Merge main into fix/issue-97-folder-undo

# Conflicts:
#	crates/engine/src/lib.rs
#	docs/parity.md
#	docs/whats-new.md

.github/workflows/freebsd.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# Builds and tests the workspace on FreeBSD, inside a FreeBSD VM on a Linux runner
+# (GitHub has no FreeBSD runners). GPU tests skip themselves when the VM has no adapter.
+name: FreeBSD
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - Cargo.toml
+      - Cargo.lock
+      - "**/Cargo.toml"
+      - .github/workflows/freebsd.yml
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: freebsd-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  freebsd:
+    name: FreeBSD 14 (build + test)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 300
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Build and test in a FreeBSD VM
+        uses: vmactions/freebsd-vm@c46abacb49f09938ca4e1702d15d836285d694cc # v1
+        with:
+          release: "14.3"
+          usesh: true
+          cpu: 4
+          mem: 12288
+          # Nothing to bring back; copying the target dir out of the VM fails on large builds.
+          copyback: false
+          prepare: |
+            pkg install -y git curl pkgconf cmake python3 libxkbcommon wayland libX11 libXcursor libXrandr libXi libxcb mesa-libs vulkan-loader gtk3 fontconfig freetype2 alsa-lib
+            curl -fsSL https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y --profile minimal
+          run: |
+            . "$HOME/.cargo/env"
+            # The checkout is synced in under another owner; let tests that call git read it.
+            git config --global --add safe.directory "*"
+            rustc --version
+            CARGO_PROFILE_DEV_DEBUG=0 cargo build --workspace --all-targets --locked
+            CARGO_PROFILE_DEV_DEBUG=0 cargo test --workspace --locked

.gitignore

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 *~
 plan/
 /target
+/target-*/
 /dist
 /corpus
 /log

AGENTS.md

@@ -5,8 +5,13 @@ LightCraft is a clean-room, open-source, pure-Rust photo library + non-destructi
 ## Start every session here
 1. Read `plan/STATUS.md` (current milestone, next unchecked task, blockers).
 2. Read the task in `plan/execution-plan.md` §3, the relevant section of `plan/architecture.md`, and the README/docs of the crate you touch. Behaviour/visual reference: `plan/lightroom/` (incl. `10-observed-ui.md` + screenshots).
-3. **Pick work** from [`docs/parity.md`](docs/parity.md) → *Top gaps* (Lightroom parity tracker: one row per feature, menu item and shortcut). When you land a feature, update its row(s) and the gap list in the same commit; `cargo xtask parity` (part of `ci`) checks that every `cmd:`/`ctl:` id and path the tracker cites still exists, and `cargo xtask parity --write` refreshes its summary.
-4. Follow the autonomous operation protocol (`plan/execution-plan.md` §7). Don't stop to ask unless §7 lists the decision as the user's.
+3. **Know where we stand:** read [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) → *Where we stand* (honest assessment by dimension and
+   by kind of user) and *Where we're going* (ordered priorities). The checklist counts features that *exist*; the real
+   gaps are quality and coverage: camera colour calibration, CR3 / compressed raws, per-model verification, render
+   fidelity against Lightroom, AI models, HDR / video / Classic modules. A ✅ row is not proof of parity — if you find a
+   ✅ feature that is wrong or incomplete, downgrade it to 🟡 with a note.
+4. **Pick work** from [`docs/parity.md`](docs/parity.md) → *Top gaps* (ordered by user impact; the tracker has one row per feature, menu item and shortcut). When you land a feature, update its row(s) and the gap list in the same commit, and the *Where we stand* / *Where we're going* sections of `ROADMAP.md` when a listed gap closes; `cargo xtask parity` (part of `ci`) checks that every `cmd:`/`ctl:` id and path the tracker cites still exists, and `cargo xtask parity --write` refreshes its summary.
+5. Follow the autonomous operation protocol (`plan/execution-plan.md` §7). Don't stop to ask unless §7 lists the decision as the user's.
 
 `plan/` is gitignored (local-only).
 
@@ -17,6 +22,34 @@ branches can still break each other (e.g. a new struct field vs. a new construct
 `git log main..HEAD` + `git status` for unmerged commits or uncommitted work before starting anything new. Commit small
 and often so a crash loses minutes, not hours.
 
+## Never crash (outranks feature work)
+People trust LightCraft with their photo libraries and edits; a crash loses their work. A malformed raw/JPEG/XMP, a bad
+command, control or MCP argument, a corrupt catalog or settings file, or a full disk must produce an error the user (or
+agent) can act on, never a panic. Don't ship a feature by adding a panic path, and fix a crash before building on top
+of it. Full standard: `../craftrules/standards/never-crash.md`
+([storytold/craftrules](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/never-crash.md)).
+- **Non-test code never panics:** no `unwrap()`, `expect()`, `panic!`, `unreachable!`, `todo!`, `unimplemented!`, and
+  no `unsafe`. Return the crate's error type through `Result` and `?`; use `ok_or(..)?`, `let … else`, `if let`, or a
+  fallback (`unwrap_or…`) only where it can't silently corrupt a document. An unfinished feature returns an
+  "unsupported" error or is disabled. Sole exception: a provably infallible literal, as `#[allow(clippy::expect_used)]`
+  + `.expect("why it can't fail")`.
+- **`unsafe` lives only in `crates/sysmem`** (one FFI call, `malloc_zone_pressure_relief`, that returns freed
+  allocator pages to macOS after raw decodes). Every other production crate root has `#![forbid(unsafe_code)]`. A new
+  unsafe need goes in an isolated, well-tested helper crate like it: `// SAFETY:` on every block, a safe API, a safe
+  fallback where possible, and a line here naming it.
+- **Input-derived numbers are hostile:** `get()` instead of `[i]`/`[a..b]` for offsets from files, users, agents or
+  arithmetic on them; checked/saturating math for lengths, offsets and counts; no division by zero, NaN/inf or negative
+  casts to `usize`; cap allocations sized by input; slice strings only at char boundaries.
+- **Bound recursion** (depth limits or seen-sets: IFD chains, nested metadata, collections). **Don't cascade:**
+  `lock().unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner)` or an error; worker-thread joins are `Result`s.
+- **Last-resort guard:** a panic hook plus `catch_unwind` around command dispatch and import/export turns an escaped
+  panic into an error dialog and keeps the document. It's a safety net, not a licence; keep `panic = "unwind"` on native.
+- **Prove it:** every crash fix lands with a small synthetic regression test that panicked before the fix.
+- Enforced by clippy: root `clippy.toml` allows unwrap/expect/panic/indexing in tests only, and every production crate
+  root (`lib.rs`, each binary's `main.rs`) carries `#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic,
+  clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]`. Not `[workspace.lints]`: those would also hit
+  integration tests, examples and benches. New crates start with the attribute.
+
 ## Non-negotiables
 - **Clean-room.** Never read/disassemble anything inside Adobe app bundles (names/listings only). Never copy Adobe icons, presets, profiles (DCP), lens profiles (LCP), camera matrices, fonts. Observation of the installed Lightroom is read-only (it syncs the user's personal library: never import/edit/rate/delete there). Never copy GPL/LGPL/AGPL code (darktable, RawTherapee, ART, LibRaw, rawspeed, rawloader, rawler, lensfun, dcraw-derived GPL code…).
 - **Pure Rust** in the product. No C/C++ dependencies.
@@ -58,6 +91,7 @@ and often so a crash loses minutes, not hours.
 - Shell gotcha: `mv`/`cp` are aliased interactive here — use `/bin/mv -f` / `/bin/cp -f`.
 - Parallel agents: separate git worktrees and `CARGO_TARGET_DIR=target/agent-<name>`; each agent uses its **own control port** (pick one in 18000–19999, never the default 7980) and its own scratch subfolder (`<scratch>/<agent-name>/`) — never `rm -rf` shared paths; delete your target dir when done (disk is shared); keep every `Cargo.toml` valid at all times (the `crates/*` glob means one broken manifest breaks everyone).
 - Test corpora: `cargo xtask corpus --download` into `corpus/` (gitignored, CC0 only). Never commit media.
+- Shared real-file test corpora (Photoshop-authored PSDs, etc.) live in [`storytold/photocraft-corpus`](https://github.com/storytold/photocraft-corpus), explained in [craftrules `standards/test-corpora.md`](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/test-corpora.md). Never commit large binary fixtures to this repo; fetch them pinned by commit and sha256-verified, as PhotoCraft does with `cargo xtask corpus`.
 
 ## Testing & performance (do this often)
 - Unit/property tests next to the code; end-to-end tests drive real binaries (`crates/mcp/tests/e2e.rs`,

CLAUDE.md

@@ -5,8 +5,13 @@ LightCraft is a clean-room, open-source, pure-Rust photo library + non-destructi
 ## Start every session here
 1. Read `plan/STATUS.md` (current milestone, next unchecked task, blockers).
 2. Read the task in `plan/execution-plan.md` §3, the relevant section of `plan/architecture.md`, and the README/docs of the crate you touch. Behaviour/visual reference: `plan/lightroom/` (incl. `10-observed-ui.md` + screenshots).
-3. **Pick work** from [`docs/parity.md`](docs/parity.md) → *Top gaps* (Lightroom parity tracker: one row per feature, menu item and shortcut). When you land a feature, update its row(s) and the gap list in the same commit; `cargo xtask parity` (part of `ci`) checks that every `cmd:`/`ctl:` id and path the tracker cites still exists, and `cargo xtask parity --write` refreshes its summary.
-4. Follow the autonomous operation protocol (`plan/execution-plan.md` §7). Don't stop to ask unless §7 lists the decision as the user's.
+3. **Know where we stand:** read [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) → *Where we stand* (honest assessment by dimension and
+   by kind of user) and *Where we're going* (ordered priorities). The checklist counts features that *exist*; the real
+   gaps are quality and coverage: camera colour calibration, CR3 / compressed raws, per-model verification, render
+   fidelity against Lightroom, AI models, HDR / video / Classic modules. A ✅ row is not proof of parity — if you find a
+   ✅ feature that is wrong or incomplete, downgrade it to 🟡 with a note.
+4. **Pick work** from [`docs/parity.md`](docs/parity.md) → *Top gaps* (ordered by user impact; the tracker has one row per feature, menu item and shortcut). When you land a feature, update its row(s) and the gap list in the same commit, and the *Where we stand* / *Where we're going* sections of `ROADMAP.md` when a listed gap closes; `cargo xtask parity` (part of `ci`) checks that every `cmd:`/`ctl:` id and path the tracker cites still exists, and `cargo xtask parity --write` refreshes its summary.
+5. Follow the autonomous operation protocol (`plan/execution-plan.md` §7). Don't stop to ask unless §7 lists the decision as the user's.
 
 `plan/` is gitignored (local-only).
 
@@ -17,6 +22,34 @@ branches can still break each other (e.g. a new struct field vs. a new construct
 `git log main..HEAD` + `git status` for unmerged commits or uncommitted work before starting anything new. Commit small
 and often so a crash loses minutes, not hours.
 
+## Never crash (outranks feature work)
+People trust LightCraft with their photo libraries and edits; a crash loses their work. A malformed raw/JPEG/XMP, a bad
+command, control or MCP argument, a corrupt catalog or settings file, or a full disk must produce an error the user (or
+agent) can act on, never a panic. Don't ship a feature by adding a panic path, and fix a crash before building on top
+of it. Full standard: `../craftrules/standards/never-crash.md`
+([storytold/craftrules](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/never-crash.md)).
+- **Non-test code never panics:** no `unwrap()`, `expect()`, `panic!`, `unreachable!`, `todo!`, `unimplemented!`, and
+  no `unsafe`. Return the crate's error type through `Result` and `?`; use `ok_or(..)?`, `let … else`, `if let`, or a
+  fallback (`unwrap_or…`) only where it can't silently corrupt a document. An unfinished feature returns an
+  "unsupported" error or is disabled. Sole exception: a provably infallible literal, as `#[allow(clippy::expect_used)]`
+  + `.expect("why it can't fail")`.
+- **`unsafe` lives only in `crates/sysmem`** (one FFI call, `malloc_zone_pressure_relief`, that returns freed
+  allocator pages to macOS after raw decodes). Every other production crate root has `#![forbid(unsafe_code)]`. A new
+  unsafe need goes in an isolated, well-tested helper crate like it: `// SAFETY:` on every block, a safe API, a safe
+  fallback where possible, and a line here naming it.
+- **Input-derived numbers are hostile:** `get()` instead of `[i]`/`[a..b]` for offsets from files, users, agents or
+  arithmetic on them; checked/saturating math for lengths, offsets and counts; no division by zero, NaN/inf or negative
+  casts to `usize`; cap allocations sized by input; slice strings only at char boundaries.
+- **Bound recursion** (depth limits or seen-sets: IFD chains, nested metadata, collections). **Don't cascade:**
+  `lock().unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner)` or an error; worker-thread joins are `Result`s.
+- **Last-resort guard:** a panic hook plus `catch_unwind` around command dispatch and import/export turns an escaped
+  panic into an error dialog and keeps the document. It's a safety net, not a licence; keep `panic = "unwind"` on native.
+- **Prove it:** every crash fix lands with a small synthetic regression test that panicked before the fix.
+- Enforced by clippy: root `clippy.toml` allows unwrap/expect/panic/indexing in tests only, and every production crate
+  root (`lib.rs`, each binary's `main.rs`) carries `#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic,
+  clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]`. Not `[workspace.lints]`: those would also hit
+  integration tests, examples and benches. New crates start with the attribute.
+
 ## Non-negotiables
 - **Clean-room.** Never read/disassemble anything inside Adobe app bundles (names/listings only). Never copy Adobe icons, presets, profiles (DCP), lens profiles (LCP), camera matrices, fonts. Observation of the installed Lightroom is read-only (it syncs the user's personal library: never import/edit/rate/delete there). Never copy GPL/LGPL/AGPL code (darktable, RawTherapee, ART, LibRaw, rawspeed, rawloader, rawler, lensfun, dcraw-derived GPL code…).
 - **Pure Rust** in the product. No C/C++ dependencies.
@@ -58,6 +91,7 @@ and often so a crash loses minutes, not hours.
 - Shell gotcha: `mv`/`cp` are aliased interactive here — use `/bin/mv -f` / `/bin/cp -f`.
 - Parallel agents: separate git worktrees and `CARGO_TARGET_DIR=target/agent-<name>`; each agent uses its **own control port** (pick one in 18000–19999, never the default 7980) and its own scratch subfolder (`<scratch>/<agent-name>/`) — never `rm -rf` shared paths; delete your target dir when done (disk is shared); keep every `Cargo.toml` valid at all times (the `crates/*` glob means one broken manifest breaks everyone).
 - Test corpora: `cargo xtask corpus --download` into `corpus/` (gitignored, CC0 only). Never commit media.
+- Shared real-file test corpora (Photoshop-authored PSDs, etc.) live in [`storytold/photocraft-corpus`](https://github.com/storytold/photocraft-corpus), explained in [craftrules `standards/test-corpora.md`](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/test-corpora.md). Never commit large binary fixtures to this repo; fetch them pinned by commit and sha256-verified, as PhotoCraft does with `cargo xtask corpus`.
 
 ## Testing & performance (do this often)
 - Unit/property tests next to the code; end-to-end tests drive real binaries (`crates/mcp/tests/e2e.rs`,

Cargo.lock

@@ -2073,13 +2073,14 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "eframe",
  "egui",
  "lightcraft-codecs",
  "lightcraft-engine",
  "lightcraft-raster",
+ "lightcraft-sysmem",
  "lightcraft-ui-egui",
  "log",
  "muda",
@@ -2090,7 +2091,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-catalog"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "crc32fast",
  "lightcraft-develop",
@@ -2099,11 +2100,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "thiserror 2.0.21",
+ "web-time",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-cli"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "dhat",
  "lightcraft-codecs",
@@ -2111,13 +2113,14 @@ dependencies = [
  "lightcraft-mcp",
  "lightcraft-merge",
  "lightcraft-raster",
+ "lightcraft-sysmem",
  "lightcraft-ui-egui",
  "serde_json",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-codecs"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "bytemuck",
  "image",
@@ -2142,7 +2145,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-color"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "lightcraft-geom",
  "proptest",
@@ -2151,7 +2154,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-develop"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "lightcraft-color",
  "lightcraft-geom",
@@ -2162,7 +2165,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-engine"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "ab_glyph",
  "libc",
@@ -2185,11 +2188,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "thiserror 2.0.21",
+ "web-time",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-geom"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "proptest",
  "serde",
@@ -2197,7 +2201,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-gpu"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "bytemuck",
  "lightcraft-color",
@@ -2213,7 +2217,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-mcp"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "lightcraft-codecs",
  "lightcraft-engine",
@@ -2224,7 +2228,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-merge"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "lightcraft-codecs",
  "lightcraft-color",
@@ -2240,7 +2244,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-meta"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "lightcraft-geom",
  "lightcraft-tiff",
@@ -2252,7 +2256,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-pipeline"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "image",
  "lightcraft-color",
@@ -2268,7 +2272,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-preview"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "jpeg-encoder",
  "lightcraft-raster",
@@ -2280,7 +2284,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-raster"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "lightcraft-color",
@@ -2292,7 +2296,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-raw"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "jpeg-encoder",
  "lightcraft-color",
@@ -2311,7 +2315,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-scenes"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "image",
  "lightcraft-color",
@@ -2320,9 +2324,13 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "lightcraft-sysmem"
+version = "0.2.0"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-tiff"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "proptest",
  "serde",
@@ -2331,7 +2339,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-ui-egui"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "egui",
  "lightcraft-catalog",
@@ -2351,7 +2359,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lightcraft-web"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "eframe",
  "egui",
@@ -5119,7 +5127,7 @@ checksum = "e450f9b2ed1dff33c94c12589a87338689467b9c4f5d8a5710bd09a847d2c8a7"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "xtask"
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
  "brotli",
  "flate2",

Cargo.toml

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ resolver = "3"
 members = ["crates/*", "apps/*", "xtask"]
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "0.1.1"
+version = "0.2.0"
 edition = "2024"
 license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
 rust-version = "1.90"
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ repository = "https://github.com/storytold/lightcraft"
 [workspace.dependencies]
 # internal
 lightcraft-geom = { path = "crates/geom" }
+lightcraft-sysmem = { path = "crates/sysmem" }
 lightcraft-color = { path = "crates/color" }
 lightcraft-raster = { path = "crates/raster" }
 lightcraft-tiff = { path = "crates/tiff" }

NOTICE

@@ -14,3 +14,7 @@ list (author, source, license) is in assets/ATTRIBUTION.md.
 
 Inter (assets/fonts/Inter-*.ttf) — SIL Open Font License 1.1. See assets/fonts/OFL-Inter.txt.
 Showcase photographs by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and NASA (docs/images/) — public domain. See assets/ATTRIBUTION.md.
+
+BIZ UDMincho: Copyright 2022 The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors
+(https://github.com/googlefonts/morisawa-biz-ud-mincho). SIL Open Font License 1.1;
+see assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt.

README.md

@@ -280,9 +280,18 @@ lightcraft --control 7980 ~/Pictures/trip
 
 ## Feature status
 
-LightCraft is young and moving fast; see the [roadmap](ROADMAP.md) for estimates. The detailed, row-by-row
-Lightroom parity tracker (every feature, menu item and shortcut with its status, evidence and the top gaps) is
-[docs/parity.md](docs/parity.md).
+LightCraft is young and moving fast. **Where we honestly stand** (details in the [roadmap](ROADMAP.md#where-we-stand)):
+
+- **By feature count we're at ~79%** of Lightroom (core features 98%), tracked row by row in
+  [docs/parity.md](docs/parity.md).
+- **As a day-to-day Lightroom replacement we're nearer 60–70%.** It's great for JPEG/DNG and most Nikon / Sony /
+  older-Canon raws on one machine.
+- **The biggest gaps:**
+  - **camera colour calibration:** raws other than DNG develop with a neutral colour matrix today, so colour is muted;
+  - **CR3 and compressed Fujifilm / Olympus raws:** these open as embedded previews only;
+  - **AI masks and denoise:** subject and sky selection are classical heuristics;
+  - **HDR, video and the Classic Print / Book / Map modules.**
+- **What's next:** see [where we're going](ROADMAP.md#where-were-going).
 
 | Area | Status |
 |---|---|
@@ -292,17 +301,20 @@ Lightroom parity tracker (every feature, menu item and shortcut with its status,
 | Masking: brush, linear, radial, luminance/colour range, add/subtract/intersect | ✅ (AI subject/sky use classical heuristics for now) |
 | Crop, straighten tool + auto straighten, flip, rotate, aspect ratios, overlays | ✅ |
 | Profiles (Color, Neutral, Vivid, Landscape, Portrait, Monochrome: our own looks), presets, versions, history, copy/paste/sync settings | ✅ |
+| Camera colour: DNG files use their own matrices | ✅ · our own calibration for other raws ⬜ (top priority; neutral fallback today) |
 | Native macOS menu bar (generated from the command registry), control channel + every widget addressable, headless UI snapshots | ✅ |
-| RAW: DNG, CR2, ARW, NEF (uncompressed), Fujifilm RAF (Bayer + X-Trans), Panasonic RW2, Pentax PEF, Olympus ORF; embedded previews for every format incl. CR3 | ✅ · compressed NEF/RAF/ORF, CR3 decode 🚧 |
+| RAW: DNG, CR2, ARW, NEF (uncompressed + lossless/lossy compressed), Fujifilm RAF (uncompressed, Bayer + X-Trans), Panasonic RW2, Pentax PEF, Olympus ORF (uncompressed); embedded previews for every format incl. CR3 | ✅ · CR3, compressed RAF/ORF decode ⬜ |
 | Detail: sharpening, luminance + colour noise reduction | ✅ · AI Denoise, Super Resolution ⬜ |
 | Remove / Heal / Clone spots (auto source), Visualize Spots, Red Eye and Pet Eye (auto pupil detection, catchlight) | ✅ · content-aware fill, spot pin editing 🚧 |
-| Export: JPEG / PNG / TIFF / WebP / AVIF, sizing, file-size limit, output sharpening, naming, batch, metadata policy, text watermark | ✅ · DNG export, image watermark ⬜ |
-| Library persistence (crash-safe op log + snapshots), disk thumbnail cache, import with duplicate detection | ✅ |
+| Export: JPEG / PNG / TIFF / WebP / AVIF / DNG / original, sizing, file-size limit, output sharpening, naming templates, batch, metadata policy, text or image watermark | ✅ · HDR export ⬜ |
+| Library persistence (crash-safe op log + snapshots, background compaction, failed saves reported), disk thumbnail cache | ✅ |
+| Import: Add in place / Copy / Move, rename and folder templates, devices, duplicate detection, watched folders; Local folder browsing | ✅ |
 | MCP server (headless or live app, persistent libraries), CLI, control channel | ✅ |
 | XMP sidecars (read/write, auto-write), reading `crs:` develop settings, preset files (`.lcpreset`, XMP presets) | ✅ |
 | Optics (distortion, vignetting, auto + manual CA, defringe, DNG-embedded lens corrections), Geometry (transforms, Constrain Crop), Upright (Auto/Level/Vertical/Full/Guided) | ✅ · camera lens profiles (our own) ⬜ |
 | Photo Merge: HDR (auto-align, deghost), Panorama (spherical/cylindrical/perspective, boundary warp, auto crop), HDR Panorama → DNG | ✅ |
-| GPU pipeline (wgpu compute, CPU-exact within 1/255) with CPU fallback | ✅ · WebGPU in the browser 🚧 |
+| GPU pipeline (wgpu compute, CPU-exact within 1/255), CPU fallback on device limits / errors | ✅ · WebGPU in the browser 🚧 |
+| AI: segmentation masks, AI denoise, super resolution, faces; HDR editing; video | ⬜ (see [roadmap](ROADMAP.md#where-were-going)) |
 | Web build (same UI in the browser via WASM): persistent library in OPFS/IndexedDB, Web Worker rendering, export downloads | ✅ · WebGPU, Safari/Firefox testing 🚧 |
 
 <sub>✅ works today · 🚧 in progress · ⬜ not started</sub>
@@ -347,6 +359,9 @@ Humans and agents follow the same rules, so read [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) first. T
   an entry in [assets/ATTRIBUTION.md](assets/ATTRIBUTION.md) added in the same commit.
 - **Pure Rust**, enforced crate layering, everything is a command, and `cargo xtask ci` green before every commit
   (one task id per commit).
+- **Never crash.** Non-test code returns errors instead of panicking: no `unwrap()`, `expect()`, `panic!` or
+  `unsafe`, checked indexing on anything derived from input, and a regression test with every crash fix. Details in
+  [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md#never-crash-outranks-feature-work).
 
 Questions, ideas or a bug you'd like to talk through first? Bring them to [Discord](https://discord.gg/artcraft).
 

ROADMAP.md

@@ -4,6 +4,68 @@ Milestones toward full Adobe Lightroom parity (cloud Lightroom first, then every
 estimates for continuous (24/7) agent-driven development with 4–6 parallel agents. Estimates are calibrated on the sibling
 projects (DrawCraft reached its first four milestones in ≈ 4½ h) and are revised as milestones land.
 
+## Where we stand
+
+*Honest assessment, 2026-10-05. Agents: read this before picking work. The checklist in
+[`docs/parity.md`](docs/parity.md) counts features that **exist**; this section is about whether a photographer can
+**switch** from Lightroom. Update it when a gap below closes.*
+
+**In one line:** the checklist says **79%** (P0 98.5%, P1 95.9%, P2 39%), but measured by whether a working
+photographer could replace Lightroom without noticing, we are at roughly **60–70%**. The remaining gap is mostly
+**quality of results and camera coverage**, not missing buttons.
+
+Caveat on the checklist: ✅ is set by whoever lands a feature, and nobody has systematically checked rows against
+Lightroom's behaviour or output. Bugs keep turning up in ✅ areas (CR2 colour-filter phase on some Canon models #85,
+duplicate Local entries #22, black GPU exports on an Intel iGPU #78).
+
+### By dimension
+
+| Dimension | Estimate | What's true today | Biggest gaps |
+|---|---:|---|---|
+| **Feature checklist** | 79% | P0 core and P1 nearly complete: import (Add / Copy / Move, templates, devices), library, grid/loupe/compare/survey, every Edit slider, curves, colour grading, masking tools, crop/Upright, heal/clone, presets/profiles, versions/history, sync, export, menus, shortcuts | P1: lens-profile database, content-aware fill (patch synthesis), video playback/trim |
+| **RAW coverage** (formats people shoot) | ~50% | DNG (all kinds), CR2, ARW, NEF (uncompressed + Huffman lossless/lossy), uncompressed RAF/ORF, packed RW2, PEF; every container's embedded preview (incl. CR3) | **CR3** (every Canon since ~2018), compressed RAF/ORF, RW2 v4, Nikon lossy-after-split, Canon sRAW, HEIC/AVIF. Per-model verification is thin (~40 corpus files vs >1,000 models) |
+| **Colour & image quality** | ~55–65% | Pipeline is complete and fast; GPU path CPU-exact within 1/255 | **No camera colour calibration**: non-DNG raws use a neutral matrix, so colour is muted/inaccurate. No lens-profile database. No measured fidelity against Lightroom (tone, highlights, texture/clarity, NR, sharpening are tuned by eye) |
+| **AI & computational** | ~15–20% | Assisted culling (focus, bursts), auto tone, HDR/panorama merge; subject/sky/background masks as classical heuristics | Real segmentation masks (subject, sky, people, objects, landscape, depth), AI denoise, super resolution, lens blur, generative remove, faces/people, natural-language search. **Blocked on a model strategy** (licensable weights or our own training; pure-Rust inference is feasible) |
+| **Workflow & library** | ~85% (single machine) | Robust catalog (journal + snapshots, background compaction, crash-tested), 85k-photo libraries stay responsive, Local browsing with automatic cleanup, XMP interop, keywords, smart albums, Move import | Opening an 85k library takes 1.7–4.7 s; no cloud sync (out of scope), no tablet companion (#74, roadmap), shared albums, publish services, tethering |
+| **Classic modules** | ~30% | Geotagging from GPX track logs, soft proofing (partial), slideshow (basic) | **Map view, Book, Print, Slideshow module, Web, publish services**: ~40 tracker rows ⬜ |
+| **HDR & video** | 0% | | HDR edit/display/export; video play/trim/edit/export |
+| **Platform & robustness** | ~70% | macOS native; Windows/Linux builds; web via WASM; no-panic lints workspace-wide, `unsafe` confined to `crates/sysmem`; failed saves are reported; GPU errors fall back to CPU | Windows installer UI unverified on Windows (PR #79); GPU path proven only on Apple + user reports; no localisation; accessibility partial; headless UI tests time out under machine load |
+
+### By kind of user
+
+| User | Readiness | What blocks them |
+|---|---:|---|
+| JPEG / DNG shooter, single machine | ~85% | Fidelity polish, AI masks |
+| Nikon / Sony / older-Canon raw shooter | ~65% | Camera colour (muted colour on every photo) |
+| Canon CR3 / Fujifilm / Olympus shooter | ~35% | Their raws open as embedded previews only |
+| Lightroom Classic power user | ~45% | Print, Book, Map, publish, tethering |
+| Relies on AI (masks, denoise) | ~25% | No segmentation or AI denoise models |
+
+## Where we're going
+
+Priorities, in order. Each points at tracker rows in [`docs/parity.md`](docs/parity.md) → *Top gaps*.
+
+1. **Camera colour calibration of our own** (LR-PROF-CAMERACOLOR, P0): fit each camera to its own embedded JPEG, use
+   matrices the files carry themselves, then chart shots. Raises colour quality for every non-DNG raw at once.
+2. **Raw formats, clean-room** (LR-IMP-FORMATS, P0): **CR3** first, then compressed RAF / ORF, RW2 v4, NEF
+   lossy-after-split, sRAW. Decided 2026-10-05: write our own decoders from prose descriptions (never decoder source,
+   no LGPL dependency); compressed NEF (#86) is the template.
+3. **Verified camera coverage** (LR-IMP-CAMERA-COVERAGE, P0): a CC0 sample per model in the corpus, each decoded and
+   checked for plausible colour; fix per-model bugs (#85).
+4. **Render fidelity suite** (LR-BEHAV-RENDER-FIDELITY, P1): measure our output against Lightroom on the same CC0 raws
+   (references stay in the local `plan/`), then tune against the numbers.
+5. **Lens profiles of our own** (LR-EDIT-OPTICS-PROFILE, P1).
+6. **AI model strategy** (maintainer decision): which permissively licensed models (or our own training) for
+   segmentation masks and denoise; then pure-Rust inference. Unblocks M12 and Enhance.
+7. **Then:** HDR (Q), the Classic output modules (Print first, then Map view, Book, Slideshow), video (R), localisation
+   and accessibility.
+
+Already closed in the week of 2026-10-03: compressed NEF (#10), Move import (#29), per-library smart-preview folder,
+Local roots / cleanup, grid and catalog performance at 85k photos (#35, #37), failed-save reporting, GPU export
+hardening (#78), copyright metadata (#51), GPX geotagging (#60), import tag help and folder templates (#31, #32).
+
+## Milestones
+
 **Status legend:** ✅ done · 🚧 in progress · ⬜ not started
 
 | # | Milestone | Scope (summary) | Estimate (h) | Status |
@@ -11,7 +73,7 @@ projects (DrawCraft reached its first four milestones in ≈ 4½ h) and are revi
 | M0 | Skeleton + visual shell | workspace, xtask CI + layering, geom/color/raster, develop model, pipeline v0, catalog v0, engine commands, Lightroom-look UI (grid, loupe, filmstrip, Edit panel), control channel, MCP, web build | 3–5 | ✅ |
 | M1 | Library core | import (JPEG/PNG/TIFF/WebP), EXIF/XMP, persistent catalog (op log + snapshots), albums, ratings/flags/labels, filter/search/sort, thumbnail cache, 100k-photo grid | 6–10 | ✅ (100k-photo grid scale test pending) |
 | M2 | Pipeline v1 (quality) | WB temp/tint, profiles, local tone mapping (highlights/shadows), curves, HSL, point colour, colour grading, texture/clarity/dehaze, vignette, grain, B&W, auto tone/WB, histogram, before/after | 10–15 | ✅ (look tuning vs our references ongoing) |
-| M3 | RAW I | TIFF/DNG (LJ92, deflate, tiles, opcodes), demosaic (AHD/PPG/bilinear), highlight recovery, DNG colour model, CR2, NEF, ARW, embedded previews | 10–15 | 🚧 (DNG, CR2, ARW, NEF uncompressed, embedded previews ✅; NEF Huffman ⬜) |
+| M3 | RAW I | TIFF/DNG (LJ92, deflate, tiles, opcodes), demosaic (AHD/PPG/bilinear), highlight recovery, DNG colour model, CR2, NEF, ARW, embedded previews | 10–15 | 🚧 (DNG, CR2, ARW, NEF uncompressed + Huffman lossless/lossy, embedded previews ✅; NEF lossy-after-split ⬜) |
 | M4 | Crop, geometry, optics | crop tool + overlays, straighten, Upright (auto/level/vertical/full/guided), manual transforms, CA, defringe, manual lens corrections | 6–10 | ✅ |
 | M5 | Performance | source pyramids, wgpu compute pipeline (CPU oracle), draft/full renders, prefetch, budgets (16 ms slider updates on 24 MP) | 10–15 | 🚧 (stage cache, source pyramid, wgpu pipeline, prefetch, memory budget ✅; colour NR at half resolution, GPU histogram ⬜) |
 | M6 | Masking | brush, linear/radial gradients, colour/luminance/depth range, add/subtract/intersect/invert, all local adjustments, masks panel | 8–12 | 🚧 (brush/linear/radial/colour/luminance range, add/subtract/intersect, masks panel ✅; depth range, AI masks ⬜) |
@@ -19,24 +81,27 @@ projects (DrawCraft reached its first four milestones in ≈ 4½ h) and are revi
 | M8 | Heal / Remove | content-aware remove (PatchMatch), heal, clone, brush spots, visualize spots, red/pet eye | 6–10 | 🚧 (heal, clone, auto source, visualize spots, red/pet eye ✅; PatchMatch remove ⬜) |
 | M9 | Presets, profiles, versions, sync | preset browser + amount, create/import presets, profile browser, versions, history, copy/paste/sync settings | 5–8 | ✅ |
 | M10 | Export & share | export dialog (JPEG/PNG/TIFF/DNG/AVIF/JXL/original), sizing, sharpening, metadata, watermark, naming, batch jobs, XMP sidecars, HDR export | 6–10 | 🚧 (all formats incl. DNG/original, sizing, presets, background jobs ✅; JXL encode, HDR export ⬜) |
-| M11 | RAW II | CR3, RAF (X-Trans), ORF, RW2, PEF, SRW, 3FR, IIQ + long tail; camera calibration DB; HEIC/AVIF/JXL import | 20–35 | 🚧 (RAF uncompressed, RW2 packed, PEF, ORF uncompressed ✅; CR3, compressed NEF/ORF/RAF ⬜) |
+| M11 | RAW II | CR3, RAF (X-Trans), ORF, RW2, PEF, SRW, 3FR, IIQ + long tail; camera calibration DB; HEIC/AVIF/JXL import | 20–35 | 🚧 (RAF uncompressed, RW2 packed, PEF, ORF uncompressed ✅; **camera colour calibration** ⬜ (top priority), CR3, compressed ORF/RAF ⬜) |
 | M12 | AI & smart features | subject/sky/background/people/object masks, semantic search, faces/People (permissively licensed models, pure-Rust inference) | 20–40 | ⬜ |
 | M13 | Merge | HDR merge (deghost), panorama (projections, boundary warp, fill edges), HDR panorama | 10–15 | ✅ |
 | M14 | Video | import/playback/trim via FilmCraft crates, global edits + presets on video, video export | 6–10 | ⬜ |
 | M15 | Classic modules | Map, Book, Slideshow, Print, Web; smart collections, stacks, virtual copies, publish services, tethering | 25–40 | 🚧 (smart albums, stacks, virtual copies, compare/survey ✅; Map/Book/Slideshow/Print/Web ⬜) |
 | M16 | 1.0 polish | preferences, shortcut editor, accessibility, localization, packaging (dmg/msi/AppImage/web), hardening | 10–20 | 🚧 (settings, keyboard shortcuts sheet, packaging basics ✅; accessibility, localisation ⬜) |
 
-## Parity estimate (2026-10-02, evening update)
+## Parity estimate (feature count updated 2026-10-05; effort estimate from 2026-10-02)
 
 **By feature count** — from `docs/parity.md` (one row per Lightroom feature, menu item and shortcut; `cargo xtask
 parity` prints this line on every run, so it stays current):
 
-| Scope | Weighted completion | Rows | Morning |
+| Scope | Weighted completion | Rows | 2026-10-02 |
 |---|---:|---:|---:|
-| P0 (core) | **98.7%** | 198 | 98.5% |
-| P1 (important parity) | **94.4%** | 144 | 79.9% |
-| P2 (later / AI / niche, incl. Classic modules) | **29.4%** | 158 | 11.7% |
-| **All in-scope rows** | **75.6%** | 500 | 65.7% |
+| P0 (core) | **98.5%** | 200 | 98.7% |
+| P1 (important parity) | **95.9%** | 147 | 94.4% |
+| P2 (later / AI / niche, incl. Classic modules) | **39.2%** | 158 | 29.4% |
+| **All in-scope rows** | **79.2%** | 505 | 75.6% |
+
+The 2026-10-05 count includes three new 🟡 rows that make quality gaps visible (camera colour calibration, verified
+camera coverage, render fidelity), which is why P0 dipped slightly.
 
 ✅ counts 1, 🟡 ½, ⬜ 0; out-of-scope rows (cloud sharing, Adobe accounts…) are left out.
 
@@ -50,7 +115,7 @@ trip, slideshow, auto import…) in ≈ 12 h on 2026-10-02; four to six parallel
 | Work package | Tracker rows | Agent-hours | Risk |
 |---|---|---:|---|
 | Remaining P0/P1 UI and library features (folder rename/move, keyword painter, people view…) | ≈ 8 | 5–10 | low |
-| Raw codecs: CR3 (CRX), compressed NEF / ORF / RAF, RW2 v4, HEIC/AVIF decode, JPEG XL DNG | LR-IMP-FORMATS | 40–80 | **high** — clean-room black-box analysis, no permissive specs |
+| Raw codecs: CR3 (CRX), compressed ORF / RAF, NEF lossy-after-split, RW2 v4, HEIC/AVIF decode, JPEG XL DNG | LR-IMP-FORMATS | 40–80 | **high** — clean-room black-box analysis, no permissive specs |
 | Lens-profile database of our own (calibration targets, fitting, data) | LR-EDIT-OPTICS-PROFILE | 15–30 | data collection |
 | Video: playback, trim, edits, export (pure-Rust decode, ideally shared with FilmCraft) | R. Video | 20–40 | medium |
 | AI: subject / sky / background / people / object masks, object-aware remove, AI denoise, super resolution, lens blur, people & faces, natural-language search, culling | ≈ 30 | 80–150 | **high** — permissively licensed weights, pure-Rust inference, maybe training |
@@ -86,24 +151,25 @@ The milestone estimates in the table above were made before work started and are
   fallbacks first. No permissively licensed sky-segmentation or raw-denoise model was found — we may need to train our own.
 - **Camera colour and lens data** is a data problem: we never use Adobe's matrices, DCPs or LCPs. DNG-embedded data first,
   then our own calibration; long-tail camera/lens coverage grows over time.
-- **Legal decisions pending:** whether GPL-licensed *prose* format descriptions (e.g. the public CR3 write-up) may be read
-  by a designated engineer to produce an internal spec; freedom-to-operate review for local Laplacian filters, PatchMatch and
-  HEVC (HEIC).
-- **Look parity** with Adobe's default rendering is subjective tuning against our own reference targets.
+- **Raw-format sources:** decided 2026-10-05: decoders are written from *prose* format descriptions (even ones
+  published alongside GPL code); decoder source is never read. Still open: freedom-to-operate review for local
+  Laplacian filters, PatchMatch and HEVC (HEIC).
+- **Look parity** with Adobe's default rendering is tuned by eye today; the planned fidelity suite (LR-BEHAV-RENDER-FIDELITY)
+  turns it into measured comparisons against local-only Lightroom references.
 
 ## Raw format coverage and known gaps
 
 Decoded (CC0 corpus from raw.pixls.us, `cargo xtask corpus --download`, `crates/raw/tests/corpus.rs`): DNG (uncompressed,
-LJ92, lossy JPEG / Smart Previews, Deflate, float, linear), CR2, ARW (uncompressed, ARW2, LJ92), NEF/NRW uncompressed, RAF uncompressed (Bayer and
+LJ92, lossy JPEG / Smart Previews, Deflate, float, linear), CR2, ARW (uncompressed, ARW2, LJ92), NEF/NRW uncompressed and Huffman-compressed (lossless, lossy type 1/2, 12/14-bit), RAF uncompressed (Bayer and
 X-Trans), RW2 packed 12/14-bit, PEF (uncompressed and Huffman), ORF uncompressed (16-bit and 12-bit packed). Every
 supported container also yields its embedded JPEG preview (CR3 too), and the engine shows that preview for raw variants
 it can't decode yet.
 
 Not decoded yet — preview only (no permissively licensed description; black-box analysis incomplete):
-- **Nikon Huffman NEF** (lossless / lossy). Black-box findings so far: maker note `0x0096` holds per-parity predictor
-  seeds (2048 for 14-bit lossless); ≈ 9 bits per pixel; the category-0 code word is a 6-bit rotation of `011111`. The
-  Huffman tables are not stored in the files, and an automatic table search (beam search over prefix codes scored by
-  smoothness and bit rate, validated on Pentax files whose tables *are* stored) did not converge.
+- **Nikon "lossy after split" NEF** (non-zero split row in maker note `0x0096`, e.g. some D3400/D5000/D5200/D5500/D5600
+  files): rows above the split decode with the regular lossy table; from the split row on a different code is used
+  that our black-box analysis has not recovered yet (none of the four regular tables fits, also not with byte
+  alignment or reset predictors at the split row). The other Nikon Huffman variants are decoded (`crates/raw/src/vendor/nefc.rs` documents the analysis).
 - **Panasonic RW2 raw format 4** (quantised): the block layout is known (0x4000-byte chunks rotated by 0x1ff8; 128-bit
   blocks of two 12-bit seeds plus four groups of a 2-bit scale and three 8-bit codes; scales 0/1 are ×1/×2 differences
   from the same-colour pixel two to the left), the reconstruction rule for scales 2/3 is not established.
@@ -119,3 +185,17 @@ own chart-based calibration (M11.4). Adobe matrices are never used.
 - 2026-09-30 (later): app running with the full Lightroom-style UI; pipeline v0; DNG/CR2/ARW; README showcase. ≈ 8 h elapsed.
 - 2026-10-02: parity estimate added (xtask parity prints weighted completion); milestone statuses refreshed.
 - 2026-10-01: RAW II formats: RAF (uncompressed Bayer + X-Trans), RW2 (packed), PEF (incl. Huffman), ORF (uncompressed); embedded previews for every container incl. CR3; raw corpus test with 37 CC0 samples.
+- 2026-10-03 – 10-05: community PRs (#42–#51, #60) and 25+ issues landed: compressed NEF, Move import, folder templates,
+  Local roots and cleanup, 85k-photo grid and catalog performance, background compaction, failed-save errors, GPU
+  export hardening, clippy 1.99. Added the honest *Where we stand* assessment and *Where we're going* priorities; added
+  tracker rows for camera colour, camera coverage and render fidelity.
+
+## Japanese interface and text watermarks
+
+English/Japanese interface language is persisted in UI state. Core menus have Japanese
+translations; untranslated panels and dialogs retain English. BIZ UDMincho is bundled
+under OFL for Japanese glyph coverage without system fonts. Text watermarks now accept
+`vertical: true` in export JSON/presets and expose an orientation selector. Japanese
+characters stay upright in top-to-bottom columns, with newlines starting columns to the
+left. This is basic lettering, without tate-chu-yoko, ruby, kinsoku, or general vertical
+OpenType shaping. The same coverage renderer serves 8/16/32-bit exports.

apps/lightcraft-cli/Cargo.toml

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
 lightcraft-engine = { workspace = true }
+lightcraft-sysmem = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-mcp = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-ui-egui = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-codecs = { workspace = true }

apps/lightcraft-cli/src/alloc_release.rs

@@ -1,32 +1,12 @@
 //! Give memory the system allocator keeps after frees back to the system
-//! ([`lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook`]).
-//!
-//! macOS's allocator keeps freed large blocks mapped as "reusable": they no longer count in the
-//! process's memory footprint but stay in its resident size until the system runs short. After a
-//! raw decode (hundreds of MB of temporaries) that made the resident size climb towards the sum of
-//! everything ever decoded. `malloc_zone_pressure_relief` (libSystem) returns those pages now.
-//! Elsewhere (glibc, Windows) blocks this large are unmapped when freed: nothing to do.
+//! ([`lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook`]). The platform call lives in
+//! `lightcraft-sysmem`, the workspace's only crate allowed `unsafe`.
 
-/// Install the hook for this platform.
+/// Install the hook.
 pub fn install() {
-    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-    lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook(macos::release);
+    lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook(release);
 }
 
-#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-#[allow(unsafe_code)]
-mod macos {
-    unsafe extern "C" {
-        /// libSystem malloc: release free memory of `zone` (all zones when null) back to the
-        /// system, up to `goal` bytes (0 = as much as possible). Returns the bytes released.
-        fn malloc_zone_pressure_relief(zone: *mut std::ffi::c_void, goal: usize) -> usize;
-    }
-
-    pub fn release() {
-        // SAFETY: a documented libSystem function taking a null zone (= every zone) and a size;
-        // it only returns free pages to the system and touches no memory we own.
-        unsafe {
-            malloc_zone_pressure_relief(std::ptr::null_mut(), 0);
-        }
-    }
+fn release() {
+    let _ = lightcraft_sysmem::release_free_memory();
 }

apps/lightcraft-cli/src/main.rs

@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 //! lightcraft-cli commands [--json]
 //! lightcraft-cli controls [--json]
 //! ```
+#![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 mod alloc_release;
 
@@ -89,6 +91,17 @@ USAGE:
 #[global_allocator]
 static ALLOC: dhat::Alloc = dhat::Alloc;
 
+/// Why `--library DIR` can't be opened; for a library open in another program, how to work with
+/// that one instead (issue #99).
+fn library_error(dir: &str, e: lightcraft_engine::EngineError) -> String {
+    match e {
+        lightcraft_engine::EngineError::LibraryInUse(why) => format!(
+            "{dir}: {why}\nTo work with the library while the app has it open, start the app with `--control PORT` and use `lightcraft-cli mcp --connect 127.0.0.1:PORT`."
+        ),
+        e => format!("{dir}: {e}"),
+    }
+}
+
 fn main() -> ExitCode {
     // `--features dhat-heap`: count allocations; the profile is written when `_heap` drops
     // (LIGHTCRAFT_DHAT_FILE, default dhat-heap.json).
@@ -180,7 +193,7 @@ fn mcp(args: &[String]) -> Result<(), String> {
             let mut h = match &library {
                 Some(dir) => {
                     let mut h = Headless::default();
-                    let r = h.session.open_library(dir, demo).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+                    let r = h.session.open_library(dir, demo).map_err(|e| library_error(dir, e))?;
                     eprintln!("lightcraft-cli mcp: opened library {dir} ({r:?})");
                     h
                 }
@@ -283,14 +296,18 @@ fn synth_merge(args: &[String]) -> Result<(), String> {
     let mut written = Vec::new();
     match kind {
         "hdr" => {
-            for (k, b) in lightcraft_merge::synth::bracket_dngs(1800, 1200, &[-2.0, 0.0, 2.0]).into_iter().enumerate() {
+            for (k, b) in lightcraft_merge::synth::bracket_dngs(1800, 1200, &[-2.0, 0.0, 2.0]).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?.into_iter().enumerate() {
                 let p = Path::new(&dir).join(format!("bracket-{k}.dng"));
                 std::fs::write(&p, b).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
                 written.push(p);
             }
         }
         "panorama" | "pano" => {
-            for (k, v) in lightcraft_merge::synth::pano_views(1200, 900, 1000.0, &[-50.0, -25.0, 0.0, 25.0, 50.0]).into_iter().enumerate() {
+            for (k, v) in lightcraft_merge::synth::pano_views(1200, 900, 1000.0, &[-50.0, -25.0, 0.0, 25.0, 50.0])
+                .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?
+                .into_iter()
+                .enumerate()
+            {
                 let p = Path::new(&dir).join(format!("view-{k}.png"));
                 let img = v.to_srgb8();
                 let png = lightcraft_codecs::encode_png(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(&img), &lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta::default())
@@ -413,7 +430,7 @@ fn run(args: &[String]) -> Result<(), String> {
             let mut h = match &library {
                 Some(dir) => {
                     let mut h = Headless::default();
-                    h.session.open_library(dir, demo).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+                    h.session.open_library(dir, demo).map_err(|e| library_error(dir, e))?;
                     h
                 }
                 None if demo => Headless::demo(),
@@ -527,11 +544,17 @@ fn render(args: &[String]) -> Result<(), String> {
             .ok_or_else(|| format!("{output}: unknown extension (use .jpg .png .tif .webp .avif .dng or --opt format=…)"))?;
     }
     let e = export_photo(&mut s, lightcraft_engine::catalog::PhotoId(id), &o, 1)?;
-    std::fs::write(&output, &e.bytes).map_err(|err| format!("{output}: {err}"))?;
-    for (ext, bytes) in &e.sidecars {
-        let sc = Path::new(&output).with_extension(ext);
-        std::fs::write(&sc, bytes).map_err(|err| format!("{}: {err}", sc.display()))?;
-        eprintln!("lightcraft-cli: wrote {}", sc.display());
+    // never over the input (or its sidecar), however it is spelled: `render IMG.jpg -o IMG.jpg`
+    let sidecars: Vec<(String, &Vec<u8>)> =
+        e.sidecars.iter().map(|(ext, bytes)| (Path::new(&output).with_extension(ext).to_string_lossy().to_string(), bytes)).collect();
+    let guard = s.original_guard();
+    for p in std::iter::once(&output).chain(sidecars.iter().map(|(p, _)| p)) {
+        guard.check(Path::new(p)).map_err(|err| format!("render: {err}"))?;
+    }
+    lightcraft_engine::export::write_file(&output, &e.bytes)?;
+    for (sc, bytes) in &sidecars {
+        lightcraft_engine::export::write_file(sc, bytes)?;
+        eprintln!("lightcraft-cli: wrote {sc}");
     }
     eprintln!("lightcraft-cli: wrote {output} ({}×{})", e.width, e.height);
     Ok(())
@@ -574,7 +597,7 @@ fn snapshot(args: &[String]) -> Result<(), String> {
     let mut session = match &library {
         Some(dir) => {
             let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
-            s.open_library(dir, false).map_err(|e| format!("{dir}: {e}"))?;
+            s.open_library(dir, false).map_err(|e| library_error(dir, e))?;
             s
         }
         None if files.is_empty() => Session::with_demo().with_fs(),
@@ -587,18 +610,8 @@ fn snapshot(args: &[String]) -> Result<(), String> {
         eprintln!("lightcraft-cli snapshot: imported {n} files in {:.0} ms", ti.elapsed().as_secs_f64() * 1e3);
     }
     let services = lightcraft_ui_egui::Services {
-        write_shared: Some(std::sync::Arc::new(|p: &str, b: &[u8]| {
-            if let Some(dir) = Path::new(p).parent().filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()) {
-                std::fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-            }
-            std::fs::write(p, b).map_err(|e| format!("{p}: {e}"))
-        })),
-        write: Some(Box::new(|p: &str, b: &[u8]| {
-            if let Some(dir) = Path::new(p).parent().filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()) {
-                std::fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-            }
-            std::fs::write(p, b).map_err(|e| format!("{p}: {e}"))
-        })),
+        write_shared: Some(std::sync::Arc::new(lightcraft_engine::export::write_file)),
+        write: Some(Box::new(lightcraft_engine::export::write_file)),
         png: Some(Box::new(|img: &lightcraft_raster::Rgba8| {
             lightcraft_codecs::encode_png(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(img), &lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta::default()).unwrap_or_default()
         })),

apps/lightcraft-cli/tests/cli.rs

@@ -86,6 +86,24 @@ fn render_subcommand() {
     assert!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&o.stderr).contains("unknown control"));
 }
 
+/// Issue #93: `render IMG -o IMG` replaced its own input with the render.
+#[test]
+fn render_refuses_to_overwrite_its_input() {
+    let input = tmp("self-in.png");
+    gradient_png(&input);
+    let before = std::fs::read(&input).unwrap();
+    let dir = input.parent().unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.join("sub")).unwrap();
+    let other_spelling = dir.join("sub/../self-in.png");
+    for out in [&input, &other_spelling] {
+        let o =
+            Command::new(BIN).args(["render", input.to_str().unwrap(), "-o", out.to_str().unwrap(), "--set", "light.exposure=1"]).output().unwrap();
+        assert!(!o.status.success());
+        assert!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&o.stderr).contains("never writes over an original"), "{}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&o.stderr));
+    }
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&input).unwrap(), before, "the input is untouched");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn render_export_options() {
     let input = tmp("o-in.png");
@@ -242,3 +260,31 @@ fn devices_are_listed_and_imported_from() {
     let line: Value = serde_json::from_slice(o.stdout.split(|b| *b == b'\n').next().unwrap()).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(line["result"]["candidates"].as_array().map(Vec::len), Some(1), "{line}");
 }
+
+/// Issue #99: a library open in one process (here `mcp --library`) is refused by a second one,
+/// with who has it and how to drive the running app instead; free again once the first exits.
+#[test]
+fn a_library_open_in_another_process_is_refused() {
+    let lib = tmp("locked-lib");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+    let lib_s = lib.to_str().unwrap();
+    let mut holder =
+        Command::new(BIN).args(["mcp", "--library", lib_s]).stdin(Stdio::piped()).stdout(Stdio::null()).stderr(Stdio::piped()).spawn().unwrap();
+    let mut err = BufReader::new(holder.stderr.take().unwrap());
+    let mut line = String::new();
+    while !line.contains("opened library") {
+        line.clear();
+        assert!(err.read_line(&mut line).unwrap() > 0, "mcp exited before opening the library");
+    }
+    let (ok, _, stderr) = run_cli(&["--library", lib_s, "library.info"], None);
+    assert!(!ok);
+    assert!(stderr.contains("already open in lightcraft-cli") && stderr.contains(&format!("process {}", holder.id())), "{stderr}");
+    assert!(stderr.contains("mcp --connect"), "{stderr}");
+
+    drop(holder.stdin.take()); // EOF: the server exits and lets go of the library
+    assert!(holder.wait().unwrap().success());
+    let (ok, lines, stderr) = run_cli(&["--library", lib_s, "library.info"], None);
+    assert!(ok, "{stderr}");
+    assert_eq!(lines[0]["ok"], true);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}

apps/lightcraft-web/src/lib.rs

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 //! console (see [`bench`]); `?store=idb` forces the IndexedDB backend, `?store=memory` disables
 //! persistence and `?workers=0` renders on the main thread.
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 pub mod bench;
 pub mod files;

apps/lightcraft-web/src/web.rs

@@ -29,17 +29,18 @@ const LIBRARY_DIR: &str = "library";
 /// How often view state, UI prefs and the thumbnail index are saved (ms).
 const SAVE_EVERY_MS: f64 = 1000.0;
 
-fn window() -> web_sys::Window {
-    web_sys::window().expect("no window")
+/// The page's window (`None` only outside a browser page, e.g. in a worker).
+fn window() -> Option<web_sys::Window> {
+    web_sys::window()
 }
 
 /// Milliseconds since navigation start.
 fn perf_now() -> f64 {
-    window().performance().map(|p| p.now()).unwrap_or(0.0)
+    window().and_then(|w| w.performance()).map(|p| p.now()).unwrap_or(0.0)
 }
 
 fn set_status(text: &str) {
-    if let Some(el) = window().document().and_then(|d| d.get_element_by_id("lightcraft_status")) {
+    if let Some(el) = window().and_then(|w| w.document()).and_then(|d| d.get_element_by_id("lightcraft_status")) {
         el.set_text_content(Some(text));
     }
 }
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ struct Options {
 
 impl Options {
     fn from_url() -> Options {
-        let q = window().location().search().unwrap_or_default();
+        let q = window().and_then(|w| w.location().search().ok()).unwrap_or_default();
         let params: Vec<(String, String)> = q
             .trim_start_matches('?')
             .split('&')
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ async fn read_file(originals: Originals, backend: Option<Backend>, file: web_sys
 
 /// Show the browser's open dialog; picked files are imported asynchronously.
 fn open_picker(originals: Originals, backend: Option<Backend>, ctx: egui::Context) {
-    let Some(doc) = window().document() else { return };
+    let Some(doc) = window().and_then(|w| w.document()) else { return };
     let Ok(input) = doc.create_element("input").map(|e| e.unchecked_into::<web_sys::HtmlInputElement>()) else { return };
     input.set_type("file");
     input.set_multiple(true);
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@ fn download(path: &str, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), String> {
     opts.set_type(crate::store::mime_for(name));
     let blob = web_sys::Blob::new_with_u8_array_sequence_and_options(&arr, &opts).map_err(e)?;
     let url = web_sys::Url::create_object_url_with_blob(&blob).map_err(e)?;
-    let doc = window().document().ok_or("no document")?;
+    let doc = window().and_then(|w| w.document()).ok_or("no document")?;
     let a: web_sys::HtmlAnchorElement = doc.create_element("a").map_err(e)?.unchecked_into();
     a.set_href(&url);
     a.set_download(name);
@@ -140,7 +141,9 @@ fn download(path: &str, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), String> {
     let revoke = Closure::once_into_js(move || {
         let _ = web_sys::Url::revoke_object_url(&url);
     });
-    let _ = window().set_timeout_with_callback_and_timeout_and_arguments_0(revoke.unchecked_ref(), 5000);
+    if let Some(w) = window() {
+        let _ = w.set_timeout_with_callback_and_timeout_and_arguments_0(revoke.unchecked_ref(), 5000);
+    }
     log::info!("exported {name} ({} bytes)", bytes.len());
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -153,6 +156,7 @@ fn services(originals: Originals, backend: Option<Backend>, ctx: egui::Context)
         })),
         // Preset files: browser pickers are asynchronous; not wired on the web yet.
         pick_preset_files: None,
+        pick_tracklog: None,
         save_preset_file: None,
         pick_curve_preset_files: None,
         save_curve_preset_file: None,
@@ -291,6 +295,7 @@ impl WebApp {
             files: Box::new(files.store()),
             on_disk: false,
         };
+        let mut problem = None;
         match session.open_library_in(stores, true).cloned() {
             Ok(r) => log::info!(
                 "lightcraft: library {} in {:.0} ms ({} photos; snapshot seq {}, {} ops replayed)",
@@ -301,9 +306,17 @@ impl WebApp {
                 r.replayed
             ),
             Err(e) => {
-                log::error!("opening the library failed: {e}; starting a temporary one");
-                session = Session::with_demo();
+                // never a silent demo session (issue #100): an empty one, and the window says why
+                log::error!("opening the library failed: {e}");
+                session = Session::new();
                 originals.install(&mut session);
+                problem = Some(lightcraft_ui_egui::panels::library_problem::LibraryProblem {
+                    can_retry: false,
+                    ..lightcraft_ui_egui::panels::library_problem::LibraryProblem::new(
+                        "the browser's storage for this page",
+                        format!("{e}. Reload the page to try again."),
+                    )
+                });
             }
         }
         // previews are large (≤ 2560 px, f32): keep few in a 32-bit address space
@@ -314,8 +327,9 @@ impl WebApp {
             app.ui = ui;
         }
         app.ui = app.ui.sanitized();
+        app.library_problem = problem;
         let n = opts.workers.unwrap_or_else(|| {
-            let cores = window().navigator().hardware_concurrency() as usize;
+            let cores = window().map_or(1, |w| w.navigator().hardware_concurrency() as usize);
             cores.saturating_sub(1).clamp(1, 4)
         });
         let workers =
@@ -516,8 +530,10 @@ pub fn start() {
     log::info!("lightcraft: wasm instantiated at {:.0} ms", perf_now());
     let opts = Options::from_url();
     wasm_bindgen_futures::spawn_local(async move {
-        let Some(canvas) =
-            window().document().and_then(|d| d.get_element_by_id("lightcraft_canvas")).and_then(|e| e.dyn_into::<web_sys::HtmlCanvasElement>().ok())
+        let Some(canvas) = window()
+            .and_then(|w| w.document())
+            .and_then(|d| d.get_element_by_id("lightcraft_canvas"))
+            .and_then(|e| e.dyn_into::<web_sys::HtmlCanvasElement>().ok())
         else {
             log::error!("missing <canvas id=\"lightcraft_canvas\">");
             return;
@@ -527,7 +543,7 @@ pub fn start() {
         let r = runner.start(canvas, eframe::WebOptions::default(), Box::new(move |cc| Ok(Box::new(WebApp::new(cc, boot))))).await;
         match r {
             Ok(()) => {
-                if let Some(el) = window().document().and_then(|d| d.get_element_by_id("lightcraft_loading")) {
+                if let Some(el) = window().and_then(|w| w.document()).and_then(|d| d.get_element_by_id("lightcraft_loading")) {
                     el.remove();
                 }
             }

apps/lightcraft/Cargo.toml

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ workspace = true
 
 [dependencies]
 lightcraft-engine = { workspace = true }
+lightcraft-sysmem = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-ui-egui = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-codecs = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-raster = { workspace = true }

apps/lightcraft/src/alloc_release.rs

@@ -1,32 +1,12 @@
 //! Give memory the system allocator keeps after frees back to the system
-//! ([`lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook`]).
-//!
-//! macOS's allocator keeps freed large blocks mapped as "reusable": they no longer count in the
-//! process's memory footprint but stay in its resident size until the system runs short. After a
-//! raw decode (hundreds of MB of temporaries) that made the resident size climb towards the sum of
-//! everything ever decoded. `malloc_zone_pressure_relief` (libSystem) returns those pages now.
-//! Elsewhere (glibc, Windows) blocks this large are unmapped when freed: nothing to do.
+//! ([`lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook`]). The platform call lives in
+//! `lightcraft-sysmem`, the workspace's only crate allowed `unsafe`.
 
-/// Install the hook for this platform.
+/// Install the hook.
 pub fn install() {
-    #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-    lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook(macos::release);
+    lightcraft_engine::memory::set_release_hook(release);
 }
 
-#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-#[allow(unsafe_code)]
-mod macos {
-    unsafe extern "C" {
-        /// libSystem malloc: release free memory of `zone` (all zones when null) back to the
-        /// system, up to `goal` bytes (0 = as much as possible). Returns the bytes released.
-        fn malloc_zone_pressure_relief(zone: *mut std::ffi::c_void, goal: usize) -> usize;
-    }
-
-    pub fn release() {
-        // SAFETY: a documented libSystem function taking a null zone (= every zone) and a size;
-        // it only returns free pages to the system and touches no memory we own.
-        unsafe {
-            malloc_zone_pressure_relief(std::ptr::null_mut(), 0);
-        }
-    }
+fn release() {
+    let _ = lightcraft_sysmem::release_free_memory();
 }

apps/lightcraft/src/control_server.rs

@@ -1,14 +1,28 @@
 //! Loopback JSON-lines control server: one request per line, one reply per line.
 //! This is the transport the MCP server (`lightcraft-cli mcp --connect`) wraps.
+//!
+//! The server only ever reads requests: a line that is not a JSON object with a string `method`
+//! (an HTTP request line from a browser's cross-origin `fetch`, a stray `nc`, binary junk) gets
+//! one error reply and the connection is closed, so nothing after it is executed. Lines are
+//! bounded ([`MAX_LINE`]) and so is the number of open connections ([`MAX_CONNECTIONS`]); junk
+//! never reaches the UI thread. See `docs/control-protocol.md`.
 
-use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
+use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Read, Write};
 use std::net::{TcpListener, TcpStream};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{Receiver, Sender, channel};
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use lightcraft_ui_egui::ControlRequest;
 use serde_json::{Value, json};
 
+/// Longest accepted request line (bytes, without the newline). Requests are small JSON objects;
+/// anything longer is refused and the connection closed.
+pub const MAX_LINE: usize = 4 * 1024 * 1024;
+/// Connections served at once; further ones get an error line and are closed.
+pub const MAX_CONNECTIONS: usize = 16;
+
 pub fn start(port: u16, ctx: egui::Context) -> Receiver<ControlRequest> {
     let (tx, rx) = channel::<ControlRequest>();
     let listener = match TcpListener::bind(("127.0.0.1", port)) {
@@ -19,44 +33,235 @@ pub fn start(port: u16, ctx: egui::Context) -> Receiver<ControlRequest> {
         }
     };
     eprintln!("lightcraft: control server listening on 127.0.0.1:{port}");
-    std::thread::spawn(move || {
-        for stream in listener.incoming().flatten() {
-            let tx = tx.clone();
-            let ctx = ctx.clone();
-            std::thread::spawn(move || serve(stream, tx, ctx));
-        }
-    });
+    std::thread::spawn(move || accept_loop(listener, tx, ctx));
     rx
 }
 
-fn serve(stream: TcpStream, tx: Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: egui::Context) {
-    let Ok(read) = stream.try_clone() else { return };
-    let mut out = stream;
-    for line in BufReader::new(read).lines() {
-        let Ok(line) = line else { break };
-        if line.trim().is_empty() {
+fn accept_loop(listener: TcpListener, tx: Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: egui::Context) {
+    let open = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
+    for mut stream in listener.incoming().flatten() {
+        if open.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst) >= MAX_CONNECTIONS {
+            open.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+            let _ = writeln!(stream, "{}", json!({"ok": false, "error": "too many control connections"}));
             continue;
         }
-        let reply = match serde_json::from_str::<Value>(&line) {
-            Ok(msg) => {
-                let id = msg.get("id").cloned().unwrap_or(Value::Null);
-                let method = msg.get("method").and_then(Value::as_str).unwrap_or("").to_string();
-                let params = msg.get("params").cloned().unwrap_or(json!({}));
-                let (req, rrx) = ControlRequest::new(method, params);
-                if tx.send(req).is_err() {
-                    break;
-                }
-                ctx.request_repaint();
-                let mut r = rrx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(60)).unwrap_or_else(|_| json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"}));
-                if let Some(o) = r.as_object_mut() {
-                    o.insert("id".into(), id);
+        let tx = tx.clone();
+        let ctx = ctx.clone();
+        let open = Arc::clone(&open);
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            serve(stream, &tx, &ctx);
+            open.fetch_sub(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        });
+    }
+}
+
+fn serve(stream: TcpStream, tx: &Sender<ControlRequest>, ctx: &egui::Context) {
+    let Ok(read) = stream.try_clone() else { return };
+    serve_lines(read, stream, |method, params| {
+        let (req, rrx) = ControlRequest::new(method, params);
+        tx.send(req).ok()?;
+        ctx.request_repaint();
+        Some(rrx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(60)).unwrap_or_else(|_| json!({"ok": false, "error": "timeout"})))
+    });
+}
+
+/// One parsed line.
+enum Line {
+    Request {
+        id: Value,
+        method: String,
+        params: Value,
+    },
+    Blank,
+    /// Not a request: reply with this error and close the connection.
+    Reject(String),
+}
+
+fn parse_line(bytes: &[u8]) -> Line {
+    let Ok(text) = std::str::from_utf8(bytes) else {
+        return Line::Reject("not a control request (invalid UTF-8); closing the connection".into());
+    };
+    let text = text.trim();
+    if text.is_empty() {
+        return Line::Blank;
+    }
+    let msg = match serde_json::from_str::<Value>(text) {
+        Ok(v) => v,
+        Err(e) => return Line::Reject(format!("bad JSON ({e}); expected one JSON request object per line; closing the connection")),
+    };
+    let Some(obj) = msg.as_object() else {
+        return Line::Reject("not a control request (expected a JSON object); closing the connection".into());
+    };
+    let Some(method) = obj.get("method").and_then(Value::as_str) else {
+        return Line::Reject("not a control request (missing string `method`); closing the connection".into());
+    };
+    Line::Request {
+        id: obj.get("id").cloned().unwrap_or(Value::Null),
+        method: method.to_string(),
+        params: obj.get("params").cloned().unwrap_or(json!({})),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Read one `\n`-terminated line of at most `max` bytes into `buf` (newline stripped).
+/// `Ok(false)` at end of stream; `Err` when the line is too long or the read fails.
+fn read_bounded_line(reader: &mut impl BufRead, buf: &mut Vec<u8>, max: usize) -> Result<bool, String> {
+    buf.clear();
+    // `take` bounds the bytes buffered for one line: a peer can't make us allocate more than `max`.
+    let limit = u64::try_from(max).unwrap_or(u64::MAX).saturating_add(1);
+    let n = reader.take(limit).read_until(b'\n', buf).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+    if n == 0 {
+        return Ok(false);
+    }
+    if buf.last() == Some(&b'\n') {
+        buf.pop();
+        if buf.last() == Some(&b'\r') {
+            buf.pop();
+        }
+        return Ok(true);
+    }
+    if buf.len() > max {
+        return Err(format!("request line longer than {max} bytes; closing the connection"));
+    }
+    // Last line without a newline, then end of stream.
+    Ok(true)
+}
+
+/// Serve requests from `read`, answering on `out`, until the peer closes, sends something that is
+/// not a request, or `handle` returns `None` (app gone). `handle` gets `(method, params)` and
+/// returns the reply object (the request's `id` is added here).
+fn serve_lines<R: Read, W: Write>(read: R, mut out: W, mut handle: impl FnMut(String, Value) -> Option<Value>) {
+    let mut reader = BufReader::new(read);
+    let mut buf = Vec::new();
+    loop {
+        let reject = match read_bounded_line(&mut reader, &mut buf, MAX_LINE) {
+            Ok(false) => return,
+            Err(e) => e,
+            Ok(true) => match parse_line(&buf) {
+                Line::Blank => continue,
+                Line::Reject(e) => e,
+                Line::Request { id, method, params } => {
+                    let Some(mut r) = handle(method, params) else { return };
+                    if let Some(o) = r.as_object_mut() {
+                        o.insert("id".into(), id);
+                    }
+                    if writeln!(out, "{r}").and_then(|()| out.flush()).is_err() {
+                        return;
+                    }
+                    continue;
                 }
-                r
-            }
-            Err(e) => json!({"ok": false, "error": format!("bad JSON: {e}")}),
+            },
         };
-        if writeln!(out, "{reply}").is_err() {
-            break;
+        let _ = writeln!(out, "{}", json!({"ok": false, "error": reject})).and_then(|()| out.flush());
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn run(input: &[u8]) -> (Vec<Value>, Vec<String>) {
+        let mut out = Vec::new();
+        let mut calls = Vec::new();
+        serve_lines(input, &mut out, |m, _p| {
+            calls.push(m);
+            Some(json!({"ok": true, "result": null}))
+        });
+        let replies = String::from_utf8(out).unwrap().lines().map(|l| serde_json::from_str::<Value>(l).unwrap()).collect();
+        (replies, calls)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn requests_are_answered_in_order_with_ids() {
+        let (r, calls) = run(b"{\"id\":1,\"method\":\"a\"}\n\n{\"id\":2,\"method\":\"b\",\"params\":{}}\r\n{\"method\":\"c\"}");
+        assert_eq!(calls, ["a", "b", "c"]);
+        assert_eq!(r.len(), 3);
+        assert_eq!(r[0]["id"], 1);
+        assert_eq!(r[1]["id"], 2);
+        assert_eq!(r[2]["id"], Value::Null);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn http_request_closes_before_the_body_runs() {
+        // A browser's cross-origin `fetch` POST: the request line is rejected and the connection
+        // closed, so the JSON body is never executed.
+        let http = b"POST / HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: 127.0.0.1:7980\r\nContent-Type: text/plain\r\n\r\n\
+            {\"id\":1,\"method\":\"engine.execute\",\"params\":{\"command\":\"folder.move\"}}\n";
+        let (r, calls) = run(http);
+        assert!(calls.is_empty(), "nothing may run: {calls:?}");
+        assert_eq!(r.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(r[0]["ok"], false);
+        assert!(r[0]["error"].as_str().unwrap().contains("closing the connection"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn non_request_json_closes_the_connection() {
+        for junk in [
+            &b"[1,2]\n{\"method\":\"a\"}\n"[..],
+            b"{\"id\":1}\n{\"method\":\"a\"}\n",
+            b"{\"method\":5}\n{\"method\":\"a\"}\n",
+            b"\xff\xfe\n{\"method\":\"a\"}\n",
+        ] {
+            let (r, calls) = run(junk);
+            assert!(calls.is_empty());
+            assert_eq!(r.len(), 1);
+            assert_eq!(r[0]["ok"], false);
         }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_request_before_junk_still_runs() {
+        let (r, calls) = run(b"{\"method\":\"a\"}\nGET / HTTP/1.1\n{\"method\":\"b\"}\n");
+        assert_eq!(calls, ["a"]);
+        assert_eq!(r.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(r[1]["ok"], false);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn overlong_line_is_refused_without_buffering_it_all() {
+        // An endless line without a newline: reading stops after MAX_LINE + 1 bytes.
+        let endless = std::io::repeat(b'x');
+        let mut out = Vec::new();
+        let mut ran = false;
+        serve_lines(endless, &mut out, |_, _| {
+            ran = true;
+            None
+        });
+        assert!(!ran);
+        let reply: Value = serde_json::from_slice(out.strip_suffix(b"\n").unwrap()).unwrap();
+        assert!(reply["error"].as_str().unwrap().contains("longer than"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn line_at_the_limit_is_accepted() {
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        let line = vec![b'a'; 10];
+        let mut input = line.clone();
+        input.push(b'\n');
+        assert_eq!(read_bounded_line(&mut &input[..], &mut buf, 10), Ok(true));
+        assert_eq!(buf, line);
+        assert!(read_bounded_line(&mut &[b'a'; 11][..], &mut buf, 10).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn tcp_connection_is_closed_after_junk() {
+        // End to end over a real loopback socket (the transport the app uses).
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind(("127.0.0.1", 0)).unwrap();
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().unwrap();
+        let server = std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let (s, _) = listener.accept().unwrap();
+            let read = s.try_clone().unwrap();
+            serve_lines(read, s, |_, _| Some(json!({"ok": true})));
+        });
+        let mut c = TcpStream::connect(addr).unwrap();
+        c.set_read_timeout(Some(Duration::from_secs(10))).unwrap();
+        c.write_all(b"{\"id\":7,\"method\":\"x\"}\nhello\n{\"method\":\"y\"}\n").unwrap();
+        let mut text = String::new();
+        c.read_to_string(&mut text).unwrap(); // returns at EOF: the server closed the connection
+        server.join().unwrap();
+        let lines: Vec<&str> = text.lines().collect();
+        assert_eq!(lines.len(), 2, "{text}");
+        assert!(lines[0].contains("\"id\":7"));
+        assert!(lines[1].contains("closing the connection"));
     }
 }

apps/lightcraft/src/main.rs

@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 //! `~/Pictures/LightCraft Library`; a new library starts with the
 //! procedural demo photos unless `--no-demo` or files are given. Files and folders on the command
 //! line are imported (duplicates are skipped). `--memory` runs an in-memory session that writes
-//! nothing (demo photos unless files are given; used by the README showcase scripts).
+//! nothing (demo photos unless files are given; used by the README showcase scripts). A library
+//! that can't be opened is never replaced silently: the window says why and asks what to do
+//! (`lightcraft_ui_egui::panels::library_problem`).
 //!
 //! `--control <port>` (or `LIGHTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT`) starts a localhost JSON-lines control server:
 //! `{"id":1,"method":"ui.inspect","params":{}}` → `{"id":1,"ok":true,"result":…}`.
@@ -17,6 +19,8 @@
 //! window (issue #7). Their `--help` / `--version` output and diagnostics then have no console to
 //! go to; use `lightcraft-cli` (a console program) from a terminal, or a debug build.
 #![cfg_attr(all(target_os = "windows", not(debug_assertions)), windows_subsystem = "windows")]
+#![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 mod alloc_release;
 mod control_server;
@@ -24,6 +28,7 @@ mod control_server;
 mod native_menu;
 
 use lightcraft_engine::Session;
+use lightcraft_ui_egui::panels::library_problem::LibraryProblem;
 use lightcraft_ui_egui::{LightcraftApp, Services, UiState};
 
 /// Reverse-DNS app id: Wayland app id, `.desktop` file and hicolor icon name.
@@ -39,15 +44,16 @@ fn app_icon() -> egui::IconData {
     eframe::icon_data::from_png_bytes(png).unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
-struct App(LightcraftApp, #[cfg(target_os = "macos")] Option<native_menu::NativeMenu>);
+struct App(LightcraftApp, PrefsWriter, #[cfg(target_os = "macos")] Option<native_menu::NativeMenu>);
 
 impl eframe::App for App {
     fn logic(&mut self, ctx: &egui::Context, _frame: &mut eframe::Frame) {
         #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-        if let Some(m) = self.1.as_mut() {
+        if let Some(m) = self.2.as_mut() {
             m.update(&mut self.0, ctx);
         }
         self.0.logic(ctx);
+        self.1.tick(&mut self.0, ctx);
     }
     fn raw_input_hook(&mut self, _ctx: &egui::Context, raw: &mut egui::RawInput) {
         self.0.raw_input_hook(raw);
@@ -56,7 +62,9 @@ impl eframe::App for App {
         self.0.ui(ui);
     }
     fn on_exit(&mut self) {
-        save_prefs(&self.0);
+        if let Err(e) = self.1.save(&self.0) {
+            eprintln!("lightcraft: {e}");
+        }
         if let Err(e) = self.0.session.close_library() {
             eprintln!("lightcraft: saving the library failed: {e}");
         }
@@ -76,23 +84,118 @@ fn config_dir() -> Option<std::path::PathBuf> {
     }
 }
 
-/// The saved UI state and app settings (`<config>/ui.json`), if any.
-fn load_prefs() -> Option<UiState> {
+/// The saved UI state and app settings (`<config>/ui.json`), if any, and a warning for the user
+/// when the file exists but can't be used (issue #103): a damaged file is kept as
+/// `ui.json.corrupt-<unix time>` first, so the next save can't lose the library location in it;
+/// one that can't be read at all is not written this session (`keep_file`).
+fn load_prefs() -> (Option<UiState>, Option<String>, bool) {
     if std::env::var_os("LIGHTCRAFT_NO_PREFS").is_some() {
-        return None;
+        return (None, None, false);
     }
-    let bytes = std::fs::read(config_dir()?.join("ui.json")).ok()?;
-    serde_json::from_slice::<UiState>(&bytes).ok().map(UiState::sanitized)
+    let Some(path) = config_dir().map(|d| d.join("ui.json")) else { return (None, None, false) };
+    load_prefs_at(&path)
 }
 
-fn save_prefs(app: &LightcraftApp) {
-    if std::env::var_os("LIGHTCRAFT_NO_PREFS").is_some() {
-        return;
+fn load_prefs_at(path: &std::path::Path) -> (Option<UiState>, Option<String>, bool) {
+    let bytes = match std::fs::read(path) {
+        Ok(b) => b,
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => return (None, None, false),
+        Err(e) => {
+            let msg = format!("The app settings ({}) couldn't be read: {e}. Defaults are used, and the file isn't overwritten.", path.display());
+            return (None, Some(msg), true);
+        }
+    };
+    match serde_json::from_slice::<UiState>(&bytes) {
+        Ok(ui) => (Some(ui.sanitized()), None, false),
+        Err(e) => {
+            let secs = std::time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH).map(|d| d.as_secs()).unwrap_or(0);
+            let keep = path.with_file_name(format!("ui.json.corrupt-{secs}"));
+            let kept = std::fs::rename(path, &keep);
+            let what = match &kept {
+                Ok(()) => format!("it was kept as {}", keep.display()),
+                Err(r) => format!("it couldn't be set aside ({r})"),
+            };
+            let msg = format!(
+                "The app settings ({}) are damaged ({e}); {what}. Defaults are used — reopen your library with Settings → Open Library… if it isn't shown.",
+                path.display()
+            );
+            (None, Some(msg), kept.is_err())
+        }
     }
-    if let Some(d) = config_dir() {
-        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&d);
-        if let Ok(bytes) = serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&app.ui) {
-            let _ = std::fs::write(d.join("ui.json"), bytes);
+}
+
+/// Write `bytes` to `path` atomically: a temp file, fsynced, renamed over it (a crash or a full
+/// disk leaves the old file or the new one, never a truncated one).
+fn write_atomic(path: &std::path::Path, bytes: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    use std::io::Write;
+    let tmp = path.with_extension("json.tmp");
+    let written = (|| {
+        let mut f = std::fs::File::create(&tmp)?;
+        f.write_all(bytes)?;
+        f.sync_all()
+    })();
+    if let Err(e) = written {
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+        return Err(e);
+    }
+    std::fs::rename(&tmp, path)?;
+    if let Some(dir) = path.parent()
+        && let Ok(d) = std::fs::File::open(dir)
+    {
+        let _ = d.sync_all();
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Saves `ui.json` (app settings, incl. the library to open at launch): as soon as the library
+/// changes, every few seconds when anything else changed, and at exit.
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct PrefsWriter {
+    written: Vec<u8>,
+    library: String,
+    checked: f64,
+    /// The last write failed (reported once until a write works).
+    failing: bool,
+    /// `ui.json` couldn't be read at launch: never overwrite it this session.
+    keep_file: bool,
+}
+
+impl PrefsWriter {
+    fn save(&mut self, app: &LightcraftApp) -> Result<(), String> {
+        if self.keep_file || std::env::var_os("LIGHTCRAFT_NO_PREFS").is_some() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        let Some(d) = config_dir() else { return Ok(()) };
+        let bytes = serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&app.ui).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+        if bytes == self.written {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&d)
+            .and_then(|()| write_atomic(&d.join("ui.json"), &bytes))
+            .map_err(|e| format!("saving the app settings failed: {e}"))?;
+        self.written = bytes;
+        self.library = app.ui.settings.library_path.clone();
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn tick(&mut self, app: &mut LightcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
+        let now = ctx.input(|i| i.time);
+        let moved = app.ui.settings.library_path != self.library;
+        if !moved && now - self.checked < 3.0 {
+            return;
+        }
+        self.checked = now;
+        match self.save(app) {
+            Ok(()) => self.failing = false,
+            Err(e) => {
+                eprintln!("lightcraft: {e}");
+                if !self.failing {
+                    app.notices.push(format!("{e}. LightCraft keeps trying."));
+                }
+                self.failing = true;
+                // don't retry every frame
+                self.library = app.ui.settings.library_path.clone();
+            }
         }
     }
 }
@@ -173,6 +276,14 @@ fn services() -> Services {
                 .map(|p| p.to_string_lossy().to_string())
                 .collect()
         })),
+        pick_tracklog: Some(Box::new(|| {
+            rfd::FileDialog::new()
+                .set_title("Auto-Tag from Tracklog")
+                .add_filter("GPS Track Log", &["gpx"])
+                .pick_file()
+                .map(|p| vec![p.to_string_lossy().to_string()])
+                .unwrap_or_default()
+        })),
         save_preset_file: Some(Box::new(|name: &str| {
             rfd::FileDialog::new()
                 .set_title("Export Presets")
@@ -199,33 +310,28 @@ fn services() -> Services {
                 .save_file()
                 .map(|p| p.to_string_lossy().to_string())
         })),
-        write_shared: Some(std::sync::Arc::new(|p: &str, b: &[u8]| {
-            if let Some(dir) = std::path::Path::new(p).parent().filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()) {
-                std::fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-            }
-            std::fs::write(p, b).map_err(|e| e.to_string())
-        })),
-        write: Some(Box::new(|p: &str, b: &[u8]| {
-            if let Some(dir) = std::path::Path::new(p).parent().filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()) {
-                std::fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-            }
-            std::fs::write(p, b).map_err(|e| e.to_string())
-        })),
+        // atomic (temp file + sync + rename): a failed write never leaves a truncated file
+        write_shared: Some(std::sync::Arc::new(lightcraft_engine::export::write_file)),
+        write: Some(Box::new(lightcraft_engine::export::write_file)),
         png: Some(Box::new(|img: &lightcraft_raster::Rgba8| {
             lightcraft_codecs::encode_png(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(img), &lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta::default()).unwrap_or_default()
         })),
     }
 }
 
-/// The persistent library session (or an in-memory one with `--memory` / if the library can't open).
-fn open_session(in_memory: bool, dir: Option<std::path::PathBuf>, seed_demo: bool) -> Session {
-    let fallback = || if seed_demo { Session::with_demo() } else { Session::new() }.with_fs().with_system_clock();
+/// The persistent library session, or with `--memory` an in-memory one (demo photos).
+///
+/// If the library can't be opened the session is empty and in memory — never seeded with the
+/// demo photos, never written anywhere — and the problem is returned: the window then says so
+/// and offers Try Again / Choose Another Library… / Continue Without Saving / Quit (issue #100).
+fn open_session(in_memory: bool, dir: Option<std::path::PathBuf>, seed_demo: bool) -> (Session, Option<LibraryProblem>) {
     if in_memory {
-        return fallback();
+        return (if seed_demo { Session::with_demo() } else { Session::new() }.with_fs().with_system_clock(), None);
     }
+    let unopened = || Session::new().with_fs().with_system_clock();
     let Some(dir) = dir else {
-        eprintln!("lightcraft: no library location (set --library or LIGHTCRAFT_LIBRARY); running in memory");
-        return fallback();
+        eprintln!("lightcraft: no library location (set --library or LIGHTCRAFT_LIBRARY)");
+        return (unopened(), Some(LibraryProblem::new("", "There is no home folder to keep the library in. Choose a folder for it.")));
     };
     let t0 = std::time::Instant::now();
     let mut s = Session::new().with_fs().with_system_clock();
@@ -239,11 +345,11 @@ fn open_session(in_memory: bool, dir: Option<std::path::PathBuf>, seed_demo: boo
                 if torn > 0 { ", torn tail repaired" } else { "" },
                 t0.elapsed().as_secs_f64() * 1000.0
             );
-            s
+            (s, None)
         }
         Err(e) => {
-            eprintln!("lightcraft: can't open library {}: {e}; running in memory", dir.display());
-            fallback()
+            eprintln!("lightcraft: can't open library {}: {e}", dir.display());
+            (unopened(), Some(LibraryProblem::new(dir.to_string_lossy(), e.to_string())))
         }
     }
 }
@@ -263,6 +369,7 @@ OPTIONS:
 ";
 
 fn main() -> eframe::Result {
+    lightcraft_engine::guard::install_hook(std::env::temp_dir().join("lightcraft-panics.log"));
     alloc_release::install();
     let mut control_port: Option<u16> = std::env::var("LIGHTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT").ok().and_then(|p| p.parse().ok());
     let mut files = Vec::new();
@@ -291,7 +398,7 @@ fn main() -> eframe::Result {
             _ => files.push(a),
         }
     }
-    let prefs = load_prefs();
+    let (prefs, prefs_warning, keep_prefs_file) = load_prefs();
     // --library, else the library last opened from Settings, else the default location
     let library_dir = library_dir.or_else(|| {
         prefs
@@ -319,17 +426,29 @@ fn main() -> eframe::Result {
         "LightCraft",
         options,
         Box::new(move |cc| {
-            let session = open_session(in_memory, library_dir, seed_demo && files.is_empty());
+            let (session, problem) = open_session(in_memory, library_dir, seed_demo && files.is_empty());
             let mut app = LightcraftApp::new(session, services());
             if let Some(ui) = prefs {
                 app.ui = ui;
             }
             app.integrated_titlebar = cfg!(target_os = "macos");
+            app.notices.extend(prefs_warning);
+            // what's on disk now: only changes are written
+            let writer = PrefsWriter {
+                written: serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&app.ui).unwrap_or_default(),
+                library: app.ui.settings.library_path.clone(),
+                keep_file: keep_prefs_file,
+                ..Default::default()
+            };
             if let Some(port) = control_port {
                 let rx = control_server::start(port, cc.egui_ctx.clone());
                 app = app.with_control(rx);
             }
-            if !files.is_empty() {
+            if let Some(mut p) = problem {
+                // imported once the user has chosen where (into the library, or the temporary session)
+                p.pending_import = files;
+                app.library_problem = Some(p);
+            } else if !files.is_empty() {
                 let _ = app.run("library.import", serde_json::json!({"paths": files}));
                 app.ui.view = lightcraft_ui_egui::state::ViewMode::PhotoGrid;
             }
@@ -339,9 +458,61 @@ fn main() -> eframe::Result {
             let menu = (std::env::var_os("LIGHTCRAFT_NO_NATIVE_MENU").is_none()).then(|| native_menu::NativeMenu::install(&mut app, &cc.egui_ctx));
             Ok(Box::new(App(
                 app,
+                writer,
                 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
                 menu,
             )))
         }),
     )
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[allow(clippy::unwrap_used)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn dir(tag: &str) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+        let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-app-prefs-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+        d
+    }
+
+    /// Issue #103: a damaged ui.json (which holds the library location) is kept aside and
+    /// reported, not silently replaced by the defaults.
+    #[test]
+    fn damaged_ui_json_is_kept_and_reported() {
+        let d = dir("damaged");
+        let path = d.join("ui.json");
+        std::fs::write(&path, br#"{"settings": {"library_path": "/Volumes/Photos/Lib"#).unwrap();
+        let (ui, warning, keep) = load_prefs_at(&path);
+        assert!(ui.is_none() && !keep);
+        let warning = warning.unwrap();
+        assert!(warning.contains("damaged") && warning.contains("ui.json.corrupt-"), "{warning}");
+        assert!(!path.exists());
+        let kept: Vec<_> = std::fs::read_dir(&d).unwrap().map(|e| e.unwrap().file_name().to_string_lossy().to_string()).collect();
+        assert!(kept.len() == 1 && kept[0].starts_with("ui.json.corrupt-"), "{kept:?}");
+        // a missing file is just "no settings yet"
+        assert_eq!(load_prefs_at(&path).1, None);
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn ui_json_is_written_atomically() {
+        let d = dir("atomic");
+        let path = d.join("ui.json");
+        std::fs::write(&path, b"old").unwrap();
+        write_atomic(&path, b"{\"new\": true}").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&path).unwrap(), b"{\"new\": true}");
+        assert!(!d.join("ui.json.tmp").exists());
+        // a failed write leaves the old file
+        let missing = d.join("gone").join("ui.json");
+        assert!(write_atomic(&missing, b"x").is_err());
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&path).unwrap(), b"{\"new\": true}");
+        let ui = UiState::default();
+        write_atomic(&path, &serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&ui).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let (loaded, warning, _) = load_prefs_at(&path);
+        assert!(loaded.is_some() && warning.is_none());
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+}

apps/lightcraft/src/native_menu.rs

@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ impl NativeMenu {
         // the application menu
         let app_menu = Submenu::new("LightCraft", true);
         let about = MenuItem::with_id("app.about", "About LightCraft", true, None);
-        let settings = MenuItem::with_id(SETTINGS, "Settings…", true, accelerator(SETTINGS_KEY));
+        let settings = MenuItem::with_id(SETTINGS, app.ui.language.tr("Settings…"), true, accelerator(SETTINGS_KEY));
         let quit = MenuItem::with_id(QUIT, "Quit LightCraft", true, accelerator("Cmd+Q"));
         let _ = app_menu.append_items(&[
             &about,
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ impl NativeMenu {
 
         for (title, nodes) in &bar {
             let sub = Submenu::new(title, true);
-            if title == "Window" {
+            if title == app.ui.language.tr("Window") {
                 let _ = sub.append_items(&[
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::minimize(None),
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::maximize(Some("Zoom")),
@@ -245,15 +245,15 @@ impl NativeMenu {
                 .collect();
             let nodes = tidy_separators(nodes);
             self.append_nodes(&sub, &nodes);
-            if title == "File" {
+            if title == app.ui.language.tr("File") {
                 // ⌘W, the system's own item
                 let _ = sub.append_items(&[&PredefinedMenuItem::separator(), &PredefinedMenuItem::close_window(None)]);
             }
-            if title == "Window" {
+            if title == app.ui.language.tr("Window") {
                 let _ = sub.append_items(&[&PredefinedMenuItem::separator(), &PredefinedMenuItem::bring_all_to_front(None)]);
                 sub.set_as_windows_menu_for_nsapp();
             }
-            if title == "Help" {
+            if title == app.ui.language.tr("Help") {
                 sub.set_as_help_menu_for_nsapp();
             }
             let _ = self.menu.append(&sub);

assets/ATTRIBUTION.md

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ covers a whole directory), or if a licence file referenced in the Licence column
 | Path | Asset | Creator | Source | Licence | Added | Modifications |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | `assets/fonts/Inter-*.ttf` (Regular, Medium, SemiBold) | Inter | Rasmus Andersson | https://github.com/rsms/inter | SIL Open Font License 1.1 (`assets/fonts/OFL-Inter.txt`) | 2026-09-30 | none |
+| `assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf` | BIZ UDMincho Regular | The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors (Morisawa Inc., design TypeBank Co., Ltd.) | https://github.com/google/fonts/tree/63833b7d10bb1f86a8f0b91cba2d3ae1f68d1aa3/ofl/bizudmincho | OFL-1.1 (`assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt`) | 2026-10-05 | none |
+| `assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt` | BIZ UDMincho licence | The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors | https://github.com/google/fonts/blob/63833b7d10bb1f86a8f0b91cba2d3ae1f68d1aa3/ofl/bizudmincho/OFL.txt | OFL-1.1 | 2026-10-05 | none |
 | `assets/app-icon/` (`lightcraft.svg` and the PNG/ICNS/ICO/SVG files derived from it) | LightCraft app icon (lynx) | LightCraft project owner (drawn in ArtCraft) | original work (vectorised from the owner's drawing; see `assets/app-icon/README.md`) | MIT OR Apache-2.0 (`assets/app-icon/LICENSE.txt`) | 2026-10-02 | vectorised to SVG; rendered to PNG/ICNS/ICO by `packaging/icons.sh` |
 | `crates/scenes/` (generated images) | Procedural demo photographs | LightCraft contributors | original work (generated at runtime, no source imagery) | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | 2026-09-30 | n/a |
 | `crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs` | UI icons drawn as vector paths in code | LightCraft contributors | original work | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | 2026-09-30 | n/a |

assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+Copyright 2022 The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors (https://github.com/googlefonts/morisawa-biz-ud-mincho)
+
+This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1.
+This license is copied below, and is also available with a FAQ at:
+https://scripts.sil.org/OFL
+
+
+-----------------------------------------------------------
+SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE Version 1.1 - 26 February 2007
+-----------------------------------------------------------
+
+PREAMBLE
+The goals of the Open Font License (OFL) are to stimulate worldwide
+development of collaborative font projects, to support the font creation
+efforts of academic and linguistic communities, and to provide a free and
+open framework in which fonts may be shared and improved in partnership
+with others.
+
+The OFL allows the licensed fonts to be used, studied, modified and
+redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. The
+fonts, including any derivative works, can be bundled, embedded, 
+redistributed and/or sold with any software provided that any reserved
+names are not used by derivative works. The fonts and derivatives,
+however, cannot be released under any other type of license. The
+requirement for fonts to remain under this license does not apply
+to any document created using the fonts or their derivatives.
+
+DEFINITIONS
+"Font Software" refers to the set of files released by the Copyright
+Holder(s) under this license and clearly marked as such. This may
+include source files, build scripts and documentation.
+
+"Reserved Font Name" refers to any names specified as such after the
+copyright statement(s).
+
+"Original Version" refers to the collection of Font Software components as
+distributed by the Copyright Holder(s).
+
+"Modified Version" refers to any derivative made by adding to, deleting,
+or substituting -- in part or in whole -- any of the components of the
+Original Version, by changing formats or by porting the Font Software to a
+new environment.
+
+"Author" refers to any designer, engineer, programmer, technical
+writer or other person who contributed to the Font Software.
+
+PERMISSION & CONDITIONS
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+a copy of the Font Software, to use, study, copy, merge, embed, modify,
+redistribute, and sell modified and unmodified copies of the Font
+Software, subject to the following conditions:
+
+1) Neither the Font Software nor any of its individual components,
+in Original or Modified Versions, may be sold by itself.
+
+2) Original or Modified Versions of the Font Software may be bundled,
+redistributed and/or sold with any software, provided that each copy
+contains the above copyright notice and this license. These can be
+included either as stand-alone text files, human-readable headers or
+in the appropriate machine-readable metadata fields within text or
+binary files as long as those fields can be easily viewed by the user.
+
+3) No Modified Version of the Font Software may use the Reserved Font
+Name(s) unless explicit written permission is granted by the corresponding
+Copyright Holder. This restriction only applies to the primary font name as
+presented to the users.
+
+4) The name(s) of the Copyright Holder(s) or the Author(s) of the Font
+Software shall not be used to promote, endorse or advertise any
+Modified Version, except to acknowledge the contribution(s) of the
+Copyright Holder(s) and the Author(s) or with their explicit written
+permission.
+
+5) The Font Software, modified or unmodified, in part or in whole,
+must be distributed entirely under this license, and must not be
+distributed under any other license. The requirement for fonts to
+remain under this license does not apply to any document created
+using the Font Software.
+
+TERMINATION
+This license becomes null and void if any of the above conditions are
+not met.
+
+DISCLAIMER
+THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF
+MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
+OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
+INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT SOFTWARE OR FROM
+OTHER DEALINGS IN THE FONT SOFTWARE.

clippy.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+allow-unwrap-in-tests = true
+allow-expect-in-tests = true
+allow-panic-in-tests = true
+allow-indexing-slicing-in-tests = true

crates/catalog/Cargo.toml

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ serde_json = { workspace = true }
 thiserror = { workspace = true }
 crc32fast = { workspace = true }
 log = { workspace = true }
+web-time = { workspace = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 proptest = { workspace = true }

crates/catalog/examples/persist_bench.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,216 @@
+//! Catalog persistence costs on large synthetic catalogs (issue #37): log append, compaction
+//! (snapshot serialise / write+fsync / log reset), synchronous and on the background worker, load,
+//! and a catalog clone.
+//!
+//! ```text
+//! cargo run --release -p lightcraft-catalog --example persist_bench -- <dir> [photos…]
+//! ```
+//!
+//! `<dir>` is a scratch directory (wiped per size). Default sizes: 1000 10000 85000. 90 % of the
+//! photos are Local browse records, the rest library photos with a few edits and history steps.
+//! Peak memory: run under `/usr/bin/time -l` (macOS) / `-v` (Linux) with one size;
+//! `PERSIST_BENCH_NO_LOAD=1` skips the final load, so the peak is building + compacting.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+use lightcraft_catalog::*;
+use lightcraft_develop::DevelopSettings;
+
+fn ms(t: Instant) -> f64 {
+    t.elapsed().as_secs_f64() * 1e3
+}
+
+fn photo(c: &mut Catalog, i: u64) -> Photo {
+    let id = c.alloc_photo_id();
+    let mut p = Photo::new(
+        id,
+        Source::File { path: format!("/Users/someone/Pictures/2026/09/{:05}/IMG_{i:05}.CR3", i / 500) },
+        &format!("IMG_{i:05}.CR3"),
+        "CR3",
+        6000,
+        4000,
+        "2026-09-30T12:00:00",
+    );
+    p.kind = MediaKind::Raw;
+    p.file_size = 25_000_000 + i;
+    p.captured = Some(format!("2026-09-{:02}T10:{:02}:{:02}", 1 + i % 28, i % 60, (i / 60) % 60));
+    p.content_hash = Some(format!("{:032x}", i.wrapping_mul(0x9e37_79b9_7f4a_7c15)));
+    p.meta.camera = "Camera Model X".into();
+    p.meta.lens = "24-70mm f/2.8".into();
+    p.meta.focal_mm = Some(35.0);
+    p.meta.aperture = Some(4.0);
+    p.meta.shutter = "1/250".into();
+    p.meta.iso = Some(400);
+    p.as_shot_wb = Some((5200.0, 3.0));
+    p.local = !i.is_multiple_of(10);
+    if p.local {
+        // as a browse catalogues it: import defaults, a baseline fingerprint
+        p.develop = Arc::new(p.import_defaults());
+        p.set_local_baseline();
+    }
+    if !p.local {
+        let mut d = DevelopSettings::default();
+        d.light.exposure = (i % 7) as f64 * 0.1;
+        let s = Arc::new(d);
+        p.develop = s.clone();
+        p.edited = Some("2026-09-30T12:00:00".into());
+        p.history = vec![HistoryStep { label: "Exposure".into(), settings: s }];
+        p.rating = (i % 6) as u8;
+    }
+    p
+}
+
+fn stats(mut v: Vec<f64>) -> String {
+    v.sort_by(f64::total_cmp);
+    let pick = |q: f64| v.get(((v.len() as f64 - 1.0) * q).round() as usize).copied().unwrap_or(0.0);
+    format!("median {:.2} ms, p95 {:.2} ms, max {:.2} ms", pick(0.5), pick(0.95), pick(1.0))
+}
+
+fn main() -> std::result::Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let mut args = std::env::args().skip(1);
+    let dir = std::path::PathBuf::from(args.next().ok_or("usage: persist_bench <scratch dir> [photos…]")?);
+    let mut sizes: Vec<u64> = args.map(|a| a.parse()).collect::<std::result::Result<_, _>>()?;
+    if sizes.is_empty() {
+        sizes = vec![1000, 10_000, 85_000];
+    }
+    for n in sizes {
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+        let (mut j, _, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(FsStore::open(&dir)?))?;
+        let mut cat = Catalog::new();
+        // bulk-add (as one import would) and log it, so the first compaction is an import's
+        for chunk in (0..n).collect::<Vec<_>>().chunks(500) {
+            let ops: Vec<Op> = chunk.iter().map(|i| Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(photo(&mut cat, *i)) }).collect();
+            for op in &ops {
+                cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+            }
+            j.append(&ops)?;
+        }
+        j.snapshot(&cat)?;
+        let first = j.stats().last_snapshot;
+        println!("== {n} photos ({} local): snapshot {:.1} MB", cat.photos().filter(|p| p.local).count(), first.bytes as f64 / 1e6);
+
+        let t = Instant::now();
+        let copy = cat.clone();
+        println!("  catalog clone: {:.2} ms", ms(t));
+        drop(copy);
+
+        // single-op appends (a rating change each), as commands do
+        let ids: Vec<PhotoId> = cat.photos().map(|p| p.id).take(1000).collect();
+        let mut appends = Vec::new();
+        for k in 0..300usize {
+            let id = ids.get(k % ids.len().max(1)).copied().unwrap_or(PhotoId(1));
+            let op = Op::SetRating { id, rating: (k % 6) as u8 };
+            cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+            j.append(std::slice::from_ref(&op))?;
+            appends.push(j.stats().last_append_ms);
+        }
+        println!("  append (1 op, fsync): {}", stats(appends));
+
+        // compactions at the default threshold crossing
+        let mut totals = Vec::new();
+        for _ in 0..3 {
+            while !j.wants_snapshot() {
+                let op = Op::SetRating { id: ids.first().copied().unwrap_or(PhotoId(1)), rating: (j.seq() % 6) as u8 };
+                cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+                j.append(&[op])?;
+            }
+            j.snapshot(&cat)?;
+            let s = j.stats().last_snapshot;
+            println!(
+                "  compaction ({} records): serialize {:.1} ms, write+sync {:.1} ms, log reset {:.1} ms, total {:.1} ms",
+                s.records, s.serialize_ms, s.write_sync_ms, s.reset_ms, s.total_ms
+            );
+            totals.push(s.total_ms);
+        }
+        println!("  compaction total: {}", stats(totals));
+
+        // the same at the threshold, written by the worker while single-op appends go on
+        let mut blocking = Vec::new();
+        for _ in 0..3 {
+            while !j.wants_snapshot() {
+                let op = Op::SetRating { id: ids.first().copied().unwrap_or(PhotoId(1)), rating: (j.seq() % 6) as u8 };
+                cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+                j.append(&[op])?;
+            }
+            let t = Instant::now();
+            j.snapshot_in_background(&cat)?;
+            let start_ms = ms(t);
+            let mut during = Vec::new();
+            while !j.snapshot_written() {
+                let op = Op::SetRating { id: ids.get(1).copied().unwrap_or(PhotoId(1)), rating: (j.seq() % 6) as u8 };
+                cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+                j.append(&[op])?;
+                during.push(j.stats().last_append_ms);
+            }
+            let t = Instant::now();
+            j.poll()?;
+            let finish_ms = ms(t);
+            let s = j.stats().last_snapshot;
+            println!(
+                "  background compaction ({} records): start {start_ms:.1} ms + finish {finish_ms:.1} ms blocking; worker {:.1} ms; {} appends during it: {}",
+                s.records,
+                s.total_ms,
+                during.len(),
+                stats(during)
+            );
+            blocking.push(s.blocking_ms);
+        }
+        println!("  background compaction blocking: {}", stats(blocking));
+
+        // forget the untouched Local records (folders last browsed long ago; every 7th folder
+        // recently; every 50th Local record rated), then compact
+        let folders: std::collections::BTreeSet<String> = cat.photos().filter(|p| p.local).filter_map(|p| folder_of(p)).collect();
+        let mut ops: Vec<Op> = folders
+            .iter()
+            .enumerate()
+            .map(|(k, f)| Op::SetBrowsed {
+                folder: f.clone(),
+                at: Some(if k % 7 == 0 { "2026-09-30T00:00:00" } else { "2026-06-01T00:00:00" }.into()),
+            })
+            .collect();
+        ops.extend(cat.photos().filter(|p| p.local && p.id.0.is_multiple_of(50)).map(|p| Op::SetRating { id: p.id, rating: 2 }).collect::<Vec<_>>());
+        for op in &ops {
+            cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+        }
+        j.append(&ops)?;
+        j.snapshot(&cat)?;
+        let before = j.stats().last_snapshot.bytes;
+        let t = Instant::now();
+        let plan = cat.forget_local_plan("2026-10-05T00:00:00", DEFAULT_FORGET_DAYS, &|_| false);
+        let plan_ms = ms(t);
+        let t = Instant::now();
+        let ops = plan.ops();
+        for op in &ops {
+            cat.apply(op.clone())?;
+        }
+        j.append(&ops)?;
+        let apply_ms = ms(t);
+        j.snapshot(&cat)?;
+        let after = j.stats().last_snapshot.bytes;
+        println!(
+            "  forget Local: {} of {} local records forgotten (kept: {} recent, {} touched, {} in use); plan {plan_ms:.1} ms, apply+append {apply_ms:.1} ms; snapshot {:.1} MB -> {:.1} MB",
+            plan.evict.len(),
+            plan.local,
+            plan.kept_recent,
+            plan.kept_touched,
+            plan.kept_in_use,
+            before as f64 / 1e6,
+            after as f64 / 1e6
+        );
+
+        drop(j);
+        if std::env::var_os("PERSIST_BENCH_NO_LOAD").is_some() {
+            // peak memory of building + compacting only
+            continue;
+        }
+        let t = Instant::now();
+        let (_, loaded, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(FsStore::open(&dir)?))?;
+        println!("  open (load snapshot + replay): {:.1} ms", ms(t));
+        if loaded.len() != cat.len() {
+            return Err("reloaded catalog differs".into());
+        }
+    }
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    Ok(())
+}

crates/catalog/proptest-regressions/tests_background.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Seeds for failure cases proptest has generated in the past. It is
+# automatically read and these particular cases re-run before any
+# novel cases are generated.
+#
+# It is recommended to check this file in to source control so that
+# everyone who runs the test benefits from these saved cases.
+cc 0227748e171237a13833c9175fe02c7fe6ff332266798961a6a43ec37b81d1b4 # shrinks to actions = [(3, 0), (0, 0), (4, 0), (0, 0)]
+cc 0b0ab2531bd46fbe261b55ecffebea9d3e8949900ab7bc33fb27ca19f5cd7b8b # shrinks to actions = [(4, 443), (3, 474), (2, 27), (5, 858), (5, 466), (0, 901), (4, 907), (3, 839), (0, 630), (7, 578), (4, 13), (2, 361), (6, 136), (6, 12), (6, 223), (1, 394), (6, 78), (5, 837), (6, 765), (4, 207), (2, 185), (2, 583), (2, 56), (5, 430), (1, 702), (1, 547), (5, 552), (4, 762), (0, 443), (0, 851), (7, 240), (4, 438), (3, 599), (6, 70), (4, 694), (1, 327), (7, 859), (6, 814), (4, 336), (3, 438), (0, 131), (0, 831), (3, 18), (2, 963), (6, 10), (3, 114)]

crates/catalog/src/dates.rs

@@ -128,13 +128,15 @@ pub fn display_time(iso: &str) -> String {
 
 /// Header text for a group key.
 pub fn group_label(key: &str) -> String {
-    let month = |k: &str| k.get(5..7).and_then(|m| m.parse::<usize>().ok()).filter(|m| (1..=12).contains(m)).map(|m| MONTHS[m - 1]);
+    let month = |k: &str| k.get(5..7).and_then(|m| m.parse::<usize>().ok()).and_then(|m| MONTHS.get(m.wrapping_sub(1)));
+    // `get` rather than `[..]`: a non-ASCII key must not split a character
+    let year = key.get(..4).unwrap_or(key);
     match key.len() {
-        10 => match (weekday(key), month(key), key[8..10].parse::<u32>().ok()) {
-            (Some(w), Some(m), Some(d)) => format!("{w}, {d} {m} {}", &key[..4]),
+        10 => match (weekday(key), month(key), key.get(8..10).and_then(|d| d.parse::<u32>().ok())) {
+            (Some(w), Some(m), Some(d)) => format!("{w}, {d} {m} {year}"),
             _ => key.to_string(),
         },
-        7 => month(key).map(|m| format!("{m} {}", &key[..4])).unwrap_or_else(|| key.to_string()),
+        7 => month(key).map(|m| format!("{m} {year}")).unwrap_or_else(|| key.to_string()),
         4 => key.to_string(),
         _ => "Unknown Date".into(),
     }
@@ -196,6 +198,9 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(group_label("2026-02"), "February 2026");
         assert_eq!(group_label("2026"), "2026");
         assert_eq!(group_label(""), "Unknown Date");
+        // non-ASCII keys of a date's length used to be sliced mid-character
+        assert_eq!(group_label("2024-01é0"), "2024-01é0");
+        assert_eq!(group_label("202é01"), "January 202é01");
         assert_eq!(shift_iso("2026-12-31T23:30:00", 3600).as_deref(), Some("2027-01-01T00:30:00"));
         assert_eq!(shift_iso("2026-03-01T00:00:00.25+02:00", -1).as_deref(), Some("2026-02-28T23:59:59.25+02:00"));
         assert_eq!(shift_iso("nope", 5), None);

crates/catalog/src/journal.rs

@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 //! Crash-safe catalog persistence: an append-only op log plus periodic snapshots.
 //!
 //! Files (in a [`Store`]):
-//! - `catalog.snap` — `{"format":"lightcraft-catalog","version":1,"seq":N,"catalog":{…}}`, the
-//!   state after op `N`; replaced atomically (temp + fsync + rename).
+//! - `catalog.snap` — `{"format":"lightcraft-catalog","version":V,"seq":N,"catalog":{…}}`, the
+//!   state after op `N` in catalog format `V` ([`VERSION`]); replaced atomically (temp + fsync +
+//!   rename).
 //! - `catalog.log` — JSON lines, one per op applied after the snapshot:
 //!   `{"seq":N,"crc":C,"op":{…}}` where `C` is the CRC-32 of the op's JSON text. Appends are
 //!   fsynced before [`Journal::append`] returns.
@@ -10,10 +11,55 @@
 //! Loading = snapshot + replay of the records with `seq > snapshot seq`. Recovery rules:
 //! - a **torn final record** (crash mid-append: truncated line or bad CRC at the end) is dropped
 //!   and the file is cut back to the last good record, so later appends start on a clean line;
+//! - a **failed append** (disk full, a dropped network share) may leave part of its batch in the
+//!   file: [`Journal::append`] cuts the log back to the last whole record before returning the
+//!   error (or, if that fails too, before the next append), so the retry — the same ops with the
+//!   same `seq`s — starts on a clean line. Logs written by builds without that cut-back hold the
+//!   fragment glued to the first retried record on one line; the loader recognises the whole,
+//!   CRC-valid record at the end of such a line and skips only the fragment;
 //! - records already covered by the snapshot (crash between writing the snapshot and resetting
 //!   the log) are skipped;
 //! - a bad record **followed by good ones** is real damage: replay stops there, the log is kept
 //!   as `catalog.log.damaged-<seq>`, and a fresh snapshot is written so the library stays usable.
+//!
+//! **Background compaction** ([`Journal::snapshot_in_background`], when the store offers a
+//! [`Store::background_writer`]): a worker thread writes the snapshot of a copy of the catalog at
+//! op `N` while appends go on (durably, as always) to the same log. Once the snapshot is durable,
+//! [`Journal::poll`] atomically replaces the log with the records appended since the snapshot
+//! started (`seq > N`, kept in memory). Every crash point is covered by the rules above:
+//! - before the rename of `catalog.snap`: the old snapshot + the whole log (nothing was removed);
+//! - between the rename and the log rewrite: the new snapshot + the whole log, whose records
+//!   `<= N` are skipped as stale;
+//! - after the log rewrite: the new snapshot + exactly the records `> N`.
+//!
+//! At most one snapshot is in flight; a synchronous [`Journal::snapshot`] and dropping the journal
+//! first wait for it, so an older snapshot can never replace a newer one.
+//!
+//! # Format versions
+//!
+//! The snapshot's `version` is the catalog format, and it covers the log beside it: the log has
+//! no header of its own, and is only ever appended to under a snapshot of this build's format.
+//!
+//! | Version | Written by | Adds |
+//! |---|---|---|
+//! | (none) | early builds: a log without a snapshot | |
+//! | 1 | up to v0.2.0 | |
+//! | 2 | after v0.2.0 | `Op::SetBrowsed`, `Catalog.browsed`, `Photo.local_baseline` |
+//!
+//! Rules:
+//! - **Bump [`VERSION`]** (and add a row above) in the change that adds an [`Op`] variant or a
+//!   serialized field to the catalog, a photo, an album, a stack or develop settings that an older
+//!   build would misread or silently drop. New fields must deserialize from older data
+//!   (`#[serde(default)]`), so newer builds keep reading every older format.
+//! - **Opening an older format upgrades it**: right after loading, [`Journal::open`] writes a
+//!   snapshot in this build's format (also for a new library), before anything is appended — so a
+//!   library is never a mix, and older builds refuse it from then on instead of reading part of it.
+//!   [`LoadReport::upgraded_from`] says when that happened.
+//! - **A newer format is refused, untouched**: a snapshot whose `version` is above [`VERSION`],
+//!   or a log record whose CRC matches (so it is exactly what was written) but whose op doesn't
+//!   parse, fails [`Journal::open`] with [`CatalogError::Newer`] before any file is modified — it
+//!   is never mistaken for a torn tail or damage. (Builds up to v0.2.0 refuse a v2 snapshot with
+//!   "unsupported format".)
 
 use crate::store::Store;
 use crate::{Catalog, CatalogError, Op, Result};
@@ -21,7 +67,9 @@ use crate::{Catalog, CatalogError, Op, Result};
 pub const SNAPSHOT: &str = "catalog.snap";
 pub const LOG: &str = "catalog.log";
 const FORMAT: &str = "lightcraft-catalog";
-const VERSION: u32 = 1;
+/// The catalog format this build writes (and the newest it reads). See the module docs →
+/// *Format versions*; bump it whenever an [`Op`] variant or a serialized field is added.
+pub const VERSION: u32 = 2;
 
 /// When [`Journal::wants_snapshot`] says it's time to compact the log.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug)]
@@ -49,10 +97,75 @@ pub struct LoadReport {
     pub failed: usize,
     /// Bytes of a torn final record that were dropped.
     pub torn_bytes: u64,
+    /// Partial records left mid-log by a failed append that was retried (written by builds that
+    /// didn't cut the log back after a failed write): skipped, the retried records were replayed.
+    pub torn_fragments: usize,
     /// The damaged log was preserved under this name.
     pub damaged: Option<String>,
     /// No catalog files existed (a new library).
     pub created: bool,
+    /// The library was in an older catalog format (`0` = before format versions: a log without a
+    /// snapshot) and was rewritten in this version's format ([`VERSION`]).
+    pub upgraded_from: Option<u32>,
+}
+
+/// Where persistence time goes (reported by `library.info` → `persistence`; printed to stderr
+/// per write under `LIGHTCRAFT_PROFILE`). Times are wall-clock milliseconds on the calling
+/// thread, i.e. how long the caller (the UI thread, for the app) was blocked.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, serde::Serialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct PersistStats {
+    /// [`Journal::append`] calls that wrote something.
+    pub appends: u64,
+    /// Encode + write + `sync_data` of the last / slowest append.
+    pub last_append_ms: f64,
+    pub max_append_ms: f64,
+    /// Snapshots written (compactions, plus the ones on close / repair).
+    pub snapshots: u64,
+    /// The last snapshot, by stage.
+    pub last_snapshot: SnapshotTiming,
+    /// Total time of the slowest snapshot.
+    pub max_snapshot_ms: f64,
+    /// Longest time a snapshot blocked the caller (for background snapshots: copying the catalog
+    /// and starting the worker, plus rewriting the log when it is done).
+    pub max_blocking_ms: f64,
+    /// A background snapshot is being written.
+    pub snapshot_running: bool,
+    /// Background snapshots that failed (the log was kept whole; retried later).
+    pub failed_snapshots: u64,
+}
+
+/// One snapshot (compaction), by stage.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, serde::Serialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct SnapshotTiming {
+    /// Serialising the catalog to JSON, streamed into the temp file (buffered writes included).
+    pub serialize_ms: f64,
+    /// Flushing, `sync_all` and the atomic rename of `catalog.snap`.
+    pub write_sync_ms: f64,
+    /// Resetting `catalog.log` (an atomic rewrite to empty, or to the records appended while a
+    /// background snapshot ran; fsynced).
+    pub reset_ms: f64,
+    /// Start to finish (for a background snapshot: until [`Journal::poll`] saw it done).
+    pub total_ms: f64,
+    /// How long the caller was blocked (equal to `total_ms` unless `background`).
+    pub blocking_ms: f64,
+    /// Written by a worker thread.
+    pub background: bool,
+    /// Size of `catalog.snap`.
+    pub bytes: u64,
+    /// Log records the snapshot compacted.
+    pub records: u64,
+}
+
+/// `LIGHTCRAFT_PROFILE` is set: print persistence timings to stderr.
+fn profiling() -> bool {
+    static ON: std::sync::OnceLock<bool> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+    *ON.get_or_init(|| std::env::var_os("LIGHTCRAFT_PROFILE").is_some())
+}
+
+fn ms_since(t: web_time::Instant) -> f64 {
+    t.elapsed().as_secs_f64() * 1e3
 }
 
 pub struct Journal {
@@ -63,6 +176,29 @@ pub struct Journal {
     log_records: u64,
     log_bytes: u64,
     pub policy: SnapshotPolicy,
+    stats: PersistStats,
+    /// The background snapshot in flight.
+    pending: Option<Pending>,
+    /// After a failed background snapshot: don't retry before the log has this many records.
+    retry_at_records: u64,
+    /// A failed append may have left part of its records after `log_bytes`, and cutting them off
+    /// failed too: the next append cuts the log back to `log_bytes` first.
+    tail_dirty: bool,
+}
+
+/// A background snapshot in flight.
+struct Pending {
+    /// The snapshot holds the state after this op.
+    seq: u64,
+    /// Log bytes / records appended since it started (all `> seq`): the log once it's done.
+    tail: Vec<u8>,
+    tail_records: u64,
+    /// Log records it compacts.
+    records: u64,
+    started: web_time::Instant,
+    /// Time the caller spent starting it.
+    start_ms: f64,
+    worker: std::thread::JoinHandle<std::io::Result<SnapshotTiming>>,
 }
 
 fn io(e: std::io::Error) -> CatalogError {
@@ -76,24 +212,93 @@ pub fn encode_record(seq: u64, op: &Op) -> String {
     format!("{{\"seq\":{seq},\"crc\":{crc},\"op\":{body}}}")
 }
 
-/// Parse one log line (without the newline). `None` if it's malformed or the CRC doesn't match.
+/// Parse one log line (without the newline). `None` if it's malformed, the CRC doesn't match, or
+/// the op is one this version doesn't know (see [`Journal::open`]).
 pub fn decode_record(line: &str) -> Option<(u64, Op)> {
-    let rest = line.strip_prefix("{\"seq\":")?;
-    let (seq, rest) = rest.split_once(",\"crc\":")?;
-    let (crc, rest) = rest.split_once(",\"op\":")?;
-    let body = rest.strip_suffix('}')?;
-    let seq: u64 = seq.parse().ok()?;
-    let crc: u32 = crc.parse().ok()?;
-    if crc32fast::hash(body.as_bytes()) != crc {
-        return None;
+    match decode_line(line) {
+        Line::Record(seq, op) => Some((seq, op)),
+        Line::Newer(_) | Line::Bad => None,
     }
-    serde_json::from_str(body).ok().map(|op| (seq, op))
 }
 
+/// One log line, decoded.
+enum Line {
+    Record(u64, Op),
+    /// The CRC matches — the line is exactly what was written — but the op doesn't parse: it
+    /// was written by a newer LightCraft (an op or field this version doesn't know), not damaged.
+    Newer(u64),
+    /// Malformed or a CRC mismatch: torn or damaged.
+    Bad,
+}
+
+fn decode_line(line: &str) -> Line {
+    let parts = || {
+        let rest = line.strip_prefix("{\"seq\":")?;
+        let (seq, rest) = rest.split_once(",\"crc\":")?;
+        let (crc, rest) = rest.split_once(",\"op\":")?;
+        let body = rest.strip_suffix('}')?;
+        Some((seq.parse::<u64>().ok()?, crc.parse::<u32>().ok()?, body))
+    };
+    let Some((seq, crc, body)) = parts() else { return Line::Bad };
+    if crc32fast::hash(body.as_bytes()) != crc {
+        return Line::Bad;
+    }
+    match serde_json::from_str(body) {
+        Ok(op) => Line::Record(seq, op),
+        Err(_) => Line::Newer(seq),
+    }
+}
+
+/// The error for a library written by a newer LightCraft.
+fn newer(what: String) -> CatalogError {
+    CatalogError::Newer(format!("{what}; this version reads catalog format v{VERSION} and older"))
+}
+
+/// A line that doesn't decode but ends with a whole record: a fragment of a failed append followed
+/// by the record that retried it (the retry re-encodes the same ops with the same `seq`s). Returns
+/// the fragment's length and the record, if that record continues the log (`seq <= last + 1`).
+/// The record's CRC must match, so damage is never mistaken for it.
+fn resync(line: &[u8], last: u64) -> Option<(usize, (u64, Op))> {
+    const START: &[u8] = b"{\"seq\":";
+    (1..line.len().saturating_sub(START.len() - 1)).filter(|&i| line[i..].starts_with(START)).find_map(|i| {
+        let rec = std::str::from_utf8(&line[i..]).ok().map(|l| l.trim_end_matches('\r')).and_then(decode_record)?;
+        (rec.0 <= last + 1).then_some((i, rec))
+    })
+}
+
+/// Write `catalog.snap` for the state after op `seq`, streaming the JSON into the store (no
+/// whole-file string). The bytes are exactly
+/// `{"format":"lightcraft-catalog","version":1,"seq":N,"catalog":<serde_json of the catalog>}\n`,
+/// as before streaming. Fills in the serialise / write+sync times and the size.
+fn write_snapshot(store: &mut dyn Store, seq: u64, catalog: &Catalog) -> std::io::Result<SnapshotTiming> {
+    let t0 = web_time::Instant::now();
+    let mut serialize_ms = 0.0;
+    let bytes = store.write_atomic_with(SNAPSHOT, &mut |w| {
+        use std::io::Write;
+        let t = web_time::Instant::now();
+        // serde_json emits many tiny writes: buffer them in a concrete writer (inlined), so only
+        // 1 MiB chunks go through the store's `dyn Write`
+        let mut b = std::io::BufWriter::with_capacity(1 << 20, w);
+        write!(b, "{{\"format\":\"{FORMAT}\",\"version\":{VERSION},\"seq\":{seq},\"catalog\":")?;
+        serde_json::to_writer(&mut b, catalog).map_err(std::io::Error::other)?;
+        b.write_all(b"}\n")?;
+        b.flush()?;
+        serialize_ms = ms_since(t);
+        Ok(())
+    })?;
+    Ok(SnapshotTiming { serialize_ms, write_sync_ms: (ms_since(t0) - serialize_ms).max(0.0), bytes, ..Default::default() })
+}
+
+/// Just the identification of `catalog.snap` (read before the catalog itself).
 #[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
-struct SnapFile {
+struct SnapHeader {
     format: String,
     version: u32,
+}
+
+/// The whole `catalog.snap` (after [`SnapHeader`] was checked; `format` and `version` are ignored).
+#[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
+struct SnapFile {
     seq: u64,
     catalog: Catalog,
 }
@@ -106,18 +311,34 @@ impl Journal {
         let snap = store.read(SNAPSHOT).map_err(io)?;
         let log = store.read(LOG).map_err(io)?;
         report.created = snap.is_none() && log.is_none();
-        let (mut catalog, snapshot_seq) = match snap {
+        let (mut catalog, snapshot_seq, snapshot_version) = match snap {
             Some(bytes) => {
-                let s: SnapFile = serde_json::from_slice(&bytes).map_err(|e| CatalogError::Corrupt(format!("{SNAPSHOT}: {e}")))?;
-                if s.format != FORMAT || s.version > VERSION {
-                    return Err(CatalogError::Corrupt(format!("{SNAPSHOT}: unsupported format {} v{}", s.format, s.version)));
+                // the header first: a newer snapshot may not parse as this version's catalog
+                let h: SnapHeader = serde_json::from_slice(&bytes).map_err(|e| CatalogError::Corrupt(format!("{SNAPSHOT}: {e}")))?;
+                if h.format != FORMAT {
+                    return Err(CatalogError::Corrupt(format!("{SNAPSHOT}: not a LightCraft catalog (format {:?})", h.format)));
                 }
-                (s.catalog, s.seq)
+                if h.version > VERSION {
+                    return Err(newer(format!("{SNAPSHOT} is catalog format v{}", h.version)));
+                }
+                let s: SnapFile = serde_json::from_slice(&bytes).map_err(|e| CatalogError::Corrupt(format!("{SNAPSHOT}: {e}")))?;
+                (s.catalog, s.seq, Some(h.version))
             }
-            None => (Catalog::new(), 0),
+            None => (Catalog::new(), 0, None),
         };
         report.snapshot_seq = snapshot_seq;
-        let mut j = Journal { store, seq: snapshot_seq, snapshot_seq, log_records: 0, log_bytes: 0, policy: SnapshotPolicy::default() };
+        let mut j = Journal {
+            store,
+            seq: snapshot_seq,
+            snapshot_seq,
+            log_records: 0,
+            log_bytes: 0,
+            policy: SnapshotPolicy::default(),
+            stats: PersistStats::default(),
+            pending: None,
+            retry_at_records: 0,
+            tail_dirty: false,
+        };
         let log = log.unwrap_or_default();
 
         // Scan records; `good_end` is the byte offset just past the last good record.
@@ -136,7 +357,22 @@ impl Journal {
                 good_end = next;
                 continue;
             }
-            match line.and_then(decode_record) {
+            let mut record = line.and_then(decode_record);
+            if record.is_none()
+                && let Some((at, r)) = resync(&log[pos..line_end], j.seq)
+            {
+                // the torn start of a failed append, then the retried records (older builds
+                // appended them right after the fragment)
+                log::warn!("catalog log: skipped a partial record ({at} bytes) left by a failed write");
+                report.torn_fragments += 1;
+                record = Some(r);
+            }
+            if record.is_none()
+                && let Some(Line::Newer(seq)) = line.map(decode_line)
+            {
+                return Err(newer(format!("{LOG} record {seq} holds a change this version doesn't know")));
+            }
+            match record {
                 Some((seq, op)) if seq <= j.seq => {
                     // already in the snapshot
                     let _ = op;
@@ -152,7 +388,15 @@ impl Journal {
                 }
                 _ => {
                     // bad record (or a gap): torn tail if nothing good follows, else damage
-                    let rest_has_good = log[next..].split(|b| *b == b'\n').any(|l| std::str::from_utf8(l).ok().and_then(decode_record).is_some());
+                    let mut rest_has_good = false;
+                    for l in log[next..].split(|b| *b == b'\n') {
+                        match std::str::from_utf8(l).map(|l| decode_line(l.trim_end_matches('\r'))) {
+                            Ok(Line::Record(..)) => rest_has_good = true,
+                            // refused before anything is modified
+                            Ok(Line::Newer(seq)) => return Err(newer(format!("{LOG} record {seq} holds a change this version doesn't know"))),
+                            Ok(Line::Bad) | Err(_) => {}
+                        }
+                    }
                     if rest_has_good {
                         damaged_at = Some(pos);
                     }
@@ -176,10 +420,34 @@ impl Journal {
                 report.torn_bytes = (log.len() - good_end) as u64;
                 log::warn!("catalog log: dropped a torn final record ({} bytes)", report.torn_bytes);
                 j.store.truncate(LOG, good_end as u64).map_err(io)?;
+                j.log_bytes = good_end as u64;
             } else if needs_newline {
                 j.store.append(LOG, b"\n").map_err(io)?;
+                j.log_bytes = good_end as u64 + 1;
+            } else {
+                j.log_bytes = good_end as u64;
+            }
+        }
+        // Bring an older (or new, or snapshot-less) library to this version's format before
+        // anything is appended: a snapshot in this format makes older builds refuse the library
+        // instead of misreading ops or dropping fields they don't know.
+        if report.created {
+            // tiny: written directly, not counted as a compaction
+            let empty = format!("{{\"format\":\"{FORMAT}\",\"version\":{VERSION},\"seq\":0,\"catalog\":{}}}\n", catalog.to_snapshot());
+            if let Err(e) = j.store.write_atomic(SNAPSHOT, empty.as_bytes()) {
+                log::warn!("catalog: can't write the new library's snapshot: {e}");
+            }
+        } else if report.damaged.is_none() && snapshot_version != Some(VERSION) {
+            report.upgraded_from = Some(snapshot_version.unwrap_or(0));
+            match j.snapshot(&catalog) {
+                Ok(()) => {
+                    if let Some(v) = report.upgraded_from {
+                        log::info!("catalog: upgraded from format v{v} to v{VERSION}");
+                    }
+                }
+                // nothing lost: the old files are intact and still load; retried on next open
+                Err(e) => log::warn!("catalog: can't write the format v{VERSION} snapshot: {e}"),
             }
-            j.log_bytes = good_end as u64;
         }
         catalog.revision = 0;
         Ok((j, catalog, report))
@@ -190,6 +458,7 @@ impl Journal {
         if ops.is_empty() {
             return Ok(());
         }
+        let t0 = web_time::Instant::now();
         let mut buf = String::new();
         let mut seq = self.seq;
         for op in ops {
@@ -197,29 +466,202 @@ impl Journal {
             buf.push_str(&encode_record(seq, op));
             buf.push('\n');
         }
-        self.store.append(LOG, buf.as_bytes()).map_err(io)?;
+        if self.tail_dirty {
+            self.store.truncate(LOG, self.log_bytes).map_err(io)?;
+            self.tail_dirty = false;
+        }
+        if let Err(e) = self.store.append(LOG, buf.as_bytes()) {
+            // Part of the batch may be in the file. Cut it back to the last whole record, so the
+            // retry (same seqs) starts on a clean line instead of after a fragment that would
+            // read back as damage.
+            if let Err(t) = self.store.truncate(LOG, self.log_bytes) {
+                log::error!("catalog: can't cut the log back after a failed append: {t}");
+                self.tail_dirty = true;
+            }
+            return Err(io(e));
+        }
+        if let Some(p) = self.pending.as_mut() {
+            p.tail.extend_from_slice(buf.as_bytes());
+            p.tail_records += ops.len() as u64;
+        }
         self.seq = seq;
         self.log_records += ops.len() as u64;
         self.log_bytes += buf.len() as u64;
+        let ms = ms_since(t0);
+        self.stats.appends += 1;
+        self.stats.last_append_ms = ms;
+        self.stats.max_append_ms = self.stats.max_append_ms.max(ms);
+        if profiling() {
+            eprintln!("catalog: append {} op(s), {} B: {ms:.2} ms", ops.len(), buf.len());
+        }
         Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Write a snapshot of `catalog` (which must reflect every appended op) and reset the log.
     pub fn snapshot(&mut self, catalog: &Catalog) -> Result<()> {
-        let body = serde_json::to_string(catalog).map_err(|e| CatalogError::Invalid(e.to_string()))?;
-        let file = format!("{{\"format\":\"{FORMAT}\",\"version\":{VERSION},\"seq\":{},\"catalog\":{body}}}\n", self.seq);
-        self.store.write_atomic(SNAPSHOT, file.as_bytes()).map_err(io)?;
+        self.snapshot_with_unlogged(catalog, 0)
+    }
+
+    /// [`Journal::snapshot`] of a catalog that also reflects `unlogged` ops applied after the
+    /// last appended one but never written to the log (their append failed). The snapshot counts
+    /// them (it holds the state after op `seq + unlogged`), so they are saved and must not be
+    /// appended afterwards. Once the snapshot is durable [`Journal::seq`] includes them, even if
+    /// resetting the log then fails (the error is still returned).
+    pub fn snapshot_with_unlogged(&mut self, catalog: &Catalog, unlogged: u64) -> Result<()> {
+        // never two snapshot writers; the one in flight is older, so it must land first
+        if let Err(e) = self.wait() {
+            log::warn!("catalog: background snapshot failed ({e}); writing one now");
+        }
+        let t0 = web_time::Instant::now();
+        let seq = self.seq + unlogged;
+        let mut timing = match write_snapshot(self.store.as_mut(), seq, catalog) {
+            Ok(t) => t,
+            Err(e) => {
+                // nothing lost (the log is whole); don't retry on every append
+                self.stats.failed_snapshots += 1;
+                self.retry_at_records = self.log_records + self.policy.max_records;
+                return Err(io(e));
+            }
+        };
+        // the snapshot is durable: it holds every op up to `seq`
+        self.seq = seq;
+        self.snapshot_seq = seq;
+        let t2 = web_time::Instant::now();
         // A crash here leaves old records in the log; they are skipped by seq on load.
         self.store.write_atomic(LOG, b"").map_err(io)?;
-        self.snapshot_seq = self.seq;
+        timing.reset_ms = ms_since(t2);
+        timing.total_ms = ms_since(t0);
+        timing.blocking_ms = timing.total_ms;
+        timing.records = self.log_records;
+        self.record_snapshot(timing);
         self.log_records = 0;
         self.log_bytes = 0;
+        self.retry_at_records = 0;
+        self.tail_dirty = false;
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Compact like [`Journal::snapshot`], but write the snapshot on a worker thread from a copy
+    /// of `catalog` (cheap: photos are shared) when the store supports it (else synchronously).
+    /// `catalog` must reflect every appended op. Appends go on meanwhile; [`Journal::poll`]
+    /// finishes the compaction. No-op while a snapshot is already in flight.
+    pub fn snapshot_in_background(&mut self, catalog: &Catalog) -> Result<()> {
+        if self.pending.is_some() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        let t0 = web_time::Instant::now();
+        let Some(mut writer) = self.store.background_writer() else { return self.snapshot(catalog) };
+        let copy = catalog.clone();
+        let seq = self.seq;
+        let spawned = std::thread::Builder::new().name("catalog-snapshot".into()).spawn(move || write_snapshot(writer.as_mut(), seq, &copy));
+        let worker = match spawned {
+            Ok(w) => w,
+            Err(e) => {
+                log::warn!("catalog: can't start a snapshot thread ({e}); writing it now");
+                return self.snapshot(catalog);
+            }
+        };
+        self.pending =
+            Some(Pending { seq, tail: Vec::new(), tail_records: 0, records: self.log_records, started: t0, start_ms: ms_since(t0), worker });
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Finish a background snapshot if its worker is done (cheap otherwise). Returns whether one
+    /// finished. An error means the snapshot failed: nothing was lost (the log is whole), and
+    /// compaction is retried once the log has grown by another [`SnapshotPolicy::max_records`].
+    pub fn poll(&mut self) -> Result<bool> {
+        if !self.pending.as_ref().is_some_and(|p| p.worker.is_finished()) {
+            return Ok(false);
+        }
+        self.finish().map(|()| true)
+    }
+
+    /// Wait for the background snapshot in flight, if any, and finish it.
+    pub fn wait(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        if self.pending.is_none() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        self.finish()
+    }
+
+    /// A background snapshot is in flight (until [`Journal::poll`] or [`Journal::wait`] finish it).
+    pub fn snapshot_running(&self) -> bool {
+        self.pending.is_some()
+    }
+
+    /// The background worker is done (its result not yet applied by [`Journal::poll`]).
+    pub fn snapshot_written(&self) -> bool {
+        self.pending.as_ref().is_some_and(|p| p.worker.is_finished())
+    }
+
+    /// Join the worker; on success replace the log with the records appended meanwhile.
+    fn finish(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        let Some(p) = self.pending.take() else { return Ok(()) };
+        let t0 = web_time::Instant::now();
+        let written = p.worker.join().unwrap_or_else(|_| Err(std::io::Error::other("snapshot thread panicked")));
+        let mut timing = match written {
+            Ok(t) => t,
+            Err(e) => {
+                // the log still holds every record: nothing lost, retry later
+                self.stats.failed_snapshots += 1;
+                self.retry_at_records = self.log_records + self.policy.max_records;
+                log::error!("catalog: background snapshot failed: {e}");
+                return Err(io(e));
+            }
+        };
+        // `catalog.snap` (op `p.seq`) is durable; the log's records `<= p.seq` are now stale.
+        // Keep exactly the ones appended since (a crash before this rewrite skips the stale ones).
+        let t1 = web_time::Instant::now();
+        self.snapshot_seq = p.seq;
+        if let Err(e) = self.store.write_atomic(LOG, &p.tail) {
+            // the log stays whole (stale records are skipped on load); compact again later
+            self.retry_at_records = self.log_records + self.policy.max_records;
+            log::error!("catalog: can't trim the log after a snapshot: {e}");
+            return Err(io(e));
+        }
+        timing.reset_ms = ms_since(t1);
+        timing.total_ms = ms_since(p.started);
+        timing.blocking_ms = p.start_ms + ms_since(t0);
+        timing.background = true;
+        timing.records = p.records;
+        self.record_snapshot(timing);
+        self.log_records = p.tail_records;
+        self.log_bytes = p.tail.len() as u64;
+        self.retry_at_records = 0;
+        self.tail_dirty = false;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn record_snapshot(&mut self, t: SnapshotTiming) {
+        self.stats.snapshots += 1;
+        self.stats.last_snapshot = t;
+        self.stats.max_snapshot_ms = self.stats.max_snapshot_ms.max(t.total_ms);
+        self.stats.max_blocking_ms = self.stats.max_blocking_ms.max(t.blocking_ms);
+        if profiling() {
+            eprintln!(
+                "catalog: {}snapshot of {} records, {} B: serialize {:.1} ms, write+sync {:.1} ms, log reset {:.1} ms, total {:.1} ms, blocking {:.1} ms",
+                if t.background { "background " } else { "" },
+                t.records,
+                t.bytes,
+                t.serialize_ms,
+                t.write_sync_ms,
+                t.reset_ms,
+                t.total_ms,
+                t.blocking_ms
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Where persistence time went so far.
+    pub fn stats(&self) -> PersistStats {
+        PersistStats { snapshot_running: self.pending.is_some(), ..self.stats }
+    }
+
     /// The log is long enough to be worth compacting.
     pub fn wants_snapshot(&self) -> bool {
-        self.log_records >= self.policy.max_records || self.log_bytes >= self.policy.max_bytes
+        self.pending.is_none()
+            && self.log_records >= self.retry_at_records
+            && (self.log_records >= self.policy.max_records || self.log_bytes >= self.policy.max_bytes)
     }
 
     pub fn seq(&self) -> u64 {
@@ -238,3 +680,16 @@ impl Journal {
         self.store.describe()
     }
 }
+
+impl Drop for Journal {
+    /// Wait for a background snapshot (never leave a writer behind that could replace a newer
+    /// snapshot of a journal reopened on the same files). The log is left whole: the snapshot's
+    /// records in it are skipped as stale on the next load.
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if let Some(p) = self.pending.take()
+            && let Ok(Err(e)) = p.worker.join()
+        {
+            log::error!("catalog: background snapshot failed: {e}");
+        }
+    }
+}

crates/catalog/src/lib.rs

@@ -5,14 +5,23 @@
 //!   snapshot — crash-safe and diff-friendly (see [`journal`]);
 //! - **undo/redo**: the engine keeps inverse ops;
 //! - **determinism**: replaying the log reproduces the state exactly (property-tested).
+//!
+//! **Catalog format version** ([`journal::VERSION`], see [`journal`] → *Format versions*): adding
+//! an [`Op`] variant or a serialized field means bumping it. Newer builds read every older format
+//! (and upgrade it on open); older builds refuse a newer library with [`CatalogError::Newer`]
+//! instead of reading part of it.
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 pub mod dates;
 pub mod journal;
 pub mod keywords;
+pub mod local;
+pub mod lock;
 pub mod model;
 pub mod query;
 pub mod rules;
+pub mod safe_file;
 pub mod stacks;
 pub mod store;
 
@@ -20,9 +29,11 @@ use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 pub use dates::{DateRun, GroupBy};
-pub use journal::{Journal, LoadReport, SnapshotPolicy};
+pub use journal::{Journal, LoadReport, PersistStats, SnapshotPolicy, SnapshotTiming};
 pub use keywords::KeywordNode;
 use lightcraft_develop::DevelopSettings;
+pub use local::{DEFAULT_FORGET_DAYS, ForgetPlan, folder_of};
+pub use lock::{LibraryLock, LockError, LockOwner};
 pub use model::*;
 pub use query::{DateGroup, Filter, RatingOp, Sort, SortKey};
 pub use rules::{Match, Rule, RuleSet};
@@ -43,6 +54,10 @@ pub enum CatalogError {
     Corrupt(String),
     #[error("catalog storage: {0}")]
     Io(String),
+    /// The library was written by a newer LightCraft (a newer catalog format, or a change this
+    /// version doesn't know). Nothing was read into the session and nothing was modified.
+    #[error("this library was written by a newer version of LightCraft ({0}); update LightCraft to open it. The library was left unchanged.")]
+    Newer(String),
 }
 
 pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, CatalogError>;
@@ -189,6 +204,12 @@ pub enum Op {
         label: ColorLabel,
         name: Option<String>,
     },
+    /// When a Local folder was last browsed (ISO 8601; `None` = forget the time). Not an undo
+    /// step: it drives forgetting untouched Local records (see [`local`]).
+    SetBrowsed {
+        folder: String,
+        at: Option<String>,
+    },
     /// Several ops as one step (undo applies the inverses in reverse).
     Batch {
         ops: Vec<Op>,
@@ -208,6 +229,9 @@ pub struct Catalog {
     /// Custom colour label names.
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "BTreeMap::is_empty")]
     label_names: BTreeMap<ColorLabel, String>,
+    /// When each Local folder was last browsed (folder path → ISO 8601), see [`local`].
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "BTreeMap::is_empty")]
+    browsed: BTreeMap<String, String>,
     /// Increments on every applied op.
     #[serde(skip)]
     pub revision: u64,
@@ -289,7 +313,8 @@ impl Catalog {
     /// Number of photos shown for an album in the sources list (excludes deleted photos).
     pub fn album_count(&self, id: AlbumId) -> usize {
         match self.albums.get(&id) {
-            Some(Album { smart: Some(_), .. }) => self.album_photos(id).len(),
+            // counted in place: no id list is built just for its length
+            Some(Album { smart: Some(_), .. }) => self.photos.values().filter(|p| self.album_contains(id, p)).count(),
             Some(a) => a.photos.iter().filter(|p| self.photos.get(p).is_some_and(|p| !p.deleted)).count(),
             None => 0,
         }
@@ -545,6 +570,14 @@ impl Catalog {
                 };
                 Op::SetLabelName { label, name: old }
             }
+            Op::SetBrowsed { folder, at } => {
+                let folder = crate::query::folder_key(&folder);
+                let old = match at {
+                    Some(t) => self.browsed.insert(folder.clone(), t),
+                    None => self.browsed.remove(&folder),
+                };
+                Op::SetBrowsed { folder, at: old }
+            }
             Op::Batch { ops } => {
                 let mut inverses = Vec::with_capacity(ops.len());
                 for op in ops {
@@ -620,4 +653,14 @@ impl Catalog {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests;
 #[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_background;
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_format_version;
+#[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_journal;
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_local;
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_lock;
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_torn_append;

crates/catalog/src/local.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,304 @@
+//! Forgetting untouched Local browse records.
+//!
+//! Browsing a folder (Local) catalogues its photos as `local` records so they can be shown,
+//! rated and edited in place. Most are only ever looked at, and on a large disk they can be most
+//! of the catalog. A record is **forgotten** (removed from the catalog, never from the disk —
+//! files and XMP sidecars are not touched) when all of these hold:
+//!
+//! - it is a Local record ([`Photo::local`]) of a file, not deleted, not a virtual copy;
+//! - its folder was last browsed more than `days` ago ([`Catalog::last_browsed`]). A folder with
+//!   no recorded time (a catalog from before this existed) counts as browsed *now*: it is stamped
+//!   with the current time and nothing in it is forgotten this time;
+//! - it is **untouched** ([`Photo::untouched_local`]): nothing about it changed since it was
+//!   browsed — see below;
+//! - nothing refers to it: no album holds it or shows it as cover, no stack holds it, no virtual
+//!   copy was made of it; and the caller (the engine) says it isn't in use (visible, selected,
+//!   in the undo history, has a smart preview…).
+//!
+//! **Untouched.** A record catalogued by a browse carries a fingerprint of its whole state at
+//! that moment ([`Photo::local_baseline`]). It is untouched while its state still hashes to that
+//! fingerprint, i.e. *any* change since — develop settings or history, versions, rating, flag,
+//! label, any metadata (title, caption, keywords, location, copyright…), capture time, crop,
+//! rename or relink, culling scores, file content — keeps it. Records without a fingerprint
+//! (browsed before fingerprints existed) are judged by their data alone and kept unless every
+//! user-editable field is still empty / default: no rating, flag or label; develop settings equal
+//! to the import defaults with no history, versions or edit time; no title, caption, alt text,
+//! description, keywords, creator, copyright, rights, location or GPS; no culling scores.
+//! When in doubt a record is kept.
+//!
+//! Browsing the folder again catalogues its files afresh (new records, new fingerprints).
+
+use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet, HashSet};
+
+use serde::Serialize;
+
+use crate::{Catalog, Op, Photo, PhotoId, Source};
+
+/// Default for how long a Local folder may go unbrowsed before its untouched records are
+/// forgotten (days).
+pub const DEFAULT_FORGET_DAYS: u32 = 30;
+
+/// Records removed per logged batch (keeps log lines a reasonable size).
+const BATCH: usize = 2000;
+
+/// 64-bit FNV-1a over everything written to it (stable across builds and platforms, unlike
+/// `std`'s hasher), so a photo is hashed as it serialises, without a buffer.
+struct Fnv(u64);
+
+impl std::io::Write for Fnv {
+    fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<usize> {
+        for b in buf {
+            self.0 ^= u64::from(*b);
+            self.0 = self.0.wrapping_mul(0x0100_0000_01b3);
+        }
+        Ok(buf.len())
+    }
+    fn flush(&mut self) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// The folder a file-backed photo is in (`None` for demo photos).
+pub fn folder_of(p: &Photo) -> Option<String> {
+    match &p.source {
+        // `/` and `\` are both separators whatever the platform (a catalog can move between them)
+        Source::File { path } => {
+            let key = crate::query::folder_key(path);
+            key.rsplit_once('/').map(|(dir, _)| if dir.is_empty() { "/".to_string() } else { dir.to_string() })
+        }
+        Source::Demo { .. } => None,
+    }
+}
+
+impl Photo {
+    /// A hash of everything about the photo except [`Photo::local_baseline`] itself.
+    pub fn fingerprint(&self) -> u64 {
+        let mut h = Fnv(0xcbf2_9ce4_8422_2325);
+        let r = if self.local_baseline.is_some() {
+            let mut p = self.clone();
+            p.local_baseline = None;
+            serde_json::to_writer(&mut h, &p)
+        } else {
+            serde_json::to_writer(&mut h, self)
+        };
+        // (serialising a photo can't fail; if it ever did, no baseline would match: kept)
+        if r.is_err() { 0 } else { h.0 }
+    }
+
+    /// Record the current state as the browse baseline (done when a browse catalogues it).
+    pub fn set_local_baseline(&mut self) {
+        self.local_baseline = None;
+        self.local_baseline = Some(self.fingerprint());
+    }
+
+    /// A Local record nothing was changed on since it was browsed (see the module docs). Says
+    /// nothing about albums, stacks or virtual copies referring to it.
+    pub fn untouched_local(&self) -> bool {
+        if !self.local || self.deleted || self.copy_of.is_some() || self.copy_name.is_some() || folder_of(self).is_none() {
+            return false;
+        }
+        match self.local_baseline {
+            Some(b) => self.fingerprint() == b,
+            None => self.looks_unedited(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Every user-editable field is still empty / default (records without a baseline).
+    fn looks_unedited(&self) -> bool {
+        let m = &self.meta;
+        self.rating == 0
+            && self.flag == crate::Flag::None
+            && self.label.is_none()
+            && self.edited.is_none()
+            && self.history.is_empty()
+            && self.versions.is_empty()
+            && *self.develop == self.import_defaults()
+            && self.analysis.is_none()
+            && m.title.is_empty()
+            && m.caption.is_empty()
+            && m.alt_text.is_empty()
+            && m.extended_description.is_empty()
+            && m.keywords.is_empty()
+            && m.creator.is_empty()
+            && m.copyright.is_empty()
+            && m.copyright_status.is_unknown()
+            && m.usage_terms.is_empty()
+            && m.copyright_url.is_empty()
+            && m.location.is_empty()
+            && m.city.is_empty()
+            && m.state.is_empty()
+            && m.country.is_empty()
+            && m.gps.is_none()
+    }
+}
+
+/// What forgetting Local records would do / did.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Serialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub struct ForgetPlan {
+    /// Local records looked at.
+    pub local: usize,
+    /// Records to forget.
+    pub evict: Vec<PhotoId>,
+    /// Kept: their folder was browsed within the period (or has no time yet).
+    pub kept_recent: usize,
+    /// Kept: changed by the user since they were browsed.
+    pub kept_touched: usize,
+    /// Kept: in an album, a stack, the source of a virtual copy, or in use.
+    pub kept_in_use: usize,
+    /// Folders with Local records but no last-browsed time: stamped now.
+    pub stamp: Vec<String>,
+    /// Folders whose last Local record goes: their time is dropped.
+    pub unstamp: Vec<String>,
+    /// The time stamps are given.
+    #[serde(skip)]
+    pub now: String,
+}
+
+impl ForgetPlan {
+    /// The ops that carry the plan out (empty when there is nothing to do).
+    pub fn ops(&self) -> Vec<Op> {
+        let mut ops: Vec<Op> = self.stamp.iter().map(|f| Op::SetBrowsed { folder: f.clone(), at: Some(self.now.clone()) }).collect();
+        ops.extend(self.evict.chunks(BATCH).map(|c| Op::Batch { ops: c.iter().map(|id| Op::RemovePhoto { id: *id }).collect() }));
+        ops.extend(self.unstamp.iter().map(|f| Op::SetBrowsed { folder: f.clone(), at: None }));
+        ops
+    }
+}
+
+impl Catalog {
+    /// When `folder` was last browsed (ISO 8601), if known.
+    pub fn last_browsed(&self, folder: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.browsed.get(&crate::query::folder_key(folder)).map(String::as_str)
+    }
+
+    /// Folders with a last-browsed time.
+    pub fn browsed_folders(&self) -> &BTreeMap<String, String> {
+        &self.browsed
+    }
+
+    /// Plan forgetting untouched Local records whose folder wasn't browsed for `days` days (as of
+    /// `now`, ISO 8601). `in_use` keeps records the caller still needs. `days == 0` (never) or an
+    /// unreadable `now` forgets nothing. See the module docs.
+    pub fn forget_local_plan(&self, now: &str, days: u32, in_use: &dyn Fn(&Photo) -> bool) -> ForgetPlan {
+        let mut plan = ForgetPlan { now: now.to_string(), ..Default::default() };
+        let now_s = crate::stacks::iso_seconds(now);
+        let max_age = i64::from(days) * 86_400;
+        let mut referenced: HashSet<PhotoId> = HashSet::new();
+        for a in self.albums.values() {
+            referenced.extend(a.photos.iter().copied());
+            referenced.extend(a.cover);
+        }
+        for s in self.stacks.values() {
+            referenced.extend(s.photos.iter().copied());
+        }
+        referenced.extend(self.photos.values().filter_map(|p| p.copy_of));
+        // the fingerprints are the costly part: work them out for the candidates in parallel
+        let candidates: Vec<&Photo> = self
+            .photos
+            .values()
+            .filter(|p| p.local && !referenced.contains(&p.id))
+            .filter(|p| folder_of(p).and_then(|f| self.browsed.get(&f)).is_some_and(|at| is_old(at, now_s, days, max_age)))
+            .map(|p| &**p)
+            .collect();
+        let untouched: HashSet<PhotoId> = untouched_of(&candidates);
+        let mut stamp = BTreeSet::new();
+        let mut remaining: BTreeSet<String> = BTreeSet::new();
+        for p in self.photos.values().filter(|p| p.local) {
+            plan.local += 1;
+            let Some(folder) = folder_of(p) else {
+                plan.kept_in_use += 1;
+                continue;
+            };
+            let recent = match (self.browsed.get(&folder), now_s) {
+                (None, _) => {
+                    stamp.insert(folder.clone());
+                    true
+                }
+                (Some(at), _) => !is_old(at, now_s, days, max_age),
+            };
+            let keep = if recent {
+                plan.kept_recent += 1;
+                true
+            } else if referenced.contains(&p.id) || in_use(p) {
+                plan.kept_in_use += 1;
+                true
+            } else if !untouched.contains(&p.id) {
+                plan.kept_touched += 1;
+                true
+            } else {
+                plan.evict.push(p.id);
+                false
+            };
+            if keep {
+                remaining.insert(folder);
+            }
+        }
+        plan.stamp = stamp.into_iter().collect();
+        plan.unstamp = self.browsed.keys().filter(|f| !remaining.contains(*f)).cloned().collect();
+        plan
+    }
+}
+
+/// A folder browsed at `at` is past the period (never when `days` is 0 or a time is unreadable).
+fn is_old(at: &str, now_s: Option<i64>, days: u32, max_age: i64) -> bool {
+    days > 0 && matches!((now_s, crate::stacks::iso_seconds(at)), (Some(n), Some(a)) if n - a >= max_age)
+}
+
+/// The untouched ones among `photos` ([`Photo::untouched_local`]), checked on several threads
+/// where there are many.
+fn untouched_of(photos: &[&Photo]) -> HashSet<PhotoId> {
+    let check = |chunk: &[&Photo]| chunk.iter().filter(|p| p.untouched_local()).map(|p| p.id).collect::<Vec<_>>();
+    #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+    {
+        let threads = std::thread::available_parallelism().map_or(1, |n| n.get()).min(8);
+        if threads > 1 && photos.len() >= 256 {
+            let size = photos.len().div_ceil(threads);
+            return std::thread::scope(|sc| {
+                let jobs: Vec<_> = photos.chunks(size).map(|c| sc.spawn(move || check(c))).collect();
+                // a job that panicked (it can't) leaves its photos out: they are kept
+                jobs.into_iter().filter_map(|j| j.join().ok()).flatten().collect()
+            });
+        }
+    }
+    check(photos).into_iter().collect()
+}
+
+impl Op {
+    /// Every photo the op refers to.
+    pub fn photo_ids(&self, out: &mut impl FnMut(PhotoId)) {
+        match self {
+            Op::AddPhoto { photo } => out(photo.id),
+            Op::RemovePhoto { id }
+            | Op::SetRating { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetFlag { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetLabel { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetDevelop { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetMeta { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetDeleted { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetLocal { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetVersions { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetHistory { id, .. }
+            | Op::PushHistory { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetCaptured { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetAnalysis { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetFile { id, .. }
+            | Op::Relink { id, .. }
+            | Op::SetContent { id, .. } => out(*id),
+            Op::AddAlbum { album } => {
+                album.photos.iter().for_each(|p| out(*p));
+                album.cover.into_iter().for_each(&mut *out);
+            }
+            Op::SetAlbumPhotos { photos, .. } | Op::SetStack { photos, .. } => photos.iter().for_each(|p| out(*p)),
+            Op::SetAlbumCover { cover, .. } => cover.iter().for_each(|p| out(*p)),
+            Op::AddStack { stack } => stack.photos.iter().for_each(|p| out(*p)),
+            Op::Batch { ops } => ops.iter().for_each(|o| o.photo_ids(out)),
+            Op::RemoveAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::RenameAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::MoveAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::SetAlbumRules { .. }
+            | Op::RemoveStack { .. }
+            | Op::SetLabelName { .. }
+            | Op::SetBrowsed { .. } => {}
+        }
+    }
+}

crates/catalog/src/lock.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+//! One process per library: an exclusive OS lock on `<library>/catalog.lock`, held for as long as
+//! the library is open (issue #99).
+//!
+//! Two processes on the same library (the app and `lightcraft-cli --library`, two app instances,
+//! two computers on a shared folder) would each keep their own catalog and `seq` counter, and
+//! whichever wrote the last snapshot would silently drop the other's edits. So opening a library
+//! takes the lock first, and a second opener gets [`LockError::InUse`] instead.
+//!
+//! - The lock is the OS's (`flock` on Unix, `LockFileEx` on Windows, via [`std::fs::File::try_lock`]):
+//!   it is released when the [`LibraryLock`] is dropped and, after a crash or a kill, by the OS when
+//!   the process ends. A `catalog.lock` file left behind is therefore never "stale": only a lock
+//!   that's actually held refuses the open.
+//! - Who holds it (process id, computer, program, version) is written to `catalog.lock.owner`, for
+//!   the error message. It's a separate file because a Windows lock also blocks reading the
+//!   locked file. It's only a hint: it may be missing or left over from a crash.
+//! - File systems without lock support (some network shares): the library opens unlocked, with a
+//!   warning — refusing it would lock the user out of their own library. Locks over SMB/NFS are
+//!   advisory and depend on the server; the owner file is then the only hint.
+//! - Browser storage (OPFS) has no file locks: see the web host for its own guard.
+
+use std::fs::{File, OpenOptions, TryLockError};
+use std::io;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+/// The lock file in the library directory.
+pub const LOCK: &str = "catalog.lock";
+/// Who holds the lock (JSON, see [`LockOwner`]).
+pub const OWNER: &str = "catalog.lock.owner";
+
+/// Who has the library open (as written in [`OWNER`]).
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[serde(default)]
+pub struct LockOwner {
+    pub pid: u32,
+    /// Computer name, if known.
+    pub host: String,
+    /// The program (`LightCraft`, `lightcraft-cli`…) and its version.
+    pub program: String,
+    pub version: String,
+    /// When it opened the library (seconds since 1970).
+    pub since: u64,
+}
+
+impl LockOwner {
+    /// This process, as `program`.
+    pub fn this_process(program: &str) -> LockOwner {
+        LockOwner {
+            pid: std::process::id(),
+            host: host_name(),
+            program: program.to_string(),
+            version: env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION").to_string(),
+            since: web_time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(web_time::UNIX_EPOCH).map(|d| d.as_secs()).unwrap_or(0),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// "LightCraft 0.3.0 (process 123 on studio-mac)".
+    pub fn describe(&self) -> String {
+        let program = if self.program.is_empty() { "another LightCraft" } else { self.program.as_str() };
+        let version = if self.version.is_empty() { String::new() } else { format!(" {}", self.version) };
+        let host = if self.host.is_empty() {
+            String::new()
+        } else if self.host == host_name() {
+            " on this computer".to_string()
+        } else {
+            format!(" on {}", self.host)
+        };
+        format!("{program}{version} (process {}{host})", self.pid)
+    }
+}
+
+/// The computer's name, best effort (empty if unknown).
+fn host_name() -> String {
+    let env = ["COMPUTERNAME", "HOSTNAME"].iter().find_map(|k| std::env::var(k).ok().filter(|h| !h.trim().is_empty()));
+    env.or_else(|| std::fs::read_to_string("/etc/hostname").ok()).map(|h| h.trim().to_string()).filter(|h| !h.is_empty()).unwrap_or_default()
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+pub enum LockError {
+    /// Another process has the library open.
+    #[error("This library is already open in {}. Close it there first.", .0.as_ref().map(LockOwner::describe).unwrap_or_else(|| "another LightCraft program".into()))]
+    InUse(Option<LockOwner>),
+}
+
+/// The exclusive lock on a library directory; released on drop (and by the OS if the process
+/// dies).
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct LibraryLock {
+    dir: PathBuf,
+    /// `None` when the file system can't lock (the library is open unlocked).
+    _file: Option<File>,
+    held: bool,
+}
+
+impl LibraryLock {
+    /// Lock `dir` (which must exist) for this process. Fails only when another process holds it.
+    pub fn acquire(dir: &Path, program: &str) -> Result<LibraryLock, LockError> {
+        let unlocked = |why: io::Error| {
+            log::warn!("library {}: can't lock {LOCK} ({why}); opening it without protection against a second program", dir.display());
+            LibraryLock { dir: dir.to_path_buf(), _file: None, held: false }
+        };
+        let file = match OpenOptions::new().read(true).write(true).create(true).truncate(false).open(dir.join(LOCK)) {
+            Ok(f) => f,
+            Err(e) => return Ok(unlocked(e)),
+        };
+        match file.try_lock() {
+            Ok(()) => {}
+            Err(TryLockError::WouldBlock) => {
+                let owner = std::fs::read(dir.join(OWNER)).ok().and_then(|b| serde_json::from_slice::<LockOwner>(&b).ok());
+                return Err(LockError::InUse(owner));
+            }
+            Err(TryLockError::Error(e)) => return Ok(unlocked(e)),
+        }
+        let owner = LockOwner::this_process(program);
+        if let Ok(json) = serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&owner)
+            && let Err(e) = std::fs::write(dir.join(OWNER), json)
+        {
+            log::warn!("library {}: can't write {OWNER}: {e}", dir.display());
+        }
+        Ok(LibraryLock { dir: dir.to_path_buf(), _file: Some(file), held: true })
+    }
+
+    /// The OS lock is held (`false`: the file system can't lock; opened unprotected).
+    pub fn held(&self) -> bool {
+        self.held
+    }
+
+    pub fn dir(&self) -> &Path {
+        &self.dir
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for LibraryLock {
+    /// Remove the owner note while still holding the lock (so it can't delete the next holder's),
+    /// then the file handle closes and the OS releases the lock.
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if self.held {
+            let _ = std::fs::remove_file(self.dir.join(OWNER));
+        }
+    }
+}

crates/catalog/src/model.rs

@@ -93,6 +93,65 @@ pub enum Source {
     Demo { scene: u32 },
 }
 
+/// Copyright status (IPTC / XMP Rights Management `xmpRights:Marked`).
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "camelCase")]
+pub enum CopyrightStatus {
+    /// Not stated (no `xmpRights:Marked`).
+    #[default]
+    Unknown,
+    /// `xmpRights:Marked` = True.
+    Copyrighted,
+    /// `xmpRights:Marked` = False.
+    PublicDomain,
+}
+
+impl CopyrightStatus {
+    pub const ALL: [CopyrightStatus; 3] = [CopyrightStatus::Unknown, CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted, CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain];
+    /// `unknown` / `copyrighted` / `publicDomain` (also `public domain`, `public-domain`).
+    pub fn parse(s: &str) -> Option<CopyrightStatus> {
+        match s.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().replace([' ', '-', '_'], "").as_str() {
+            "unknown" | "" => Some(CopyrightStatus::Unknown),
+            "copyrighted" => Some(CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted),
+            "publicdomain" => Some(CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+    /// The id used by commands (`photo.setMeta`'s `copyrightStatus`).
+    pub fn id(self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            CopyrightStatus::Unknown => "unknown",
+            CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted => "copyrighted",
+            CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain => "publicDomain",
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn label(self) -> &'static str {
+        match self {
+            CopyrightStatus::Unknown => "Unknown",
+            CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted => "Copyrighted",
+            CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain => "Public Domain",
+        }
+    }
+    /// As `xmpRights:Marked`: `Some(true)` copyrighted, `Some(false)` public domain.
+    pub fn marked(self) -> Option<bool> {
+        match self {
+            CopyrightStatus::Unknown => None,
+            CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted => Some(true),
+            CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain => Some(false),
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn from_marked(m: Option<bool>) -> CopyrightStatus {
+        match m {
+            None => CopyrightStatus::Unknown,
+            Some(true) => CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted,
+            Some(false) => CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain,
+        }
+    }
+    pub fn is_unknown(&self) -> bool {
+        *self == CopyrightStatus::Unknown
+    }
+}
+
 /// Descriptive + capture metadata.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(default)]
@@ -115,6 +174,13 @@ pub struct Meta {
     pub alt_text: String,
     pub extended_description: String,
     pub copyright: String,
+    /// Copyright status, rights usage terms and copyright info URL (IPTC Core rights fields).
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "CopyrightStatus::is_unknown")]
+    pub copyright_status: CopyrightStatus,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "String::is_empty")]
+    pub usage_terms: String,
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "String::is_empty")]
+    pub copyright_url: String,
     pub creator: String,
     pub keywords: Vec<String>,
 }
@@ -206,6 +272,10 @@ pub struct Photo {
     /// picture style baked in — so it is treated as a rendered (non-raw) source.
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub preview_only: Option<String>,
+    /// A Local record: the fingerprint of its state when the browse catalogued it, to tell
+    /// whether the user changed anything since (see [`crate::local`]).
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub local_baseline: Option<u64>,
 }
 
 /// What assisted culling measured on a photo.
@@ -253,6 +323,7 @@ impl Photo {
             import_look: None,
             analysis: None,
             preview_only: None,
+            local_baseline: None,
         }
     }
     /// A raw file developed from its sensor data: not a rendered image, and not a raw shown from

crates/catalog/src/query.rs

@@ -174,6 +174,11 @@ impl Filter {
         if v.is_empty() { "all photos".into() } else { v.join(", ") }
     }
 
+    /// Whether matches depend on the clock (only "in the last…" rules do).
+    pub fn depends_on_now(&self) -> bool {
+        self.rule_set.as_ref().is_some_and(crate::RuleSet::depends_on_now)
+    }
+
     pub fn matches(&self, p: &Photo, cat: &Catalog) -> bool {
         if p.deleted != self.deleted {
             return false;
@@ -346,6 +351,52 @@ pub fn in_folder(path: &str, dir: &str, deep: bool) -> bool {
     !rest.is_empty() && (deep || !rest.contains(['/', '\\']))
 }
 
+/// A folder path's identity, for telling whether two spellings name the same folder: `/` and
+/// `\\` are both separators, repeated separators, `.` and a trailing separator are dropped,
+/// `..` is resolved lexically, a Windows verbatim prefix (`\\?\`) is removed and the drive
+/// letter lower-cased; on Windows (case-insensitive file names) the whole path is lower-cased.
+/// No file-system access: the paths compared should already be absolute.
+pub fn folder_key(path: &str) -> String {
+    let mut s = path.replace('\\', "/");
+    if let Some(rest) = s.strip_prefix("//?/").or_else(|| s.strip_prefix("//./")) {
+        s = match rest.strip_prefix("UNC/") {
+            Some(unc) => format!("//{unc}"),
+            None => rest.to_string(),
+        };
+    }
+    // the part `..` can't climb above: `//server/share`, `c:` or `/`
+    let (prefix, rest) = if let Some(unc) = s.strip_prefix("//").filter(|u| !u.is_empty() && !u.starts_with('/')) {
+        let mut it = unc.splitn(3, '/');
+        let (server, share, rest) = (it.next().unwrap_or(""), it.next().unwrap_or(""), it.next().unwrap_or(""));
+        (format!("//{server}/{share}"), rest.to_string())
+    } else if s.len() >= 2 && s.as_bytes()[1] == b':' && s.as_bytes()[0].is_ascii_alphabetic() {
+        (s[..2].to_ascii_lowercase(), s[2..].to_string())
+    } else {
+        (String::new(), s.clone())
+    };
+    let absolute = rest.starts_with('/') || !prefix.is_empty();
+    let mut parts: Vec<&str> = Vec::new();
+    for c in rest.split('/') {
+        match c {
+            "" | "." => {}
+            ".." if parts.last().is_some_and(|p| *p != "..") => {
+                parts.pop();
+            }
+            ".." if absolute => {}
+            c => parts.push(c),
+        }
+    }
+    let key = if absolute { format!("{prefix}/{}", parts.join("/")) } else { parts.join("/") };
+    if cfg!(windows) { key.to_lowercase() } else { key }
+}
+
+/// Whether `path` is folder `root` or lies somewhere inside it, however either is spelled
+/// (see [`folder_key`]).
+pub fn folder_within(path: &str, root: &str) -> bool {
+    let (p, r) = (folder_key(path), folder_key(root));
+    p == r || (p.starts_with(&r) && (r.ends_with('/') || p[r.len()..].starts_with('/')))
+}
+
 /// The kind of Photo Merge result a file is, from the name merges give it (`IMG_1-HDR.dng`,
 /// `IMG_1-Pano.dng`, `IMG_1-HDR-Pano.dng` — also the names other raw editors use):
 /// `hdr`, `panorama` or `hdrPanorama`.

crates/catalog/src/rules.rs

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ pub const FIELDS: &[(&str, &str, Kind)] = &[
     ("location", "Location", Kind::Text),
     ("creator", "Creator", Kind::Text),
     ("copyright", "Copyright", Kind::Text),
+    ("copyrightStatus", "Copyright Status", Kind::Choice(&["copyrighted", "publicDomain", "unknown"])),
     ("captureDate", "Capture Date", Kind::Date),
     ("importDate", "Import Date", Kind::Date),
     ("editDate", "Edit Date", Kind::Date),
@@ -311,6 +312,10 @@ impl Rule {
             "location" => text(&[m.location.as_str(), &m.city, &m.state, &m.country].join(" ")),
             "creator" => text(&m.creator),
             "copyright" => text(&m.copyright),
+            "copyrightStatus" => {
+                let want = crate::CopyrightStatus::parse(&want);
+                (want == Some(m.copyright_status)) == (op == "is")
+            }
             "captureDate" => date_op(op, p.captured.as_deref(), value),
             "importDate" => date_op(op, Some(&p.imported), value),
             "editDate" => date_op(op, p.edited.as_deref(), value),
@@ -341,6 +346,15 @@ impl RuleSet {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Whether matches depend on the clock ("in the last…" rules, nested groups included): the
+    /// same photos can enter or leave the set without any catalog change.
+    pub fn depends_on_now(&self) -> bool {
+        self.rules.iter().any(|r| match r {
+            Rule::Group { group } => group.depends_on_now(),
+            Rule::Field { op, .. } => op == "inLast" || op == "notInLast",
+        })
+    }
+
     /// Unknown fields or operators (for command validation), as readable messages.
     pub fn problems(&self) -> Vec<String> {
         let mut out = Vec::new();
@@ -440,6 +454,13 @@ mod tests {
         yes(json!({"rules": [{"field": "captureDate", "op": "between", "value": ["2026-08-01", "2026-08"]}]}));
         no(json!({"rules": [{"field": "captureDate", "op": "after", "value": "2026-08"}]}));
         yes(json!({"rules": [{"field": "kind", "op": "isNot", "value": "video"}, {"field": "edited", "op": "is", "value": false}]}));
+        // copyright status (unknown until set)
+        yes(json!({"rules": [{"field": "copyrightStatus", "op": "is", "value": "unknown"}]}));
+        no(json!({"rules": [{"field": "copyrightStatus", "op": "is", "value": "copyrighted"}]}));
+        let mut pd = photo(2);
+        pd.meta.copyright_status = crate::CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain;
+        assert!(rs(json!({"rules": [{"field": "copyrightStatus", "op": "is", "value": "publicDomain"}]})).matches(&pd, &cat));
+        assert!(rs(json!({"rules": [{"field": "copyrightStatus", "op": "isNot", "value": "copyrighted"}]})).matches(&pd, &cat));
         // nested: rating ≥ 4 and (label is blue or keywords contain food)
         yes(json!({"rules": [{"field": "rating", "op": "gte", "value": 4}, {"group": {"match": "any", "rules": [
             {"field": "label", "op": "is", "value": "blue"}, {"field": "keywords", "op": "contains", "value": "food"}]}}]}));

crates/catalog/src/safe_file.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,317 @@
+//! Crash-safe writes of user-visible files: exports, renders, DNG conversions, smart previews and
+//! XMP sidecars all go through here (the catalog's own files use [`crate::store::FsStore`]).
+//!
+//! - [`write_atomic`] replaces a file so that after a crash, a full disk or an unplugged drive
+//!   either the old or the complete new content is there — never a truncated mix. The content
+//!   goes to a new temp file in the same folder (unique name, `create_new`), is synced to disk and
+//!   renamed over the target; then the folder is synced (POSIX). Any failure removes the temp
+//!   file and leaves the target as it was.
+//! - [`write_new`] / [`write_new_unique`] write a file that must not exist yet: the same temp file
+//!   and sync, plus a read-back check, and the file then appears under its final name **without
+//!   replacing anything** (a hard link, which fails on a taken name; a check-then-rename where the
+//!   volume has no hard links).
+//! - [`same_file`] tells whether two paths name the same file on disk (device + inode on Unix,
+//!   resolved paths elsewhere), for "is this target an original?" checks.
+
+use std::cell::Cell;
+use std::fs::{self, File, OpenOptions};
+use std::io::{self, Write};
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};
+
+thread_local! {
+    static FAIL_AFTER: Cell<Option<u64>> = const { Cell::new(None) };
+}
+
+/// Fault injection for tests (in any crate): while the returned guard lives, every write made by
+/// this module **on the calling thread** fails once `bytes` bytes of a file were written — as a
+/// full disk or an unplugged drive would.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub fn fail_writes_after(bytes: u64) -> FaultGuard {
+    FAIL_AFTER.with(|c| c.set(Some(bytes)));
+    FaultGuard(())
+}
+
+/// Ends a [`fail_writes_after`] when dropped.
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub struct FaultGuard(());
+
+impl Drop for FaultGuard {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        FAIL_AFTER.with(|c| c.set(None));
+    }
+}
+
+/// Counts what is written; fails past an injected limit.
+struct Limited<W> {
+    inner: W,
+    n: u64,
+    limit: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+impl<W: Write> Write for Limited<W> {
+    fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        let buf = match self.limit {
+            Some(l) => {
+                let room = usize::try_from(l.saturating_sub(self.n)).unwrap_or(usize::MAX);
+                if room == 0 && !buf.is_empty() {
+                    return Err(io::Error::other("write failed (injected fault)"));
+                }
+                buf.get(..room.min(buf.len())).unwrap_or(buf)
+            }
+            None => buf,
+        };
+        let k = self.inner.write(buf)?;
+        self.n += k as u64;
+        Ok(k)
+    }
+    fn flush(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        self.inner.flush()
+    }
+}
+
+fn parent_of(path: &Path) -> &Path {
+    path.parent().filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()).unwrap_or(Path::new("."))
+}
+
+/// Make a rename or a new name in `dir` durable (POSIX). Opening a directory fails on Windows,
+/// where NTFS journals the rename itself, so errors are ignored.
+pub fn sync_dir(dir: &Path) {
+    if let Ok(d) = File::open(dir) {
+        let _ = d.sync_all();
+    }
+}
+
+/// A new, empty temp file next to `path` (hidden, unique in this process and folder).
+fn create_temp(path: &Path) -> io::Result<(PathBuf, File)> {
+    static N: AtomicU64 = AtomicU64::new(0);
+    if path.file_name().is_none() {
+        return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput, format!("{} is not a file path", path.display())));
+    }
+    let dir = parent_of(path);
+    for _ in 0..1000 {
+        let tmp = dir.join(format!(".lightcraft-{}-{}.tmp", std::process::id(), N.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed)));
+        match OpenOptions::new().write(true).create_new(true).open(&tmp) {
+            Ok(f) => return Ok((tmp, f)),
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => continue,
+            Err(e) => return Err(e),
+        }
+    }
+    Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists, format!("no free temp file name in {}", dir.display())))
+}
+
+/// Write a temp file next to `path` with what `fill` writes, synced to disk. On failure the temp
+/// file is removed. Returns its path and length.
+fn write_temp(path: &Path, fill: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut dyn Write) -> io::Result<()>) -> io::Result<(PathBuf, u64)> {
+    let (tmp, file) = create_temp(path)?;
+    let r = (|| {
+        let limit = FAIL_AFTER.with(Cell::get);
+        let mut w = Limited { inner: io::BufWriter::with_capacity(1 << 20, file), n: 0, limit };
+        fill(&mut w)?;
+        w.flush()?;
+        let n = w.n;
+        let f = w.inner.into_inner().map_err(|e| e.into_error())?;
+        f.sync_all()?;
+        Ok(n)
+    })();
+    match r {
+        Ok(n) => Ok((tmp, n)),
+        Err(e) => {
+            let _ = fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+            Err(e)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Replace (or create) `path` with `data` atomically and durably; see the module docs. The
+/// folder must exist.
+pub fn write_atomic(path: &Path, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<()> {
+    write_atomic_with(path, &mut |w| w.write_all(data)).map(|_| ())
+}
+
+/// [`write_atomic`] with streamed content: `fill` writes it (an error aborts and leaves the old
+/// file). Returns the length written.
+pub fn write_atomic_with(path: &Path, fill: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut dyn Write) -> io::Result<()>) -> io::Result<u64> {
+    let (tmp, n) = write_temp(path, fill)?;
+    if let Err(e) = fs::rename(&tmp, path) {
+        let _ = fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+        return Err(e);
+    }
+    sync_dir(parent_of(path));
+    Ok(n)
+}
+
+/// Write `data` as the new file `path`: never replaces an existing file (`AlreadyExists`), and
+/// the file only appears once it is complete, synced and read back identical.
+pub fn write_new(path: &Path, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<()> {
+    write_new_unique(&mut std::iter::once(path.to_path_buf()), data).map(|_| ())
+}
+
+/// [`write_new`] under the first free name of `candidates` (all in the same folder, e.g.
+/// `IMG_1.dng`, `IMG_1-2.dng`, …): the file is written once and then given the first name that
+/// is not taken. Returns that name; `AlreadyExists` when every candidate is taken.
+pub fn write_new_unique(candidates: &mut dyn Iterator<Item = PathBuf>, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<PathBuf> {
+    let mut candidates = candidates.peekable();
+    let Some(first) = candidates.peek().cloned() else {
+        return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput, "no file name to write"));
+    };
+    let (tmp, _) = write_temp(&first, &mut |w| w.write_all(data))?;
+    let r = (|| {
+        if !same_content(&tmp, data)? {
+            return Err(io::Error::other("the written file reads back different (failing drive or connection?)"));
+        }
+        for path in candidates.by_ref().take(100_000) {
+            match publish_new(&tmp, &path) {
+                Ok(()) => {
+                    sync_dir(parent_of(&path));
+                    return Ok(path);
+                }
+                Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => continue,
+                Err(e) => return Err(e),
+            }
+        }
+        Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists, format!("{}: no free file name", first.display())))
+    })();
+    // after a hard link the temp name is a second name of the new file; after a rename it's gone
+    let _ = fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+    r
+}
+
+/// Give the complete temp file `tmp` the name `path`, unless that is taken.
+fn publish_new(tmp: &Path, path: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
+    match fs::hard_link(tmp, path) {
+        Ok(()) => Ok(()),
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => Err(e),
+        // no hard links on this volume (FAT/exFAT, some shares): check, then rename
+        Err(_) => {
+            if fs::symlink_metadata(path).is_ok() {
+                return Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists, format!("{} exists", path.display())));
+            }
+            fs::rename(tmp, path)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Does the file at `path` hold exactly `data`?
+fn same_content(path: &Path, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<bool> {
+    use std::io::Read;
+    let mut f = File::open(path)?;
+    if f.metadata()?.len() != data.len() as u64 {
+        return Ok(false);
+    }
+    let mut buf = vec![0u8; 1 << 20];
+    let mut at = 0usize;
+    loop {
+        let k = match f.read(&mut buf) {
+            Ok(0) => return Ok(at == data.len()),
+            Ok(k) => k,
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::Interrupted => continue,
+            Err(e) => return Err(e),
+        };
+        if data.get(at..at + k) != buf.get(..k) {
+            return Ok(false);
+        }
+        at += k;
+    }
+}
+
+/// Do `a` and `b` name the same existing file (through links, `..`, case-insensitive names)?
+pub fn same_file(a: &Path, b: &Path) -> bool {
+    let (Ok(ma), Ok(mb)) = (fs::metadata(a), fs::metadata(b)) else { return false };
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    {
+        use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+        ma.dev() == mb.dev() && ma.ino() == mb.ino()
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(unix))]
+    {
+        if ma.len() != mb.len() {
+            return false;
+        }
+        match (fs::canonicalize(a), fs::canonicalize(b)) {
+            (Ok(x), Ok(y)) => x == y || x.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase() == y.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase(),
+            _ => false,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn temp(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+        let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-safe-file-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+        fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+        d
+    }
+
+    fn names(dir: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+        let mut v: Vec<String> = fs::read_dir(dir).unwrap().flatten().map(|e| e.file_name().to_string_lossy().to_string()).collect();
+        v.sort();
+        v
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn atomic_write_replaces_and_leaves_no_temp() {
+        let d = temp("replace");
+        let p = d.join("out.jpg");
+        write_atomic(&p, b"one").unwrap();
+        write_atomic(&p, b"two two").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(fs::read(&p).unwrap(), b"two two");
+        assert_eq!(names(&d), vec!["out.jpg"]);
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_failure_mid_write_keeps_the_old_file() {
+        let d = temp("midwrite");
+        let p = d.join("photo.jpg");
+        fs::write(&p, b"the original bytes").unwrap();
+        {
+            let _f = fail_writes_after(4);
+            let e = write_atomic(&p, &[7u8; 10_000]).unwrap_err();
+            assert!(e.to_string().contains("injected"), "{e}");
+            assert!(write_new(&d.join("new.dng"), &[1u8; 100]).is_err());
+        }
+        assert_eq!(fs::read(&p).unwrap(), b"the original bytes", "the target is untouched");
+        assert_eq!(names(&d), vec!["photo.jpg"], "no temp file and no partial new file");
+        // a fill error aborts the same way
+        let r = write_atomic_with(&p, &mut |w| {
+            w.write_all(b"half")?;
+            Err(io::Error::other("encoder failed"))
+        });
+        assert!(r.is_err());
+        assert_eq!(fs::read(&p).unwrap(), b"the original bytes");
+        assert_eq!(names(&d), vec!["photo.jpg"]);
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn new_files_never_replace_anything() {
+        let d = temp("new");
+        let p = d.join("a.dng");
+        fs::write(&p, b"keep").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(write_new(&p, b"other").unwrap_err().kind(), io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists);
+        assert_eq!(fs::read(&p).unwrap(), b"keep");
+        let mut c = (1..).map(|k| if k == 1 { d.join("a.dng") } else { d.join(format!("a-{k}.dng")) });
+        let got = write_new_unique(&mut c, b"fresh").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(got, d.join("a-2.dng"));
+        assert_eq!(fs::read(&got).unwrap(), b"fresh");
+        assert_eq!(names(&d), vec!["a-2.dng", "a.dng"], "the temp file is gone");
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn same_file_sees_through_other_spellings() {
+        let d = temp("same");
+        let p = d.join("x.jpg");
+        fs::write(&p, b"x").unwrap();
+        fs::write(d.join("y.jpg"), b"x").unwrap();
+        fs::create_dir_all(d.join("sub")).unwrap();
+        assert!(same_file(&p, &d.join("sub/../x.jpg")));
+        assert!(!same_file(&p, &d.join("y.jpg")));
+        assert!(!same_file(&p, &d.join("missing.jpg")));
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+}

crates/catalog/src/stacks.rs

@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn group_merge_set_top_remove_and_arrange() {
         let (mut c, ids) = cat(6, &[]);
-        let [a, b, x, d, e, f] = ids[..] else { unreachable!() };
+        let [a, b, x, d, e, f] = ids[..] else { panic!("six ids") };
         let op = c.group_ops(b, &[a, b, x], false).unwrap();
         let inv = c.apply(op).unwrap();
         let s = c.stack_of(a).unwrap().clone();

crates/catalog/src/store.rs

@@ -16,12 +16,33 @@ pub trait Store: Send {
     /// Replace a file atomically: after a crash either the old or the new content is visible,
     /// never a mix (native: write temp + fsync + rename + fsync directory).
     fn write_atomic(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<()>;
-    /// Append and make durable (fsync) before returning.
+    /// [`Store::write_atomic`] with streamed content: `fill` writes the new content into the
+    /// given writer (an error aborts and leaves the old file). Same durability: the file is
+    /// replaced only once all of it is written (native: and fsynced). Returns its length.
+    ///
+    /// The default buffers the content in memory; [`FsStore`] streams it into the temp file, so
+    /// a large snapshot is never held in memory as a whole.
+    fn write_atomic_with(&mut self, name: &str, fill: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut dyn io::Write) -> io::Result<()>) -> io::Result<u64> {
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        fill(&mut buf)?;
+        self.write_atomic(name, &buf)?;
+        Ok(buf.len() as u64)
+    }
+    /// Append and make durable (fsync) before returning. On an error, part of `data` may have
+    /// been written (a full disk, a dropped network share): the journal cuts the file back to its
+    /// previous length with [`Store::truncate`] before appending again.
     fn append(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<()>;
-    /// Cut a file to `len` bytes (drop a torn tail before appending again).
+    /// Cut a file to `len` bytes (drop a torn tail before appending again). A missing file is
+    /// left missing.
     fn truncate(&mut self, name: &str, len: u64) -> io::Result<()>;
     /// Human-readable location (diagnostics).
     fn describe(&self) -> String;
+    /// Another handle on the same files that a worker thread can write `catalog.snap` through
+    /// while this one keeps appending to the log (background compaction). `None` (the default):
+    /// snapshots are written synchronously.
+    fn background_writer(&self) -> Option<Box<dyn Store>> {
+        None
+    }
 }
 
 /// Files in a directory.
@@ -77,6 +98,32 @@ impl Store for FsStore {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    fn write_atomic_with(&mut self, name: &str, fill: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut dyn io::Write) -> io::Result<()>) -> io::Result<u64> {
+        use std::io::Write;
+        if self.appender.as_ref().is_some_and(|(n, _)| n == name) {
+            self.appender = None;
+        }
+        let tmp = self.path(&format!("{name}.tmp"));
+        let written = (|| {
+            let mut w = Counter { inner: io::BufWriter::with_capacity(1 << 20, std::fs::File::create(&tmp)?), n: 0 };
+            fill(&mut w)?;
+            w.flush()?;
+            let f = w.inner.into_inner().map_err(|e| e.into_error())?;
+            f.sync_all()?;
+            Ok(w.n)
+        })();
+        let n = match written {
+            Ok(n) => n,
+            Err(e) => {
+                let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+                return Err(e);
+            }
+        };
+        std::fs::rename(&tmp, self.path(name))?;
+        self.sync_dir();
+        Ok(n)
+    }
+
     fn append(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> io::Result<()> {
         use std::io::Write;
         if self.appender.as_ref().is_none_or(|(n, _)| n != name) {
@@ -87,16 +134,27 @@ impl Store for FsStore {
             }
             self.appender = Some((name.to_string(), f));
         }
-        let (_, f) = self.appender.as_mut().expect("appender just opened");
-        f.write_all(data)?;
-        f.sync_data()
+        let Some((_, f)) = self.appender.as_mut() else { return Err(io::Error::other("appender not open")) };
+        let written = f.write_all(data).and_then(|()| f.sync_data());
+        if written.is_err() {
+            // The handle may be dead (a network share that reconnected, a removed volume): the next
+            // attempt reopens the file. Part of `data` may be in the file; the caller cuts it back
+            // ([`Store::truncate`]) before appending again.
+            self.appender = None;
+        }
+        written
     }
 
     fn truncate(&mut self, name: &str, len: u64) -> io::Result<()> {
         if self.appender.as_ref().is_some_and(|(n, _)| n == name) {
             self.appender = None;
         }
-        let f = std::fs::OpenOptions::new().write(true).open(self.path(name))?;
+        let f = match std::fs::OpenOptions::new().write(true).open(self.path(name)) {
+            Ok(f) => f,
+            // nothing to cut (an append that failed before creating the file)
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::NotFound => return Ok(()),
+            Err(e) => return Err(e),
+        };
         f.set_len(len)?;
         f.sync_all()
     }
@@ -104,12 +162,36 @@ impl Store for FsStore {
     fn describe(&self) -> String {
         self.dir.display().to_string()
     }
+
+    #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+    fn background_writer(&self) -> Option<Box<dyn Store>> {
+        Some(Box::new(FsStore { dir: self.dir.clone(), appender: None }))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Counts the bytes written through it.
+struct Counter<W> {
+    inner: W,
+    n: u64,
+}
+
+impl<W: io::Write> io::Write for Counter<W> {
+    fn write(&mut self, buf: &[u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+        let k = self.inner.write(buf)?;
+        self.n += k as u64;
+        Ok(k)
+    }
+    fn flush(&mut self) -> io::Result<()> {
+        self.inner.flush()
+    }
 }
 
 /// In-memory files. Clones share the same files (so a test can "reopen" or corrupt them).
 #[derive(Clone, Default)]
 pub struct MemStore {
     pub files: Arc<Mutex<BTreeMap<String, Vec<u8>>>>,
+    /// Offer a [`Store::background_writer`] (off by default: snapshots stay synchronous).
+    pub background: bool,
 }
 
 impl MemStore {
@@ -145,4 +227,7 @@ impl Store for MemStore {
     fn describe(&self) -> String {
         "memory".into()
     }
+    fn background_writer(&self) -> Option<Box<dyn Store>> {
+        self.background.then(|| Box::new(self.clone()) as Box<dyn Store>)
+    }
 }

crates/catalog/src/tests.rs

@@ -264,3 +264,36 @@ fn preview_only_survives_serde_and_set_content_undo() {
     assert_eq!(c.photo(a).unwrap().preview_only.as_deref(), Some("Nikon Huffman-compressed NEF"));
     assert_eq!(c.photo(a).unwrap().width, 6000);
 }
+
+/// Equivalent spellings of one folder (separators, trailing or doubled separators, `.`/`..`,
+/// drive-letter case, verbatim and UNC prefixes) share an identity; different folders don't.
+#[test]
+fn folder_identity_ignores_spelling() {
+    use crate::query::{folder_key, folder_within};
+    let same = |a: &str, b: &str| assert_eq!(folder_key(a), folder_key(b), "{a} vs {b}");
+    let differ = |a: &str, b: &str| assert_ne!(folder_key(a), folder_key(b), "{a} vs {b}");
+    for (a, b) in [
+        ("D:/Example/Photos", "D:\\Example\\Photos"),
+        ("D:/Example/Photos", "d:\\Example\\Photos\\"),
+        ("D:\\Example/Photos", "D:/Example//Photos/."),
+        ("D:/Example/Photos", "D:/Example/Other/../Photos"),
+        ("D:/Example/Photos", "\\\\?\\D:\\Example\\Photos"),
+        ("\\\\server\\share\\Photos", "//server/share/Photos/"),
+        ("\\\\?\\UNC\\server\\share\\Photos", "//server/share/Photos"),
+        ("/home/me/Photos", "/home/me/Photos/"),
+        ("/home/me/Photos", "/home//me/./Photos"),
+        ("/", "//"),
+        ("C:\\", "c:/"),
+    ] {
+        same(a, b);
+    }
+    differ("D:/Example/Photos", "D:/Example/Photos2");
+    differ("D:/Example/Photos", "E:/Example/Photos");
+    differ("/home/me/Photos", "/home/me");
+    assert_eq!(folder_key("/a/../../b"), "/b", "`..` stops at the root");
+    assert!(folder_within("D:\\Example\\Photos\\2026", "D:/Example/Photos/"));
+    assert!(folder_within("D:/Example/Photos", "d:\\Example\\Photos"));
+    assert!(!folder_within("D:/Example/Photos2", "D:/Example/Photos"));
+    assert!(folder_within("/a/b", "/"));
+    assert!(folder_within("C:\\x", "c:\\"));
+}

crates/catalog/src/tests_background.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,339 @@
+//! Background compaction (issue #37): a snapshot written by a worker while appends go on.
+//! "Crashes" are simulated by copying the files at a given moment and loading the copy: every
+//! acknowledged (appended) op must be there, in order, whatever the snapshot was doing.
+
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Condvar, Mutex};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use proptest::prelude::*;
+
+use crate::journal::{LOG, SNAPSHOT};
+use crate::*;
+
+/// A MemStore whose snapshot writes wait for a gate (to hold a background snapshot mid-flight)
+/// and can be made to fail.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+struct Gated {
+    files: MemStore,
+    gate: Arc<(Mutex<bool>, Condvar)>,
+    fail: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+}
+
+impl Gated {
+    fn new() -> Gated {
+        Gated { files: MemStore::new(), gate: Arc::new((Mutex::new(false), Condvar::new())), fail: Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false)) }
+    }
+    fn set_gate(&self, open: bool) {
+        *self.gate.0.lock().unwrap() = open;
+        self.gate.1.notify_all();
+    }
+    /// The files as a crash at this moment would leave them.
+    fn crash(&self) -> MemStore {
+        let m = MemStore::new();
+        *m.files.lock().unwrap() = self.files.files.lock().unwrap().clone();
+        m
+    }
+    fn snapshot_seq_on_disk(&self) -> Option<u64> {
+        let v: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&self.files.get(SNAPSHOT)?).ok()?;
+        v["seq"].as_u64()
+    }
+}
+
+impl Store for Gated {
+    fn read(&mut self, name: &str) -> std::io::Result<Option<Vec<u8>>> {
+        self.files.read(name)
+    }
+    fn write_atomic(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.write_atomic(name, data)
+    }
+    fn write_atomic_with(&mut self, name: &str, fill: &mut dyn FnMut(&mut dyn std::io::Write) -> std::io::Result<()>) -> std::io::Result<u64> {
+        if name == SNAPSHOT {
+            let (lock, cv) = &*self.gate;
+            let (open, timeout) = cv.wait_timeout_while(lock.lock().unwrap(), Duration::from_secs(20), |open| !*open).unwrap();
+            if !*open || timeout.timed_out() {
+                return Err(std::io::Error::other("gate never opened"));
+            }
+        }
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        fill(&mut buf)?;
+        if self.fail.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::other("disk full"));
+        }
+        self.files.write_atomic(name, &buf)?;
+        Ok(buf.len() as u64)
+    }
+    fn append(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.append(name, data)
+    }
+    fn truncate(&mut self, name: &str, len: u64) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.truncate(name, len)
+    }
+    fn describe(&self) -> String {
+        "gated".into()
+    }
+    fn background_writer(&self) -> Option<Box<dyn Store>> {
+        Some(Box::new(self.clone()))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Apply and durably append one edit (two ops in one append every fourth time).
+fn edit(j: &mut Journal, live: &mut Catalog, k: u64) {
+    let one = |live: &mut Catalog, k: u64| {
+        let op = if live.len() < 4 || k.is_multiple_of(3) {
+            let id = live.alloc_photo_id();
+            Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(Photo::new(id, Source::File { path: format!("/p/{}.jpg", id.0) }, "p.jpg", "JPEG", 4, 3, "t")) }
+        } else {
+            Op::SetRating { id: PhotoId(1 + k % live.len() as u64), rating: (k % 6) as u8 }
+        };
+        live.apply(op.clone()).unwrap();
+        op
+    };
+    let mut ops = vec![one(live, k)];
+    if k.is_multiple_of(4) {
+        ops.push(one(live, k / 4 + 1));
+    }
+    j.append(&ops).unwrap();
+}
+
+/// Load the files a crash now would leave: they must hold exactly the live state.
+fn assert_recovers(g: &Gated, live: &Catalog) -> LoadReport {
+    let (_, c, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.crash())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), live.to_snapshot(), "{r:?}");
+    assert_eq!((r.failed, r.torn_bytes, r.damaged.clone()), (0, 0, None));
+    r
+}
+
+fn wait_written(j: &Journal) {
+    for _ in 0..20_000 {
+        if j.snapshot_written() {
+            return;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1));
+    }
+    panic!("background snapshot never finished");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn background_snapshot_keeps_edits_made_while_it_runs() {
+    let g = Gated::new();
+    let (mut j, mut live, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.clone())).unwrap();
+    for k in 0..30 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    let n = j.seq();
+    j.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap();
+    assert!(j.snapshot_running() && !j.wants_snapshot() && j.stats().snapshot_running);
+
+    // edits while the snapshot is being written are appended (durably) as usual
+    let mut during = 0;
+    for k in 30..50 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+        during = j.seq() - n;
+    }
+    // crash before the snapshot landed: no snapshot yet, the whole log replays
+    let r = assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.replayed as u64), (0, j.seq()));
+
+    // the snapshot lands (op n); crash before the log was trimmed: its records are stale
+    g.set_gate(true);
+    wait_written(&j);
+    assert_eq!(g.snapshot_seq_on_disk(), Some(n));
+    for k in 50..55 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+        during = j.seq() - n;
+    }
+    let r = assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.stale as u64, r.replayed as u64), (n, n, during));
+
+    // finishing trims the log to exactly the records after the snapshot, in order
+    assert!(j.poll().unwrap());
+    assert!(!j.snapshot_running());
+    assert_eq!((j.snapshot_seq(), j.log_records()), (n, during));
+    let log = String::from_utf8(g.files.get(LOG).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    let seqs: Vec<u64> = log.lines().map(|l| journal::decode_record(l).unwrap().0).collect();
+    assert_eq!(seqs, ((n + 1)..=j.seq()).collect::<Vec<_>>());
+    assert_eq!(j.log_bytes(), log.len() as u64);
+    let r = assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.stale, r.replayed as u64), (n, 0, during));
+    let s = j.stats();
+    assert!(s.last_snapshot.background && s.last_snapshot.records == n && !s.snapshot_running, "{s:?}");
+
+    // and appending goes on after it
+    edit(&mut j, &mut live, 99);
+    assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn failed_background_snapshot_loses_nothing_and_retries_later() {
+    let g = Gated::new();
+    let (mut j, mut live, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.clone())).unwrap();
+    j.policy = SnapshotPolicy { max_records: 10, max_bytes: u64::MAX };
+    for k in 0..12 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    assert!(j.wants_snapshot());
+    g.fail.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    g.set_gate(true);
+    j.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap();
+    edit(&mut j, &mut live, 12);
+    wait_written(&j);
+    assert!(j.poll().is_err());
+    assert_eq!((j.snapshot_seq(), j.stats().failed_snapshots), (0, 1));
+    // still the (empty) snapshot written when the library was created
+    assert_eq!(g.snapshot_seq_on_disk(), Some(0));
+    assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+    // no retry storm: the next attempt waits for another `max_records` records
+    assert!(!j.wants_snapshot());
+    g.fail.store(false, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    while !j.wants_snapshot() {
+        let k = j.seq();
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    j.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap();
+    j.wait().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((j.snapshot_seq(), j.log_records()), (j.seq(), 0));
+    let r = assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.replayed), (j.seq(), 0));
+}
+
+/// A synchronous snapshot (close, "Optimize Library") waits for the background one, so the older
+/// snapshot can't land after (and replace) the newer one.
+#[test]
+fn sync_snapshot_waits_for_the_background_one() {
+    let g = Gated::new();
+    let (mut j, mut live, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.clone())).unwrap();
+    for k in 0..10 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    j.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap();
+    for k in 10..20 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    let opener = {
+        let g = g.clone();
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+            g.set_gate(true);
+        })
+    };
+    j.snapshot(&live).unwrap();
+    opener.join().unwrap();
+    assert!(!j.snapshot_running());
+    assert_eq!(g.snapshot_seq_on_disk(), Some(j.seq()));
+    assert_eq!((j.snapshot_seq(), j.log_records()), (j.seq(), 0));
+    assert!(g.files.get(LOG).unwrap().is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(j.stats().snapshots, 2);
+    assert_recovers(&g, &live);
+}
+
+/// Dropping the journal (e.g. reopening the library) waits for the snapshot in flight and leaves
+/// the log whole: reopening finds every op.
+#[test]
+fn dropping_the_journal_waits_for_its_snapshot() {
+    let g = Gated::new();
+    let (mut j, mut live, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.clone())).unwrap();
+    for k in 0..10 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    let n = j.seq();
+    j.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap();
+    for k in 10..15 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    let opener = {
+        let g = g.clone();
+        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(50));
+            g.set_gate(true);
+        })
+    };
+    let total = j.seq();
+    drop(j);
+    opener.join().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(g.snapshot_seq_on_disk(), Some(n));
+    let (_, c, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.files.clone())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), live.to_snapshot());
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.stale as u64, r.replayed as u64), (n, n, total - n));
+}
+
+/// On disk, with a real worker thread: a crash mid-write leaves only a temp file, which loading
+/// ignores; edits during the snapshot survive; reopening resumes appends.
+#[test]
+fn fs_store_background_snapshot() {
+    let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-journal-bg-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    let (mut j, mut live, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(FsStore::open(&dir).unwrap())).unwrap();
+    for k in 0..200 {
+        edit(&mut j, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    // a previous crash mid-snapshot left a partial temp file
+    std::fs::write(dir.join(format!("{SNAPSHOT}.tmp")), b"{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catal").unwrap();
+    let (mut j2, c2, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(FsStore::open(&dir).unwrap())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((c2.to_snapshot(), r.snapshot_seq), (live.to_snapshot(), 0));
+    drop(j);
+    let n = j2.seq();
+    j2.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap();
+    for k in 200..260 {
+        edit(&mut j2, &mut live, k);
+    }
+    j2.wait().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((j2.snapshot_seq(), j2.log_records()), (n, j2.seq() - n));
+    assert!(!dir.join(format!("{SNAPSHOT}.tmp")).exists());
+    edit(&mut j2, &mut live, 999);
+    drop(j2);
+    let (_, c3, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(FsStore::open(&dir).unwrap())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(c3.to_snapshot(), live.to_snapshot());
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.stale), (n, 0));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+proptest! {
+    #![proptest_config(ProptestConfig::with_cases(48))]
+
+    /// Any interleaving of edits, background snapshots (started, landed, finished), synchronous
+    /// snapshots and crashes: a crash at any point recovers exactly the acknowledged ops.
+    #[test]
+    fn background_compaction_never_loses_acknowledged_ops(actions in proptest::collection::vec((0u8..8, 0u64..1000), 1..60)) {
+        let g = Gated::new();
+        let (mut j, mut live, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.clone())).unwrap();
+        for (ctl, k) in actions {
+            match ctl {
+                0..=2 => edit(&mut j, &mut live, k),
+                3 => j.snapshot_in_background(&live).unwrap(),
+                4 | 5 => {
+                    // the worker writes its snapshot; finish it now or later
+                    if j.snapshot_running() {
+                        g.set_gate(true);
+                        wait_written(&j);
+                        g.set_gate(false);
+                        if ctl == 4 {
+                            prop_assert!(j.poll().unwrap());
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                6 => {
+                    g.set_gate(true);
+                    j.snapshot(&live).unwrap();
+                    g.set_gate(false);
+                    prop_assert_eq!(g.snapshot_seq_on_disk(), Some(j.seq()));
+                }
+                _ => {
+                    // a crash now
+                    let (_, c, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.crash())).unwrap();
+                    prop_assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), live.to_snapshot());
+                    prop_assert_eq!(r.failed, 0);
+                    prop_assert!(r.damaged.is_none());
+                }
+            }
+            // the snapshot on disk never covers more than what was appended
+            prop_assert!(g.snapshot_seq_on_disk().unwrap_or(0) <= j.seq());
+        }
+        g.set_gate(true);
+        let (_, c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.crash())).unwrap();
+        prop_assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), live.to_snapshot());
+        drop(j);
+        let (_, c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(g.files.clone())).unwrap();
+        prop_assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), live.to_snapshot());
+    }
+}

crates/catalog/src/tests_format_version.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+//! Issue #102: catalog format versions. Older formats load and are upgraded; a newer format is
+//! refused with a clear error and left untouched (never read in part, truncated or set aside).
+
+use crate::journal::{LOG, SNAPSHOT, VERSION, encode_record};
+use crate::*;
+
+fn photo(c: &mut Catalog) -> Op {
+    let id = c.alloc_photo_id();
+    Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(Photo::new(id, Source::File { path: format!("/p/{}.jpg", id.0) }, "p.jpg", "JPEG", 4, 3, "2026-01-01")) }
+}
+
+/// A catalog with two photos and the log line for a third op on top of it.
+fn legacy_parts() -> (Catalog, String, Catalog) {
+    let mut c = Catalog::new();
+    for _ in 0..2 {
+        let op = photo(&mut c);
+        c.apply(op).unwrap();
+    }
+    let base = c.clone();
+    let id = c.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let op = Op::SetRating { id, rating: 4 };
+    c.apply(op.clone()).unwrap();
+    (base, format!("{}\n", encode_record(3, &op)), c)
+}
+
+fn snapshot_version(m: &MemStore) -> u64 {
+    let v: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&m.get(SNAPSHOT).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    v["version"].as_u64().unwrap()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn v1_library_loads_and_is_upgraded() {
+    let (base, log, full) = legacy_parts();
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    m.set(SNAPSHOT, format!("{{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catalog\",\"version\":1,\"seq\":2,\"catalog\":{}}}\n", base.to_snapshot()).into_bytes());
+    m.set(LOG, log.into_bytes());
+    let (mut j, c, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), full.to_snapshot());
+    assert_eq!((r.replayed, r.upgraded_from), (1, Some(1)));
+    // rewritten in this format before anything is appended
+    assert_eq!(snapshot_version(&m), u64::from(VERSION));
+    assert!(m.get(LOG).unwrap().is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(j.seq(), 3);
+    j.append(&[Op::SetLabelName { label: ColorLabel::ALL[0], name: Some("x".into()) }]).unwrap();
+    drop(j);
+    let (_, _, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(m)).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r.replayed, r.upgraded_from), (1, None));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn versionless_log_only_library_is_upgraded() {
+    let mut c = Catalog::new();
+    let op = photo(&mut c);
+    c.apply(op.clone()).unwrap();
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    m.set(LOG, format!("{}\n", encode_record(1, &op)).into_bytes());
+    let (_, loaded, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(loaded.to_snapshot(), c.to_snapshot());
+    assert_eq!(r.upgraded_from, Some(0));
+    assert_eq!(snapshot_version(&m), u64::from(VERSION));
+}
+
+/// A new library gets a snapshot in this format at once, so an older build never sees a bare log
+/// it would read in part.
+#[test]
+fn new_library_is_written_in_this_format() {
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    let (_, _, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).unwrap();
+    assert!(r.created);
+    assert_eq!(r.upgraded_from, None);
+    assert_eq!(snapshot_version(&m), u64::from(VERSION));
+}
+
+fn assert_refused_untouched(m: &MemStore) {
+    let before = m.files.lock().unwrap().clone();
+    let e = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).err().expect("refused");
+    assert!(matches!(e, CatalogError::Newer(_)), "{e:?}");
+    let msg = e.to_string();
+    assert!(msg.contains("newer version of LightCraft") && msg.contains("left unchanged"), "{msg}");
+    assert_eq!(*m.files.lock().unwrap(), before, "nothing modified, nothing renamed");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn newer_snapshot_is_refused_untouched() {
+    let (base, log, _) = legacy_parts();
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    m.set(
+        SNAPSHOT,
+        format!("{{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catalog\",\"version\":{},\"seq\":2,\"catalog\":{}}}\n", VERSION + 1, base.to_snapshot()).into_bytes(),
+    );
+    m.set(LOG, log.into_bytes());
+    assert_refused_untouched(&m);
+    // even when its catalog doesn't parse as this version's
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    m.set(
+        SNAPSHOT,
+        format!("{{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catalog\",\"version\":{},\"seq\":2,\"catalog\":{{\"photos\":7}}}}\n", VERSION + 1).into_bytes(),
+    );
+    assert_refused_untouched(&m);
+    let e = Journal::open(Box::new(m)).err().unwrap().to_string();
+    assert!(e.contains(&format!("v{}", VERSION + 1)), "{e}");
+}
+
+/// A log record with a valid CRC whose op this version doesn't know: refused, not taken for a
+/// torn tail (truncated) or damage (renamed) — wherever it is in the log.
+#[test]
+fn unknown_op_in_the_log_is_refused_untouched() {
+    let (base, log, _) = legacy_parts();
+    let future = |seq: u64| {
+        let body = r#"{"op":"fromTheFuture","id":1,"what":"something new"}"#;
+        format!("{{\"seq\":{seq},\"crc\":{},\"op\":{body}}}\n", crc32fast::hash(body.as_bytes()))
+    };
+    let snap = format!("{{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catalog\",\"version\":{VERSION},\"seq\":2,\"catalog\":{}}}\n", base.to_snapshot());
+    let id = base.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let after = format!("{}\n", encode_record(5, &Op::SetRating { id, rating: 1 }));
+    for log in [format!("{log}{}", future(4)), format!("{log}{}{after}", future(4)), format!("{}{log}", future(3))] {
+        let m = MemStore::new();
+        m.set(SNAPSHOT, snap.clone().into_bytes());
+        m.set(LOG, log.into_bytes());
+        assert_refused_untouched(&m);
+    }
+    // a known op with a field of an unknown shape is "newer" too
+    let body = r#"{"op":"setRating","id":1,"rating":"five stars"}"#;
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    m.set(SNAPSHOT, snap.into_bytes());
+    m.set(LOG, format!("{log}{{\"seq\":4,\"crc\":{},\"op\":{body}}}\n", crc32fast::hash(body.as_bytes())).into_bytes());
+    assert_refused_untouched(&m);
+}
+
+/// A CRC mismatch is still damage / a torn tail (not "newer").
+#[test]
+fn bad_crc_is_still_a_torn_tail() {
+    let (base, log, _) = legacy_parts();
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    m.set(
+        SNAPSHOT,
+        format!("{{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catalog\",\"version\":{VERSION},\"seq\":2,\"catalog\":{}}}\n", base.to_snapshot()).into_bytes(),
+    );
+    let body = r#"{"op":"fromTheFuture"}"#;
+    m.set(LOG, format!("{log}{{\"seq\":4,\"crc\":1,\"op\":{body}}}\n").into_bytes());
+    let (_, _, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(m)).unwrap();
+    assert!(r.torn_bytes > 0 && r.damaged.is_none(), "{r:?}");
+}
+
+/// Guard for the version rule (see `journal` → *Format versions*): adding an [`Op`] variant breaks
+/// this match. When it does, bump `journal::VERSION`, add a row to the format table, and add the
+/// variant here under the new version.
+#[test]
+fn op_variants_are_versioned() {
+    fn since(op: &Op) -> u32 {
+        match op {
+            Op::AddPhoto { .. }
+            | Op::RemovePhoto { .. }
+            | Op::SetRating { .. }
+            | Op::SetFlag { .. }
+            | Op::SetLabel { .. }
+            | Op::SetDevelop { .. }
+            | Op::SetMeta { .. }
+            | Op::SetDeleted { .. }
+            | Op::SetLocal { .. }
+            | Op::SetVersions { .. }
+            | Op::SetHistory { .. }
+            | Op::PushHistory { .. }
+            | Op::AddAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::RemoveAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::RenameAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::MoveAlbum { .. }
+            | Op::SetAlbumPhotos { .. }
+            | Op::SetAlbumCover { .. }
+            | Op::SetAlbumRules { .. }
+            | Op::AddStack { .. }
+            | Op::RemoveStack { .. }
+            | Op::SetStack { .. }
+            | Op::SetCaptured { .. }
+            | Op::SetAnalysis { .. }
+            | Op::SetFile { .. }
+            | Op::Relink { .. }
+            | Op::SetContent { .. }
+            | Op::SetLabelName { .. }
+            | Op::Batch { .. } => 1,
+            Op::SetBrowsed { .. } => 2,
+        }
+    }
+    let newest = since(&Op::SetBrowsed { folder: String::new(), at: None });
+    assert_eq!(newest, VERSION, "the newest op's version must be the current format version");
+}

crates/catalog/src/tests_journal.rs

@@ -274,3 +274,53 @@ fn fs_store_roundtrip() {
     assert_eq!(c3.to_snapshot(), c.to_snapshot());
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
+
+/// The streamed snapshot is byte-for-byte the format written before streaming (issue #37), so
+/// existing libraries load and older builds can read new snapshots; FsStore and MemStore agree.
+#[test]
+fn streamed_snapshot_keeps_the_on_disk_format() {
+    let (m, _, full) = sample_catalog_with_log();
+    let (mut j, c, _) = open(&m);
+    assert_eq!(c.to_snapshot(), full.to_snapshot());
+    j.snapshot(&c).unwrap();
+    let legacy = format!(
+        "{{\"format\":\"lightcraft-catalog\",\"version\":{},\"seq\":{},\"catalog\":{}}}\n",
+        crate::journal::VERSION,
+        j.seq(),
+        c.to_snapshot()
+    );
+    assert_eq!(String::from_utf8(m.get(SNAPSHOT).unwrap()).unwrap(), legacy);
+    assert_eq!(j.stats().last_snapshot.bytes, legacy.len() as u64);
+
+    let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-journal-stream-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).unwrap();
+    // an old-style snapshot (written by a build before streaming) loads, and is rewritten the same
+    std::fs::write(dir.join(SNAPSHOT), legacy.as_bytes()).unwrap();
+    let (mut fj, fc, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(FsStore::open(&dir).unwrap())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((fc.to_snapshot(), r.snapshot_seq), (c.to_snapshot(), j.seq()));
+    fj.snapshot(&fc).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dir.join(SNAPSHOT)).unwrap(), legacy.as_bytes());
+    drop(fj);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+/// A snapshot that fails while streaming (serialisation or I/O error) leaves the old file in
+/// place and removes its temp file.
+#[test]
+fn failed_streamed_write_keeps_the_old_file() {
+    let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-journal-streamfail-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    let mut s = FsStore::open(&dir).unwrap();
+    s.write_atomic(SNAPSHOT, b"old").unwrap();
+    let r = s.write_atomic_with(SNAPSHOT, &mut |w| {
+        w.write_all(b"partial new content")?;
+        Err(std::io::Error::other("serialisation failed"))
+    });
+    assert!(r.is_err());
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dir.join(SNAPSHOT)).unwrap(), b"old");
+    assert!(!dir.join(format!("{SNAPSHOT}.tmp")).exists());
+    assert_eq!(s.write_atomic_with(SNAPSHOT, &mut |w| w.write_all(b"new")).unwrap(), 3);
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dir.join(SNAPSHOT)).unwrap(), b"new");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}

crates/catalog/src/tests_local.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,267 @@
+//! Forgetting untouched Local browse records (see [`crate::local`]).
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use lightcraft_develop::DevelopSettings;
+
+use crate::*;
+
+const OLD: &str = "2026-08-01T10:00:00";
+const NOW: &str = "2026-10-05T10:00:00";
+
+/// A Local record of `/pics/<folder>/IMG_<i>.JPG` as a browse catalogues it (with its baseline).
+fn local(c: &mut Catalog, folder: &str, i: u32) -> PhotoId {
+    let id = c.alloc_photo_id();
+    let mut p = Photo::new(id, Source::File { path: format!("/pics/{folder}/IMG_{i}.JPG") }, &format!("IMG_{i}.JPG"), "JPEG", 60, 40, OLD);
+    p.meta.camera = "Cam".into();
+    p.meta.creator = "From EXIF".into(); // file metadata is part of the baseline, not a user change
+    p.focal_and_wb_for_test();
+    p.local = true;
+    p.set_local_baseline();
+    c.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) }).unwrap();
+    id
+}
+
+impl Photo {
+    fn focal_and_wb_for_test(&mut self) {
+        self.meta.focal_mm = Some(35.3);
+        self.as_shot_wb = Some((5123.4, 3.1));
+    }
+}
+
+fn browsed(c: &mut Catalog, folder: &str, at: &str) {
+    c.apply(Op::SetBrowsed { folder: format!("/pics/{folder}"), at: Some(at.into()) }).unwrap();
+}
+
+fn plan(c: &Catalog, days: u32) -> ForgetPlan {
+    c.forget_local_plan(NOW, days, &|_| false)
+}
+
+fn run(c: &mut Catalog, days: u32) -> ForgetPlan {
+    let p = plan(c, days);
+    for op in p.ops() {
+        c.apply(op).unwrap();
+    }
+    p
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn untouched_records_of_old_folders_are_forgotten() {
+    let mut c = Catalog::new();
+    let old: Vec<_> = (0..5).map(|i| local(&mut c, "old", i)).collect();
+    let recent: Vec<_> = (0..3).map(|i| local(&mut c, "recent", i)).collect();
+    browsed(&mut c, "old", OLD);
+    browsed(&mut c, "recent", "2026-10-01T09:00:00");
+    // a library photo in the old folder is never a candidate
+    let lib = c.alloc_photo_id();
+    let mut p = Photo::new(lib, Source::File { path: "/pics/old/LIB.JPG".into() }, "LIB.JPG", "JPEG", 6, 4, OLD);
+    p.set_local_baseline();
+    c.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) }).unwrap();
+
+    let dry = plan(&c, 30);
+    assert_eq!((dry.local, dry.evict.len(), dry.kept_recent), (8, 5, 3), "{dry:?}");
+    assert_eq!(dry.evict, old);
+    assert_eq!(c.len(), 9, "a plan changes nothing");
+    let done = run(&mut c, 30);
+    assert_eq!(done.evict.len(), 5);
+    assert!(old.iter().all(|id| c.photo(*id).is_none()));
+    assert!(recent.iter().all(|id| c.photo(*id).is_some()));
+    assert!(c.photo(lib).is_some());
+    // the folder has no Local records left: its time goes
+    assert_eq!(done.unstamp, vec!["/pics/old".to_string()]);
+    assert_eq!(c.last_browsed("/pics/old"), None);
+    assert_eq!(c.last_browsed("/pics/recent/"), Some("2026-10-01T09:00:00"));
+    // 0 days = never
+    browsed(&mut c, "recent", OLD);
+    assert!(plan(&c, 0).evict.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(plan(&c, 30).evict.len(), 3);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn any_user_change_keeps_a_record() {
+    type Change = Box<dyn Fn(&mut Catalog, PhotoId)>;
+    let set = |f: fn(&mut Photo)| -> Change {
+        Box::new(move |c: &mut Catalog, id: PhotoId| {
+            let mut p = (**c.photo(id).unwrap()).clone();
+            f(&mut p);
+            c.apply(Op::RemovePhoto { id }).unwrap();
+            c.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) }).unwrap();
+        })
+    };
+    let op = |f: fn(PhotoId) -> Op| -> Change { Box::new(move |c: &mut Catalog, id: PhotoId| drop(c.apply(f(id)).unwrap())) };
+    let edited = || {
+        let mut d = DevelopSettings::default();
+        d.light.exposure = 0.3;
+        Arc::new(d)
+    };
+    let changes: Vec<(&str, Change)> = vec![
+        ("rating", op(|id| Op::SetRating { id, rating: 3 })),
+        ("flag", op(|id| Op::SetFlag { id, flag: Flag::Reject })),
+        ("label", op(|id| Op::SetLabel { id, label: Some(ColorLabel::Red) })),
+        ("develop", Box::new(move |c, id| drop(c.apply(Op::SetDevelop { id, settings: edited(), label: "Exposure".into(), edited: None }).unwrap()))),
+        ("crop", set(|p| Arc::make_mut(&mut p.develop).crop.flip_h = true)),
+        (
+            "history only",
+            Box::new(|c, id| {
+                let step = HistoryStep { label: "Reset".into(), settings: Arc::new(DevelopSettings::default()) };
+                drop(c.apply(Op::PushHistory { id, step }).unwrap())
+            }),
+        ),
+        ("versions", set(|p| p.versions.push(Version { name: "v".into(), created: NOW.into(), settings: p.develop.clone(), auto: false }))),
+        ("title", set(|p| p.meta.title = "T".into())),
+        ("caption", set(|p| p.meta.caption = "C".into())),
+        ("keywords", set(|p| p.meta.keywords.push("k".into()))),
+        ("location", set(|p| p.meta.city = "Oslo".into())),
+        ("gps", set(|p| p.meta.gps = Some((1.0, 2.0)))),
+        ("copyright", set(|p| p.meta.copyright = "© me".into())),
+        ("creator edit", set(|p| p.meta.creator = "Me".into())),
+        ("capture time", op(|id| Op::SetCaptured { id, captured: Some("2020-01-01T00:00:00".into()) })),
+        ("rename", set(|p| p.file_name = "renamed.JPG".into())),
+        ("culling", op(|id| Op::SetAnalysis { id, analysis: Some(Analysis::default()) })),
+        ("deleted", op(|id| Op::SetDeleted { id, deleted: true })),
+        ("pick", op(|id| Op::SetFlag { id, flag: Flag::Pick })),
+        (
+            "album",
+            Box::new(|c, id| {
+                let a = c.alloc_album_id();
+                let mut al = Album::new(a, "A");
+                al.photos.push(id);
+                drop(c.apply(Op::AddAlbum { album: al }).unwrap())
+            }),
+        ),
+        (
+            "stack",
+            Box::new(|c, id| {
+                let other = local(c, "elsewhere", 99);
+                let s = c.alloc_stack_id();
+                drop(c.apply(Op::AddStack { stack: Stack { id: s, photos: vec![id, other], collapsed: false } }).unwrap())
+            }),
+        ),
+        (
+            "virtual copy",
+            Box::new(|c, id| {
+                let mut v = (**c.photo(id).unwrap()).clone();
+                v.id = c.alloc_photo_id();
+                v.copy_of = Some(id);
+                v.copy_name = Some("Copy 1".into());
+                v.local = false;
+                drop(c.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(v) }).unwrap())
+            }),
+        ),
+    ];
+    for (what, change) in changes {
+        let mut c = Catalog::new();
+        let id = local(&mut c, "old", 1);
+        let control = local(&mut c, "old", 2);
+        browsed(&mut c, "old", OLD);
+        change(&mut c, id);
+        let p = plan(&c, 30);
+        assert_eq!(p.evict, vec![control], "{what}: {p:?}");
+        assert_eq!(p.kept_touched + p.kept_in_use, 1, "{what}: {p:?}");
+        // the stamp stays: a record in the folder remains
+        assert!(p.unstamp.is_empty(), "{what}");
+    }
+    // a change undone (back to the browse state) is untouched again
+    let mut c = Catalog::new();
+    let id = local(&mut c, "old", 1);
+    browsed(&mut c, "old", OLD);
+    let inv = c.apply(Op::SetRating { id, rating: 2 }).unwrap();
+    assert!(plan(&c, 30).evict.is_empty());
+    c.apply(inv).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(plan(&c, 30).evict, vec![id]);
+}
+
+/// Catalogs from before last-browsed times (and baselines): nothing is forgotten on the first
+/// run — the folders are stamped now — and baseline-less records are judged by their data.
+#[test]
+fn upgrade_without_times_forgets_nothing_then_counts_from_then() {
+    let mut c = Catalog::new();
+    let a = local(&mut c, "a", 1);
+    // legacy records: no baseline
+    let legacy = |c: &mut Catalog, i: u32, f: fn(&mut Photo)| {
+        let id = c.alloc_photo_id();
+        let mut p = Photo::new(id, Source::File { path: format!("/pics/a/L{i}.JPG") }, "L.JPG", "JPEG", 6, 4, OLD);
+        p.meta.camera = "Cam".into();
+        p.local = true;
+        f(&mut p);
+        c.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) }).unwrap();
+        id
+    };
+    let clean = legacy(&mut c, 1, |_| {});
+    let rated = legacy(&mut c, 2, |p| p.rating = 1);
+    let with_creator = legacy(&mut c, 3, |p| p.meta.creator = "maybe the user".into());
+    let p = run(&mut c, 30);
+    assert!(p.evict.is_empty(), "{p:?}");
+    assert_eq!(p.stamp, vec!["/pics/a".to_string()]);
+    assert_eq!(c.last_browsed("/pics/a"), Some(NOW));
+    // 30+ days later
+    let later = c.forget_local_plan("2026-11-06T10:00:00", 30, &|_| false);
+    let mut evict = later.evict.clone();
+    evict.sort();
+    assert_eq!(evict, vec![a, clean]);
+    assert_eq!(later.kept_touched, 2, "{rated:?} {with_creator:?}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn in_use_records_are_kept() {
+    let mut c = Catalog::new();
+    let a = local(&mut c, "old", 1);
+    let b = local(&mut c, "old", 2);
+    browsed(&mut c, "old", OLD);
+    let p = c.forget_local_plan(NOW, 30, &|p| p.id == a);
+    assert_eq!((p.evict.clone(), p.kept_in_use), (vec![b], 1));
+}
+
+/// The ops are journaled: a crash right after forgetting reloads the same catalog, and a
+/// fingerprint survives the snapshot round trip (a reloaded record is still untouched).
+#[test]
+fn forgetting_is_journaled_and_replays() {
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).unwrap();
+    let mut ops = Vec::new();
+    for i in 0..10 {
+        local(&mut c, if i % 2 == 0 { "old" } else { "new" }, i);
+    }
+    // log what was built so far: the ops are the records as added
+    for p in c.photos() {
+        ops.push(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new((**p).clone()) });
+    }
+    ops.push(Op::SetBrowsed { folder: "/pics/old".into(), at: Some(OLD.into()) });
+    ops.push(Op::SetBrowsed { folder: "/pics/new".into(), at: Some(NOW.into()) });
+    browsed(&mut c, "old", OLD);
+    browsed(&mut c, "new", NOW);
+    j.append(&ops).unwrap();
+    j.snapshot(&c).unwrap();
+    drop(j);
+    // reload from the snapshot: baselines still match
+    let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).unwrap();
+    let p = c.forget_local_plan(NOW, 30, &|_| false);
+    assert_eq!(p.evict.len(), 5, "{p:?}");
+    let ops = p.ops();
+    for op in &ops {
+        c.apply(op.clone()).unwrap();
+    }
+    j.append(&ops).unwrap();
+    let expect = c.to_snapshot();
+    drop(j); // crash: replay the log
+    let (_, c2, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(m)).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r.failed, 0);
+    assert_eq!(c2.to_snapshot(), expect);
+    assert_eq!(c2.len(), 5);
+    // nothing left to forget
+    assert!(c2.forget_local_plan(NOW, 30, &|_| false).evict.is_empty());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn op_photo_ids_cover_nested_ops() {
+    let op = Op::Batch {
+        ops: vec![
+            Op::SetRating { id: PhotoId(1), rating: 1 },
+            Op::SetAlbumPhotos { id: AlbumId(1), photos: vec![PhotoId(2), PhotoId(3)] },
+            Op::Batch { ops: vec![Op::RemovePhoto { id: PhotoId(4) }] },
+        ],
+    };
+    let mut ids = Vec::new();
+    op.photo_ids(&mut |id| ids.push(id.0));
+    assert_eq!(ids, vec![1, 2, 3, 4]);
+}

crates/catalog/src/tests_lock.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+//! Issue #99: one process per library.
+
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+use crate::lock::{LOCK, OWNER};
+use crate::*;
+
+fn temp_dir(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-lock-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+    d
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn second_opener_is_refused_until_the_first_lets_go() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("twice");
+    let first = LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, "LightCraft").unwrap();
+    assert!(first.held());
+    let owner: LockOwner = serde_json::from_slice(&std::fs::read(dir.join(OWNER)).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((owner.pid, owner.program.as_str()), (std::process::id(), "LightCraft"));
+
+    let e = LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, "lightcraft-cli").unwrap_err();
+    let LockError::InUse(Some(who)) = &e else { panic!("{e:?}") };
+    assert_eq!(who.pid, std::process::id());
+    let msg = e.to_string();
+    assert!(msg.contains("already open in LightCraft") && msg.contains(&format!("process {}", std::process::id())), "{msg}");
+
+    drop(first);
+    assert!(!dir.join(OWNER).exists(), "the owner note goes with the lock");
+    assert!(dir.join(LOCK).exists(), "the lock file itself may stay: only a held lock refuses");
+    let again = LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, "lightcraft-cli").unwrap();
+    assert!(again.held());
+    drop(again);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Files left behind by a crash (lock file + owner note) don't lock anyone out.
+#[test]
+fn leftover_lock_files_are_not_a_lock() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("stale");
+    std::fs::write(dir.join(LOCK), b"").unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(dir.join(OWNER), br#"{"pid":999999,"host":"elsewhere","program":"LightCraft","version":"0.2.0","since":1}"#).unwrap();
+    let l = LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, "LightCraft").unwrap();
+    assert!(l.held());
+    let owner: LockOwner = serde_json::from_slice(&std::fs::read(dir.join(OWNER)).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(owner.pid, std::process::id(), "the note now names this process");
+    drop(l);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Another process holds the lock; when it is killed (a crash), the OS releases it.
+#[test]
+fn lock_held_by_another_process_is_released_when_it_dies() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("child");
+    let exe = std::env::current_exe().unwrap();
+    let mut child = std::process::Command::new(exe)
+        .args(["--exact", "tests_lock::lock_holder_child", "--ignored", "--test-threads=1"])
+        .env("LC_LOCK_CHILD_DIR", &dir)
+        .stdout(std::process::Stdio::null())
+        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::null())
+        .spawn()
+        .unwrap();
+    let deadline = std::time::Instant::now() + std::time::Duration::from_secs(60);
+    while !dir.join("child-locked").exists() {
+        assert!(child.try_wait().unwrap().is_none(), "child exited before locking");
+        assert!(std::time::Instant::now() < deadline, "child never locked");
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(20));
+    }
+    let e = LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, "LightCraft").unwrap_err();
+    let LockError::InUse(Some(who)) = &e else { panic!("{e:?}") };
+    assert_eq!(who.pid, child.id());
+    assert!(e.to_string().contains("on this computer") || who.host.is_empty(), "{e}");
+
+    child.kill().unwrap(); // SIGKILL: no clean-up runs, like a crash
+    child.wait().unwrap();
+    assert!(dir.join(OWNER).exists(), "the crashed holder's note is left behind");
+    let l = LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, "LightCraft").expect("the OS released the dead process's lock");
+    assert!(l.held());
+    drop(l);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Run by [`lock_held_by_another_process_is_released_when_it_dies`] in a child process: take the
+/// lock, say so, and wait to be killed.
+#[test]
+#[ignore = "helper process for lock_held_by_another_process_is_released_when_it_dies"]
+fn lock_holder_child() {
+    let Some(dir) = std::env::var_os("LC_LOCK_CHILD_DIR") else { return };
+    let _l = LibraryLock::acquire(std::path::Path::new(&dir), "lightcraft-cli").unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(std::path::Path::new(&dir).join("child-locked"), b"").unwrap();
+    std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(120));
+}

crates/catalog/src/tests_torn_append.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+//! Issue #101: an append that fails part-way (disk full, a dropped network share) and is then
+//! retried must not read back as log damage, and must lose nothing.
+
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+use crate::journal::LOG;
+use crate::*;
+
+/// A store whose next append writes only a prefix of its data, then fails.
+#[derive(Clone, Default)]
+struct Torn {
+    files: MemStore,
+    /// The next append writes this many bytes, then returns an error.
+    torn_at: Arc<Mutex<Option<usize>>>,
+    /// `truncate` fails (the cut-back after a failed append can't be done right away).
+    truncate_fails: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+}
+
+impl Torn {
+    fn tear_next_append(&self, bytes: usize) {
+        *self.torn_at.lock().unwrap() = Some(bytes);
+    }
+}
+
+impl Store for Torn {
+    fn read(&mut self, name: &str) -> std::io::Result<Option<Vec<u8>>> {
+        self.files.read(name)
+    }
+    fn write_atomic(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.write_atomic(name, data)
+    }
+    fn append(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        if let Some(n) = self.torn_at.lock().unwrap().take() {
+            self.files.append(name, &data[..n.min(data.len())])?;
+            return Err(std::io::Error::other("disk full"));
+        }
+        self.files.append(name, data)
+    }
+    fn truncate(&mut self, name: &str, len: u64) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        if self.truncate_fails.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::other("share unavailable"));
+        }
+        self.files.truncate(name, len)
+    }
+    fn describe(&self) -> String {
+        "torn".into()
+    }
+}
+
+fn add_photo(c: &mut Catalog) -> Op {
+    let id = c.alloc_photo_id();
+    Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(Photo::new(id, Source::File { path: format!("/p/{}.jpg", id.0) }, "p.jpg", "JPEG", 4, 3, "2026-01-01")) }
+}
+
+/// Apply `ops` to the live catalog (like a command) and return them for the journal.
+fn apply(c: &mut Catalog, ops: Vec<Op>) -> Vec<Op> {
+    for op in &ops {
+        c.apply(op.clone()).unwrap();
+    }
+    ops
+}
+
+/// Every tear position of a batch, then the retry (same ops, same seqs, like the engine's queue)
+/// and more appends: reloading replays everything, reports no damage and no torn bytes.
+#[test]
+fn partial_append_then_retry_loads_cleanly() {
+    let probe = MemStore::new();
+    let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(probe.clone())).unwrap();
+    let add = add_photo(&mut c);
+    let first = apply(&mut c, vec![add]);
+    j.append(&first).unwrap();
+    let id = c.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let batch = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetRating { id, rating: 3 }, Op::SetFlag { id, flag: Flag::Pick }, Op::SetRating { id, rating: 4 }]);
+    let before = probe.get(LOG).unwrap().len();
+    j.append(&batch).unwrap();
+    let batch_len = probe.get(LOG).unwrap().len() - before;
+
+    for tear in 1..batch_len {
+        let t = Torn::default();
+        let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(t.clone())).unwrap();
+        let add = add_photo(&mut c);
+        let first = apply(&mut c, vec![add]);
+        j.append(&first).unwrap();
+        let good_len = t.files.get(LOG).unwrap().len();
+        let batch = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetRating { id, rating: 3 }, Op::SetFlag { id, flag: Flag::Pick }, Op::SetRating { id, rating: 4 }]);
+        t.tear_next_append(tear);
+        assert!(j.append(&batch).is_err(), "tear at {tear}");
+        // cut back to the last whole record
+        assert_eq!(t.files.get(LOG).unwrap().len(), good_len, "tear at {tear}");
+        j.append(&batch).unwrap();
+        let more = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetLabel { id, label: Some(ColorLabel::ALL[0]) }]);
+        j.append(&more).unwrap();
+        drop(j);
+
+        let (_, loaded, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(t.clone())).unwrap();
+        assert!(r.damaged.is_none(), "tear at {tear}: {r:?}");
+        assert_eq!((r.torn_bytes, r.torn_fragments, r.replayed), (0, 0, 5), "tear at {tear}");
+        assert_eq!(loaded.to_snapshot(), c.to_snapshot(), "tear at {tear}");
+    }
+}
+
+/// When cutting back fails too (the share is gone), the next append cuts back first; until that
+/// works nothing more is appended after the fragment.
+#[test]
+fn failed_cut_back_is_done_before_the_next_append() {
+    let t = Torn::default();
+    let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(t.clone())).unwrap();
+    let add = add_photo(&mut c);
+    let first = apply(&mut c, vec![add]);
+    j.append(&first).unwrap();
+    let good_len = t.files.get(LOG).unwrap().len();
+    let id = c.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let batch = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetRating { id, rating: 2 }, Op::SetRating { id, rating: 5 }]);
+    t.truncate_fails.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    t.tear_next_append(30);
+    assert!(j.append(&batch).is_err());
+    assert_eq!(t.files.get(LOG).unwrap().len(), good_len + 30, "the fragment is still there");
+    // still unreachable: the retry fails without writing anything after the fragment
+    assert!(j.append(&batch).is_err());
+    assert_eq!(t.files.get(LOG).unwrap().len(), good_len + 30);
+    t.truncate_fails.store(false, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    j.append(&batch).unwrap();
+    drop(j);
+    let (_, loaded, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(t.clone())).unwrap();
+    assert!(r.damaged.is_none(), "{r:?}");
+    assert_eq!(r.replayed, 3);
+    assert_eq!(loaded.to_snapshot(), c.to_snapshot());
+}
+
+/// Logs written before the fix: the fragment of the failed append is glued to the first retried
+/// record on one line, followed by the rest of the retry. They load in full (the fragment is
+/// skipped), instead of stopping at the fragment and setting the later records aside as damage.
+#[test]
+fn legacy_fragment_glued_to_the_retry_is_skipped() {
+    let m = MemStore::new();
+    let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(m.clone())).unwrap();
+    let add = add_photo(&mut c);
+    let first = apply(&mut c, vec![add]);
+    j.append(&first).unwrap();
+    let good = m.get(LOG).unwrap();
+    let id = c.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let batch = apply(
+        &mut c,
+        vec![
+            Op::SetRating { id, rating: 3 },
+            Op::SetFlag { id, flag: Flag::Pick },
+            Op::SetLabelName { label: ColorLabel::ALL[1], name: Some("Größe ✓".into()) },
+        ],
+    );
+    j.append(&batch).unwrap();
+    let full = m.get(LOG).unwrap();
+    let batch_bytes = &full[good.len()..];
+    let later = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetRating { id, rating: 1 }]);
+    j.append(&later).unwrap();
+    let later_bytes = m.get(LOG).unwrap()[full.len()..].to_vec();
+    drop(j);
+
+    // every tear (inside the first record, after it, inside a multi-byte character…)
+    for tear in 1..batch_bytes.len() {
+        if batch_bytes[tear - 1] == b'\n' {
+            continue; // a tear on a record boundary leaves no fragment
+        }
+        let mut log = good.clone();
+        log.extend_from_slice(&batch_bytes[..tear]);
+        log.extend_from_slice(batch_bytes);
+        log.extend_from_slice(&later_bytes);
+        let t = MemStore::new();
+        t.set(LOG, log);
+        let (_, loaded, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(t)).unwrap();
+        assert!(r.damaged.is_none(), "tear at {tear}: {r:?}");
+        assert_eq!(r.torn_fragments, 1, "tear at {tear}");
+        assert_eq!(loaded.to_snapshot(), c.to_snapshot(), "tear at {tear}");
+    }
+
+    // a damaged record whose tail happens to be a whole record from the future is still damage
+    let mut log = good.clone();
+    log.extend_from_slice(b"garbage");
+    log.extend_from_slice(&later_bytes);
+    log.extend_from_slice(&later_bytes);
+    let t = MemStore::new();
+    t.set(LOG, log);
+    let (_, _, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(t)).unwrap();
+    assert!(r.damaged.is_some(), "{r:?}");
+}
+
+/// A snapshot can absorb ops whose append failed: it records them as saved (`seq` moves past
+/// them), and appending after it continues from there.
+#[test]
+fn snapshot_with_unlogged_ops_saves_them() {
+    let t = Torn::default();
+    let (mut j, mut c, _) = Journal::open(Box::new(t.clone())).unwrap();
+    let add = add_photo(&mut c);
+    let first = apply(&mut c, vec![add]);
+    j.append(&first).unwrap();
+    let id = c.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let queued = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetRating { id, rating: 2 }, Op::SetFlag { id, flag: Flag::Reject }]);
+    t.tear_next_append(10);
+    assert!(j.append(&queued).is_err());
+    j.snapshot_with_unlogged(&c, queued.len() as u64).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(j.seq(), 3);
+    let after = apply(&mut c, vec![Op::SetRating { id, rating: 5 }]);
+    j.append(&after).unwrap();
+    drop(j);
+    let (j, loaded, r) = Journal::open(Box::new(t.clone())).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r.snapshot_seq, r.replayed), (3, 1));
+    assert_eq!(j.seq(), 4);
+    assert_eq!(loaded.to_snapshot(), c.to_snapshot());
+}
+
+/// `FsStore::truncate` on a file that was never created (an append that failed first) is a no-op.
+#[test]
+fn fs_store_truncates_a_missing_file_quietly() {
+    let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-torn-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    let mut s = FsStore::open(&dir).unwrap();
+    s.truncate(LOG, 0).unwrap();
+    assert!(!dir.join(LOG).exists());
+    s.append(LOG, b"abc\n").unwrap();
+    s.truncate(LOG, 0).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dir.join(LOG)).unwrap(), b"");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}

crates/codecs/src/convert.rs

@@ -323,7 +323,9 @@ fn cmyk(raw: &Raw, ch: usize, icc_bytes: Option<&[u8]>, info: Option<&icc::IccIn
     }
     // Naive: RGB = (1 - C)(1 - K) … treated as sRGB-encoded.
     let px = samples
-        .chunks_exact(4)
+        .as_chunks::<4>()
+        .0
+        .iter()
         .map(|c| {
             let k = 1.0 - c[3];
             [(1.0 - c[0]) * k, (1.0 - c[1]) * k, (1.0 - c[2]) * k].map(lightcraft_color::transfer::srgb_to_linear)

crates/codecs/src/encode.rs

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ pub fn encode_jpeg(img: &EncodeImage, quality: u8, subsampling: ChromaSubsamplin
     let n = img.width as usize * img.height as usize;
     let (data, ct): (std::borrow::Cow<[u8]>, jpeg_encoder::ColorType) = match img.channels {
         1 => (data[..n].into(), jpeg_encoder::ColorType::Luma),
-        2 => (data.chunks_exact(2).take(n).map(|c| c[0]).collect::<Vec<_>>().into(), jpeg_encoder::ColorType::Luma),
+        2 => (data.as_chunks::<2>().0.iter().take(n).map(|c| c[0]).collect::<Vec<_>>().into(), jpeg_encoder::ColorType::Luma),
         3 => (data[..n * 3].into(), jpeg_encoder::ColorType::Rgb),
         _ => (data[..n * 4].into(), jpeg_encoder::ColorType::Rgba),
     };
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ pub fn encode_tiff(img: &EncodeImage, compression: TiffCompression, meta: &Encod
         }};
     }
     fn expand_ga<T: Copy>(s: &[T], n: usize) -> Vec<T> {
-        s.chunks_exact(2).take(n).flat_map(|c| [c[0], c[0], c[0], c[1]]).collect()
+        s.as_chunks::<2>().0.iter().take(n).flat_map(|c| [c[0], c[0], c[0], c[1]]).collect()
     }
     match img.samples {
         Samples::U8(s) => match ch {

crates/codecs/src/icc.rs

@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ pub(crate) fn cms_to_linear_rec2020(icc: &[u8], samples: &[f32], channels: usize
         for (s, d) in src_chunks.zip(dst_chunks) {
             t.transform(s, d).ok()?;
         }
-        Some(out.chunks_exact(3).map(|c| [c[0], c[1], c[2]]).collect())
+        Some(out.as_chunks::<3>().0.iter().map(|c| [c[0], c[1], c[2]]).collect())
     };
     std::panic::catch_unwind(run).ok().flatten()
 }

crates/codecs/src/jpeg.rs

@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ fn decode_jpeg_decoder(bytes: &[u8], m: &Markers, scale_to: Option<(u32, u32)>)
     let (model, buf, depth) = match info.pixel_format {
         PixelFormat::L8 => (Model::Gray, Buf::U8(px), 8),
         PixelFormat::L16 => {
-            let v = px.chunks_exact(2).map(|c| u16::from_be_bytes([c[0], c[1]])).collect();
+            let v = px.as_chunks::<2>().0.iter().map(|c| u16::from_be_bytes([c[0], c[1]])).collect();
             (Model::Gray, Buf::U16(v), 16)
         }
         PixelFormat::RGB24 => (Model::Rgb, Buf::U8(px), 8),
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ fn mpf_images(m: &Markers) -> Vec<(usize, usize)> {
     let Some(e) = entries.iter().find(|e| e.tag == 0xB002) else { return vec![] };
     let Some(list) = t.bytes(e) else { return vec![] };
     let mut out = Vec::new();
-    for (i, rec) in list.chunks_exact(16).enumerate().take(16) {
+    for (i, rec) in list.as_chunks::<16>().0.iter().enumerate().take(16) {
         if i == 0 {
             continue;
         }

crates/codecs/src/jpeg_par.rs

@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ pub fn encode(
     {
         let rows: Vec<(usize, Vec<&mut [f32]>)> = {
             let mut its: Vec<_> = full.iter_mut().map(|p| p.chunks_mut(width)).collect();
-            (0..height).map(|y| (y, its.iter_mut().map(|it| it.next().unwrap()).collect())).collect()
+            (0..height).map_while(|y| Some((y, its.iter_mut().map(|it| it.next()).collect::<Option<_>>()?))).collect()
         };
         let conv = |(y, mut out): (usize, Vec<&mut [f32]>)| {
             let src = &data[y * width * channels..(y + 1) * width * channels];

crates/codecs/src/lib.rs

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 //!
 //! No decoder panics on malformed input (property-tested).
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 mod convert;
 pub mod encode;

crates/codecs/src/png_codec.rs

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub(crate) fn decode(bytes: &[u8], opts: &DecodeOptions) -> Result<Decoded> {
     };
     buf.truncate(out.buffer_size());
     let (samples, depth) = match out.bit_depth {
-        png::BitDepth::Sixteen => (Buf::U16(buf.chunks_exact(2).map(|c| u16::from_be_bytes([c[0], c[1]])).collect()), 16),
+        png::BitDepth::Sixteen => (Buf::U16(buf.as_chunks::<2>().0.iter().map(|c| u16::from_be_bytes([c[0], c[1]])).collect()), 16),
         _ => (Buf::U8(buf), info.bit_depth as u8),
     };
     let raw = Raw { width: out.width as usize, height: out.height as usize, model, alpha, premultiplied: false, buf: samples, bit_depth: depth };

crates/color/src/lib.rs

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 //!
 //! The pipeline's working space is **linear Rec.2020, D65** ([`WORKING`]).
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 pub mod cct;
 pub mod perceptual;
@@ -125,14 +126,17 @@ pub const WORKING: RgbSpace = REC2020;
 
 impl RgbSpace {
     /// Matrix taking linear RGB in this space to XYZ (white Y = 1) relative to its own white.
+    /// Degenerate (collinear) primaries, which readers reject before building a space from a
+    /// file, leave the primaries unscaled instead of panicking.
     pub fn to_xyz(&self) -> Mat3 {
         let p = [self.r.to_xyz(), self.g.to_xyz(), self.b.to_xyz()];
         let m = Mat3([[p[0][0], p[1][0], p[2][0]], [p[0][1], p[1][1], p[2][1]], [p[0][2], p[1][2], p[2][2]]]);
-        let s = m.inverse().expect("primaries are independent").apply(self.white.to_xyz());
+        let s = m.inverse().map_or([1.0; 3], |inv| inv.apply(self.white.to_xyz()));
         m.mul(&Mat3::diag(s[0], s[1], s[2]))
     }
+    /// Inverse of [`to_xyz`](Self::to_xyz); the identity for degenerate primaries.
     pub fn from_xyz(&self) -> Mat3 {
-        self.to_xyz().inverse().expect("invertible")
+        self.to_xyz().inverse().unwrap_or(Mat3::IDENTITY)
     }
     /// Luminance weights (the Y row of `to_xyz`).
     pub fn luma(&self) -> [f64; 3] {
@@ -154,7 +158,8 @@ pub fn bradford(src: Xy, dst: Xy) -> Mat3 {
     }
     let s = BRADFORD.apply(src.to_xyz());
     let d = BRADFORD.apply(dst.to_xyz());
-    let inv = BRADFORD.inverse().expect("invertible");
+    // a constant, invertible matrix: the fallback (no adaptation) can't happen
+    let Some(inv) = BRADFORD.inverse() else { return Mat3::IDENTITY };
     inv.mul(&Mat3::diag(d[0] / s[0], d[1] / s[1], d[2] / s[2])).mul(&BRADFORD)
 }
 

crates/color/src/perceptual.rs

@@ -28,9 +28,10 @@ fn mats() -> &'static OkMats {
         let to_lms = XYZ_TO_LMS.mul(&REC2020.to_xyz());
         OkMats {
             to_lms: to_lms.to_f32(),
-            from_lms: to_lms.inverse().expect("invertible").to_f32(),
+            // constant, invertible matrices (round trips tested below): the identity fallback can't happen
+            from_lms: to_lms.inverse().unwrap_or(Mat3::IDENTITY).to_f32(),
             to_lab: LMS_TO_LAB.to_f32(),
-            from_lab: LMS_TO_LAB.inverse().expect("invertible").to_f32(),
+            from_lab: LMS_TO_LAB.inverse().unwrap_or(Mat3::IDENTITY).to_f32(),
         }
     })
 }

crates/develop/src/lib.rs

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 //! The pipeline evaluates it; the catalog stores it; presets, copy/paste, sync, versions and history
 //! are operations on it. Numeric sliders are addressed by id through [`controls`].
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 pub mod controls;
 pub mod presets;

crates/engine/Cargo.toml

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ lightcraft-scenes = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-pipeline = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-gpu = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-catalog = { workspace = true }
+web-time = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-preview = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-codecs = { workspace = true }
 lightcraft-raw = { workspace = true }

crates/engine/src/cmd/browse.rs

@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 //! The folder's photos are probed in place as `local` photos — only folder views list them —
 //! and edits go to the files' XMP sidecars like any photo added in place. "Add to My Photos"
 //! makes them ordinary library photos.
+//!
+//! Each browse records when the folders it listed were browsed. Untouched records of folders
+//! not browsed for [`Session::forget_local_days`] are forgotten (when the library opens, or with
+//! `library.forgetLocal`); see [`lightcraft_catalog::local`] for what "untouched" means. Files
+//! and sidecars on disk are never touched, and browsing the folder again brings them back.
 
 use std::path::Path;
 
@@ -35,12 +40,113 @@ fn browse(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
         v
     };
     let report = import_with(s, &files, &ImportOptions { mode: ImportMode::Add, local: true, ..Default::default() })?;
+    stamp_browsed(s, &dir_s, &files);
     s.browse = Some(Browse { path: dir_s.clone(), subfolders });
     s.source = LibrarySource::Folder;
     let shown = s.visible().len();
     Ok(json!({"path": dir_s, "subfolders": subfolders, "photos": shown, "new": report.imported.len(), "failed": report.failed.len()}))
 }
 
+/// Folders whose browse time is refreshed at most this often (keeps repeated browsing from
+/// growing the log; far finer than the days the eviction counts in).
+const RESTAMP_SECS: i64 = 3600;
+
+/// Record that `root` and the folders of `files` were browsed now (journaled, not an undo step).
+fn stamp_browsed(s: &mut Session, root: &str, files: &[String]) {
+    let now = (s.clock)();
+    let now_s = lightcraft_catalog::stacks::iso_seconds(&now);
+    let mut folders: std::collections::BTreeSet<String> =
+        files.iter().filter_map(|f| Path::new(f).parent().map(|d| d.to_string_lossy().trim_end_matches(['/', '\\']).to_string())).collect();
+    folders.insert(root.to_string());
+    let ops: Vec<Op> = folders
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|f| {
+            let at = s.catalog.last_browsed(f).and_then(lightcraft_catalog::stacks::iso_seconds);
+            match (at, now_s) {
+                (Some(at), Some(n)) => n - at >= RESTAMP_SECS || n < at,
+                _ => true,
+            }
+        })
+        .map(|folder| Op::SetBrowsed { folder, at: Some(now.clone()) })
+        .collect();
+    if !ops.is_empty() {
+        let op = Op::Batch { ops };
+        if s.catalog.apply(op.clone()).is_ok() {
+            s.pending_log.push(op);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Photos the session still needs, whatever their state: shown, selected, being edited, or
+/// referred to by an undo / redo step.
+fn in_use(s: &mut Session) -> std::collections::HashSet<PhotoId> {
+    let mut keep: std::collections::HashSet<PhotoId> = s.visible().iter().copied().collect();
+    keep.extend(s.selection.ids.iter().copied());
+    keep.extend(s.selection.active);
+    keep.extend(s.previous_active);
+    keep.extend(s.interaction.as_ref().map(|i| i.photo));
+    keep.extend(s.before.keys().copied());
+    for e in s.undo.iter().chain(s.redo.iter()) {
+        e.op.photo_ids(&mut |id| {
+            keep.insert(id);
+        });
+    }
+    keep
+}
+
+impl Session {
+    /// Forget untouched Local records whose folder wasn't browsed for `days` (default
+    /// [`Session::forget_local_days`]; 0 = never). With `dry_run`, only report what would go.
+    /// Journaled (durable, replayed after a crash) but not an undo step; nothing on disk changes.
+    pub fn forget_local(&mut self, dry_run: bool, days: Option<u32>) -> lightcraft_catalog::ForgetPlan {
+        let days = days.unwrap_or(self.forget_local_days);
+        let now = (self.clock)();
+        let keep = in_use(self);
+        let smart = self.media.smart_dir.clone();
+        let plan = self
+            .catalog
+            .forget_local_plan(&now, days, &|p| keep.contains(&p.id) || smart.as_ref().is_some_and(|d| d.join(crate::smart::file_name(p)).exists()));
+        if dry_run {
+            return plan;
+        }
+        for op in plan.ops() {
+            match self.catalog.apply(op.clone()) {
+                Ok(_) => self.pending_log.push(op),
+                Err(e) => log::warn!("forget Local records: {e}"),
+            }
+        }
+        if !plan.evict.is_empty() {
+            log::info!("forgot {} untouched Local record(s) of folders not browsed for {days} days", plan.evict.len());
+        }
+        plan
+    }
+}
+
+fn forget_local(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    let dry_run = bool_or(p, "dryRun", false);
+    let days = match p.get("days") {
+        None | Some(Value::Null) => None,
+        Some(v) => {
+            Some(v.as_u64().ok_or_else(|| bad("library.forgetLocal", "days must be a whole number (0 = never)"))?.min(u64::from(u32::MAX)) as u32)
+        }
+    };
+    let used = days.unwrap_or(s.forget_local_days);
+    let plan = s.forget_local(dry_run, days);
+    if !dry_run && !plan.evict.is_empty() {
+        s.compact_soon();
+    }
+    Ok(json!({
+        "dryRun": dry_run,
+        "days": used,
+        "local": plan.local,
+        "forgotten": plan.evict.len(),
+        "keptRecent": plan.kept_recent,
+        "keptTouched": plan.kept_touched,
+        "keptInUse": plan.kept_in_use,
+        "foldersStamped": plan.stamp.len(),
+    }))
+}
+
 /// The browsed photos among `ids` (default: the selection) become library photos.
 fn add_to_library(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     let ids: Vec<PhotoId> = s.targets(p).into_iter().filter(|id| s.catalog.photo(*id).is_some_and(|ph| ph.local)).collect();
@@ -60,7 +166,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Rename Folder",
             [],
             None,
-            "{path, name} — rename a folder on disk (its files and sidecars go along) and relink the photos in it; not an undo step → {path, relinked}",
+            "{path, name} — rename a folder on disk (its files and sidecars go along) and relink the photos in it; one undo step (undo renames it back, refused if the old name is taken) → {path, relinked}",
             always,
             |s, p| {
                 let from = str_param(p, "path").ok_or_else(|| bad("folder.rename", "missing path"))?.trim_end_matches(['/', '\\']).to_string();
@@ -78,7 +184,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Move Folder",
             [],
             None,
-            "{path, into: destination folder} — move a folder on disk into another and relink the photos in it; not an undo step → {path, relinked}",
+            "{path, into: destination folder} — move a folder on disk into another and relink the photos in it; one undo step (undo moves it back, refused if the old place is taken) → {path, relinked}",
             always,
             |s, p| {
                 let from = str_param(p, "path").ok_or_else(|| bad("folder.move", "missing path"))?.trim_end_matches(['/', '\\']).to_string();
@@ -98,62 +204,98 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             always,
             browse
         ),
+        cmd!(
+            "library.forgetLocal",
+            "Forget Unchanged Local Photos",
+            [],
+            None,
+            "{dryRun?: bool, days?: n (default: the library preference, 0 = never)} — remove Local (browsed, not added) photos nobody changed, of folders not browsed for `days`, from the catalog; files and sidecars stay, browsing the folder again brings them back; not an undo step → {local, forgotten, keptRecent, keptTouched, keptInUse, foldersStamped, days, dryRun}",
+            always,
+            forget_local
+        ),
         cmd!("photo.addToLibrary", "Add to My Photos", ["Photo"], None, "{ids?} — browsed (Local) photos join the library", always, add_to_library),
     ]
 }
 
-/// Rename or move a folder on disk (everything in it goes along, sidecars included) and relink
-/// the photos inside. Like a rename in the file manager it is not an undo step: undoing would
-/// point the photos back at a folder that no longer exists.
-pub(crate) fn move_folder(s: &mut crate::Session, from: &str, to: &str) -> std::result::Result<usize, String> {
-    use std::path::Path;
+/// Rename `from` to `to` on disk (a folder; everything in it goes along). Never overwrites:
+/// refused when `to` exists (a case-only rename on a case-insensitive file system goes through
+/// a temporary name). Missing parents of `to` are created.
+pub(crate) fn rename_folder_on_disk(from: &str, to: &str) -> std::result::Result<(), String> {
     let (src, dst) = (Path::new(from), Path::new(to));
     if !src.is_dir() {
-        return Err(format!("{from} is not a folder"));
+        return Err(format!("{from} is not a folder (moved or deleted?)"));
     }
-    if dst.exists() {
+    let case_only = from != to && from.to_lowercase() == to.to_lowercase();
+    if dst.exists() && !case_only {
         return Err(format!("{to} already exists"));
     }
     if dst.starts_with(src) {
         return Err("a folder can't move into itself".into());
     }
-    if s.library.as_ref().is_some_and(|l| l.dir.starts_with(src) || src.starts_with(&l.dir)) {
-        return Err("the library's own folders can't be moved here".into());
-    }
     if let Some(parent) = dst.parent() {
         std::fs::create_dir_all(parent).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", parent.display()))?;
     }
-    std::fs::rename(src, dst).map_err(|e| format!("{from} → {to}: {e}"))?;
-    let mut n = 0;
-    let ops: Vec<lightcraft_catalog::Op> = s
+    if case_only {
+        let tmp = src.with_file_name(format!(".lc-rename-{}", std::process::id()));
+        if tmp.exists() {
+            return Err(format!("{} already exists", tmp.display()));
+        }
+        std::fs::rename(src, &tmp).map_err(|e| format!("{from} → {to}: {e}"))?;
+        return std::fs::rename(&tmp, dst).map_err(|e| {
+            let _ = std::fs::rename(&tmp, src);
+            format!("{from} → {to}: {e}")
+        });
+    }
+    std::fs::rename(src, dst).map_err(|e| format!("{from} → {to}: {e}"))
+}
+
+/// After a folder moved from `from` to `to`: a browsed folder at or below it follows.
+pub(crate) fn follow_folder(s: &mut Session, from: &str, to: &str) {
+    if let Some(b) = &mut s.browse
+        && let Ok(rel) = Path::new(&b.path).strip_prefix(from)
+    {
+        b.path = Path::new(to).join(rel).to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        let f = b.path.clone();
+        s.filter.folder = Some(f);
+    }
+}
+
+/// Rename or move a folder on disk (everything in it goes along, sidecars included) and relink
+/// the photos inside, as one undo step: undo renames the folder back and restores the photos'
+/// paths, redo repeats the move — each refused (and reported) when the destination is taken.
+pub(crate) fn move_folder(s: &mut Session, from: &str, to: &str) -> std::result::Result<usize, String> {
+    let (src, dst) = (Path::new(from), Path::new(to));
+    if !src.is_dir() {
+        return Err(format!("{from} is not a folder"));
+    }
+    if s.library.as_ref().is_some_and(|l| l.dir.starts_with(src) || src.starts_with(&l.dir)) {
+        return Err("the library's own folders can't be moved here".into());
+    }
+    rename_folder_on_disk(from, to)?;
+    let ops: Vec<Op> = s
         .catalog
         .photos()
         .filter_map(|p| match &p.source {
             lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path } => Path::new(path).strip_prefix(src).ok().map(|rel| (p.id, p.file_name.clone(), dst.join(rel))),
             _ => None,
         })
-        .map(|(id, file_name, np)| {
-            n += 1;
-            lightcraft_catalog::Op::Relink {
-                id,
-                file_name,
-                source: lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path: np.to_string_lossy().to_string() },
-                format: None,
-            }
+        .map(|(id, file_name, np)| Op::Relink {
+            id,
+            file_name,
+            source: lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path: np.to_string_lossy().to_string() },
+            format: None,
         })
         .collect();
-    for op in ops {
-        if s.catalog.apply(op.clone()).is_ok() {
-            s.pending_log.push(op);
-        }
-    }
-    // a browsed folder at or below it follows
-    if let Some(b) = &mut s.browse
-        && let Ok(rel) = Path::new(&b.path).strip_prefix(src)
-    {
-        b.path = dst.join(rel).to_string_lossy().to_string();
-        let f = b.path.clone();
-        s.filter.folder = Some(f);
+    let n = ops.len();
+    let name = Path::new(to).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+    let renamed = src.parent() == dst.parent();
+    let label = if renamed { format!("Rename Folder to “{name}”") } else { format!("Move Folder “{name}”") };
+    let folder = crate::FolderMove { from: to.to_string(), to: from.to_string() };
+    if let Err(e) = s.commit_with_folder(&label, Op::Batch { ops }, folder) {
+        // the catalog didn't take it: put the folder back where the photos still point
+        let back = rename_folder_on_disk(to, from).err().map(|b| format!("; moving it back failed too: {b}")).unwrap_or_default();
+        return Err(format!("{e}{back}"));
     }
+    follow_folder(s, from, to);
     Ok(n)
 }

crates/engine/src/cmd/convert.rs

@@ -10,22 +10,21 @@ use serde_json::{Value, json};
 use super::{CommandSpec, bad, cmd, has_active, has_selection};
 use crate::{Result, Session};
 
-/// A free `<stem>.dng` (then `<stem>-2.dng`…) next to `path`.
-fn dng_path(path: &str) -> String {
+/// `<stem>.dng`, then `<stem>-2.dng`, `<stem>-3.dng`… next to `path`.
+fn dng_names(path: &str) -> impl Iterator<Item = std::path::PathBuf> {
     let p = Path::new(path);
-    let dir = p.parent().unwrap_or(Path::new(""));
+    let dir = p.parent().unwrap_or(Path::new("")).to_path_buf();
     let stem = p.file_stem().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_else(|| "photo".into());
-    let mut out = dir.join(format!("{stem}.dng"));
-    let mut n = 2;
-    while out.exists() {
-        out = dir.join(format!("{stem}-{n}.dng"));
-        n += 1;
-    }
-    out.to_string_lossy().to_string()
+    (1u64..).map(move |n| if n == 1 { dir.join(format!("{stem}.dng")) } else { dir.join(format!("{stem}-{n}.dng")) })
 }
 
-/// Write the DNG for raw file `path` (develop settings in `packet`); returns the new path.
-/// An empty `packet` writes no XMP.
+/// Write the DNG for raw file `path` (develop settings in `packet`) next to it under a free name;
+/// returns the new path. An empty `packet` writes no XMP.
+///
+/// The DNG is checked before anyone relies on it (Convert to DNG relinks the photo to it, Copy as
+/// DNG deletes the raw copy): the encoded file must decode to the same raw data, and it is
+/// written to a temp file, synced, read back identical and only then given its name — never
+/// replacing an existing file. On any failure no DNG is left behind and the raw stays in use.
 pub(crate) fn write_dng_for(s: &Session, path: &str, packet: String) -> std::result::Result<String, String> {
     let bytes = match &s.media.file_bytes {
         Some(r) => r(path)?,
@@ -35,9 +34,21 @@ pub(crate) fn write_dng_for(s: &Session, path: &str, packet: String) -> std::res
     drop(bytes);
     let dng = lightcraft_raw::write_dng(&raw, &lightcraft_raw::DngWriteOptions { xmp: (!packet.is_empty()).then_some(packet), ..Default::default() })
         .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-    let out = dng_path(path);
-    std::fs::write(&out, dng).map_err(|e| format!("{out}: {e}"))?;
-    Ok(out)
+    let back = lightcraft_raw::decode(&dng).map_err(|e| format!("{path}: the DNG written for it doesn't decode ({e}); the raw is kept"))?;
+    let same = match (&back.data, &raw.data) {
+        (lightcraft_raw::RawData::U16(a), lightcraft_raw::RawData::U16(b)) => a == b,
+        (lightcraft_raw::RawData::F32(a), lightcraft_raw::RawData::F32(b)) => {
+            a.len() == b.len() && a.iter().zip(b).all(|(x, y)| x.to_bits() == y.to_bits())
+        }
+        _ => false,
+    };
+    if (back.width, back.height, back.cpp) != (raw.width, raw.height, raw.cpp) || !same {
+        return Err(format!("{path}: the DNG written for it doesn't hold the same raw data; the raw is kept"));
+    }
+    drop((raw, back));
+    let out = lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_new_unique(&mut dng_names(path), &dng)
+        .map_err(|e| format!("{path}: could not write its DNG ({e}); the raw is kept"))?;
+    Ok(out.to_string_lossy().to_string())
 }
 
 fn convert(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
@@ -133,7 +144,7 @@ fn edit_external(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     };
     let mut written = Vec::new();
     let mut write = |path: &str, bytes: &[u8]| -> std::result::Result<(), String> {
-        std::fs::write(path, bytes).map_err(|e| format!("{path}: {e}"))?;
+        crate::export::write_file(path, bytes)?;
         written.push(path.to_string());
         Ok(())
     };

crates/engine/src/cmd/export.rs

@@ -96,5 +96,18 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             save
         ),
         cmd!("export.deletePreset", "Delete Export Preset", [], None, "{name} — removes a user preset → presets", always, delete),
+        cmd!(
+            query "export.checkTarget",
+            "Check Output Path",
+            [],
+            None,
+            "{path} — fails when writing `path` would replace a photo's original (or its XMP sidecar) in the library; front ends call it before saving a render or screenshot to a user-given path → {path}",
+            always,
+            |s, p| {
+                let path = p.get("path").and_then(Value::as_str).ok_or_else(|| bad("export.checkTarget", "missing `path`"))?;
+                s.check_write_target(path).map_err(|e| bad("export.checkTarget", e))?;
+                Ok(json!({"path": path}))
+            }
+        ),
     ]
 }

crates/engine/src/cmd/library.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //! Library commands: view source, filter/sort, selection, ratings/flags/labels, rotate, delete,
 //! metadata, albums, import.
 
-use lightcraft_catalog::{Album, AlbumId, ColorLabel, Flag, GroupBy, Op, PhotoId, Sort, SortKey};
+use lightcraft_catalog::{Album, AlbumId, ColorLabel, CopyrightStatus, Flag, GroupBy, Op, PhotoId, Sort, SortKey};
 use serde_json::{Value, json};
 
 use super::{CommandSpec, always, bad, bool_or, cmd, has_active, has_selection, ok, str_param};
@@ -250,13 +250,14 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             Ok(json!({"selected": s.selection.ids.len()}))
         }),
         cmd!(query "library.devices", "Cameras and Cards", [], None, "{} → [{name, path (its DCIM folder), root}] — mounted volumes with a DCIM folder", always, |_, _| {
-            Ok(serde_json::to_value(crate::devices::devices()).unwrap_or_default())
+            Ok(serde_json::to_value(crate::devices::devices_now()).unwrap_or_default())
         }),
-        cmd!(query "photo.copyMetadata", "Copy Metadata", ["Photo"], None, "{} — title, caption, copyright, creator, location and keywords of the active photo", has_active, |s, _| {
+        cmd!(query "photo.copyMetadata", "Copy Metadata", ["Photo"], None, "{} — title, caption, copyright (notice, status, usage terms, info URL), creator, location and keywords of the active photo", has_active, |s, _| {
             let id = s.active().ok_or_else(|| bad("photo.copyMetadata", "no active photo"))?;
             let m = &s.catalog.photo(id).ok_or_else(|| bad("photo.copyMetadata", "no photo"))?.meta;
             let v = json!({"title": m.title, "caption": m.caption, "altText": m.alt_text, "extendedDescription": m.extended_description,
-                "copyright": m.copyright, "creator": m.creator, "location": m.location, "city": m.city, "state": m.state, "country": m.country,
+                "copyright": m.copyright, "copyrightStatus": m.copyright_status.id(), "usageTerms": m.usage_terms, "copyrightUrl": m.copyright_url,
+                "creator": m.creator, "location": m.location, "city": m.city, "state": m.state, "country": m.country,
                 "keywords": m.keywords});
             s.meta_clipboard = Some(v.clone());
             Ok(v)
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Paste Metadata",
             ["Photo"],
             None,
-            "{ids?, fields?: [title|caption|copyright|creator|location|keywords] (default: all copied)}",
+            "{ids?, fields?: [title|caption|copyright|copyrightStatus|usageTerms|copyrightUrl|creator|location|keywords] (default: all copied)}",
             has_selection,
             |s, p| {
                 let c = "photo.pasteMetadata";
@@ -370,7 +371,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Edit Info",
             [],
             None,
-            "{ids?, title?, caption?, altText?, extendedDescription?, copyright?, creator?, location?, city?, state?, country?, gps?: \"lat, lon\" | [lat, lon] | null, keywords?: [..], addKeywords?: [..], removeKeywords?: [..]}",
+            "{ids?, title?, caption?, altText?, extendedDescription?, copyright?, copyrightStatus?: unknown|copyrighted|publicDomain, usageTerms?, copyrightUrl?, creator?, location?, city?, state?, country?, gps?: \"lat, lon\" | [lat, lon] | null, keywords?: [..], addKeywords?: [..], removeKeywords?: [..]}",
             has_selection,
             |s, p| {
                 let strs =
@@ -390,6 +391,13 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                     },
                     Some(_) => return Err(bad("photo.setMeta", "gps is \"lat, lon\", [lat, lon] or null")),
                 };
+                let status = match str_param(p, "copyrightStatus") {
+                    Some(t) => Some(
+                        CopyrightStatus::parse(t)
+                            .ok_or_else(|| bad("photo.setMeta", format!("copyrightStatus `{t}`: unknown, copyrighted or publicDomain")))?,
+                    ),
+                    None => None,
+                };
                 let mut ops = Vec::new();
                 for id in targets {
                     let Some(ph) = s.catalog.photo(id) else { continue };
@@ -397,10 +405,15 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                     if let Some(g) = gps {
                         m.gps = g;
                     }
+                    if let Some(st) = status {
+                        m.copyright_status = st;
+                    }
                     for (k, field) in [
                         ("title", &mut m.title),
                         ("caption", &mut m.caption),
                         ("copyright", &mut m.copyright),
+                        ("usageTerms", &mut m.usage_terms),
+                        ("copyrightUrl", &mut m.copyright_url),
                         ("creator", &mut m.creator),
                         ("location", &mut m.location),
                         ("city", &mut m.city),
@@ -732,10 +745,10 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
         ),
         cmd!(
             "library.import",
-            "Add Photos…",
+            "Import Photos",
             ["File"],
             Some("Cmd+Shift+I"),
-            "{paths: [file or folder (recursive)], mode?: add|copy (add = reference the files in place; copy = into the library's Originals/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/), destination?: folder for copies, organize?: date|month|flat, rename?: file-name template for copies ({name} {seq:N} {date:%Y%m%d} {camera} {title}), renameStart?: 1, metadataPreset?: name, dng?: bool (copy raws as DNG), album?: albumId, albumName?: new album, preset?: presetId, keywords?: [..]} → {imported, duplicates, failed, album?}",
+            "{paths: [file or folder (recursive)], mode?: add|copy|move (add = reference the files in place; copy = into the library's Originals/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/; move = as copy, then each original and its XMP sidecars are removed from the source — only after the copy is verified (a hard link on the same volume, else copied, synced and compared byte for byte) and its catalog record is saved; failed, duplicate and unchecked files keep their sources; a taken name gets -1, -2…; undo removes the photos from the library but leaves the files at the destination), destination?: folder for copies / moves, organize?: date (YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD) | month (YYYY/YYYY-MM) | flat | a folder template, e.g. `{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}` → 2026/20260114 (the template's `/` make the folders, each level expanded with the rename tokens and made a safe folder name: never outside the destination; must be relative, no `..`; a level with missing metadata is `unknown`) — dated by capture time, else the import time, rename?: file-name template for copies, original extension added (tokens: {name} {num} {seq} {seq:N} {date} {date:%Y%m%d} {folder} {camera} {lens} {iso} {rating} {title} {creator} {ext}; photo.renameTokens explains each; blank = keep names), renameStart?: 1, metadataPreset?: name, dng?: bool (copy raws as DNG; copy only), local?: bool (browsing: the photos stay out of the library, like library.browse; not with move), album?: albumId, albumName?: new album, preset?: presetId, keywords?: [..]} → {imported, duplicates, failed, moved?: [{from, to, sidecars?}], kept?: [{path, reason}] (move: sources left in place and why), album?}",
             always,
             |s, p| {
                 let paths = strs(p, "paths");
@@ -745,7 +758,8 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                 let mode = match str_param(p, "mode").unwrap_or("add") {
                     "add" => crate::import::ImportMode::Add,
                     "copy" => crate::import::ImportMode::Copy,
-                    other => return Err(bad("library.import", format!("unknown mode `{other}` (add|copy)"))),
+                    "move" => crate::import::ImportMode::Move,
+                    other => return Err(bad("library.import", format!("unknown mode `{other}` (add|copy|move)"))),
                 };
                 let preset = match str_param(p, "preset").filter(|x| !x.is_empty()) {
                     Some(id) => {
@@ -760,11 +774,19 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                     return Err(bad("library.import", "album must be a regular album"));
                 }
                 let organize = match str_param(p, "organize") {
-                    Some(o) => {
-                        crate::import::Organize::parse(o).ok_or_else(|| bad("library.import", format!("unknown organize `{o}` (date|month|flat)")))?
-                    }
+                    Some(o) => crate::import::Organize::parse(o).ok_or_else(|| {
+                        bad(
+                            "library.import",
+                            format!("unknown organize `{o}` (date|month|flat, or a folder template like {{date:%Y}}/{{date:%Y%m%d}})"),
+                        )
+                    })?,
                     None => Default::default(),
                 };
+                if let crate::import::Organize::Template(t) = &organize
+                    && let Some(e) = crate::rename::folder_template_error(t)
+                {
+                    return Err(bad("library.import", e));
+                }
                 let metadata_preset = str_param(p, "metadataPreset").map(str::trim).filter(|n| !n.is_empty()).map(str::to_string);
                 if let Some(n) = &metadata_preset
                     && !s.metadata_presets.iter().any(|m| m.name.eq_ignore_ascii_case(n))
@@ -781,7 +803,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                     rename_start: p.get("renameStart").and_then(Value::as_u64).unwrap_or(1) as usize,
                     metadata_preset,
                     convert_dng: super::bool_or(p, "dng", false),
-                    ..Default::default()
+                    local: super::bool_or(p, "local", false),
                 };
                 let undo0 = s.undo.len();
                 let mut report = serde_json::to_value(crate::import::import_with(s, &paths, &opts)?).unwrap_or_default();
@@ -845,6 +867,14 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                 "logRecords": j.log_records(),
                 "logBytes": j.log_bytes(),
                 "lastError": lib.last_error,
+                // settings files that were unreadable or damaged at open (kept, defaults used)
+                "settingsWarnings": lib.settings_warnings,
+                // changes applied in memory whose write failed (retried by every save)
+                "unsavedOps": s.unsaved().map_or(0, |u| u.0),
+                "unsavedError": s.unsaved().map(|u| u.1),
+                // untouched Local records forgotten when the library opened
+                "forgotLocal": lib.forgot_local.as_ref().map(|p| json!({"forgotten": p.evict.len(), "local": p.local, "keptRecent": p.kept_recent, "keptTouched": p.kept_touched, "keptInUse": p.kept_in_use})),
+                "persistence": j.stats(),
                 "cache": cache,
                 "load": {
                     "created": lib.report.created,

crates/engine/src/cmd/manage.rs

@@ -59,9 +59,103 @@ fn set_names_ops(s: &crate::Session, names: &[String; 5]) -> Vec<Op> {
         .collect()
 }
 
+/// Geotag photos from a GPX track log by capture time (Lightroom Classic's Map ▸ Tracklog ▸
+/// Auto-Tag Photos). GPX times are UTC; capture times are the camera's local clock, so a photo's
+/// recorded zone (Exif `OffsetTimeOriginal`) or the `offset` parameter converts them.
+fn auto_tag_tracklog(s: &mut crate::Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    use lightcraft_meta::{DateTime, Match, parse_gpx};
+    const C: &str = "photo.autoTagTracklog";
+    let text = match (str_param(p, "gpx"), str_param(p, "path")) {
+        (Some(t), _) => t.to_string(),
+        (None, Some(path)) => std::fs::read_to_string(path).map_err(|e| bad(C, format!("can't read {path}: {e}")))?,
+        (None, None) => return Err(bad(C, "missing `path` (a .gpx file) or `gpx` (its text)")),
+    };
+    let log = parse_gpx(&text).map_err(|e| bad(C, e.to_string()))?;
+    let (start, end) = log.span().ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "the track log has no timed track points"))?;
+    // minutes east of UTC; `None` = not given (zone-less capture times are then read as UTC)
+    let offset: Option<i64> = match p.get("offset") {
+        None | Some(Value::Null) => None,
+        Some(Value::String(o)) if o.trim().is_empty() => None,
+        Some(Value::Number(h)) => {
+            let h = h.as_f64().unwrap_or(0.0);
+            if h.abs() > 18.0 {
+                return Err(bad(C, "offset is at most ±18 hours"));
+            }
+            Some((h * 60.0).round() as i64)
+        }
+        Some(Value::String(o)) => {
+            Some(DateTime::parse_offset(o).ok_or_else(|| bad(C, format!("can't read offset `{o}` (e.g. +02:00 or -5)")))? as i64)
+        }
+        Some(_) => return Err(bad(C, "offset is `+HH:MM` or a number of hours")),
+    };
+    let max_gap = f64_or(p, "maxGap", 600.0);
+    if max_gap.is_nan() || max_gap < 0.0 {
+        return Err(bad(C, "maxGap must be ≥ 0 seconds"));
+    }
+    let replace = bool_or(p, "replace", false);
+    let (mut no_time, mut outside, mut has_gps, mut assumed_utc, mut interpolated) = (0, 0, 0, 0, 0);
+    let mut ops = Vec::new();
+    let mut photos = Vec::new();
+    for id in s.targets(p) {
+        let Some(ph) = s.catalog.photo(id) else { continue };
+        if ph.meta.gps.is_some() && !replace {
+            has_gps += 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        let Some(dt) = ph.captured.as_deref().and_then(DateTime::parse_iso) else {
+            no_time += 1;
+            continue;
+        };
+        // UTC seconds: the recorded zone wins, else the caller's offset
+        let utc = match dt.offset_minutes {
+            Some(_) => dt.unix_seconds(),
+            None => {
+                if offset.is_none() {
+                    assumed_utc += 1;
+                }
+                dt.unix_seconds() - offset.unwrap_or(0) * 60
+            }
+        } as f64
+            + dt.millis as f64 / 1000.0;
+        let Some((g, m)) = log.locate(utc, max_gap) else {
+            outside += 1;
+            continue;
+        };
+        if m == Match::Interpolated {
+            interpolated += 1;
+        }
+        let pos = ((g.latitude * 1e7).round() / 1e7, (g.longitude * 1e7).round() / 1e7);
+        photos.push(json!({"id": id.0, "gps": [pos.0, pos.1], "match": if m == Match::Interpolated { "interpolated" } else { "nearest" }}));
+        if ph.meta.gps != Some(pos) {
+            let mut meta = ph.meta.clone();
+            meta.gps = Some(pos);
+            ops.push(Op::SetMeta { id, meta: Box::new(meta) });
+        }
+    }
+    let tagged = photos.len();
+    if !bool_or(p, "dryRun", false) && !ops.is_empty() {
+        s.commit("Auto-Tag from Tracklog", Op::Batch { ops })?;
+    }
+    let iso = |t: f64| format!("{}Z", lightcraft_catalog::dates::civil(t.floor() as i64));
+    Ok(json!({
+        "tagged": tagged,
+        "interpolated": interpolated,
+        "nearest": tagged - interpolated,
+        "skipped": {"noTime": no_time, "outside": outside, "hasGps": has_gps},
+        "assumedUtc": assumed_utc,
+        "points": log.points.len(),
+        "start": iso(start),
+        "end": iso(end),
+        "photos": photos,
+    }))
+}
+
 pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
     vec![
-        cmd!(query "photo.renamePreview", "Rename Preview", [], None, "{template: e.g. `{date}_{name}`, `Trip-{seq:3}` (tokens: {name} {seq} {seq:N} {date} {date:%Y%m%d} {camera} {title} {ext}), start?: first sequence number (1), ids?} — renames the files on disk (sidecars too, never overwriting: collisions get -1, -2…); undoable", has_selection, |s, p| {
+        cmd!(query "photo.renameTokens", "Rename Template Tags", [], None, "{} → {tokens: [{tag, aliases, meaning, example}], dateDirectives: [{directive, meaning}], notes: [..], sample} — the file-name template tags shared by photo.rename, library.import (rename) and app.export (naming); examples are for a sample photo", always, |_, _| {
+            Ok(crate::rename::token_help_json())
+        }),
+        cmd!(query "photo.renamePreview", "Rename Preview", [], None, "{template: e.g. `{date}_{name}`, `Trip-{seq:3}` (tokens: {name} {num} {seq} {seq:N} {date} {date:%Y%m%d} {folder} {camera} {lens} {iso} {rating} {title} {creator} {ext}; photo.renameTokens explains each), start?: first sequence number (1), ids?} — renames the files on disk (sidecars too, never overwriting: collisions get -1, -2…); undoable", has_selection, |s, p| {
             let (ids, template, start) = rename_args(s, p, "photo.renamePreview")?;
             Ok(serde_json::to_value(s.plan_rename(&ids, &template, start)).unwrap_or_default())
         }),
@@ -70,7 +164,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Rename Photos",
             [],
             None,
-            "{template: e.g. `{date}_{name}`, `Trip-{seq:3}` (tokens: {name} {seq} {seq:N} {date} {date:%Y%m%d} {camera} {title} {ext}), start?: first sequence number (1), ids?} — renames the files on disk (sidecars too, never overwriting: collisions get -1, -2…); undoable",
+            "{template: e.g. `{date}_{name}`, `Trip-{seq:3}` (tokens: {name} {num} {seq} {seq:N} {date} {date:%Y%m%d} {folder} {camera} {lens} {iso} {rating} {title} {creator} {ext}; photo.renameTokens explains each), start?: first sequence number (1), ids?} — renames the files on disk (sidecars too, never overwriting: collisions get -1, -2…); undoable",
             has_selection,
             |s, p| {
                 let (ids, template, start) = rename_args(s, p, "photo.rename")?;
@@ -127,6 +221,15 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                 Ok(json!({"changed": n, "captured": out}))
             }
         ),
+        cmd!(
+            "photo.autoTagTracklog",
+            "Auto-Tag Photos from Tracklog",
+            [],
+            None,
+            "{path?: GPX file | gpx?: GPX text, ids?, offset?: camera clock's UTC offset for photos whose capture time has no zone (`+02:00`, or hours; default UTC), maxGap?: seconds (600), replace?: bool (also photos that already have GPS), dryRun?: bool} → {tagged, interpolated, nearest, skipped: {noTime, outside, hasGps}, assumedUtc, points, start, end, photos: [{id, gps, match}]} — positions from the track log by capture time; one undo step",
+            has_selection,
+            auto_tag_tracklog
+        ),
         cmd!(query "label.names", "Color Label Names", [], None, "{} → [{label, name, custom}]", always, |s, _| {
             Ok(json!(ColorLabel::ALL
                 .iter()

crates/engine/src/cmd/merge.rs

@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ fn run(s: &mut Session, id: &str, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     if let (Some(path), Some(img)) = (str_param(p, "previewPath"), &out.preview) {
         let png = lightcraft_codecs::encode_png(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(img), &lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta::default())
             .map_err(|e| bad(id, e.to_string()))?;
-        std::fs::write(path, png).map_err(|e| bad(id, format!("{path}: {e}")))?;
+        s.check_write_target(path).map_err(|e| bad(id, e))?;
+        crate::export::write_file(path, &png).map_err(|e| bad(id, e))?;
         info["previewPath"] = json!(path);
     }
     if let Some(img) = &out.preview {

crates/engine/src/cmd/metadata.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 //! Metadata presets: named sets of descriptive fields (copyright, creator, place, keywords…)
 //! applied to photos in one step or to every import (Settings → Import). Saved with the library.
 
-use lightcraft_catalog::Meta;
+use lightcraft_catalog::{CopyrightStatus, Meta};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use serde_json::{Map, Value, json};
 
@@ -9,7 +9,20 @@ use super::{CommandSpec, always, bad, cmd, str_param};
 use crate::{Result, Session};
 
 /// The fields a metadata preset can hold (photo.setMeta names).
-pub const FIELDS: &[&str] = &["title", "caption", "copyright", "creator", "location", "city", "state", "country", "keywords"];
+pub const FIELDS: &[&str] = &[
+    "title",
+    "caption",
+    "copyright",
+    "copyrightStatus",
+    "usageTerms",
+    "copyrightUrl",
+    "creator",
+    "location",
+    "city",
+    "state",
+    "country",
+    "keywords",
+];
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct MetadataPreset {
@@ -23,6 +36,8 @@ fn text_field<'a>(m: &'a mut Meta, k: &str) -> Option<&'a mut String> {
         "title" => &mut m.title,
         "caption" => &mut m.caption,
         "copyright" => &mut m.copyright,
+        "usageTerms" => &mut m.usage_terms,
+        "copyrightUrl" => &mut m.copyright_url,
         "creator" => &mut m.creator,
         "location" => &mut m.location,
         "city" => &mut m.city,
@@ -35,7 +50,11 @@ fn text_field<'a>(m: &'a mut Meta, k: &str) -> Option<&'a mut String> {
 /// Apply preset `fields` to `m`: text fields replace, keywords are added.
 pub fn apply_to(m: &mut Meta, fields: &Value) {
     for (k, v) in fields.as_object().into_iter().flatten() {
-        if k == "keywords" {
+        if k == "copyrightStatus" {
+            if let Some(st) = v.as_str().and_then(CopyrightStatus::parse) {
+                m.copyright_status = st;
+            }
+        } else if k == "keywords" {
             for kw in v.as_array().into_iter().flatten().filter_map(Value::as_str) {
                 if !m.keywords.iter().any(|x| x.eq_ignore_ascii_case(kw)) {
                     m.keywords.push(kw.to_string());
@@ -59,6 +78,9 @@ fn save(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
             if let Some(k) = o.keys().find(|k| !FIELDS.contains(&k.as_str())) {
                 return Err(bad(C, format!("unknown field `{k}` ({})", FIELDS.join(", "))));
             }
+            if let Some(v) = o.get("copyrightStatus").filter(|v| v.as_str().and_then(CopyrightStatus::parse).is_none()) {
+                return Err(bad(C, format!("copyrightStatus {v}: unknown, copyrighted or publicDomain")));
+            }
             Value::Object(o.clone())
         }
         Some(_) => return Err(bad(C, "`fields` must be an object")),
@@ -66,17 +88,24 @@ fn save(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
         None => {
             let id = s.active().ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "no `fields` and no active photo"))?;
             let mut m = s.catalog.photo(id).ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "no photo"))?.meta.clone();
-            let only: Vec<String> = p
-                .get("only")
-                .and_then(Value::as_array)
-                .map(|a| a.iter().filter_map(Value::as_str).map(str::to_string).collect())
-                .unwrap_or_else(|| ["copyright", "creator", "location", "city", "state", "country"].map(String::from).to_vec());
+            let only: Vec<String> =
+                p.get("only").and_then(Value::as_array).map(|a| a.iter().filter_map(Value::as_str).map(str::to_string).collect()).unwrap_or_else(
+                    || {
+                        ["copyright", "copyrightStatus", "usageTerms", "copyrightUrl", "creator", "location", "city", "state", "country"]
+                            .map(String::from)
+                            .to_vec()
+                    },
+                );
             let mut o = Map::new();
             for k in only.iter().filter(|k| FIELDS.contains(&k.as_str())) {
                 if k == "keywords" {
                     if !m.keywords.is_empty() {
                         o.insert(k.clone(), json!(m.keywords));
                     }
+                } else if k == "copyrightStatus" {
+                    if !m.copyright_status.is_unknown() {
+                        o.insert(k.clone(), json!(m.copyright_status.id()));
+                    }
                 } else if let Some(v) = text_field(&mut m, k).filter(|v| !v.trim().is_empty()) {
                     o.insert(k.clone(), json!(v.clone()));
                 }
@@ -136,7 +165,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Save Metadata Preset",
             [],
             None,
-            "{name, fields?: {copyright?, creator?, title?, caption?, location?, city?, state?, country?, keywords?: [..]}, only?: [field] (from the active photo when `fields` is absent; default copyright, creator, place)} — adds or replaces",
+            "{name, fields?: {copyright?, copyrightStatus?: unknown|copyrighted|publicDomain, usageTerms?, copyrightUrl?, creator?, title?, caption?, location?, city?, state?, country?, keywords?: [..]}, only?: [field] (from the active photo when `fields` is absent; default the copyright fields, creator, place)} — adds or replaces",
             always,
             save
         ),

crates/engine/src/cmd/missing.rs

@@ -1,28 +1,53 @@
 //! Missing originals: photos whose file is no longer where the library expects it (moved,
 //! renamed, on an unplugged drive), and relinking them — one at a time (`photo.relink`) or by
-//! searching a folder for files with the same name and size (`library.findMissing`).
+//! searching a folder for files with the same name and size, or the same content
+//! (`library.findMissing`).
 
-use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 use std::path::Path;
 
-use lightcraft_catalog::{Op, PhotoId, Source};
+use lightcraft_catalog::{Catalog, Op, Photo, PhotoId, Source};
 use serde_json::{Value, json};
 
 use super::{CommandSpec, always, bad, cmd, str_param};
 use crate::{Result, Session};
 
+/// The file Missing Photos checks for `p`, if it is in scope: a library photo (not in Recently
+/// Deleted, not a Local-only record seen while browsing a folder) whose original is a file.
+///
+/// Local browse records are out of scope on purpose: browsing can leave tens of thousands of
+/// them in the catalog, they never show in library views (Missing Photos included), and a
+/// folder that is gone is simply not browsed again. The sidebar count, the Missing Photos view,
+/// `library.missing` and Find Missing Photos all use this one rule.
+pub fn checked_path(p: &Photo) -> Option<&str> {
+    match &p.source {
+        Source::File { path } if p.in_library() => Some(path),
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Every in-scope photo's file ([`checked_path`]), without touching the disk.
+pub fn candidates(cat: &Catalog) -> Vec<String> {
+    cat.photos().filter_map(|p| checked_path(p).map(str::to_string)).collect()
+}
+
+/// [`missing`] with the existence check supplied (tests count the file-system calls).
+pub fn missing_with(cat: &Catalog, mut exists: impl FnMut(&str) -> bool) -> Vec<(PhotoId, String)> {
+    cat.photos().filter_map(|p| checked_path(p).filter(|f| !exists(f)).map(|f| (p.id, f.to_string()))).collect()
+}
+
 /// Library photos whose original file can't be found: (id, path).
 pub fn missing(s: &Session) -> Vec<(PhotoId, String)> {
     if cfg!(target_arch = "wasm32") {
         return Vec::new();
     }
-    s.catalog
-        .photos()
-        .filter_map(|p| match &p.source {
-            Source::File { path } if !p.deleted && !Path::new(path).exists() => Some((p.id, path.clone())),
-            _ => None,
-        })
-        .collect()
+    missing_with(&s.catalog, |f| Path::new(f).exists())
+}
+
+/// Whether photo `id` is in scope and its file is gone (the Missing Photos view checks only
+/// the photos its query already narrowed to).
+pub fn is_missing(cat: &Catalog, id: PhotoId) -> bool {
+    !cfg!(target_arch = "wasm32") && cat.photo(id).and_then(|p| checked_path(p)).is_some_and(|f| !Path::new(f).exists())
 }
 
 fn relink_op(id: PhotoId, path: &str) -> Op {
@@ -50,13 +75,38 @@ fn relink(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     {
         ops.extend(crate::cmd::convert::content_op(id, ph, info));
     }
-    s.commit("Relink Photo", if ops.len() == 1 { ops.pop().expect("one op") } else { Op::Batch { ops } })?;
+    let op = match <[Op; 1]>::try_from(ops) {
+        Ok([op]) => op,
+        Err(ops) => Op::Batch { ops },
+    };
+    s.commit("Relink Photo", op)?;
     s.media.forget(id);
     Ok(json!({"id": id.0, "path": abs}))
 }
 
-/// Search `folder` (recursively) for each missing photo's file name — and its size when the
-/// library knows it — and relink every match in one undoable step.
+/// The stored content hash of a photo, without the `:dupN` suffix duplicates get.
+fn stored_hash(p: &Photo) -> Option<&str> {
+    p.content_hash.as_deref().map(|h| h.split(':').next().unwrap_or(h)).filter(|h| !h.is_empty())
+}
+
+/// The content hash of the file at `path` (as import computes it), if it can be read.
+fn file_hash(path: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    std::fs::read(path).ok().map(|b| lightcraft_preview::hash_bytes(&b).to_string())
+}
+
+/// Search `folder` (recursively) for each missing photo's file and relink every match in one
+/// undoable step.
+///
+/// Matching, per photo:
+/// 1. a file with the same name (any letter case), the same size and the same content hash;
+/// 2. renamed: a file of the same size with the same content hash (only same-size files are
+///    read, so this stays cheap);
+/// 3. without a hash to confirm (or the file was edited in place): the one file with the same
+///    name and size. Several such files are ambiguous: the photo is skipped and reported in
+///    `ambiguous`, never guessed (two cameras' `IMG_0001.CR3` of one size are different photos).
+///
+/// Files that are already some photo's original, or that another photo was just matched with,
+/// are not used.
 fn find_missing(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     const C: &str = "library.findMissing";
     let folder = str_param(p, "folder").ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "missing `folder`"))?;
@@ -65,27 +115,72 @@ fn find_missing(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     }
     let lost = missing(s);
     if lost.is_empty() {
-        return Ok(json!({"found": [], "missing": 0}));
+        return Ok(json!({"found": [], "missing": 0, "ambiguous": []}));
     }
-    // file name (lower case) → candidate paths
+    let in_use: HashSet<String> = s.catalog.photos().filter_map(|p| checked_path(p).map(str::to_string)).collect();
+    // file name (lower case) → candidate paths; size → paths (filled lazily)
     let mut by_name: HashMap<String, Vec<String>> = HashMap::new();
-    for f in crate::import::expand(&[folder.to_string()], None) {
-        if let Some(n) = Path::new(&f).file_name() {
-            by_name.entry(n.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase()).or_default().push(f);
+    let files: Vec<String> = crate::import::expand(&[folder.to_string()], None).into_iter().filter(|f| !in_use.contains(f)).collect();
+    for f in &files {
+        if let Some(n) = Path::new(f).file_name() {
+            by_name.entry(n.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase()).or_default().push(f.clone());
         }
     }
+    let mut by_size: Option<HashMap<u64, Vec<String>>> = None;
+    let mut hashes: HashMap<String, Option<String>> = HashMap::new();
+    let mut hash_of = |f: &str| hashes.entry(f.to_string()).or_insert_with(|| file_hash(f)).clone();
+    let size_of = |f: &str| std::fs::metadata(f).map(|m| m.len()).ok();
+    let mut used: HashSet<String> = HashSet::new();
     let mut ops = Vec::new();
     let mut found = Vec::new();
+    let mut ambiguous = Vec::new();
     for (id, old) in &lost {
+        let Some(ph) = s.catalog.photo(*id) else { continue };
         let name = Path::new(old).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase()).unwrap_or_default();
-        let size = s.catalog.photo(*id).map(|p| p.file_size).unwrap_or(0);
-        let hit = by_name.get(&name).and_then(|c| {
-            c.iter().find(|f| size == 0 || std::fs::metadata(f).is_ok_and(|m| m.len() == size)).or_else(|| (c.len() == 1 && size == 0).then(|| &c[0]))
-        });
-        if let Some(path) = hit {
-            ops.push(relink_op(*id, path));
-            found.push(json!({"id": id.0, "from": old, "to": path}));
+        let size = ph.file_size;
+        let hash = stored_hash(ph).map(str::to_string);
+        let named: Vec<&String> = by_name
+            .get(&name)
+            .map(|c| c.iter().filter(|f| !used.contains(*f) && (size == 0 || size_of(f) == Some(size))).collect())
+            .unwrap_or_default();
+        // 1. same name and size, confirmed by the content hash
+        let mut hit: Option<(String, &str)> =
+            hash.as_deref().and_then(|h| named.iter().find(|f| hash_of(f).as_deref() == Some(h))).map(|f| (f.to_string(), "name"));
+        // 2. renamed: same size and content
+        if hit.is_none()
+            && let Some(h) = &hash
+            && size > 0
+        {
+            let sizes = by_size.get_or_insert_with(|| {
+                let mut m: HashMap<u64, Vec<String>> = HashMap::new();
+                for f in &files {
+                    if let Some(n) = size_of(f) {
+                        m.entry(n).or_default().push(f.clone());
+                    }
+                }
+                m
+            });
+            hit = sizes
+                .get(&size)
+                .and_then(|c| c.iter().find(|f| !used.contains(*f) && hash_of(f).as_deref() == Some(h.as_str())))
+                .map(|f| (f.clone(), "content"));
         }
+        // 3. same name and size only (no hash, or the file was edited in place): one candidate
+        //    is taken, several are ambiguous and skipped rather than guessed
+        if hit.is_none() {
+            match named.len() {
+                1 => hit = Some((named[0].clone(), "name")),
+                0 => {}
+                _ => {
+                    ambiguous.push(json!({"id": id.0, "from": old, "candidates": named}));
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        let Some((path, by)) = hit else { continue };
+        ops.push(relink_op(*id, &path));
+        found.push(json!({"id": id.0, "from": old, "to": path, "by": by}));
+        used.insert(path);
     }
     let still = lost.len() - found.len();
     if !ops.is_empty() {
@@ -96,7 +191,7 @@ fn find_missing(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
             }
         }
     }
-    Ok(json!({"found": found, "missing": still}))
+    Ok(json!({"found": found, "missing": still, "ambiguous": ambiguous}))
 }
 
 pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
@@ -118,7 +213,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Find Missing Photos",
             [],
             None,
-            "{folder} — relink every missing photo whose file (same name and size) is somewhere in the folder → {found: [{id, from, to}], missing}",
+            "{folder} — relink every missing photo whose file is somewhere in the folder: same name and size (and content, when the library knows its hash), or — renamed — same size and content → {found: [{id, from, to, by: name|content}], missing, ambiguous: [{id, from, candidates}] (several same-name candidates and no hash to tell them apart: skipped)}",
             always,
             find_missing
         ),

crates/engine/src/cmd/mod.rs

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 //! `edit.*` (undo/redo), and queries (`catalog.query`, `photo.inspect`, `develop.get`…).
 
 mod before;
-mod browse;
+pub(crate) mod browse;
 mod color;
 pub(crate) mod convert;
 mod cull;

crates/engine/src/cmd/prefs.rs

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ fn current(s: &Session) -> Value {
         "xmp": s.xmp,
         "import": s.import_defaults,
         "cacheMb": if s.cache_mb == 0 { s.cache_bytes() >> 20 } else { u64::from(s.cache_mb) },
+        "forgetLocalDays": s.forget_local_days,
         "persistent": s.library.is_some(),
     })
 }
@@ -86,6 +87,11 @@ fn prefs(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
         changed = true;
     }
     s.import_defaults = d;
+    if let Some(v) = p.get("forgetLocalDays") {
+        let days = v.as_u64().ok_or_else(|| bad(ID, "forgetLocalDays must be a whole number of days (0 = never)"))?;
+        s.forget_local_days = days.min(36_500) as u32;
+        changed = true;
+    }
     if let Some(mb) = p.get("cacheMb") {
         let mb = mb.as_u64().ok_or_else(|| bad(ID, "cacheMb must be a number of megabytes"))?;
         s.set_cache_mb(mb.clamp(0, 1 << 20) as u32)?;
@@ -101,7 +107,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
         "Library Preferences",
         [],
         None,
-        "{import?: {rawPreset?: presetId|\"default\", otherPreset?: presetId|\"default\", perCamera?: bool, cameras?: [{camera: \"Make Model\", preset: presetId|null}], copyright?: text, creator?: text (given to imported photos without one)}, camera?: {camera, preset?, remove?: bool}, cacheMb?: n (0 = default)} — develop defaults applied on import (raws / other images / per camera) and the thumbnail cache size, saved with the library → {xmp, import, cacheMb, persistent}",
+        "{import?: {rawPreset?: presetId|\"default\", otherPreset?: presetId|\"default\", perCamera?: bool, cameras?: [{camera: \"Make Model\", preset: presetId|null}], copyright?: text, creator?: text (given to imported photos without one)}, camera?: {camera, preset?, remove?: bool}, cacheMb?: n (0 = default), forgetLocalDays?: n (forget untouched Local photos of folders not browsed for n days; 0 = never)} — develop defaults applied on import (raws / other images / per camera) and the thumbnail cache size, saved with the library → {xmp, import, cacheMb, forgetLocalDays, persistent}",
         always,
         prefs
     )]

crates/engine/src/cmd/previews.rs

@@ -102,9 +102,14 @@ fn smart(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     let dir = s.media.smart_dir.clone().ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "smart previews need a library on disk"))?;
     let discard = p.get("discard").and_then(Value::as_bool).unwrap_or(false);
     let ids = if p.get("ids").is_some() || !s.selection.ids.is_empty() { s.targets(p) } else { s.visible_cloned() };
-    let (mut built, mut removed, mut failed) = (0usize, 0usize, Vec::new());
+    let (mut built, mut repaired, mut removed, mut failed) = (0usize, 0usize, 0usize, Vec::new());
     if !discard {
-        std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).map_err(|e| bad(C, format!("{}: {e}", dir.display())))?;
+        // a chosen folder on another drive must be there: never recreate it on this one
+        if s.smart_previews_dir.is_some() {
+            crate::smart::check_writable(&dir).map_err(|e| bad(C, e))?;
+        } else {
+            std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).map_err(|e| bad(C, format!("{}: {e}", dir.display())))?;
+        }
     }
     for id in ids {
         let Some(ph) = s.catalog.photo(id).cloned() else { continue };
@@ -118,26 +123,96 @@ fn smart(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
             }
             continue;
         }
-        if path.exists() {
+        // a complete proxy is kept; a missing or damaged one (cut short by a crash or a full
+        // drive) is (re)built
+        let damaged = path.exists();
+        if damaged && crate::smart::is_valid(&path) {
             built += 1;
             continue;
         }
+        // atomic: a failed write leaves no partial proxy that would pass for a built one
         let r = s
             .source_now(id, crate::media::SourceLevel::Preview)
             .and_then(|src| crate::smart::encode(&src))
-            .and_then(|b| std::fs::write(&path, b).map_err(|e| e.to_string()));
+            .and_then(|b| lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_atomic(&path, &b).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", path.display())));
         match r {
-            Ok(()) => built += 1,
+            Ok(()) => {
+                built += 1;
+                repaired += usize::from(damaged);
+            }
             Err(e) => failed.push(json!([id.0, e])),
         }
     }
-    Ok(json!({"built": built, "removed": removed, "failed": failed}))
+    Ok(json!({"built": built, "repaired": repaired, "removed": removed, "failed": failed}))
+}
+
+/// The smart previews folder: where it is, whether it is custom, what it holds, whether it can be
+/// used now (a chosen folder on an unplugged drive is `available: false`).
+#[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+fn location_json(s: &Session) -> Value {
+    let dir = s.media.smart_dir.clone();
+    let default = s.library.as_ref().filter(|l| l.on_disk).map(|l| crate::smart::dir(&l.dir));
+    let (count, bytes) = dir.as_deref().map_or((0, 0), crate::smart::stats);
+    json!({
+        "path": dir.as_ref().map(|d| d.to_string_lossy()),
+        "default": default.map(|d| d.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
+        "custom": s.smart_previews_dir.is_some(),
+        "available": dir.as_ref().is_some_and(|d| d.is_dir()) || s.smart_previews_dir.is_none(),
+        "count": count,
+        "bytes": bytes,
+    })
+}
+
+/// Show or change where smart previews are kept (per library).
+#[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+fn smart_location(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
+    const C: &str = "library.smartPreviewsLocation";
+    let current = s.media.smart_dir.clone().ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "smart previews need a library on disk"))?;
+    let reset = p.get("reset").and_then(Value::as_bool).unwrap_or(false);
+    let chosen = str_param(p, "path").filter(|x| !x.trim().is_empty());
+    if !reset && chosen.is_none() {
+        return Ok(location_json(s));
+    }
+    let lib_dir = s.library.as_ref().filter(|l| l.on_disk).map(|l| l.dir.clone()).ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "smart previews need a library on disk"))?;
+    let default = crate::smart::dir(&lib_dir);
+    let (new_dir, custom) = match chosen {
+        Some(x) if !reset => {
+            let d = std::path::PathBuf::from(x.trim());
+            if !d.is_absolute() {
+                return Err(bad(C, "path must be an absolute folder path"));
+            }
+            (d.clone(), (d != default).then_some(d))
+        }
+        _ => (default, None),
+    };
+    if new_dir == current {
+        return Ok(location_json(s));
+    }
+    // the new place must work before anything moves; there is no fallback to another drive
+    crate::smart::check_writable(&new_dir).map_err(|e| bad(C, e))?;
+    let (held, _) = crate::smart::stats(&current);
+    let existing = match str_param(p, "existing") {
+        Some(x) => Some(crate::smart::Existing::parse(x).ok_or_else(|| bad(C, "existing must be move, leave or discard"))?),
+        None if held == 0 => Some(crate::smart::Existing::Leave),
+        None => None,
+    };
+    let Some(existing) = existing else {
+        return Err(bad(C, format!("{held} smart preview(s) are in {}: pass existing = move, leave or discard", current.display())));
+    };
+    let (moved, failed) = crate::smart::migrate(&current, &new_dir, existing);
+    s.smart_previews_dir = custom;
+    s.media.smart_dir = Some(new_dir);
+    s.save_prefs()?;
+    let mut r = location_json(s);
+    r["handled"] = json!(moved);
+    r["failed"] = json!(failed);
+    Ok(r)
 }
 
 /// Whether photo `id` has a smart preview.
 pub fn has_smart_preview(s: &Session, id: lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId) -> bool {
     match (&s.media.smart_dir, s.catalog.photo(id)) {
-        (Some(dir), Some(p)) => dir.join(crate::smart::file_name(p)).exists(),
+        (Some(dir), Some(p)) => crate::smart::is_valid(&dir.join(crate::smart::file_name(p))),
         _ => false,
     }
 }
@@ -150,10 +225,20 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Build Smart Previews",
             [],
             None,
-            "{ids?, discard?: bool} — build (or discard) the smart previews of the selected photos (else all in view): compact proxies in the library that keep photos editable and exportable (at proxy size) while their originals are offline → {built, removed, failed}",
+            "{ids?, discard?: bool} — build (or discard) the smart previews of the selected photos (else all in view): compact proxies in the library that keep photos editable and exportable (at proxy size) while their originals are offline; a damaged proxy (cut short) is rebuilt → {built, repaired, removed, failed}",
             always,
             smart
         ),
+        #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+        cmd!(
+            "library.smartPreviewsLocation",
+            "Smart Previews Location",
+            [],
+            None,
+            "{path?: absolute folder, reset?: bool, existing?: move|leave|discard} — without path/reset: where this library keeps its smart previews → {path, default, custom, available, count, bytes}. With path (or reset = back to `Smart Previews` in the library): use that folder instead (must exist or have an existing parent, and accept writes; never falls back to another drive). Smart previews already in the old folder need `existing`: move them, leave them (build again), or discard them → also {handled, failed}",
+            always,
+            smart_location
+        ),
         cmd!(query "photo.smartPreview", "Smart Preview Status", [], None, "{id?} → {smartPreview: bool, originalOnline: bool}", always, |s, p| {
             let id = s.targets(p).first().copied().ok_or_else(|| bad("photo.smartPreview", "no photo"))?;
             let online = match s.catalog.photo(id).map(|p| p.source.clone()) {

crates/engine/src/cmd/query.rs

@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                 .map(|r| json!({"group": r.group, "tag": r.tag, "name": r.name, "value": r.value}))
                 .collect();
             // XMP: the sidecar if there is one, else the file's own packet
-            let packet = crate::sidecar::read_packet(path, ph.kind, s.xmp.naming).map(|(x, _)| x).or_else(|| lightcraft_meta::embedded(&bytes).xmp);
+            let packet = crate::sidecar::read_packet(path, ph.kind, s.sidecar_naming(ph.id)).map(|(x, _)| x).or_else(|| lightcraft_meta::embedded(&bytes).xmp);
             let xmp: Vec<Value> = packet
                 .and_then(|x| lightcraft_meta::parse_xmp(&x).ok())
                 .map(|d| d.properties.into_iter().filter(|(k, _)| !k.starts_with("lc:")).map(|(k, v)| json!({"name": k, "value": v.join("; ")})).collect())
@@ -186,11 +186,17 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
                 "versions": ph.versions.iter().map(|v| json!({"name": v.name, "created": v.created})).collect::<Vec<_>>(),
             }))
         }),
-        cmd!(query "app.gpu", "GPU Rendering", [], None, "{enabled?: bool} — allow/forbid GPU rendering (CPU fallback; LIGHTCRAFT_GPU=0 forbids it for the process)", always, |_, p| {
+        cmd!(query "app.gpu", "GPU Rendering", [], None, "{enabled?: bool} — allow/forbid GPU rendering (CPU fallback; LIGHTCRAFT_GPU=0 forbids it for the process); returns {enabled, available, adapter, reason (why the GPU is off), lastFallback (latest render redone on the CPU, and why)}", always, |_, p| {
             if let Some(on) = p.get("enabled").and_then(Value::as_bool) {
                 lightcraft_gpu::set_enabled(on);
             }
-            Ok(json!({"enabled": lightcraft_gpu::enabled(), "available": lightcraft_gpu::available(), "adapter": lightcraft_gpu::adapter_name()}))
+            Ok(json!({
+                "enabled": lightcraft_gpu::enabled(),
+                "available": lightcraft_gpu::available(),
+                "adapter": lightcraft_gpu::adapter_name(),
+                "reason": lightcraft_gpu::unavailable_reason(),
+                "lastFallback": lightcraft_gpu::last_fallback(),
+            }))
         }),
         cmd!(query "library.memory", "Memory Usage", [], None, "{} — bytes held by each cache (decoded sources, rendered previews, GPU buffers; heap when instrumented)", always, |s, _| {
             Ok(serde_json::to_value(s.memory_report()).unwrap_or_default())

crates/engine/src/cmd/xmp.rs

@@ -9,14 +9,26 @@ use crate::{Result, Session};
 
 fn save(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
     let mut written = Vec::new();
+    let mut merged = Vec::new();
+    let mut backups = Vec::new();
     let mut failed = Vec::new();
+    let owners = crate::sidecar::StemOwners::of(&s.catalog);
     for id in s.targets(p) {
-        match s.save_sidecar(id) {
-            Ok(path) => written.push(path.display().to_string()),
+        match s.save_sidecar_with(id, &owners) {
+            Ok(r) => {
+                let path = r.path.display().to_string();
+                if r.merged {
+                    merged.push(path.clone());
+                }
+                if let Some(b) = r.backup {
+                    backups.push(json!({"path": path, "backup": b.display().to_string()}));
+                }
+                written.push(path);
+            }
             Err(e) => failed.push(json!({"id": id.0, "error": e.to_string()})),
         }
     }
-    Ok(json!({"written": written, "failed": failed}))
+    Ok(json!({"written": written, "merged": merged, "backups": backups, "failed": failed}))
 }
 
 fn read(s: &mut Session, p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
@@ -63,7 +75,7 @@ pub fn specs() -> Vec<CommandSpec> {
             "Save Metadata to File",
             ["Photo"],
             Some("Cmd+S"),
-            "{ids?} — writes each photo's XMP sidecar (metadata + develop settings) next to the original → {written: [path], failed}",
+            "{ids?} — writes each photo's XMP sidecar (metadata + develop settings) next to the original, merged into an existing one (other apps' data kept; an unreadable one is backed up first) → {written: [path], merged: [path], backups: [{path, backup}], failed}",
             has_selection,
             save
         ),

crates/engine/src/devices.rs

@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 //! Cameras and memory cards: mounted volumes with a `DCIM` folder (the DCF layout every camera
-//! writes). Listed by `library.devices`; the app offers them under File → Add from Device, and
+//! writes). Listed by `library.devices`; the app offers them under File → Import from Device, and
 //! the import review copies from them into the library.
+//!
+//! Menus are rebuilt every frame (even with their popups closed), so [`devices`] never touches the
+//! disk: it serves the last scan and, when that is older than [`MAX_AGE`], starts one background
+//! rescan (coalesced; no lock is held while it runs). A changed result calls the [`on_change`]
+//! hook, which the UI uses to repaint, so hot-plugged cards still appear. [`devices_now`] scans
+//! synchronously for explicit requests (`library.devices`, Add from Device without a path).
+
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use std::time::Duration;
 
 use serde::Serialize;
 
@@ -14,6 +23,9 @@ pub struct Device {
     pub root: String,
 }
 
+/// How long a scan is served before [`devices`] starts another one.
+pub const MAX_AGE: Duration = Duration::from_secs(2);
+
 /// Folders whose children are mounted volumes on this platform. `LIGHTCRAFT_DEVICE_ROOTS`
 /// (paths joined like `PATH`) replaces them (tests, unusual mounts).
 fn mount_parents() -> Vec<std::path::PathBuf> {
@@ -23,7 +35,9 @@ fn mount_parents() -> Vec<std::path::PathBuf> {
     let mut out = Vec::new();
     if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
         out.push("/Volumes".into());
-    } else if cfg!(target_os = "linux") {
+    } else if cfg!(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "freebsd")) {
+        // Linux desktops mount under /media/$USER or /run/media/$USER; FreeBSD's automounter
+        // (automount/autofs, or a desktop's) under /media. Missing folders are skipped.
         if let Ok(user) = std::env::var("USER") {
             out.push(format!("/media/{user}").into());
             out.push(format!("/run/media/{user}").into());
@@ -34,21 +48,114 @@ fn mount_parents() -> Vec<std::path::PathBuf> {
     out
 }
 
-/// Mounted volumes that look like a camera or a memory card. Cached for a couple of seconds:
-/// menus ask often, and listing mounts can be slow (network volumes).
-pub fn devices() -> Vec<Device> {
-    use std::sync::Mutex;
-    use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
-    static CACHE: Mutex<Option<(Instant, Vec<Device>)>> = Mutex::new(None);
-    let mut c = CACHE.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
-    if let Some((t, d)) = c.as_ref()
-        && t.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(2)
-    {
-        return d.clone();
+type Scanner = dyn Fn() -> Vec<Device> + Send + Sync;
+type Notify = dyn Fn() + Send + Sync;
+
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct WatchState {
+    list: Vec<Device>,
+    /// When the served list was scanned (`None`: never). No clock (and no threads) on wasm, where
+    /// there are no mounted volumes either.
+    #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+    scanned: Option<std::time::Instant>,
+    /// A background scan is running.
+    refreshing: bool,
+}
+
+/// A cached device list, refreshed off the calling thread.
+pub struct DeviceWatch {
+    scanner: Box<Scanner>,
+    #[cfg_attr(target_arch = "wasm32", allow(dead_code))]
+    max_age: Duration,
+    state: Mutex<WatchState>,
+    notify: Mutex<Option<Arc<Notify>>>,
+}
+
+impl DeviceWatch {
+    pub fn new(scanner: impl Fn() -> Vec<Device> + Send + Sync + 'static, max_age: Duration) -> Arc<Self> {
+        Arc::new(DeviceWatch { scanner: Box::new(scanner), max_age, state: Mutex::default(), notify: Mutex::new(None) })
     }
-    let d = scan();
-    *c = Some((Instant::now(), d.clone()));
-    d
+
+    fn state(&self) -> std::sync::MutexGuard<'_, WatchState> {
+        self.state.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())
+    }
+
+    /// Called (on the scanning thread) whenever a scan changes the list.
+    pub fn on_change(&self, f: impl Fn() + Send + Sync + 'static) {
+        *self.notify.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()) = Some(Arc::new(f));
+    }
+
+    /// The last scan, immediately; starts a background rescan when it is stale and none is running.
+    pub fn get(self: &Arc<Self>) -> Vec<Device> {
+        let mut s = self.state();
+        #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+        if !s.refreshing && s.scanned.is_none_or(|t| t.elapsed() >= self.max_age) {
+            s.refreshing = true;
+            let me = self.clone();
+            // the scan runs without the state lock; `get` only ever waits for a list clone
+            let spawned = std::thread::Builder::new().name("lightcraft-devices".into()).spawn(move || {
+                let list = (me.scanner)();
+                me.store(list);
+            });
+            if spawned.is_err() {
+                s.refreshing = false;
+            }
+        }
+        s.list.clone()
+    }
+
+    /// Scan now on this thread, and serve the result to later [`DeviceWatch::get`] calls.
+    pub fn scan_now(&self) -> Vec<Device> {
+        let list = (self.scanner)();
+        self.store(list.clone());
+        list
+    }
+
+    fn store(&self, list: Vec<Device>) {
+        let changed = {
+            let mut s = self.state();
+            s.refreshing = false;
+            #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+            {
+                s.scanned = Some(std::time::Instant::now());
+            }
+            let changed = s.list != list;
+            s.list = list;
+            changed
+        };
+        if changed {
+            let f = self.notify.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).clone();
+            if let Some(f) = f {
+                f();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A background scan is running.
+    pub fn refreshing(&self) -> bool {
+        self.state().refreshing
+    }
+}
+
+fn global() -> &'static Arc<DeviceWatch> {
+    static WATCH: std::sync::OnceLock<Arc<DeviceWatch>> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+    WATCH.get_or_init(|| DeviceWatch::new(scan, MAX_AGE))
+}
+
+/// Mounted volumes that look like a camera or a memory card, without blocking: the last scan,
+/// refreshed in the background when older than [`MAX_AGE`] (empty until the first scan lands).
+pub fn devices() -> Vec<Device> {
+    global().get()
+}
+
+/// Scan the mounted volumes now (blocking), for explicit requests.
+pub fn devices_now() -> Vec<Device> {
+    global().scan_now()
+}
+
+/// Run `f` whenever a scan changes the device list (the UI requests a repaint).
+pub fn on_change(f: impl Fn() + Send + Sync + 'static) {
+    global().on_change(f);
 }
 
 fn scan() -> Vec<Device> {
@@ -73,10 +180,7 @@ pub fn devices_in(parents: &[std::path::PathBuf], extra: Vec<std::path::PathBuf>
     roots.extend(extra);
     let mut out: Vec<Device> = Vec::new();
     for root in roots {
-        let Ok(rd) = std::fs::read_dir(&root) else { continue };
-        let Some(dcim) = rd.flatten().map(|e| e.path()).find(|p| p.is_dir() && p.file_name().is_some_and(|n| n.eq_ignore_ascii_case("DCIM"))) else {
-            continue;
-        };
+        let Some(dcim) = dcim_in(&root) else { continue };
         let name = root.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_else(|| root.to_string_lossy().to_string());
         if !out.iter().any(|d| d.root == root.to_string_lossy()) {
             out.push(Device { name, path: dcim.to_string_lossy().to_string(), root: root.to_string_lossy().to_string() });
@@ -85,9 +189,22 @@ pub fn devices_in(parents: &[std::path::PathBuf], extra: Vec<std::path::PathBuf>
     out
 }
 
+/// The volume's `DCIM` folder: the usual spellings are checked directly, so a volume's root is
+/// only listed (other spellings on a case-sensitive volume) off Windows, whose drives aren't.
+fn dcim_in(root: &std::path::Path) -> Option<std::path::PathBuf> {
+    if let Some(p) = ["DCIM", "dcim"].iter().map(|n| root.join(n)).find(|p| p.is_dir()) {
+        return Some(p);
+    }
+    if cfg!(windows) {
+        return None;
+    }
+    std::fs::read_dir(root).ok()?.flatten().map(|e| e.path()).find(|p| p.file_name().is_some_and(|n| n.eq_ignore_ascii_case("DCIM")) && p.is_dir())
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
 
     #[test]
     fn volumes_with_a_dcim_folder_are_devices() {
@@ -96,10 +213,76 @@ mod tests {
         std::fs::create_dir_all(base.join("EOS_DIGITAL/DCIM/100CANON")).unwrap();
         std::fs::create_dir_all(base.join("Backup/Photos")).unwrap();
         std::fs::create_dir_all(base.join("SD/dcim")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(base.join("X/Dcim")).unwrap();
         let d = devices_in(std::slice::from_ref(&base), Vec::new());
         let names: Vec<&str> = d.iter().map(|x| x.name.as_str()).collect();
-        assert_eq!(names, ["EOS_DIGITAL", "SD"], "{d:?}");
-        assert!(d[0].path.ends_with("DCIM") && d[1].path.ends_with("dcim"));
+        assert_eq!(names, ["EOS_DIGITAL", "SD", "X"], "{d:?}");
+        // the DCIM folder itself, in a spelling that opens on that volume
+        for x in &d {
+            let p = std::path::Path::new(&x.path);
+            assert!(p.is_dir() && p.file_name().is_some_and(|n| n.eq_ignore_ascii_case("DCIM")), "{x:?}");
+        }
         let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
     }
+
+    fn card(name: &str) -> Device {
+        Device { name: name.into(), path: format!("/v/{name}/DCIM"), root: format!("/v/{name}") }
+    }
+
+    /// Wait (bounded) for `f`.
+    fn until(f: impl Fn() -> bool) -> bool {
+        let t = std::time::Instant::now();
+        while t.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(20) {
+            if f() {
+                return true;
+            }
+            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5));
+        }
+        false
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn slow_scans_never_block_and_hot_plug_still_arrives() {
+        // a scanner that takes 1.5 s (a sleeping network drive) and counts its runs
+        const SLOW: Duration = Duration::from_millis(1500);
+        let mounted = Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::<Device>::new()));
+        let runs = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let (m, r) = (mounted.clone(), runs.clone());
+        let watch = DeviceWatch::new(
+            move || {
+                r.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+                std::thread::sleep(SLOW);
+                m.lock().unwrap().clone()
+            },
+            Duration::from_millis(20),
+        );
+        let changes = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
+        let c = changes.clone();
+        watch.on_change(move || {
+            c.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst);
+        });
+        // cold: served at once (empty) while one scan runs in the background
+        let t = std::time::Instant::now();
+        for _ in 0..50 {
+            assert!(watch.get().is_empty());
+        }
+        assert!(t.elapsed() < SLOW / 2, "get() waited for the scan: {:?}", t.elapsed());
+        assert!(watch.refreshing());
+        assert!(until(|| !watch.refreshing()));
+        assert_eq!(runs.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 1, "requests while scanning are coalesced");
+        assert_eq!(changes.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 0, "nothing changed");
+        // a card is plugged in: the next stale request starts a rescan, still without waiting
+        mounted.lock().unwrap().push(card("EOS_DIGITAL"));
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(40));
+        let t = std::time::Instant::now();
+        assert!(watch.get().is_empty(), "the old list is served while rescanning");
+        assert!(t.elapsed() < SLOW / 2, "warm get() waited: {:?}", t.elapsed());
+        assert!(until(|| changes.load(Ordering::SeqCst) == 1), "a changed scan notifies");
+        assert_eq!(watch.get(), [card("EOS_DIGITAL")]);
+        // explicit requests scan synchronously
+        assert!(until(|| !watch.refreshing()));
+        mounted.lock().unwrap().clear();
+        assert!(watch.scan_now().is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(changes.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 2);
+    }
 }

crates/engine/src/export.rs

@@ -202,6 +202,8 @@ pub enum Anchor {
 #[serde(default, rename_all = "camelCase")]
 pub struct Watermark {
     pub text: String,
+    /// Basic Japanese vertical lettering: upright glyphs in columns from right to left.
+    pub vertical: bool,
     /// Text height as a fraction of the image's short edge.
     pub size: f32,
     /// 0..1.
@@ -226,6 +228,7 @@ impl Default for Watermark {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             text: String::new(),
+            vertical: false,
             size: 0.035,
             opacity: 0.7,
             anchor: Anchor::BottomRight,
@@ -241,6 +244,9 @@ impl Default for Watermark {
 
 /// Inter SemiBold (OFL, see assets/ATTRIBUTION.md).
 static WATERMARK_FONT: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/Inter-SemiBold.ttf");
+/// BIZ UDMincho (OFL), Japanese fallback on both native and web.
+/// Bundled OFL Japanese font bytes, shared by watermarks and UI glyph fallback.
+pub static WATERMARK_JAPANESE_FONT: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf");
 
 /// Draw `wm` onto `img` (straight alpha blending of the encoded values).
 pub fn draw_watermark(img: &mut Rgba8, wm: &Watermark) {
@@ -288,23 +294,67 @@ fn watermark_coverage(width: usize, height: usize, wm: &Watermark, mut blend_px:
         return;
     }
     let Ok(font) = FontRef::try_from_slice(WATERMARK_FONT) else { return };
+    let Ok(japanese) = FontRef::try_from_slice(WATERMARK_JAPANESE_FONT) else { return };
+    let fonts = [font, japanese];
     let short = width.min(height) as f32;
     let px = (wm.size.clamp(0.005, 0.5) * short).max(6.0);
-    let sf = font.as_scaled(PxScale::from(px));
-    // Lay out one line.
     let mut glyphs = Vec::new();
     let mut x = 0.0f32;
+    let mut y = 0.0f32;
+    let mut tw = 0.0f32;
     let mut prev = None;
-    for ch in text.chars() {
+    let columns = text.split('\n').count();
+    let mut column = 0usize;
+    for original in text.chars() {
+        if original == '\n' {
+            if wm.vertical {
+                column = column.saturating_add(1);
+                tw = tw.max(y);
+                y = 0.0;
+            } else {
+                tw = tw.max(x);
+                x = 0.0;
+                y += px;
+            }
+            prev = None;
+            continue;
+        }
+        let vertical_form = match original {
+            '、' => '︑',
+            '。' => '︒',
+            '（' => '︵',
+            '）' => '︶',
+            '「' => '﹁',
+            '」' => '﹂',
+            '『' => '﹃',
+            '』' => '﹄',
+            '【' => '︻',
+            '】' => '︼',
+            '…' => '︙',
+            other => other,
+        };
+        let ch = if wm.vertical && fonts[1].glyph_id(vertical_form).0 != 0 { vertical_form } else { original };
+        let face = usize::from(fonts[0].glyph_id(ch).0 == 0);
+        let sf = fonts[face].as_scaled(PxScale::from(px));
         let id = sf.glyph_id(ch);
-        if let Some(p) = prev {
-            x += sf.kern(p, id);
+        if wm.vertical {
+            let left = columns.saturating_sub(column.saturating_add(1)) as f32 * px;
+            let pen = point(left + (px - sf.h_advance(id)) / 2.0, y + sf.ascent());
+            let rotation = matches!(original, 'ー' | '—' | '–').then_some((left + px / 2.0, y + px / 2.0));
+            glyphs.push((face, id.with_scale_and_position(px, pen), rotation));
+            y += px;
+        } else {
+            if let Some((previous_face, previous)) = prev
+                && previous_face == face
+            {
+                x += sf.kern(previous, id);
+            }
+            glyphs.push((face, id.with_scale_and_position(px, point(x, y + sf.ascent())), None));
+            x += sf.h_advance(id);
+            prev = Some((face, id));
         }
-        glyphs.push(id.with_scale_and_position(px, point(x, sf.ascent())));
-        x += sf.h_advance(id);
-        prev = Some(id);
     }
-    let (tw, th) = (x, sf.ascent() - sf.descent());
+    let (tw, th) = if wm.vertical { (columns as f32 * px, tw.max(y)) } else { (tw.max(x), y + px) };
     let inset = wm.inset.clamp(0.0, 0.4) * short;
     let (w, h) = (width as f32, height as f32);
     use Anchor::*;
@@ -328,10 +378,17 @@ fn watermark_coverage(width: usize, height: usize, wm: &Watermark, mut blend_px:
     let passes: &[(f32, [u8; 3], f32)] =
         if wm.shadow { &[((px * 0.05).max(1.0), [0, 0, 0], 0.45), (0.0, wm.color, 1.0)] } else { &[(0.0, wm.color, 1.0)] };
     for &(off, col, a) in passes {
-        for g in &glyphs {
-            if let Some(o) = font.outline_glyph(g.clone()) {
+        for (face, g, rotation) in &glyphs {
+            if let Some(o) = fonts.get(*face).and_then(|font| font.outline_glyph(g.clone())) {
                 let b = o.px_bounds();
-                o.draw(|gx, gy, cov| blend((ox + off + b.min.x) as i32 + gx as i32, (oy + off + b.min.y) as i32 + gy as i32, cov, col, a * alpha));
+                o.draw(|gx, gy, cov| {
+                    let (sx, sy) = (b.min.x + gx as f32, b.min.y + gy as f32);
+                    let (sx, sy) = match rotation {
+                        Some((cx, cy)) => (cx - (sy - cy), cy + (sx - cx)),
+                        None => (sx, sy),
+                    };
+                    blend((ox + off + sx) as i32, (oy + off + sy) as i32, cov, col, a * alpha);
+                });
             }
         }
     }
@@ -434,8 +491,11 @@ pub struct ExportOptions {
     pub limit_kb: Option<u32>,
     pub sharpen: SharpenFor,
     pub sharpen_amount: SharpenAmount,
-    /// File name template: `{name}` (original stem), `{seq}` (zero-padded to 3, counting from
-    /// `start_number`), `{date}` (capture date, YYYYMMDD); the extension is appended.
+    /// File name template with the batch-rename tokens ([`crate::rename::expand_tokens`]): `{name}`
+    /// (original stem), `{seq}` (zero-padded to 3, counting from `start_number`; `{seq:N}` for N
+    /// digits), `{date}` (capture date, YYYYMMDD; `{date:%Y-%m-%d}`…), `{num}`, `{folder}`,
+    /// `{camera}`, `{lens}`, `{iso}`, `{rating}`, `{title}`, `{creator}`, `{ext}`; the output
+    /// extension is appended.
     pub naming: String,
     /// First `{seq}` value.
     pub start_number: u32,
@@ -550,10 +610,9 @@ impl ExportOptions {
                     r(ResizeMode::ShortEdge, v)
                 } else if let Some(v) = f("megapixels") {
                     r(ResizeMode::Megapixels, v)
-                } else if let Some(v) = f("percent") {
-                    r(ResizeMode::Percent, v)
                 } else {
-                    return None;
+                    let v = f("percent")?;
+                    r(ResizeMode::Percent, v)
                 }
             }
         })
@@ -618,36 +677,23 @@ impl ExportOptions {
         if self.format == ExportFormat::Avif { OutputSpace::Srgb } else { self.color_space }
     }
 
-    /// Output file name for photo `stem` at 1-based position `seq` in a batch.
-    pub fn file_name(&self, stem: &str, seq: usize) -> String {
-        self.file_name_dated(stem, seq, None)
-    }
-
-    /// [`ExportOptions::file_name`] with the capture time (ISO 8601) for `{date}`.
-    pub fn file_name_dated(&self, stem: &str, seq: usize, captured: Option<&str>) -> String {
+    /// Output file name for photo `p` at 1-based position `seq` in a batch (the original's
+    /// extension is kept for [`ExportFormat::Original`]).
+    pub fn file_name_for(&self, p: &lightcraft_catalog::Photo, seq: usize) -> String {
         let base = if self.naming.trim().is_empty() { "{name}" } else { self.naming.as_str() };
         let n = seq + self.start_number.max(1) as usize - 1;
-        let date: String = captured.map(|c| c.chars().take(10).filter(char::is_ascii_digit).collect()).unwrap_or_default();
-        let name = base.replace("{name}", stem).replace("{seq}", &format!("{n:03}")).replace("{date}", &date);
-        let name: String = name.chars().map(|c| if matches!(c, '/' | '\\' | ':' | '\0') { '_' } else { c }).collect();
-        format!("{name}.{}", self.format.extension())
-    }
-
-    /// Output file name for photo file `file_name` (the original's extension is kept for
-    /// [`ExportFormat::Original`]).
-    pub fn file_name_for(&self, file_name: &str, seq: usize) -> String {
-        self.file_name_for_dated(file_name, seq, None)
-    }
-
-    /// [`ExportOptions::file_name_for`] with the capture time for `{date}`.
-    pub fn file_name_for_dated(&self, file_name: &str, seq: usize, captured: Option<&str>) -> String {
-        let (stem, ext) = file_name.rsplit_once('.').unwrap_or((file_name, ""));
-        let name = self.file_name_dated(stem, seq, captured);
+        let name = crate::rename::expand_tokens(base, p, n, 3);
+        let mut name: String = name.chars().map(|c| if matches!(c, '/' | '\\' | ':' | '\0') { '_' } else { c }).collect();
+        let (stem, ext) = p.file_name.rsplit_once('.').unwrap_or((&p.file_name, ""));
+        if name.trim().is_empty() {
+            // every token came out empty (no title, no capture time…): keep the original name
+            name = stem.to_string();
+        }
         if self.format == ExportFormat::Original {
             let base = name.trim_end_matches('.');
             if ext.is_empty() { base.to_string() } else { format!("{base}.{ext}") }
         } else {
-            name
+            format!("{name}.{}", self.format.extension())
         }
     }
 }
@@ -669,7 +715,7 @@ pub fn output_sharpen_deep(img: &mut DeepImage, target: SharpenFor, amount: Shar
     let (w, h) = (img.width, img.height);
     match &mut img.samples {
         DeepSamples::U16(v) => {
-            let src: Vec<[f32; 3]> = v.chunks_exact(3).map(|c| [c[0] as f32, c[1] as f32, c[2] as f32]).collect();
+            let src: Vec<[f32; 3]> = v.as_chunks::<3>().0.iter().map(|c| [c[0] as f32, c[1] as f32, c[2] as f32]).collect();
             if let Some(out) = unsharp(w, h, &src, target, amount) {
                 for (d, s) in v.iter_mut().zip(out.as_flattened()) {
                     *d = s.round().clamp(0.0, 65535.0) as u16;
@@ -677,7 +723,7 @@ pub fn output_sharpen_deep(img: &mut DeepImage, target: SharpenFor, amount: Shar
             }
         }
         DeepSamples::F32(v) => {
-            let src: Vec<[f32; 3]> = v.chunks_exact(3).map(|c| [c[0], c[1], c[2]]).collect();
+            let src: Vec<[f32; 3]> = v.as_chunks::<3>().0.iter().map(|c| [c[0], c[1], c[2]]).collect();
             if let Some(out) = unsharp(w, h, &src, target, amount) {
                 for (d, s) in v.iter_mut().zip(out.as_flattened()) {
                     *d = s.max(0.0);
@@ -864,7 +910,16 @@ fn parse_shutter(s: &str) -> Option<f64> {
 pub fn export_metadata(photo: &lightcraft_catalog::Photo, o: &ExportOptions) -> Option<Metadata> {
     let m = &photo.meta;
     let text = |s: &str| (!s.trim().is_empty()).then(|| s.to_string());
-    let mut out = Metadata { copyright: text(&m.copyright), artist: text(&m.creator), software: Some("LightCraft".into()), ..Default::default() };
+    // copyright info (also under "copyright only"): notice, creator, status, usage terms, info URL
+    let mut out = Metadata {
+        copyright: text(&m.copyright),
+        copyright_marked: m.copyright_status.marked(),
+        usage_terms: text(&m.usage_terms),
+        copyright_url: text(&m.copyright_url),
+        artist: text(&m.creator),
+        software: Some("LightCraft".into()),
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
     match o.metadata {
         MetadataPolicy::None => return None,
         MetadataPolicy::Copyright => return Some(out),
@@ -932,6 +987,8 @@ pub struct PreparedExport {
     pub photo: lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId,
     pub file_name: String,
     work: Work,
+    /// The library's originals, which [`run_batch`] never writes over (shared by a batch).
+    guard: std::sync::Arc<crate::originals::OriginalGuard>,
 }
 
 struct RenderWork {
@@ -954,15 +1011,33 @@ enum Work {
     },
 }
 
-/// Set up the export of photo `id` at 1-based position `seq` of a batch.
+/// Set up the export of photo `id` at 1-based position `seq` of a batch. (For a whole batch use
+/// [`prepare_batch`]: it looks at the library's originals once.)
 pub fn prepare_export(
     session: &mut crate::Session,
     id: lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId,
     o: &ExportOptions,
     seq: usize,
+) -> Result<PreparedExport, String> {
+    let guard = std::sync::Arc::new(session.original_guard());
+    prepare_guarded(session, id, o, seq, guard)
+}
+
+/// [`prepare_export`] for each of `ids` in order (`{seq}` = position, from 1).
+pub fn prepare_batch(session: &mut crate::Session, ids: &[lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId], o: &ExportOptions) -> Result<Vec<PreparedExport>, String> {
+    let guard = std::sync::Arc::new(session.original_guard());
+    ids.iter().enumerate().map(|(i, id)| prepare_guarded(session, *id, o, i + 1, guard.clone())).collect()
+}
+
+fn prepare_guarded(
+    session: &mut crate::Session,
+    id: lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId,
+    o: &ExportOptions,
+    seq: usize,
+    guard: std::sync::Arc<crate::originals::OriginalGuard>,
 ) -> Result<PreparedExport, String> {
     let p = session.catalog.photo(id).ok_or("no such photo")?;
-    let file_name = o.file_name_for_dated(&p.file_name, seq, p.captured.as_deref());
+    let file_name = o.file_name_for(p, seq);
     let work = if o.format.is_rendered() {
         let (w, h) = output_size(p, o);
         let meta = export_metadata(p, o);
@@ -981,7 +1056,7 @@ pub fn prepare_export(
             size: (p.width as usize, p.height as usize),
         }
     };
-    Ok(PreparedExport { photo: id, file_name, work })
+    Ok(PreparedExport { photo: id, file_name, work, guard })
 }
 
 impl PreparedExport {
@@ -1033,14 +1108,16 @@ pub enum DngCompression {
 }
 
 /// The destination of a batch: a folder (with `ExportOptions::subfolder` and the conflict policy
-/// applied), or one exact file path (single photo; overwritten).
+/// applied to each file together with its sidecars), or one exact file path (single photo; an
+/// ordinary file already there is replaced). Either way a catalogued original (or its sidecar)
+/// is never written over: see [`crate::originals`].
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
 pub struct Destination {
     pub dir: String,
     pub exact: Option<String>,
 }
 
-/// Export `ids` in order ([`prepare_export`] + [`run_batch`]), stopping at the first error.
+/// Export `ids` in order ([`prepare_batch`] + [`run_batch`]), stopping at the first error.
 pub fn export_batch(
     session: &mut crate::Session,
     ids: &[lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId],
@@ -1049,15 +1126,34 @@ pub fn export_batch(
     write: &mut dyn FnMut(&str, &[u8]) -> Result<(), String>,
     exists: &dyn Fn(&str) -> bool,
 ) -> Result<Vec<serde_json::Value>, String> {
-    let items = ids.iter().enumerate().map(|(i, id)| prepare_export(session, *id, o, i + 1)).collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+    let items = prepare_batch(session, ids, o)?;
     run_batch(items, o, to, write, exists, true, &mut |_, _| true)
 }
 
+/// Write an exported or rendered file on disk: its folder is created if needed, and the file is
+/// replaced atomically ([`lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_atomic`]: a temp file, synced, then
+/// renamed), so a failure part-way leaves any previous file intact and no truncated one. The
+/// native writer behind exports, renders and screenshots (app, CLI, MCP).
+pub fn write_file(path: &str, bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let p = std::path::Path::new(path);
+    if let Some(dir) = p.parent().filter(|d| !d.as_os_str().is_empty()) {
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", dir.display()))?;
+    }
+    lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_atomic(p, bytes).map_err(|e| format!("{path}: {e}"))
+}
+
+/// The path of the sidecar with extension `ext` of the exported file `main`.
+fn sidecar_path(main: &str, ext: &str) -> String {
+    std::path::Path::new(main).with_extension(ext).to_string_lossy().to_string()
+}
+
 /// Run prepared exports in order: pick each one's path, and hand the bytes (and sidecars) to
-/// `write`. `exists` tells whether a path is taken (conflict policy). `progress(done, next file)`
-/// is called before each photo; returning false cancels the rest. Returns one JSON object per
-/// photo: `{path, width, height, bytes, sidecars}`, `{skipped: path}` or (unless
-/// `stop_on_error`) `{photo, file, error}`.
+/// `write`. `exists` tells whether a path is taken. The conflict policy applies to a file and its
+/// sidecars as one: with Unique both get the same free name, with Skip the photo is skipped when
+/// either is taken. A path that is a catalogued original (or its sidecar) is refused whatever the
+/// policy. `progress(done, next file)` is called before each photo; returning false cancels the
+/// rest. Returns one JSON object per photo: `{path, width, height, bytes, sidecars}`,
+/// `{skipped: path}` or (unless `stop_on_error`) `{photo, file, error}`.
 pub fn run_batch(
     items: Vec<PreparedExport>,
     o: &ExportOptions,
@@ -1077,7 +1173,7 @@ pub fn run_batch(
         if !progress(i, &item.file_name) {
             break;
         }
-        let (photo, name) = (item.photo, item.file_name.clone());
+        let (photo, name, guard) = (item.photo, item.file_name.clone(), item.guard.clone());
         let e = match item.run() {
             Ok(e) => e,
             Err(err) if stop_on_error => return Err(err),
@@ -1086,14 +1182,18 @@ pub fn run_batch(
                 continue;
             }
         };
+        // the exported file and its sidecars
+        let group = |main: &str| std::iter::once(main.to_string()).chain(e.sidecars.iter().map(|(x, _)| sidecar_path(main, x))).collect::<Vec<_>>();
         let path = match to.exact.as_deref().filter(|_| single) {
-            Some(p) => p.to_string(),
+            Some(p) => Ok(p.to_string()),
             None => {
-                let mut path = join(&dir, &e.file_name);
-                let busy = |p: &str, taken: &std::collections::HashSet<String>| taken.contains(p) || exists(p);
-                if busy(&path, &taken) {
+                let path = join(&dir, &e.file_name);
+                let busy = |main: &str| group(main).iter().any(|p| taken.contains(p) || exists(p));
+                if !busy(&path) {
+                    Ok(path)
+                } else {
                     match o.conflict {
-                        Conflict::Overwrite => {}
+                        Conflict::Overwrite => Ok(path),
                         Conflict::Skip => {
                             out.push(json!({"skipped": path}));
                             continue;
@@ -1101,29 +1201,34 @@ pub fn run_batch(
                         Conflict::Unique => {
                             let (stem, ext) = e.file_name.rsplit_once('.').map_or((e.file_name.as_str(), None), |(a, b)| (a, Some(b)));
                             let name = |n: usize| join(&dir, &ext.map_or(format!("{stem}-{n}"), |x| format!("{stem}-{n}.{x}")));
-                            path = (2..).map(name).find(|p| !busy(p, &taken)).expect("a free name");
+                            (2..1_000_000).map(name).find(|p| !busy(p)).ok_or_else(|| format!("{path}: no free file name"))
                         }
                     }
                 }
-                path
             }
         };
-        let written = write(&path, &e.bytes).and_then(|()| {
-            let mut sidecars = Vec::new();
-            for (ext, bytes) in &e.sidecars {
-                let sc = std::path::Path::new(&path).with_extension(ext).to_string_lossy().to_string();
-                write(&sc, bytes)?;
-                sidecars.push(sc);
+        let file = path.clone().unwrap_or_else(|_| name.clone());
+        let written = path.and_then(|path| {
+            let files = group(&path);
+            // never over an original, whatever the conflict policy or the exact path said
+            for f in &files {
+                guard.check(std::path::Path::new(f))?;
             }
-            Ok(sidecars)
+            write(&path, &e.bytes)?;
+            let mut sidecars = Vec::new();
+            for ((_, bytes), sc) in e.sidecars.iter().zip(files.iter().skip(1)) {
+                write(sc, bytes)?;
+                sidecars.push(sc.clone());
+            }
+            Ok((path, files, sidecars))
         });
         match written {
-            Ok(sidecars) => {
-                taken.insert(path.clone());
+            Ok((path, files, sidecars)) => {
+                taken.extend(files);
                 out.push(json!({"path": path, "width": e.width, "height": e.height, "bytes": e.bytes.len(), "sidecars": sidecars}));
             }
             Err(err) if stop_on_error => return Err(err),
-            Err(err) => out.push(json!({"photo": photo.0, "file": path, "error": err})),
+            Err(err) => out.push(json!({"photo": photo.0, "file": file, "error": err})),
         }
     }
     Ok(out)
@@ -1180,6 +1285,9 @@ mod tests {
         let mut p = Photo::new(PhotoId(1), Source::Demo { scene: 0 }, "a.jpg", "jpeg", 10, 10, "2026-09-30T00:00:00");
         p.meta.camera = "Synthetic X2".into();
         p.meta.copyright = "(c) Me".into();
+        p.meta.copyright_status = lightcraft_catalog::CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted;
+        p.meta.usage_terms = "Editorial use only".into();
+        p.meta.copyright_url = "https://example.com/rights".into();
         p.meta.shutter = "1/250".into();
         p.meta.gps = Some((43.0, -110.0));
         let all = export_metadata(&p, &ExportOptions::default()).unwrap();
@@ -1191,12 +1299,19 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(m.model.is_none() && m.gps.is_none() && m.copyright.is_some());
         let c = export_metadata(&p, &ExportOptions { metadata: MetadataPolicy::Copyright, ..Default::default() }).unwrap();
         assert!(c.model.is_none() && c.gps.is_none() && c.copyright.as_deref() == Some("(c) Me"));
+        // "copyright only" keeps all the copyright info: status, usage terms, info URL
+        assert_eq!(
+            (c.copyright_marked, c.usage_terms.as_deref(), c.copyright_url.as_deref()),
+            (Some(true), Some("Editorial use only"), Some("https://example.com/rights"))
+        );
         assert!(export_metadata(&p, &ExportOptions { metadata: MetadataPolicy::None, ..Default::default() }).is_none());
         // embedded and readable back from the JPEG
         let jpg = encode_with_metadata(&test_image(), &ExportOptions::default(), Some(&all)).unwrap();
         let back = lightcraft_meta::extract(&jpg);
         assert_eq!(back.model.as_deref(), Some("Synthetic X2"));
         assert_eq!(back.copyright.as_deref(), Some("(c) Me"));
+        assert_eq!((back.copyright_marked, back.usage_terms.as_deref()), (Some(true), Some("Editorial use only")));
+        assert_eq!(back.copyright_url.as_deref(), Some("https://example.com/rights"));
         assert!(back.gps.is_some());
     }
 
@@ -1219,6 +1334,44 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(ExportOptions::from_json(&serde_json::json!({"watermark": ""})).watermark.is_none());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn japanese_watermarks_support_vertical_columns_and_legacy_defaults() {
+        use ab_glyph::Font;
+        let font = ab_glyph::FontRef::try_from_slice(WATERMARK_JAPANESE_FONT).unwrap();
+        for c in "日本語".chars() {
+            assert_ne!(font.glyph_id(c).0, 0);
+        }
+        let old = ExportOptions::from_json(&json!({"watermark": {"text": "日本語"}}));
+        assert!(!old.watermark.unwrap().vertical);
+        let options =
+            ExportOptions::from_json(&json!({"watermark": {"text": "日本語", "vertical": true, "size": 0.1, "shadow": false, "opacity": 1.0}}));
+        let wm = options.watermark.unwrap();
+        assert!(wm.vertical);
+        let round: Watermark = serde_json::from_value(serde_json::to_value(&wm).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        assert!(round.vertical);
+        let mut img = Rgba8::new(400, 300);
+        img.data.fill([0, 0, 0, 255]);
+        draw_watermark(&mut img, &wm);
+        let lit: Vec<_> = (0..300).flat_map(|y| (0..400).map(move |x| (x, y))).filter(|&(x, y)| img.get(x, y)[0] > 64).collect();
+        assert!(lit.len() > 100);
+        let w = lit.iter().map(|p| p.0).max().unwrap() - lit.iter().map(|p| p.0).min().unwrap();
+        let h = lit.iter().map(|p| p.1).max().unwrap() - lit.iter().map(|p| p.1).min().unwrap();
+        assert!(h > w * 2, "vertical Japanese must extend down the column");
+        let two = Watermark { text: "日\n本".into(), anchor: Anchor::TopLeft, inset: 0.0, ..wm };
+        img.data.fill([0, 0, 0, 255]);
+        draw_watermark(&mut img, &two);
+        for (text, dx) in [("本", 0), ("日", 30)] {
+            let mut single = Rgba8::new(400, 300);
+            single.data.fill([0, 0, 0, 255]);
+            draw_watermark(&mut single, &Watermark { text: text.into(), ..two.clone() });
+            for y in 0..30 {
+                for x in 0..30 {
+                    assert_eq!(img.get(x + dx, y), single.get(x, y), "newlines move columns left");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn graphic_watermark_is_placed_scaled_and_blended() {
         let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-wm-logo-{}", std::process::id()));
@@ -1249,12 +1402,35 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(o.format, ExportFormat::Jpeg);
         assert_eq!(o.quality, 100);
         assert_eq!(o.resize, Some(Resize { dont_enlarge: true, height: 0, ..Resize::long_edge(2048) }));
-        assert_eq!(o.file_name("IMG/1", 7), "IMG_1-007.jpg");
+        assert_eq!(o.file_name_for(&named("IMG/1.png"), 7), "IMG_1-007.jpg");
         assert_eq!(o.ppi, 240);
         let orig = ExportOptions { format: ExportFormat::Original, naming: "{name}-{seq}".into(), ..Default::default() };
-        assert_eq!(orig.file_name_for("DSC_1.NEF", 2), "DSC_1-002.NEF");
-        assert_eq!(orig.file_name_for("noext", 1), "noext-001");
-        assert_eq!(ExportOptions { format: ExportFormat::Dng, ..Default::default() }.file_name_for("a.cr2", 1), "a.dng");
+        assert_eq!(orig.file_name_for(&named("DSC_1.NEF"), 2), "DSC_1-002.NEF");
+        assert_eq!(orig.file_name_for(&named("noext"), 1), "noext-001");
+        assert_eq!(ExportOptions { format: ExportFormat::Dng, ..Default::default() }.file_name_for(&named("a.cr2"), 1), "a.dng");
+    }
+
+    fn named(file_name: &str) -> lightcraft_catalog::Photo {
+        use lightcraft_catalog::{Photo, PhotoId, Source};
+        Photo::new(PhotoId(1), Source::Demo { scene: 0 }, file_name, "", 1, 1, "2026-01-01T00:00:00")
+    }
+
+    /// Export naming takes the same tokens as Rename Photos and import renaming.
+    #[test]
+    fn naming_uses_the_rename_tokens() {
+        let mut p = named("DSC_0815.NEF");
+        p.captured = Some("2026-09-30T14:05:09".into());
+        p.meta.camera = "Model X/2".into();
+        p.meta.title = "Harbour".into();
+        p.rating = 5;
+        let o = |naming: &str| ExportOptions { naming: naming.into(), start_number: 9, ..Default::default() };
+        assert_eq!(o("{date:%Y-%m-%d}_{title}_{seq:2}").file_name_for(&p, 1), "2026-09-30_Harbour_09.jpg");
+        assert_eq!(o("{camera}-{num}-{rating}").file_name_for(&p, 1), "Model X_2-0815-5.jpg", "path separators become _");
+        assert_eq!(o("{name}-{seq}").file_name_for(&p, 3), "DSC_0815-011.jpg", "a bare {{seq}} keeps its 3 digits");
+        assert_eq!(o("{ext}_{name}").file_name_for(&p, 1), "NEF_DSC_0815.jpg");
+        // nothing left after expanding: the original name
+        p.meta.title.clear();
+        assert_eq!(o("{title}").file_name_for(&p, 1), "DSC_0815.jpg");
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -1282,7 +1458,9 @@ mod tests {
         let full = ExportOptions::default();
         assert_eq!(ExportOptions::from_json(&full.to_json()), full);
         assert!(ExportOptions::has_size_param(&full.to_json()), "full size is explicit");
-        assert_eq!(o.file_name_dated("IMG", 2, Some("2026-09-30T10:00:00")), "20260930-IMG-043.tif");
+        let mut p = named("IMG.png");
+        p.captured = Some("2026-09-30T10:00:00".into());
+        assert_eq!(o.file_name_for(&p, 2), "20260930-IMG-043.tif");
     }
 
     #[test]

crates/engine/src/files.rs

@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ fn meta_of(m: &lightcraft_meta::Metadata) -> (Meta, Option<String>) {
         title: m.title.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
         caption: m.caption.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
         copyright: m.copyright.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
+        copyright_status: lightcraft_catalog::CopyrightStatus::from_marked(m.copyright_marked),
+        usage_terms: m.usage_terms.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
+        copyright_url: m.copyright_url.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
         creator: m.artist.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
         keywords: m.keywords.clone(),
     };

crates/engine/src/guard.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+//! Last-resort panic guard (never-crash standard, `AGENTS.md`): a panic that escapes a command
+//! becomes that command's error and the session (catalog, library, undo history) stays usable.
+//! It's a safety net, not a way to report errors: commands return `Err` themselves.
+
+use std::any::Any;
+use std::io::Write;
+use std::panic::{self, AssertUnwindSafe};
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+/// The text of a panic payload (`panic!("…")` gives a `&str` or a `String`).
+pub fn panic_message(payload: &(dyn Any + Send)) -> String {
+    match (payload.downcast_ref::<&str>(), payload.downcast_ref::<String>()) {
+        (Some(s), _) => (*s).to_string(),
+        (_, Some(s)) => s.clone(),
+        _ => "unknown panic".into(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Run `f`; a panic inside it becomes `Err("<what> failed unexpectedly: <message>")`. On wasm32
+/// (built with `panic = "abort"`) nothing can be caught and this just runs `f`.
+pub fn catch<T>(what: &str, f: impl FnOnce() -> T) -> Result<T, String> {
+    panic::catch_unwind(AssertUnwindSafe(f)).map_err(|p| {
+        let msg = format!("{what} failed unexpectedly: {}", panic_message(p.as_ref()));
+        log::error!("{msg}");
+        msg
+    })
+}
+
+/// Install a panic hook that keeps the default report (stderr) and also appends the panic's
+/// location and message to `log` (best effort), so a panic in a GUI session leaves a trace.
+pub fn install_hook(log: PathBuf) {
+    let default = panic::take_hook();
+    panic::set_hook(Box::new(move |info| {
+        default(info);
+        let at = info.location().map(|l| format!("{}:{}", l.file(), l.line())).unwrap_or_default();
+        let secs = std::time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH).map(|d| d.as_secs()).unwrap_or(0);
+        let thread = std::thread::current().name().unwrap_or("unnamed").to_string();
+        if let Ok(mut f) = std::fs::OpenOptions::new().create(true).append(true).open(&log) {
+            let _ = writeln!(f, "{secs} [{thread}] panic at {at}: {}", panic_message(info.payload()));
+        }
+    }));
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_panic_becomes_an_error() {
+        assert_eq!(catch("ok", || 7), Ok(7));
+        let e = catch("`demo.cmd`", || -> u32 { panic!("boom {}", 1) }).unwrap_err();
+        assert_eq!(e, "`demo.cmd` failed unexpectedly: boom 1");
+        assert!(catch("x", || std::panic::panic_any(5u8)).unwrap_err().ends_with("unknown panic"));
+    }
+}

crates/engine/src/import.rs

@@ -6,12 +6,16 @@
 //! 3. Probe the rest — dimensions, metadata, and the **content hash** of the bytes — in parallel
 //!    on native targets.
 //! 4. Skip **duplicates by content** (same bytes already in the library, or twice in this batch).
-//! 5. *Add* in place (the photo points at the original file) or *copy* into the library's
-//!    `Originals/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/` folder (names made unique) and point at the copy.
-//! 6. Read each photo's XMP sidecar (or a raw/DNG file's embedded XMP): the sidecar wins for
-//!    metadata and develop settings are restored (see [`crate::sidecar`]).
+//! 5. *Add* in place (the photo points at the original file), *copy* into the library's
+//!    `Originals/YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/` folder (names made unique) and point at the copy, or *move*
+//!    there: placed like a copy (with its XMP sidecars), and the original removed only once its
+//!    catalog record is committed and saved (see [`crate::import_move`] for the safety rules).
+//! 6. Apply each photo's XMP sidecar (or a raw/DNG file's embedded XMP): the sidecar wins for
+//!    metadata and develop settings are restored (see [`crate::sidecar`]). Its capture time fills
+//!    in when the file has none (read before step 5, so it also files and names the copy).
 //! 7. Optionally apply a preset and add keywords (the import dialog's options).
-//! 8. Commit all new photos as one undoable op.
+//! 8. Commit all new photos as one undoable op. (Undoing a move removes the catalog records;
+//!    the files stay at the destination — undo never moves files back over a card.)
 //!
 //! The import dialog first calls [`scan`] (`library.importPreview`): the same expansion, probing
 //! and duplicate detection without adding anything, so the user can review the candidates. The
@@ -39,6 +43,9 @@ pub enum ImportMode {
     Add,
     /// Copy the files into the library's `Originals/` folder.
     Copy,
+    /// Move the files there: as Copy, then each original (and its sidecars) is removed from the
+    /// source once the copy is verified and catalogued.
+    Move,
 }
 
 /// What an import does besides adding the photos.
@@ -66,8 +73,9 @@ pub struct ImportOptions {
     pub convert_dng: bool,
 }
 
-/// How copies are filed in the destination.
-#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
+/// How copies are filed in the destination. The date is the capture time, else the time of the
+/// import.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum Organize {
     /// `YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD/` by capture date.
     #[default]
@@ -76,17 +84,36 @@ pub enum Organize {
     ByMonth,
     /// All in the destination itself.
     Flat,
+    /// A folder template, e.g. `{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}` → `2026/20260114/`: the template's own
+    /// `/` make the levels, each expanded with the file-name tokens ([`crate::rename::expand_folder`];
+    /// never outside the destination).
+    Template(String),
 }
 
 impl Organize {
+    /// `date` | `month` | `flat`, or a folder template (anything with a `{`, `/` or `\`).
     pub fn parse(s: &str) -> Option<Organize> {
         match s {
             "date" | "day" | "byDay" => Some(Organize::ByDay),
             "month" | "byMonth" => Some(Organize::ByMonth),
             "flat" | "none" | "intoOneFolder" => Some(Organize::Flat),
+            t if t.contains(['{', '/', '\\']) => Some(Organize::Template(t.trim().to_string())),
             _ => None,
         }
     }
+
+    /// The folders (inside the destination) a copy of `p` goes to.
+    pub fn folders(&self, p: &Photo) -> Vec<String> {
+        let date = p.date();
+        let day = date.get(..10).filter(|d| d.len() == 10).unwrap_or("undated");
+        let year = day.get(..4).unwrap_or("undated");
+        match self {
+            Organize::ByDay => vec![year.into(), day.into()],
+            Organize::ByMonth => vec![year.into(), day.get(..7).unwrap_or("undated").into()],
+            Organize::Flat => Vec::new(),
+            Organize::Template(t) => crate::rename::expand_folder(t, p, 1),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// A file found by [`scan`], for the import review.
@@ -126,6 +153,13 @@ pub struct Duplicate {
 pub struct ImportReport {
     pub imported: Vec<u64>,
     pub duplicates: Vec<Duplicate>,
+    /// Move: the originals that were moved (and removed from the source).
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
+    pub moved: Vec<Moved>,
+    /// Move: originals (or sidecars) left at the source, and why — the photo may still have been
+    /// imported (from its copy, or in place).
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
+    pub kept: Vec<Kept>,
     /// (path, error)
     pub failed: Vec<(String, String)>,
     /// Files found after expanding folders.
@@ -134,6 +168,23 @@ pub struct ImportReport {
     pub sidecars: usize,
 }
 
+/// A file moved by an import.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Serialize)]
+pub struct Moved {
+    pub from: String,
+    pub to: String,
+    /// Its sidecars' new paths.
+    #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
+    pub sidecars: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+/// A source a Move left where it was.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, Serialize)]
+pub struct Kept {
+    pub path: String,
+    pub reason: String,
+}
+
 /// The develop settings a photo gets on import: raws start from their as-shot white balance with
 /// default sharpening / colour noise reduction, and file-embedded lens corrections on (as the
 /// camera intended); a user default preset ([`ImportDefaults`]) goes on top.
@@ -322,32 +373,15 @@ fn probe_all(probe: Option<&crate::media::FileProbe>, paths: &[String], progress
         .collect()
 }
 
-/// Copy `src` into `root` (filed per `organize` by `date`) as `name` (default: its own name),
-/// made unique with -1, -2…; returns the new path.
-fn copy_into(root: &Path, src: &str, date: &str, organize: Organize, name: Option<&str>) -> Result<String, String> {
-    let day = date.get(..10).filter(|d| d.len() == 10).unwrap_or("undated");
-    let year = day.get(..4).unwrap_or("undated");
-    let dir = match organize {
-        Organize::ByDay => root.join(year).join(day),
-        Organize::ByMonth => root.join(year).join(day.get(..7).unwrap_or("undated")),
-        Organize::Flat => root.to_path_buf(),
-    };
-    std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", dir.display()))?;
+/// Copy `src` into `root`/`folders` as `name` (default: its own name), made unique with -1, -2…;
+/// returns the new path. The copy is verified ([`crate::import_move::copy_new`]: a new file,
+/// synced and compared byte for byte); a bad one is removed and the photo reported as failed.
+fn copy_into(root: &Path, src: &str, folders: &[String], name: Option<&str>) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let dir = folders.iter().fold(root.to_path_buf(), |d, f| d.join(f));
     let name = name
         .map(str::to_string)
         .unwrap_or_else(|| Path::new(src).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_else(|| "photo".into()));
-    let (stem, ext) = match name.rsplit_once('.') {
-        Some((s, e)) => (s.to_string(), format!(".{e}")),
-        None => (name.clone(), String::new()),
-    };
-    let mut dst = dir.join(&name);
-    let mut i = 1;
-    while dst.exists() {
-        dst = dir.join(format!("{stem}-{i}{ext}"));
-        i += 1;
-    }
-    std::fs::copy(src, &dst).map_err(|e| format!("copy {src}: {e}"))?;
-    Ok(dst.to_string_lossy().to_string())
+    crate::import_move::copy_new(Path::new(src), &dir, &name).map(|p| p.to_string_lossy().to_string())
 }
 
 /// What a [`scan`] needs from the session, so it can run on another thread (a folder on a network
@@ -487,7 +521,11 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
     let mode = opts.mode;
     // Only a library on disk has an `Originals/` folder. The browser build keeps the bytes of every
     // added file in its own storage already, so "copy" there means "add".
-    let mode = if mode == ImportMode::Copy && s.library.as_ref().is_some_and(|l| !l.on_disk) { ImportMode::Add } else { mode };
+    let transfer = matches!(mode, ImportMode::Copy | ImportMode::Move);
+    let mode = if transfer && s.library.as_ref().is_some_and(|l| !l.on_disk) { ImportMode::Add } else { mode };
+    if mode == ImportMode::Move && opts.local {
+        return Err(crate::EngineError::Other("browsing a folder never moves its files".into()));
+    }
     let lib_dir = s.library.as_ref().filter(|l| l.on_disk).map(|l| l.dir.clone());
     // where copies go: the chosen folder, else the library's Originals/
     let copy_root = opts
@@ -496,8 +534,8 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
         .filter(|d| !d.trim().is_empty())
         .map(std::path::PathBuf::from)
         .or_else(|| lib_dir.as_ref().map(|l| l.join("Originals")));
-    if mode == ImportMode::Copy && copy_root.is_none() {
-        return Err(crate::EngineError::Other("copying needs a destination folder or an open library".into()));
+    if matches!(mode, ImportMode::Copy | ImportMode::Move) && copy_root.is_none() {
+        return Err(crate::EngineError::Other("copying or moving needs a destination folder or an open library".into()));
     }
     let mut seq = opts.rename_start.max(1);
     let files = expand(paths, lib_dir.as_deref());
@@ -528,10 +566,17 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
         }
     }
 
-    let probed = probe_all(s.media.file_probe.as_ref(), &todo, &ScanProgress::default());
+    // files a preceding scan already probed are not read again (a network share is slow to read)
+    let cached: Vec<Option<ProbeInfo>> = todo.iter().map(|f| s.import_probes.remove(f)).collect();
+    let missing: Vec<String> = todo.iter().zip(&cached).filter(|(_, c)| c.is_none()).map(|(f, _)| f.clone()).collect();
+    let mut fresh = probe_all(s.media.file_probe.as_ref(), &missing, &ScanProgress::default()).into_iter();
+    let probed: Vec<Result<ProbeInfo, String>> =
+        cached.into_iter().map(|c| c.map(Ok).unwrap_or_else(|| fresh.next().unwrap_or_else(|| Err("not probed".into())))).collect();
     crate::memory::release();
     let now = (s.clock)();
     let mut ops = promote;
+    // Move: placed at the destination, sources untouched until the records are committed
+    let mut placed: Vec<crate::import_move::Placed> = Vec::new();
     for (path, info) in todo.into_iter().zip(probed) {
         let info = match info {
             Ok(i) => i,
@@ -548,28 +593,72 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
             report.duplicates.push(Duplicate { path, existing: Some(id.0), reason: "content" });
             continue;
         }
+        // the XMP sidecar (or a raw's embedded XMP), read before copying: its capture time files
+        // and names the copy when the file itself has none
+        let raw = info.kind == MediaKind::Raw;
+        let packet = crate::sidecar::find_sidecar(&path, s.xmp.naming)
+            .and_then(|f| std::fs::read_to_string(f).ok())
+            .or_else(|| info.xmp.clone().filter(|_| raw));
+        let sidecar = packet.and_then(|x| match crate::sidecar::parse_sidecar(&x, raw).map(|sc| sc.resolve_label(&s.catalog)) {
+            Ok(sc) => (sc != crate::sidecar::SidecarData::default()).then_some(sc),
+            Err(e) => {
+                log::warn!("import {path}: XMP: {e}");
+                None
+            }
+        });
+        let mut info = info;
+        if info.captured.is_none() {
+            info.captured = sidecar.as_ref().and_then(|sc| sc.captured.clone());
+        }
         let stored = match (mode, &copy_root) {
-            (ImportMode::Copy, Some(root))
-                if !Path::new(&path).starts_with(root) && !lib_dir.as_ref().is_some_and(|l| Path::new(&path).starts_with(l)) =>
+            (ImportMode::Copy | ImportMode::Move, Some(root))
+                if !crate::import_move::inside(Path::new(&path), root)
+                    && !lib_dir.as_ref().is_some_and(|l| crate::import_move::inside(Path::new(&path), l)) =>
             {
+                // the templates see the photo as it will be catalogued (undated: the import time)
+                let own = Path::new(&path).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+                let mut q = Photo::new(PhotoId(0), Source::File { path: path.clone() }, &own, &info.format, 0, 0, &now);
+                q.captured = info.captured.clone();
+                q.meta = info.meta.clone();
                 let name = opts.rename.as_deref().filter(|t| !t.trim().is_empty()).map(|t| {
-                    // the template sees the photo as it will be catalogued
-                    let own = Path::new(&path).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
-                    let mut q = Photo::new(PhotoId(0), Source::File { path: path.clone() }, &own, &info.format, 0, 0, &now);
-                    q.captured = info.captured.clone();
-                    q.meta = info.meta.clone();
                     let n = crate::rename::expand(t, &q, seq);
                     seq += 1;
                     n
                 });
-                match copy_into(root, &path, info.captured.as_deref().unwrap_or(&now), opts.organize, name.as_deref()) {
-                    Ok(p) => p,
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        report.failed.push((path, e));
-                        continue;
+                let folders = opts.organize.folders(&q);
+                if mode == ImportMode::Move && !crate::import_move::is_symlink(Path::new(&path)) {
+                    let dir = folders.iter().fold(root.to_path_buf(), |d, f| d.join(f));
+                    let name = name.unwrap_or(own);
+                    match crate::import_move::place(Path::new(&path), &dir, &name) {
+                        Ok(pl) => {
+                            let dst = pl.dst.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+                            placed.push(pl);
+                            dst
+                        }
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            report.failed.push((path, e));
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    if mode == ImportMode::Move {
+                        let reason = "a symbolic link: the file it points to was copied, the link and its target stay";
+                        report.kept.push(Kept { path: path.clone(), reason: reason.into() });
+                    }
+                    match copy_into(root, &path, &folders, name.as_deref()) {
+                        Ok(p) => p,
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            report.failed.push((path, e));
+                            continue;
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
+            (ImportMode::Move, _) => {
+                let reason = "already inside the destination or the library: added where it is";
+                report.kept.push(Kept { path: path.clone(), reason: reason.into() });
+                path.clone()
+            }
             _ => path.clone(),
         };
         let id = s.catalog.alloc_photo_id();
@@ -578,7 +667,6 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
         }
         // Copy as DNG: the copied raw becomes a DNG (the copy is ours to replace)
         let mut stored = stored;
-        let mut info = info;
         if opts.convert_dng && mode == ImportMode::Copy && stored != path && info.kind == MediaKind::Raw && !info.format.eq_ignore_ascii_case("DNG") {
             match crate::cmd::convert::write_dng_for(s, &stored, String::new()) {
                 Ok(dng) => {
@@ -601,19 +689,9 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
         p.embedded_lens = info.embedded_lens;
         p.preview_only = info.preview_only.clone();
         apply_import_defaults(s, &mut p);
-        let raw = p.kind == lightcraft_catalog::MediaKind::Raw;
-        let packet = crate::sidecar::find_sidecar(&path, s.xmp.naming)
-            .and_then(|f| std::fs::read_to_string(f).ok())
-            .or_else(|| info.xmp.clone().filter(|_| raw));
-        if let Some(x) = packet {
-            match crate::sidecar::parse_sidecar(&x, raw).map(|sc| sc.resolve_label(&s.catalog)) {
-                Ok(sc) if sc != crate::sidecar::SidecarData::default() => {
-                    crate::sidecar::merge_into(&mut p, &sc, &now);
-                    report.sidecars += 1;
-                }
-                Ok(_) => {}
-                Err(e) => log::warn!("import {path}: XMP: {e}"),
-            }
+        if let Some(sc) = &sidecar {
+            crate::sidecar::merge_into(&mut p, sc, &now);
+            report.sidecars += 1;
         }
         if let Some(mp) = opts.metadata_preset.as_ref().and_then(|n| s.metadata_presets.iter().find(|m| m.name.eq_ignore_ascii_case(n))) {
             crate::cmd::metadata::apply_to(&mut p.meta, &mp.fields);
@@ -633,14 +711,58 @@ pub fn import_with(s: &mut Session, paths: &[String], opts: &ImportOptions) -> c
         }
         report.imported.push(id.0);
         p.local = opts.local;
+        if opts.local {
+            // the state as browsed: a later change keeps the record from being forgotten
+            p.set_local_baseline();
+        }
         ops.push(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) });
     }
-    if !ops.is_empty() {
-        s.commit(&format!("Add {} Photo{}", ops.len(), if ops.len() == 1 { "" } else { "s" }), Op::Batch { ops })?;
+    let log0 = s.pending_log.len();
+    if !ops.is_empty()
+        && let Err(e) = s.commit(&format!("Add {} Photo{}", ops.len(), if ops.len() == 1 { "" } else { "s" }), Op::Batch { ops })
+    {
+        // nothing was catalogued: take the moves back (their sources were never touched)
+        placed.iter().for_each(crate::import_move::rollback);
+        return Err(e);
+    }
+    if !placed.is_empty() {
+        finish_moves(s, placed, log0, &mut report);
     }
     Ok(report)
 }
 
+/// Move, after the commit: save the library, then remove each source whose destination is
+/// still intact. Nothing is removed when the library can't be saved.
+fn finish_moves(s: &mut Session, placed: Vec<crate::import_move::Placed>, log0: usize, report: &mut ImportReport) {
+    // (saving here clears the pending ops, so the sidecars `execute` would auto-write are written here)
+    let auto: Vec<Op> = if s.xmp.auto_write { s.pending_log.get(log0..).map(<[Op]>::to_vec).unwrap_or_default() } else { Vec::new() };
+    let before = s.pending_log.len();
+    if let Err(e) = s.persist() {
+        for p in placed {
+            let reason = format!("the library could not be saved ({e}): the original stays; the photo uses the copy at {}", p.dst.display());
+            report.kept.push(Kept { path: p.src.to_string_lossy().to_string(), reason });
+        }
+        return;
+    }
+    for p in placed {
+        let from = p.src.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        match crate::import_move::finish(&p) {
+            Ok(kept) => {
+                let sidecars = p.sidecars.iter().map(|sc| sc.dst.to_string_lossy().to_string()).collect();
+                report.moved.push(Moved { from, to: p.dst.to_string_lossy().to_string(), sidecars });
+                report.kept.extend(kept.into_iter().map(|(path, reason)| Kept { path, reason }));
+            }
+            Err(reason) => {
+                log::warn!("import: move {from}: {reason}");
+                report.kept.push(Kept { path: from, reason });
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if s.pending_log.len() < before && s.interaction.is_none() && !auto.is_empty() {
+        s.auto_write_sidecars(&auto);
+    }
+}
+
 /// The current local time as ISO 8601 (`YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS`, UTC on targets without a clock
 /// offset); for [`Session::clock`] on native hosts.
 pub fn system_clock() -> String {

crates/engine/src/import_move.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,328 @@
+//! Import → **Move**: the file transfer behind [`crate::import::ImportMode::Move`].
+//!
+//! Moving deletes the user's originals, so it is done in two phases and every step that could
+//! lose data comes last:
+//!
+//! 1. [`place`] puts the photo (and its XMP sidecars) at the destination **without touching the
+//!    source**: a hard link when source and destination share a volume (instant, no extra space,
+//!    never overwrites), else a copy that is written to a new file (never overwriting), synced to
+//!    disk and compared byte for byte with the original. A name that is taken gets -1, -2…
+//!    Anything that fails is undone ([`rollback`]): the partial destination is removed and the
+//!    source stays as it was.
+//! 2. Only after the catalog records pointing at the destinations were committed and saved
+//!    does [`finish`] remove each source — after checking once more that its destination is
+//!    still there with the same size. A source that can't be removed (a read-only card, a
+//!    locked file) stays and is reported; the photo is then imported from the copy.
+//!
+//! A `IMG_1.xmp` sidecar is shared by `IMG_1.CR3` and `IMG_1.JPG`: it is copied along with each,
+//! and removed from the source only once no photo with that name is left beside it.
+//!
+//! (Not `std::fs::rename`: it would remove the source before the catalog knows the new place,
+//! and on Unix it silently replaces an existing destination.)
+
+use std::fs::{self, File, OpenOptions};
+use std::io::{self, Read, Write};
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+/// A photo put in place by [`place`]; its source is untouched.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct Placed {
+    pub src: PathBuf,
+    pub dst: PathBuf,
+    pub sidecars: Vec<PlacedSidecar>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct PlacedSidecar {
+    pub src: PathBuf,
+    pub dst: PathBuf,
+    /// `false`: an identical sidecar was already there (the other half of a raw + JPEG pair).
+    pub created: bool,
+    /// Named after the photo's stem (`IMG_1.xmp`), so possibly shared with a sibling photo.
+    pub stem: bool,
+}
+
+/// Test-only fault injection (per thread), to exercise the failure paths.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+pub(crate) enum Fault {
+    #[default]
+    None,
+    /// Hard links fail, as across volumes: the copy path runs.
+    NoLink,
+    /// Writing the copy fails half-way (implies `NoLink`).
+    FailWrite,
+    /// The copy comes out different from the original, caught by the verification (implies `NoLink`).
+    Corrupt,
+    /// Removing the source fails (as on a read-only card).
+    FailRemove,
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+thread_local! {
+    static FAULT: std::cell::Cell<Fault> = const { std::cell::Cell::new(Fault::None) };
+}
+
+/// Inject a fault for the calling thread's next moves (tests only).
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub(crate) fn inject(f: Fault) {
+    FAULT.with(|c| c.set(f));
+}
+
+fn injected(f: Fault) -> bool {
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    {
+        FAULT.with(|c| c.get()) == f
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(test))]
+    {
+        let _ = f;
+        false
+    }
+}
+
+/// Is `path` inside `dir` (as written, or once symlinks and `..` are resolved)?
+pub(crate) fn inside(path: &Path, dir: &Path) -> bool {
+    if path.starts_with(dir) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    match (fs::canonicalize(path), fs::canonicalize(dir)) {
+        (Ok(p), Ok(d)) => p.starts_with(d),
+        _ => false,
+    }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn is_symlink(path: &Path) -> bool {
+    fs::symlink_metadata(path).is_ok_and(|m| m.file_type().is_symlink())
+}
+
+/// The XMP sidecars beside `src`, both naming conventions (`IMG_1.xmp`, `IMG_1.CR3.xmp`; the
+/// `.xmp` extension in any case): (path, named after the stem).
+pub(crate) fn sidecars_of(src: &Path) -> Vec<(PathBuf, bool)> {
+    let (Some(dir), Some(name)) = (src.parent(), src.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string())) else { return Vec::new() };
+    let stem = src.file_stem().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+    let Ok(rd) = fs::read_dir(dir) else { return Vec::new() };
+    let mut out: Vec<(PathBuf, bool)> = rd
+        .flatten()
+        .filter_map(|e| {
+            let n = e.file_name().to_string_lossy().to_string();
+            let (base, ext) = n.rsplit_once('.')?;
+            if !ext.eq_ignore_ascii_case("xmp") || !e.path().is_file() {
+                return None;
+            }
+            if base == name {
+                Some((e.path(), false))
+            } else if base == stem {
+                Some((e.path(), true))
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        })
+        .collect();
+    out.sort();
+    out
+}
+
+/// Put `src` into `dir` as `name` (-1, -2… when taken) with its sidecars, leaving the source
+/// untouched. On failure nothing is left at the destination.
+pub(crate) fn place(src: &Path, dir: &Path, name: &str) -> Result<Placed, String> {
+    fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", dir.display()))?;
+    let (stem, ext) = match name.rsplit_once('.') {
+        Some((s, e)) if !s.is_empty() => (s.to_string(), format!(".{e}")),
+        _ => (name.to_string(), String::new()),
+    };
+    let mut dst = None;
+    for i in 0..100_000u32 {
+        let d = if i == 0 { dir.join(name) } else { dir.join(format!("{stem}-{i}{ext}")) };
+        match link_or_copy(src, &d) {
+            Ok(()) => {
+                dst = Some(d);
+                break;
+            }
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => continue,
+            Err(e) => return Err(format!("move {}: {e} (the original is kept)", src.display())),
+        }
+    }
+    let Some(dst) = dst else { return Err(format!("move {}: no free name in {}", src.display(), dir.display())) };
+    let mut placed = Placed { src: src.to_path_buf(), dst, sidecars: Vec::new() };
+    for (sc, stem_named) in sidecars_of(src) {
+        let sc_ext = sc.extension().map(|e| e.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_else(|| "xmp".into());
+        let sc_dst =
+            if stem_named { placed.dst.with_extension(&sc_ext) } else { PathBuf::from(format!("{}.{sc_ext}", placed.dst.to_string_lossy())) };
+        let r = if sc_dst.exists() {
+            match same_bytes(&sc, &sc_dst) {
+                Ok(true) => Ok(false),
+                Ok(false) => Err(format!("a different sidecar is already at {} (the original is kept)", sc_dst.display())),
+                Err(e) => Err(format!("{}: {e} (the original is kept)", sc_dst.display())),
+            }
+        } else {
+            link_or_copy(&sc, &sc_dst).map(|()| true).map_err(|e| format!("move {}: {e} (the original is kept)", sc.display()))
+        };
+        match r {
+            Ok(created) => placed.sidecars.push(PlacedSidecar { src: sc, dst: sc_dst, created, stem: stem_named }),
+            Err(e) => {
+                rollback(&placed);
+                return Err(e);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(placed)
+}
+
+/// Import → **Copy**: copy `src` into `dir` as `name` (-1, -2… when taken) with the same checks as
+/// a move's copy — a new file (never overwriting one, even one that appears meanwhile), synced to
+/// disk and compared byte for byte with the source; a bad copy is removed and reported, so a card
+/// is never wiped on the strength of it. Returns the new path.
+pub(crate) fn copy_new(src: &Path, dir: &Path, name: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, String> {
+    fs::create_dir_all(dir).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", dir.display()))?;
+    let (stem, ext) = match name.rsplit_once('.') {
+        Some((s, e)) if !s.is_empty() => (s.to_string(), format!(".{e}")),
+        _ => (name.to_string(), String::new()),
+    };
+    for i in 0..100_000u32 {
+        let d = if i == 0 { dir.join(name) } else { dir.join(format!("{stem}-{i}{ext}")) };
+        match copy_verified(src, &d) {
+            Ok(()) => return Ok(d),
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => continue,
+            Err(e) => return Err(format!("copy {}: {e} (nothing was imported from it; the original is untouched)", src.display())),
+        }
+    }
+    Err(format!("copy {}: no free name in {}", src.display(), dir.display()))
+}
+
+/// Undo a [`place`]: remove what it created at the destination (the sources were never touched).
+pub(crate) fn rollback(p: &Placed) {
+    for sc in p.sidecars.iter().filter(|s| s.created) {
+        let _ = fs::remove_file(&sc.dst);
+    }
+    let _ = fs::remove_file(&p.dst);
+}
+
+/// Remove a placed photo's source (its catalog record is committed and saved): only when the
+/// destination is still there with the same size. Then its sidecars, unless another photo still
+/// uses a shared one. `Err` = the source was kept (why); `Ok` lists sidecars kept (path, why).
+pub(crate) fn finish(p: &Placed) -> Result<Vec<(String, String)>, String> {
+    let same = match (fs::metadata(&p.src), fs::metadata(&p.dst)) {
+        (Ok(s), Ok(d)) => s.is_file() && d.is_file() && s.len() == d.len(),
+        _ => false,
+    };
+    if !same {
+        return Err(format!("{} is missing or changed: the original is kept", p.dst.display()));
+    }
+    if injected(Fault::FailRemove) {
+        return Err("could not remove the original (injected): it stays where it was".into());
+    }
+    fs::remove_file(&p.src).map_err(|e| format!("could not remove the original ({e}): it stays where it was"))?;
+    let mut kept = Vec::new();
+    for sc in &p.sidecars {
+        let path = sc.src.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        if !same_bytes(&sc.src, &sc.dst).unwrap_or(false) {
+            kept.push((path, format!("{} is missing or changed: the sidecar is kept", sc.dst.display())));
+            continue;
+        }
+        if sc.stem
+            && let Some(other) = sibling_photo(&sc.src)
+        {
+            kept.push((path, format!("also the sidecar of {other}: kept beside it")));
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Err(e) = fs::remove_file(&sc.src) {
+            kept.push((path, format!("could not remove the sidecar ({e})")));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(kept)
+}
+
+/// A photo (by extension) still beside a stem-named sidecar, sharing its stem.
+pub(crate) fn sibling_photo(sidecar: &Path) -> Option<String> {
+    let dir = sidecar.parent()?;
+    let stem = sidecar.file_stem()?.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+    fs::read_dir(dir).ok()?.flatten().map(|e| e.path()).find_map(|f| {
+        let ok = f.file_stem().is_some_and(|s| s.to_string_lossy() == stem) && crate::import::is_supported(&f);
+        ok.then(|| f.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default())
+    })
+}
+
+/// `dst` = `src` without touching `src`: a hard link, else a verified copy. Never overwrites
+/// (`AlreadyExists` when `dst` is taken).
+fn link_or_copy(src: &Path, dst: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
+    let force_copy = injected(Fault::NoLink) || injected(Fault::FailWrite) || injected(Fault::Corrupt);
+    if !force_copy && !is_symlink(src) {
+        match fs::hard_link(src, dst) {
+            Ok(()) => {
+                let (a, b) = (fs::metadata(src)?, fs::metadata(dst)?);
+                if a.len() == b.len() {
+                    return Ok(());
+                }
+                let _ = fs::remove_file(dst);
+                return Err(io::Error::other("the link doesn't match the original"));
+            }
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => return Err(e),
+            // another volume, or no hard links there (FAT/exFAT cards, some shares): copy
+            Err(_) => {}
+        }
+    }
+    copy_verified(src, dst)
+}
+
+/// Copy into a new file, sync it to disk and compare it with the original; on any failure the
+/// partial copy is removed.
+fn copy_verified(src: &Path, dst: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
+    let mut out = OpenOptions::new().write(true).create_new(true).open(dst)?;
+    let r = (|| {
+        let mut inp = File::open(src)?;
+        if injected(Fault::FailWrite) {
+            out.write_all(b"partial")?;
+            return Err(io::Error::other("write failed (injected)"));
+        }
+        io::copy(&mut inp, &mut out)?;
+        if injected(Fault::Corrupt) {
+            out.write_all(b"!")?;
+        }
+        out.sync_all()?;
+        if let Ok(m) = fs::metadata(src).and_then(|m| m.modified()) {
+            let _ = out.set_modified(m);
+        }
+        if !same_bytes(src, dst)? {
+            return Err(io::Error::other("the copy differs from the original"));
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    })();
+    drop(out);
+    if r.is_err() {
+        let _ = fs::remove_file(dst);
+    }
+    r
+}
+
+/// Do two files hold the same bytes?
+pub(crate) fn same_bytes(a: &Path, b: &Path) -> io::Result<bool> {
+    if fs::metadata(a)?.len() != fs::metadata(b)?.len() {
+        return Ok(false);
+    }
+    let (mut fa, mut fb) = (File::open(a)?, File::open(b)?);
+    let (mut ba, mut bb) = (vec![0u8; 1 << 20], vec![0u8; 1 << 20]);
+    loop {
+        let (na, nb) = (fill(&mut fa, &mut ba)?, fill(&mut fb, &mut bb)?);
+        if na != nb || ba.get(..na) != bb.get(..nb) {
+            return Ok(false);
+        }
+        if na == 0 {
+            return Ok(true);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Read until `buf` is full or the file ends.
+fn fill(f: &mut File, buf: &mut [u8]) -> io::Result<usize> {
+    let mut n = 0;
+    while let Some(rest) = buf.get_mut(n..).filter(|r| !r.is_empty()) {
+        match f.read(rest) {
+            Ok(0) => break,
+            Ok(k) => n += k,
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == io::ErrorKind::Interrupted => {}
+            Err(e) => return Err(e),
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(n)
+}

crates/engine/src/lib.rs

@@ -17,11 +17,14 @@ pub mod demo;
 pub mod devices;
 pub mod export;
 pub mod files;
+pub mod guard;
 pub mod import;
+mod import_move;
 pub mod library;
 pub mod media;
 pub mod memory;
 pub mod merge;
+pub mod originals;
 pub mod preset_import;
 pub mod preset_luminar;
 pub mod presets;
@@ -37,7 +40,7 @@ use lightcraft_catalog::{Catalog, Filter, Op, PhotoId, Sort};
 use lightcraft_develop::DevelopSettings;
 pub use media::{RenderJob, SourceLevel};
 use serde_json::Value;
-pub use view::{Browse, LibrarySource, Selection};
+pub use view::{Browse, FilterChip, LibrarySource, Selection, filter_chips};
 pub use {lightcraft_catalog as catalog, lightcraft_develop as develop, lightcraft_gpu as gpu, lightcraft_pipeline as pipeline};
 
 #[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
@@ -50,6 +53,13 @@ pub enum EngineError {
     BadParams { cmd: String, msg: String },
     #[error("{0}")]
     Catalog(#[from] lightcraft_catalog::CatalogError),
+    /// The command's change is applied (in memory, undoable) but its journal records could not
+    /// be written. They stay queued and are written by the next successful save.
+    #[error("saved in memory but not written to disk: {0}; LightCraft will retry")]
+    NotSaved(String),
+    /// Another process (the app, `lightcraft-cli`, another computer) has the library open.
+    #[error("{0}")]
+    LibraryInUse(String),
     #[error("{0}")]
     Other(String),
 }
@@ -61,6 +71,22 @@ pub type Result<T> = std::result::Result<T, EngineError>;
 pub struct UndoEntry {
     pub label: String,
     pub op: Op,
+    /// A folder to rename on disk (`from` → `to`) before `op` is applied: Rename / Move Folder
+    /// (whose `op` relinks the photos inside). Never overwrites; refused when `to` exists.
+    pub folder: Option<FolderMove>,
+}
+
+/// A folder renamed or moved on disk as part of an undo step.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct FolderMove {
+    pub from: String,
+    pub to: String,
+}
+
+impl FolderMove {
+    fn reversed(&self) -> Self {
+        Self { from: self.to.clone(), to: self.from.clone() }
+    }
 }
 
 /// An in-progress slider drag / brush stroke: one undo step when it ends.
@@ -71,6 +97,9 @@ pub struct Interaction {
     pub original: Arc<DevelopSettings>,
 }
 
+/// Source of [`Session::visible_shared`] generations (process-wide, so two sessions never share one).
+static VISIBLE_GEN: std::sync::atomic::AtomicU64 = std::sync::atomic::AtomicU64::new(1);
+
 pub struct Session {
     /// Auto Sync: edits to the active photo also change the other selected photos (the settings
     /// that changed, nothing else).
@@ -81,8 +110,14 @@ pub struct Session {
     pub sort: Sort,
     pub selection: Selection,
     /// The grid order for the current source/filter/sort (cached by catalog revision).
-    visible: Vec<PhotoId>,
+    /// Shared, so frontends can hold it across frames without copying ([`Session::visible_shared`]).
+    visible: Arc<[PhotoId]>,
     visible_key: Option<(u64, String)>,
+    /// Identifies the current `visible` list: a new value (unique in the process) every time it
+    /// is recomputed, so frontends can key their per-view caches on it instead of hashing the ids.
+    visible_gen: u64,
+    /// Photos in the current source with no filter on (cached like `visible`).
+    total: Option<((u64, String), usize)>,
     pub undo: Vec<UndoEntry>,
     pub redo: Vec<UndoEntry>,
     pub interaction: Option<Interaction>,
@@ -155,6 +190,11 @@ pub struct Session {
     pub import_defaults: import::ImportDefaults,
     /// Disk budget of the library's thumbnail cache in MB (0 = default; persisted in prefs.json).
     pub cache_mb: u32,
+    /// Where smart previews are kept when not in the library folder (persisted in prefs.json).
+    pub smart_previews_dir: Option<std::path::PathBuf>,
+    /// Untouched Local records of folders not browsed for this many days are forgotten when the
+    /// library opens (0 = never; persisted in prefs.json). See `cmd/browse.rs`.
+    pub forget_local_days: u32,
 }
 
 impl Default for Session {
@@ -172,8 +212,10 @@ impl Session {
             filter: Filter::default(),
             sort: Sort::default(),
             selection: Selection::default(),
-            visible: Vec::new(),
+            visible: Vec::new().into(),
             visible_key: None,
+            visible_gen: 0,
+            total: None,
             undo: Vec::new(),
             redo: Vec::new(),
             interaction: None,
@@ -212,6 +254,8 @@ impl Session {
             preview_build: None,
             import_defaults: import::ImportDefaults::default(),
             cache_mb: 0,
+            smart_previews_dir: None,
+            forget_local_days: lightcraft_catalog::DEFAULT_FORGET_DAYS,
         }
     }
 
@@ -231,7 +275,8 @@ impl Session {
         let log_start = self.pending_log.len();
         let was_active = self.active();
         self.depth += 1;
-        let r = (spec.run)(self, params);
+        // last-resort guard: a panic in a command is that command's error, not a crash
+        let r = guard::catch(&format!("`{id}`"), || (spec.run)(self, params)).unwrap_or_else(|e| Err(EngineError::Other(e)));
         self.depth -= 1;
         if self.depth == 0 && was_active.is_some() && self.active() != was_active {
             self.previous_active = was_active;
@@ -249,9 +294,18 @@ impl Session {
             self.auto_write_sidecars(&self.pending_log[log_start..]);
         }
         if self.depth == 0 && self.library.is_some() {
-            // Make the command durable before reporting success (on failure the ops stay pending,
-            // are retried after the next command, and `library.info` reports the error).
-            let _ = self.persist();
+            // Make the command durable before reporting success. When the command's own records
+            // can't be appended, it fails with `NotSaved`: the change stays applied in memory and
+            // queued, and the next save (any later command, or the frame loop) retries it. Other
+            // persistence trouble (a failed compaction, an older queued change still unwritten by
+            // a command that changed nothing) doesn't fail the command; `library.info` reports it.
+            let produced = self.pending_log.len() > log_start;
+            if let Err(e @ EngineError::NotSaved(_)) = self.persist()
+                && produced
+                && r.is_ok()
+            {
+                return Err(e);
+            }
         }
         r
     }
@@ -267,7 +321,7 @@ impl Session {
         let fwd = op.clone();
         let inv = self.catalog.apply(op)?;
         self.pending_log.push(fwd);
-        self.undo.push(UndoEntry { label: label.to_string(), op: inv });
+        self.undo.push(UndoEntry { label: label.to_string(), op: inv, folder: None });
         if self.undo.len() > 1000 {
             self.undo.remove(0);
         }
@@ -275,6 +329,16 @@ impl Session {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// [`Session::commit`] for an op that goes with a folder already renamed on disk; the undo
+    /// step renames it back (`folder` is the undo direction: current place → old place).
+    pub(crate) fn commit_with_folder(&mut self, label: &str, op: Op, folder: FolderMove) -> Result<()> {
+        self.commit(label, op)?;
+        if let Some(e) = self.undo.last_mut() {
+            e.folder = Some(folder);
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Leaving photo `id` after editing it: keep its settings as an automatic version (when they
     /// differ from its latest version; at most [`AUTO_VERSIONS`] auto versions, oldest dropped).
     /// Saved with the library but not an undo step.
@@ -305,9 +369,13 @@ impl Session {
         if n < 2 || n > self.undo.len() {
             return;
         }
+        // a step that moves a folder on disk stays on its own
+        if self.undo[self.undo.len() - n..].iter().any(|e| e.folder.is_some()) {
+            return;
+        }
         let tail = self.undo.split_off(self.undo.len() - n);
         let ops = tail.into_iter().rev().map(|e| e.op).collect();
-        self.undo.push(UndoEntry { label: label.to_string(), op: Op::Batch { ops } });
+        self.undo.push(UndoEntry { label: label.to_string(), op: Op::Batch { ops }, folder: None });
     }
 
     /// Apply without recording undo (interactive previews).
@@ -318,7 +386,7 @@ impl Session {
 
     pub fn undo_step(&mut self) -> Result<String> {
         let e = self.undo.pop().ok_or_else(|| EngineError::Other("nothing to undo".into()))?;
-        let redo = match self.apply_with_files(&e.op) {
+        let redo = match self.apply_with_files(&e.op, e.folder.as_ref()) {
             Ok(r) => r,
             Err(err) => {
                 self.undo.push(e);
@@ -326,13 +394,13 @@ impl Session {
             }
         };
         self.pending_log.push(e.op);
-        self.redo.push(UndoEntry { label: e.label.clone(), op: redo });
+        self.redo.push(UndoEntry { label: e.label.clone(), op: redo, folder: e.folder.as_ref().map(FolderMove::reversed) });
         Ok(e.label)
     }
 
     pub fn redo_step(&mut self) -> Result<String> {
         let e = self.redo.pop().ok_or_else(|| EngineError::Other("nothing to redo".into()))?;
-        let undo = match self.apply_with_files(&e.op) {
+        let undo = match self.apply_with_files(&e.op, e.folder.as_ref()) {
             Ok(r) => r,
             Err(err) => {
                 self.redo.push(e);
@@ -340,19 +408,44 @@ impl Session {
             }
         };
         self.pending_log.push(e.op);
-        self.undo.push(UndoEntry { label: e.label.clone(), op: undo });
+        self.undo.push(UndoEntry { label: e.label.clone(), op: undo, folder: e.folder.as_ref().map(FolderMove::reversed) });
         Ok(e.label)
     }
 
-    /// Apply an undo/redo op, first moving the files its renames imply (all or nothing).
-    fn apply_with_files(&mut self, op: &Op) -> Result<Op> {
+    /// Apply an undo/redo op, first renaming the step's folder and moving the files its renames
+    /// imply (all or nothing). Files that can't be moved back after a failure are reported and the
+    /// library follows them (a logged change outside the undo history), so none goes missing; the
+    /// folder is only moved back when no file was left behind at its new path.
+    fn apply_with_files(&mut self, op: &Op, folder: Option<&FolderMove>) -> Result<Op> {
+        let fs = rename::RealFs;
+        if let Some(f) = folder {
+            cmd::browse::rename_folder_on_disk(&f.from, &f.to).map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("can't move the folder back: {e}")))?;
+        }
+        let undo_folder = || {
+            if let Some(f) = folder {
+                let _ = cmd::browse::rename_folder_on_disk(&f.to, &f.from);
+            }
+        };
         let moves = self.file_moves(op);
-        Session::move_files(&moves)?;
+        if let Err(e) = rename::move_all(&fs, &moves) {
+            if e.stuck.is_empty() {
+                undo_folder();
+            }
+            return Err(EngineError::Other(format!("can't move the files back: {}", self.follow_stuck(op, e, false))));
+        }
         match self.catalog.apply(op.clone()) {
-            Ok(inv) => Ok(inv),
+            Ok(inv) => {
+                if let Some(f) = folder {
+                    cmd::browse::follow_folder(self, &f.from, &f.to);
+                }
+                Ok(inv)
+            }
             Err(e) => {
                 let back: Vec<(String, String)> = moves.iter().rev().map(|(a, b)| (b.clone(), a.clone())).collect();
-                let _ = Session::move_files(&back);
+                if let Err(be) = rename::move_all(&fs, &back) {
+                    return Err(EngineError::Other(format!("{e}; the files could not all be moved back: {}", be.message)));
+                }
+                undo_folder();
                 Err(e.into())
             }
         }
@@ -478,7 +571,7 @@ impl Session {
                 f.folder = Some(b.path);
                 f.subfolders = b.subfolders;
             }
-            self.visible = self.catalog.query(&f, &self.sort);
+            let mut visible = self.catalog.query(&f, &self.sort);
             if matches!(self.source, LibrarySource::Album(_))
                 && self.sort.key == lightcraft_catalog::SortKey::CaptureDate
                 && let LibrarySource::Album(a) = self.source
@@ -487,35 +580,66 @@ impl Session {
                 && self.filter == Filter::default()
             {
                 let order = al.photos.clone();
-                self.visible.sort_by_key(|id| order.iter().position(|x| x == id).unwrap_or(usize::MAX));
+                visible.sort_by_key(|id| order.iter().position(|x| x == id).unwrap_or(usize::MAX));
                 if !self.sort.ascending {
-                    self.visible.reverse();
+                    visible.reverse();
                 }
             }
             if self.source == LibrarySource::RecentlyAdded {
                 // newest import first, whatever the sort (the grid groups by import day)
                 let cat = &self.catalog;
-                self.visible.sort_by(|a, b| {
+                visible.sort_by(|a, b| {
                     let key = |id: &PhotoId| cat.photo(*id).map(|p| p.imported.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
                     key(b).cmp(&key(a)).then(a.cmp(b))
                 });
             }
             if self.source == LibrarySource::Missing {
-                let missing: std::collections::HashSet<PhotoId> = cmd::missing::missing(self).into_iter().map(|m| m.0).collect();
-                self.visible.retain(|id| missing.contains(id));
+                // only the photos the query kept (library photos, not Local browse records) are checked
+                let cat = &self.catalog;
+                visible.retain(|id| cmd::missing::is_missing(cat, *id));
             }
             if self.source != LibrarySource::RecentlyDeleted {
-                self.visible = self.catalog.arrange_stacks(&self.visible);
+                visible = self.catalog.arrange_stacks(&visible);
             }
+            self.visible = visible.into();
+            self.visible_gen = VISIBLE_GEN.fetch_add(1, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
             self.visible_key = Some(key);
         }
         &self.visible
     }
 
+    /// Photos in the current source (folder, album, …) before the filter bar and search narrow
+    /// them; `None` where that is not a separate number (Missing Photos).
+    pub fn source_total(&mut self) -> Option<usize> {
+        if self.source == LibrarySource::Missing {
+            return None;
+        }
+        let key = (self.catalog.revision, format!("{:?}|{:?}", self.source, self.browse));
+        if self.total.as_ref().map(|t| &t.0) != Some(&key) {
+            let mut f = self.source.to_filter(&Filter::default(), &self.catalog);
+            if self.source == LibrarySource::Folder {
+                let b = self.browse.clone().unwrap_or_default();
+                f.folder = Some(b.path);
+                f.subfolders = b.subfolders;
+            }
+            let n = self.catalog.query(&f, &self.sort).len();
+            self.total = Some((key, n));
+        }
+        self.total.as_ref().map(|t| t.1)
+    }
+
     pub fn visible_cloned(&mut self) -> Vec<PhotoId> {
         self.visible().to_vec()
     }
 
+    /// The visible photos without copying them, with their generation: equal generations mean
+    /// the very same list (same catalog revision, source, filter, sort), so a frontend can cache
+    /// whatever it derives from the list under that number.
+    pub fn visible_shared(&mut self) -> (u64, Arc<[PhotoId]>) {
+        self.visible();
+        (self.visible_gen, self.visible.clone())
+    }
+
     /// Targets of photo commands: explicit `ids`/`id` param, else the selection.
     pub fn targets(&self, p: &Value) -> Vec<PhotoId> {
         if let Some(a) = p.get("ids").and_then(Value::as_array) {
@@ -551,8 +675,12 @@ mod tests_color;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_export;
 #[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_forget_local;
+#[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_import;
 #[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_import_move;
+#[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_libops;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_library;
@@ -561,8 +689,12 @@ mod tests_merge;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_organize;
 #[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_persist;
+#[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_prefs;
 #[cfg(test)]
+mod tests_settings_files;
+#[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_spots;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests_xmp;

crates/engine/src/library.rs

@@ -14,12 +14,16 @@
 //! via [`Session::open_library_in`] (the browser build keeps them in OPFS or IndexedDB).
 //!
 //! Every top-level [`Session::execute`] persists the ops it produced (fsynced) before returning,
-//! so a crash loses at most the command in flight. The log is compacted into a snapshot when it
-//! grows (see [`lightcraft_catalog::SnapshotPolicy`]) and on [`Session::close_library`].
+//! so a crash loses at most the command in flight. When that write fails the command returns
+//! [`EngineError::NotSaved`]: its change stays applied in memory and queued, and every later save
+//! retries the queue ([`Session::unsaved`] reports it meanwhile), so nothing is lost once the
+//! disk is writable again. The log is compacted into a snapshot when it
+//! grows (see [`lightcraft_catalog::SnapshotPolicy`]; written by a worker thread on native, see
+//! [`lightcraft_catalog::journal`]) and on [`Session::close_library`].
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
-use lightcraft_catalog::{FsStore, Journal, LoadReport, Store};
+use lightcraft_catalog::{FsStore, Journal, LibraryLock, LoadReport, Store};
 use lightcraft_develop::Preset;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -51,8 +55,24 @@ pub struct Library {
     pub report: LoadReport,
     /// Last persistence error (shown by the UI; ops stay pending and are retried).
     pub last_error: Option<String>,
+    /// Why the last append of queued ops failed; `None` once a save succeeds. While set, changes
+    /// exist only in memory ([`Session::unsaved`]).
+    pub unsaved_error: Option<String>,
+    /// When the frame loop may retry a failed append ([`Session::persist_if_dirty`] backs off).
+    retry_at: Option<web_time::Instant>,
+    /// What forgetting untouched Local records did when the library opened.
+    pub forgot_local: Option<lightcraft_catalog::ForgetPlan>,
     presets_written: String,
     view_written: Vec<u8>,
+    /// Settings files that were unreadable or damaged when the library opened (`library.info` →
+    /// `settingsWarnings`; shown by the UI once, see [`Session::take_library_warnings`]).
+    pub settings_warnings: Vec<String>,
+    warnings_reported: usize,
+    /// Settings files that couldn't be read or set aside: never overwritten this session.
+    blocked: Vec<&'static str>,
+    /// Keeps other processes out of this library while it's open (last: released after the
+    /// journal's background snapshot has landed).
+    lock: Option<LibraryLock>,
 }
 
 /// Where a library's files live (see [`Session::open_library_in`]).
@@ -91,6 +111,10 @@ impl Library {
     pub fn journal(&self) -> &Journal {
         &self.journal
     }
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    pub(crate) fn journal_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Journal {
+        &mut self.journal
+    }
     pub fn thumbs_dir(&self) -> PathBuf {
         self.dir.join("thumbs")
     }
@@ -126,6 +150,11 @@ struct PrefsFile {
     import: crate::import::ImportDefaults,
     /// Thumbnail disk cache budget (MB, 0 = default).
     cache_mb: u32,
+    /// Folder for smart previews (default: `Smart Previews` in the library).
+    smart_previews_dir: Option<String>,
+    /// Days after which untouched Local records of unbrowsed folders are forgotten (missing =
+    /// the default, 0 = never).
+    forget_local_days: Option<u32>,
 }
 
 fn presets_json(s: &Session) -> String {
@@ -139,25 +168,132 @@ fn presets_json(s: &Session) -> String {
     serde_json::to_string_pretty(&f).unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
-fn read_json<T: serde::de::DeserializeOwned>(store: &mut dyn Store, name: &str) -> Option<T> {
-    store.read(name).ok().flatten().and_then(|b| serde_json::from_slice(&b).ok())
+/// Finish a background compaction that is done (cheap otherwise). A failed one lost nothing (the
+/// log is kept whole) and is retried later; it is reported like other persistence errors.
+fn poll_compaction(lib: &mut Library) {
+    if let Err(e) = lib.journal.poll() {
+        log::error!("library: compaction: {e}");
+        lib.last_error = Some(format!("compaction: {e}"));
+    }
+}
+
+/// How long the frame loop waits before retrying a failed append (commands retry at once).
+const RETRY_BACKOFF: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(2);
+
+/// `a` and `b` name the same directory.
+fn same_dir(a: &Path, b: &Path) -> bool {
+    match (std::fs::canonicalize(a), std::fs::canonicalize(b)) {
+        (Ok(a), Ok(b)) => a == b,
+        _ => a == b,
+    }
+}
+
+/// This program, for the lock owner note ("LightCraft", "lightcraft-cli").
+fn program_name() -> String {
+    let exe = std::env::current_exe().ok().and_then(|p| p.file_stem().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().to_string()));
+    match exe.as_deref() {
+        Some("lightcraft") | None => "LightCraft".into(),
+        Some(other) => other.to_string(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Problems reading the settings files (`presets.json`, `prefs.json`, `view.json`) when the library
+/// opened (issue #103). A missing file is not a problem (defaults). A file that doesn't parse is
+/// kept as `<name>.corrupt-<unix time>` before the defaults are used (so the next save can't
+/// lose it); a file that can't be read at all (locked by another program, I/O error) is never
+/// written this session, so its content survives until the library is opened again.
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct SettingsLoad {
+    warnings: Vec<String>,
+    /// Files not to overwrite this session.
+    blocked: Vec<&'static str>,
+}
+
+impl SettingsLoad {
+    fn read<T: serde::de::DeserializeOwned>(&mut self, store: &mut dyn Store, name: &'static str) -> Option<T> {
+        let bytes = match store.read(name) {
+            Ok(b) => b?,
+            Err(e) => {
+                log::error!("library: {name}: {e}");
+                self.blocked.push(name);
+                self.warnings.push(format!(
+                    "{name} couldn't be read ({e}). LightCraft uses the defaults for now and won't overwrite the file; reopen the library to try again."
+                ));
+                return None;
+            }
+        };
+        let err = match serde_json::from_slice(&bytes) {
+            Ok(v) => return Some(v),
+            Err(e) => e,
+        };
+        let secs = web_time::SystemTime::now().duration_since(web_time::UNIX_EPOCH).map(|d| d.as_secs()).unwrap_or(0);
+        let keep = format!("{name}.corrupt-{secs}");
+        log::error!("library: {name} is damaged: {err}");
+        match store.write_atomic(&keep, &bytes) {
+            Ok(()) => self.warnings.push(format!("{name} is damaged ({err}). It was kept as {keep}, and the defaults are used.")),
+            Err(w) => {
+                self.blocked.push(name);
+                self.warnings.push(format!(
+                    "{name} is damaged ({err}) and couldn't be set aside ({w}). LightCraft uses the defaults and won't overwrite the file."
+                ));
+            }
+        }
+        None
+    }
 }
 
 impl Session {
     /// Open (or create) the library at `dir` into this session, replacing its catalog. With
     /// `seed_demo`, a newly created library starts with the procedural demo photos.
+    ///
+    /// The library is locked for this session ([`lightcraft_catalog::lock`]): if another process
+    /// has it open, this fails with [`EngineError::LibraryInUse`] and nothing is read or changed.
+    /// Reopening the library this session already has open keeps its lock.
     pub fn open_library(&mut self, dir: impl AsRef<Path>, seed_demo: bool) -> Result<&LoadReport> {
         let dir = dir.as_ref().to_path_buf();
         let open = || FsStore::open(&dir).map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("can't open library {}: {e}", dir.display())));
         let stores = LibraryStores { catalog: Box::new(open()?), files: Box::new(open()?), on_disk: true, dir: dir.clone() };
-        self.open_library_in(stores, seed_demo)
+        // the library open in this session (same directory): hand its lock over
+        let reused = self.library.as_mut().filter(|l| same_dir(&l.dir, &dir)).and_then(|l| l.lock.take());
+        let reusing = reused.is_some();
+        let mut lock = match reused {
+            Some(l) => Some(l),
+            None => Some(LibraryLock::acquire(&dir, &program_name()).map_err(|e| EngineError::LibraryInUse(e.to_string()))?),
+        };
+        if let Err(e) = self.open_stores(stores, seed_demo, &mut lock) {
+            if reusing && let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() {
+                lib.lock = lock.take();
+            }
+            return Err(e);
+        }
+        self.loaded_report()
     }
 
     /// Open (or create) a library whose files live in `stores` (e.g. browser storage), replacing
-    /// this session's catalog.
+    /// this session's catalog. Not locked: the host guards against a second opener (see
+    /// [`Session::open_library`] for directories).
     pub fn open_library_in(&mut self, stores: LibraryStores, seed_demo: bool) -> Result<&LoadReport> {
+        self.open_stores(stores, seed_demo, &mut None)?;
+        self.loaded_report()
+    }
+
+    fn loaded_report(&self) -> Result<&LoadReport> {
+        match &self.library {
+            Some(lib) => Ok(&lib.report),
+            None => Err(EngineError::Other("library closed while opening".into())),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Open `stores`; the new library takes `lock` once nothing can fail any more.
+    fn open_stores(&mut self, stores: LibraryStores, seed_demo: bool, lock: &mut Option<LibraryLock>) -> Result<()> {
         let LibraryStores { dir, catalog, mut files, on_disk } = stores;
         self.media.smart_dir = on_disk.then(|| crate::smart::dir(&dir));
+        // the current library may be these same files: let its background snapshot land first
+        if let Some(old) = self.library.as_mut()
+            && let Err(e) = old.journal.wait()
+        {
+            log::error!("library: {e}");
+        }
         let (mut journal, catalog, report) = Journal::open(catalog)?;
         self.catalog = catalog;
         self.undo.clear();
@@ -170,8 +306,9 @@ impl Session {
             crate::demo::load(self);
             journal.snapshot(&self.catalog)?;
         }
+        let mut settings = SettingsLoad::default();
         // presets
-        if let Some(f) = read_json::<PresetsFile>(files.as_mut(), "presets.json") {
+        if let Some(f) = settings.read::<PresetsFile>(files.as_mut(), "presets.json") {
             for p in &mut self.presets {
                 p.favorite = p.builtin && f.favorites.contains(&p.id) || (!p.builtin && p.favorite);
             }
@@ -185,7 +322,7 @@ impl Session {
             self.profile_recent = f.profile_recent.into_iter().filter(known).take(crate::presets::RECENT_PROFILES).collect();
         }
         // preferences
-        let prefs = read_json::<PrefsFile>(files.as_mut(), "prefs.json").unwrap_or_default();
+        let prefs = settings.read::<PrefsFile>(files.as_mut(), "prefs.json").unwrap_or_default();
         self.xmp = prefs.xmp;
         self.last_export = prefs.last_export;
         self.export_presets = prefs.export_presets;
@@ -200,8 +337,13 @@ impl Session {
         self.recent_keywords = prefs.recent_keywords;
         self.import_defaults = prefs.import;
         self.cache_mb = prefs.cache_mb;
+        self.forget_local_days = prefs.forget_local_days.unwrap_or(lightcraft_catalog::DEFAULT_FORGET_DAYS);
+        self.smart_previews_dir = prefs.smart_previews_dir.filter(|_| on_disk).map(PathBuf::from);
+        if let Some(d) = &self.smart_previews_dir {
+            self.media.smart_dir = Some(d.clone());
+        }
         // view state
-        if let Some(v) = read_json::<ViewFile>(files.as_mut(), "view.json") {
+        if let Some(v) = settings.read::<ViewFile>(files.as_mut(), "view.json") {
             self.source = v.source;
             self.browse = v.browse;
             self.filter = v.filter;
@@ -222,30 +364,75 @@ impl Session {
             self.media.attach_disk_cache(&dir.join("thumbs"), self.cache_bytes());
         }
         let view_written = self.view_json();
-        self.library = Some(Library { dir, on_disk, journal, files, report, last_error: None, presets_written, view_written });
-        Ok(&self.library.as_ref().expect("just set").report)
+        self.library = Some(Library {
+            dir,
+            on_disk,
+            journal,
+            files,
+            report,
+            last_error: None,
+            unsaved_error: None,
+            retry_at: None,
+            forgot_local: None,
+            presets_written,
+            view_written,
+            settings_warnings: settings.warnings,
+            warnings_reported: 0,
+            blocked: settings.blocked,
+            lock: lock.take(),
+        });
+        // forget untouched Local records of folders not browsed for a while (journaled at once)
+        if self.forget_local_days > 0 {
+            let plan = self.forget_local(false, None);
+            if !plan.evict.is_empty() {
+                self.compact_soon();
+            } else if let Err(e) = self.persist() {
+                log::error!("library: {e}");
+            }
+            if let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() {
+                lib.forgot_local = Some(plan);
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Write pending ops to the log (fsynced), compact when due, and save changed presets.
-    /// Called after every top-level command; cheap when nothing changed.
+    /// Called after every top-level command; cheap when nothing changed. Fails (with
+    /// [`EngineError::NotSaved`]) only when the queued ops couldn't be written; they stay queued.
     pub fn persist(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return Ok(()) };
         if !self.pending_log.is_empty() {
             if let Err(e) = lib.journal.append(&self.pending_log) {
-                lib.last_error = Some(e.to_string());
-                log::error!("library: {e}");
-                return Err(e.into());
+                // the ops stay queued (and applied in memory): the next persist retries them
+                let reason = e.to_string();
+                log::error!("library: {} change(s) not written to disk: {reason}", self.pending_log.len());
+                lib.last_error = Some(reason.clone());
+                lib.unsaved_error = Some(reason.clone());
+                lib.retry_at = Some(web_time::Instant::now() + RETRY_BACKOFF);
+                return Err(EngineError::NotSaved(reason));
             }
+            if lib.unsaved_error.take().is_some() {
+                log::info!("library: queued changes written to disk");
+            }
+            lib.retry_at = None;
             self.pending_log.clear();
             lib.last_error = None;
         }
+        poll_compaction(lib);
         // Never snapshot mid-interaction: the catalog then holds an uncommitted preview value.
-        if lib.journal.wants_snapshot() && self.interaction.is_none() {
-            lib.journal.snapshot(&self.catalog)?;
+        // The snapshot is written by a worker thread (natively); appends go on meanwhile.
+        // A failed compaction loses nothing (the log is kept whole and compacted later): it is
+        // reported (`library.info` → `lastError`), not returned.
+        if lib.journal.wants_snapshot()
+            && self.interaction.is_none()
+            && let Err(e) = lib.journal.snapshot_in_background(&self.catalog)
+        {
+            log::error!("library: compaction: {e}");
+            lib.last_error = Some(format!("compaction: {e}"));
         }
         let presets = presets_json(self);
         let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return Ok(()) };
-        if presets != lib.presets_written {
+        if presets != lib.presets_written && !lib.blocked.contains(&"presets.json") {
             if let Err(e) = lib.files.write_atomic("presets.json", presets.as_bytes()) {
                 log::error!("library: presets: {e}");
             } else {
@@ -258,22 +445,52 @@ impl Session {
     /// Persist if commands left ops pending (cheap; frontends call it once per frame for state
     /// changed outside [`Session::execute`]).
     pub fn persist_if_dirty(&mut self) {
-        if self.library.is_some() && !self.pending_log.is_empty() {
+        let backing_off = self.library.as_ref().and_then(|l| l.retry_at).is_some_and(|t| web_time::Instant::now() < t);
+        if self.library.is_some() && !self.pending_log.is_empty() && !backing_off {
             let _ = self.persist();
+        } else if let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() {
+            poll_compaction(lib);
         }
     }
 
+    /// Changes applied in memory but not yet written to disk because saving failed: the number of
+    /// queued ops and why (`None` when everything is saved, or no library is open). Retried by
+    /// every command and by [`Session::persist_if_dirty`].
+    pub fn unsaved(&self) -> Option<(usize, &str)> {
+        let lib = self.library.as_ref()?;
+        lib.unsaved_error.as_deref().filter(|_| !self.pending_log.is_empty()).map(|e| (self.pending_log.len(), e))
+    }
+
     /// Flush everything and write a snapshot (on quit). Ends an open interaction first.
+    ///
+    /// The snapshot is written even when appending the queued ops fails: it is a fresh file
+    /// holding everything in memory, so it saves those ops too (the log handle may be the only
+    /// thing that's broken). Fails only if nothing could be saved; the ops then stay queued.
     pub fn close_library(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         if self.library.is_none() {
             return Ok(());
         }
         let _ = self.end_interaction();
-        self.persist()?;
+        let persisted = self.persist();
         self.save_view();
+        let unlogged = if persisted.is_err() { self.pending_log.len() as u64 } else { 0 };
         let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return Ok(()) };
-        lib.journal.snapshot(&self.catalog)?;
-        Ok(())
+        let before = lib.journal.seq();
+        let snapshot = lib.journal.snapshot_with_unlogged(&self.catalog, unlogged);
+        if unlogged > 0 && lib.journal.seq() == before + unlogged {
+            // the snapshot holds the queued ops: they are saved, never append them again
+            log::info!("library: {unlogged} queued change(s) saved in the closing snapshot");
+            self.pending_log.clear();
+            lib.unsaved_error = None;
+            lib.retry_at = None;
+            lib.last_error = None;
+        }
+        match (persisted, snapshot) {
+            (_, Ok(())) => Ok(()),
+            // neither the log nor the snapshot took the queued ops
+            (Err(EngineError::NotSaved(e)), Err(s)) if lib.journal.seq() == before => Err(EngineError::NotSaved(format!("{e}; snapshot: {s}"))),
+            (_, Err(s)) => Err(s.into()),
+        }
     }
 
     fn view_json(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
@@ -296,7 +513,7 @@ impl Session {
         }
         let v = self.view_json();
         let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return };
-        if v != lib.view_written {
+        if v != lib.view_written && !lib.blocked.contains(&"view.json") {
             match lib.files.write_atomic("view.json", &v) {
                 Ok(()) => lib.view_written = v,
                 Err(e) => log::error!("library: view: {e}"),
@@ -320,12 +537,27 @@ impl Session {
             recent_keywords: self.recent_keywords.clone(),
             import: self.import_defaults.clone(),
             cache_mb: self.cache_mb,
+            smart_previews_dir: self.smart_previews_dir.as_ref().map(|d| d.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
+            forget_local_days: Some(self.forget_local_days),
         })
         .unwrap_or_default();
         let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return Ok(()) };
+        if lib.blocked.contains(&"prefs.json") {
+            return Err(EngineError::Other(
+                "prefs: prefs.json couldn't be read when the library opened, so it isn't overwritten; reopen the library to save preferences".into(),
+            ));
+        }
         lib.files.write_atomic("prefs.json", &v).map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("prefs: {e}")))
     }
 
+    /// Settings-file warnings of the open library not handed out yet (the UI shows each once).
+    pub fn take_library_warnings(&mut self) -> Vec<String> {
+        let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return vec![] };
+        let new = lib.settings_warnings[lib.warnings_reported..].to_vec();
+        lib.warnings_reported = lib.settings_warnings.len();
+        new
+    }
+
     /// The thumbnail disk cache budget in bytes ([`Session::cache_mb`], else the default).
     pub fn cache_bytes(&self) -> u64 {
         if self.cache_mb == 0 { crate::media::DISK_CACHE_BYTES } else { u64::from(self.cache_mb) << 20 }
@@ -342,6 +574,24 @@ impl Session {
         self.save_prefs()
     }
 
+    /// Save, then start compacting in the background (natively; synchronously elsewhere): after
+    /// a change that shrinks the catalog a lot, so the smaller snapshot replaces the old one.
+    /// Errors are logged and reported like other persistence errors (nothing is lost).
+    pub fn compact_soon(&mut self) {
+        if let Err(e) = self.persist() {
+            log::error!("library: {e}");
+            return;
+        }
+        if self.interaction.is_some() {
+            return;
+        }
+        let Some(lib) = self.library.as_mut() else { return };
+        if let Err(e) = lib.journal.snapshot_in_background(&self.catalog) {
+            log::error!("library: compaction: {e}");
+            lib.last_error = Some(format!("compaction: {e}"));
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Compact the log into a snapshot now.
     pub fn compact_library(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         self.persist()?;

crates/engine/src/media.rs

@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ impl MediaCache {
             && !std::path::Path::new(path).exists()
         {
             let sp = dir.join(crate::smart::file_name(p));
-            if sp.exists() {
+            if crate::smart::is_valid(&sp) {
                 return SourceRef::Smart { path: sp };
             }
         }

crates/engine/src/memory.rs

@@ -44,7 +44,12 @@ fn total_ram() -> Option<usize> {
         let out = std::process::Command::new("/usr/sbin/sysctl").args(["-n", "hw.memsize"]).output().ok()?;
         String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout).trim().parse().ok()
     }
-    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "macos")))]
+    #[cfg(target_os = "freebsd")]
+    {
+        let out = std::process::Command::new("/sbin/sysctl").args(["-n", "hw.physmem"]).output().ok()?;
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout).trim().parse().ok()
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "macos", target_os = "freebsd")))]
     {
         None
     }

crates/engine/src/merge.rs

@@ -304,19 +304,13 @@ fn apply_auto(s: &mut DevelopSettings, src: &Rgb32f, info: &SourceInfo) {
     s.color.saturation = a.saturation;
 }
 
-/// A free file name `dir/<stem>-<suffix>.dng` (`-2`, `-3`… when taken).
-fn output_path(first: &str, suffix: &str) -> String {
+/// `dir/<stem>-<suffix>.dng`, then `-2`, `-3`… (the candidates for a merge's output).
+fn output_names(first: &str, suffix: &str) -> impl Iterator<Item = std::path::PathBuf> {
     let p = std::path::Path::new(first);
     let dir = p.parent().map(|d| d.to_path_buf()).unwrap_or_default();
     let stem = p.file_stem().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_else(|| "Merge".into());
-    for k in 1.. {
-        let name = if k == 1 { format!("{stem}-{suffix}.dng") } else { format!("{stem}-{suffix}-{k}.dng") };
-        let cand = dir.join(name);
-        if !cand.exists() {
-            return cand.to_string_lossy().to_string();
-        }
-    }
-    unreachable!()
+    let suffix = suffix.to_string();
+    (1u64..).map(move |k| dir.join(if k == 1 { format!("{stem}-{suffix}.dng") } else { format!("{stem}-{suffix}-{k}.dng") }))
 }
 
 /// Parse `merge.*` command parameters into a kind and finishing options.
@@ -371,8 +365,11 @@ impl Session {
     /// apply Auto Settings / the auto crop. Returns `{id, path, …info}`.
     pub fn finish_merge(&mut self, job: &MergeJob, out: MergeOutput) -> Result<Value> {
         let first = &job.sources.first().ok_or_else(|| EngineError::Other("nothing merged".into()))?.1;
-        let path = output_path(first, job.kind.suffix());
-        std::fs::write(&path, &out.dng).map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("{path}: {e}")))?;
+        // a new file under a free name (never replacing one), complete and synced before it appears
+        let path = lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_new_unique(&mut output_names(first, job.kind.suffix()), &out.dng)
+            .map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("could not write the merged DNG next to {first}: {e}")))?
+            .to_string_lossy()
+            .to_string();
         let report = crate::import::import(self, std::slice::from_ref(&path), crate::import::ImportMode::Add)?;
         let id = report
             .imported

crates/engine/src/originals.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+//! Never write over an original: exports, renders and other files LightCraft writes for the user
+//! must not land on a catalogued photo's own file (or its XMP sidecar), whatever the conflict
+//! setting or exact path asked for. [`OriginalGuard`] is a snapshot of the library's originals
+//! that answers "would writing here replace one?" by file identity (the same file under another
+//! spelling, through `..`, a link or a case-insensitive volume counts), not by comparing strings.
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+use lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::same_file;
+use lightcraft_catalog::{Catalog, Source};
+
+/// The library's originals and their sidecars, looked up by file name.
+#[derive(Debug, Default)]
+pub struct OriginalGuard {
+    /// lower-case file name → (path on disk, what it is: "the original of IMG_1.CR3", …)
+    by_name: HashMap<String, Vec<(PathBuf, String)>>,
+}
+
+impl OriginalGuard {
+    /// The originals of every photo in `catalog`.
+    pub fn new(catalog: &Catalog) -> Self {
+        let mut g = Self::default();
+        for p in catalog.photos() {
+            if let Source::File { path } = &p.source {
+                g.add(Path::new(path), &p.file_name);
+            }
+        }
+        g
+    }
+
+    /// Protect `path` (an original named `label`) and its sidecars (`IMG_1.xmp`, `IMG_1.CR3.xmp`).
+    pub fn add(&mut self, path: &Path, label: &str) {
+        let Some(name) = path.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()) else { return };
+        let mut put = |file: String, p: PathBuf, what: String| self.by_name.entry(file.to_lowercase()).or_default().push((p, what));
+        put(name.clone(), path.to_path_buf(), format!("the original of {label}"));
+        let stem = path.file_stem().map(|s| s.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+        put(format!("{stem}.xmp"), path.with_extension("xmp"), format!("the XMP sidecar of {label}"));
+        put(format!("{name}.xmp"), PathBuf::from(format!("{}.xmp", path.to_string_lossy())), format!("the XMP sidecar of {label}"));
+    }
+
+    /// `Err` (a message for the user) when writing `target` would replace a protected file.
+    pub fn check(&self, target: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
+        if std::fs::symlink_metadata(target).is_err() {
+            return Ok(()); // nothing there to replace
+        }
+        let mut names: Vec<String> = target.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase()).into_iter().collect();
+        if let Some(n) = std::fs::canonicalize(target).ok().and_then(|c| c.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase())) {
+            names.push(n);
+        }
+        for n in &names {
+            for (p, what) in self.by_name.get(n).into_iter().flatten() {
+                if same_file(p, target) {
+                    return Err(format!(
+                        "{} is {what} in the library: LightCraft never writes over an original (choose another folder or file name)",
+                        target.display()
+                    ));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+impl crate::Session {
+    /// A guard over this library's originals (see [`OriginalGuard`]).
+    pub fn original_guard(&self) -> OriginalGuard {
+        OriginalGuard::new(&self.catalog)
+    }
+
+    /// `Err` when writing `path` would replace a catalogued photo's original or sidecar.
+    pub fn check_write_target(&self, path: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+        self.original_guard().check(Path::new(path))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use lightcraft_catalog::{Op, Photo, PhotoId};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn originals_and_their_sidecars_are_protected_by_identity() {
+        let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-originals-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(d.join("sub")).unwrap();
+        let orig = d.join("IMG_1.jpg");
+        std::fs::write(&orig, b"original").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(d.join("IMG_1.xmp"), b"<x/>").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(d.join("other.jpg"), b"other").unwrap();
+        let mut c = Catalog::default();
+        let p = Photo::new(PhotoId(1), Source::File { path: orig.to_string_lossy().to_string() }, "IMG_1.jpg", "JPEG", 10, 10, "2026-01-01");
+        c.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) }).unwrap();
+        let g = OriginalGuard::new(&c);
+        assert!(g.check(&orig).unwrap_err().contains("original of IMG_1.jpg"));
+        assert!(g.check(&d.join("sub/../IMG_1.jpg")).is_err(), "another spelling of the same file");
+        assert!(g.check(&d.join("IMG_1.xmp")).unwrap_err().contains("sidecar"));
+        assert!(g.check(&d.join("other.jpg")).is_ok(), "an ordinary existing file");
+        assert!(g.check(&d.join("new.jpg")).is_ok(), "a free name");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    }
+}

crates/engine/src/rename.rs

@@ -1,14 +1,21 @@
 //! Batch rename: a file-name template applied to the selected photos, renaming the files on
 //! disk (with their XMP sidecars) safely.
 //!
-//! Template tokens: `{name}` (current name without extension), `{seq}` / `{seq:3}` (sequence number,
-//! zero-padded to 3 digits), `{date}` / `{date:%Y%m%d}` (capture date; `%Y %y %m %d %H %M %S`),
-//! `{camera}`, `{title}`, `{ext}` (extension, without the dot). Characters that aren't allowed in
-//! file names become `-`. The original extension is always kept.
+//! Template tokens (shared with import renaming and export file naming): `{name}` (current name
+//! without extension), `{num}` (the number at the end of the name: `IMG_0042` → `0042`), `{seq}` /
+//! `{seq:3}` (sequence number, zero-padded to 3 digits), `{date}` / `{date:%Y%m%d}` (capture date;
+//! `%Y %y %m %d %H %M %S`), `{folder}` (the original's folder name), `{camera}`, `{lens}`, `{iso}`,
+//! `{rating}`, `{title}`, `{creator}`, `{ext}` (extension, without the dot). Unknown tokens stay as
+//! typed. Characters that aren't allowed in file names become `-`. The original extension is always
+//! kept.
 //!
 //! Safety:
 //! - a target that exists on disk, or that another photo in the batch gets, receives a `-1`, `-2`…
-//!   suffix — no file is ever overwritten;
+//!   suffix — no file is ever overwritten. Whether an existing target is the photo itself (a
+//!   change of letter case on a case-insensitive volume) is decided by file identity, not by
+//!   comparing names, so on a case-sensitive volume `img_1.jpg` next to `IMG_1.JPG` is a collision
+//!   (issue #95); moves never replace a file even if one appears after the check (hard link +
+//!   unlink where the volume supports it);
 //! - the moves happen before the catalog changes; if one fails, the ones already done are moved
 //!   back and nothing is committed;
 //! - the catalog op ([`Op::SetFile`]) is undoable: undo/redo move the files back and forth (see
@@ -79,8 +86,165 @@ fn format_date(iso: &str, fmt: &str) -> String {
     out
 }
 
+/// One template token, for help texts and tag pickers. [`TOKENS`] is the single list every UI and
+/// command description shows; a test checks that [`expand_tokens`] knows each of them.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize)]
+pub struct TokenHelp {
+    /// The token as typed, e.g. `{seq:3}`.
+    pub tag: &'static str,
+    /// Other spellings with the same meaning.
+    pub aliases: &'static [&'static str],
+    pub meaning: &'static str,
+}
+
+/// Every template token, in the order the help shows them.
+pub const TOKENS: &[TokenHelp] = &[
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{name}", aliases: &["{filename}"], meaning: "Original file name without its extension" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{num}", aliases: &[], meaning: "The number at the end of the original name (IMG_0042 → 0042)" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{seq}", aliases: &["{n}"], meaning: "Sequence number, counting from the start number" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{seq:3}", aliases: &["{n:3}"], meaning: "Sequence number zero-padded to N digits (1–9)" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{date}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Capture date as YYYYMMDD" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{date:%Y%m%d_%H%M%S}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Capture date and time in your own format (directives below)" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{folder}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Name of the folder the original is in" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{camera}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Camera make and model" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{lens}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Lens" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{iso}", aliases: &[], meaning: "ISO speed" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{rating}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Star rating (0–5)" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{title}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Title metadata" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{creator}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Creator metadata" },
+    TokenHelp { tag: "{ext}", aliases: &[], meaning: "Original extension without the dot" },
+];
+
+/// The `%` directives of `{date:…}`.
+pub const DATE_DIRECTIVES: &[(&str, &str)] = &[
+    ("%Y", "year, 4 digits"),
+    ("%y", "year, 2 digits"),
+    ("%m", "month 01–12"),
+    ("%d", "day 01–31"),
+    ("%H", "hour 00–23"),
+    ("%M", "minute"),
+    ("%S", "second"),
+    ("%%", "a literal %"),
+];
+
+/// How templates behave, one sentence each (shown under the token list).
+pub const TEMPLATE_NOTES: &[&str] = &[
+    "The original extension is always added; {ext} only puts it inside the name as well.",
+    "A blank template keeps the original names.",
+    "{date} is the capture time; a photo without one uses the time it was imported.",
+    "Missing metadata ({camera}, {title}…) leaves an empty gap; a name that comes out empty keeps the original name.",
+    "Unknown tags stay as typed — check the preview for a {typo}.",
+    "Characters not allowed in file names (/ \\ : * ? \" < > |) become -; an existing name gets -1, -2….",
+];
+
+/// The tokens as one line (`{name} {num} {seq} …`), for compact hints.
+pub fn token_summary() -> String {
+    TOKENS.iter().map(|t| t.tag).collect::<Vec<_>>().join(" ")
+}
+
+/// A fixed photo the help's examples are computed from (`IMG_0042.CR3`, 14 Jan 2026 05:58:48).
+pub fn sample_photo() -> Photo {
+    let mut p =
+        Photo::new(PhotoId(0), Source::File { path: "/Card/DCIM/IMG_0042.CR3".into() }, "IMG_0042.CR3", "CR3", 6000, 4000, "2026-01-20T10:00:00");
+    p.captured = Some("2026-01-14T05:58:48".into());
+    p.rating = 4;
+    p.meta.camera = "Canon EOS R5".into();
+    p.meta.lens = "RF24-70mm F2.8".into();
+    p.meta.iso = Some(400);
+    p.meta.title = "Harbour".into();
+    p.meta.creator = "Ann Lee".into();
+    p
+}
+
+/// The token as expanded for [`sample_photo`] (sequence number 1), for the help's example column.
+pub fn token_example(tag: &str) -> String {
+    expand_tokens(tag, &sample_photo(), 1, 1)
+}
+
+/// Why a folder template (`{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}`) can't be used, if it can't: it must be
+/// relative (no leading `/` or `\`, drive letter or `~`) and have no `.` / `..` levels.
+pub fn folder_template_error(template: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    let t = template.trim();
+    if t.is_empty() {
+        return Some("the folder template is empty".into());
+    }
+    let b = t.as_bytes();
+    if t.starts_with(['/', '\\', '~']) || (b.len() >= 2 && b[0].is_ascii_alphabetic() && b[1] == b':') {
+        return Some("the folder template must be relative to the destination (no leading /, \\, ~ or drive)".into());
+    }
+    if t.split(['/', '\\']).any(|s| matches!(s.trim(), "." | "..")) {
+        return Some("the folder template may not contain . or .. folders".into());
+    }
+    None
+}
+
+/// The folders (relative to the destination) a folder template gives `p`: the template's own `/`
+/// (or `\`) separate levels; each level's tokens are expanded and the result made a safe folder
+/// name — a value can never add a level or climb out (`/`, `\`, `:`… become `-`, leading and
+/// trailing dots are dropped). A level that comes out empty (missing metadata) is `unknown`; empty
+/// levels in the template (`a//b`) are skipped. `{date}` is the capture time, else [`Photo::date`]'s
+/// fallback (the import time). Check [`folder_template_error`] first; levels it rejects are skipped.
+pub fn expand_folder(template: &str, p: &Photo, seq: usize) -> Vec<String> {
+    template
+        .split(['/', '\\'])
+        .map(str::trim)
+        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty() && !matches!(*s, "." | ".."))
+        .map(|s| {
+            let v = sanitize(&expand_tokens(s, p, seq, 1));
+            if v.is_empty() { "unknown".to_string() } else { v }
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+/// The `{…}` tags in `template` that aren't tokens (they stay as typed), for a warning.
+pub fn unknown_tokens(template: &str) -> Vec<String> {
+    let p = sample_photo();
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    let mut rest = template;
+    while let Some(i) = rest.find('{') {
+        let Some(j) = rest[i..].find('}') else { break };
+        let tag = &rest[i..i + j + 1];
+        if expand_tokens(tag, &p, 1, 1) == tag && !out.iter().any(|t| t == tag) {
+            out.push(tag.to_string());
+        }
+        rest = &rest[i + j + 1..];
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+/// Every token with its meaning and example, the date directives and the notes, as JSON (the
+/// `photo.renameTokens` command).
+pub fn token_help_json() -> serde_json::Value {
+    let tokens: Vec<serde_json::Value> = TOKENS
+        .iter()
+        .map(|t| serde_json::json!({"tag": t.tag, "aliases": t.aliases, "meaning": t.meaning, "example": token_example(t.tag)}))
+        .collect();
+    let directives: Vec<serde_json::Value> = DATE_DIRECTIVES.iter().map(|(d, m)| serde_json::json!({"directive": d, "meaning": m})).collect();
+    serde_json::json!({
+        "tokens": tokens,
+        "dateDirectives": directives,
+        "notes": TEMPLATE_NOTES,
+        "sample": "IMG_0042.CR3, captured 2026-01-14 05:58:48",
+    })
+}
+
 /// Expand `template` for `p` (sequence number `seq`) into a file name with `p`'s extension.
 pub fn expand(template: &str, p: &Photo, seq: usize) -> String {
+    let (stem, ext) = split_ext(&p.file_name);
+    let out = expand_tokens(template, p, seq, 1);
+    let mut stem_out = sanitize(&out);
+    if stem_out.is_empty() {
+        stem_out = sanitize(stem);
+    }
+    if stem_out.is_empty() {
+        stem_out = "photo".into();
+    }
+    if ext.is_empty() { stem_out } else { format!("{stem_out}.{ext}") }
+}
+
+/// The template's tokens replaced for `p` (no extension added, nothing sanitized). A bare `{seq}`
+/// is zero-padded to `seq_width` digits.
+pub fn expand_tokens(template: &str, p: &Photo, seq: usize, seq_width: usize) -> String {
     let (stem, ext) = split_ext(&p.file_name);
     let mut out = String::new();
     let mut rest = template;
@@ -95,13 +259,27 @@ pub fn expand(template: &str, p: &Photo, seq: usize) -> String {
         let (name, arg) = tok.split_once(':').map(|(a, b)| (a, Some(b))).unwrap_or((tok, None));
         let v = match name.trim().to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
             "name" | "filename" => stem.to_string(),
+            "num" => {
+                let digits = stem.chars().rev().take_while(char::is_ascii_digit).count();
+                stem[stem.len() - digits..].to_string()
+            }
             "seq" | "n" => {
-                let w: usize = arg.and_then(|a| a.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(1).min(9);
+                let w: usize = arg.and_then(|a| a.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(seq_width).min(9);
                 format!("{seq:0w$}")
             }
             "date" => format_date(p.date(), arg.unwrap_or("%Y%m%d")),
+            "folder" => match &p.source {
+                Source::File { path } => {
+                    Path::new(path).parent().and_then(Path::file_name).map(|f| f.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default()
+                }
+                Source::Demo { .. } => String::new(),
+            },
             "camera" => p.meta.camera.clone(),
+            "lens" => p.meta.lens.clone(),
+            "iso" => p.meta.iso.map(|v| v.to_string()).unwrap_or_default(),
+            "rating" => p.rating.to_string(),
             "title" => p.meta.title.clone(),
+            "creator" => p.meta.creator.clone(),
             "ext" => ext.to_string(),
             _ => format!("{{{tok}}}"),
         };
@@ -109,14 +287,7 @@ pub fn expand(template: &str, p: &Photo, seq: usize) -> String {
         rest = &rest[i + j + 1..];
     }
     out.push_str(rest);
-    let mut stem_out = sanitize(&out);
-    if stem_out.is_empty() {
-        stem_out = sanitize(stem);
-    }
-    if stem_out.is_empty() {
-        stem_out = "photo".into();
-    }
-    if ext.is_empty() { stem_out } else { format!("{stem_out}.{ext}") }
+    out
 }
 
 /// Every sidecar that may belong to `path` (both naming conventions, `.xmp` and `.XMP`).
@@ -130,58 +301,251 @@ fn sidecars(path: &str) -> Vec<(PathBuf, SidecarNaming, bool)> {
     v
 }
 
-/// Move `from` to `to` (never over an existing file) together with its sidecars. On error nothing
-/// is left moved.
-pub fn move_file(from: &str, to: &str) -> std::result::Result<(), String> {
+/// The file-system primitives renaming uses. [`RealFs`] is the disk; tests substitute a model of
+/// a case-insensitive or case-sensitive volume (and inject failures).
+pub(crate) trait MoveFs {
+    /// Something (file, folder, link) answers to `p`.
+    fn exists(&self, p: &Path) -> bool;
+    fn is_file(&self, p: &Path) -> bool;
+    /// `a` and `b` name the same file (e.g. `IMG.JPG` and `img.jpg` on a case-insensitive
+    /// volume). Decided by file identity, never by comparing names: on a case-sensitive volume
+    /// they are two different photos. When in doubt: `false`.
+    fn same_file(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> bool;
+    /// Rename `a` to `b`, failing (never replacing) when `b` exists.
+    fn rename_no_replace(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()>;
+    /// Copy `a` to a new file `b` (an independent copy, never a link), failing when `b` exists.
+    fn copy_no_replace(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()>;
+    fn remove_file(&self, p: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()>;
+    /// Another photo file beside the stem-named sidecar `sidecar` that shares its stem (e.g.
+    /// `IMG_1.JPG` for `IMG_1.xmp`), which still uses that sidecar.
+    fn stem_sibling(&self, sidecar: &Path) -> Option<String>;
+}
+
+/// The real file system.
+pub(crate) struct RealFs;
+
+impl MoveFs for RealFs {
+    fn exists(&self, p: &Path) -> bool {
+        std::fs::symlink_metadata(p).is_ok()
+    }
+
+    fn is_file(&self, p: &Path) -> bool {
+        p.is_file()
+    }
+
+    fn same_file(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> bool {
+        if a == b {
+            return true;
+        }
+        let (Ok(ma), Ok(mb)) = (std::fs::metadata(a), std::fs::metadata(b)) else { return false };
+        #[cfg(unix)]
+        {
+            use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+            ma.dev() == mb.dev() && ma.ino() == mb.ino()
+        }
+        #[cfg(not(unix))]
+        {
+            // no stable file id in std here: `b` is `a` under another spelling when they look
+            // alike and the folder has no entry spelled exactly like `b` (on a case-sensitive
+            // folder holding both `IMG.JPG` and `img.jpg`, both entries are listed)
+            let (Some(dir), Some(name)) = (b.parent(), b.file_name()) else { return false };
+            if a.parent() != Some(dir) || ma.len() != mb.len() || ma.modified().ok() != mb.modified().ok() {
+                return false;
+            }
+            let Ok(entries) = std::fs::read_dir(dir) else { return false };
+            !entries.flatten().any(|e| e.file_name() == name)
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn rename_no_replace(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        if self.exists(b) {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists, format!("{} already exists", b.display())));
+        }
+        // A hard link fails when `b` exists — even if it appeared since the check above — so
+        // nothing is ever replaced. Volumes without hard links (FAT, some network shares) fall back
+        // to a plain rename after the check.
+        match std::fs::hard_link(a, b) {
+            Ok(()) => std::fs::remove_file(a).inspect_err(|_| {
+                // both names are the same file: dropping the new one loses nothing
+                let _ = std::fs::remove_file(b);
+            }),
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => Err(e),
+            Err(_) => std::fs::rename(a, b),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn copy_no_replace(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        use std::io::Write;
+        let bytes = std::fs::read(a)?;
+        let mut f = std::fs::OpenOptions::new().write(true).create_new(true).open(b)?;
+        f.write_all(&bytes).and_then(|_| f.sync_all()).inspect_err(|_| {
+            let _ = std::fs::remove_file(b);
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn remove_file(&self, p: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        std::fs::remove_file(p)
+    }
+
+    fn stem_sibling(&self, sidecar: &Path) -> Option<String> {
+        crate::import_move::sibling_photo(sidecar)
+    }
+}
+
+/// `from` → `to` differs only in letter case and `to` is that very file (a case-insensitive
+/// volume): the rename must go through a temporary name.
+fn is_respelling(fs: &dyn MoveFs, from: &Path, to: &Path) -> bool {
+    from != to && from.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase() == to.to_string_lossy().to_lowercase() && fs.exists(to) && fs.same_file(from, to)
+}
+
+/// Rename `a` to `b` without ever replacing a file; a change of letter case only goes through a
+/// unique temporary name so case-insensitive volumes see a real change.
+fn move_one(fs: &dyn MoveFs, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    if !is_respelling(fs, a, b) {
+        return fs.rename_no_replace(a, b);
+    }
+    let tmp = (0..1000u32)
+        .map(|k| a.with_file_name(format!(".lc-rename-{}-{k}", std::process::id())))
+        .find(|t| !fs.exists(t))
+        .ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::other("no free temporary name"))?;
+    fs.rename_no_replace(a, &tmp)?;
+    fs.rename_no_replace(&tmp, b).map_err(|e| match fs.rename_no_replace(&tmp, a) {
+        Ok(()) => e,
+        Err(e2) => std::io::Error::other(format!("{e}; it could not be given its old name back either ({e2}): it is now {}", tmp.display())),
+    })
+}
+
+/// Why [`move_file`] failed, and what it left behind.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct MoveError {
+    /// What went wrong, including every step that could not be undone and where that file is now.
+    pub message: String,
+    /// The file itself ended up at the new path: it moved, a sidecar didn't, and moving the file
+    /// back failed too. Its sidecars that did move stay with it.
+    pub moved: bool,
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Display for MoveError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        f.write_str(&self.message)
+    }
+}
+
+/// Move `from` to `to` (never over an existing file) together with its sidecars. On error the
+/// moves are undone; whatever can't be undone is named in the error (see [`MoveError`]).
+pub fn move_file(from: &str, to: &str) -> std::result::Result<(), MoveError> {
+    move_file_with(&RealFs, from, to)
+}
+
+/// [`move_file`] on the file system `fs`.
+pub(crate) fn move_file_with(fs: &dyn MoveFs, from: &str, to: &str) -> std::result::Result<(), MoveError> {
     if from == to {
         return Ok(());
     }
+    let fail = |message: String| MoveError { message, moved: false };
     let (f, t) = (Path::new(from), Path::new(to));
-    // a case-only change on a case-insensitive file system "exists" already: that is this file
-    let case_only = from.to_lowercase() == to.to_lowercase();
-    if t.exists() && !case_only {
-        return Err(format!("{to} already exists"));
+    // `to` may be this very file spelled differently (case-insensitive volume); any other file
+    // there — e.g. `img.jpg` next to `IMG.JPG` on a case-sensitive volume — is never replaced
+    if fs.exists(t) && !is_respelling(fs, f, t) {
+        return Err(fail(format!("{to} already exists")));
     }
-    let mut done: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf)> = Vec::new();
-    let mv = |a: &Path, b: &Path| -> std::io::Result<()> {
-        if case_only {
-            // via a temporary name, so case-insensitive file systems see a real change
-            let tmp = a.with_file_name(format!(".lc-rename-{}", std::process::id()));
-            std::fs::rename(a, &tmp)?;
-            std::fs::rename(&tmp, b).inspect_err(|_| {
-                let _ = std::fs::rename(&tmp, a);
-            })
-        } else {
-            std::fs::rename(a, b)
-        }
-    };
-    mv(f, t).map_err(|e| format!("rename {from}: {e}"))?;
-    done.push((f.to_path_buf(), t.to_path_buf()));
+    move_one(fs, f, t).map_err(|e| fail(format!("rename {from}: {e}")))?;
+    // sidecars moved (or copied: `true`)
+    let mut done: Vec<(PathBuf, PathBuf, bool)> = Vec::new();
     for (sc, naming, upper) in sidecars(from) {
-        if !sc.is_file() {
+        if !fs.is_file(&sc) {
             continue;
         }
         let mut dst = crate::sidecar::sidecar_path(to, naming);
         if upper {
             dst = dst.with_extension("XMP");
         }
-        if dst.exists() && !case_only {
+        // a stem sidecar another file still uses (`IMG_1.xmp` of `IMG_1.CR3` and `IMG_1.JPG`)
+        // is copied, not taken away from it (issue #92)
+        let shared = naming == SidecarNaming::Stem && fs.stem_sibling(&sc).is_some();
+        if fs.exists(&dst) && (shared || !is_respelling(fs, &sc, &dst)) {
             continue; // never overwrite: the old sidecar stays where it was
         }
-        if let Err(e) = mv(&sc, &dst) {
-            for (a, b) in done.iter().rev() {
-                let _ = std::fs::rename(b, a);
+        let r = if shared { fs.copy_no_replace(&sc, &dst) } else { move_one(fs, &sc, &dst) };
+        if let Err(e) = r {
+            let mut message = format!("rename {}: {e}", sc.display());
+            // the file first: if it can't go back, the sidecars that moved stay with it
+            if let Err(e) = move_one(fs, t, f) {
+                message.push_str(&format!("; {from} could not be moved back ({e}): it is now {to}"));
+                if !done.is_empty() {
+                    let names: Vec<String> = done.iter().map(|(_, b, _)| b.display().to_string()).collect();
+                    message.push_str(&format!(" with its sidecar {}", names.join(", ")));
+                }
+                return Err(MoveError { message, moved: true });
             }
-            return Err(format!("rename {}: {e}", sc.display()));
+            for (a, b, copied) in done.iter().rev() {
+                if *copied {
+                    // the original is still there: the copy just goes (a leftover copy loses nothing)
+                    let _ = fs.remove_file(b);
+                } else if let Err(e) = move_one(fs, b, a) {
+                    message.push_str(&format!("; sidecar {} could not be moved back ({e}): it is now {}", a.display(), b.display()));
+                }
+            }
+            return Err(fail(message));
         }
-        done.push((sc, dst));
+        done.push((sc, dst, shared));
     }
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// What a failed batch of moves ([`move_all`]) left behind.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct BatchMoveError {
+    /// The first failure and every move that could not be undone.
+    pub message: String,
+    /// Moves that stayed done, (from, to): those files are at `to` now.
+    pub stuck: Vec<(String, String)>,
+}
+
+/// Move the files `moves` names, all or nothing: after a failure the earlier moves are undone.
+/// Moves that can't be undone (e.g. the network share went away) are reported, not ignored.
+pub(crate) fn move_all(fs: &dyn MoveFs, moves: &[(String, String)]) -> std::result::Result<(), BatchMoveError> {
+    let mut done: Vec<&(String, String)> = Vec::new();
+    for m in moves {
+        let Err(e) = move_file_with(fs, &m.0, &m.1) else {
+            done.push(m);
+            continue;
+        };
+        let mut message = e.message;
+        let mut stuck = Vec::new();
+        if e.moved {
+            stuck.push(m.clone());
+        }
+        for d in done.iter().rev() {
+            if let Err(e) = move_file_with(fs, &d.1, &d.0) {
+                message.push_str(&format!("; {} could not be moved back to {}: {}", d.1, d.0, e.message));
+                if !e.moved {
+                    stuck.push((*d).clone());
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return Err(BatchMoveError { message, stuck });
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// The `SetFile` ops in `op` (nested batches included) that point a photo at one of `to`.
+fn set_file_ops_to(op: &Op, to: &HashSet<&str>, out: &mut Vec<Op>) {
+    match op {
+        Op::Batch { ops } => ops.iter().for_each(|o| set_file_ops_to(o, to, out)),
+        Op::SetFile { source: Source::File { path }, .. } if to.contains(path.as_str()) => out.push(op.clone()),
+        _ => {}
+    }
+}
+
 impl Session {
     /// Plan renaming `ids` with `template` (sequence numbers from `start`), resolving collisions.
     pub fn plan_rename(&self, ids: &[PhotoId], template: &str, start: usize) -> Vec<RenamePlan> {
+        self.plan_rename_with(&RealFs, ids, template, start)
+    }
+
+    /// [`Session::plan_rename`] on the file system `fs`.
+    pub(crate) fn plan_rename_with(&self, fs: &dyn MoveFs, ids: &[PhotoId], template: &str, start: usize) -> Vec<RenamePlan> {
         // photos sharing one file (virtual copies) rename once
         let mut seen_paths: HashSet<String> = HashSet::new();
         let mut taken: HashSet<String> = HashSet::new(); // lower-case target paths/names claimed in this batch
@@ -215,10 +579,12 @@ impl Session {
                         let name = candidate(k);
                         let tp = dir.join(&name).to_string_lossy().to_string();
                         let key = tp.to_lowercase();
-                        let same = key == path.to_lowercase();
+                        // this very file, maybe spelled differently (case-insensitive volume)? By
+                        // identity: on a case-sensitive volume `img_1.jpg` may be another photo
+                        let same = tp == *path || is_respelling(fs, Path::new(path), Path::new(&tp));
                         // free: not claimed in this batch and not on disk (unless it is this very file).
                         // A file this batch moves away still counts as taken: simple and safe.
-                        let on_disk = Path::new(&tp).exists() && !same;
+                        let on_disk = fs.exists(Path::new(&tp)) && !same;
                         if !taken.contains(&key) && !on_disk {
                             taken.insert(key);
                             break (name, Some(tp));
@@ -248,21 +614,16 @@ impl Session {
 
     /// Carry out `plans`: move the files (rolled back on failure), then commit one undoable op
     /// that updates the photos (and their virtual copies).
+    ///
+    /// When a failure can't be fully rolled back, the files that kept their new names are
+    /// committed as a smaller undoable rename, so the library points at them (nothing goes
+    /// missing), and the error lists them (old → new).
     pub fn apply_rename(&mut self, plans: &[RenamePlan]) -> Result<usize> {
-        let mut moved: Vec<(String, String)> = Vec::new();
-        for pl in plans {
-            if let (Some(a), Some(b)) = (&pl.from_path, &pl.to_path)
-                && a != b
-            {
-                if let Err(e) = move_file(a, b) {
-                    for (a, b) in moved.iter().rev() {
-                        let _ = move_file(b, a);
-                    }
-                    return Err(EngineError::Other(e));
-                }
-                moved.push((a.clone(), b.clone()));
-            }
-        }
+        self.apply_rename_with(&RealFs, plans)
+    }
+
+    /// [`Session::apply_rename`] on the file system `fs`.
+    pub(crate) fn apply_rename_with(&mut self, fs: &dyn MoveFs, plans: &[RenamePlan]) -> Result<usize> {
         let mut ops = Vec::new();
         let by_path: HashMap<&str, &RenamePlan> = plans.iter().filter_map(|p| p.from_path.as_deref().map(|f| (f, p))).collect();
         for p in self.catalog.photos() {
@@ -280,17 +641,66 @@ impl Session {
             }
         }
         let n = ops.len();
+        let op = Op::Batch { ops };
+        let moves: Vec<(String, String)> = plans
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|pl| match (&pl.from_path, &pl.to_path) {
+                (Some(a), Some(b)) if a != b => Some((a.clone(), b.clone())),
+                _ => None,
+            })
+            .collect();
+        if let Err(e) = move_all(fs, &moves) {
+            return Err(EngineError::Other(self.follow_stuck(&op, e, true)));
+        }
         if n > 0
-            && let Err(e) = self.commit(&format!("Rename {n} Photo{}", if n == 1 { "" } else { "s" }), Op::Batch { ops })
+            && let Err(err) = self.commit(&format!("Rename {n} Photo{}", if n == 1 { "" } else { "s" }), op)
         {
-            for (a, b) in moved.iter().rev() {
-                let _ = move_file(b, a);
+            let back: Vec<(String, String)> = moves.iter().rev().map(|(a, b)| (b.clone(), a.clone())).collect();
+            if let Err(e) = move_all(fs, &back) {
+                return Err(EngineError::Other(format!("{err}; the renamed files could not all be moved back: {}", e.message)));
             }
-            return Err(e);
+            return Err(err);
         }
         Ok(n)
     }
 
+    /// After a failed batch of moves for `op`: point the photos whose files stayed moved at
+    /// their new paths (an undoable "partly" rename when `undoable`, otherwise a plain logged
+    /// change), so the library matches the disk. Returns the message for the user.
+    pub(crate) fn follow_stuck(&mut self, op: &Op, e: BatchMoveError, undoable: bool) -> String {
+        let mut msg = e.message;
+        if e.stuck.is_empty() {
+            return msg;
+        }
+        let to: HashSet<&str> = e.stuck.iter().map(|m| m.1.as_str()).collect();
+        let mut keep = Vec::new();
+        set_file_ops_to(op, &to, &mut keep);
+        let list: Vec<String> = e.stuck.iter().map(|(a, b)| format!("{a} → {b}")).collect();
+        let n = e.stuck.len();
+        let s = if n == 1 { "" } else { "s" };
+        let fix = Op::Batch { ops: keep };
+        let applied = if undoable {
+            self.commit(&format!("Rename {n} Photo{s} (partly)"), fix)
+        } else {
+            match self.catalog.apply(fix.clone()) {
+                Ok(_) => {
+                    self.pending_log.push(fix);
+                    Ok(())
+                }
+                Err(e) => Err(e.into()),
+            }
+        };
+        match applied {
+            Ok(()) => msg
+                .push_str(&format!(". {n} file{s} could not be moved back and kept the new name; the library now points there: {}", list.join(", "))),
+            Err(err) => msg.push_str(&format!(
+                ". {n} file{s} could not be moved back and the library could not follow ({err}); relink with Find Missing Photos: {}",
+                list.join(", ")
+            )),
+        }
+        msg
+    }
+
     /// File moves an undo/redo op implies: `SetFile` ops whose source path differs from the photo's
     /// current one.
     pub(crate) fn file_moves(&self, op: &Op) -> Vec<(String, String)> {
@@ -312,26 +722,300 @@ impl Session {
         rec(self, op, &mut v);
         v
     }
-
-    /// Move the files `moves` names; all or nothing.
-    pub(crate) fn move_files(moves: &[(String, String)]) -> Result<()> {
-        let mut done: Vec<&(String, String)> = Vec::new();
-        for m in moves {
-            if let Err(e) = move_file(&m.0, &m.1) {
-                for (a, b) in done.iter().rev().map(|m| (&m.0, &m.1)) {
-                    let _ = move_file(b, a);
-                }
-                return Err(EngineError::Other(format!("can't undo the rename: {e}")));
-            }
-            done.push(m);
-        }
-        Ok(())
-    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+    /// A model volume: files by path with contents; case-insensitive (default APFS/NTFS) or
+    /// case-sensitive (Linux, case-sensitive APFS). `fail` makes renames from a matching source fail.
+    pub(crate) struct FakeFs {
+        pub ci: bool,
+        pub files: RefCell<Vec<(String, Vec<u8>)>>,
+        pub fail: RefCell<Vec<String>>,
+    }
+
+    impl FakeFs {
+        pub fn new(ci: bool, files: &[(&str, &str)]) -> FakeFs {
+            FakeFs {
+                ci,
+                files: RefCell::new(files.iter().map(|(p, c)| (p.to_string(), c.as_bytes().to_vec())).collect()),
+                fail: RefCell::new(Vec::new()),
+            }
+        }
+        fn idx(&self, p: &Path) -> Option<usize> {
+            let p = p.to_string_lossy();
+            self.files.borrow().iter().position(|(f, _)| if self.ci { f.to_lowercase() == p.to_lowercase() } else { *f == p })
+        }
+        /// The listing: (exact path, contents), sorted.
+        pub fn listing(&self) -> Vec<(String, String)> {
+            let mut v: Vec<_> = self.files.borrow().iter().map(|(p, c)| (p.clone(), String::from_utf8_lossy(c).to_string())).collect();
+            v.sort();
+            v
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl MoveFs for FakeFs {
+        fn exists(&self, p: &Path) -> bool {
+            self.idx(p).is_some()
+        }
+        fn is_file(&self, p: &Path) -> bool {
+            self.exists(p)
+        }
+        fn same_file(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> bool {
+            self.idx(a).is_some() && self.idx(a) == self.idx(b)
+        }
+        fn rename_no_replace(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+            if self.fail.borrow().iter().any(|f| a.to_string_lossy().contains(f.as_str())) {
+                return Err(std::io::Error::other("injected failure"));
+            }
+            if self.exists(b) {
+                return Err(std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists, "exists"));
+            }
+            let i = self.idx(a).ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "no such file"))?;
+            self.files.borrow_mut()[i].0 = b.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+            Ok(())
+        }
+        fn copy_no_replace(&self, a: &Path, b: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+            if self.exists(b) {
+                return Err(std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists, "exists"));
+            }
+            let i = self.idx(a).ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "no such file"))?;
+            let c = self.files.borrow()[i].1.clone();
+            self.files.borrow_mut().push((b.to_string_lossy().to_string(), c));
+            Ok(())
+        }
+        fn remove_file(&self, p: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+            let i = self.idx(p).ok_or_else(|| std::io::Error::new(std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "no such file"))?;
+            self.files.borrow_mut().remove(i);
+            Ok(())
+        }
+        fn stem_sibling(&self, sidecar: &Path) -> Option<String> {
+            let stem = sidecar.with_extension("").to_string_lossy().to_string();
+            self.files.borrow().iter().map(|(f, _)| f.clone()).find(|f| {
+                let p = Path::new(f);
+                p.with_extension("").to_string_lossy() == stem && !p.extension().is_some_and(|e| e.eq_ignore_ascii_case("xmp"))
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn file_photo(id: u64, path: &str) -> Photo {
+        let name = Path::new(path).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+        Photo::new(PhotoId(id), Source::File { path: path.into() }, &name, "JPG", 1, 1, "2026-01-01T00:00:00")
+    }
+
+    /// Issue #95: a case-only rename is a real change on a case-insensitive volume and never
+    /// replaces a different file that differs only by case on a case-sensitive one.
+    #[test]
+    fn case_only_renames_never_replace_another_file() {
+        // case-sensitive: IMG_1.JPG and img_1.JPG are two photos
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/IMG_1.JPG", "first"), ("/p/img_1.JPG", "second"), ("/p/IMG_1.xmp", "sc1"), ("/p/img_1.xmp", "sc2")]);
+        assert!(move_file_with(&fs, "/p/IMG_1.JPG", "/p/img_1.JPG").unwrap_err().message.contains("already exists"));
+        assert_eq!(fs.listing().len(), 4);
+        assert!(fs.listing().contains(&("/p/img_1.JPG".into(), "second".into())));
+        // the planner picks a free name instead
+        let mut s = Session::new();
+        s.catalog.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(file_photo(1, "/p/IMG_1.JPG")) }).unwrap();
+        let plans = s.plan_rename_with(&fs, &[PhotoId(1)], "img_1", 1);
+        assert_eq!(plans[0].to, "img_1-1.JPG");
+        move_file_with(&fs, "/p/IMG_1.JPG", plans[0].to_path.as_deref().unwrap()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            fs.listing(),
+            vec![
+                ("/p/img_1-1.JPG".into(), "first".into()),
+                ("/p/img_1-1.xmp".into(), "sc1".into()),
+                ("/p/img_1.JPG".into(), "second".into()),
+                ("/p/img_1.xmp".into(), "sc2".into())
+            ]
+        );
+        // case-sensitive, target free: a plain rename
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/IMG_2.JPG", "x")]);
+        move_file_with(&fs, "/p/IMG_2.JPG", "/p/img_2.JPG").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(fs.listing(), vec![("/p/img_2.JPG".into(), "x".into())]);
+
+        // case-insensitive: the "existing" target is the photo itself → renamed via a temp name
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(true, &[("/p/IMG_1.JPG", "first"), ("/p/IMG_1.xmp", "sc1")]);
+        let mut s = Session::new();
+        s.catalog.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(file_photo(1, "/p/IMG_1.JPG")) }).unwrap();
+        let plans = s.plan_rename_with(&fs, &[PhotoId(1)], "img_1", 1);
+        assert_eq!(plans[0].to, "img_1.JPG", "not a collision with itself");
+        move_file_with(&fs, "/p/IMG_1.JPG", "/p/img_1.JPG").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(fs.listing(), vec![("/p/img_1.JPG".into(), "first".into()), ("/p/img_1.xmp".into(), "sc1".into())]);
+        // case-insensitive, another file under another name: still a collision
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(true, &[("/p/A.JPG", "a"), ("/p/b.JPG", "b")]);
+        assert!(move_file_with(&fs, "/p/A.JPG", "/p/B.JPG").is_err());
+    }
+
+    /// Issue #105: a rollback that fails is reported, and the library follows the files that kept
+    /// their new names (an undoable partial rename), so nothing goes missing.
+    #[test]
+    fn failed_rollbacks_are_reported_and_followed() {
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/a.jpg", "A"), ("/p/a.xmp", "As"), ("/p/b.jpg", "B"), ("/p/c.jpg", "C")]);
+        let mut s = Session::new();
+        for (i, f) in ["/p/a.jpg", "/p/b.jpg", "/p/c.jpg"].iter().enumerate() {
+            s.catalog.apply(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(file_photo(i as u64 + 1, f)) }).unwrap();
+        }
+        let ids = [PhotoId(1), PhotoId(2), PhotoId(3)];
+        let plans = s.plan_rename_with(&fs, &ids, "Trip-{seq}", 1);
+        // c can't be renamed (the share went away), and neither can Trip-1 be moved back
+        fs.fail.borrow_mut().extend(["c.jpg".to_string(), "Trip-1".to_string()]);
+        let err = s.apply_rename_with(&fs, &plans).unwrap_err().to_string();
+        assert!(err.contains("rename /p/c.jpg"), "{err}");
+        assert!(err.contains("/p/Trip-1.jpg could not be moved back"), "{err}");
+        assert!(err.contains("/p/a.jpg → /p/Trip-1.jpg"), "lists what stayed renamed: {err}");
+        assert_eq!(
+            fs.listing(),
+            vec![
+                ("/p/Trip-1.jpg".into(), "A".into()),
+                ("/p/Trip-1.xmp".into(), "As".into()),
+                ("/p/b.jpg".into(), "B".into()),
+                ("/p/c.jpg".into(), "C".into())
+            ]
+        );
+        // the catalog matches the disk
+        let path = |s: &Session, id: u64| match &s.catalog.photo(PhotoId(id)).unwrap().source {
+            Source::File { path } => path.clone(),
+            Source::Demo { .. } => String::new(),
+        };
+        assert_eq!(path(&s, 1), "/p/Trip-1.jpg");
+        assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(PhotoId(1)).unwrap().file_name, "Trip-1.jpg");
+        assert_eq!((path(&s, 2), path(&s, 3)), ("/p/b.jpg".into(), "/p/c.jpg".into()));
+        assert_eq!(s.undo.last().map(|e| e.label.as_str()), Some("Rename 1 Photo (partly)"));
+
+        // a sidecar that won't move, and a file that won't go back: the file keeps its new name
+        // with the sidecars that did move, and says so
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/d.jpg", "D"), ("/p/d.xmp", "Ds"), ("/p/d.jpg.xmp", "Df")]);
+        fs.fail.borrow_mut().extend(["d.jpg.xmp".to_string(), "/p/e.jpg".to_string()]);
+        let e = move_file_with(&fs, "/p/d.jpg", "/p/e.jpg").unwrap_err();
+        assert!(e.moved, "{e}");
+        assert!(e.message.contains("it is now /p/e.jpg with its sidecar /p/e.xmp"), "{e}");
+        assert_eq!(fs.listing(), vec![("/p/d.jpg.xmp".into(), "Df".into()), ("/p/e.jpg".into(), "D".into()), ("/p/e.xmp".into(), "Ds".into())]);
+        // … and when the file does go back, its sidecars follow it
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/d.jpg", "D"), ("/p/d.xmp", "Ds"), ("/p/d.jpg.xmp", "Df")]);
+        fs.fail.borrow_mut().push("d.jpg.xmp".to_string());
+        let e = move_file_with(&fs, "/p/d.jpg", "/p/e.jpg").unwrap_err();
+        assert!(!e.moved);
+        assert_eq!(fs.listing().len(), 3);
+        assert!(fs.listing().iter().all(|(p, _)| p.starts_with("/p/d.")));
+    }
+
+    /// Issue #92 (comment): renaming one of `IMG_1.CR3` + `IMG_1.JPG` copies their shared
+    /// `IMG_1.xmp` instead of taking it away from the other; the last one renamed takes it.
+    #[test]
+    fn shared_stem_sidecar_is_copied_not_taken() {
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/IMG_1.CR3", "raw"), ("/p/IMG_1.JPG", "jpg"), ("/p/IMG_1.xmp", "shared"), ("/p/IMG_1.CR3.xmp", "own")]);
+        move_file_with(&fs, "/p/IMG_1.CR3", "/p/Trip_1.CR3").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            fs.listing(),
+            vec![
+                ("/p/IMG_1.JPG".into(), "jpg".into()),
+                ("/p/IMG_1.xmp".into(), "shared".into()),
+                ("/p/Trip_1.CR3".into(), "raw".into()),
+                ("/p/Trip_1.CR3.xmp".into(), "own".into()),
+                ("/p/Trip_1.xmp".into(), "shared".into()),
+            ]
+        );
+        // the JPEG is the last one using it: it moves
+        move_file_with(&fs, "/p/IMG_1.JPG", "/p/Trip_2.JPG").unwrap();
+        assert!(fs.listing().contains(&("/p/Trip_2.xmp".into(), "shared".into())));
+        assert!(!fs.exists(Path::new("/p/IMG_1.xmp")));
+        // a failure after the copy removes the copy and keeps the original
+        let fs = FakeFs::new(false, &[("/p/A.CR3", "raw"), ("/p/A.JPG", "jpg"), ("/p/A.xmp", "shared"), ("/p/A.CR3.xmp", "own")]);
+        fs.fail.borrow_mut().push("A.CR3.xmp".into());
+        assert!(move_file_with(&fs, "/p/A.CR3", "/p/B.CR3").is_err());
+        assert_eq!(fs.listing().len(), 4);
+        assert!(fs.listing().contains(&("/p/A.xmp".into(), "shared".into())) && !fs.exists(Path::new("/p/B.xmp")));
+    }
+
+    /// Issue #95 on the real disk, whichever kind of volume the temp folder is on.
+    #[test]
+    fn case_only_rename_on_disk() {
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-rename-case-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).unwrap();
+        let (upper, lower) = (dir.join("IMG_1.JPG"), dir.join("img_1.JPG"));
+        std::fs::write(&upper, b"first").unwrap();
+        let case_sensitive = !lower.exists();
+        let p = |q: &Path| q.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        if case_sensitive {
+            std::fs::write(&lower, b"second").unwrap();
+            assert!(move_file(&p(&upper), &p(&lower)).is_err());
+            assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&lower).unwrap(), b"second");
+            assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&upper).unwrap(), b"first");
+        } else {
+            move_file(&p(&upper), &p(&lower)).unwrap();
+            let names: Vec<String> = std::fs::read_dir(&dir).unwrap().flatten().map(|e| e.file_name().to_string_lossy().to_string()).collect();
+            assert_eq!(names, vec!["img_1.JPG".to_string()]);
+            assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&lower).unwrap(), b"first");
+        }
+        // a plain rename never replaces
+        std::fs::write(dir.join("other.JPG"), b"other").unwrap();
+        assert!(move_file(&p(&dir.join("other.JPG")), &p(&lower)).is_err());
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dir.join("other.JPG")).unwrap(), b"other");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn folder_templates_stay_inside_the_destination() {
+        let mut p = sample_photo();
+        assert_eq!(expand_folder("{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}", &p, 1), vec!["2026", "20260114"]);
+        assert_eq!(expand_folder("{date:%Y}\\{date:%Y-%m}", &p, 1), vec!["2026", "2026-01"], "backslash separates too");
+        // metadata can't add levels or climb out
+        p.meta.camera = "../../etc/x".into();
+        p.meta.title = "..".into();
+        assert_eq!(expand_folder("{camera}/{title}/{date:%Y}", &p, 1), vec!["-..-etc-x", "unknown", "2026"]);
+        p.meta.camera = "C:\\Windows".into();
+        assert_eq!(expand_folder("{camera}", &p, 1), vec!["C--Windows"]);
+        // missing metadata → `unknown`; missing capture time → the import time
+        p.meta.camera.clear();
+        p.captured = None;
+        assert_eq!(expand_folder("{camera}//{date:%Y%m%d}", &p, 1), vec!["unknown", "20260120"]);
+        for bad in ["", "  ", "/abs/{date}", "\\\\server\\x", "C:/x", "c:x", "~/x", "../{date}", "{date}/../x", "a/./b", "{date:%Y}/.."] {
+            assert!(folder_template_error(bad).is_some(), "{bad:?} should be rejected");
+        }
+        for ok in ["{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}", "Trips/{camera}", "{date}", "a//b"] {
+            assert_eq!(folder_template_error(ok), None, "{ok:?}");
+        }
+        // even unchecked, rejected levels are skipped rather than followed
+        assert_eq!(expand_folder("/../{date:%Y}/./x", &p, 1), vec!["2026", "x"]);
+    }
+
+    /// The help lists exactly what `expand_tokens` understands: every listed tag (and alias) is
+    /// replaced, never left literal, and the help's examples match the documented behaviour.
+    #[test]
+    fn token_help_matches_the_implementation() {
+        let p = sample_photo();
+        for t in TOKENS {
+            for tag in std::iter::once(&t.tag).chain(t.aliases) {
+                let v = expand_tokens(tag, &p, 1, 1);
+                assert!(!v.contains('{'), "{tag} is not a known token (expanded to {v:?})");
+                assert!(!v.is_empty(), "{tag}: the sample photo should give an example");
+            }
+        }
+        assert_eq!(token_example("{seq:3}"), "001");
+        assert_eq!(token_example("{date}"), "20260114");
+        assert_eq!(token_example("{date:%Y%m%d_%H%M%S}"), "20260114_055848");
+        assert_eq!(token_example("{ext}"), "CR3");
+        assert_eq!(expand("{date:%Y%m%d_%H%M%S}_{seq:3}", &p, 1), "20260114_055848_001.CR3");
+        for (d, _) in DATE_DIRECTIVES {
+            let v = format_date("2026-01-14T05:58:48", d);
+            assert!(!v.contains('%') || *d == "%%", "{d} is not a known directive");
+        }
+        assert_eq!(unknown_tokens("{date}_{camra}-{seq:2}{x}{camra}"), vec!["{camra}".to_string(), "{x}".to_string()]);
+        assert!(unknown_tokens("{name}{ext}{date:%Y}").is_empty());
+        let json = token_help_json();
+        assert_eq!(json["tokens"].as_array().unwrap().len(), TOKENS.len());
+        assert_eq!(json["tokens"][0]["example"], "IMG_0042");
+        // the command descriptions that list the tokens list all of them
+        for id in ["photo.rename", "photo.renamePreview", "library.import"] {
+            let spec = crate::cmd::command_specs().iter().find(|c| c.id == id).unwrap();
+            for t in TOKENS.iter().filter(|t| !t.tag.contains(':')) {
+                assert!(spec.params.contains(t.tag), "{id} does not mention {}", t.tag);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
     #[test]
     fn templates() {
@@ -348,4 +1032,22 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(expand("  ", &p, 1), "IMG_0042.CR2", "empty template keeps the name");
         assert_eq!(expand("../{name}", &p, 1), "-IMG_0042.CR2", "no path components");
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn number_folder_and_metadata_tokens() {
+        let path = std::path::Path::new("shoots").join("2026-09 Coast").join("DSC_0815.NEF");
+        let mut p = Photo::new(PhotoId(1), Source::File { path: path.to_string_lossy().into() }, "DSC_0815.NEF", "NEF", 1, 1, "2026-01-01T00:00:00");
+        p.meta.lens = "24-70mm F2.8".into();
+        p.meta.iso = Some(400);
+        p.meta.creator = "A. Person".into();
+        p.rating = 4;
+        assert_eq!(expand("{folder}_{num}", &p, 1), "2026-09 Coast_0815.NEF");
+        assert_eq!(expand("{rating}star-{iso}-{lens}-{creator}", &p, 1), "4star-400-24-70mm F2.8-A. Person.NEF");
+        // no number at the end of the name / no folder: empty
+        p.file_name = "beach.NEF".into();
+        p.source = Source::Demo { scene: 0 };
+        assert_eq!(expand("{folder}{name}{num}", &p, 1), "beach.NEF");
+        // a bare {seq} is padded to the caller's width
+        assert_eq!(expand_tokens("{seq}|{seq:2}", &p, 7, 3), "007|07");
+    }
 }

crates/engine/src/sidecar.rs

@@ -5,10 +5,25 @@
 //! creator, keywords, capture time and GPS in the standard namespaces, plus our complete develop
 //! settings (`lc:settings`, JSON), the pick/reject flag (`lc:flag`) and location (`lc:location`).
 //!
-//! **Read** (on import, and `photo.readMetadataFromFile`): the sidecar wins for metadata; develop
+//! An existing sidecar is never replaced wholesale (issue #92): LightCraft's properties
+//! ([`OWNED`], [`OWNED_IF_STATED`]) are merged into it ([`lightcraft_meta::merge_xmp`]) and
+//! everything else — another editor's `crs:` develop settings, `xmpMM` history, unknown
+//! namespaces — is kept byte for byte. A sidecar that can't be read as XMP is first copied to
+//! `<name>.xmp.bak-<time>` (never overwritten), then replaced. Writes are atomic (temp file,
+//! fsync, rename).
+//!
+//! **Shared names** (Stem naming): `IMG_0001.CR3` and `IMG_0001.JPG` would share `IMG_0001.xmp`.
+//! When two catalogued files map to one stem sidecar, it belongs to one of them (a raw first, then
+//! the first by file name — [`Session::sidecar_naming`]); the others use `<file>.xmp`
+//! (`IMG_0001.JPG.xmp`) for writing and reading, so neither overwrites the other.
+//!
+//! **Read** (on import, and `photo.readMetadataFromFile`): the sidecar wins for metadata, except
+//! the capture time: a time embedded in the file wins, and the sidecar's (`exif:DateTimeOriginal`,
+//! else `photoshop:DateCreated`, else `xmp:CreateDate`) fills in only when the file has none; develop
 //! settings are restored from `lc:settings` when present, else mapped from interoperable `crs:`
 //! fields ([`crate::crs`]). For raw/DNG files without a sidecar the file's embedded XMP is used.
 
+use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
@@ -72,6 +87,10 @@ pub struct SidecarData {
     pub title: Option<String>,
     pub caption: Option<String>,
     pub copyright: Option<String>,
+    /// `xmpRights:Marked`: `Some(true)` copyrighted, `Some(false)` public domain.
+    pub copyright_marked: Option<bool>,
+    pub usage_terms: Option<String>,
+    pub copyright_url: Option<String>,
     pub creator: Option<String>,
     pub location: Option<String>,
     pub city: Option<String>,
@@ -80,6 +99,9 @@ pub struct SidecarData {
     pub alt_text: Option<String>,
     pub extended_description: Option<String>,
     pub keywords: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    /// Capture time (ISO 8601) from `exif:DateTimeOriginal`, `photoshop:DateCreated` or
+    /// `xmp:CreateDate` (first found). Used only when the file itself has no capture time.
+    pub captured: Option<String>,
     pub develop: Option<DevelopPatch>,
 }
 
@@ -100,6 +122,9 @@ pub fn parse_sidecar(xmp: &str, raw: bool) -> std::result::Result<SidecarData, S
         title: m.title.clone(),
         caption: m.caption.clone(),
         copyright: m.copyright.clone(),
+        copyright_marked: m.copyright_marked,
+        usage_terms: m.usage_terms.clone(),
+        copyright_url: m.copyright_url.clone(),
         creator: m.artist.clone(),
         location: lc("location").or_else(|| m.sublocation.clone()),
         city: m.city.clone(),
@@ -108,6 +133,7 @@ pub fn parse_sidecar(xmp: &str, raw: bool) -> std::result::Result<SidecarData, S
         alt_text: m.alt_text.clone(),
         extended_description: m.extended_description.clone(),
         keywords: (!m.keywords.is_empty()).then(|| m.keywords.clone()),
+        captured: m.capture_time.map(|d| d.to_iso()),
         ..Default::default()
     };
     if let Some(r) = m.rating {
@@ -136,8 +162,12 @@ pub fn parse_sidecar(xmp: &str, raw: bool) -> std::result::Result<SidecarData, S
     Ok(out)
 }
 
-/// Apply sidecar data to a photo record (the sidecar wins). Returns true if develop changed.
+/// Apply sidecar data to a photo record (the sidecar wins, except that a capture time embedded in
+/// the file is kept). Returns true if develop changed.
 pub fn merge_into(p: &mut Photo, sc: &SidecarData, now: &str) -> bool {
+    if p.captured.is_none() {
+        p.captured = sc.captured.clone();
+    }
     if let Some(r) = sc.rating {
         p.rating = r;
     }
@@ -152,6 +182,8 @@ pub fn merge_into(p: &mut Photo, sc: &SidecarData, now: &str) -> bool {
         (&sc.title, &mut m.title),
         (&sc.caption, &mut m.caption),
         (&sc.copyright, &mut m.copyright),
+        (&sc.usage_terms, &mut m.usage_terms),
+        (&sc.copyright_url, &mut m.copyright_url),
         (&sc.creator, &mut m.creator),
         (&sc.location, &mut m.location),
         (&sc.city, &mut m.city),
@@ -164,6 +196,9 @@ pub fn merge_into(p: &mut Photo, sc: &SidecarData, now: &str) -> bool {
             *dst = v.clone();
         }
     }
+    if let Some(marked) = sc.copyright_marked {
+        m.copyright_status = lightcraft_catalog::CopyrightStatus::from_marked(Some(marked));
+    }
     if let Some(k) = &sc.keywords {
         m.keywords = k.clone();
     }
@@ -212,6 +247,9 @@ pub fn sidecar_packet(p: &Photo, cat: &lightcraft_catalog::Catalog) -> String {
         state: nz(&p.meta.state),
         country: nz(&p.meta.country),
         copyright: nz(&p.meta.copyright),
+        copyright_marked: p.meta.copyright_status.marked(),
+        usage_terms: nz(&p.meta.usage_terms),
+        copyright_url: nz(&p.meta.copyright_url),
         artist: nz(&p.meta.creator),
         keywords: p.meta.keywords.clone(),
         rating: Some(p.rating.min(5) as i8),
@@ -233,13 +271,99 @@ pub fn sidecar_packet(p: &Photo, cat: &lightcraft_catalog::Catalog) -> String {
     lightcraft_meta::write_xmp_lc(&meta, &lc)
 }
 
-/// Write `data` to `path` atomically (temp file + rename).
+/// The properties LightCraft writes and owns in a sidecar: replaced on every save (removed when
+/// LightCraft has no value, so clearing a field clears it in the file too). All of them are read
+/// back on import and by Read Metadata from File.
+pub const OWNED: &[&str] = &[
+    "xmp:Rating",
+    "xmp:Label",
+    "dc:title",
+    "dc:description",
+    "dc:rights",
+    "dc:creator",
+    "dc:subject",
+    "Iptc4xmpCore:Location",
+    "Iptc4xmpCore:AltTextAccessibility",
+    "Iptc4xmpCore:ExtDescrAccessibility",
+    "photoshop:City",
+    "photoshop:State",
+    "photoshop:Country",
+    "xmpRights:Marked",
+    "xmpRights:UsageTerms",
+    "xmpRights:WebStatement",
+    "lc:*",
+];
+
+/// Properties replaced only when LightCraft has a value (capture time; GPS, which LightCraft
+/// doesn't read from sidecars): otherwise the sidecar's own value stays. Anything else LightCraft
+/// writes (`xmp:CreatorTool`) goes only into new sidecars.
+pub const OWNED_IF_STATED: &[&str] = &["exif:DateTimeOriginal", "photoshop:DateCreated", "exif:GPSLatitude", "exif:GPSLongitude"];
+
+/// Write `data` to `path` atomically: a temp file next to it, synced, then renamed over it.
 fn write_atomic(path: &Path, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
-    let tmp = path.with_extension(format!("xmp.tmp-{}", std::process::id()));
-    std::fs::write(&tmp, data)?;
-    std::fs::rename(&tmp, path).inspect_err(|_| {
-        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&tmp);
-    })
+    lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_atomic(path, data)
+}
+
+/// Copy `path` to a new `<name>.bak-<stamp>` (`-1`, `-2`… if taken; never overwriting).
+fn backup(path: &Path, stamp: &str) -> std::io::Result<PathBuf> {
+    use std::io::Write;
+    let bytes = std::fs::read(path)?;
+    let stamp: String = stamp.chars().filter(char::is_ascii_alphanumeric).collect();
+    let name = path.file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()).unwrap_or_default();
+    for k in 0..1000 {
+        let b = path.with_file_name(if k == 0 { format!("{name}.bak-{stamp}") } else { format!("{name}.bak-{stamp}-{k}") });
+        match std::fs::OpenOptions::new().write(true).create_new(true).open(&b) {
+            Ok(mut f) => {
+                f.write_all(&bytes)?;
+                f.sync_all()?;
+                return Ok(b);
+            }
+            Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::AlreadyExists => continue,
+            Err(e) => return Err(e),
+        }
+    }
+    Err(std::io::Error::other("no free backup name"))
+}
+
+/// What [`Session::save_sidecar`] did.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct SidecarSaved {
+    pub path: PathBuf,
+    /// An existing sidecar was merged into (its other contents kept).
+    pub merged: bool,
+    /// An existing sidecar that couldn't be read as XMP was copied here before being replaced.
+    pub backup: Option<PathBuf>,
+}
+
+/// The new contents for the sidecar at `path`: `fresh` merged into the existing file, if any.
+/// Returns (contents, merged, backup).
+fn sidecar_contents(path: &Path, fresh: String, stamp: &str) -> std::io::Result<(String, bool, Option<PathBuf>)> {
+    let bytes = match std::fs::read(path) {
+        Ok(b) => b,
+        Err(e) if e.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => return Ok((fresh, false, None)),
+        // can't see what is there: never overwrite it blindly
+        Err(e) => return Err(e),
+    };
+    if bytes.iter().all(u8::is_ascii_whitespace) {
+        return Ok((fresh, false, None));
+    }
+    let rules = lightcraft_meta::MergeRules { owned: OWNED, owned_if_present: OWNED_IF_STATED };
+    match std::str::from_utf8(&bytes)
+        .map_err(|e| e.to_string())
+        .and_then(|old| lightcraft_meta::merge_xmp(old, &fresh, rules).map_err(|e| e.to_string()))
+    {
+        Ok(merged) => Ok((merged, true, None)),
+        Err(why) => {
+            let b = backup(path, stamp)?;
+            log::warn!("{}: not readable as XMP ({why}); kept a copy as {} before replacing it", path.display(), b.display());
+            Ok((fresh, false, Some(b)))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Key of the stem sidecar a file maps to (case-insensitive).
+fn stem_key(original: &str) -> String {
+    sidecar_path(original, SidecarNaming::Stem).to_string_lossy().to_lowercase()
 }
 
 fn file_path(p: &Photo) -> Option<&str> {
@@ -277,24 +401,70 @@ pub(crate) fn op_photos(op: &Op, out: &mut Vec<PhotoId>) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Which photo owns each stem sidecar that several catalogued files map to (see
+/// [`Session::sidecar_naming`]).
+pub(crate) struct StemOwners(HashMap<String, PhotoId>);
+
+impl StemOwners {
+    pub(crate) fn of(cat: &lightcraft_catalog::Catalog) -> StemOwners {
+        // per stem: (raw first, then file name, then id) of the best candidate; and how many
+        let mut best: HashMap<String, ((bool, String, u64), PhotoId, usize)> = HashMap::new();
+        for p in cat.photos().filter(|p| p.copy_of.is_none()) {
+            let Some(path) = file_path(p) else { continue };
+            let rank = (p.kind != MediaKind::Raw, path.to_lowercase(), p.id.0);
+            let e = best.entry(stem_key(path)).or_insert_with(|| (rank.clone(), p.id, 0));
+            e.2 += 1;
+            if rank < e.0 {
+                (e.0, e.1) = (rank, p.id);
+            }
+        }
+        StemOwners(best.into_iter().filter(|(_, v)| v.2 > 1).map(|(k, v)| (k, v.1)).collect())
+    }
+
+    /// `naming` for photo `p`, except that a stem sidecar another file owns becomes Full.
+    fn naming(&self, p: &Photo, naming: SidecarNaming) -> SidecarNaming {
+        match (naming, file_path(p)) {
+            (SidecarNaming::Stem, Some(path)) if self.0.get(&stem_key(path)).is_some_and(|owner| *owner != p.id) => SidecarNaming::Full,
+            _ => naming,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl Session {
-    /// Write the photo's XMP sidecar; returns its path.
-    pub fn save_sidecar(&self, id: PhotoId) -> Result<PathBuf> {
+    /// The sidecar naming for photo `id`: the library's, except under Stem naming when another
+    /// catalogued file shares the stem (`IMG_0001.CR3` + `IMG_0001.JPG`) and owns the stem
+    /// sidecar — a raw first, else the first by file name. The others use Full naming
+    /// (`IMG_0001.JPG.xmp`), so their metadata never overwrites each other.
+    pub fn sidecar_naming(&self, id: PhotoId) -> SidecarNaming {
+        match self.catalog.photo(id) {
+            Some(p) if self.xmp.naming == SidecarNaming::Stem => StemOwners::of(&self.catalog).naming(p, self.xmp.naming),
+            _ => self.xmp.naming,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Write the photo's XMP sidecar, merged into an existing one (see the module docs).
+    pub fn save_sidecar(&self, id: PhotoId) -> Result<SidecarSaved> {
+        self.save_sidecar_with(id, &StemOwners::of(&self.catalog))
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn save_sidecar_with(&self, id: PhotoId, owners: &StemOwners) -> Result<SidecarSaved> {
         let p = self.catalog.photo(id).ok_or(lightcraft_catalog::CatalogError::NoPhoto(id))?;
         if p.copy_of.is_some() {
             return Err(EngineError::Other(format!("{} is a virtual copy: its settings live only in the library", p.file_name)));
         }
         let orig = file_path(p).ok_or_else(|| EngineError::Other(format!("{} is not a file on disk", p.file_name)))?;
-        let path = sidecar_path(orig, self.xmp.naming);
-        write_atomic(&path, sidecar_packet(p, &self.catalog).as_bytes()).map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("{}: {e}", path.display())))?;
-        Ok(path)
+        let path = sidecar_path(orig, owners.naming(p, self.xmp.naming));
+        let err = |e: std::io::Error| EngineError::Other(format!("{}: {e}", path.display()));
+        let (data, merged, backup) = sidecar_contents(&path, sidecar_packet(p, &self.catalog), &(self.clock)()).map_err(err)?;
+        write_atomic(&path, data.as_bytes()).map_err(err)?;
+        Ok(SidecarSaved { path, merged, backup })
     }
 
     /// The op that applies a photo's sidecar (or embedded XMP) to the catalog, if there is one.
     pub fn read_sidecar_op(&self, id: PhotoId) -> Result<Option<(Op, PathBuf)>> {
         let p = self.catalog.photo(id).ok_or(lightcraft_catalog::CatalogError::NoPhoto(id))?;
         let Some(orig) = file_path(p) else { return Ok(None) };
-        let Some((packet, from)) = read_packet(orig, p.kind, self.xmp.naming) else { return Ok(None) };
+        let Some((packet, from)) = read_packet(orig, p.kind, self.sidecar_naming(id)) else { return Ok(None) };
         let sc = parse_sidecar(&packet, p.kind == MediaKind::Raw)
             .map_err(|e| EngineError::Other(format!("{}: {e}", from.display())))?
             .resolve_label(&self.catalog);
@@ -306,6 +476,9 @@ impl Session {
             Op::SetLabel { id, label: q.label },
             Op::SetMeta { id, meta: Box::new(q.meta.clone()) },
         ];
+        if q.captured != p.captured {
+            ops.push(Op::SetCaptured { id, captured: q.captured.clone() });
+        }
         if develop_changed {
             ops.extend(self.develop_op(id, (*q.develop).clone(), "Read Metadata from File"));
         }
@@ -316,9 +489,13 @@ impl Session {
     pub(crate) fn auto_write_sidecars(&self, ops: &[Op]) {
         let mut ids = Vec::new();
         ops.iter().for_each(|o| op_photos(o, &mut ids));
+        if ids.is_empty() {
+            return;
+        }
+        let owners = StemOwners::of(&self.catalog);
         for id in ids {
             if self.catalog.photo(id).is_some_and(|p| file_path(p).is_some() && p.copy_of.is_none())
-                && let Err(e) = self.save_sidecar(id)
+                && let Err(e) = self.save_sidecar_with(id, &owners)
             {
                 log::warn!("auto-write XMP: {e}");
             }

crates/engine/src/smart.rs

@@ -70,6 +70,110 @@ pub fn dir(library: &Path) -> PathBuf {
     library.join("Smart Previews")
 }
 
+/// Check that smart previews can be written to `dir`: it must be (or, when its parent exists,
+/// become) a directory that accepts a new file. Never creates missing parents, so an unplugged
+/// drive's mount point is not silently recreated on the system drive.
+pub fn check_writable(dir: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
+    if !dir.is_dir() {
+        let parent_ok = dir.parent().is_some_and(|p| p.is_dir());
+        if !parent_ok {
+            return Err(format!("{} is not available — reconnect the drive or choose another folder", dir.display()));
+        }
+        std::fs::create_dir(dir).map_err(|e| format!("can't create {}: {e}", dir.display()))?;
+    }
+    let probe = dir.join(format!(".lightcraft-write-test-{}", std::process::id()));
+    std::fs::write(&probe, b"x").map_err(|e| format!("{} is not writable (is the drive full or read-only?): {e}", dir.display()))?;
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&probe);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// The number of smart previews in `dir` and their total size in bytes.
+pub fn stats(dir: &Path) -> (usize, u64) {
+    let Ok(rd) = std::fs::read_dir(dir) else { return (0, 0) };
+    rd.flatten()
+        .filter(|e| e.path().extension().is_some_and(|x| x == "lcsp"))
+        .fold((0, 0), |(n, b), e| (n + 1, b + e.metadata().map_or(0, |m| m.len())))
+}
+
+/// What to do with the smart previews in the old folder when the location changes.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum Existing {
+    /// Move them to the new folder (copy and delete across drives).
+    Move,
+    /// Leave them where they are (they stop being used; build again in the new folder).
+    Leave,
+    /// Delete them.
+    Discard,
+}
+
+impl Existing {
+    pub fn parse(s: &str) -> Option<Existing> {
+        match s {
+            "move" => Some(Existing::Move),
+            "leave" => Some(Existing::Leave),
+            "discard" => Some(Existing::Discard),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Apply `what` to the smart previews in `from` for the new folder `to` → (moved or removed, failed).
+pub fn migrate(from: &Path, to: &Path, what: Existing) -> (usize, Vec<String>) {
+    let (mut done, mut failed) = (0, Vec::new());
+    if what == Existing::Leave {
+        return (done, failed);
+    }
+    let Ok(rd) = std::fs::read_dir(from) else { return (done, failed) };
+    for e in rd.flatten().filter(|e| e.path().extension().is_some_and(|x| x == "lcsp")) {
+        let src = e.path();
+        let r = match what {
+            Existing::Discard => std::fs::remove_file(&src),
+            _ => {
+                let dst = to.join(e.file_name());
+                if is_valid(&dst) {
+                    // named by content: the complete copy already there is the same preview
+                    std::fs::remove_file(&src)
+                } else {
+                    // across drives: copied atomically (never a partial proxy at the new place)
+                    std::fs::rename(&src, &dst).or_else(|_| {
+                        std::fs::read(&src)
+                            .and_then(|b| lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::write_atomic(&dst, &b))
+                            .and_then(|()| std::fs::remove_file(&src))
+                    })
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        match r {
+            Ok(()) => done += 1,
+            Err(err) => failed.push(format!("{}: {err}", src.display())),
+        }
+    }
+    (done, failed)
+}
+
+/// A cheap check that the smart preview at `path` is complete: our header, then a JPEG from its
+/// start marker to its end marker. A file cut short by a crash, a full drive or an unplugged one
+/// fails it (and is then rebuilt by Build Smart Previews, not counted as there).
+pub fn is_valid(path: &Path) -> bool {
+    use std::io::{Read, Seek, SeekFrom};
+    let Ok(mut f) = std::fs::File::open(path) else { return false };
+    let mut head = Vec::with_capacity(256);
+    if (&mut f).take(256).read_to_end(&mut head).is_err() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    let Some(rest) = head.strip_prefix(MAGIC) else { return false };
+    let Some(nl) = rest.iter().position(|b| *b == b'\n') else { return false };
+    let size_ok = rest
+        .get(..nl)
+        .and_then(|h| serde_json::from_slice::<serde_json::Value>(h).ok())
+        .is_some_and(|h| h["w"].as_u64().is_some_and(|w| w > 0) && h["h"].as_u64().is_some_and(|h| h > 0));
+    if !size_ok || rest.get(nl + 1..nl + 3) != Some(&[0xFF, 0xD8][..]) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    let mut end = [0u8; 2];
+    f.seek(SeekFrom::End(-2)).is_ok() && f.read_exact(&mut end).is_ok() && end == [0xFF, 0xD9]
+}
+
 /// Load the proxy at `path`.
 pub fn load(path: &Path) -> Result<Arc<Rgb32f>, String> {
     let b = std::fs::read(path).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", path.display()))?;
@@ -80,6 +184,64 @@ pub fn load(path: &Path) -> Result<Arc<Rgb32f>, String> {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    fn temp(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+        let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-smart-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+        d
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn writable_check_does_not_create_missing_parents() {
+        let base = temp("writable");
+        assert!(check_writable(&base.join("new")).is_ok(), "one missing level is created");
+        assert!(base.join("new").is_dir());
+        let err = check_writable(&base.join("gone/deeper")).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("not available"), "{err}");
+        assert!(!base.join("gone").exists(), "no fallback onto the current drive");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn migrate_moves_leaves_or_discards() {
+        let base = temp("migrate");
+        let (a, b) = (base.join("a"), base.join("b"));
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&a).unwrap();
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&b).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(a.join("1.lcsp"), b"one").unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(a.join("note.txt"), b"keep").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(stats(&a), (1, 3));
+        assert_eq!(migrate(&a, &b, Existing::Leave).0, 0);
+        assert_eq!(stats(&a).0, 1);
+        assert_eq!(migrate(&a, &b, Existing::Move).0, 1);
+        assert_eq!((stats(&a).0, stats(&b).0), (0, 1));
+        assert!(a.join("note.txt").exists(), "only smart previews are touched");
+        assert_eq!(migrate(&b, &a, Existing::Discard).0, 1);
+        assert_eq!(stats(&b).0, 0);
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn damaged_proxies_are_invalid_and_never_kept_over_good_ones() {
+        let base = temp("valid");
+        let (a, b) = (base.join("a"), base.join("b"));
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&a).unwrap();
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&b).unwrap();
+        let img = lightcraft_scenes::demo_library()[0].render(64, 40);
+        let good = encode(&img).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(a.join("1.lcsp"), &good).unwrap();
+        assert!(is_valid(&a.join("1.lcsp")));
+        for cut in [good.len() - 1, good.len() / 2, 10, 0] {
+            std::fs::write(b.join("1.lcsp"), &good[..cut]).unwrap();
+            assert!(!is_valid(&b.join("1.lcsp")), "cut at {cut}");
+        }
+        assert!(!is_valid(&b.join("missing.lcsp")));
+        // moving onto a damaged copy replaces it instead of deleting the good one
+        assert_eq!(migrate(&a, &b, Existing::Move).0, 1);
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(b.join("1.lcsp")).unwrap(), good);
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn roundtrip_keeps_the_picture() {
         let img = lightcraft_scenes::demo_library()[0].render(160, 100);

crates/engine/src/tests_export.rs

@@ -174,3 +174,152 @@ fn prepared_exports_run_on_another_thread() {
     assert_eq!(files[0]["width"], 48);
     assert_eq!(seen.lock().unwrap().len(), 2);
 }
+
+/// Issue #78: a GPU render whose work never ran (a driver that drops a submission without an
+/// error) gave an all-black export. The export must come from the CPU instead — the same
+/// image — with the reason recorded.
+#[test]
+fn export_falls_back_to_the_cpu_when_gpu_work_is_lost() {
+    let mut s = Session::with_demo();
+    let id = s.active().unwrap();
+    s.execute("develop.set", &json!({"control": "light.exposure", "value": 0.4})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("develop.set", &json!({"control": "effects.clarity", "value": 20})).unwrap();
+    let o = ExportOptions::from_json(&json!({"format": "png"}));
+    let mean = |b: &[u8]| {
+        let d = lightcraft_codecs::decode(b, Default::default()).unwrap().image;
+        d.data.iter().map(|p| (p[0] + p[1] + p[2]) as f64).sum::<f64>() / (3 * d.data.len()) as f64
+    };
+    let gpu = lightcraft_gpu::available();
+    let healthy = mean(&export_photo(&mut s, id, &o, 1).unwrap().bytes);
+    lightcraft_gpu::inject_fault(lightcraft_gpu::Fault::DropWork);
+    let faulted = export_photo(&mut s, id, &o, 1).unwrap().bytes;
+    if gpu {
+        let why = lightcraft_gpu::last_fallback().unwrap_or_default();
+        assert!(why.contains("incomplete"), "{why}");
+        // the GPU is off for the process now: this export renders on the CPU
+        assert!(!lightcraft_gpu::available());
+    }
+    let cpu = export_photo(&mut s, id, &o, 1).unwrap().bytes;
+    lightcraft_gpu::reset_failures();
+    let px = |b: &[u8]| lightcraft_codecs::decode(b, Default::default()).unwrap().image.data;
+    assert!(px(&faulted) == px(&cpu), "the fallback is the CPU render");
+    let m = mean(&faulted);
+    assert!(m > 0.02, "not black: mean {m}");
+    assert!((m - healthy).abs() < 0.01, "GPU {healthy} vs CPU {m}");
+}
+
+/// A JPEG original `dir/IMG_1.jpg` imported into a library on disk.
+fn library_with_jpeg(tag: &str) -> (Session, lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId, std::path::PathBuf, std::path::PathBuf, Vec<u8>) {
+    let dir = temp_dir(tag);
+    let src = dir.join("IMG_1.jpg");
+    let img = lightcraft_raster::Rgba8::from_fn(48, 32, |x, y| [(x * 5) as u8, (y * 7) as u8, 120, 255]);
+    let bytes = crate::export::encode_image(&img, &ExportOptions::default()).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(&src, &bytes).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = s.catalog.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    s.execute("develop.set", &json!({"ids": [id.0], "control": "light.exposure", "value": 1.0})).unwrap();
+    (s, id, dir, src, bytes)
+}
+
+fn disk_batch(
+    s: &mut Session,
+    id: lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId,
+    o: &ExportOptions,
+    to: &crate::export::Destination,
+) -> Result<Vec<serde_json::Value>, String> {
+    crate::export::export_batch(s, &[id], o, to, &mut crate::export::write_file, &|p| std::path::Path::new(p).exists())
+}
+
+/// Issue #93: exporting into the photo's own folder as `{name}` with "Overwrite" replaced the
+/// original with the re-encoded render. It is refused now, whatever the policy or exact path.
+#[test]
+fn export_never_overwrites_an_original() {
+    use crate::export::{Conflict, Destination};
+    let (mut s, id, dir, src, original) = library_with_jpeg("export-guard");
+    let folder = Destination { dir: dir.to_string_lossy().to_string(), exact: None };
+    let o = ExportOptions { naming: "{name}".into(), conflict: Conflict::Overwrite, ..Default::default() };
+    let err = disk_batch(&mut s, id, &o, &folder).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(err.contains("original of IMG_1.jpg"), "{err}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&src).unwrap(), original, "the original is byte-identical");
+
+    // the exact path of the control channel / MCP, also spelled another way
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.join("sub")).unwrap();
+    for exact in [src.to_string_lossy().to_string(), dir.join("sub/../IMG_1.jpg").to_string_lossy().to_string()] {
+        let to = Destination { dir: String::new(), exact: Some(exact) };
+        assert!(disk_batch(&mut s, id, &o, &to).unwrap_err().contains("never writes over an original"));
+    }
+    // the "Original" format re-writing the file onto itself (and its sidecar)
+    let orig = ExportOptions { format: ExportFormat::Original, ..o.clone() };
+    assert!(disk_batch(&mut s, id, &orig, &folder).is_err());
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&src).unwrap(), original);
+    assert!(s.execute("export.checkTarget", &json!({"path": src.to_string_lossy()})).is_err());
+    assert!(s.execute("export.checkTarget", &json!({"path": dir.join("free.jpg").to_string_lossy()})).is_ok());
+
+    // Unique moves past it; Overwrite still replaces an ordinary earlier export
+    let unique = ExportOptions { conflict: Conflict::Unique, ..o.clone() };
+    let files = disk_batch(&mut s, id, &unique, &folder).unwrap();
+    assert!(files[0]["path"].as_str().unwrap().ends_with("IMG_1-2.jpg"), "{files:?}");
+    let earlier = dir.join("IMG_1-2.jpg");
+    std::fs::write(&earlier, b"an earlier export").unwrap();
+    let named = ExportOptions { naming: "{name}-2".into(), ..o };
+    disk_batch(&mut s, id, &named, &folder).unwrap();
+    assert_ne!(std::fs::read(&earlier).unwrap(), b"an earlier export", "an ordinary file is overwritten");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&src).unwrap(), original);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Issue #93: the XMP sidecar of an "Original" export ignored the conflict policy.
+#[test]
+fn export_sidecars_follow_the_conflict_policy() {
+    use crate::export::{Conflict, Destination};
+    let (mut s, id, dir, _src, original) = library_with_jpeg("export-sidecar");
+    let out = dir.join("out");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&out).unwrap();
+    let theirs = out.join("IMG_1.xmp");
+    std::fs::write(&theirs, b"someone else's sidecar").unwrap();
+    let to = Destination { dir: out.to_string_lossy().to_string(), exact: None };
+    let o = ExportOptions { format: ExportFormat::Original, naming: "{name}".into(), ..Default::default() };
+
+    // Unique: the photo and its sidecar both move to the next free name
+    let files = disk_batch(&mut s, id, &ExportOptions { conflict: Conflict::Unique, ..o.clone() }, &to).unwrap();
+    assert!(files[0]["path"].as_str().unwrap().ends_with("IMG_1-2.jpg"), "{files:?}");
+    assert!(files[0]["sidecars"][0].as_str().unwrap().ends_with("IMG_1-2.xmp"), "{files:?}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&theirs).unwrap(), b"someone else's sidecar");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(out.join("IMG_1-2.jpg")).unwrap(), original);
+    // Skip: a taken sidecar name skips the photo
+    std::fs::remove_file(out.join("IMG_1-2.jpg")).unwrap();
+    std::fs::remove_file(out.join("IMG_1-2.xmp")).unwrap();
+    let files = disk_batch(&mut s, id, &ExportOptions { conflict: Conflict::Skip, ..o.clone() }, &to).unwrap();
+    assert!(files[0]["skipped"].as_str().is_some(), "{files:?}");
+    assert!(!out.join("IMG_1.jpg").exists());
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&theirs).unwrap(), b"someone else's sidecar");
+    // Overwrite: replaced, as asked
+    disk_batch(&mut s, id, &ExportOptions { conflict: Conflict::Overwrite, ..o }, &to).unwrap();
+    assert!(std::fs::read_to_string(&theirs).unwrap().contains("xmpmeta"));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+/// Issue #93: the native writer truncated the target first; a failure mid-write (full disk,
+/// unplugged drive) now leaves the previous file intact and no partial one.
+#[test]
+fn a_failed_export_write_keeps_the_previous_file() {
+    use crate::export::{Conflict, Destination};
+    let (mut s, id, dir, _src, _) = library_with_jpeg("export-midwrite");
+    let out = dir.join("out");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&out).unwrap();
+    let prev = out.join("IMG_1.jpg");
+    std::fs::write(&prev, b"last week's export").unwrap();
+    let to = Destination { dir: out.to_string_lossy().to_string(), exact: None };
+    let o = ExportOptions { conflict: Conflict::Overwrite, ..Default::default() };
+    {
+        let _fault = lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::fail_writes_after(100);
+        let err = disk_batch(&mut s, id, &o, &to).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(err.contains("injected"), "{err}");
+    }
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&prev).unwrap(), b"last week's export");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read_dir(&out).unwrap().count(), 1, "no temp file left behind");
+    disk_batch(&mut s, id, &o, &to).unwrap();
+    assert_ne!(std::fs::read(&prev).unwrap(), b"last week's export");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_forget_local.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,218 @@
+//! Forgetting untouched Local browse records: by command and when the library opens; changed,
+//! recent and visible records stay; a crash replays it; browsing again brings records back.
+
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+use serde_json::json;
+
+use crate::{LibrarySource, Selection, Session};
+
+fn temp_dir(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-forget-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+    d
+}
+
+fn png(p: &Path, seed: u8) {
+    let img = lightcraft_raster::Rgba8::from_fn(16, 12, |x, y| [(x * 9) as u8, (y * 11) as u8, seed, 255]);
+    let b =
+        crate::export::encode_image(&img, &crate::export::ExportOptions { format: crate::export::ExportFormat::Png, ..Default::default() }).unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(p.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(p, b).unwrap();
+}
+
+fn open(lib: &Path, clock: &Arc<Mutex<String>>) -> Session {
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    let c = clock.clone();
+    s.clock = Box::new(move || c.lock().unwrap().clone());
+    s.open_library(lib, false).unwrap();
+    s
+}
+
+fn set(clock: &Arc<Mutex<String>>, t: &str) {
+    *clock.lock().unwrap() = t.to_string();
+}
+
+fn local_paths(s: &Session) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut v: Vec<String> = s
+        .catalog
+        .photos()
+        .filter(|p| p.local)
+        .filter_map(|p| match &p.source {
+            lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path } => Path::new(path).file_name().map(|n| n.to_string_lossy().to_string()),
+            _ => None,
+        })
+        .collect();
+    v.sort();
+    v
+}
+
+/// Leave the folder view (nothing browsed is visible or selected any more).
+fn look_elsewhere(s: &mut Session) {
+    s.execute("library.source", &json!({"kind": "all"})).unwrap();
+    s.selection = Selection::default();
+    s.previous_active = None;
+    s.undo.clear();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn untouched_records_of_unbrowsed_folders_are_forgotten_and_come_back() {
+    let root = temp_dir("cmd");
+    let (a, b, lib) = (root.join("a"), root.join("b"), root.join("lib"));
+    for (i, n) in ["a1.png", "a2.png", "a3.png"].iter().enumerate() {
+        png(&a.join(n), i as u8);
+    }
+    png(&b.join("b1.png"), 7);
+    let clock = Arc::new(Mutex::new("2026-08-01T10:00:00".to_string()));
+    let mut s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    // the user rates a2 (a change: kept)
+    let a2 = s.catalog.photos().find(|p| p.file_name == "a2.png").unwrap().id;
+    s.selection = Selection::single(a2);
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 3})).unwrap();
+    set(&clock, "2026-08-25T10:00:00");
+    s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": b.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    look_elsewhere(&mut s);
+
+    // 40 days after a was browsed, 16 after b
+    set(&clock, "2026-09-10T10:00:00");
+    let dry = s.execute("library.forgetLocal", &json!({"dryRun": true})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        (dry["local"].as_u64(), dry["forgotten"].as_u64(), dry["keptTouched"].as_u64(), dry["keptRecent"].as_u64()),
+        (Some(4), Some(2), Some(1), Some(1)),
+        "{dry}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(local_paths(&s).len(), 4, "a dry run changes nothing");
+    let r = s.execute("library.forgetLocal", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["forgotten"], 2, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(local_paths(&s), vec!["a2.png", "b1.png"]);
+    // files on disk are untouched
+    assert!(["a1.png", "a2.png", "a3.png"].iter().all(|n| a.join(n).exists()));
+    // not an undo step
+    assert!(s.undo.is_empty());
+
+    // a crash now: the log replays the same catalog
+    let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+    drop(s);
+    let mut s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    assert_eq!(s.library.as_ref().unwrap().report.failed, 0);
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect, "nothing more to forget on open, same state after replay");
+
+    // browsing a again brings the forgotten files back, fresh; the rated one is the same record
+    let r = s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r["photos"].as_u64(), r["new"].as_u64()), (Some(3), Some(2)), "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(a2).unwrap().rating, 3);
+    // while a is shown, nothing in it goes, whatever the time
+    set(&clock, "2027-09-10T10:00:00");
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("library.forgetLocal", &json!({"dryRun": true})).unwrap()["forgotten"], 1, "only b1 (not visible)");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn opening_the_library_forgets_per_the_preference() {
+    let root = temp_dir("open");
+    let (a, lib) = (root.join("a"), root.join("lib"));
+    png(&a.join("x.png"), 1);
+    png(&a.join("y.png"), 2);
+    let clock = Arc::new(Mutex::new("2026-08-01T10:00:00".to_string()));
+    let mut s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    look_elsewhere(&mut s);
+    // 0 = never
+    let r = s.execute("library.preferences", &json!({"forgetLocalDays": 0})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["forgetLocalDays"], 0);
+    s.close_library().unwrap();
+    drop(s);
+    set(&clock, "2027-01-01T10:00:00");
+    let mut s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    assert_eq!(local_paths(&s).len(), 2, "never");
+    assert!(s.library.as_ref().unwrap().forgot_local.is_none());
+    // back to 30 days: the next open forgets them
+    s.execute("library.preferences", &json!({"forgetLocalDays": 30})).unwrap();
+    s.source = LibrarySource::All;
+    s.close_library().unwrap();
+    drop(s);
+    let s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    assert!(local_paths(&s).is_empty());
+    let info = {
+        let mut s = s;
+        s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap()
+    };
+    assert_eq!(info["forgotLocal"]["forgotten"], 2, "{info}");
+    assert!(a.join("x.png").exists() && a.join("y.png").exists());
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+}
+
+/// A file with an XMP sidecar comes in with the sidecar's rating and keywords: that is its
+/// browse state, not a user change, so the record is forgotten like any other — and the sidecar
+/// stays byte for byte, so browsing again reads the same values back.
+#[test]
+fn sidecar_values_are_not_user_changes_and_sidecars_stay() {
+    let root = temp_dir("xmp");
+    let (a, lib) = (root.join("a"), root.join("lib"));
+    png(&a.join("x.png"), 1);
+    let x = a.join("x.png").to_string_lossy().to_string();
+    let mut p = lightcraft_catalog::Photo::new(
+        lightcraft_catalog::PhotoId(1),
+        lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path: x.clone() },
+        "x.png",
+        "PNG",
+        16,
+        12,
+        "2026-01-01T00:00:00",
+    );
+    p.rating = 4;
+    p.meta.keywords = vec!["dunes".into()];
+    let side = crate::sidecar::sidecar_path(&x, Default::default());
+    std::fs::write(&side, crate::sidecar::sidecar_packet(&p, &lightcraft_catalog::Catalog::new())).unwrap();
+    let packet = std::fs::read(&side).unwrap();
+
+    let clock = Arc::new(Mutex::new("2026-08-01T10:00:00".to_string()));
+    let mut s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    let rec = s.catalog.photos().find(|p| p.local).unwrap().clone();
+    assert_eq!((rec.rating, rec.meta.keywords.clone()), (4, vec!["dunes".to_string()]), "read from the sidecar");
+    look_elsewhere(&mut s);
+    set(&clock, "2026-10-01T10:00:00");
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("library.forgetLocal", &json!({})).unwrap()["forgotten"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&side).unwrap(), packet, "the sidecar is untouched");
+    s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    let back = s.catalog.photos().find(|p| p.local).unwrap();
+    assert_ne!(back.id, rec.id, "a fresh record");
+    assert_eq!((back.rating, back.meta.keywords.clone()), (4, vec!["dunes".to_string()]));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+}
+
+/// A catalog written before browse times existed: its Local records are kept on the first open
+/// (their folders are stamped then), and forgotten only once the period has passed since.
+#[test]
+fn upgraded_catalogs_forget_nothing_at_first() {
+    let root = temp_dir("upgrade");
+    let (a, lib) = (root.join("a"), root.join("lib"));
+    png(&a.join("x.png"), 1);
+    let clock = Arc::new(Mutex::new("2026-08-01T10:00:00".to_string()));
+    let mut s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    s.execute("library.browse", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    look_elsewhere(&mut s);
+    s.close_library().unwrap();
+    drop(s);
+    // strip the times and baselines, as an older version would have written the snapshot
+    let snap = std::fs::read_to_string(lib.join("catalog.snap")).unwrap();
+    let mut v: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&snap).unwrap();
+    v["catalog"].as_object_mut().unwrap().remove("browsed");
+    for p in v["catalog"]["photos"].as_object_mut().unwrap().values_mut() {
+        p.as_object_mut().unwrap().remove("local_baseline");
+    }
+    std::fs::write(lib.join("catalog.snap"), serde_json::to_vec(&v).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    set(&clock, "2027-01-01T10:00:00");
+    let s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    assert_eq!(local_paths(&s).len(), 1, "kept on the first open after the upgrade");
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.last_browsed(&a.to_string_lossy()), Some("2027-01-01T10:00:00"));
+    drop(s);
+    set(&clock, "2027-02-15T10:00:00");
+    let s = open(&lib, &clock);
+    assert!(local_paths(&s).is_empty(), "the untouched legacy record goes once 30 days passed");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_import.rs

@@ -144,6 +144,45 @@ fn browsing_a_folder_lists_its_photos_without_adding_them() {
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
 
+/// Issue #105: Find Missing finds renamed files by content, prefers the content match over a
+/// same-name same-size impostor, and skips (reports) photos it can't tell apart.
+#[test]
+fn find_missing_matches_renamed_files_by_content() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("missing-content");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.join("old")).unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(dir.join("moved/real")).unwrap();
+    for (n, seed) in [("a.png", 1), ("b.png", 2), ("c.png", 3)] {
+        write_png(&dir.join("old").join(n), seed);
+    }
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [dir.join("old").to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    // an impostor: same name and size, other bytes
+    let impostor = |src: &Path, dst: &Path| {
+        let mut b = std::fs::read(src).unwrap();
+        let k = b.len() - 20;
+        b[k] ^= 0xff;
+        std::fs::write(dst, b).unwrap();
+    };
+    // a: renamed; b: renamed, with an impostor under its old name; c: gone, two impostors
+    std::fs::rename(dir.join("old/a.png"), dir.join("moved/Trip-001.png")).unwrap();
+    impostor(&dir.join("old/b.png"), &dir.join("moved/b.png"));
+    std::fs::rename(dir.join("old/b.png"), dir.join("moved/real/Trip-002.png")).unwrap();
+    impostor(&dir.join("old/c.png"), &dir.join("moved/c.png"));
+    impostor(&dir.join("old/c.png"), &dir.join("moved/real/c.png"));
+    std::fs::remove_file(dir.join("old/c.png")).unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("library.findMissing", &json!({"folder": dir.join("moved").to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    let found = r["found"].as_array().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(found.len(), 2, "{r}");
+    let to = |name: &str| {
+        found.iter().find(|f| f["from"].as_str().unwrap().ends_with(name)).map(|f| (f["to"].as_str().unwrap().to_string(), f["by"].clone()))
+    };
+    assert_eq!(to("a.png"), Some((dir.join("moved/Trip-001.png").to_string_lossy().to_string(), json!("content"))));
+    assert_eq!(to("b.png"), Some((dir.join("moved/real/Trip-002.png").to_string_lossy().to_string(), json!("content"))), "not the impostor");
+    assert_eq!(r["missing"], 1);
+    assert_eq!(r["ambiguous"][0]["candidates"].as_array().map(Vec::len), Some(2), "{r}");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn missing_files_are_found_and_relinked() {
     let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-missing-{}", std::process::id()));
@@ -257,6 +296,37 @@ fn copy_with_destination_organize_rename_and_metadata_preset() {
     }
 }
 
+/// Copy with a custom folder template: `{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}` files a photo under
+/// `2026/20260114/` (an undated file by the import time); templates that would leave the
+/// destination are refused.
+#[test]
+fn copy_with_a_folder_template() {
+    let src = temp_dir("tplsrc");
+    let dest = temp_dir("tpldest");
+    write_png(&src.join("a.png"), 1);
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.clock = Box::new(|| "2026-01-14T05:58:48".to_string());
+    for bad in ["../{date}", "/tmp/{date}", "{date:%Y}/../x", "C:/x"] {
+        let r = s.execute(
+            "library.import",
+            &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()], "mode": "copy", "destination": dest.to_string_lossy(), "organize": bad}),
+        );
+        assert!(r.is_err(), "{bad} should be refused");
+    }
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.len(), 0);
+    let r = s
+        .execute(
+            "library.import",
+            &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()], "mode": "copy", "destination": dest.to_string_lossy(), "organize": "{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}"}),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(ids(&r, "imported"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert!(dest.join("2026").join("20260114").join("a.png").is_file());
+    for d in [&src, &dest] {
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(d);
+    }
+}
+
 /// Auto import: files in the watched folder are added once their size held between two scans,
 /// into the named album; non-photos are tried once; the selection stays put.
 #[test]
@@ -321,6 +391,44 @@ fn smart_previews_stand_in_for_offline_originals() {
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
 }
 
+/// Issue #106: a smart preview cut short (crash, full drive) counted as built forever and failed
+/// exactly when the original went offline. Writes are atomic now, and a damaged proxy is not
+/// reported as present and is rebuilt.
+#[test]
+fn damaged_smart_previews_are_rebuilt_and_failed_writes_leave_none() {
+    let src = temp_dir("smartdmg-src");
+    let lib = temp_dir("smartdmg-lib");
+    write_png(&src.join("a.png"), 5);
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.join("a.png").to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = s.active().unwrap();
+    let dir = s.media.smart_dir.clone().unwrap();
+    let file = dir.join(crate::smart::file_name(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap()));
+    {
+        let _fault = lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::fail_writes_after(64);
+        let r = s.execute("library.smartPreviews", &json!({})).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!((r["built"].as_u64(), r["failed"].as_array().map(Vec::len)), (Some(0), Some(1)), "{r}");
+    }
+    assert!(!file.exists(), "no partial proxy");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read_dir(&dir).unwrap().count(), 0, "no temp file left");
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("photo.smartPreview", &json!({})).unwrap()["smartPreview"], false);
+
+    let r = s.execute("library.smartPreviews", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r["built"].as_u64(), r["repaired"].as_u64()), (Some(1), Some(0)), "{r}");
+    assert!(crate::smart::is_valid(&file));
+    // cut short, as by a crash before the fix
+    let full = std::fs::read(&file).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(&file, &full[..full.len() / 2]).unwrap();
+    assert!(!crate::smart::is_valid(&file));
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("photo.smartPreview", &json!({})).unwrap()["smartPreview"], false, "not counted as there");
+    let r = s.execute("library.smartPreviews", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r["built"].as_u64(), r["repaired"].as_u64()), (Some(1), Some(1)), "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&file).unwrap(), full, "rebuilt whole");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&src);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}
+
 /// LUT profiles: a .cube imports as a creative profile (into the library), renders differently
 /// (Amount 0 = no change), is listed in the profile browser and comes back with the library.
 #[test]
@@ -410,6 +518,70 @@ fn folders_rename_and_move_with_their_photos() {
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
 }
 
+/// Rename / Move Folder are undo steps (issue #97): undo renames the folder back on disk (files and
+/// sidecars along) and restores the photos' paths, redo repeats it; a destination taken in the
+/// meantime is never overwritten — the step is refused, reported and stays on the stack.
+#[test]
+fn folder_rename_and_move_undo_and_redo_on_disk() {
+    let root = temp_dir("folders-undo");
+    let a = root.join("Trip");
+    write_png(&a.join("one.png"), 3);
+    std::fs::write(a.join("one.xmp"), "<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x=\"adobe:ns:meta/\"/>").unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [a.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = s.active().unwrap();
+    let path = |s: &Session| match &s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().source {
+        lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path } => path.clone(),
+        _ => panic!(),
+    };
+    let undo0 = s.undo.len();
+    let b = root.join("Italy");
+    s.execute("folder.rename", &json!({"path": a.to_string_lossy(), "name": "Italy"})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.undo.len(), undo0 + 1, "one undo step");
+    assert!(s.undo.last().unwrap().label.contains("Rename Folder"));
+    assert!(b.join("one.png").exists() && !a.exists());
+
+    s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert!(a.join("one.png").exists() && a.join("one.xmp").exists() && !b.exists(), "renamed back on disk");
+    assert_eq!(path(&s), a.join("one.png").to_string_lossy());
+    s.media.forget(id);
+    assert!(s.render_now(id, 16, 16).is_ok());
+
+    s.execute("edit.redo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert!(b.join("one.png").exists() && b.join("one.xmp").exists() && !a.exists());
+    assert_eq!(path(&s), b.join("one.png").to_string_lossy());
+
+    // the old name is taken now: undo is refused, nothing is overwritten, the step stays
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&a).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(a.join("keep.txt"), "mine").unwrap();
+    let undo_n = s.undo.len();
+    let e = s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap_err().to_string();
+    assert!(e.contains("already exists"), "{e}");
+    assert_eq!(s.undo.len(), undo_n, "the step stays on the stack");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read_to_string(a.join("keep.txt")).unwrap(), "mine");
+    assert!(b.join("one.png").exists());
+    assert_eq!(path(&s), b.join("one.png").to_string_lossy());
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&a).unwrap();
+
+    // move into another folder, undo, redo
+    let into = root.join("Archive");
+    s.execute("folder.move", &json!({"path": b.to_string_lossy(), "into": into.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap();
+    let moved = into.join("Italy");
+    assert_eq!(path(&s), moved.join("one.png").to_string_lossy());
+    s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert!(b.join("one.png").exists() && !moved.exists());
+    assert_eq!(path(&s), b.join("one.png").to_string_lossy());
+    // the redo target is taken (even by an empty folder): refused, nothing replaced
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&moved).unwrap();
+    assert!(s.execute("edit.redo", &json!({})).is_err());
+    assert!(b.join("one.png").exists());
+    std::fs::remove_dir(&moved).unwrap();
+    s.execute("edit.redo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert!(moved.join("one.png").exists() && moved.join("one.xmp").exists() && !b.exists());
+    assert_eq!(path(&s), moved.join("one.png").to_string_lossy());
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+}
+
 /// Assisted culling: a burst (same scene, seconds apart) of a sharp and two soft shots, plus an
 /// unrelated photo: the burst is grouped, the sharp one is its best, blurry shots can be rejected.
 #[test]
@@ -521,3 +693,96 @@ fn dust_spots_are_found_and_healed() {
     assert!(s.develop_of(id).unwrap().spots.is_empty(), "one undo step");
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
+
+/// Smart previews can live outside the library: the folder is saved per library, used for
+/// building, status and offline rendering, changing it needs an explicit choice for the
+/// previews already built, and an unavailable folder is an error (never a silent fallback).
+#[test]
+fn smart_previews_folder_is_chosen_per_library() {
+    let src = temp_dir("smartloc-src");
+    let lib = temp_dir("smartloc-lib");
+    let away = temp_dir("smartloc-away");
+    write_png(&src.join("a.png"), 7);
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.join("a.png").to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = s.active().unwrap();
+    let loc = s.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(loc["custom"], false);
+    assert_eq!(loc["path"], lib.join("Smart Previews").to_string_lossy().as_ref());
+    s.execute("library.smartPreviews", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(crate::smart::stats(&lib.join("Smart Previews")).0, 1);
+
+    // relative paths and missing drives are refused, and nothing is created on this drive
+    assert!(s.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({"path": "rel/dir"})).is_err());
+    let gone = away.join("unplugged/previews");
+    let err = s.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({"path": gone.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap_err().to_string();
+    assert!(err.contains("not available"), "{err}");
+    assert!(!away.join("unplugged").exists());
+    // the previews already built need an explicit choice
+    let to = away.join("proxies");
+    let err = s.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({"path": to.to_string_lossy()})).unwrap_err().to_string();
+    assert!(err.contains("existing"), "{err}");
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({})).unwrap()["custom"], false);
+
+    let r = s.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({"path": to.to_string_lossy(), "existing": "move"})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r["custom"].clone(), r["handled"].clone(), r["count"].clone()), (json!(true), json!(1), json!(1)), "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(crate::smart::stats(&lib.join("Smart Previews")).0, 0);
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("photo.smartPreview", &json!({})).unwrap()["smartPreview"], true);
+
+    // the setting is saved with the library
+    drop(s); // one session per library (issue #99)
+    let mut again = Session::new().with_fs();
+    again.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(again.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({})).unwrap()["path"], to.to_string_lossy().as_ref());
+
+    // offline original: the render comes from the proxy in the chosen folder
+    std::fs::rename(&src, src.with_extension("offline")).unwrap();
+    again.media.forget(id);
+    again.render_now(id, 48, 32).expect("renders from the smart preview in the chosen folder");
+
+    // the chosen drive goes away: building says so and creates nothing on this drive
+    let drive = away.join("drive");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&drive).unwrap();
+    let on_drive = drive.join("proxies");
+    again.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({"path": on_drive.to_string_lossy(), "existing": "leave"})).unwrap();
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&drive).unwrap();
+    let loc = again.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(loc["available"], false, "{loc}");
+    let err = again.execute("library.smartPreviews", &json!({"ids": [id.0]})).unwrap_err().to_string();
+    assert!(err.contains("not available"), "{err}");
+    assert!(!drive.exists());
+
+    // back to the library's own folder, discarding the proxies left in the first chosen folder
+    let r = again.execute("library.smartPreviewsLocation", &json!({"reset": true})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["custom"], false, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(r["path"], lib.join("Smart Previews").to_string_lossy().as_ref());
+}
+
+/// Missing Photos covers library photos only: a small library next to many Local browse
+/// records (and a deleted photo) checks — and lists, and counts — the library files alone.
+#[test]
+fn missing_photos_skip_local_browse_records() {
+    use lightcraft_catalog::{Op, Photo, PhotoId, Source};
+    let gone = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-missing-scope-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    let mut ops = Vec::new();
+    for i in 0..205u64 {
+        let path = gone.join(format!("IMG_{i:04}.jpg")).to_string_lossy().to_string();
+        let mut p = Photo::new(PhotoId(i + 1), Source::File { path }, &format!("IMG_{i:04}.jpg"), "JPEG", 60, 40, "2026-01-01T00:00:00");
+        p.local = i >= 5; // 5 library photos, 200 seen while browsing
+        p.deleted = i == 4;
+        ops.push(Op::AddPhoto { photo: Box::new(p) });
+    }
+    s.commit("Add", Op::Batch { ops }).unwrap();
+    let mut checked = 0;
+    let lost = crate::cmd::missing::missing_with(&s.catalog, |_| {
+        checked += 1;
+        false
+    });
+    assert_eq!((checked, lost.len()), (4, 4), "only the non-deleted library files are checked");
+    assert_eq!(crate::cmd::missing::candidates(&s.catalog).len(), 4, "the sidebar count checks the same files");
+    assert_eq!(s.execute("library.missing", &json!({})).unwrap().as_array().map(Vec::len), Some(4));
+    s.execute("library.source", &json!({"kind": "missing"})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.visible_cloned().len(), 4, "the view lists what the count counts");
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_import_move.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,322 @@
+//! Import → Move: files (and their sidecars) end up at the destination, and a source is removed
+//! only when its move fully succeeded. Temp dirs only.
+
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+use serde_json::{Value, json};
+
+use crate::Session;
+use crate::import_move::{Fault, inject};
+
+fn temp_dir(tag: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-move-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+    d
+}
+
+fn write_png(path: &Path, seed: u8) {
+    let (w, h) = (40usize, 24usize);
+    let data: Vec<[u8; 4]> = (0..w * h).map(|i| [(i % w * 5) as u8, (i / w * 7) as u8, seed, 255]).collect();
+    let img = lightcraft_raster::Rgba8 { width: w, height: h, data };
+    let bytes = lightcraft_codecs::encode_png(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(&img), &lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta::default()).unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(path.parent().unwrap()).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(path, bytes).unwrap();
+}
+
+fn xmp(rating: u8) -> String {
+    format!(
+        r#"<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/"><rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"><rdf:Description rdf:about="" xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/" xmp:Rating="{rating}"/></rdf:RDF></x:xmpmeta>"#
+    )
+}
+
+fn session() -> Session {
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    // undated files are filed by the import time
+    s.clock = Box::new(|| "2026-01-14T05:58:48".to_string());
+    s
+}
+
+fn import_move(s: &mut Session, paths: &[&Path], dest: &Path, extra: Value) -> Value {
+    let mut p =
+        json!({"paths": paths.iter().map(|p| p.to_string_lossy()).collect::<Vec<_>>(), "mode": "move", "destination": dest.to_string_lossy()});
+    if let (Some(o), Some(e)) = (p.as_object_mut(), extra.as_object()) {
+        o.extend(e.clone());
+    }
+    s.execute("library.import", &p).unwrap()
+}
+
+fn len(v: &Value, key: &str) -> usize {
+    v[key].as_array().map(Vec::len).unwrap_or(0)
+}
+
+fn photo_paths(s: &Session) -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut v: Vec<String> = s
+        .catalog
+        .photos()
+        .filter_map(|p| match &p.source {
+            lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path } => Some(path.clone()),
+            _ => None,
+        })
+        .collect();
+    v.sort();
+    v
+}
+
+fn files_under(d: &Path) -> Vec<String> {
+    fn walk(d: &Path, base: &Path, out: &mut Vec<String>) {
+        for e in std::fs::read_dir(d).into_iter().flatten().flatten() {
+            let p = e.path();
+            if p.is_dir() {
+                walk(&p, base, out);
+            } else {
+                out.push(p.strip_prefix(base).unwrap().to_string_lossy().replace('\\', "/"));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    walk(d, d, &mut out);
+    out.sort();
+    out
+}
+
+/// Same volume: renamed into the folder template, sidecars (both namings) along, sources gone,
+/// the catalog points at the new files; undo forgets the photos but leaves the files.
+#[test]
+fn move_into_a_folder_template_with_sidecars() {
+    let base = temp_dir("same");
+    let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("Photos"));
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("a.xmp"), xmp(3)).unwrap();
+    write_png(&card.join("b.png"), 2);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("b.png.xmp"), xmp(4)).unwrap();
+    let a_bytes = std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap();
+    let mut s = session();
+    let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card], &dest, json!({"organize": "{date:%Y}/{date:%Y%m%d}", "rename": "{date:%Y%m%d}_{seq:3}"}));
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "imported"), 2, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 2, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "kept"), 0, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(
+        files_under(&dest),
+        ["2026/20260114/20260114_001.png", "2026/20260114/20260114_001.xmp", "2026/20260114/20260114_002.png", "2026/20260114/20260114_002.png.xmp"]
+    );
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&card), Vec::<String>::new(), "the card is empty");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dest.join("2026/20260114/20260114_001.png")).unwrap(), a_bytes);
+    let day = dest.join("2026").join("20260114");
+    assert_eq!(photo_paths(&s), [day.join("20260114_001.png").to_string_lossy(), day.join("20260114_002.png").to_string_lossy()]);
+    let mut ratings: Vec<u8> = s.catalog.photos().map(|p| p.rating).collect();
+    ratings.sort();
+    assert_eq!(ratings, [3, 4], "the sidecars were read");
+    assert_eq!(r["moved"][0]["sidecars"][0], day.join("20260114_001.xmp").to_string_lossy().as_ref());
+    // undo: the photos leave the library, the moved files stay where they are now
+    s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.len(), 0);
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&dest).len(), 4);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// Another volume (no hard links): copied, verified and only then the source removed.
+#[test]
+fn move_across_volumes_copies_then_removes() {
+    let base = temp_dir("xvol");
+    let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("a.xmp"), xmp(2)).unwrap();
+    let bytes = std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap();
+    let mut s = session();
+    inject(Fault::NoLink);
+    let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card], &dest, json!({"organize": "flat"}));
+    inject(Fault::None);
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&dest), ["a.png", "a.xmp"]);
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dest.join("a.png")).unwrap(), bytes);
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    {
+        use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::metadata(dest.join("a.png")).unwrap().nlink(), 1, "a real copy, not a link");
+    }
+    assert!(!card.join("a.png").exists() && !card.join("a.xmp").exists());
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// A copy that fails while writing, or comes out different, leaves nothing behind and keeps the
+/// source; nothing is catalogued.
+#[test]
+fn a_failed_or_corrupt_copy_keeps_the_source() {
+    for fault in [Fault::FailWrite, Fault::Corrupt] {
+        let base = temp_dir(&format!("fail-{fault:?}"));
+        let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+        write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+        std::fs::write(card.join("a.xmp"), xmp(2)).unwrap();
+        let bytes = std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap();
+        let mut s = session();
+        inject(fault);
+        let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card], &dest, json!({"organize": "flat"}));
+        inject(Fault::None);
+        assert_eq!(len(&r, "failed"), 1, "{fault:?}: {r}");
+        assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 0, "{fault:?}: {r}");
+        assert_eq!(s.catalog.len(), 0);
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap(), bytes, "{fault:?}: source intact");
+        assert!(card.join("a.xmp").is_file());
+        assert_eq!(files_under(&dest), Vec::<String>::new(), "{fault:?}: no partial copy left");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+    }
+}
+
+/// Issue #96: Import → Copy used a plain unverified copy (and check-then-copy naming that could
+/// replace a file). It now gets the same verified copy as Move: a copy that fails or comes out
+/// different is removed and reported as a failed import, nothing is catalogued, and the card
+/// is untouched; a good copy never replaces an existing file.
+#[test]
+fn copy_import_verifies_each_copy() {
+    let import_copy = |s: &mut Session, card: &Path, dest: &Path| {
+        s.execute(
+            "library.import",
+            &json!({"paths": [card.to_string_lossy()], "mode": "copy", "destination": dest.to_string_lossy(), "organize": "flat"}),
+        )
+        .unwrap()
+    };
+    for fault in [Fault::FailWrite, Fault::Corrupt] {
+        let base = temp_dir(&format!("copyfail-{fault:?}"));
+        let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+        write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 3);
+        let bytes = std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap();
+        let mut s = session();
+        inject(fault);
+        let r = import_copy(&mut s, &card, &dest);
+        inject(Fault::None);
+        assert_eq!(len(&r, "failed"), 1, "{fault:?}: {r}");
+        assert_eq!(len(&r, "imported"), 0, "{fault:?}: {r}");
+        assert!(r.to_string().contains("the original is untouched"), "{r}");
+        assert_eq!(s.catalog.len(), 0);
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap(), bytes, "{fault:?}: source intact");
+        assert_eq!(files_under(&dest), Vec::<String>::new(), "{fault:?}: no bad copy left");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+    }
+    // a good copy: verified, and a taken name gets -1 instead of being replaced
+    let base = temp_dir("copyok");
+    let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 4);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&dest).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(dest.join("a.png"), b"someone else's file").unwrap();
+    let mut s = session();
+    let r = import_copy(&mut s, &card, &dest);
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "imported"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dest.join("a.png")).unwrap(), b"someone else's file");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dest.join("a-1.png")).unwrap(), std::fs::read(card.join("a.png")).unwrap());
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// A source that can't be removed (a read-only card) stays and is reported; the photo is
+/// imported from its copy.
+#[test]
+fn a_source_that_cannot_be_removed_is_kept_and_reported() {
+    let base = temp_dir("ro");
+    let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+    let mut s = session();
+    inject(Fault::FailRemove);
+    let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card], &dest, json!({"organize": "flat"}));
+    inject(Fault::None);
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "imported"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 0, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "kept"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert!(r["kept"][0]["reason"].as_str().unwrap().contains("could not remove"), "{r}");
+    assert!(card.join("a.png").is_file() && dest.join("a.png").is_file());
+    assert_eq!(photo_paths(&s), [dest.join("a.png").to_string_lossy()]);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// Duplicates, unreadable files and files that fail (here: a different sidecar already at the
+/// destination) keep their sources; the rest of the batch still moves.
+#[test]
+fn duplicates_and_failures_keep_their_sources() {
+    let base = temp_dir("dup");
+    let (lib_src, card, dest) = (base.join("old"), base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+    write_png(&lib_src.join("known.png"), 7);
+    let mut s = session();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [lib_src.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&card).unwrap();
+    std::fs::copy(lib_src.join("known.png"), card.join("same.png")).unwrap(); // same bytes
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("a.xmp"), xmp(1)).unwrap();
+    write_png(&card.join("b.png"), 2);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("broken.jpg"), "garbage").unwrap();
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&dest).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(dest.join("a.xmp"), xmp(5)).unwrap(); // someone else's sidecar
+    let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card], &dest, json!({"organize": "flat"}));
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "duplicates"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "failed"), 2, "{r}"); // broken.jpg (unreadable) and a.png (sidecar clash)
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(r["moved"][0]["from"], card.join("b.png").to_string_lossy().as_ref());
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&card), ["a.png", "a.xmp", "broken.jpg", "same.png"]);
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&dest), ["a.xmp", "b.png"], "a.png's copy was taken back");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read_to_string(dest.join("a.xmp")).unwrap(), xmp(5), "never overwritten");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// A taken name gets -1 (never overwritten), its sidecar follows the new name; a file already
+/// inside the destination is added where it is, not moved.
+#[test]
+fn collisions_are_numbered_and_files_in_the_destination_stay() {
+    let base = temp_dir("coll");
+    let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("a.xmp"), xmp(2)).unwrap();
+    write_png(&dest.join("a.png"), 9); // a different photo, same name
+    let theirs = std::fs::read(dest.join("a.png")).unwrap();
+    write_png(&dest.join("inbox/c.png"), 3);
+    let mut s = session();
+    let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card, &dest.join("inbox")], &dest, json!({"organize": "flat"}));
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "imported"), 2, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "kept"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&dest), ["a-1.png", "a-1.xmp", "a.png", "inbox/c.png"]);
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dest.join("a.png")).unwrap(), theirs);
+    assert!(photo_paths(&s).contains(&dest.join("inbox").join("c.png").to_string_lossy().to_string()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// A stem-named sidecar shared with a photo that isn't moved is copied along but stays beside
+/// that photo.
+#[test]
+fn a_shared_sidecar_stays_with_the_photo_left_behind() {
+    let base = temp_dir("shared");
+    let (card, dest) = (base.join("card"), base.join("out"));
+    write_png(&card.join("x.png"), 1);
+    std::fs::write(card.join("x.tif"), "the other half (not imported)").unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(card.join("x.xmp"), xmp(2)).unwrap();
+    let mut s = session();
+    let r = import_move(&mut s, &[&card.join("x.png")], &dest, json!({"organize": "flat"}));
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&dest), ["x.png", "x.xmp"]);
+    assert_eq!(files_under(&card), ["x.tif", "x.xmp"]);
+    assert!(r["kept"][0]["reason"].as_str().unwrap().contains("x.tif"), "{r}");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}
+
+/// Into the open library's Originals/ (default destination): the records are saved before the
+/// sources go, and are there after reopening. Move needs somewhere to go and never browses.
+#[test]
+fn move_into_the_library_is_saved_before_sources_go() {
+    let base = temp_dir("lib");
+    let (card, lib) = (base.join("card"), base.join("lib"));
+    write_png(&card.join("a.png"), 1);
+    let mut s = session();
+    let p = json!({"paths": [card.to_string_lossy()], "mode": "move"});
+    assert!(s.execute("library.import", &p).is_err(), "no destination, no library");
+    let browse = json!({"paths": [card.to_string_lossy()], "mode": "move", "local": true, "destination": base.join("x").to_string_lossy()});
+    assert!(s.execute("library.import", &browse).is_err(), "browsing never moves");
+    assert!(card.join("a.png").is_file());
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("library.import", &p).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(len(&r, "moved"), 1, "{r}");
+    assert!(!card.join("a.png").exists());
+    let want = lib.join("Originals").join("2026").join("2026-01-14").join("a.png");
+    assert!(want.is_file());
+    drop(s);
+    let mut again = Session::new().with_fs();
+    again.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(photo_paths(&again), [want.to_string_lossy()]);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&base);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_libops.rs

@@ -401,3 +401,68 @@ fn keyword_sets_and_recent_keywords() {
     s.execute("keyword.deleteSet", &json!({"name": "Wedding"})).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(s.execute("keyword.sets", &json!({})).unwrap()["current"], "Recent Keywords");
 }
+
+/// Auto-Tag from Tracklog: GPS positions from a GPX file by capture time — interpolated within a
+/// segment, the camera's zone from the photo or `offset`; photos with GPS kept unless `replace`;
+/// one undo step, replayed from the op log.
+#[test]
+fn tracklog_auto_tag() {
+    use lightcraft_catalog::{Op, PhotoId};
+    const GPX: &str = r#"<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<gpx version="1.1" creator="test" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1"><trk><trkseg>
+  <trkpt lat="46.0000" lon="7.0000"><time>2026-05-01T10:00:00Z</time></trkpt>
+  <trkpt lat="46.0010" lon="7.0020"><time>2026-05-01T10:01:00Z</time></trkpt>
+  <trkpt lat="46.0020" lon="7.0040"><time>2026-05-01T10:02:00Z</time></trkpt>
+</trkseg></trk></gpx>"#;
+    let dir = temp_dir("tracklog");
+    let gpx_path = dir.join("walk.gpx");
+    std::fs::write(&gpx_path, GPX).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    s.open_library(dir.join("lib"), true).unwrap();
+    let ids: Vec<u64> = s.visible_cloned().iter().take(4).map(|p| p.0).collect();
+    let set = |s: &mut Session, id: u64, t: &str| {
+        s.commit("t", Op::SetCaptured { id: PhotoId(id), captured: Some(t.into()) }).unwrap();
+    };
+    set(&mut s, ids[0], "2026-05-01T12:00:30"); // camera clock on +02:00, no zone recorded
+    set(&mut s, ids[1], "2026-05-01T12:01:00+02:00"); // zone recorded: exactly on the 2nd point
+    set(&mut s, ids[2], "2026-05-01T15:00:00"); // hours after the log ends
+    set(&mut s, ids[3], "2026-05-01T12:02:00");
+    s.execute("photo.setMeta", &json!({"ids": [ids[3]], "gps": [10.0, 20.0]})).unwrap();
+    let gps = |s: &Session, id: u64| s.catalog.photo(PhotoId(id)).unwrap().meta.gps;
+    let before: Vec<_> = ids.iter().map(|i| gps(&s, *i)).collect();
+    let path = gpx_path.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+    // a dry run reports without changing anything
+    let r = s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"path": path, "ids": ids, "offset": "+02:00", "dryRun": true})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r["tagged"].as_u64(), r["interpolated"].as_u64()), (Some(2), Some(2)), "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(r["skipped"], json!({"noTime": 0, "outside": 1, "hasGps": 1}));
+    assert_eq!((r["points"].as_u64(), r["start"].as_str()), (Some(3), Some("2026-05-01T10:00:00Z")));
+    assert_eq!(ids.iter().map(|i| gps(&s, *i)).collect::<Vec<_>>(), before);
+    // tag: one undo step
+    let undo_depth = s.undo.len();
+    s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"path": path, "ids": ids, "offset": 2})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.undo.len(), undo_depth + 1);
+    assert_eq!(gps(&s, ids[0]), Some((46.0005, 7.001)), "interpolated half-way between the first two points");
+    assert_eq!(gps(&s, ids[1]), Some((46.001, 7.002)));
+    assert_eq!(gps(&s, ids[2]), None);
+    assert_eq!(gps(&s, ids[3]), Some((10.0, 20.0)), "existing GPS kept without `replace`");
+    // without an offset, zone-less capture times count as UTC (and are reported)
+    let r = s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"gpx": GPX, "ids": [ids[0]], "replace": true, "dryRun": true})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((r["tagged"].as_u64(), r["assumedUtc"].as_u64()), (Some(0), Some(1)), "{r}");
+    // replace: the photo that had GPS gets the track's position (its last point, 12:02 local)
+    s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"gpx": GPX, "ids": [ids[3]], "offset": "+02:00", "replace": true})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(gps(&s, ids[3]), Some((46.002, 7.004)));
+    s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(gps(&s, ids[3]), Some((10.0, 20.0)));
+    // the op log replays the tags
+    let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+    drop(s);
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    s.open_library(dir.join("lib"), false).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+    // errors: no file, not GPX, no timed points, bad offset
+    assert!(s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"ids": [ids[0]]})).is_err());
+    assert!(s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"gpx": "<kml/>", "ids": [ids[0]]})).is_err());
+    assert!(s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"gpx": "<gpx><trk><trkseg/></trk></gpx>", "ids": [ids[0]]})).is_err());
+    assert!(s.execute("photo.autoTagTracklog", &json!({"gpx": GPX, "ids": [ids[0]], "offset": "noon"})).is_err());
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_library.rs

@@ -52,6 +52,57 @@ fn edits_survive_restart_without_close() {
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
 
+/// Compaction at the threshold runs on a worker thread (issue #37): commands go on (and stay
+/// durable) meanwhile, the frame loop's `persist_if_dirty` finishes it, and a crash at any time
+/// keeps every command.
+#[test]
+fn threshold_compaction_runs_in_the_background() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("bg-compact");
+    let mut s = open(&dir, true);
+    s.library.as_mut().unwrap().journal_mut().policy = lightcraft_catalog::SnapshotPolicy { max_records: 8, max_bytes: u64::MAX };
+    let ids: Vec<_> = s.catalog.photos().map(|p| p.id).collect();
+    let mut background = 0;
+    for k in 0..60usize {
+        s.selection = crate::Selection::single(ids[k % ids.len()]);
+        s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": k % 6})).unwrap();
+        if s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap()["persistence"]["snapshotRunning"].as_bool().unwrap() {
+            background += 1;
+        }
+        if k == 30 {
+            // a crash while a compaction may be in flight
+            let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+            let copy = temp_dir("bg-compact-crash");
+            std::fs::create_dir_all(&copy).unwrap();
+            for f in ["catalog.snap", "catalog.log"] {
+                if dir.join(f).exists() {
+                    std::fs::copy(dir.join(f), copy.join(f)).unwrap();
+                }
+            }
+            let s2 = open(&copy, true);
+            assert_eq!(s2.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+            let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&copy);
+        }
+    }
+    assert!(background > 0, "compactions ran in the background");
+    for _ in 0..10_000 {
+        s.persist_if_dirty();
+        if !s.library.as_ref().unwrap().journal().snapshot_running() {
+            break;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(1));
+    }
+    let info = s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    let p = &info["persistence"];
+    assert!(p["snapshots"].as_u64() >= Some(2) && p["lastSnapshot"]["background"] == true, "{p}");
+    // the log holds exactly the records after the snapshot
+    assert_eq!(info["logRecords"].as_u64().unwrap(), info["seq"].as_u64().unwrap() - info["snapshotSeq"].as_u64().unwrap(), "{info}");
+    let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+    drop(s); // no close: like a crash
+    let s2 = open(&dir, true);
+    assert_eq!(s2.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn close_writes_snapshot_and_view_state() {
     let dir = temp_dir("close");
@@ -62,6 +113,7 @@ fn close_writes_snapshot_and_view_state() {
     let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
     s.close_library().unwrap();
     assert_eq!(std::fs::metadata(dir.join("catalog.log")).unwrap().len(), 0);
+    drop(s); // one session per library (issue #99)
 
     let s2 = open(&dir, true);
     let r = &s2.library.as_ref().unwrap().report;
@@ -121,6 +173,13 @@ fn new_library_without_seed_is_empty_and_compacts() {
     let info = s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(info["logRecords"], 0);
     assert_eq!(info["snapshotSeq"], info["seq"]);
+    // persistence timings (issue #37): the append and the compaction were measured
+    let p = &info["persistence"];
+    assert!(p["appends"].as_u64() >= Some(1), "{p}");
+    assert!(p["snapshots"].as_u64() >= Some(1), "{p}");
+    assert!(p["lastSnapshot"]["bytes"].as_u64() > Some(0), "{p}");
+    assert!(p["lastSnapshot"]["totalMs"].as_f64() >= p["lastSnapshot"]["serializeMs"].as_f64(), "{p}");
+    drop(s); // one session per library (issue #99)
     let s2 = open(&dir, true);
     assert_eq!(s2.catalog.len(), 0, "an existing library is never seeded");
     assert_eq!(s2.catalog.albums().count(), 1);
@@ -319,3 +378,32 @@ fn scale_100k_library_queries() {
     worst.sort_by(|a, b| b.1.total_cmp(&a.1));
     eprintln!("slowest: {:?}", &worst[..3]);
 }
+
+/// Issue #99: a library is open in one session at a time. A second opener is refused (nothing
+/// read or written), the owning session can reopen it, and it is free again once closed.
+#[test]
+fn a_library_open_elsewhere_is_refused() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("locked");
+    let mut s = open(&dir, true);
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 3})).unwrap();
+    let log = std::fs::read(dir.join("catalog.log")).unwrap();
+
+    let mut other = Session::new();
+    let e = other.open_library(&dir, true).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(matches!(e, crate::EngineError::LibraryInUse(_)), "{e:?}");
+    assert!(e.to_string().contains("already open in"), "{e}");
+    assert!(other.library.is_none());
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(dir.join("catalog.log")).unwrap(), log, "the refused opener wrote nothing");
+
+    // the session that has it open may reopen it (Settings → Open Library on the same folder)
+    s.close_library().unwrap();
+    s.open_library(&dir, true).unwrap();
+    assert!(other.open_library(&dir, true).is_err(), "still locked after reopening");
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 4})).unwrap();
+    let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+
+    drop(s);
+    other.open_library(&dir, true).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(other.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_merge.rs

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ fn import(s: &mut Session, paths: Vec<String>) -> Vec<u64> {
 fn hdr_merge_command_creates_and_imports_a_dng() {
     let dir = temp_dir("hdr");
     let mut paths = Vec::new();
-    for (i, b) in lightcraft_merge::synth::bracket_dngs(480, 320, &[-2.0, 0.0, 2.0]).into_iter().enumerate() {
+    for (i, b) in lightcraft_merge::synth::bracket_dngs(480, 320, &[-2.0, 0.0, 2.0]).unwrap().into_iter().enumerate() {
         let p = dir.join(format!("IMG_{i}.dng"));
         std::fs::write(&p, b).unwrap();
         paths.push(p.to_string_lossy().to_string());
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ fn hdr_merge_command_creates_and_imports_a_dng() {
 fn panorama_command_with_auto_crop() {
     let dir = temp_dir("pano");
     let mut paths = Vec::new();
-    for (i, v) in lightcraft_merge::synth::pano_views(480, 360, 420.0, &[-25.0, 0.0, 25.0]).into_iter().enumerate() {
+    for (i, v) in lightcraft_merge::synth::pano_views(480, 360, 420.0, &[-25.0, 0.0, 25.0]).unwrap().into_iter().enumerate() {
         let img = v.to_srgb8();
         let png = lightcraft_codecs::encode_png(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(&img), &lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta::default()).unwrap();
         let p = dir.join(format!("P_{i}.png"));

crates/engine/src/tests_organize.rs

@@ -200,3 +200,26 @@ fn album_source_reports_in_library_state_and_persists_the_view() {
     assert_eq!(serde_json::to_value(s2.sort).unwrap()["key"], "fileName", "the rest of the view is restored too");
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn filter_chips_clear_one_filter_and_total_ignores_the_filter() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("chips");
+    let mut s = open(&dir);
+    let all = s.visible_cloned().len();
+    assert!(all > 1);
+    assert_eq!(s.source_total(), Some(all));
+    s.execute("library.filter", &json!({"rating": 4, "date": "2026-01-16", "text": "x"})).unwrap();
+    // the total is the source's, whatever the filter hides
+    assert_eq!(s.source_total(), Some(all));
+    let chips = crate::filter_chips(&s.filter, &s.catalog);
+    let labels: Vec<&str> = chips.iter().map(|c| c.label.as_str()).collect();
+    assert_eq!(labels, ["Search: “x”", "Rating ≥ 4★", "Date: January 16, 2026"]);
+    // clearing the date chip leaves the other two filters alone
+    s.execute("library.filter", &chips[2].clear).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.filter.date, None);
+    assert_eq!((s.filter.rating, s.filter.text.as_str()), (4, "x"));
+    for c in crate::filter_chips(&s.filter, &s.catalog) {
+        s.execute("library.filter", &c.clear).unwrap();
+    }
+    assert_eq!(s.filter, Default::default());
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_persist.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+//! A failed save is an error, not a silent success: a command whose journal append fails returns
+//! [`EngineError::NotSaved`], its change stays applied and queued, and the next save writes it.
+
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+
+use lightcraft_catalog::{Flag, MemStore, SnapshotPolicy, Store};
+use serde_json::json;
+
+use crate::library::LibraryStores;
+use crate::{EngineError, Session};
+
+/// A store whose writes fail while `fail` is set (a full or unplugged disk).
+#[derive(Clone, Default)]
+struct Flaky {
+    files: MemStore,
+    fail: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    /// Only snapshots fail (appends work).
+    snapshots_only: bool,
+    /// Only appends fail (a dead log handle; fresh files can still be written).
+    appends_only: bool,
+}
+
+impl Flaky {
+    fn failing(&self) -> bool {
+        self.fail.load(Ordering::SeqCst)
+    }
+    fn set_failing(&self, on: bool) {
+        self.fail.store(on, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    }
+    /// The files as a crash at this moment would leave them.
+    fn crash_copy(&self) -> Flaky {
+        let m = MemStore::new();
+        *m.files.lock().unwrap() = self.files.files.lock().unwrap().clone();
+        Flaky { files: m, ..Default::default() }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Store for Flaky {
+    fn read(&mut self, name: &str) -> std::io::Result<Option<Vec<u8>>> {
+        self.files.read(name)
+    }
+    fn write_atomic(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        if self.failing() && !self.appends_only {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::other("disk full"));
+        }
+        self.files.write_atomic(name, data)
+    }
+    fn append(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        if self.failing() && !self.snapshots_only {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::other("disk full"));
+        }
+        self.files.append(name, data)
+    }
+    fn truncate(&mut self, name: &str, len: u64) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.truncate(name, len)
+    }
+    fn describe(&self) -> String {
+        "flaky".into()
+    }
+}
+
+fn open(store: &Flaky, seed: bool) -> Session {
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    let stores = LibraryStores { dir: "flaky".into(), catalog: Box::new(store.clone()), files: Box::new(MemStore::new()), on_disk: false };
+    s.open_library_in(stores, seed).unwrap();
+    s
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn failed_append_fails_the_command_and_is_retried() {
+    let store = Flaky::default();
+    let mut s = open(&store, true);
+    let id = s.selection.active.unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 1})).unwrap();
+    store.set_failing(true);
+
+    let e = s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 4})).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(matches!(e, EngineError::NotSaved(_)), "{e:?}");
+    let msg = e.to_string();
+    assert!(
+        msg.starts_with("saved in memory but not written to disk: ") && msg.contains("disk full") && msg.ends_with("LightCraft will retry"),
+        "{msg}"
+    );
+    // applied in memory, undoable, queued
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().rating, 4);
+    assert!(!s.undo.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved().map(|u| u.0), Some(1));
+    // queries and commands that change nothing are unaffected (they retry the queue, but report
+    // their own result)
+    let info = s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(info["unsavedOps"], 1, "{info}");
+    assert!(info["unsavedError"].as_str().unwrap().contains("disk full"), "{info}");
+    s.execute("library.select", &json!({"ids": [id.0]})).unwrap();
+    // a second change fails too; both stay queued, in order
+    let e = s.execute("photo.flag", &json!({"flag": "pick"})).unwrap_err();
+    assert!(matches!(e, EngineError::NotSaved(_)));
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved().map(|u| u.0), Some(2));
+    // the frame loop backs off instead of retrying every frame
+    s.persist_if_dirty();
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved().map(|u| u.0), Some(2));
+    // a crash now loses only the unsaved changes; the earlier ones are on disk
+    assert_eq!(open(&store.crash_copy(), true).catalog.photo(id).unwrap().rating, 1);
+
+    // the disk comes back: the next save writes the whole queue
+    store.set_failing(false);
+    s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved(), None);
+    assert!(s.library.as_ref().unwrap().last_error.is_none());
+    let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+    drop(s); // no close: like a crash
+    let s2 = open(&store, true);
+    assert_eq!(s2.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+    let p = s2.catalog.photo(id).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((p.rating, p.flag), (4, Flag::Pick));
+}
+
+/// Undo is a command like any other: a failed write of its op is reported, and retried.
+#[test]
+fn failed_append_of_undo_is_reported_and_retried() {
+    let store = Flaky::default();
+    let mut s = open(&store, true);
+    let id = s.selection.active.unwrap();
+    let before = s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().rating;
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 3})).unwrap();
+    store.set_failing(true);
+    assert!(matches!(s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})), Err(EngineError::NotSaved(_))));
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().rating, before);
+    store.set_failing(false);
+    s.persist().unwrap();
+    drop(s);
+    assert_eq!(open(&store, true).catalog.photo(id).unwrap().rating, before);
+}
+
+/// A failed compaction is not a failed command: the command's own records were appended.
+#[test]
+fn failed_snapshot_does_not_fail_the_command() {
+    let store = Flaky { snapshots_only: true, ..Default::default() };
+    let mut s = open(&store, false);
+    s.library.as_mut().unwrap().journal_mut().policy = SnapshotPolicy { max_records: 1, max_bytes: u64::MAX };
+    store.set_failing(true);
+    s.execute("album.create", &json!({"name": "A"})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("album.create", &json!({"name": "B"})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved(), None);
+    assert!(s.library.as_ref().unwrap().last_error.is_some(), "the compaction failure is reported");
+    drop(s);
+    store.set_failing(false);
+    assert_eq!(open(&store, false).catalog.albums().count(), 2);
+}
+
+/// Issue #101: quitting while the log can't be appended to still saves the queued changes in the
+/// closing snapshot (a fresh file), and reports success; they are not appended again later.
+#[test]
+fn close_saves_queued_changes_in_the_snapshot_when_appends_fail() {
+    let store = Flaky { appends_only: true, ..Default::default() };
+    let mut s = open(&store, true);
+    let id = s.selection.active.unwrap();
+    store.set_failing(true);
+    assert!(matches!(s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 4})), Err(EngineError::NotSaved(_))));
+    assert!(matches!(s.execute("photo.flag", &json!({"flag": "pick"})), Err(EngineError::NotSaved(_))));
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved().map(|u| u.0), Some(2));
+    s.close_library().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved(), None);
+    assert!(s.pending_log.is_empty());
+    let expect = s.catalog.to_snapshot();
+    drop(s);
+    store.set_failing(false);
+    let mut s2 = open(&store, true);
+    assert_eq!(s2.catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+    let p = s2.catalog.photo(id).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((p.rating, p.flag), (4, Flag::Pick));
+    // later edits continue after the absorbed ops
+    s2.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 2})).unwrap();
+    let expect = s2.catalog.to_snapshot();
+    drop(s2);
+    assert_eq!(open(&store, true).catalog.to_snapshot(), expect);
+}
+
+/// When neither the log nor the snapshot can be written, closing fails with `NotSaved` and the
+/// changes stay queued (a later retry can still save them).
+#[test]
+fn close_fails_when_nothing_can_be_saved() {
+    let store = Flaky::default();
+    let mut s = open(&store, true);
+    store.set_failing(true);
+    assert!(s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 4})).is_err());
+    let e = s.close_library().unwrap_err();
+    assert!(matches!(e, EngineError::NotSaved(_)), "{e:?}");
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved().map(|u| u.0), Some(1));
+    store.set_failing(false);
+    s.close_library().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.unsaved(), None);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_prefs.rs

@@ -126,11 +126,13 @@ fn preferences_persist_with_the_library() {
     assert_eq!(r["persistent"], true);
     // export presets are library preferences too
     s.execute("export.savePreset", &json!({"name": "Proof", "params": {"format": "jpeg", "percent": 25}})).unwrap();
+    drop(s); // one session per library (issue #99)
     let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
     s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(s.export_params(&json!({"preset": "Proof"})).unwrap(), json!({"format": "jpeg", "percent": 25}));
     // older prefs.json files (snake_case `last_export`, no import section) still load
     std::fs::write(lib.join("prefs.json"), r#"{"xmp": {"autoWrite": false}, "last_export": {"format": "png"}}"#).unwrap();
+    drop(s);
     let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
     s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(s.last_export, Some(json!({"format": "png"})));

crates/engine/src/tests_settings_files.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+//! Issue #103: a damaged or unreadable settings file (prefs.json, presets.json, view.json) is
+//! never silently replaced by the defaults: a damaged one is kept aside, an unreadable one is not
+//! written this session, and the user is told.
+
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+use lightcraft_catalog::{MemStore, Store};
+use serde_json::json;
+
+use crate::Session;
+use crate::library::LibraryStores;
+
+fn temp_dir(tag: &str) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+    let d = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("lc-settings-{tag}-{}", std::process::id()));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&d);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&d).unwrap();
+    d
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn damaged_prefs_are_kept_aside_and_reported() {
+    let lib = temp_dir("damaged");
+    let bad = br#"{"exportPresets": [{"name": "Proof", "par"#;
+    std::fs::write(lib.join("prefs.json"), bad).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    let kept: Vec<_> = std::fs::read_dir(&lib)
+        .unwrap()
+        .map(|e| e.unwrap().file_name().to_string_lossy().to_string())
+        .filter(|n| n.starts_with("prefs.json.corrupt-"))
+        .collect();
+    assert_eq!(kept.len(), 1, "{kept:?}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(lib.join(&kept[0])).unwrap(), bad);
+    let warnings = s.take_library_warnings();
+    assert_eq!(warnings.len(), 1);
+    assert!(warnings[0].contains("prefs.json is damaged") && warnings[0].contains(&kept[0]), "{warnings:?}");
+    assert!(s.take_library_warnings().is_empty(), "each warning is handed out once");
+    let info = s.execute("library.info", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(info["settingsWarnings"].as_array().map(Vec::len), Some(1), "{info}");
+    // saving goes on (the damaged original is safe in its copy)
+    s.execute("library.preferences", &json!({"cacheMb": 300})).unwrap();
+    assert!(String::from_utf8(std::fs::read(lib.join("prefs.json")).unwrap()).unwrap().contains("300"));
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(lib.join(&kept[0])).unwrap(), bad);
+    drop(s);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}
+
+/// `presets.json` and `prefs.json` can't be read (locked by another program, an I/O error).
+#[derive(Clone, Default)]
+struct Unreadable {
+    files: MemStore,
+    unreadable: Arc<Mutex<Vec<String>>>,
+}
+
+impl Store for Unreadable {
+    fn read(&mut self, name: &str) -> std::io::Result<Option<Vec<u8>>> {
+        if self.unreadable.lock().unwrap().iter().any(|n| n == name) {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::other("locked by another process"));
+        }
+        self.files.read(name)
+    }
+    fn write_atomic(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.write_atomic(name, data)
+    }
+    fn append(&mut self, name: &str, data: &[u8]) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.append(name, data)
+    }
+    fn truncate(&mut self, name: &str, len: u64) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        self.files.truncate(name, len)
+    }
+    fn describe(&self) -> String {
+        "unreadable".into()
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn unreadable_settings_are_not_overwritten() {
+    let files = Unreadable::default();
+    let presets = br#"{"user": [{"id": "user.mine", "name": "Mine", "group": "User Presets", "settings": {}}]}"#.to_vec();
+    let prefs = br#"{"cacheMb": 777}"#.to_vec();
+    files.files.set("presets.json", presets.clone());
+    files.files.set("prefs.json", prefs.clone());
+    *files.unreadable.lock().unwrap() = vec!["presets.json".into(), "prefs.json".into()];
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    let stores = LibraryStores { dir: "unreadable".into(), catalog: Box::new(MemStore::new()), files: Box::new(files.clone()), on_disk: false };
+    s.open_library_in(stores, true).unwrap();
+    let warnings = s.take_library_warnings();
+    assert_eq!(warnings.len(), 2, "{warnings:?}");
+    assert!(warnings.iter().all(|w| w.contains("couldn't be read") && w.contains("won't overwrite")), "{warnings:?}");
+
+    // a preset change and a preference change: neither file is replaced by defaults
+    s.execute("preset.create", &json!({"name": "New"})).unwrap();
+    let e = s.execute("library.preferences", &json!({"cacheMb": 300}));
+    assert!(e.is_err(), "saving preferences is refused, not done over the unread file");
+    assert_eq!(files.files.get("presets.json").unwrap(), presets);
+    assert_eq!(files.files.get("prefs.json").unwrap(), prefs);
+}

crates/engine/src/tests_xmp.rs

@@ -329,6 +329,55 @@ fn convert_raw_to_dng() {
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
 
+/// Issue #106: Convert to DNG wrote straight to the final name (no temp file, sync or check) and
+/// relinked the photo even when the write was cut short. A failed write now leaves no DNG and
+/// the photo on its raw; a good one is verified and never replaces an existing file.
+#[test]
+fn convert_to_dng_is_verified_and_atomic() {
+    let dir = temp_dir("todng-safe");
+    // a synthetic raw (stored as DNG, catalogued as a NEF so Convert to DNG takes it)
+    let raw = dir.join("shot.dng");
+    let bytes = synthetic_dng_with(None, Default::default());
+    std::fs::write(&raw, &bytes).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [raw.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = s.catalog.photos().next().unwrap().id;
+    let path = raw.to_string_lossy().to_string();
+    s.catalog
+        .apply(lightcraft_catalog::Op::Relink {
+            id,
+            file_name: "shot.dng".into(),
+            source: lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path: path.clone() },
+            format: Some("NEF".into()),
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.select", &json!({"ids": [id.0]})).unwrap();
+    let names = || {
+        let mut v: Vec<String> = std::fs::read_dir(&dir).unwrap().flatten().map(|e| e.file_name().to_string_lossy().to_string()).collect();
+        v.sort();
+        v
+    };
+    {
+        // the drive fills up part-way
+        let _fault = lightcraft_catalog::safe_file::fail_writes_after(200);
+        let r = s.execute("photo.convertToDng", &json!({})).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(r["converted"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 0, "{r}");
+        assert!(r["skipped"][0][1].as_str().unwrap().contains("the raw is kept"), "{r}");
+    }
+    assert_eq!(names(), ["shot.dng"], "no partial DNG");
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().source, lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path: path.clone() }, "not relinked");
+    // a good conversion: a new name (the existing file is not replaced), decodable, relinked
+    let r = s.execute("photo.convertToDng", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    let out = r["converted"][0]["path"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+    assert!(out.ends_with("shot-2.dng"), "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&raw).unwrap(), bytes, "the raw is untouched");
+    let back = lightcraft_raw::decode(&std::fs::read(&out).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(back.data, lightcraft_raw::decode(&bytes).unwrap().data);
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().source, lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path: out });
+    assert_eq!(names(), ["shot-2.dng", "shot.dng"], "no temp file left");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
 /// Edit in External Editor (engine half): a 16-bit TIFF `-Edit` copy with the edits, next to
 /// the original, added and stacked on top of it; a second one doesn't overwrite the first.
 #[test]
@@ -445,3 +494,263 @@ fn dng_export_compression_choices() {
     }
     assert!(sizes[2].1 > sizes[0].1 && sizes[2].1 > sizes[1].1, "uncompressed is the biggest: {sizes:?}");
 }
+
+fn write_jpeg(path: &Path, capture: Option<&str>) {
+    let (w, h) = (32usize, 24usize);
+    let data: Vec<[u8; 4]> = (0..w * h).map(|i| [(i % w * 7) as u8, (i / w * 9) as u8, 90, 255]).collect();
+    let img = lightcraft_raster::Rgba8 { width: w, height: h, data };
+    let exif = capture.map(|c| {
+        lightcraft_meta::write_exif(&lightcraft_meta::Metadata { capture_time: lightcraft_meta::DateTime::parse_iso(c), ..Default::default() })
+    });
+    let meta = lightcraft_codecs::EncodeMeta { exif: exif.as_deref(), ..Default::default() };
+    let bytes = lightcraft_codecs::encode_jpeg(&lightcraft_codecs::EncodeImage::rgba8(&img), 90, Default::default(), &meta).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(path, bytes).unwrap();
+}
+
+const DATED_SIDECAR: &str = r#"<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/">
+  <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
+    <rdf:Description rdf:about=""
+      xmlns:exif="http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/"
+      exif:DateTimeOriginal="2026-01-14T05:58:48" />
+  </rdf:RDF>
+</x:xmpmeta>"#;
+
+#[test]
+fn sidecar_capture_time_fills_in_when_the_file_has_none() {
+    let src = temp_dir("sidecar-date");
+    write_jpeg(&src.join("sample.jpg"), None);
+    std::fs::write(src.join("sample.jpg.xmp"), DATED_SIDECAR).unwrap();
+    // the embedded capture time wins over the sidecar's
+    write_jpeg(&src.join("dated.jpg"), Some("2020-05-06T07:08:09"));
+    std::fs::write(src.join("dated.jpg.xmp"), DATED_SIDECAR).unwrap();
+    let lib = temp_dir("sidecar-date-lib");
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    // copy: the sidecar's date also files the copy
+    let r = s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()], "mode": "copy"})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["sidecars"], 2, "{r}");
+    let by_name = |s: &Session, n: &str| s.catalog.photos().find(|p| p.file_name == n).unwrap().clone();
+    let sample = by_name(&s, "sample.jpg");
+    assert_eq!(sample.captured.as_deref(), Some("2026-01-14T05:58:48"));
+    let lightcraft_catalog::Source::File { path } = &sample.source else { panic!("not a file") };
+    assert!(Path::new(path).starts_with(lib.join("Originals").join("2026").join("2026-01-14")), "{path}");
+    assert_eq!(by_name(&s, "dated.jpg").captured.as_deref(), Some("2020-05-06T07:08:09"));
+
+    // Read Metadata from File fills in a missing capture time too
+    let id = sample.id;
+    s.catalog.apply(lightcraft_catalog::Op::SetCaptured { id, captured: None }).unwrap();
+    std::fs::copy(src.join("sample.jpg.xmp"), format!("{path}.xmp")).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.select", &json!({"ids": [id.0]})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.readMetadataFromFile", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().captured.as_deref(), Some("2026-01-14T05:58:48"));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&src);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}
+
+/// Copyright status, rights usage terms and copyright info URL: edited with `photo.setMeta` (one
+/// undo step), copied / pasted, kept in metadata presets, written to the sidecar as XMP Rights
+/// Management fields and read back on a fresh import.
+#[test]
+fn copyright_status_usage_terms_and_url_round_trip() {
+    use lightcraft_catalog::CopyrightStatus;
+    let src = temp_dir("rights-src");
+    let lib = temp_dir("rights-lib");
+    write_png(&src.join("a.png"), 1);
+    write_png(&src.join("b.png"), 2);
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = |s: &Session, name: &str| s.catalog.photos().find(|p| p.file_name == name).unwrap().id;
+    let (a, b) = (id(&s, "a.png"), id(&s, "b.png"));
+    let meta = |s: &Session, id: PhotoId| s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().meta.clone();
+    assert_eq!(meta(&s, a).copyright_status, CopyrightStatus::Unknown);
+    s.execute("library.select", &json!({"ids": [a.0]})).unwrap();
+    s.execute(
+        "photo.setMeta",
+        &json!({"copyright": "© 2026 A. Person", "copyrightStatus": "copyrighted", "usageTerms": "Editorial use only", "copyrightUrl": "https://example.com/rights"}),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    let m = meta(&s, a);
+    assert_eq!(
+        (m.copyright_status, m.usage_terms.as_str(), m.copyright_url.as_str()),
+        (CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted, "Editorial use only", "https://example.com/rights")
+    );
+    assert!(s.execute("photo.setMeta", &json!({"copyrightStatus": "maybe"})).is_err());
+    s.execute("edit.undo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(meta(&s, a).copyright_status, CopyrightStatus::Unknown, "one undo step");
+    s.execute("edit.redo", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    // copy → paste onto b
+    let clip = s.execute("photo.copyMetadata", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(clip["copyrightStatus"], "copyrighted");
+    s.execute("photo.pasteMetadata", &json!({"ids": [b.0], "fields": ["copyrightStatus", "usageTerms"]})).unwrap();
+    let mb = meta(&s, b);
+    assert_eq!((mb.copyright_status, mb.usage_terms.as_str(), mb.copyright_url.as_str()), (CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted, "Editorial use only", ""));
+    // a metadata preset from the active photo carries the copyright fields; applying it sets them
+    s.execute("metadata.savePreset", &json!({"name": "Rights"})).unwrap();
+    let presets = s.execute("metadata.presets", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(presets[0]["fields"]["copyrightStatus"], "copyrighted", "{presets}");
+    assert_eq!(presets[0]["fields"]["copyrightUrl"], "https://example.com/rights");
+    s.execute("photo.setMeta", &json!({"ids": [b.0], "copyrightStatus": "publicDomain", "usageTerms": ""})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("metadata.applyPreset", &json!({"name": "Rights", "ids": [b.0]})).unwrap();
+    let mb = meta(&s, b);
+    assert_eq!((mb.copyright_status, mb.copyright_url.as_str()), (CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted, "https://example.com/rights"));
+    assert!(s.execute("metadata.savePreset", &json!({"name": "Bad", "fields": {"copyrightStatus": "sort of"}})).is_err());
+    // b becomes public domain; smart-album rule on the status
+    s.execute("photo.setMeta", &json!({"ids": [b.0], "copyrightStatus": "public domain"})).unwrap();
+    let r = s
+        .execute(
+            "album.createSmart",
+            &json!({"name": "PD", "rules": {"ruleSet": {"rules": [{"field": "copyrightStatus", "op": "is", "value": "publicDomain"}]}}}),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["count"], 1, "{r}");
+    // sidecars: XMP Rights Management fields, read back by a fresh library
+    s.execute("photo.saveMetadataToFile", &json!({"ids": [a.0, b.0]})).unwrap();
+    let xmp = std::fs::read_to_string(src.join("a.xmp")).unwrap();
+    assert!(xmp.contains("<xmpRights:Marked>True</xmpRights:Marked>"), "{xmp}");
+    assert!(xmp.contains("<xmpRights:WebStatement>https://example.com/rights</xmpRights:WebStatement>"), "{xmp}");
+    assert!(std::fs::read_to_string(src.join("b.xmp")).unwrap().contains("<xmpRights:Marked>False</xmpRights:Marked>"));
+    let expect_a = meta(&s, a);
+    drop(s);
+    std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let ma = meta(&s, id(&s, "a.png"));
+    assert_eq!(
+        (ma.copyright.as_str(), ma.copyright_status, ma.usage_terms.as_str(), ma.copyright_url.as_str()),
+        (expect_a.copyright.as_str(), CopyrightStatus::Copyrighted, "Editorial use only", "https://example.com/rights")
+    );
+    assert_eq!(meta(&s, id(&s, "b.png")).copyright_status, CopyrightStatus::PublicDomain);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&src);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}
+
+/// A sidecar another raw developer wrote: develop settings in attributes and elements, a
+/// structured edit history, an unknown namespace.
+const OTHER_APP_SIDECAR: &str = r#"<?xpacket begin="" id="W5M0MpCehiHzreSzNTczkc9d"?>
+<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="Other Toolkit">
+ <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
+  <rdf:Description rdf:about=""
+    xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/"
+    xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/"
+    xmlns:stEvt="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/sType/ResourceEvent#"
+    xmlns:crs="http://ns.adobe.com/camera-raw-settings/1.0/"
+    xmlns:other="http://example.com/other/1.0/"
+    xmp:Rating="2"
+    crs:Version="99.0"
+    crs:Exposure2012="+0.65"
+    crs:HasSettings="True"
+    other:Secret="keep me">
+   <xmpMM:History>
+    <rdf:Seq>
+     <rdf:li stEvt:action="derived" stEvt:parameters="converted from image/x-raw to image/png"/>
+    </rdf:Seq>
+   </xmpMM:History>
+   <crs:ToneCurvePV2012>
+    <rdf:Seq>
+     <rdf:li>0, 0</rdf:li>
+     <rdf:li>128, 140</rdf:li>
+     <rdf:li>255, 255</rdf:li>
+    </rdf:Seq>
+   </crs:ToneCurvePV2012>
+  </rdf:Description>
+ </rdf:RDF>
+</x:xmpmeta>
+<?xpacket end="w"?>"#;
+
+/// Issue #92: saving merges into another app's sidecar instead of replacing it.
+#[test]
+fn saving_merges_into_another_apps_sidecar() {
+    let src = temp_dir("merge");
+    let lib = temp_dir("merge-lib");
+    write_png(&src.join("shot.png"), 1);
+    std::fs::write(src.join("shot.xmp"), OTHER_APP_SIDECAR).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.join("shot.png").to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = only(&s);
+    s.execute("library.select", &json!({"ids": [id.0]})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 5})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.setMeta", &json!({"title": "Harbour", "keywords": ["boats"]})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("develop.set", &json!({"control": "effects.clarity", "value": 30})).unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("photo.saveMetadataToFile", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["merged"][0], src.join("shot.xmp").to_string_lossy().as_ref(), "{r}");
+    let out = std::fs::read_to_string(src.join("shot.xmp")).unwrap();
+    // the other app's data, byte for byte
+    for part in [
+        "crs:Exposure2012=\"+0.65\"",
+        "other:Secret=\"keep me\"",
+        "   <xmpMM:History>\n    <rdf:Seq>\n     <rdf:li stEvt:action=\"derived\" stEvt:parameters=\"converted from image/x-raw to image/png\"/>\n    </rdf:Seq>\n   </xmpMM:History>",
+        "   <crs:ToneCurvePV2012>\n    <rdf:Seq>\n     <rdf:li>0, 0</rdf:li>\n     <rdf:li>128, 140</rdf:li>",
+    ] {
+        assert!(out.contains(part), "lost {part:?}:\n{out}");
+    }
+    let d = lightcraft_meta::parse_xmp(&out).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(d.metadata.rating, Some(5), "ours replaces theirs");
+    assert_eq!(d.metadata.title.as_deref(), Some("Harbour"));
+    assert_eq!(d.properties.get("crs:Version"), Some(&vec!["99.0".to_string()]));
+    let saved = s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().develop.clone();
+    // reading it back restores our settings (lc:settings wins over crs:)
+    s.execute("develop.set", &json!({"control": "effects.clarity", "value": 0})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.readMetadataFromFile", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(s.catalog.photo(id).unwrap().develop, saved);
+    // saving again keeps one LightCraft description and the other app's data
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"rating": 3})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.saveMetadataToFile", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    let again = std::fs::read_to_string(src.join("shot.xmp")).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(again.matches("<rdf:Description").count(), 2, "{again}");
+    assert!(again.contains("other:Secret=\"keep me\"") && again.contains("crs:Exposure2012=\"+0.65\""));
+    assert_eq!(lightcraft_meta::parse_xmp(&again).unwrap().metadata.rating, Some(3));
+
+    // a sidecar that isn't XMP is kept as a backup before it is replaced
+    std::fs::write(src.join("shot.xmp"), b"<not xmp").unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("photo.saveMetadataToFile", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    let backup = r["backups"][0]["backup"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+    assert!(backup.contains("shot.xmp.bak-"), "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&backup).unwrap(), b"<not xmp");
+    assert_eq!(lightcraft_meta::parse_xmp(&std::fs::read_to_string(src.join("shot.xmp")).unwrap()).unwrap().metadata.rating, Some(3));
+    // … and another one never overwrites the first backup
+    std::fs::write(src.join("shot.xmp"), b"<still not xmp").unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("photo.saveMetadataToFile", &json!({})).unwrap();
+    let second = r["backups"][0]["backup"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+    assert_ne!(second, backup);
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&backup).unwrap(), b"<not xmp");
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&second).unwrap(), b"<still not xmp");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&src);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}
+
+/// Issue #92: two catalogued files with one stem (`IMG_1.jpg` + `IMG_1.png`) don't share a
+/// Stem-named sidecar: the first by name keeps `IMG_1.xmp`, the other writes and reads
+/// `IMG_1.png.xmp`.
+#[test]
+fn files_sharing_a_stem_get_their_own_sidecars() {
+    let src = temp_dir("stem");
+    let lib = temp_dir("stem-lib");
+    write_png(&src.join("IMG_1.png"), 1);
+    let img = lightcraft_raster::Rgba8::from_fn(40, 24, |x, y| [(x * 6) as u8, (y * 9) as u8, 7, 255]);
+    let jpg =
+        crate::export::encode_image(&img, &crate::export::ExportOptions { format: crate::export::ExportFormat::Jpeg, ..Default::default() }).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(src.join("IMG_1.jpg"), jpg).unwrap();
+    let mut s = Session::new().with_fs();
+    s.open_library(&lib, false).unwrap();
+    s.execute("library.import", &json!({"paths": [src.to_string_lossy()]})).unwrap();
+    let id = |s: &Session, name: &str| s.catalog.photos().find(|p| p.file_name == name).unwrap().id;
+    let (j, p) = (id(&s, "IMG_1.jpg"), id(&s, "IMG_1.png"));
+    assert_eq!(s.sidecar_naming(j), crate::sidecar::SidecarNaming::Stem);
+    assert_eq!(s.sidecar_naming(p), crate::sidecar::SidecarNaming::Full);
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"ids": [j.0], "rating": 2})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"ids": [p.0], "rating": 5})).unwrap();
+    let r = s.execute("photo.saveMetadataToFile", &json!({"ids": [j.0, p.0]})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(r["written"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 2, "{r}");
+    let rating = |f: &str| lightcraft_meta::parse_xmp(&std::fs::read_to_string(src.join(f)).unwrap()).unwrap().metadata.rating;
+    assert_eq!(rating("IMG_1.xmp"), Some(2));
+    assert_eq!(rating("IMG_1.png.xmp"), Some(5));
+    // each reads its own back
+    s.execute("photo.rate", &json!({"ids": [j.0, p.0], "rating": 0})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("photo.readMetadataFromFile", &json!({"ids": [j.0, p.0]})).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((s.catalog.photo(j).unwrap().rating, s.catalog.photo(p).unwrap().rating), (2, 5));
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&src);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&lib);
+}

crates/engine/src/view.rs

@@ -108,3 +108,96 @@ impl Selection {
         self.active = Some(id);
     }
 }
+
+/// One active filter, shown as a removable chip above the grid.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct FilterChip {
+    pub label: String,
+    /// `library.filter` patch that clears just this filter.
+    pub clear: serde_json::Value,
+}
+
+/// The chips for every constraint in the filter bar / search / sidebar (not the source itself).
+pub fn filter_chips(f: &Filter, cat: &Catalog) -> Vec<FilterChip> {
+    use lightcraft_catalog::{MediaKind, RatingOp};
+    use serde_json::{Value::Null, json};
+    let mut v = Vec::new();
+    let mut add = |label: String, clear: serde_json::Value| v.push(FilterChip { label, clear });
+    if !f.text.trim().is_empty() {
+        add(format!("Search: “{}”", f.text.trim()), json!({"text": ""}));
+    }
+    if f.rating > 0 {
+        let op = match f.rating_op {
+            RatingOp::AtLeast => "≥",
+            RatingOp::Exactly => "=",
+            RatingOp::AtMost => "≤",
+        };
+        add(format!("Rating {op} {}★", f.rating), json!({"rating": 0}));
+    }
+    if let Some(fl) = f.flag {
+        add(format!("Flag: {}", format!("{fl:?}").to_lowercase()), json!({"flag": Null}));
+    }
+    let mut labels = f.labels.clone();
+    labels.extend(f.label.filter(|l| !labels.contains(l)));
+    if !labels.is_empty() {
+        let names: Vec<String> = labels.iter().map(|l| cat.label_name(*l)).collect();
+        add(format!("Label: {}", names.join(" or ")), json!({"label": Null, "labels": []}));
+    }
+    if let Some(k) = f.kind {
+        let n = match k {
+            MediaKind::Image => "Photos",
+            MediaKind::Raw => "Raw",
+            MediaKind::Video => "Videos",
+        };
+        add(format!("Type: {n}"), json!({"kind": Null}));
+    }
+    if let Some(m) = &f.merged {
+        let n = match m.as_str() {
+            "hdr" => "HDR",
+            "panorama" => "Panoramas",
+            "hdrPanorama" => "HDR panoramas",
+            _ => "Merged",
+        };
+        add(format!("Type: {n}"), json!({"merged": Null}));
+    }
+    if let Some(e) = f.edited {
+        add(if e { "Edited".into() } else { "Unedited".into() }, json!({"edited": Null}));
+    }
+    for (name, key, val) in [("Camera", "camera", &f.camera), ("Lens", "lens", &f.lens), ("Keyword", "keyword", &f.keyword)] {
+        if let Some(x) = val {
+            add(format!("{name}: {x}"), json!({key: Null}));
+        }
+    }
+    if let Some(d) = &f.date {
+        add(format!("Date: {}", date_label(d)), json!({"date": Null}));
+    }
+    if let Some(d) = &f.imported {
+        add(format!("Imported: {}", date_label(d)), json!({"imported": Null}));
+    }
+    match (&f.date_from, &f.date_to) {
+        (Some(a), Some(b)) => add(format!("Captured {a} – {b}"), json!({"dateFrom": Null, "dateTo": Null})),
+        (Some(a), None) => add(format!("Captured from {a}"), json!({"dateFrom": Null})),
+        (None, Some(b)) => add(format!("Captured until {b}"), json!({"dateTo": Null})),
+        _ => {}
+    }
+    if let Some(rs) = f.rule_set.as_ref().filter(|r| !r.rules.is_empty()) {
+        add(format!("Rules: {}", rs.describe()), json!({"ruleSet": Null}));
+    }
+    if !f.only.is_empty() {
+        add(format!("Only {} photos", f.only.len()), json!({"only": []}));
+    }
+    v
+}
+
+/// `2026-01-16` → "January 16, 2026"; `2026-01` → "January 2026"; anything else as is.
+fn date_label(d: &str) -> String {
+    const MONTHS: [&str; 12] =
+        ["January", "February", "March", "April", "May", "June", "July", "August", "September", "October", "November", "December"];
+    let parts: Vec<&str> = d.split('-').collect();
+    let month = parts.get(1).and_then(|m| m.parse::<usize>().ok()).filter(|m| (1..=12).contains(m)).map(|m| MONTHS[m - 1]);
+    match (parts.as_slice(), month) {
+        ([y, _, day], Some(m)) => format!("{m} {}, {y}", day.trim_start_matches('0')),
+        ([y, _], Some(m)) => format!("{m} {y}"),
+        _ => d.to_string(),
+    }
+}

crates/geom/src/lib.rs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 //! Conventions: image coordinates are y-down. *Normalized* coordinates map the full (uncropped,
 //! oriented) image to `0..1` on both axes, so tools and settings are resolution independent.
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
 mod crop;
 mod homography;

crates/gpu/src/ctx.rs

@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ pub struct Buf {
 
 impl Buf {
     pub fn raw(&self) -> &wgpu::Buffer {
+        // `buf` is `Some` from construction (`Gpu::buffer`/`upload`) until `Drop` takes it back
+        // for the pool, so a live `Buf` always has it.
+        #[allow(clippy::expect_used)]
         &self.buf.as_ref().expect("live buffer").0
     }
 }
@@ -272,37 +275,47 @@ fn module_source(m: &Module, consts: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 impl Gpu {
-    /// Create a device on the best available adapter (no software fallback), or `None`.
-    pub fn new() -> Option<Gpu> {
+    /// Create a device on the best available adapter (no software fallback), or why there is none.
+    pub fn new() -> Result<Gpu, String> {
         let mut desc = wgpu::InstanceDescriptor::new_without_display_handle();
         desc.backends = wgpu::Backends::PRIMARY;
         let instance = wgpu::Instance::new(desc);
         let adapter = pollster::block_on(
             instance.request_adapter(&wgpu::RequestAdapterOptions { power_preference: wgpu::PowerPreference::HighPerformance, ..Default::default() }),
         )
-        .ok()?;
+        .map_err(|e| format!("no GPU adapter ({e})"))?;
         let info = adapter.get_info();
         if info.device_type == wgpu::DeviceType::Cpu {
             log::info!("gpu: only a software adapter ({}), using the CPU pipeline", info.name);
-            return None;
+            return Err(format!("software adapter ({}) skipped: the CPU pipeline is faster", info.name));
         }
-        let limits = adapter.limits();
+        let mut limits = adapter.limits();
         if limits.max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage < 10 {
             log::info!("gpu: {} has too few storage buffers per stage", info.name);
-            return None;
+            return Err(format!("{} has too few storage buffers per shader stage ({} < 10)", info.name, limits.max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage));
+        }
+        if let Some((binding, buffer)) = limits_override() {
+            limits.max_storage_buffer_binding_size = limits.max_storage_buffer_binding_size.min(binding);
+            limits.max_buffer_size = limits.max_buffer_size.min(buffer);
+            log::info!("gpu: LIGHTCRAFT_GPU_LIMITS: storage bindings ≤ {} MiB, buffers ≤ {} MiB", binding >> 20, buffer >> 20);
         }
         let (device, queue) = pollster::block_on(adapter.request_device(&wgpu::DeviceDescriptor {
             label: Some("lightcraft"),
             required_limits: limits.clone(),
             ..Default::default()
         }))
-        .ok()?;
-        // Errors outside an error scope (e.g. out of memory during a render): log, and stop using
-        // the GPU (the render in flight is redone on the CPU).
+        .map_err(|e| format!("{}: device creation failed ({e})", info.name))?;
+        // Errors outside a render's error scopes (see `ErrorScopes`): log, and stop using the GPU.
         device.on_uncaptured_error(std::sync::Arc::new(|e| {
             log::error!("gpu: {e}");
-            crate::mark_broken();
+            crate::mark_broken(&format!("device error: {e}"));
         }));
+        // wgpu reports a lost device (driver reset, GPU hang, watchdog) only here — never as an
+        // error — so without this callback a lost device went unnoticed.
+        device.set_device_lost_callback(|reason, msg| {
+            log::error!("gpu: device lost ({reason:?}): {msg}");
+            crate::mark_broken(&format!("device lost ({reason:?}): {msg}"));
+        });
         let scope = device.push_error_scope(wgpu::ErrorFilter::Validation);
         let consts = constants();
         let mut kernels = HashMap::new();
@@ -331,7 +344,7 @@ impl Gpu {
         }
         if let Some(e) = pollster::block_on(scope.pop()) {
             log::error!("gpu: kernels failed to build on {}: {e}", info.name);
-            return None;
+            return Err(format!("{}: kernels failed to build ({e})", info.name));
         }
         let dummy = device.create_buffer(&wgpu::BufferDescriptor {
             label: Some("dummy"),
@@ -340,13 +353,20 @@ impl Gpu {
             mapped_at_creation: false,
         });
         let max_buffer = limits.max_storage_buffer_binding_size.min(limits.max_buffer_size);
-        log::info!("gpu: {} ({:?})", info.name, info.backend);
-        Some(Gpu { device, queue, info, kernels, dummy, free: Default::default(), max_buffer })
+        log::info!("gpu: {} ({:?}), buffers ≤ {} MiB", info.name, info.backend, max_buffer >> 20);
+        Ok(Gpu { device, queue, info, kernels, dummy, free: Default::default(), max_buffer })
     }
 
     /// A buffer of `len` 32-bit values with undefined contents (a recycled one when possible).
+    ///
+    /// A buffer over the device limit fails the render ([`FailKind::Limit`]) instead of raising a
+    /// validation error: the caller gets a placeholder and the render is redone on the CPU.
     pub fn buffer(&self, len: usize) -> Buf {
         let size = (len.max(1) * 4) as u64;
+        if size > self.limit() {
+            self.over_limit(size);
+            return Buf { buf: Some(Tracked::new(self.placeholder())), len };
+        }
         let recycled = {
             let mut f = self.free.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
             // the smallest pooled buffer that holds `size` with at most 25 % to spare: photos of
@@ -423,6 +443,10 @@ impl Gpu {
         if bytes.is_empty() {
             return self.buffer(1);
         }
+        if bytes.len() as u64 > self.limit() {
+            self.over_limit(bytes.len() as u64);
+            return Buf { buf: Some(Tracked::new(self.placeholder())), len };
+        }
         let buf = self.device.create_buffer_init(&wgpu::util::BufferInitDescriptor {
             label: None,
             contents: bytes,
@@ -431,9 +455,32 @@ impl Gpu {
         Buf { buf: Some(Tracked::new(buf)), len }
     }
 
+    fn over_limit(&self, size: u64) {
+        fail(
+            FailKind::Limit,
+            format!("a {} MiB buffer exceeds the device's {} MiB storage-buffer limit", size.div_ceil(1 << 20), self.limit() >> 20),
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Stands in for a buffer that could not be created (the render has failed already).
+    fn placeholder(&self) -> wgpu::Buffer {
+        self.device.create_buffer(&wgpu::BufferDescriptor {
+            label: Some("placeholder"),
+            size: 16,
+            usage: wgpu::BufferUsages::STORAGE | wgpu::BufferUsages::COPY_SRC | wgpu::BufferUsages::COPY_DST,
+            mapped_at_creation: false,
+        })
+    }
+
     /// Whether a buffer of `len` 32-bit values fits the device limits.
     pub fn fits(&self, len: usize) -> bool {
-        (len as u64) * 4 <= self.max_buffer
+        (len as u64) * 4 <= self.limit()
+    }
+
+    /// Largest buffer a render may use (bytes): the device limit, or a lower one set for the
+    /// render on this thread ([`LimitOverride`]).
+    pub fn limit(&self) -> u64 {
+        LIMIT.try_with(|l| l.get()).ok().flatten().map_or(self.max_buffer, |l| l.min(self.max_buffer))
     }
 
     pub fn encoder(&self) -> wgpu::CommandEncoder {
@@ -442,7 +489,14 @@ impl Gpu {
 
     /// Record kernel `name` with parameters `p` over buffers `bufs` (None = unused binding).
     pub fn run(&self, enc: &mut wgpu::CommandEncoder, name: &str, p: &[u32], bufs: &[Option<&Buf>], groups: [u32; 3]) {
-        let k = self.kernels.get(name).unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("unknown kernel {name}"));
+        if failed() {
+            return; // the render is redone on the CPU: don't spend the GPU on it
+        }
+        let Some(k) = self.kernels.get(name) else {
+            // a kernel name typo: fail this render over to the CPU instead of crashing
+            fail(FailKind::Fatal, format!("unknown kernel {name}"));
+            return;
+        };
         assert_eq!(bufs.len(), k.nbuf, "{name}: binding count");
         let params = self.device.create_buffer_init(&wgpu::util::BufferInitDescriptor {
             label: None,
@@ -462,8 +516,16 @@ impl Gpu {
     }
 
     /// Submit `enc`, then read back the first `len` 32-bit values of `src`.
+    ///
+    /// A failed readback (device lost, map error, timeout) fails the render ([`FailKind::Fatal`])
+    /// and returns zeros, which the caller discards; after an earlier failure in the same render
+    /// nothing more is submitted.
     pub fn finish_and_read<T: bytemuck::Pod>(&self, mut enc: wgpu::CommandEncoder, src: &Buf, len: usize) -> Vec<T> {
         assert!(len <= src.len, "readback of {len} values from a buffer of {}", src.len);
+        let zeros = || vec![<T as bytemuck::Zeroable>::zeroed(); len];
+        if failed() {
+            return zeros();
+        }
         let size = (len * 4) as u64;
         let staging = self.device.create_buffer(&wgpu::BufferDescriptor {
             label: Some("readback"),
@@ -478,12 +540,25 @@ impl Gpu {
         slice.map_async(wgpu::MapMode::Read, move |r| {
             let _ = tx.send(r);
         });
-        let _ = self.device.poll(wgpu::PollType::wait_indefinitely());
-        match rx.recv() {
-            Ok(Ok(())) => {}
-            other => panic!("gpu readback failed: {other:?}"),
+        let failed = |why: String| {
+            fail(FailKind::Fatal, format!("readback failed: {why}"));
+            zeros()
+        };
+        // A lost device makes the wait fail and the map callback never run: checking both keeps
+        // this from blocking forever (or handing back an unwritten buffer as the image).
+        if let Err(e) = self.device.poll(wgpu::PollType::Wait { submission_index: None, timeout: Some(READBACK_TIMEOUT) }) {
+            return failed(format!("{e}"));
         }
-        let data = slice.get_mapped_range().expect("mapped");
+        // another thread's poll may be the one that runs the callback: allow it a moment
+        match rx.recv_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(10)) {
+            Ok(Ok(())) => {}
+            Ok(Err(e)) => return failed(format!("{e}")),
+            Err(e) => return failed(format!("map callback: {e}")),
+        }
+        let data = match slice.get_mapped_range() {
+            Ok(d) => d,
+            Err(e) => return failed(format!("{e:?}")),
+        };
         let out: Vec<T> = bytemuck::cast_slice(&data).to_vec();
         drop(data);
         staging.unmap();
@@ -491,6 +566,127 @@ impl Gpu {
     }
 }
 
+/// Longest wait for a render's GPU work: beyond it the render fails over to the CPU (drivers
+/// normally reset a hung GPU much sooner).
+const READBACK_TIMEOUT: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(60);
+
+/// `LIGHTCRAFT_GPU_LIMITS`: lower the device limits, e.g. to reproduce a smaller adapter.
+/// `webgpu` / `downlevel` = 128 MiB storage bindings and 256 MiB buffers (the WebGPU defaults),
+/// `<n>` = n MiB storage bindings and 2n MiB buffers. Returns (binding bytes, buffer bytes).
+fn limits_override() -> Option<(u64, u64)> {
+    parse_limits(&std::env::var("LIGHTCRAFT_GPU_LIMITS").ok()?)
+}
+
+fn parse_limits(v: &str) -> Option<(u64, u64)> {
+    let v = v.trim().to_ascii_lowercase();
+    match v.as_str() {
+        "" => None,
+        "webgpu" | "downlevel" | "default" => {
+            let d = wgpu::Limits::default();
+            Some((d.max_storage_buffer_binding_size, d.max_buffer_size))
+        }
+        n => {
+            let mb: u64 = n.trim_end_matches("mib").trim_end_matches("mb").trim().parse().ok()?;
+            let b = mb.max(1) << 20;
+            Some((b, 2 * b))
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// How a GPU render failed (it is then redone on the CPU).
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) enum FailKind {
+    /// A buffer over the device limits: this render only.
+    Limit,
+    /// The device ran out of memory: this render only (the buffer pool is emptied).
+    OutOfMemory,
+    /// The image came back entirely black: redone on the CPU in case the GPU dropped work.
+    Blank,
+    /// Device error or loss, readback failure, incomplete image: the GPU is not used again.
+    Fatal,
+}
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub(crate) struct Failure {
+    pub kind: FailKind,
+    pub reason: String,
+}
+
+thread_local! {
+    /// A lower buffer limit for the render on this thread (fault injection in tests).
+    static LIMIT: std::cell::Cell<Option<u64>> = const { std::cell::Cell::new(None) };
+}
+
+/// Lowers [`Gpu::limit`] on this thread while it lives.
+pub(crate) struct LimitOverride;
+
+impl LimitOverride {
+    pub fn new(bytes: u64) -> LimitOverride {
+        LIMIT.with(|l| l.set(Some(bytes)));
+        LimitOverride
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for LimitOverride {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let _ = LIMIT.try_with(|l| l.set(None));
+    }
+}
+
+thread_local! {
+    /// The first failure of the render running on this thread.
+    static FAILURE: std::cell::RefCell<Option<Failure>> = const { std::cell::RefCell::new(None) };
+}
+
+/// Record a failure of the render running on this thread (the first one is kept).
+pub(crate) fn fail(kind: FailKind, reason: String) {
+    let _ = FAILURE.try_with(|f| {
+        let mut f = f.borrow_mut();
+        if f.is_none() {
+            *f = Some(Failure { kind, reason });
+        }
+    });
+}
+
+/// Has the render on this thread failed?
+pub(crate) fn failed() -> bool {
+    FAILURE.try_with(|f| f.borrow().is_some()).unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+/// The render's failure, clearing it.
+pub(crate) fn take_failure() -> Option<Failure> {
+    FAILURE.try_with(|f| f.borrow_mut().take()).ok().flatten()
+}
+
+/// wgpu error scopes around a render: out-of-memory, validation and internal errors raised by
+/// this thread's calls are captured (instead of reaching the uncaptured-error handler) and fail
+/// the render.
+pub(crate) struct ErrorScopes([wgpu::ErrorScopeGuard; 3]);
+
+impl ErrorScopes {
+    pub fn push(g: &Gpu) -> ErrorScopes {
+        ErrorScopes([
+            g.device.push_error_scope(wgpu::ErrorFilter::OutOfMemory),
+            g.device.push_error_scope(wgpu::ErrorFilter::Validation),
+            g.device.push_error_scope(wgpu::ErrorFilter::Internal),
+        ])
+    }
+
+    /// Pop the scopes: the most telling error captured (out of memory first — an allocation
+    /// failure makes later commands invalid too — then internal, then validation).
+    pub fn pop(self) -> Option<Failure> {
+        let [oom, validation, internal] = self.0;
+        // scopes pop in reverse order of their creation
+        let internal = pollster::block_on(internal.pop());
+        let validation = pollster::block_on(validation.pop());
+        let oom = pollster::block_on(oom.pop());
+        if let Some(e) = oom {
+            return Some(Failure { kind: FailKind::OutOfMemory, reason: format!("out of device memory: {e}") });
+        }
+        internal.or(validation).map(|e| Failure { kind: FailKind::Fatal, reason: format!("device error: {e}") })
+    }
+}
+
 fn storage_entry(binding: u32, read_only: bool) -> wgpu::BindGroupLayoutEntry {
     wgpu::BindGroupLayoutEntry {
         binding,
@@ -511,3 +707,23 @@ pub fn groups1(n: usize) -> [u32; 3] {
     let x = g.min(32768);
     [x as u32, g.div_ceil(x) as u32, 1]
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    #[test]
+    fn limits_override_parses() {
+        assert_eq!(super::parse_limits("webgpu"), Some((128 << 20, 256 << 20)));
+        assert_eq!(super::parse_limits(" Downlevel "), Some((128 << 20, 256 << 20)));
+        assert_eq!(super::parse_limits("64"), Some((64 << 20, 128 << 20)));
+        assert_eq!(super::parse_limits("512MiB"), Some((512 << 20, 1024 << 20)));
+        assert_eq!(super::parse_limits(""), None);
+        assert_eq!(super::parse_limits("lots"), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn dispatches_stay_within_the_workgroup_limit() {
+        // 1-D kernels over a 100 MP image and 2-D ones over 16k × 16k stay under 65535 per axis
+        assert!(super::groups1(100_000_000 * 3).iter().all(|g| *g <= 65535));
+        assert!(super::groups2(16384, 16384, [16, 16]).iter().all(|g| *g <= 65535));
+    }
+}

crates/gpu/src/lib.rs

@@ -7,13 +7,16 @@
 //! CPU inside the same render (per-stage hybrid); see `docs/gpu-pipeline.md`.
 //!
 //! Use [`render`]: it returns `None` when the GPU is unavailable, disabled (`LIGHTCRAFT_GPU=0` or
-//! [`set_enabled`]), or the render does not fit the device — callers then render on the CPU.
+//! [`set_enabled`]), the render does not fit the device, or the device reported an error, ran out
+//! of memory or returned an incomplete image — callers then render on the CPU. [`unavailable_reason`]
+//! and [`last_fallback`] say why (`ui.inspect` → `perf.gpuReason` / `perf.gpuFallback`).
 //! The browser build has no GPU path yet (WebGPU device creation is asynchronous): everything here
 //! compiles to the CPU fallback on wasm32.
 #![forbid(unsafe_code)]
+#![deny(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic, clippy::unimplemented, clippy::todo, clippy::unreachable)]
 
-use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
 
 use lightcraft_develop::DevelopSettings;
 use lightcraft_pipeline::{RenderRequest, Rendered, SourceInfo, StageCache};
@@ -33,12 +36,95 @@ static ENABLED: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(true);
 /// Set when a GPU render failed: the process stays on the CPU from then on.
 static BROKEN: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);
 
+/// Why the GPU stopped being used (the first fatal failure).
+static BROKEN_REASON: Mutex<Option<String>> = Mutex::new(None);
+/// The latest render that fell back to the CPU, and why.
+static LAST_FALLBACK: Mutex<Option<String>> = Mutex::new(None);
+
 /// Stop using the GPU for the rest of the process (after a device error).
 #[cfg_attr(target_arch = "wasm32", allow(dead_code))]
-fn mark_broken() {
+fn mark_broken(reason: &str) {
+    let mut r = BROKEN_REASON.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
+    if r.is_none() {
+        *r = Some(reason.to_string());
+    }
     BROKEN.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
 }
 
+#[cfg_attr(target_arch = "wasm32", allow(dead_code))]
+fn record_fallback(reason: String) {
+    *LAST_FALLBACK.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()) = Some(reason);
+}
+
+/// Why renders do not use the GPU, or `None` when they do (or will, once the device is created).
+/// E.g. "disabled by LIGHTCRAFT_GPU=0", "software adapter (llvmpipe …) skipped", "device lost …".
+/// Never blocks.
+pub fn unavailable_reason() -> Option<String> {
+    if env_disabled() {
+        return Some("disabled by LIGHTCRAFT_GPU=0".into());
+    }
+    if !ENABLED.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+        return Some("disabled by the GPU rendering preference (app.gpu)".into());
+    }
+    if BROKEN.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+        let r = BROKEN_REASON.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).clone().unwrap_or_else(|| "device error".into());
+        return Some(format!("stopped after a GPU failure: {r}"));
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+    {
+        match GPU.get() {
+            Some(Err(e)) => Some(e.clone()),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+    #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
+    {
+        Some("the browser build has no GPU path yet".into())
+    }
+}
+
+/// The latest render that fell back from the GPU to the CPU and why (device limit, out of memory,
+/// device error, incomplete or blank result), if any.
+pub fn last_fallback() -> Option<String> {
+    LAST_FALLBACK.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).clone()
+}
+
+/// A simulated GPU failure for the next [`render`] on this thread (tests of the CPU fallback).
+#[doc(hidden)]
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum Fault {
+    /// A command the device rejects (validation error).
+    Validation,
+    /// The per-pixel stage's work never runs (what a driver that silently drops or resets a
+    /// submission looks like: the readback holds no image).
+    DropWork,
+    /// A storage-buffer limit of this many bytes for this render.
+    Limit(u64),
+}
+
+thread_local! {
+    static FAULT: std::cell::Cell<Option<Fault>> = const { std::cell::Cell::new(None) };
+}
+
+/// Make the next [`render`] on this thread fail with `f` (tests).
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub fn inject_fault(f: Fault) {
+    FAULT.with(|c| c.set(Some(f)));
+}
+
+#[cfg_attr(target_arch = "wasm32", allow(dead_code))]
+fn take_fault() -> Option<Fault> {
+    FAULT.with(|c| c.take())
+}
+
+/// Use the GPU again after a failure (tests that inject faults).
+#[doc(hidden)]
+pub fn reset_failures() {
+    BROKEN.store(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
+    *BROKEN_REASON.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()) = None;
+    *LAST_FALLBACK.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()) = None;
+}
+
 /// Allow or forbid GPU rendering at runtime (a preference). `LIGHTCRAFT_GPU=0` forbids it for the
 /// whole process regardless.
 pub fn set_enabled(on: bool) {
@@ -56,20 +142,20 @@ fn env_disabled() -> bool {
 }
 
 #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
-static GPU: std::sync::OnceLock<Option<ctx::Gpu>> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
+static GPU: std::sync::OnceLock<Result<ctx::Gpu, String>> = std::sync::OnceLock::new();
 
 #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
 pub(crate) fn device() -> Option<&'static ctx::Gpu> {
     if env_disabled() {
         return None;
     }
-    GPU.get_or_init(|| std::panic::catch_unwind(ctx::Gpu::new).ok().flatten()).as_ref()
+    GPU.get_or_init(|| std::panic::catch_unwind(ctx::Gpu::new).unwrap_or_else(|_| Err("device creation panicked".into()))).as_ref().ok()
 }
 
 /// The device if it has been created (never creates it).
 #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
 pub(crate) fn existing_device() -> Option<&'static ctx::Gpu> {
-    GPU.get().and_then(|g| g.as_ref())
+    GPU.get().and_then(|g| g.as_ref().ok())
 }
 
 /// Create the device and compile the kernels on a background thread now (app start), so the
@@ -159,7 +245,7 @@ pub fn set_pool_limit(bytes: u64) {
 /// Free recycled buffers until at most `keep` bytes stay pooled (e.g. when the app goes idle).
 pub fn trim_pool(keep: u64) {
     #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
-    if let Some(g) = GPU.get().and_then(|g| g.as_ref()) {
+    if let Some(g) = existing_device() {
         g.trim(keep);
     }
     #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
@@ -190,19 +276,60 @@ pub fn render(src: &Arc<Rgb32f>, info: &SourceInfo, s: &DevelopSettings, req: &R
         }
         let gpu = device()?;
         let ext = stages.map(|c| c.extension::<GpuStages>());
-        let r = {
+        let fault = take_fault();
+        let _ = ctx::take_failure(); // nothing left over from an earlier render on this thread
+        let (r, scoped) = {
             let _scope = ctx::RenderScope::new(gpu);
-            std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| render::render(gpu, src, info, s, req, ext.as_deref())))
+            let errors = ctx::ErrorScopes::push(gpu);
+            let r = std::panic::catch_unwind(std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| render::render(gpu, src, info, s, req, ext.as_deref(), fault)));
+            (r, errors.pop())
         };
-        match r {
-            // a device error during the render: its result is not trustworthy
-            Ok(_) if BROKEN.load(Ordering::Relaxed) => None,
-            Ok(r) => r,
-            Err(_) => {
+        // An error the device raised explains the readback failures that follow it; a buffer
+        // over the limit explains the errors its placeholder raises.
+        let failure = match (ctx::take_failure(), scoped) {
+            (Some(f), _) if f.kind == ctx::FailKind::Limit => Some(f),
+            (f, scoped) => scoped.or(f),
+        };
+        match (r, failure) {
+            (Err(_), _) => {
                 log::error!("gpu: render failed; using the CPU pipeline from now on");
-                BROKEN.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                mark_broken("a GPU render panicked");
+                record_fallback("a GPU render panicked; the GPU is not used again".into());
                 None
             }
+            (Ok(r), Some(f)) => {
+                // the view's cached device stages may hold results of the failed passes
+                if let Some(e) = &ext {
+                    e.clear();
+                }
+                let what = match &r {
+                    Some(r) => format!("{}×{}", r.image.width, r.image.height),
+                    None => "GPU render".into(),
+                };
+                let reason = match f.kind {
+                    ctx::FailKind::Fatal => {
+                        mark_broken(&f.reason);
+                        format!("{what}: {}; the GPU is not used again", f.reason)
+                    }
+                    ctx::FailKind::OutOfMemory => {
+                        gpu.trim(0);
+                        format!("{what}: {}", f.reason)
+                    }
+                    ctx::FailKind::Limit | ctx::FailKind::Blank => format!("{what}: {}", f.reason),
+                };
+                log::warn!("gpu: rendering on the CPU instead: {reason}");
+                if render::profiling() {
+                    eprintln!("  gpu fallback to the CPU: {reason}");
+                }
+                record_fallback(reason);
+                None
+            }
+            // a device error on another thread or a lost device during the render
+            (Ok(Some(_)), None) if BROKEN.load(Ordering::Relaxed) => {
+                record_fallback(format!("device failure during the render: {}", unavailable_reason().unwrap_or_default()));
+                None
+            }
+            (Ok(r), None) => r,
         }
     }
     #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]