instaarchive-viewer/README.md

InstaArchive Viewer

A high-performance React PWA for browsing archived Instagram data with a native-feeling interface. Supports both official Instagram exports and Instaloader archives.

Features

• Advanced Carousel: Seamless, zero-latency transitions between slides with intelligent preloading. Navigating between different posts is now near-instant thanks to inter-post background preloading.
• High-Res Performance: Handles 50MP+ images effortlessly using a background Web Worker and a memory-safe serial processing queue.
• Persistent Local Caching: Uses IndexedDB to store parsed archives and generated thumbnails. Local folders now load instantly from cache on return visits without needing to re-upload files.
• Permalinks: State is synchronized with the URL, allowing you to share direct links to archives, tabs, or specific posts. Navigating back to the explorer cleans up URL parameters automatically.
• Glassy Scanning UI: A refined, translucent white terminal experience with flicker-free, double-buffered dynamic blurred backgrounds.
• PWA with Auto-Update: Fully offline-capable and installable. Clients automatically receive updates when a new version is deployed to the server.
• Local Privacy: All processing is done client-side. Even when using the self-hosted version, your media is processed locally in your browser and never uploaded.
• Smart Fallbacks: Automatically detects usernames from folder names and uses the oldest archive image as a profile picture if one is missing.
• Customizable Grid: 1:1 or 3:4 aspect ratios with adjustable "bumps" for aesthetic alignment.
• Story Viewer: Native-like story experience with segmented progress bars, auto-playback, and audio controls.
• Navigation Protection: Intercepts accidental browser "Back" or "Refresh" actions to protect your current session.

Deployment

Docker (Recommended)

The easiest way to run InstaArchive is using Docker.

docker run -d \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -v /path/to/your/archives:/archives:ro \
  ghcr.io/ergosteur/instaarchive-viewer:latest

Note for Linux/SELinux users: If you see "Permission Denied" in the logs, append ,z to your volume mount: -v /path/to/archives:/archives:ro,z

Docker Compose

Create a compose.yml file:

services:
  instaarchive:
    image: ghcr.io/ergosteur/instaarchive-viewer:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./archives:/archives:ro,z # ,z handles SELinux permissions

Troubleshooting Permissions

If the app shows "No Archives Found" and logs EACCES: permission denied:

1. Check Directory Permissions: Ensure the archive folder is world-readable:

   chmod -R 755 /path/to/archives
   

2. SELinux (Fedora/RHEL/CentOS): Use the :z flag in your volume mount as shown above.
3. User Mapping: You can force the container to run as your host user:

   docker run --user $(id -u):$(id -g) ...
   

Supported Archive Structure

Place your archive folders inside the mounted /archives directory. The directory name will be used as the account username.

Example Structure:

archives/
├── wanderlust_explorer/          # Instaloader format
│   ├── 2024-01-01_12-00-00_UTC.jpg
│   ├── 2024-01-01_12-00-00_UTC.json.xz
│   └── wanderlust_explorer_profile_pic.jpg
└── pixel_architect/             # Instagram Export format
    ├── 2023-12-25_pixel_architect - post_123.jpg
    ├── 2023-12-25_pixel_architect - post_123.json
    └── pixel_architect.jpg

Local Development

Prerequisites: Node.js (LTS recommended)

1. Install dependencies: npm install
2. Start dev server: npm run dev (Frontend on port 3000)
3. Start local backend: npm run server (Optional, serves ./_sample-archives on port 3001)
4. Build production: npm run build (Generates ./dist for frontend and ./dist-server for the API)