Still Blocked: libzim not usable for standalone ZIM browsers without working examples or tagged API

[sj80231]

Hello,

I'm following up on Issue #989, which was closed after linking to official documentation. That documentation does not contain enough technical detail to resolve the problem, and I am still unable to build a functioning .zim reader using libzim.

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Situation Summary

Objective:
Build a native .zim file browser (not using kiwix-serve or browser wrappers)

Platform:
Raspberry Pi 5 (16GB RAM), Debian 12 (bookworm), 64-bit Wayland Desktop

Compiler:
g++ (Debian 12.2.0-14)

libzim Source:
Cloned from https://github.com/openzim/libzim

Build Tools:
Meson, Ninja

Installation Path:
/usr/local/include/zim/, /usr/local/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/

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Issues Encountered

1. Missing Methods at Compile Time

• archive.getEntry(index) → ‘zim::Archive’ has no member named ‘getEntry’
• entry.getItem() → incomplete type ‘zim::Item’
• item.getData() → request for member in incomplete type

These are not runtime bugs — these methods are missing from the compiled headers or not properly exposed.

2. No Working Examples

• No minimal example exists that shows how to:
  • Open a .zim file
  • Iterate entries
  • Retrieve and render HTML article content

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Why the Linked Docs Were Insufficient

Your last response included:

• https://libzim.readthedocs.io/en/latest/usage.html
• https://python-libzim.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
• A link on how to write GitHub issues

Here’s why that did not help:

• The C++ docs lack function-level guidance on iteration or reading article content
• The Python docs are incomplete and do not expose redirect resolution or content rendering logic
• The “how to post” link was unnecessary — I’m not filing a bug, I’m asking for clarity about the public usability of this API

If you prefer I break this into multiple micro-issues, I’m happy to do that. I grouped these questions here to reduce clutter.

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What Is Needed Now:

• A tagged, stable libzim release that supports:

  • getEntryByIndex()
  • getItem()
  • getData()

• A minimal, working C++ example that:

  • Opens a .zim archive
  • Iterates entries
  • Finds and prints an HTML article (e.g. text/html mimetype)

• Or: an official statement confirming that direct content reading is unsupported

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Why This Matters

I've spent weeks trying to build a clean .zim article reader. If libzim is not usable outside kiwix-serve, that should be stated clearly. Developers deserve to know up front that this library is not meant for independent tools.

If libzim is only for Kiwix’s internal ecosystem, please say so.

If it is truly open-source and meant for general use, then provide the documentation and working examples needed to support that.

If this issue continues to block real-world use, I may escalate it to the Kiwix Foundation or broader openZIM community to clarify the project’s direction and transparency expectations.

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Final Ask

• Provide a working example
• Identify a usable version tag
• Or confirm that native .zim content access is unsupported

Thank you for your time.

— sj80231
Raspberry Pi 5 | Debian 12 | GCC 12.2 | libzim HEAD

[kelson42]

@sj80231 Please stop. Last warning. Next time you will be reported as abuser.