Immich Server Setup Guide 

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• A server running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

• Root or sudo privileges for administrative tasks

• An active internet connection to download packages

• An additional 150 GB volume attached to the server

• Basic knowledge of Linux command-line interface (CLI)

• A backup destination (external drive, cloud storage, or another server)

Step 1: Prepare the System

Update your system to ensure all packages are up to date.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yCopy

Step 2: Set Up the Volume

Format, mount, and configure the additional 150 GB volume to store Immich's data.

1. Identify the Extra Volume:

lsblkCopy

2. Format the Volume (Warning: This erases all data on the volume):

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/xvdbCopy

3. Create a Mount Point:

sudo mkdir /mnt/immich_dataCopy

4. Mount the Volume:

sudo mount /dev/xvdb /mnt/immich_dataCopy

5. Verify the Mount:

df -h /mnt/immich_dataCopy

6. Make the Mount Persistent by adding to /etc/fstab:

sudo blkid /dev/xvdbCopy
sudo nano /etc/fstabCopy

Add this line to /etc/fstab (replace UUID with your volume's UUID):

UUID=<your-uuid-here> /mnt/immich_data ext4 defaults,nofail 0 2Copy

7. Set Permissions:

sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /mnt/immich_dataCopy
sudo chmod -R 755 /mnt/immich_dataCopy

Step 3: Install Docker and Docker Compose

1. Add Docker's Official GPG Key:

sudo apt-get updateCopy
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curlCopy
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyringsCopy
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.ascCopy
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.ascCopy

2. Add the Repository to Apt Sources:

Copy Allecho \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update

3. Install Docker and Docker Compose:

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-pluginCopy

Step 4: Set Up Immich

1. Create and navigate to Immich directory:

mkdir ./immich-appCopy
cd ./immich-appCopy

2. Download Docker Compose and .env files:

wget -O docker-compose.yml https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/latest/download/docker-compose.ymlCopy
wget -O .env https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/latest/download/example.envCopy

3. Edit the .env file with key settings:

Copy Allnano .env

# Update these values:
UPLOAD_LOCATION=/mnt/immich_data/upload
DB_DATA_LOCATION=/mnt/immich_data/db
TZ=Asia/Kolkata

4. Create directories and set permissions:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/immich_data/upload /mnt/immich_data/dbCopy
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /mnt/immich_dataCopy
sudo chmod -R 755 /mnt/immich_dataCopy

5. Start Immich:

docker compose up -dCopy

Step 5: Verify Installation

• Access the Immich web interface at http://<your-server-ip>:2283

• Create an admin account and configure Immich

• Verify that data directories are being populated

Important Notes

• Regularly back up the /mnt/immich_data directory

Monitor Docker container logs:

docker compose logsCopy

For updates, pull latest images and restart:

docker compose pull && docker compose up -dCopy

This setup ensures a robust Immich server for managing your photos and videos with persistent storage on your 150GB volume.

Recommended Next Steps

Now that your server is running, you should secure it with SSL and set up backups:

• Setup SSL Certificate for Immich: /tech-guides/Immich-SSL-Certificate

• Setup AWS S3 Backup for Immich: /tech-guides/Immich-AWS-S3-Backup