Requirements

System Requirements

Before installing PhotoFlow, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

Minimum Hardware Requirements

CPU

Dual-core processor (2 GHz or higher)

RAM

2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended

Storage

500 MB for application + database storage

Network

Local network connection for multi-PC setup

For teams with more than 5 concurrent users, we recommend 4 GB RAM and a quad-core processor for optimal performance.

Software Requirements

Node.js

PhotoFlow requires Node.js version 20 or higher.

Check Current Version

Verify if Node.js is already installed:

node --version

You should see output like v20.x.x or higher.

Install Node.js

If you need to install or upgrade Node.js:

Windows
macOS
Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)
Linux (Fedora)

Download the installer from nodejs.org and run it.Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version for stability.

Using Homebrew:

brew install node@20

Or download from nodejs.org

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install -y nodejs

Verify Installation

Confirm Node.js and npm are installed correctly:

node --version
npm --version

PostgreSQL

PhotoFlow uses PostgreSQL version 15 or higher for data storage.

Check Current Version

If PostgreSQL is already installed:

psql --version

Expected output: psql (PostgreSQL) 15.x or higher

Install PostgreSQL

Windows
macOS
Ubuntu/Debian
Docker

Download the installer from postgresql.org
Run the installer and follow the setup wizard
Remember the password you set for the postgres user
Default port is 5432

Using Homebrew:

brew install postgresql@15
brew services start postgresql@15

Or use Postgres.app for a GUI experience.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresql-15 postgresql-contrib
sudo systemctl start postgresql
sudo systemctl enable postgresql

If you prefer using Docker:

docker run --name photoflow-postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=photoflow \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=photoflow_password \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=photoflow \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  -d postgres:15-alpine

Create Database User

Create a dedicated user for PhotoFlow:

# Access PostgreSQL shell
sudo -u postgres psql

-- Create user and database
CREATE USER photoflow WITH PASSWORD 'photoflow_password';
CREATE DATABASE photoflow OWNER photoflow;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE photoflow TO photoflow;

-- Exit the shell
\q

Change photoflow_password to a strong password in production environments.

Git (Optional)

Git is recommended for cloning the repository and receiving updates:

# Check if Git is installed
git --version

Windows
macOS
Linux

Download from git-scm.com

brew install git

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install git

# Fedora
sudo dnf install git

If you don’t want to use Git, you can download PhotoFlow as a ZIP file from GitHub.

Network Requirements

For Local Development

No special network configuration required
Access via http://localhost:4173

For Multi-PC Setup

Network Configuration

All PCs must be on the same local network:

Connected to the same router/switch
Able to communicate via TCP/IP
No restrictive firewall rules blocking port 4173

Port Requirements:

4173 (default) - PhotoFlow web interface
5432 (default) - PostgreSQL database (only on server PC)

Ensure your firewall allows incoming connections on port 4173 for the server PC. Other PCs only need outgoing access.

Testing Network Connectivity

From a client PC, test connectivity to the server:

# Replace 192.168.1.100 with your server's IP
ping 192.168.1.100

# Test if port 4173 is accessible (requires telnet)
telnet 192.168.1.100 4173

Browser Requirements

PhotoFlow works best with modern browsers:

Chrome/Edge

Version 90 or higher

Firefox

Version 88 or higher

Safari

Version 14 or higher

Opera

Version 76 or higher

Internet Explorer is not supported. Use a modern browser for the best experience.

Optional Dependencies

Docker (for containerized deployment)

If you plan to deploy PhotoFlow using Docker:

Docker Engine version 20.10 or higher
Docker Compose version 2.0 or higher

See the Docker deployment guide for installation instructions.

Development Tools (for contributing)

If you plan to modify PhotoFlow’s source code:

npm version 9 or higher (included with Node.js)
Prisma CLI (installed via npm)
Code editor - VS Code, WebStorm, or similar

Verification Checklist

Before proceeding with installation, verify:

Node.js Installed

node --version  # Should show v20.x.x or higher

PostgreSQL Running

psql --version  # Should show 15.x or higher

Database Access

psql -U photoflow -d photoflow -h localhost
# Should connect successfully

Network Access (for multi-PC)

Ensure all PCs can ping the server PC:

ping <server-ip-address>

Next Steps

Once you’ve met all requirements:

Local Setup

Install PhotoFlow on your local machine

Docker Deployment

Deploy using Docker containers

Database Configuration

Configure PostgreSQL for PhotoFlow

Quick Start

Get running in under 5 minutes

Troubleshooting

Node.js version too old

If you have an older Node.js version:

Use nvm (Node Version Manager) to install multiple versions:

nvm install 20
nvm use 20

Or uninstall the old version and install Node.js 20 from nodejs.org

PostgreSQL won't start

Check service status:

# Linux
sudo systemctl status postgresql

# macOS
brew services list

View logs for errors:

# Linux
sudo journalctl -u postgresql

# macOS
tail -f /usr/local/var/log/postgres.log

Can't connect to database

Verify PostgreSQL is running on port 5432
Check pg_hba.conf allows local connections
Ensure the database user and password are correct
Try connecting manually:

psql -U photoflow -d photoflow -h localhost

Firewall blocking connections

Allow port 4173 through your firewall:Windows:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="PhotoFlow" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=4173

Linux (ufw):

sudo ufw allow 4173/tcp

macOS: Add an exception in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall

Get Started

Installation

Core Features

Configuration

Deployment

System Requirements

Minimum Hardware Requirements

CPU

RAM

Storage

Network

Software Requirements

Node.js

PostgreSQL

Git (Optional)

Network Requirements

For Local Development

For Multi-PC Setup

Network Configuration

Testing Network Connectivity

Browser Requirements

Chrome/Edge

Firefox

Safari

Opera

Optional Dependencies

Docker (for containerized deployment)

Development Tools (for contributing)

Verification Checklist

Next Steps

Local Setup

Docker Deployment

Database Configuration

Quick Start

Troubleshooting

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Installation

Core Features

Configuration

Deployment

​System Requirements

​Minimum Hardware Requirements

CPU

RAM

Storage

Network

​Software Requirements

​Node.js

​PostgreSQL

​Git (Optional)

​Network Requirements

​For Local Development

​For Multi-PC Setup

Network Configuration

​Testing Network Connectivity

​Browser Requirements

Chrome/Edge

Firefox

Safari

Opera

​Optional Dependencies

​Docker (for containerized deployment)

​Development Tools (for contributing)

​Verification Checklist

​Next Steps

Local Setup

Docker Deployment

Database Configuration

Quick Start

​Troubleshooting

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

System Requirements

Minimum Hardware Requirements

Software Requirements

Node.js

PostgreSQL

Git (Optional)

Network Requirements

For Local Development

For Multi-PC Setup

Testing Network Connectivity

Browser Requirements

Optional Dependencies

Docker (for containerized deployment)

Development Tools (for contributing)

Verification Checklist

Next Steps

Troubleshooting