Command-line tool for managing HTML downloads from AO3.
- Organize downloaded works into a central library, automatically renaming files and sorting into folders based on fandom/series/title, etc.
- Track multiple versions of the same work (chapter updates), because some authors decide to replace entire fics with messages about how they "found God" instead of orphaning.
- Automatic compression because 150 million words across 5k+ fics is approximately 200MB. In today's cloud storage terminology that's called "free".
- Back up to any S3-compatible cloud storage, because computers are fragile and what are you talking about "you shouldn't have been messing around with system files"?
- Export to PDF/Ebook with custom styling because GOOD LORD the PDF downloads that AO3 provides are ugly.
| Example Screenshot |
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You're having the most wonderful day and you settle down for the evening only to find:
This has been deleted, sorry!
(Deleted work, last visited 05 Aug 2024)
tl;dr: See a fic? Download it. Got an email about a chapter update? Download again.
This is a tool to manage AO3 downloads, so I wanted to come up with a name that was (a) related to the Archive, and (b) as ridiculous as the tags you depraved lunatics come up with.
- I thought of calling it "Dead Dove", but
ddis already a well-known CLI tool. - As a Rust-based Archiver tool,
rarunfortunately might cause flashbacks for people who never paid their WinRAR license. - So I changed the pronunciation: imagine it being spoken by an Emo/Scene kid from the mid-2000's who was trying to unironically do an impression of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that had somehow magically gotten into Kawaii culture 65 million years beyond its extinction.
- Thus
rawr(or "Ridiculously Accumulating Works to Read" for long).
You only need to keep one format. rawr handles the rest:
- Squash it down real small, save space on that crusty ol' laptop of yours.
- Render to PDF or Ebook with custom themes/skins.
Authors have the right to delete their works. Readers have an interest in preserving what they've already read.
This tool is designed as an offline tool to manage HTML files that you download manually. It cannot and will not download fics. By design.
AO3 is a resource run by a non-profit, and I built this tool specifically to not hammer their servers. Respect their terms of service, yo.
There's already enough tools focusing on getting the fics; rawr focuses on
what happens after you have it. Like your own stern librarian in an inflatable
dinosaur costume. (Please, for the love of everything fandom, somebody make
Sexy Stern Dinosaur Librarian a real tag 👩🏫)
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
rawr init |
Set up your library |
rawr import |
Pull HTML files from your Downloads folder into your library |
rawr scan |
Re-scan your library and extract/update metadata |
rawr organize |
Sort and rename files by fandom/series/title (with compression) |
rawr stats |
See your library at a glance |
rawr export |
Render works to PDF/ebook (coming soon) |
rawr push |
Sync to S3-compatible cloud storage (coming soon) |
rawr pull |
Help! I dropped my laptop in the bath! Gimme my library back! (coming soon) |
Use --dry-run on any command to preview what would happen without changing
anything. Useful if the idea of a CLI tool touching your carefully curated hoard
of smut makes you nervous.
InstallBuild (sorry)rawr initto create a configuration file- Download some fics from AO3 in HTML format
rawr import(defaults to searching for files in your Downloads folder)- Go outside for a walk, you haven't left the apartment in days.
Pre-built releases will be available starting from the initial public release
(v1). For now, build from source. If you don't know how, ask the nerdiest
friend you've got.
cargo build --releaseIf on Linux, use
cargo deployalias to enable super muscle builds 💪
- Library management (
scan,import,organize) - Library statistics
- Render works to PDF
export pdf(basic) - Render works to epub
export epub(basic) - Config initialization
init - Syncing
push/pullto S3 - Non-technical documentation
- Render multiple works (interactive)
- A graphical point-and-click application for you Windows/Mac users (eventually)
rawr-compress: add a new compression format gated behind a feature flagrawr-extract: extracting additional AO3 metadata fieldsrawr-storage: adding a new storage backend (e.g., Google Drive) gated behind a feature flagrawr-cache: adding new queries to the repositoryrawr-render: adding new built-in themes (CSS stylesheets)rawr-library: new template variables for path generationdocs/: yeah, we need those.
This project will remain in beta for as long as AO3 does, which will be until the heat death of the universe.Oh, guess we're stable now...