Immich Server fails to start
I am moving from Server Version: v1.132.3 to Latest Version: v1.144.1
I created a back up of the database and ran the restore process as outlined in the article:
https://docs.immich.app/administration/backup-and-restore
The only change i did was instead
I ran
"gunzip --stdout "/path/to/backup/dump.sql.gz"I ran
"gunzip < "/path/to/backup/dump.sql.gz".
Since then the immich server fails to start. Logs of the server:69 Replies
:wave: Hey @itsddpanda,
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
Checklist
I have...
1. :blue_square: verified I'm on the latest release(note that mobile app releases may take some time).
2. :blue_square: read applicable release notes.
3. :blue_square: reviewed the FAQs for known issues.
4. :blue_square: reviewed Github for known issues.
5. :blue_square: tried accessing Immich via local ip (without a custom reverse proxy).
6. :blue_square: uploaded the relevant information (see below).
7. :blue_square: tried an incognito window, disabled extensions, cleared mobile app cache, logged out and back in, different browsers, etc. as applicable
(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).
- Details about your storage (filesystems, type of disks, output of commands like fdisk -l and df -h).
- The version of the Immich server, mobile app, and other relevant pieces.
- 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.So after some digging, it seems the "database schema upgrade" has not happened and is not working any more
You need to include any version from 133 to 136 when upgrading here, try going back to
v1.136.3so once i do that, how will know if the database schema has happened or not???
by reading the logs like you do now, and seeing if it starts up?
i might not be able to figure out if the schema upgrade happened, well let me upgrade to suggested version first and will come back here if found any issues
does below signifies anything? attached truncated log
Looks okay, just a missing file @itsddpanda
Is the web interface working properly?
yes
should i upgrade 1.44 now?
Yep, go for it
getting errors on this one, the app does not launch
That's bizarre, did you upgrade to 1.136.3 and then this?
no directly to 1.444
the env file is set to release so anytime i do it, it goes for latest one
i had manually switch it over to 1.133
Did you miss my comment here?
first upgrade to v1.136.3 succesfully and then to latest
otherwise you'll keep getting this error
i thought you said any version between 133 to 136, thus i went to v1.133.1. Did not realise it has to be 136.1
will do it now
no hang on @itsddpanda
133.1 is fine
but did you also switch out to the postgres image in the compose?
ok
I advise v1.136.3 for a reason
switch out to the postgres image? what is that sorry. English not my first language.
I did:
1. docker compose down -v
2. docker compose pull
docker compose create
docker start immich_postgres sleep 10 3. Restore backup: gunzip < "/mnt/photos/backups/immich-db-backup-1759197600001.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=postgres 4. docker compose up -d is the postgres image changed? is that what you mean
docker compose create
docker start immich_postgres sleep 10 3. Restore backup: gunzip < "/mnt/photos/backups/immich-db-backup-1759197600001.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=postgres 4. docker compose up -d is the postgres image changed? is that what you mean
You need to make sure to apply the breaking changes from the release(s) you're upgrading over https://github.com/immich-app/immich/discussions?discussions_q=label%3Achangelog%3Abreaking-change+sort%3Adate_created
One of the changes is the use of vectorchord over pgvectors
For instance, if you currently have pg14+pgvectors0.2.0 you could use
ghcr.io/immich-app/postgres:14-vectorchord0.4.3-pgvectors0.2.0 for the database imageok current:
database:
container_name: immich_postgres
image: docker.io/tensorchord/pgvecto-rs:pg14-v0.2.0@sha256:90724186f0a3517cf6914295b5ab410db9ce23190a2d9d0b9dd6463e3fa298f0
new:
database:
container_name: immich_postgres
image: ghcr.io/immich-app/postgres:14-vectorchord0.4.3-pgvectors0.2.0@sha256:41eacbe83eca995561fe43814fd4891e16e39632806253848efaf04d3c8a8b84
i need to change to new? yes
for v1.136.1
Yes, but look over the rest of the compose in the release as well
there are minor changes
ok
i see redis image also changed:
new:
redis:
container_name: immich_redis
image: docker.io/valkey/valkey:8-bookworm@sha256:fea8b3e67b15729d4bb70589eb03367bab9ad1ee89c876f54327fc7c6e618571
current:
redis:
container_name: immich_redis
image: docker.io/redis:6.2-alpine@sha256:eaba718fecd1196d88533de7ba49bf903ad33664a92debb24660a922ecd9cac8
Question: now we do not expose ports of DB?
Never did? They are on the internal network
i must have done it for some reason. ok. noted.
May have been from a really old version and you just never removed it 🙂
could be. as i said i was just running those commands and it was all set.
By the way I love this app. and a supporter
error:
I used 1.133.1 docker compose file to get correct, redis and postgress images
should i just create this directory?
i checked the file (and thus the folder) is there
why is throwing error...
Could you post your compose and env please
sure, compose and .env attached
folders too
does this help?
Yes 🙂
You've applied the compose of 1.137 and later on a 1.133 version
Change
- ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data back to - ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/usr/src/app/upload and wait to change it until 137 or later
Sorry btw it's lunchtime here so I will be disappearing intermittentlynp 🙂
what a silly error
so that was it
i got to change anything else now? or wait for it do some migration?
Did the container start up now?
From the logs I think the migrations have already finished
Yes it did
app is running
sorry wait
phone app may have an issue
sync / backup not happening
2025-10-01 16:52:38.633062 | warning | SyncLinkedAlbumService | No linked remote album ID found for local album: Snapseed |
2025-10-01 16:52:38.632871 | warning | SyncLinkedAlbumService | No linked remote album ID found for local album: Camera |
what to do now?
If these are logs from the app, make sure the app is up to date, then log out and back in
did that already
mobile app is upto date
i logged out and back in
just to summarise i am on v1.133.1, server works ok, web app works ok. Mobile app does not. it is updated and i signed out and loged in again
should i create a new mount for immich and start a fresh? then later add the old folder as external library???
i am a bit worried since i got a ton of stuff on it
you should move forward to latest
your app is on latest, server is not, that will break app sync until server catches up @itsddpanda
so that would mean, new postgres server, new redis server and
${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data
anything else i am missingNo, that should be it 🙂
You might want to do
docker compose down -v this time @itsddpanda because the redis volume has made things annoying in the past
or if you don't want to re-download the ML cache, you can do a normal compose down and remove only the specific redis volumedocker compose down -v
noted
i should restore the backup though - right?
... no?
Are you restoring the backup every time?
yes
the postgres back
You should only do that once, because it was broken by advancing too far
so no restore this time?
The rest of the upgrade process doesn't require restoring
what to do this time, restore or no
no
ok
so down -v and up -d
straight forward
no no
don't forget to pull
well I guess you technically don't need that step but it saves on downtime 🤔
i mean if i do "docker compose up -d" it will pull since i changed the version
A "normal" proper upgrade is simply:
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
In this case docker compose pull && docker compose down -v && docker compose up -d
Yeah, I just mean if you pull before up then it saves on downtime 🙂gotcha
just pulled the images
fingers crossed
Yes
it worked
server is up and running - i did not had to do the restore of back up as well
checking mobile now
that worked too
thank you
you have been very patient and helpful. Appreciate it!
No problem, enjoy
can you for my understanding, what did i do wrong - except jumping directly to latest (without reading notes)
and for future should i restore back up or not? coz that is how i usually upgrade
That's all
down -v
up -d
It's never necessary, unless you've run into trouble
ah
the down -v is only in this special case btw, don't do it in the future
got it. so --force -recreate?
redis -> valkey is sometimes annoying if the volume somehow survives
why force? 👀
my bad
trying to think alternatives to my usual practice
simply - pull and up - will do