implemented variable 'SLIDESHOW_TMPFILE' to lower memory consumption

.vscode/launch.json

@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@
         "SLIDESHOW_INTERVAL": "10",
         "SLIDESHOW_DIRECTORY": "/home/velvettear/images",
         "SLIDESHOW_SCANINTERVAL": "10",
-        "SLIDESHOW_RESOLUTION": "600x1024",
+        "SLIDESHOW_TMPFILE": "/tmp/.slideshow.img",
+        "SLIDESHOW_RESOLUTION": "",
         "SLIDESHOW_LOGLEVEL": "debug",
         "SLIDESHOW_PALETTE": "/tmp/.slideshow.palette",
         "SLIDESHOW_PALETTE_ALGORITHM": "wsm",

README.md

@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ configuration is entirely done via environment variables.
 | --------------------------- | ----------------- | -----------------------------------------------------------|
 | SLIDESHOW_INTERVAL          | 60                | the interval of the slideshow in seconds                   |
 | SLIDESHOW_DIRECTORY         | "$HOME"           | path to a directory containing images                      |
-| SLIDESHOW_SCANINTERVAL      | 60                | the interval for directory scans in seconds 
+| SLIDESHOW_SCANINTERVAL      | 60                | the interval for directory scans in seconds                |
+| SLIDESHOW_TMPFILE           |                   | path to a temporary file                                   |
 | SLIDESHOW_RESOLUTION        |                   | the resolution to which images are scaled (i.e. 1920x1080) | 
 | SLIDESHOW_PALETTE           |                   | path to a file where the color palette will be stored      |
 | SLIDESHOW_PALETTE_ALGORITHM | "wsm"             | the algorithm used to generate the color palette           |
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ configuration is entirely done via environment variables.
 | SLIDESHOW_LOGLEVEL          | "info"            | the log level                                              |
 
 **note:**  
-if no resolution is set the images will be displayed as they are (without any scaling).
+- if `SLIDESHOW_RESOLUTION` is unset the images will be displayed as they are (without any scaling).  
+- if `SLIDESHOW_TMPFILE` is set a temporary file will be used instead of keeping the image internally buffered. this could be useful on systems with limited ram.  
 
 **available log levels:**
 

internal/config/config.go

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 var Interval time.Duration
 var Directory string
 var ScanInterval time.Duration
+var TmpFile string
 var Resolution string
 var PaletteFile string
 var PaletteAlgorithm int
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ func Initialize() {
 		tmpInt = 60
 	}
 	ScanInterval = time.Duration(tmpInt) * time.Second
+	TmpFile = os.Getenv("SLIDESHOW_TMPFILE")
 	Resolution = os.Getenv("SLIDESHOW_RESOLUTION")
 	if len(Resolution) > 0 {
 		width, height, found := strings.Cut(Resolution, "x")
@@ -83,3 +85,8 @@ func IsResolutionSet() bool {
 func IsPaletteSet() bool {
 	return len(PaletteFile) > 0
 }
+
+// check if a temporary file has been specified
+func IsTemporaryFileSet() bool {
+	return len(TmpFile) > 0
+}

internal/slideshow/palette.go

@@ -62,6 +62,23 @@ func getColorPaletteRaw(data []byte) ([]color.Color, error) {
 	return colors, error
 }
 
+// extract the given amount of dominant colors of an image
+func getColorPalette(image string) ([]color.Color, error) {
+	var colors []color.Color
+	if !config.IsPaletteSet() {
+		return colors, nil
+	}
+	timestamp := time.Now().UnixMilli()
+	amount := config.PaletteColors
+	colors, error := color_thief.GetPaletteFromFile(image, amount, config.PaletteAlgorithm)
+	if error != nil {
+		loggo.ErrorTimed("encountered an error generating the color palette from image", timestamp, "image: "+image, "colors: "+strconv.Itoa(amount))
+	} else {
+		loggo.DebugTimed("generated color palette from image", timestamp, "image: "+image, "colors: "+strconv.Itoa(amount))
+	}
+	return colors, error
+}
+
 // parse rgb color values to hex
 func rgbToHex(color color.Color) string {
 	r, g, b, _ := color.RGBA()

internal/slideshow/scale.go

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"os/exec"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -13,9 +12,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 // scale an image
-func scale(image string) ([]byte, error) {
+func scale(image string, output string) ([]byte, error) {
 	timestamp := time.Now().UnixMilli()
-	cmd := exec.Command("convert", image, "-resize", config.Resolution+"^", "-gravity", "center", "-extent", config.Resolution, "-")
+	if len(output) == 0 {
+		output = "-"
+	}
+	cmd := exec.Command("convert", image, "-resize", config.Resolution+"^", "-gravity", "center", "-extent", config.Resolution, output)
 	stdout, stdoutError := cmd.StdoutPipe()
 	stderr, stderrError := cmd.StderrPipe()
 	var data []byte
@@ -39,6 +41,6 @@ func scale(image string) ([]byte, error) {
 	if len(errorMessage) > 0 {
 		return data, errors.New(errorMessage)
 	}
-	loggo.DebugTimed("successfully scaled image", timestamp, "image: "+image, "resolution: "+config.Resolution, "size: "+strconv.Itoa(len(data)))
+	loggo.DebugTimed("successfully scaled image", timestamp, "image: "+image, "resolution: "+config.Resolution)
 	return data, nil
 }

internal/slideshow/slideshow.go

@@ -43,30 +43,75 @@ func Start() {
 			}
 		}
 		if config.IsResolutionSet() {
-			tmp, error := scale(image)
+			tmp, error := scale(image, config.TmpFile)
 			if error != nil {
 				loggo.Error("encountered an error scaling an image", "image: "+image, error.Error())
 				continue
 			}
 			data = tmp
 		} else {
-			tmp, error := os.ReadFile(image)
+			if !config.IsTemporaryFileSet() {
-			if error != nil {
+				tmp, error := os.ReadFile(image)
-				loggo.Error("encountered an erro reading an image", "image: "+image, error.Error())
+				if error != nil {
-				continue
+					loggo.Error("encountered an error reading an image", "image: "+image, error.Error())
+					continue
+				}
+				data = tmp
+			} else {
+				file, error := os.Open(image)
+				if error != nil {
+					loggo.Error("encountered an error opening an image", "image: "+image, error.Error())
+					continue
+				}
+				defer file.Close()
+				tmpFile, error := os.Create(config.TmpFile)
+				if error != nil {
+					loggo.Error("encountered an error opening the temporary file", "path: "+config.TmpFile, error.Error())
+					continue
+				}
+				defer tmpFile.Close()
+				var errorMessage string
+				buffer := make([]byte, 4096)
+				for {
+					read, error := file.Read(buffer)
+					if error != nil && error != io.EOF {
+						errorMessage = error.Error()
+						break
+					}
+					if read == 0 {
+						break
+					}
+					_, error = tmpFile.Write(buffer[:read])
+					if error != nil {
+						errorMessage = error.Error()
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				if len(errorMessage) > 0 {
+					loggo.Error("encountered an error reading an image", "image: "+image, errorMessage)
+					continue
+				}
 			}
-			data = tmp
 		}
-		palette, _ = getColorPaletteRaw(data)
+		if config.IsTemporaryFileSet() {
+			palette, _ = getColorPalette(config.TmpFile)
+		} else {
+			palette, _ = getColorPaletteRaw(data)
+		}
 		loopTime = time.Since(loopTimestamp)
 		if sleepTime > 0 {
 			loggo.Debug("sleeping for " + strconv.FormatInt(sleepTime.Milliseconds(), 10) + "ms before next image will be displayed...")
 			time.Sleep(sleepTime)
 		}
 		go exportPalette(palette)
-		error := setBackground(data)
+		var err error
-		if error != nil {
+		if config.IsTemporaryFileSet() {
-			loggo.Error("encountered an error setting the background image", error.Error())
+			err = setBackgroundImage(config.TmpFile)
+		} else {
+			err = setBackground(data)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			loggo.Error("encountered an error setting the background image", err.Error())
 		}
 		loggo.Info("set new background image", "image: "+image)
 		sleepTime = config.Interval - loopTime
@@ -113,3 +158,31 @@ func setBackground(data []byte) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// set the background image via 'feh'
+func setBackgroundImage(image string) error {
+	cmd := exec.Command("feh", "--no-fehbg", "--bg-fill", image)
+	stdout, stdoutError := cmd.StdoutPipe()
+	stderr, stderrError := cmd.StderrPipe()
+	cmd.Start()
+	if stdoutError != nil {
+		return stdoutError
+	}
+	if stderrError != nil {
+		return stderrError
+	}
+	_, stdoutError = io.ReadAll(stdout)
+	if stdoutError != nil {
+		return stdoutError
+	}
+	errorBytes, stderrError := io.ReadAll(stderr)
+	if stderrError != nil {
+		return stderrError
+	}
+	cmd.Wait()
+	error := strings.TrimSpace(string(errorBytes))
+	if len(error) > 0 {
+		return errors.New(error)
+	}
+	return nil
+}