migrating from one server to another esrver | Immich | Page 1

twin rapidsBOT Dec 5, 2025, 4:55 PM

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:wave: Hey @gaunt oasis,

Thanks for reaching out to us. Please carefully read this message and follow the recommended actions. This will help us be more effective in our support effort and leave more time for building Immich immich .

References

Container Logs: docker compose logs docs
Container Status: docker ps -a docs
Reverse Proxy: https://immich.app/docs/administration/reverse-proxy
Code Formatting https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/210298617-Markdown-Text-101-Chat-Formatting-Bold-Italic-Underline#h_01GY0DAKGXDEHE263BCAYEGFJA

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Checklist

I have...

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:blue_square: read applicable release notes.
:blue_square: reviewed the FAQs for known issues.
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:blue_square: uploaded the relevant information (see below).
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(an item can be marked as "complete" by reacting with the appropriate number)

Information

In order to be able to effectively help you, we need you to provide clear information to show what the problem is. The exact details needed vary per case, but here is a list of things to consider:

Your docker-compose.yml and .env files.
Logs from all the containers and their status (see above).
All the troubleshooting steps you've tried so far.
Any recent changes you've made to Immich or your system.
Details about your system (both software/OS and hardware).
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Any other information that you think might be relevant.

Please paste files and logs with proper code formatting, and especially avoid blurry screenshots.
Without the right information we can't work out what the problem is. Help us help you ;)

If this ticket can be closed you can use the /close command, and re-open it later if needed.

hollow oyster Dec 5, 2025, 4:56 PM

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You can follow this guide to get the database information restored on the new instance

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https://docs.immich.app/administration/backup-and-restore

gaunt oasis Dec 5, 2025, 4:58 PM

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thank ytou

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its mandatory that I move the entire libary over to the new vm right?

hollow oyster Dec 5, 2025, 5:01 PM

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yes, if you don't want to do any processing all over again

gaunt oasis Dec 5, 2025, 5:04 PM

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thanks boss

pine willow Dec 5, 2025, 6:48 PM

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Side note: database on an NFS mount is a bad idea

gaunt oasis Dec 6, 2025, 12:34 AM

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pine willow Side note: database on an NFS mount is a bad idea

ah how come?

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What if the NFS share is just a folder in the same nas that I made the linux vm?

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I have a linux VM on a QNAP nas that im running immich on. I also have a NFS share on the same nas that I mounted on to the linux vm

gaunt oasis Dec 6, 2025, 1:21 AM

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hollow oyster You can follow this guide to get the database information restored on the new in...

Do I need to migrate the old postgres db from the previous instance over to the new instance first?

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# The location where your uploaded files are stored
UPLOAD_LOCATION=/mnt/immich/immich-backup/library

# The location where your database files are stored. Network shares are not supported for the database
DB_DATA_LOCATION=./postgres

# To set a timezone, uncomment the next line and change Etc/UTC to a TZ identifier from this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones#List
# TZ=Etc/UTC

# The Immich version to use. You can pin this to a specific version like "v2.1.0"
IMMICH_VERSION=v2

# Connection secret for postgres. You should change it to a random password
# Please use only the characters `A-Za-z0-9`, without special characters or spaces
DB_PASSWORD=postgres

# The values below this line do not need to be changed
###################################################################################
DB_USERNAME=postgres
DB_DATABASE_NAME=immich```

this is my current .env on the new instance.

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My concern here is with the DB_DATA_LOCATION

gaunt mist Dec 6, 2025, 1:22 AM

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gaunt oasis Do I need to migrate the old postgres db from the previous instance over to the ...

no, you follow the backup and restore procedure from the link above

gaunt oasis Dec 6, 2025, 1:22 AM

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oh ok

gaunt oasis Dec 6, 2025, 1:22 AM

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gaunt mist no, you follow the backup and restore procedure from the link above

thank you.

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do my DB_DATA_LOCATION can be anywhere in the new vm?

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total 145880915
-rwxrwxrwx+ 1 concac users 370688187 Dec  5 01:01 2LGZ4O~P.GZ
-rwxrwxrwx+ 1 concac users 370648539 Dec  4 01:01 2AP8JZ~K.GZ
-rwxrwxrwx+ 1 concac users 370590457 Dec  3 01:01 2HPVAY~7.GZ
-rwxrwxrwx+ 1 concac users 370519893 Dec  2 01:01 2Y3LGL~I.GZ
-rwxrwxrwx+ 1 concac users 370507919 Dec  1 01:01 25FLGK~L.GZ
-rwxrwxrwx+ 1 concac users 370489276 Nov 30 01:01 24XAY3~8.GZ```

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this is where my db-back up is at

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so lets say i want to use the latest file 2LGZ4O~P.GZ

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gunzip < "/mnt/immich/immich-backup/db-baclup/2LGZ4O~P.GZ" | docker exec -i immich_postgres psql --username=${DB_USERNAME}

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this would be the correct command?

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psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  role "root" does not exist```

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from @craggy delta Your setup doesn't give the postgres the necessary env vars; the vars it expects start with POSTGRES_. The mapping in the default compose is there for a reason.

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despite following these instructions, i still have the same issue

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docker-compose.yml - https://pastebin.com/qQHPA89j

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# The location where your uploaded files are stored
UPLOAD_LOCATION=/mnt/immich/immich-backup/library

# The location where your database files are stored. Network shares are not supported for the database
DB_DATA_LOCATION=./postgres

# To set a timezone, uncomment the next line and change Etc/UTC to a TZ identifier from this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones#List
# TZ=Etc/UTC

# The Immich version to use. You can pin this to a specific version like "v2.1.0"
IMMICH_VERSION=v2

# Connection secret for postgres. You should change it to a random password
# Please use only the characters `A-Za-z0-9`, without special characters or spaces
DB_PASSWORD=postgres

# PostgreSQL settings (use POSTGRES_ prefix)
POSTGRES_USER=postgres
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres
POSTGRES_DB=immich

# The values below this line do not need to be changed
###################################################################################
DB_USERNAME=postgres
DB_DATABASE_NAME=immich```

hollow oyster Dec 6, 2025, 2:14 AM

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you probably want to run source .env first

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so that the environment variable is taken into account in the session you are in

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so that the command such as gunzip < "/mnt/immich/immich-backup/db-baclup/2LGZ4O~P.GZ" | docker exec -i immich_postgres psql --username=${DB_USERNAME} would fill in the DB_USERNAME as postgres

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or you can fill them in directly from the command line

gaunt oasis Dec 6, 2025, 2:20 AM

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that worked!!!!

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thank you!!!

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how long does this process take normally?

hollow oyster Dec 6, 2025, 2:32 AM

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gaunt oasis how long does this process take normally?

depends on your instance, maybe a few minutes?

pine willow Dec 6, 2025, 8:32 AM

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gaunt oasis ah how come?

Reliability and latency mostly. Databases (and postgres in particular) are not designed to live on network mounts of sorts

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 3:10 PM

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https://docs.immich.app/administration/backup-and-restore/

Did the restore command just change?

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gunzip --stdout "/path/to/backup/dump.sql.gz" \

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gunzip < "/mnt/immich/immich-backup/db-baclup/2LGZ4O~P.GZ" | docker exec -i immich_postgres psql --username=${DB_USERNAME}

this was what it was before?

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 3:12 PM

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It's changed slightly, there's no major difference

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IIRC, < doesnt work on windows

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 3:12 PM

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alrighty. thank you!

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gunzip --stdout "/path/to/backup/dump.sql.gz" \
| sed "s/SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', '', false);/SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', 'public, pg_catalog', true);/g" \
| docker exec -i immich_postgres psql --dbname=postgres --username=<DB_USERNAME>

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:31 PM

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damn

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i guess it didnt work

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i followed all the steps 🙁

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:33 PM

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gaunt oasis 1. `gunzip --stdout "/path/to/backup/dump.sql.gz" \` 2. `| sed "s/SELECT pg_cat...

How exactly did you run these command? Share a screenshot maybe

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:34 PM

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cold pecan How exactly did you run these command? Share a screenshot maybe

i ran them 1 by one

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and it went through the entire restore process

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i feel like i have all my file locations wrong

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docker compose - https://pastebin.com/GMZSQwuP

Pastebin

## WARNING: To install Immich, follow our guide: https://docs.immic...

Pastebin.com is the number one paste tool since 2002. Pastebin is a website where you can store text online for a set period of time.

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# The location where your uploaded files are stored
UPLOAD_LOCATION=./library

# The location where your database files are stored. Network shares are not supported for the database
DB_DATA_LOCATION=./postgres

# To set a timezone, uncomment the next line and change Etc/UTC to a TZ identifier from this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones#List
# TZ=Etc/UTC

# The Immich version to use. You can pin this to a specific version like "v2.1.0"
IMMICH_VERSION=v2

# Connection secret for postgres. You should change it to a random password
# Please use only the characters `A-Za-z0-9`, without special characters or spaces
DB_PASSWORD=postgres

# The values below this line do not need to be changed
###################################################################################
DB_USERNAME=postgres
DB_DATABASE_NAME=immich```

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this is where the nfs share is mounted to

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:38 PM

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It’s NOT one by one mate

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:38 PM

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shit

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:38 PM

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The backslash should link the lines to each other. If it started doing stuff after the first command you messed up

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:38 PM

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gunzip --stdout "/mnt/immichqnap/backups/immich-db-backup-20251206T020000-v2.3.1-pg14.17.sql.gz" \

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i ran this

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:39 PM

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Yes and what does it show

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Show a screenshot of that first line entered

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:39 PM

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then i run the 2nd one

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:39 PM

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Ok now the next

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:39 PM

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| sed "s/SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', '', false);/SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', 'public, pg_catalog', true);/g" \

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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For the third why do you have db username? It should be Postgres per our docs

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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this one does the entire process as you saw in the screen shots in general

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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Oh username that’s correct

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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yes

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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What did you set it to

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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gaunt oasis ```# You can find documentation for all the supported env variables at https://d...

i didnt set it to anything

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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You need to set it from the env

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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just defaults

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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Usually anything in <> means a variable to need to put in

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:40 PM

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yea i downloaded the env, and did not touch it

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o

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:41 PM

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cold pecan Usually anything in <> means a variable to need to put in

kinda confused

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:42 PM

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Put whatever the db username , from the env, is set to, In that place

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:42 PM

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| sed "s/SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', '', false);/SELECT pg_catalog.set_config('search_path', 'public, pg_catalog', true);/g" \
| docker exec -i immich_postgres psql --dbname=postgres --username=postgres```

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liks this?

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:42 PM

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Yeah

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:42 PM

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fml

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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You might want to reset the database first

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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can you check my file pathways? tbh i think i screwed all that up

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eea

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yea

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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To make sure no crud is in there

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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i have to deleet it

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yea

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Note that for the database restore to proceed properly, it requires a completely fresh install (i.e. the Immich server has never run since creating the Docker containers). If the Immich app has run, Postgres conflicts may be encountered upon database restoration (relation already exists, violated foreign key constraints, multiple primary keys, etc.), in which case you need to delete the DB_DATA_LOCATION folder to reset the database.

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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No, your earlier screenshots had lots of DB info.

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I think you don’t do the multi lines properly
Send a screenshot before you hit enter on the third line this time

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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well

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:43 PM

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gaunt oasis ```gunzip --stdout "/mnt/immichqnap/backups/immich-db-backup-20251206T020000-v2....

am i just copying all of this and running it?

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sorry for all the questions

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i can also delete this entire vm and start over if needed

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no problem

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:44 PM

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cold pecan No, your earlier screenshots had lots of DB info.

am i safe to just run the command again

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:45 PM

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Show it before you run it, the screenshot

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:46 PM

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i did

docker compose down -v
docker compose create
docker start immich_postgres
sleep 10

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and now im here

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 4:47 PM

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That look good, send it

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 4:47 PM

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ok

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thank you btw

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its doing this

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like it did the other day.

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differrent from this morning

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when i did this the other day, i did not include encoded-videos in my nfs share

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so this time i did added everything

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ok lets home immich app starts

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last time it didnt

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🙁

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it usually doesnt take this long to start up right?

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ohhhhhhhhh

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woahhhhhhhh

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 5:01 PM

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Hmmm where’s the thumbs though , seems that mount is missing

gaunt oasis Dec 7, 2025, 5:02 PM

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yeaa

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ima delete this entire vm

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and start over

cold pecan Dec 7, 2025, 5:03 PM

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Looks like the DB worked fine, that may be overkill

#migrating from one server to another esrver

References

Checklist

Information