thumbsup

thumbsup turns local folders of photos and videos into self-contained static HTML galleries without a database or background server. The Node.js command-line utility coordinates ExifTool, GraphicsMagick, and FFmpeg to generate thumbnails, resized media, and responsive albums directly from disk. Output files require only a basic web server, object storage bucket, or local folder to view.

Where thumbsup fits

Dynamic self-hosted systems like Immich, PhotoPrism, or Piwigo depend on persistent backend daemons, background indexing workers, and relational databases. Those components enable dynamic search queries and mobile uploading, but they require continuous patching, database backups, and server resources. Proprietary portfolio services create the opposite problem, trapping personal archives behind user accounts, vendor telemetry, and recurring subscriptions. thumbsup bypasses both trade-offs by treating photo collections as static site inputs: it expects media curated on disk and generates an immutable set of client-rendered pages.

For privacy and infrastructure control, static generation keeps master media isolated on local storage. The compiler outputs flat assets that deploy to internal Nginx containers, private S3 buckets, or offline drives without exposing APIs or backend runtimes. Because the site serves plain HTML and media, visitors browse albums without cookies, tracking scripts, or external service calls. In exchange, thumbsup omits dynamic server features: there are no in-browser upload forms, user accounts, or facial recognition. Updating a gallery requires running the generator again against updated folders.

What it does well

• Incremental caching: Tracks file modification timestamps in an internal database to reprocess only new or modified assets, preventing repeated transcoding during automated builds.
• Official container image: Distributes a Docker image bundling Node.js, ExifTool, GraphicsMagick, and FFmpeg, letting DevOps engineers integrate gallery builds into CI pipelines without installing system packages.
• Declarative configuration: Accepts all CLI flags inside a structured JSON config, enabling version-controlled gallery definitions with reproducible album sorting and output paths.
• Filesystem-driven albums: Maps directory structures directly to nested web albums, preserving existing folder hierarchies without forcing database migrations.