Running Offline

Starting, stopping and checking the library day to day.

Once content is downloaded, RTW needs no internet connection at all.

Commands

rtw start      # start everything and print the addresses
rtw stop
rtw restart
rtw status     # services, content sizes and addresses
rtw address    # the addresses other devices can open right now
rtw help       # every command, with examples
rtw logs       # follow the web server's error log (also: admin, kiwix)

On a Mac, run them from the project folder as ./rtw …. On Android, rtw-start, rtw-stop, rtw-status and rtw-passwd also work.

What runs

Service	Port	Purpose
nginx	8080, 8443	Pages, files, and the front door for everything else
kiwix-serve	8081 (local only)	Wikipedia and other ZIM files
admin API	8082 (local only)	Uploads and content management

Only nginx is reachable from other devices.

The admin password

Uploading and managing content requires the admin password. If you forget it, reset it on the device itself:

rtw passwd

Having access to the device’s terminal is what proves you’re the owner. The change takes effect immediately.

Check before you need it

Before you rely on the library, switch off Wi-Fi and mobile data and try it: open a few Wikipedia articles, a book, a note and the map. It’s much easier to fix a missing piece while you’re still online.