How to Install PhotoPrism on AlmaLinux 9

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PhotoPrism is an AI-powered application that allows you to host, organize, and share your photo collection independently. Because its AI indexing requires solid processing power and read/write speeds, deploying it on a robust virtual private server ensures a smooth experience. Below is the complete step-by-step guide to installing PhotoPrism using Docker and securing it with an Nginx reverse proxy on AlmaLinux 9.

Prerequisites

A server running AlmaLinux 9.
Root access to the server.
A domain or subdomain pointed to your server’s IP address (e.g., photos.example.com).

Step 1: Connect to the Server via SSH

From your local machine, log in to your server as the root user:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Step 2: Update the System

Ensure all installed packages are updated to their latest versions:

dnf update -y

Step 3: Install Required System Packages

These dependencies are required to securely add external repositories and download Docker components:

dnf install ca-certificates curl gnupg2 dnf-utils -y

Step 4: Add the Docker Repository

Add the official Docker repository that is compatible with AlmaLinux 9:

dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

Step 5: Refresh the Package Cache

Load the metadata from the newly added Docker repository:

dnf makecache

Step 6: Install Docker and Docker Compose

Install the Docker Engine and the Docker Compose v2 plugin:

dnf install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin -y

Step 7: Enable and Start Docker

Start the Docker service and configure it to launch automatically at boot:

systemctl enable docker
systemctl start docker

Step 8: Verify the Docker Installation

Confirm that both Docker and Docker Compose are installed correctly:

docker --version
docker compose version

Step 9: Create the PhotoPrism Directory

This directory will house your PhotoPrism configuration and data:

mkdir -p /opt/photoprism
cd /opt/photoprism

Step 10: Download the Docker Compose Template

Fetch the official PhotoPrism Docker Compose configuration file:

wget https://dl.photoprism.app/docker/compose.yaml -O docker-compose.yml

Step 11: Edit the Docker Compose Configuration

Open the file to configure your environment variables:

nano docker-compose.yml

Adjust the file to match the following configuration. This sets up your admin password and maps the container directories to your VPS storage:

services:
  photoprism:
    image: photoprism/photoprism:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "2342:2342"
    environment:
      PHOTOPRISM_ADMIN_PASSWORD: "StrongAdminPasswordHere"
      PHOTOPRISM_ORIGINALS_PATH: "/photoprism/originals"
      PHOTOPRISM_STORAGE_PATH: "/photoprism/storage"
    volumes:
      - /opt/photoprism/originals:/photoprism/originals
      - /opt/photoprism/storage:/photoprism/storage

Save and exit the file (Press CTRL+X, then Y, then Enter).

Step 12: Create Required Data Directories

Create the specific folders mapped in the YAML file to ensure your photos and AI metadata persist across container restarts:

mkdir -p /opt/photoprism/originals
mkdir -p /opt/photoprism/storage

Step 13: Pull the PhotoPrism Image

Download the latest PhotoPrism Docker image from the repository:

docker compose pull

Step 14: Start PhotoPrism

Launch the container in the background (detached mode):

docker compose up -d

Step 15: Verify Running Containers

Confirm that the PhotoPrism container is up and running:

docker compose ps

Step 16: Install Nginx

Install Nginx, which will act as a reverse proxy to handle external web traffic:

dnf install nginx -y

Step 17: Enable and Start Nginx

Start the web server and enable it on boot:

systemctl enable nginx
systemctl start nginx
systemctl status nginx

Step 18: Create the Nginx Configuration

Create a new configuration block for your PhotoPrism domain:

nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/photoprism.conf

Paste the following configuration. This setup allows large photo uploads and supports WebSocket connections:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name _;

    client_max_body_size 500M;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:2342;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;

        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

        proxy_buffering off;
    }
}

Save and exit the file.

Step 19: Test and Reload Nginx

Verify that your Nginx syntax is correct, then reload the service to apply the changes:

nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx

Conclusion

Your private photo cloud is now live. Open your web browser and navigate to your domain ([http://your_IP_server). You can log in using the admin username and the strong password you configured in Step 11.

Note: PhotoPrism performs best on fast storage and reliable CPU resources, especially during the initial AI indexing of large photo libraries. Utilizing an NVMe VPS or a high-performance Storage VPS will drastically reduce processing times when uploading new albums.