MMM-RandomBackground, Background from local folder

[Ultimatum22]

@Sean There is a dropbox client for debian, if you use raspbian on your RPI this should work. I haven’t tested it but if you can get it to synchronize you can link to it from my module like yawns said.

@nobita I don’t want to store my photo’s on dropbox so I don’t have the need implement this option but my above solution should work.

[A Former User]

@Ultimatum22 said in Random background from local folder:

@Sean There is a dropbox client for debian, if you use raspbian on your RPI this should work. I haven’t tested it but if you can get it to synchronize you can link to it from my module like yawns said.

That client is for normal Intel/AMD devices. As I know, there is no official Dropbox client for ARM architectures. So people cannot install Dropbox on RPi. (maybe I could be wrong…)
Currently, the only available solution is using Exagear(https://eltechs.com/product/exagear-desktop/).

Anyway, There might be some PROs and CONs about using Dropbox or cloud storage for private photos. I bet considering external network storage is not non-sense.

• RPI has the limited volume of storage. Some people have tons of images to show. And they might not want to worry about sync between original photos in archives and those in RPI.
• Some people are not familiar with FTP or SFTP or anything. (e.g. my wife). She just wants to throw her new photos into some folder simply. (Well, there might be another options like netatalk, smb,… but my wife has HER OPINIONS.)
• Google Photo and iCloud Photos are awesome services, but unfortunately, they don’t support external API. That is why people want to use simple and free ‘dropbox’ alternately.

[Ultimatum22]

@Sean You are correct about ARM architecture, didn’t do my research properly. I did a quick search and it seems like a hazzle indeed. This seems to be a kind of solution, http://mitchtech.net/dropbox-on-raspberry-pi-via-sshfs/

I agree about the space but if you have a decent sdcard, like 32gb you can store plenty of photo’s and change them once in a while. I have set up a shared directory with samba to the photo directory directly. I just put my photo’s in here and restart the pi.

Would be nice if google photo’s introduces an api, I use it for photo backup at the moment.

[A Former User]

@Ultimatum22 said in Random background from local folder:

@Sean You are correct about ARM architecture, didn’t do my research properly. I did a quick search and it seems like a hazzle indeed. This seems to be a kind of solution, http://mitchtech.net/dropbox-on-raspberry-pi-via-sshfs/

Maybe this could be another solution. But it still needs ‘REMOTE HOST’ server. anyway, I have a NAS in my house, so I could use this.

I agree about the space but if you have a decent sdcard, like 32gb you can store plenty of photo’s and change them once in a while. I have set up a shared directory with samba to the photo directory directly. I just put my photo’s in here and restart the pi.

Yes. It could be so.

Would be nice if google photo’s introduces an api, I use it for photo backup at the moment.

We both agree this could be the ultimate final solution.

Anyway, last weekends, I tried to test Dropbox API. I think I can make Dropbox Wallpaper module in a few days. But that could be for just a shallow nitch purpose. Usually, using local storage is the better way. However, for my family and @nobita, It could be alternates. I’ll leave mention about that in my module.

[radu022003]

Hello, I have just starting using this module. I find it very useful and seems to work very good… as long as the pictures are copied on the SD card.
My ideea is to use the pictures that are already on my NAS. I did tried to mount the NAS on the expected folder /home/pi/MagicMirror/modules/MMM-RandomBackground/photos/. But the module seems not to be able to work with such a big amount of data, arround 30k files.
I also observed that if i delete the pictures from “photos” folder the slideshow is keep running, which leads me to the Ideea that the module is loading the files in RAM or something similar, if it is so, that I can understand why is it not working with 30k files.
Is there any option to use this module in my desired setup?

thanks

[A Former User]

@radu022003
Well, maybe a little amount of pics loading on demands would be answer.
My last MMM-GooglePhotos loads only one photo from Google Photos when it is needed.

[kivlow]

Hello :]
Im new to magic mirror - i want to make digital photo frame on my p3 and raspbian. So i use magicmirror but i not know how to make that MM see my photos i set imagepath to fotos but notching is displayed :[
Ultimatum22 wrote somting about windows share but i dont know what to do :/
Regards Kamil

p.s. i try MMM-BackgroundSlideshow, MMM-ImageFileWatcher and MMM-ImageSlideshow all not show my pictures on local folder in magicmirror :/ what to do.

[Mykle1]

@kivlow

Where MMM-ImageSlideshow is concerned, if your config entry looks like this . . .

{
            disabled: f,
            module: 'MMM-ImageSlideshow',
            position: 'middle_center',
            config: {
                imagePaths: ['modules/MMM-ImageSlideshow/images'],
                slideshowSpeed: 10000,
                fixedImageWidth: 800,
                randomizeImageOrder: true,
            }
        },

… then your image files belong in this directory

modules/MMM-ImageSlideshow/images

[sdetweil]

For folders outside the MagicMirror directory tree, I use a link ( ln command) to my Nas server share

The image showing modules are using the built-in web server for file access, and it’s root is ~/MagicMirror. And cannot see outside that folder tree.

[elmattt]

hello,
it doesn’t seem to work for me, install ok, but not pictures showed, only a loading text …
i put 2 jpg pictures in a “photos” folder in the MMM-RandomBackground folder…
does i need to name picture specifically ??

EDIT : npm install… it’s ok :D