photoprism/setup/pkg/linux/README.md

# PhotoPrism® Installation Packages

As an alternative to our [Docker images](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/docker-compose/), you can use the packages available at [**dl.photoprism.app/pkg/linux/**](https://dl.photoprism.app/pkg/linux/) to install PhotoPrism on compatible Linux distributions without [building it from source](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/faq/#building-from-source).

We recommend that **only experienced users** choose this installation method, since these packages [need to be set up manually](#configuration) and [do not include the system dependencies](#dependencies) required to make use of all the features.

Also note that the minimum required glibc version is 2.35, so for example Ubuntu 22.04 and Debian Bookworm will work with these binaries, but older Linux distributions may not be compatible.

## Usage

### Installation Using *tar.gz* Archives

You can download and install PhotoPrism in `/opt/photoprism` by running the following commands:

```
sudo mkdir -p /opt/photoprism
cd /opt/photoprism
wget -c https://dl.photoprism.app/pkg/linux/amd64.tar.gz -O - | sudo tar -xz
sudo ln -sf /opt/photoprism/bin/photoprism /usr/local/bin/photoprism
photoprism --version
```

If your server has an **ARM-based CPU**, please make sure to install `arm64.tar.gz` instead of `amd64.tar.gz` when using the commands above. Both are linked to the [latest stable release](https://github.com/photoprism/photoprism/releases).

Since the packages currently do not include a default configuration, we recommend that you create a [`defaults.yml`](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/defaults/) in `/etc/photoprism` next, in which you configure the paths and other settings that you want to use for your instance.

### *.deb* Packages for Ubuntu / Debian Linux

As an alternative to the plain *tar.gz* archives, that you need to unpack manually, we also offer *.deb* packages for Debian-based distributions such as Ubuntu Linux.

On servers with a **64-bit Intel or AMD CPU**, our [latest stable release](https://github.com/photoprism/photoprism/releases) can be installed as follows:

```
curl -sLO https://dl.photoprism.app/pkg/linux/deb/amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i amd64.deb
```

If your server has an **ARM-based CPU**, such as a [Raspberry Pi](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/raspberry-pi/), use the following commands instead:

```
curl -sLO https://dl.photoprism.app/pkg/linux/deb/arm64.deb
sudo dpkg -i arm64.deb
```

This will install PhotoPrism to `/opt/photoprism` and add a `/usr/local/bin/photoprism` symlink for the CLI command.

Since the packages currently do not include a default configuration, we recommend that you create a [`defaults.yml`](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/defaults/) in `/etc/photoprism` next, in which you configure the paths and other settings that you want to use for your instance.

## Updates

To update your installation, please stop all running PhotoPrism instances and make sure that there are [no media, database, or custom config files](#configuration) in the `/opt/photoprism` directory. You can then delete its contents with the command `sudo rm -rf /opt/photoprism/*` and install a new version as shown above.

If you used a *.deb* package for the installation, you may need to remove the currently installed `photoprism` package by running `sudo dpkg -r photoprism` before you can install a new version with `sudo dpkg -i package.deb`. This is a known issue that we hope to resolve with improved packages.

## Dependencies

In order to use all PhotoPrism features and have [full file format support](https://www.photoprism.app/kb/file-formats), additional system dependencies **must be installed** as they are not included in the packages we provide, for example exiftool, darktable, rawtherapee, [libheif](https://dl.photoprism.app/dist/libheif/README.html), imagemagick, ffmpeg, libavcodec-extra, mariadb, sqlite3, and tzdata. The actual names may vary depending on what distribution you use.

For details on the packages installed in our official Docker images, see <https://github.com/photoprism/photoprism/tree/develop/docker/develop>.

## Configuration

Run `photoprism --help` in a terminal to get an [overview of the command flags and environment variables](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-options/) available for configuration. Their current values can be displayed with the `photoprism config` command.

Global config defaults [can be defined in a `/etc/photoprism/defaults.yml` file](#defaultsyml). When specifying paths, `~` is supported as a placeholder for the current user's home directory, e.g. `~/Pictures`. Relative paths can also be specified via `./pathname`.

If no explicit *originals*, *import* and/or *assets* path has been configured, a list of [default directory paths](https://github.com/photoprism/photoprism/blob/develop/pkg/fs/dirs.go) will be searched and the first existing directory will be used for the respective path. To simplify [updates](#updates), we recommend **not to store** any media, database, or custom config files in the same directory where you installed PhotoPrism, e.g. `/opt/photoprism`, and to use a different base directory for them instead, for example `/photoprism`, `/var/lib/photoprism`, or a path relative to each user's home directory.

Please keep in mind that any changes to the config options, either [through the UI](https://docs.photoprism.app/user-guide/settings/advanced/), [config files](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/), or by [setting environment variables](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-options/), require a restart to take effect.

### `defaults.yml`

Global config defaults, including the config and storage paths to use, can optionally be [set with a `defaults.yml` file](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/defaults/) in the `/etc/photoprism` directory (requires root privileges). A custom filename for loading the defaults can be specified with the `PHOTOPRISM_DEFAULTS_YAML` environment variable or the `--defaults-yaml` command flag.

A `defaults.yml` file affects all users and should only contain values for options for which you want to set a global default, e.g.:

```yaml
ConfigPath: "~/.config/photoprism"
StoragePath: "~/.photoprism"
OriginalsPath: "~/Pictures"
ImportPath: "/media"
AdminUser: "admin"
AdminPassword: "insecure"
AuthMode: "password"
DatabaseDriver: "sqlite"
JpegQuality: 85
DetectNSFW: false
UploadNSFW: true
```

For a list of supported options and their names, see <https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/#config-options>.

When specifying values, make sure that the data type is the [same as in the documentation](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/#config-options), e.g. *bool* values must be either `true` or `false` and *int* values must be whole numbers without any quotes like in the example above.

### `options.yml`

Default config values can be overridden by values [specified in an `options.yml` file](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/) as well as with command flags and environment variables. To load values from an existing `options.yml` file, you can specify its storage path (excluding the filename) by setting the `ConfigPath` option in your `defaults.yml` file, using the `--config-path` command flag, or with the `PHOTOPRISM_CONFIG_PATH` environment variable.

The values in an `options.yml` file are not global and can be used to customize individual instances e.g. based on the default values in a `defaults.yml` file. Both files allow you to set any of the [supported options](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-files/#config-options).

## Documentation

For detailed information on specific features and related resources, see our [Knowledge Base](https://www.photoprism.app/kb), or check the [User Guide](https://docs.photoprism.app/user-guide/) for help [navigating the user interface](https://docs.photoprism.app/user-guide/navigate/), a [complete list of config options](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/config-options/), and [other installation methods](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/):

- [PhotoPrism® User Guide](https://docs.photoprism.app/user-guide/)
- [PhotoPrism® Developer Guide](https://docs.photoprism.app/developer-guide/)
- [PhotoPrism® Knowledge Base](https://www.photoprism.app/kb)

## Getting Support

If you need help installing our software at home, you are welcome to post your question in [GitHub Discussions](https://link.photoprism.app/discussions) or ask in our [Community Chat](https://link.photoprism.app/chat). Common problems can be quickly diagnosed and solved using our [Troubleshooting Checklists](https://docs.photoprism.app/getting-started/troubleshooting/). [Silver, Gold, and Platinum](https://link.photoprism.app/membership) members are also welcome to email us for technical support and advice.

[View Support Options ›](https://www.photoprism.app/kb/getting-support)