FotoBox
FotoBox is a free, open-source application for running a photo booth on Linux and macOS, including Raspberry Pi OS.
What FotoBox is
FotoBox is a free, open-source application for running a photo booth on Linux and macOS, including Raspberry Pi OS. It supports a variety of DSLR models, with compatibility checked against the libgphoto2 supported-camera list; DSLR use requires gPhoto2. People can take a photo or start a countdown by touching or clicking the display, using soft or hardware buttons, keyboard shortcuts, or a presenter. The installation guide describes use with the official Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2. A buzzer wired to Raspberry Pi GPIO can also trigger the app when pigpio’s library and daemon are installed. The FAQ explains that FotoBox can run on Linux without the X Window System using Qt for Embedded Linux. The maker describes the application as customizable and low in memory use. For help, it points users to German- or English-language Raspberry Pi forums. Software bugs and feature suggestions can be submitted through its GitLab issue tracker.
Good
- Free and open source.
- Supports DSLR cameras, with compatibility tied to libgphoto2.
- Several input methods can trigger photos or countdowns.
- Can run on Linux without the X Window System.
Watch out
- DSLR use requires gPhoto2.
- Camera compatibility depends on the libgphoto2 supported-camera list.
- Support is directed to Raspberry Pi forums and GitLab issues.
Who it suits
FotoBox suits people setting up a photo booth on Linux, macOS, or Raspberry Pi OS, including users with supported DSLR cameras or Raspberry Pi camera hardware. It can also fit installations that use physical buttons or a GPIO buzzer to trigger captures.
Verdict
FotoBox offers a range of ways to trigger booth photos and supports both DSLR and Raspberry Pi camera setups. Check camera compatibility and the required components for the setup before installing.
Plans and prices
From FotoBox's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| FotoBox | Free | free open-source photobooth application · Raspberry Pi/Linux/macOS |
| Free open source | Free | Photobooth application · Raspberry Pi, Linux and macOS |
The facts
Each one read from FotoBox's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Bug reports
- The maker directs users to the GitLab issue tracker to report software bugs or suggest features.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Build extensibility
- The project provides CMake and qmake build paths and documents Docker-based cross-compilation for Raspberry Pi binaries.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Camera requirement
- For DSLR use, the installation instructions say to install gPhoto2.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Camera support
- The application supports various DSLR cameras through gPhoto2 and also supports the Raspberry Pi Camera Module.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Changelog item
- Version 1.3.5 improved performance, added a help button, included a Linux installer script, and fixed gPhoto2 camera-model detection handling.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- DSLR operation requires gPhoto2/libgphoto2, while GPIO buzzer support uses pigpio.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Developer tooling
- Development instructions list Qt Creator, CMake, qmake, Git, Doxygen, Graphviz, build-essential, and ccache.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The project publishes generated Doxygen documentation and a README with installation and troubleshooting guidance.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Fullscreen mode
- The forum feature list identifies FotoBox as a fullscreen application.checked 15 Oct 2026
- GPIO buzzer
- A Raspberry Pi GPIO-connected buzzer can trigger the application through pigpio.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Languages
- The forum feature list says the interface is available in German and English.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The GitHub repository identifies the project as GPL-2.0 licensed.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: GPIO dependency change
- Earlier versions used WiringPi for GPIO, but that framework was no longer maintained and the maker was migrating to pigpio.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: incomplete gallery documentation
- The maker acknowledged that the offline guest gallery and its configuration were not documented in a full tutorial.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: no live view
- The maker stated in the forum that live camera preview had not yet been implemented.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: no printing
- The forum discussion states that photo printing was not implemented at that time and remained planned work.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: stalled development
- In October 2022 the maker described the project as largely dormant and said no newer official release had been published after version 1.3.5.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Performance
- The maker describes FotoBox as a customizable application for Linux and macOS that is fast and uses little memory.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Performance claim
- The maker describes the Linux and macOS application as customizable, fast, and low-memory.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Photo storage
- Captured photos can be saved on the Raspberry Pi storage and on the camera's SD card.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Photo triggering
- Users can start captures or countdowns with touch, mouse clicks, keyboard shortcuts, soft or hardware buttons, or a presenter.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Linux framebuffer
- FotoBox can run without X11 using Qt for Embedded Linux and the linuxfb platform.checked 15 Oct 2026
- macOS installation
- The macOS instructions require Homebrew, gPhoto2, and a downloaded FotoBox release.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Maker
- The project is attributed to Thomas Kais, whose GitLab account owns the repository.checked 15 Oct 2026
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