Sidecar Ledger

Local metadata preflight

Know what survives the handoff.

Before you move a RAW archive between Lightroom, darktable, Immich, or Snapseed, inventory its XMP sidecars and get an honest contract for every rating, description, keyword, and edit recipe.

Install the CLI Test a route
  • Runs locally
  • Read-only scans
  • Versioned JSON
Two ceramic archive plates representing a photograph and its metadata sidecar, joined by a thin registration line.
One image. One sidecar. One checked boundary.

Route preflight

Inspect the boundary before the archive crosses it.

This browser demo uses capability declarations only—no files leave your device. The CLI performs the real folder inventory.

Sample XMP · capability set 2026.08

Lightroom → Immich (read-only)

Attention

    Run this route on your folder sidecar-ledger scan ./photos --from lightroom --to immich-readonly

    Single binary · v0.1.0

    A preflight small enough to trust.

    Sidecar Ledger reads filenames and adjacent XMP. It never decodes image pixels, calls a network, or changes source timestamps.

    local shell
    $ cargo install sidecar-ledger
$ sidecar-ledger scan ~/Pictures/Archive \
    --from lightroom --to immich --json

# Exit 0: portable · 2: review risk · 1: error
    Read the recorded sample scan

    Fixture: 2 images · 1 paired sidecar · Lightroom → Immich

    • Portable — rating, description, keywords
    • Unknown — color label
    • Lossy — Camera Raw adjustments

    Exit 2: review the missing sidecar and render critical edits before moving.

    What the report promises

    Evidence, not false translation.

    01

    Portable

    The destination has a declared mapping for the field and the source can represent it.

    02

    Lossy

    The boundary drops or cannot durably write the field. You get a concrete backup or render recommendation.

    03

    Unknown

    No trustworthy mapping is declared. Sidecar Ledger says so and asks for a representative test.

    Opaque stays opaque. Proprietary develop recipes are named by namespace, never reverse-engineered or printed with their values.

    Optional Pro route pack

    Keep the safety tool open. Buy the field notes once.

    The CLI, every risk verdict, and JSON export remain free under MIT. A $19 one-time purchase unlocks curated migration recipes: route-specific backup sequences, validation checklists, and post-import checks in this browser.

    Sociobot/Dodo is the merchant of record. Refunds are handled there and revoke the license automatically. See privacy and terms.

    Six practical route recipes

    • Lightroom → Immich
    • Lightroom → Snapseed
    • darktable → Immich
    Buy Pro · $19 once