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Do you provide an easy migration from google photos with full quality? The instructions in the FAQ are a bit vague. Last time I heard about this, Google takeou

Do you provide an easy migration from google photos with full quality? The instructions in the FAQ are a bit vague. Last time I heard about this, Google takeout won’t let you download the full quality images.

vishnumohandas 3y ago
Google Takeout downloads the images in full quality. But it splits your metadata (like capture time, geo coordinates) and places them in a separate sidecar file. This isn't an issue if you're migrating to Ente because during import the desktop app[1] will merge the metadata with their respective files. If it's for you to keep a local copy, you will unfortunately need to write some scripts. There's in fact a paid product[2] that does just this. [1]: https://ente.io/download/desktop https://ente.io/download/desktop [2]: https://metadatafixer.com/ https://metadatafixer.com/
- kosolam 3y ago
  That’s good to hear. Do you forsee the 2tb plan getting cheaper in the future?
  - vishnumohandas 3y ago
    Not unless our existing providers provide a volume discount, or we start managing some of the infrastructure (1/3 replicas) ourselves. The latter is very likely in the long run.
    - kosolam 3y ago
      I hope you will grow and start running your infrastructure. It seems that you have a strong technical team. Just curious, did you take any funding so far?
      - vishnumohandas 3y ago
        Friends and founders ("angels"), no VC.
- anneessens 3y ago
  Is it possible to use this import tool for my own local files without an Ente subscription? Because I have that metadata issue with Google Photos, but unfortunately I don't have the programming skills to write a script.
  - vishnumohandas 3y ago
    Not right now, sorry! There's this tool that can fix capture times: https://github.com/mattwilson1024/google-photos-exif https://github.com/mattwilson1024/google-photos-exif There are perhaps more that I'm unaware of.
    - anneessens 3y ago
      I'll check out this, thanks!
    - k8svet 3y ago
      Hi, I'm really intrigued by Ente and would happily pay for a subscription. I love to pay for things I can self-host, but don't have to self-host unless it comes to it. Especially when there's E2EE. However, your reply gives me pause. The website says the apps are open-source, the other comment says the server is now open-source. Does that mean there's some pluggable black-box magic that the subscription enables? To ask another way, if I self-host the server, can't I build the desktop app, import from Google Photos and then somehow export from the self-hosted server? Maybe not as ideal as a purpose-built script? Or is this not even possible?
      - vishnumohandas 3y ago
        Hey, the server was open sourced just yesterday. We are yet to update our landing page copies, and we definitely weren't ready to be in HN today (but are glad to be here!) :) So there is no black-box magic that the subscription enables. Our live, breathing production setup is available in a monorepo here[1]. > is this not even possible This is very much possible. I've added an updated comment here[2], thanks! [1]: https://github.com/ente-io/ente https://github.com/ente-io/ente [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39576920 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39576920
hruzgar 3y ago
no, takeout gives you the full quality. All other ways of accessing your photos from the api (there is some github projects) don't give you the full quality images though. But with takeout the problem is that all dates and metadata gets messed up. I had to learn this the hard way. There is some tools that somehow correct the dates. But it's not perfect and I wouldn't really want my photos to be locked up like that. What if google decides to discontinue Google Takeout? Or just give you lower quality pictures after some point? You really are not safe. Since that experience I moved to onedrive temporarily because it's a bit safer solution for now until all of these new services get stable (immich, ente, etc). Onedrive let's you access you photos like normal Onedrive files so that's really good. I know microsoft will have my data now and sync is also not perfect. So it's definitely not perfect. But I had to move to something else before the better solutions emerge.
- addandsubtract 3y ago
  Isn't Takeout their GDPR compliance tool? I don't see them ever removing it. Only exporting lower quality pictures at some point down the road is a valid concern, though.
  - vishnumohandas 3y ago
    Takeout is malicious compliance. Google Photos already has a public API. But you cannot consume it if you are building a competing service[1]. Also, the APIs will not serve you files in their original quality. If they wanted to honor the intent behind GDPR's portability mandate, it would have been trivial for them to enable seamless migrations. Now what's ironic is how Google is a "partner" in the Data Transfer Initiative[2]. [1]: https://developers.google.com/photos/library/guides/acceptable-use#solve-problems https://developers.google.com/photos/library/guides/acceptab... [2]: https://dtinit.org https://dtinit.org
- marwis 3y ago
  Takeout fails if you have too many files. I had to takeout few albums at a time which is a PITA. OneDrive ceased to be a good backup alternative when they stripped GPS from all my photos 1-2 years ago. Unlike Google, there's no way to recover original files. They simply destroyed them.

vishnumohandas 3y ago

Google Takeout downloads the images in full quality. But it splits your metadata (like capture time, geo coordinates) and places them in a separate sidecar file. This isn't an issue if you're migrating to Ente because during import the desktop app[1] will merge the metadata with their respective files. If it's for you to keep a local copy, you will unfortunately need to write some scripts. There's in fact a paid product[2] that does just this. [1]: https://ente.io/download/desktop https://ente.io/download/desktop [2]: https://metadatafixer.com/ https://metadatafixer.com/

kosolam 3y ago
That’s good to hear. Do you forsee the 2tb plan getting cheaper in the future?
- vishnumohandas 3y ago
  Not unless our existing providers provide a volume discount, or we start managing some of the infrastructure (1/3 replicas) ourselves. The latter is very likely in the long run.
  - kosolam 3y ago
    I hope you will grow and start running your infrastructure. It seems that you have a strong technical team. Just curious, did you take any funding so far?
    - vishnumohandas 3y ago
      Friends and founders ("angels"), no VC.
anneessens 3y ago
Is it possible to use this import tool for my own local files without an Ente subscription? Because I have that metadata issue with Google Photos, but unfortunately I don't have the programming skills to write a script.
- vishnumohandas 3y ago
  Not right now, sorry! There's this tool that can fix capture times: https://github.com/mattwilson1024/google-photos-exif https://github.com/mattwilson1024/google-photos-exif There are perhaps more that I'm unaware of.
  - anneessens 3y ago
    I'll check out this, thanks!
  - k8svet 3y ago
    Hi, I'm really intrigued by Ente and would happily pay for a subscription. I love to pay for things I can self-host, but don't have to self-host unless it comes to it. Especially when there's E2EE. However, your reply gives me pause. The website says the apps are open-source, the other comment says the server is now open-source. Does that mean there's some pluggable black-box magic that the subscription enables? To ask another way, if I self-host the server, can't I build the desktop app, import from Google Photos and then somehow export from the self-hosted server? Maybe not as ideal as a purpose-built script? Or is this not even possible?
    - vishnumohandas 3y ago
      Hey, the server was open sourced just yesterday. We are yet to update our landing page copies, and we definitely weren't ready to be in HN today (but are glad to be here!) :) So there is no black-box magic that the subscription enables. Our live, breathing production setup is available in a monorepo here[1]. > is this not even possible This is very much possible. I've added an updated comment here[2], thanks! [1]: https://github.com/ente-io/ente https://github.com/ente-io/ente [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39576920 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39576920

hruzgar 3y ago

no, takeout gives you the full quality. All other ways of accessing your photos from the api (there is some github projects) don't give you the full quality images though. But with takeout the problem is that all dates and metadata gets messed up. I had to learn this the hard way. There is some tools that somehow correct the dates. But it's not perfect and I wouldn't really want my photos to be locked up like that. What if google decides to discontinue Google Takeout? Or just give you lower quality pictures after some point? You really are not safe. Since that experience I moved to onedrive temporarily because it's a bit safer solution for now until all of these new services get stable (immich, ente, etc). Onedrive let's you access you photos like normal Onedrive files so that's really good. I know microsoft will have my data now and sync is also not perfect. So it's definitely not perfect. But I had to move to something else before the better solutions emerge.

addandsubtract 3y ago
Isn't Takeout their GDPR compliance tool? I don't see them ever removing it. Only exporting lower quality pictures at some point down the road is a valid concern, though.
- vishnumohandas 3y ago
  Takeout is malicious compliance. Google Photos already has a public API. But you cannot consume it if you are building a competing service[1]. Also, the APIs will not serve you files in their original quality. If they wanted to honor the intent behind GDPR's portability mandate, it would have been trivial for them to enable seamless migrations. Now what's ironic is how Google is a "partner" in the Data Transfer Initiative[2]. [1]: https://developers.google.com/photos/library/guides/acceptable-use#solve-problems https://developers.google.com/photos/library/guides/acceptab... [2]: https://dtinit.org https://dtinit.org
marwis 3y ago
Takeout fails if you have too many files. I had to takeout few albums at a time which is a PITA. OneDrive ceased to be a good backup alternative when they stripped GPS from all my photos 1-2 years ago. Unlike Google, there's no way to recover original files. They simply destroyed them.