Connect to a server

You need an address and credentials supplied by the person who runs your Aldus server. Aldus is not a hosted service — every browser or app session connects to a specific household server.

Connect in a browser

Open the exact server address the owner gave you — for example https://library.example.com or a local address like http://192.168.1.20:8080. The web app belongs to that server, so there is no separate server picker in the browser. Sign in with the one-time username and password you received, then choose your final credentials.

Connect in the iOS or Android app

1. Open Connect to Aldus. If you have connected before, your saved servers appear here so you can switch between them.
2. Enter the server address in Server address and select Continue.
3. Aldus verifies the address, then opens sign-in, first-time setup, or the public demo as appropriate.
4. Sign in with the one-time username and password your server owner gave you. Aldus then asks you to choose your final credentials before opening the library.

HTTP versus HTTPS

Aldus accepts plain http:// addresses for servers on your private network — this is how most home installs run, reached over your own Wi-Fi rather than the public internet. For any server reached over the internet, use https://; the app enforces secure networking by default and only allows local, unencrypted addresses so a household server without a certificate still works from inside the house.

If the address is wrong

If the address doesn’t point at an Aldus server at all — a typo, a site that returns something other than JSON — you’ll see That address is not an Aldus server. If Aldus can’t reach the address at all (server offline, wrong network, expired certificate), you’ll see Unable to connect. Check the address, network, and HTTPS certificate. Either way, nothing is saved until a server actually responds correctly.

If your credentials are wrong

A wrong username or password at sign-in is rejected outright — Aldus does not say which one is incorrect, to avoid confirming valid usernames to someone guessing. Repeated failed attempts are rate-limited, so a wrong password won’t lock you out, but it will start refusing attempts for a short window if you retry too quickly.