Get Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Node.js 18+ (LTS recommended)
npm 9+ (comes with Node.js)
Git (for cloning the repository)
ffmpeg (optional, for video metadata)

Platform Compatibility

Goldplated Photos works on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Feature	macOS	Linux	Windows	Windows + WSL
Dev server	✅	✅	✅	✅
Admin panel	✅	✅	✅	✅
Build	✅	✅	✅	✅
Background scripts	✅	✅	❌	✅
Deploy script	✅	✅	❌	✅

Windows Setup

Option 1: WSL2 (Recommended)

WSL2 provides full Linux compatibility inside Windows.

# Run in PowerShell as Administrator
wsl --install

# After restart, in Ubuntu terminal:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install Node.js via nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 20

# Install ffmpeg (optional)
sudo apt install ffmpeg -y

# Clone and run
git clone https://github.com/klukacin/goldplated-photos.git
cd goldplated-photos
npm install
npm run dev

Option 2: Native Windows (Limited)

For development only - no bash scripts or deployment.

Install Node.js 20+
Install Git
(Optional) Install FFmpeg and add to PATH

# In PowerShell or Command Prompt
git clone https://github.com/klukacin/goldplated-photos.git
cd goldplated-photos
npm install
npm run dev

Limitations: Background scripts (dev:bg, admin:bg) and deploy won't work. Run servers in separate terminal windows instead.

Linux Setup

# Ubuntu/Debian
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 20
sudo apt install ffmpeg rsync -y

# Fedora/RHEL
sudo dnf install nodejs ffmpeg rsync -y

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S nodejs npm ffmpeg rsync

macOS Setup

macOS has native compatibility. Install Node.js and optionally ffmpeg:

# Using Homebrew
brew install node ffmpeg

Quick Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/klukacin/goldplated-photos.git
cd goldplated-photos

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Start Development Server

npm run dev

Visit http://localhost:4321 to see your gallery.

Adding Your First Album

1. Create Album Folder

Create a folder structure in src/content/albums/:

src/content/albums/
└── 2025/
    └── my-first-album/
        ├── index.md
        ├── photo1.jpg
        ├── photo2.jpg
        └── photo3.jpg

2. Add Album Metadata

Create an index.md file with frontmatter:

---
title: "My First Album"
description: "A collection of my favorite photos"
date: "2025-01-03"
thumbnail: "photo1.jpg"
---

3. View Your Album

Navigate to /photos/2025/my-first-album in your browser.

Using the Admin Panel

For easier content management, use the built-in admin panel:

# Start admin panel
npm run admin

Visit http://localhost:4444 to manage albums, upload photos, and edit content.

Optional: Password Protection

Add a password to your album:

---
title: "Private Album"
password: "secret123"
---