docs: Immich docker→NixOS module migration design

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_016e2PKH5yN31h6JgHWCQb32
2026-08-05 16:32:46 +02:00
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+# Immich: Docker → NixOS module migration
+
+**Date:** 2026-08-05
+**Machine:** jupiter (home server, Intel iGPU)
+**Status:** Design approved, pending implementation plan
+
+## Goal
+
+Replace the existing docker-compose Immich deployment on jupiter with the
+native `services.immich` NixOS module, wrapped in the repo's standard
+`my.profiles.*` pattern. Preserve all existing data (albums, faces, shared
+links, metadata) and photo/video library.
+
+## Decisions
+
+| Topic | Decision |
+|-------|----------|
+| Approach | Native `services.immich` (nixpkgs), not `oci-containers` |
+| Version target | Stable nixpkgs ships **2.7.5**, unstable **3.0.3**. Pin target ≥ running docker version (forward-migration only) |
+| Media location | Default local path `/var/lib/immich`. NAS deferred to a future read-only external library |
+| Database | Migrate via dump/restore — keep everything |
+| HW acceleration | Video transcoding only (VAAPI/QSV via existing Intel graphics stack). ML on CPU |
+| Access | LAN + VPN only: open port 2283, register on homepage dashboard. No reverse proxy/TLS |
+
+### Deliberately deferred (YAGNI)
+- OpenVINO ML acceleration
+- NAS-backed external library
+- Reverse proxy / TLS / public hostname
+
+## Part 1 — The module
+
+New file `modules/environments/immich/default.nix` following the profile
+pattern; add `./environments/immich` to `modules/environments/default.nix`;
+enable `my.profiles.immich.enable = true` in
+`machines/jupiter/environments.nix`.
+
+```nix
+{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+let
+  cfg = config.my.profiles.immich;
+  hostName = config.networking.hostName;
+  port = 2283;
+in {
+  options.my.profiles.immich.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Immich photo server";
+
+  config = lib.mkIf cfg.enable {
+    services.immich = {
+      enable = true;
+      # package = pkgs.unstable.immich;   # only if docker :release is > 2.7.5
+      host = "0.0.0.0";
+      inherit port;
+      openFirewall = true;
+      mediaLocation = "/var/lib/immich";
+      machine-learning.enable = true;
+      accelerationDevices = [ "/dev/dri/renderD128" ];
+      settings.server.externalDomain = "http://${hostName}:${toString port}";
+    };
+
+    # native module does not add GPU groups; needed for VAAPI/QSV transcoding
+    users.users.immich.extraGroups = [ "video" "render" ];
+
+    my.homepage.services = [{
+      group = "Media";
+      name = "Immich";
+      description = "Photo & video server";
+      href = "http://${hostName}:${toString port}";
+      icon = "immich.png";
+    }];
+  };
+}
+```
+
+**Provided for free by the native module:** local PostgreSQL with the required
+vector extension over a **unix socket + peer auth** (so no DB password / sops
+secret needed), Redis, `immich-server` and `immich-machine-learning` systemd
+units, the `immich` system user, and `mediaLocation` created via tmpfiles.
+
+**Transcoding is two parts:** (a) NixOS exposes the GPU device + `video`/`render`
+groups (above); (b) the hwaccel backend (QSV/VAAPI) is chosen in Immich's
+**admin → video transcoding** settings after cutover — a UI toggle, not Nix.
+
+## Part 2 — Migration runbook (on jupiter)
+
+### Pre-flight (hard blocker)
+1. Get running docker Immich version (`docker exec <server> immich --version` or web UI footer).
+2. Compare to target (stable 2.7.5 / unstable 3.0.3). Target **must be ≥ running**.
+   - running ≤ 2.7.5 → stable module as-is
+   - 2.7.6–3.0.3 → set `package = pkgs.unstable.immich`
+   - `> 3.0.3` → bump nixpkgs first; **stop and re-plan**
+3. Record docker `UPLOAD_LOCATION` and DB container name/credentials.
+
+### Backup (before touching anything)
+4. `docker compose down` (DB may stay up for the dump).
+5. Dump DB: `docker exec -t <db> pg_dumpall --clean --if-exists --username=postgres > immich-db.sql`
+6. Verify upload folder intact; note size (no copy yet).
+
+### Cutover
+7. Add the module to jupiter's `environments.nix` (leave `database.createDB` default).
+8. `sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake '.#jupiter'` → creates user, empty DB + role, `mediaLocation`. Then `systemctl stop immich-server immich-machine-learning`.
+9. Restore the DB into the NixOS Postgres (drop the freshly-created empty `immich` DB, load `immich-db.sql`) per Immich's restore docs.
+10. Move media into `/var/lib/immich` (subfolders `library/`, `upload/`, `thumbs/`, `encoded-video/`, `profile/`); `chown -R immich:immich /var/lib/immich`.
+11. `systemctl start immich-server`; it runs schema migrations forward. Watch `journalctl -u immich-server -f`.
+
+### Verify
+12. UI at `http://jupiter:2283` loads; log in; spot-check albums, faces, a shared link, and that thumbnails/originals actually load.
+13. Homepage tile works.
+14. Enable QSV/VAAPI in admin settings; transcode one video; confirm `journalctl` shows the hw path, not a CPU fallback error.
+
+### Rollback
+Before deleting any docker data: `systemctl stop immich-*`, disable the profile,
+`nixos-rebuild switch`, `docker compose up -d`. Original docker DB + upload
+folder remain untouched until explicitly removed after a few days of confidence.
+
+## Known risk
+
+Step 9 crosses the **pgvecto.rs → VectorChord** vector-extension boundary if the
+docker version predates VectorChord. Follow Immich's official "migrate vector
+database" guidance during restore. The exact case is known only after the
+pre-flight version check.