The Initial Spark
It all started with a simple Raspberry Pi gathering dust and a passion for photography. The idea was to create a photo frame that wasn't just a gadget, but a personal, smart, and most importantly, fully controllable device. I wanted an easy way to display my family photos stored on my Immich server, without relying on a paid cloud service.
The First Challenges
Development was a journey filled with obstacles and discoveries. From managing full-screen display on Linux to creating a responsive web interface for configuration, each feature was a challenge. The integration with Immich, USB import, weather display... every step was built brick by brick, with lots of coffee and late nights.
Did you know?
The name "Pimmich" is a portmanteau of "Pi" (for Raspberry Pi) and "Immich," the photo management software that is at the heart of the project.
An Unexpected Coding Partner: AI
A special mention must be made of artificial intelligence. At the beginning of the project, ChatGPT was a great assistant for drafting the initial structures and solving complex problems. Subsequently, Gemini Code Assist took over, becoming a true partner for debugging, code optimization, and implementing new features. This project is also a demonstration of human-machine collaboration.
Roadmap
The Pimmich project is constantly evolving. Here is a preview of the features planned for the coming months:
🗓️ October 2025 (Planned)
- 📱 Creation of an Android APK to control the frame (Pimmich remote).
- 🗣️ Addition of voice control to pilot the frame (next photo, pause, etc.).
- 🔘 Management of a physical button to start/stop the slideshow.
- 🗂️ Album management directly from the Pimmich interface (create, rename, etc.).
✅ September 2025 (Release planned for September 15)
- 📊 Advanced Monitoring: Addition of history graphs for temperature, CPU, RAM, and disk usage.
- 🖥️ Display Management: Ability to force a specific screen resolution from the interface.
- 💾 Storage Expansion: Tool in the interface to easily expand the filesystem.
- 🎵 Playlist Management: Create custom virtual albums.
Towards the Future
Today, Pimmich is an open-source project that continues to evolve. The goal remains the same: to offer a free, customizable, and privacy-respecting digital photo frame solution. New features are already in the works, and the community is invited to contribute to make Pimmich an even better tool.