A developer detailed a novel approach to photo management, successfully aligning the AI-powered self-hosted solution Immich with a two-decade-old preservation philosophy centered entirely on embedded EXIF metadata. The objective was to unify photo libraries from multiple sources while maintaining a future-proof, database-independent system for crucial information like albums and favorites, as reported on jaisenmathai.com.
The core principle driving this complex integration is data durability, prioritizing the preservation of metadata directly within the image files over reliance on external database structures. This approach contrasts with Immich’s default behavior, which typically stores modifications like album assignments in its internal Postgres database or XMP sidecar files.
The developer previously relied on a custom command-line tool, Elodie, running on a Synology NAS, which materializes the photo library structure based solely on EXIF data. After transitioning away from Google Photos due to deprecated workflows, a superior viewing experience was sought that avoided cloud dependency.
Immich became the candidate solution after the developer noted its support for external libraries, which allow read-only mounting of existing, structured photo folders. This feature mirrored the developer's prior read-only usage pattern with Google Photos, offering a richer interface than standard file system browsing.
However, a significant technical challenge arose because Elodie modifies EXIF and moves files upon album assignment, which Immich interprets as a file deletion followed by a new file creation. Overcoming this required developing an “eventually consistent” approach to synchronize the two systems' operations.
The developer noted that Immich’s API proved robust enough to facilitate these custom write operations, although the process required two weeks of dedicated development to reconcile the differing metadata handling philosophies. A simplified version of the custom plugin, named immich-exif, is reportedly being made available to the community.
This technical achievement demonstrates the flexibility of modern self-hosted AI platforms like Immich when extended via their APIs, allowing users to enforce highly specific, durable archival standards onto consumer-grade applications. Further technical documentation is expected to track progress via a specific GitHub issue.
