Server Configuration
Depending on the size of your library and your performance expectations, a root or virtual server with at least 8 GB of RAM and a standard Linux distribution like Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is a good choice to run PhotoPrism® Pro.
More detailed system requirements and further information can be found in our knowledge base.
User Account & Permissions
It is recommended that you run the PhotoPrism and MariaDB services as non-root users. We therefore configure them to run under user ID 1000, unless you have asked us to use a different account. Currently, user IDs 0, 33, 50-99, 500-600, and 900-1200 are supported.
Selecting Storage Folders
By default, we install PhotoPrism in /opt/photoprism so that:
/opt/photoprism/originalsis used as the originals folder for photo and video files,/opt/photoprism/storageis used as storage folder for config, cache, thumbnail and sidecar files,/opt/photoprism/importis used as import folder for transferring files to originals,- and
/opt/photoprism/databaseis used by MariaDB
If you want to use other paths or volumes on the server instead of the default folders, it is best to let us know in advance so that we can answer any questions you may have and prepare the configuration.
Additional Considerations and Requirements
(1) Server Access. In order to perform the remote setup, we need (a) SSH access to the server and (b) must be able to use the sudo command (or have root privileges) so that we can install additional packages such as Docker if they are not already installed. We can provide you with a public key for SSH authentication upon request, otherwise we need (c) the password and of course (d) the hostname or IP address of the server. If a VPN is required to access your server, we ask that you use a standard solution that does not require the installation of proprietary or untrusted software on our computers. It is at our sole discretion to use the applications and tools you suggest or require.
(2) Security Software. If your server or virtual server host has additional security software installed, for example, endpoint security tools, centralized security management, or a virus scanner, it is your responsibility to ensure that it does not interfere with our software or its runtime dependencies, such as Docker, Docker Compose, Docker Desktop, Podman, or the operating system.
(3) Firewall, DNS & Proxy Servers. If you are using a firewall, you must (a) allow incoming requests to port 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), and/or 2342 (for unprivileged HTTP or HTTPS), and (b) outgoing connections, e.g. to our servers and Docker Hub, as described in the corresponding Knowledge Base article to successfully complete the installation. It is also your responsibility to ensure that any domain name servers (DNS) and proxy servers you may have in place do not block the domains or access to the domains required to run or install our software, and that their use is properly configured on the server.
(4) Server Port, Domain & HTTPS. In order for us to prepare the configuration, we should know in advance (a) which domain you want to use for the instance and (b) if you already have HTTPS certificates or if you want us to set up free Let's Encrypt certificates for you. Also let us know (c) if you want to use a non-standard port to access your instance, for example to avoid conflicts with other software. By default, PhotoPrism will listen on port 443 if HTTPS is enabled, and on port 2342 if you don't want us to enable HTTPS (not recommended). Any domains or subdomains you want to use must be configured to point to the server IP.
(5) Config Options. Please let us know how you want us to configure your instance based on the options available. Of course, you can change all the configuration values later, but we can help you more easily before the installation and answer any questions you may have.
(6) Customer Account. Before we start the installation, we ask that you register on our website so that we can assign the license to your personal account or your organization's customer account.
(7) Media Library. Although this is not strictly necessary, for example if you don't have any files yet or have privacy concerns, we recommend having at least a few media files on the server to test the installation.
Scheduling the Installation Date
Once the server is ready and we have all the necessary information, we will be happy to schedule an appointment for the remote setup.
Note that in the current PhotoPrism® Pro version, users can only be created from the command line unless you have configured an LDAP directory server for authentication. Please let us know if you would like us to help you with this, and also don't hesitate to contact us if you have any other questions.
Problems During the Installation
We will be happy to schedule another appointment if we cannot access the server remotely on the day of installation, the user account provided to us does not have sufficient permissions, the server hardware does not meet the minimum requirements, or the server is running a non-standard or outdated operating system that we cannot easily work with.
Kindly note that scheduling another appointment is possible only once and that payments cannot be conditioned on prior installation if your offer includes remote setup as a complimentary service. Once we have started the installation, the subscription start date can also not be changed to a later date, even if you decide not to use our software in production immediately.
PhotoPrism® Documentation
For detailed information on specific product features, services, and related resources, see our Knowledge Base, or read the User Guide for help using the web user interface:
