# Syno Photo Frame

[Synology
Photos](https://www.synology.com/en-global/dsm/feature/photos)
full-screen slideshow for Raspberry Pi.

![](doc/syno-photo-frame.png)

Features include speed control, transition effects, and a blurry
background fill.

![](doc/Slideshow.png "Extra space gets blurry background")

__If you like the project, give it a star ⭐, or consider becoming a__
[![](https://img.shields.io/static/v1?label=Sponsor&message=%E2%9D%A4&logo=GitHub&color=%23fe8e86)](https://github.com/sponsors/caleb9)
:)

- [Syno Photo Frame](#syno-photo-frame)
  - [Why?](#why)
  - [Setup](#setup)
    - [Synology Photos (NAS)](#synology-photos-nas)
    - [Raspberry Pi](#raspberry-pi)
      - [Option 1: Install From Debian Package](#option-1-install-from-debian-package)
      - [Option 2: Build From Source](#option-2-build-from-source)
        - [Alternative: Build With Docker](#alternative-build-with-docker)
  - [Run](#run)
  - [Optional Stuff](#optional-stuff)
    - [Increase the Swap Size on Raspberry Pi Zero](#increase-the-swap-size-on-raspberry-pi-zero)
    - [Auto-start](#auto-start)
    - [Startup-Shutdown Schedule](#startup-shutdown-schedule)
    - [Auto Brightness](#auto-brightness)
    - [Start from a Random Photo and in Random Order](#start-from-a-random-photo-and-in-random-order)
    - [Change the Transition Effect](#change-the-transition-effect)
    - [Customize the Splash-Screen](#customize-the-splash-screen)
  - [Supported By](#supported-by)

## Why?

I developed this app for a DIY digital photo frame project using a
[Raspberry Pi](https://www.raspberrypi.com/) connected to a monitor
(it runs great on Pi Zero 2). The goal was to fetch photos directly
from my Synology NAS over LAN.

Why not use Synology Photos in a web browser directly? There are two
reasons. First, the current version of Synology Photos (1.6.x at the
time of writing) does not allow slideshow speed adjustments and
changes photos every 3 or 4 seconds - way too fast for a photo
frame. Second, running a full web browser is more resource-demanding
than a simple static image app, which matters when using a Raspberry
Pi, especially in the Zero variant.

## Setup

### Synology Photos (NAS)

Assuming the Synology Photos package is installed on DSM:

0. Create an __album__ in Synology Photos and add photos to it (note
   the distinction between an "album" and a "folder").
1. Click the "Share" button in the album.
2. Check the "Enable share link" option.
3. Copy/write down the Share Link - you'll need it when setting up the
   app on Raspberry Pi later on.
4. Set Privacy Settings to one of the "Public" options.
5. Optionally, enable Link Protection. If a password is set, you will
   need to provide it using the `--password` option when running the
   app on Raspberry Pi. In the case of accessing Synology Photos over
   the internet or an untrusted LAN, I recommend making sure your
   share link uses the HTTPS (not HTTP) scheme to prevent exposing the
   password.
6. Click Save.

![Share Album](doc/ShareLink.png)

### Raspberry Pi

Let's assume that you're starting with a fresh installation of
Raspberry Pi OS Lite, the network has been set up (so you can access
Synology Photos), and you can access the command line on your Pi.

#### Option 1: Install From Debian Package

[Releases](https://github.com/Caleb9/syno-photo-frame/releases)
contains pre-built .deb packages for arm64 Linux architecture, which
should work on Raspberry Pi 3 and up, as well as Zero 2 (assuming the
64bit version of Raspbian OS *Bookworm* is installed).

- Check the architecture with `dpkg --print-architecture`; it should
  print "arm64".
- Check the installed version of Debian with `lsb_release -c` and make
  sure it says "bookworm".

**For other platforms (including older versions of Debian, such as
"bullseye"), you must build the project from source - see [Option 2:
Build From Source](#option-2-build-from-source).**

1. Download the `syno-photo-frame_X.Y.Z_arm64.deb` package from
   Releases.
2. Update the system:

   ```bash
   sudo -- sh -c ' \
   apt update && \
   apt upgrade -y'
   ```

3. `cd` to the directory where the package has been downloaded and
   install the app:

   ```bash
   sudo apt install ./syno-photo-frame_*_arm64.deb
   ```

#### Option 2: Build From Source

Note: These instructions assume a Debian-based Linux distribution, but
adjusting them should make it possible to build the app for almost any
platform where Rust and [SDL](https://www.libsdl.org/) are available.

1. [Install Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/tools/install) if you have
   not already (or use the [Alternative: Build With
   Docker](#alternative-build-with-docker) approach).

2. Install build dependencies:

   ```bash
   sudo -- sh -c ' \
   apt update && \
   apt upgrade -y && \
   apt install -y \
       libsdl2-dev \
       libssl-dev'
   ```

3. Install the app from
   [crates.io](https://crates.io/crates/syno-photo-frame) (you can use
   the same command to update the app when a new version gets
   published):

   ```bash
   cargo install syno-photo-frame
   ```

When building is finished, the binary is then located at
`$HOME/.cargo/bin/syno-photo-frame` and should be available on your
`$PATH`.

Alternatively, clone the git repository and build the project with (in
the cloned directory):

```bash
cargo build --release
```

The binary is then located at `target/release/syno-photo-frame`.

##### Alternative: Build With Docker

If you don't want to install Rust or the build dependencies for some
reason but have Docker available, you can build the binary and/or
Debian package in a container using the provided
[Dockerfile](Dockerfile). See instructions in the file to build the
app this way.

## Run

Display the help message to see various available options:

```bash
syno-photo-frame --help
```

Run the app:

```bash
syno-photo-frame {sharing link to Synology Photos album}
```

If everything works as expected, press Ctrl-C to kill the app.

## Optional Stuff

### Increase the Swap Size on Raspberry Pi Zero

A 100 MB swap file may be too small when running on low-memory systems
such as Pi Zero. See [Increasing Swap on a Raspberry
Pi](https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-swap-file/).

### Auto-start

To start the slideshow automatically on boot, you can add it to
crontab:

```bash
crontab -e
```

Add something like this at the end of crontab:

```bash
@reboot    sleep 5 && /bin/syno-photo-frame https://{share_link} >> /tmp/syno-photo-frame.log 2>&1
```

Remember to replace your share link with a real one and adjust the
binary path depending on the installation method (dpkg or from
crates.io). A short `sleep` is required to not start before some
services (network) are up - try to increase it if errors occur. The
above command redirects error messages to a log file
`/tmp/syno-photo-frame.log`.

For other (untested) alternatives, see e.g. [this
article](https://www.dexterindustries.com/howto/run-a-program-on-your-raspberry-pi-at-startup/).

### Startup-Shutdown Schedule

A proper digital photo frame doesn't run 24/7. Shutdown can be
scheduled in software only, but for startup, you'll need a hardware
solution, e.g. for Raspberry Pi Zero, I'm using [Witty Pi 3
Mini](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5038).

### Auto Brightness

For my digital photo frame project, I attached a light sensor to Pi's
GPIO to adjust the monitor's brightness automatically depending on
ambient light. [TSL2591](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1980) is an
example of such sensor. Check out my
[auto-brightness-rpi-tsl2591](https://github.com/Caleb9/auto-brightness-rpi-tsl2591)
project to add automatic brightness control to your digital photo
frame.

### Start from a Random Photo and in Random Order

By default, photos are displayed in the order of the shooting date. If
the album is very large, and the startup-shutdown schedule is short,
potentially the slideshow might never reach some of the later photos
in the album. The `--random-start` option solves this problem by
starting the slideshow at a randomly selected photo, then continuing
normally (in the order of the shooting date). Adding this option to
the startup schedule will start at a different photo every time.

Alternatively, use `--order random` to display photos in a completely
random order.

### Change the Transition Effect

Use the `--transition` (or `-t`) option to select the type of
transition effect for changing photos. Use `--help` option to display
valid values.

### Customize the Splash-Screen

You can replace the default image displayed during loading of the
first photo. Use the `--splash` option to point the app to a .jpeg
file location.

## Supported By

[![JetBrains Logo (Main)
logo](https://resources.jetbrains.com/storage/products/company/brand/logos/jb_beam.svg)](https://jb.gg/OpenSourceSupport)