Introduction

When I first bought my NAS, my primary goal was to sync all the photos across my devices and those of my family in one central place without paying for any cloud subscription. The challenge was to find a reliable, privacy-focused photo management solution that could replace Google Photos. That’s when I stumbled upon Immich. Immich has not only met but exceeded my expectations. Here’s a detailed account of my experience with Immich self-hosted on my NAS.

Setting Up Immich on NAS

The setup process was surprisingly straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to how I got Immich up and running on my NAS:

Installation: Since my NAS had Docker installed, setting up Immich was pretty straightforward. I followed the Docker installation guide for Immich which provided clear instructions on how to set up the environment file and the Docker compose file. The documentation was detailed and easy to follow, making the installation process smooth and hassle-free.

Configuration: Docker configuration is completely based on the environment file settings. If you want dedicated PostgreSQL and Redis instances for Immich, you can follow the Docker installation guide.

In my case, I already had a PostgreSQL database instance running, and I wanted to use the same. So, I needed to slightly modify the environment file to include the DB_URL environment variable, which points to the connection string of the locally hosted PostgreSQL instance.

UPLOAD_LOCATION=<upload mount path>
IMMICH_VERSION=release
DB_URL=postgresql://<postgres connection string>

Similarly, if you want a dedicated machine or Raspberry Pi to run the Immich machine learning, you need to install the Immich machine learning Docker on that machine, expose port 3003, and set the machine learning service URL in the Immich UI.

Challenges: Like any tech project, there were a few bumps while running the Immich machine learning service.

  • Initial Setup Issues: Initially, the machine learning service was not running properly. After spending a lot of time troubleshooting, I discovered that my NAS operating system, which was Linux, needed to be updated to use the latest version of libheif.
  • Performance Slowdown: After successfully running the service, my NAS became very slow due to the Immich machine learning workload. To resolve this, I decided to install the Immich machine learning service on a dedicated system.

Once I made this change, Immich was very fast and worked like a charm. For detailed instructions on running the Immich machine learning service on a separate machine, you can follow the guide here.

Features and Performance

Immich stands out with its impressive array of features and stellar performance:

Machine Learning: The integration of machine learning algorithms for photo organization and recognition has been a game-changer. The speed at which it processes and sorts images is remarkable. And with dedicated respberry pi just for the ML, it improved the performance a lot.

User Interface: The user-friendly interface makes navigating through thousands of photos a breeze. It’s intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, and highly functional.

Performance: Compared to Google Photos, Immich’s performance on my NAS has been stellar. The response times are fast, and there’s no noticeable lag, even when handling large photo libraries.

The Smart Search Function

One of my favorite features of Immich is its smart search functionality:

Ease of Use: The smart search allows me to find specific photos quickly and efficiently. Whether I’m searching for “beach vacation” or “family reunion,” Immich accurately retrieves relevant images.

Examples: I’ve used smart search to locate photos of my daughter from various moments, such as her birthday parties and school events, and it never fails to impress me with its precision. The ability to search by people, places, and even objects has transformed how I interact with my photo library.

Unexpected Uses: Beyond the obvious benefits, I’ve found creative uses for smart search. For instance, I’ve used it to create themed photo albums, find inspiration for blog posts, and even identify locations from past travels.

Overall Experience

My overall experience with Immich has been overwhelmingly positive.

Recommendation: I wholeheartedly recommend Immich to anyone looking to break free from cloud-based photo management solutions and take control of their digital memories.

Conclusion

Switching to Immich self-hosted on my NAS has been a rewarding journey. The transition from Google Photos was seamless, and the benefits have far outweighed the initial challenges. If you’re considering making the switch, I encourage you to give Immich a try—you might just find the perfect solution for your photo management needs.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or to share your experiences!