the app says v1.1.1, and whatever else going forward. 

I honestly didn't know anyone besides myself was using it, so I didn't think anyone else would care.

*update*, versioning reporting is fixed now. 

Edited June 30 by Shredder_guitar

[The_Keeper86]

8 minutes ago, Shredder_guitar said:

That's me not updating the internal app, but updating the release package when i published it. A visual confirmation would be seeing the 'Library Tools' menu on the left hand of the settings menu. I will get the version numbers better aligned.  I will update the existing package so the app says v1.1.1, and whatever else going forward. 

I honestly didn't know anyone besides myself was using it, so I didn't think anyone else would care.

That makes sense now.

I'm loving what you've done. Especially the gui! It looks very professional!

[Shredder_guitar]

GuideVault v1.1.2

This release adds library management, maintenance, backup, search, reader, and collection improvements.

Highlights:

• Added scheduled maintenance tasks with readable scheduling presets and backend cron-style execution.
• Added guided Backup & Restore workflow with backup history, upload preview, restore preview, and safety backup.
• Added bookmark notes with inline editing and delete-note support.
• Replaced browser keybind alert with an in-app keybind popup.
• Expanded global search across metadata, tags, notes, platforms, and LaunchBox match fields.
• Improved Home search results behavior.
• Added user-defined collections and curated shelves.
• Added collection Home/sidebar placement options.
• Fixed sidebar collection filtering.
• Improved Events logging level placement.
• Improved Update History layout and collapsed history behavior.

[Shredder_guitar]

GuideVault v1.2.9 – Game Dossiers and Library Improvements

A new GuideVault update is now available, focused on better game organization, expanded IGDB integration, and a cleaner library experience.

Game Dossiers

GuideVault can now create detailed game dossiers that bring together all related content in one place, including:

• Manuals

• Strategy guides

• Magazine appearances

• Related games

• Platform information

• Screenshots and localized covers

• IGDB metadata and external resources

Dossiers open directly in the main GuideVault interface and feature a redesigned game-focused layout. The primary localized box cover is displayed prominently, while available game artwork provides a faded background for the header.

Improved IGDB Integration

The IGDB integration now retrieves additional game information, including:

• Localized game covers

• Background artwork

• Screenshots

• Platform logos

• Related games and releases

• Website classifications

Wikipedia links are now labeled Wiki, Nintendo support links are identified appropriately, and generic duplicate Website labels have been reduced.

Better Document Management

Linked Manuals, Strategy Guides, and Magazine Appearances can now be expanded and scrolled so every matched document can be reviewed.

Incorrect matches can be removed without deleting the underlying library file. Removed links remain excluded during future metadata refreshes.

Automatic matching has also been tightened to prioritize actual game titles and alternative names instead of broad franchise or collection references.

Manage Links Mode

To keep dossiers visually clean, editing controls are hidden during normal viewing.

Administrators can select Manage Links beside Refresh IGDB + Matches to reveal:

• Remove document controls

• Remove related-game controls

• Set primary platform controls

The button changes to Done Managing while editing mode is active.

Platform Improvements

Platform logos are now retrieved from IGDB when available. Administrators can also manually choose the correct primary platform when IGDB’s default selection does not match the version represented in the GuideVault library.

Easier Dossier Creation

The dossier creation process now uses a searchable wizard under:

Settings → Account → Game Dossiers

Select a Manual or Strategy Guide, search for the correct game through IGDB, review the match, and create the dossier.

Once a dossier exists, the Dossiers destination becomes available in the main sidebar.

Cleaner Navigation

Additional navigation cleanup includes:

• Removed redundant individual collection links from the sidebar

• Preserved the main Collections section

• Hidden empty collection entries

• Correctly distinguished custom sidebar shortcuts from collections

• Hidden empty custom shortcuts while keeping them editable in Settings

Updating with Docker

The latest image is available from GitHub Container Registry:

ghcr.io/shredder5262/guidevault:latest

To update an existing Docker Compose installation:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d --force-recreate --remove-orphans

GuideVault’s library, users, configuration, and other persistent data remain stored in the mounted data volume during the update.

Visit at: 
https://guidevault.net

 

Edited Friday at 06:39 PM by Shredder_guitar

[Shredder_guitar]

Title: GuideVault Roadmap Poll – What Would You Like to See Next?

I’m looking at possible directions for the next phase of GuideVault development and would like feedback from the LaunchBox community.

Which of the following would be most valuable to you?

Vote Here:

https://strawpoll.com/PbZqbGkqvyN

A mobile companion app could make it easier to browse and read manuals, strategy guides, and magazines from a phone or tablet. The exact capabilities would depend on community interest and what people would actually find useful.

If you select the integrations option, please comment with the services or platforms you would like GuideVault to support. Likewise, if you want further LaunchBox Connector improvements, let me know which areas of the current experience need the most attention.

This poll isn’t a promise that the most popular option will immediately be developed, but it will help me understand where the strongest interest is and where future development time would provide the most value.

Edited Friday at 07:52 PM by Shredder_guitar