Add -default-view to choose timeline or grid as the site root

The view named by -default-view (timeline, the default, or grid) is published
at the site root; the other is served under /timeline/ or /grid/. viewBase and
pageURL derive every page path, pager link and the Timeline<->Grid cross-link
from the single setting, and Build removes both timeline/ and grid/ on each run
so flipping the default never leaves a stale root behind.

Reimplemented on trunk (which has albums and the /manage feature) rather than
cherry-picked, since the original was written against an earlier base. Credit
for the edit/delete and default-view ideas goes to Santhosh Raju, now noted in
a README Contributors section.

- main.go: -default-view flag, validated (fatal on anything but timeline/grid)
- module.nix: services.photogallery.defaultView enum option
- templates: timeline/grid/day/album/albums cross-links use TimelineURL/GridURL
- tests: timeline-root, grid-root, and switch-cleanup

CLAUDE.md

@@ -113,9 +113,9 @@ contain spaces (`"berlin trip"`), and its URL slug is derived with `sanitiseSlug
 - Gruvbox dark hard colour scheme
 - Crimson Pro (serif) for headings and captions — configurable via `-serif-family` / `-fonts-url`
 - Manjari for Malayalam text (bio line), via `-ml-family`
-- Two views of the same photos, both 3-column square grid → 2-column on mobile, both with infinite-scroll load-more. Page size is configurable via `-page-size` (default 60; NixOS `services.photogallery.pageSize`):
+- Two views of the same photos, both 3-column square grid → 2-column on mobile, both with infinite-scroll load-more. Page size is configurable via `-page-size` (default 60; NixOS `services.photogallery.pageSize`). Which view sits at the site root is chosen by `-default-view` (`timeline` or `grid`, default `timeline`; NixOS `services.photogallery.defaultView`): the chosen one owns `/` (`/`, `/page/2/`, …) and the other is published under `/<name>/`. `viewBase`/`pageURL` (`generator.go`) derive every page path, pager link and the Timeline↔Grid cross-links (`TimelineURL`/`GridURL` in the template data) from that one setting; `Build` removes both `timeline/` and `grid/` each run so a flipped default leaves no stale root behind.
-  - **Timeline is the site root** (`/`, `/page/2/`, …). Photos grouped by calendar day: one ISO date heading (`2026-06-14`) + count per day, then the square grid. `groupByDay` collapses the newest-first list into consecutive same-day runs; `chunkDayGroups` packs whole days into pages targeting `pageSize`, never splitting a day across a page boundary (so appended pages never duplicate a heading — the load-more JS relies on this).
+  - **Timeline** (the default root): photos grouped by calendar day — one ISO date heading (`2026-06-14`) + count per day, then the square grid. `groupByDay` collapses the newest-first list into consecutive same-day runs; `chunkDayGroups` packs whole days into pages targeting `pageSize`, never splitting a day across a page boundary (so appended pages never duplicate a heading — the load-more JS relies on this).
-  - **Grid** (`/grid/`, `/grid/page/2/`, …) is the flat square grid, linked from the profile header.
+  - **Grid** is the flat square grid. At `/grid/` by default, or at the root when `-default-view grid`.
   - Each timeline date heading links to a **single-day page** (`/day/<YYYY-MM-DD>/`) holding just that day's photos. `renderDayPages` writes one per `groupByDay` run; the ISO label doubles as the URL slug.
 - Single photo page with sidebar and newer/older navigation
 

README.md

@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 
 A minimal static photo gallery with an Atom feed and an upload API.
 
+## Contributors
+
+- **[Santhosh Raju](https://git.planet-express.in/fox)** — originated the ideas for the edit/delete ("manage")
+  capability and the configurable default view (`-default-view`, timeline or
+  grid as the site root). Both landed here as independent implementations
+  building on that work.
+
 ## How it works
 
 1. Drop `photo.jpg` + `photo.toml` into the content directory (or upload via the web UI at `/upload`).

albums.go

@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ func (g *Generator) baseData() map[string]any {
 		"FontsURL":    g.fontsURL,
 		"SerifFamily": g.serifFamily,
 		"MlFamily":    g.mlFamily,
+		"TimelineURL": g.timelineURL(),
+		"GridURL":     g.gridURL(),
 	}
 }
 

default_view_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// buildWithView builds a two-photo site with the given default view and returns
+// the output dir.
+func buildWithView(t *testing.T, view string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	content := t.TempDir()
+	output := t.TempDir()
+	writePNG(t, filepath.Join(content, "a.png"))
+	writePNG(t, filepath.Join(content, "b.png"))
+
+	g := NewGenerator(content, output, "http://x", "A", "@a", "bio", "", "f", "s", "m", 60, view)
+	if err := g.Build(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("build (%s): %v", view, err)
+	}
+	return output
+}
+
+func exists(p string) bool { _, err := os.Stat(p); return err == nil }
+
+func TestDefaultViewTimeline(t *testing.T) {
+	out := buildWithView(t, viewTimeline)
+
+	// Timeline owns the root; grid is the secondary under /grid/.
+	if !exists(filepath.Join(out, "index.html")) {
+		t.Error("root index.html missing")
+	}
+	if !exists(filepath.Join(out, "grid", "index.html")) {
+		t.Error("/grid/ should exist as the secondary view")
+	}
+	// No /timeline/ dir — timeline is at the root, not under its own name.
+	if exists(filepath.Join(out, "timeline")) {
+		t.Error("/timeline/ should not exist when timeline is the default")
+	}
+
+	// The root (timeline) links to grid at /grid/.
+	root := readFile(t, filepath.Join(out, "index.html"))
+	if !strings.Contains(root, `href="/grid/"`) {
+		t.Error("timeline root should link to /grid/")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDefaultViewGrid(t *testing.T) {
+	out := buildWithView(t, viewGrid)
+
+	// Grid owns the root; timeline is the secondary under /timeline/.
+	if !exists(filepath.Join(out, "index.html")) {
+		t.Error("root index.html missing")
+	}
+	if !exists(filepath.Join(out, "timeline", "index.html")) {
+		t.Error("/timeline/ should exist as the secondary view")
+	}
+	// No /grid/ dir — grid is at the root now.
+	if exists(filepath.Join(out, "grid")) {
+		t.Error("/grid/ should not exist when grid is the default")
+	}
+
+	// The root (grid) links back to the timeline at /timeline/.
+	root := readFile(t, filepath.Join(out, "index.html"))
+	if !strings.Contains(root, `href="/timeline/"`) {
+		t.Error("grid root should link to /timeline/")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestDefaultViewSwitchCleansUp confirms that flipping the default view does not
+// leave the previous root's view directory behind.
+func TestDefaultViewSwitchCleansUp(t *testing.T) {
+	content := t.TempDir()
+	output := t.TempDir()
+	writePNG(t, filepath.Join(content, "a.png"))
+
+	// First build with grid as root → creates /timeline/.
+	g1 := NewGenerator(content, output, "http://x", "A", "@a", "b", "", "f", "s", "m", 60, viewGrid)
+	if err := g1.Build(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !exists(filepath.Join(output, "timeline")) {
+		t.Fatal("expected /timeline/ after grid-default build")
+	}
+
+	// Rebuild with timeline as root → /timeline/ must be gone, /grid/ present.
+	g2 := NewGenerator(content, output, "http://x", "A", "@a", "b", "", "f", "s", "m", 60, viewTimeline)
+	if err := g2.Build(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if exists(filepath.Join(output, "timeline")) {
+		t.Error("/timeline/ left over after switching default to timeline")
+	}
+	if !exists(filepath.Join(output, "grid", "index.html")) {
+		t.Error("/grid/ should exist after switching default to timeline")
+	}
+}
+
+func readFile(t *testing.T, p string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	b, err := os.ReadFile(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return string(b)
+}

generator.go

@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ const (
 	mediumMaxSize   = 1600
 	defaultPageSize = 60
 
+	// The two paginated views. The one chosen as -default-view is published at
+	// the site root, the other under /<name>/.
+	viewTimeline = "timeline"
+	viewGrid     = "grid"
+
 	// Open Graph preview image, shared to WhatsApp/Telegram/etc. Kept to a
 	// 1200px longest side and squeezed under ogTargetBytes: WhatsApp is widely
 	// reported to drop the preview entirely once the image passes ~300 KB, so
@@ -80,15 +85,19 @@ type Generator struct {
 	serifFamily string
 	mlFamily    string
 	pageSize    int
+	defaultView string
 	mu          sync.Mutex
 	tmpl        *template.Template
 }
 
-func NewGenerator(contentDir, outputDir, baseURL, author, handle, bio, bioAlt, fontsURL, serifFamily, mlFamily string, pageSize int) *Generator {
+func NewGenerator(contentDir, outputDir, baseURL, author, handle, bio, bioAlt, fontsURL, serifFamily, mlFamily string, pageSize int, defaultView string) *Generator {
 	tmpl := template.Must(template.ParseFS(assets, "templates/*.html"))
 	if pageSize < 1 {
 		pageSize = defaultPageSize
 	}
+	if defaultView != viewGrid {
+		defaultView = viewTimeline
+	}
 	return &Generator{
 		contentDir:  contentDir,
 		outputDir:   outputDir,
@@ -101,10 +110,33 @@ func NewGenerator(contentDir, outputDir, baseURL, author, handle, bio, bioAlt, f
 		serifFamily: serifFamily,
 		mlFamily:    mlFamily,
 		pageSize:    pageSize,
+		defaultView: defaultView,
 		tmpl:        tmpl,
 	}
 }
 
+// viewBase returns the URL prefix a view is published under: "" for the default
+// view, which owns the site root, and "/<view>" for the other one.
+func (g *Generator) viewBase(view string) string {
+	if view == g.defaultView {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return "/" + view
+}
+
+// pageURL returns the URL of the 1-based page n of a view rooted at base.
+func pageURL(base string, n int) string {
+	if n == 1 {
+		return base + "/"
+	}
+	return base + "/page/" + strconv.Itoa(n) + "/"
+}
+
+// timelineURL and gridURL are the roots of each view, for cross-links in the
+// page headers.
+func (g *Generator) timelineURL() string { return pageURL(g.viewBase(viewTimeline), 1) }
+func (g *Generator) gridURL() string     { return pageURL(g.viewBase(viewGrid), 1) }
+
 func (g *Generator) initial() string {
 	for _, r := range g.author {
 		return strings.ToUpper(string(r))
@@ -124,19 +156,19 @@ func (g *Generator) Build() error {
 	}
 
 	// Drop fully-derived HTML trees before regenerating them, so a deleted
-	// post, a retag or a changed date leaves no orphaned page behind. These are
+	// post, a retag, a changed date or a flipped -default-view leaves no
-	// cheap to rewrite (no up-to-date skipping applies to HTML), unlike the
+	// orphaned page behind. These are cheap to rewrite (no up-to-date skipping
-	// image renditions, which are pruned by slug just below.
+	// applies to HTML), unlike the image renditions, which are pruned by slug
-	for _, d := range []string{"photo", "day", "album", "page"} {
+	// just below. Both "timeline" and "grid" are removed: whichever is the
+	// default owns the site root and has no dir of its own, so a dir by that
+	// name can only be a leftover from the opposite -default-view.
+	for _, d := range []string{"photo", "day", "album", "page", "timeline", "grid"} {
 		if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(g.outputDir, d)); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(g.outputDir, "grid", "page")); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 
-	for _, d := range []string{"images", "thumbs", "medium", "og", "photo", "grid", "day", "album", "albums", "static"} {
+	for _, d := range []string{"images", "thumbs", "medium", "og", "photo", "day", "album", "albums", "static"} {
 		if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(g.outputDir, d), 0755); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -467,17 +499,17 @@ func generateOG(src, dst string, maxDim int) error {
 	return os.WriteFile(dst, buf.Bytes(), 0644)
 }
 
-// renderGridPages writes the paginated square-grid view under public/grid/:
+// renderGridPages writes the paginated square-grid view. When grid is the
-// grid/index.html and grid/page/N/index.html, chunking photos into pageSize
+// -default-view it is the site root (index.html + page/N/); otherwise it lives
-// slices for progressive pagination. The grid is the secondary view; the
+// under /grid/. Photos are chunked into pageSize slices for progressive
-// timeline is the site root.
+// pagination.
 func (g *Generator) renderGridPages(photos []Photo) error {
 	total := len(photos)
 	totalPages := (total + g.pageSize - 1) / g.pageSize
 	if totalPages == 0 {
 		totalPages = 1
 	}
-	gridDir := filepath.Join(g.outputDir, "grid")
+	base := g.viewBase(viewGrid)
 
 	for i := 0; i < totalPages; i++ {
 		start := i * g.pageSize
@@ -487,27 +519,19 @@ func (g *Generator) renderGridPages(photos []Photo) error {
 		}
 		slice := photos[start:end]
 
-		dst := filepath.Join(gridDir, "index.html")
+		dir := filepath.Join(g.outputDir, filepath.FromSlash(pageURL(base, i+1)))
-		if i > 0 {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
-			dir := filepath.Join(gridDir, "page", strconv.Itoa(i+1))
+			return err
-			if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			dst = filepath.Join(dir, "index.html")
 		}
+		dst := filepath.Join(dir, "index.html")
 
 		prev := ""
 		next := ""
-		switch i {
+		if i > 0 {
-		case 0:
+			prev = pageURL(base, i)
-			// no prev
-		case 1:
-			prev = "/grid/"
-		default:
-			prev = "/grid/page/" + strconv.Itoa(i) + "/"
 		}
 		if i+1 < totalPages {
-			next = "/grid/page/" + strconv.Itoa(i+2) + "/"
+			next = pageURL(base, i+2)
 		}
 
 		data := map[string]any{
@@ -517,6 +541,8 @@ func (g *Generator) renderGridPages(photos []Photo) error {
 			"TotalPages":  totalPages,
 			"PrevURL":     prev,
 			"NextURL":     next,
+			"TimelineURL": g.timelineURL(),
+			"GridURL":     g.gridURL(),
 			"BaseURL":     g.baseURL,
 			"Year":        time.Now().Year(),
 			"Author":      g.author,
@@ -604,35 +630,29 @@ func chunkDayGroups(groups []DayGroup, target int) [][]DayGroup {
 	return pages
 }
 
-// renderTimelinePages writes the day-grouped timeline as the site root:
+// renderTimelinePages writes the day-grouped timeline. When timeline is the
-// index.html and page/N/index.html. Photos are grouped by day, then packed
+// -default-view (the default) it is the site root (index.html + page/N/);
+// otherwise it lives under /timeline/. Photos are grouped by day, then packed
 // into pages of roughly pageSize without splitting a day across pages.
 func (g *Generator) renderTimelinePages(photos []Photo) error {
 	pages := chunkDayGroups(groupByDay(photos), g.pageSize)
 	totalPages := len(pages)
+	base := g.viewBase(viewTimeline)
 
 	for i, groups := range pages {
-		dst := filepath.Join(g.outputDir, "index.html")
+		dir := filepath.Join(g.outputDir, filepath.FromSlash(pageURL(base, i+1)))
-		if i > 0 {
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
-			dir := filepath.Join(g.outputDir, "page", strconv.Itoa(i+1))
+			return err
-			if err := os.MkdirAll(dir, 0755); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			dst = filepath.Join(dir, "index.html")
 		}
+		dst := filepath.Join(dir, "index.html")
 
 		prev := ""
 		next := ""
-		switch i {
+		if i > 0 {
-		case 0:
+			prev = pageURL(base, i)
-			// no prev
-		case 1:
-			prev = "/"
-		default:
-			prev = "/page/" + strconv.Itoa(i) + "/"
 		}
 		if i+1 < totalPages {
-			next = "/page/" + strconv.Itoa(i+2) + "/"
+			next = pageURL(base, i+2)
 		}
 
 		data := map[string]any{
@@ -642,6 +662,8 @@ func (g *Generator) renderTimelinePages(photos []Photo) error {
 			"TotalPages":  totalPages,
 			"PrevURL":     prev,
 			"NextURL":     next,
+			"TimelineURL": g.timelineURL(),
+			"GridURL":     g.gridURL(),
 			"BaseURL":     g.baseURL,
 			"Year":        time.Now().Year(),
 			"Author":      g.author,
@@ -673,6 +695,8 @@ func (g *Generator) renderDayPages(photos []Photo) error {
 			"Count":       grp.Count,
 			"Photos":      grp.Photos,
 			"Total":       len(photos),
+			"TimelineURL": g.timelineURL(),
+			"GridURL":     g.gridURL(),
 			"BaseURL":     g.baseURL,
 			"Year":        time.Now().Year(),
 			"Author":      g.author,

main.go

@@ -21,15 +21,20 @@ func main() {
 	mlFamily    := flag.String("ml-family", "Manjari", "CSS font-family for the alt-script (Malayalam) bio line")
 	pageSize    := flag.Int("page-size", 60, "photos per page on the timeline and grid views (timeline packs whole days, so pages vary slightly around this)")
 	htpasswd    := flag.String("htpasswd", "", "path to an htpasswd file (bcrypt, `htpasswd -B`) guarding /upload; empty disables auth")
+	defaultView := flag.String("default-view", viewTimeline, "view published at the site root: \"timeline\" or \"grid\"; the other is published under /<name>/")
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	if *defaultView != viewTimeline && *defaultView != viewGrid {
+		log.Fatalf("-default-view must be %q or %q, got %q", viewTimeline, viewGrid, *defaultView)
+	}
+
 	for _, d := range []string{*contentDir, *outputDir} {
 		if err := os.MkdirAll(d, 0755); err != nil {
 			log.Fatalf("mkdir %s: %v", d, err)
 		}
 	}
 
-	g := NewGenerator(*contentDir, *outputDir, *baseURL, *author, *handle, *bio, *bioAlt, *fontsURL, *serifFamily, *mlFamily, *pageSize)
+	g := NewGenerator(*contentDir, *outputDir, *baseURL, *author, *handle, *bio, *bioAlt, *fontsURL, *serifFamily, *mlFamily, *pageSize, *defaultView)
 
 	if err := g.Build(); err != nil {
 		log.Printf("initial build: %v", err)

manage_test.go

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func newTestServer(t *testing.T) (*Server, string, string) {
 	}
 	writePNG(t, filepath.Join(content, "bar.png")) // no sidecar
 
-	g := NewGenerator(content, output, "http://x", "A", "@a", "bio", "", "f", "s", "m", 60)
+	g := NewGenerator(content, output, "http://x", "A", "@a", "bio", "", "f", "s", "m", 60, viewTimeline)
 	if err := g.Build(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("initial build: %v", err)
 	}

module.nix

@@ -82,6 +82,12 @@ in {
       description = "Photos per page on the timeline and grid views. The timeline packs whole days, so pages vary slightly around this.";
     };
 
+    defaultView = lib.mkOption {
+      type        = lib.types.enum [ "timeline" "grid" ];
+      default     = "timeline";
+      description = "View published at the site root; the other is published under /timeline/ or /grid/.";
+    };
+
     htpasswdFile = lib.mkOption {
       type        = lib.types.nullOr lib.types.path;
       default     = null;
@@ -156,6 +162,7 @@ in {
             "--serif-family"  cfg.serifFamily
             "--ml-family"     cfg.mlFamily
             "--page-size"     (toString cfg.pageSize)
+            "--default-view"  cfg.defaultView
           ] ++ lib.optionals (cfg.htpasswdFile != null) [
             # %d is systemd's credentials directory; LoadCredential below drops
             # the htpasswd file there, readable only by this service.

templates/album.html

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
         <p class="handle">{{.Handle}}</p>
         <p class="pcount"><strong>{{.Total}}</strong> posts</p>
         <p class="pbio">{{.Bio}}{{if .BioAlt}}<br><span class="ml">{{.BioAlt}}</span>{{end}}</p>
-        <a href="/" class="rss-a">Timeline</a>
+        <a href="{{.TimelineURL}}" class="rss-a">Timeline</a>
         <a href="/albums/" class="rss-a">← Albums</a>
       </div>
     </div>

templates/albums.html

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
         <p class="handle">{{.Handle}}</p>
         <p class="pcount"><strong>{{.Total}}</strong> posts</p>
         <p class="pbio">{{.Bio}}{{if .BioAlt}}<br><span class="ml">{{.BioAlt}}</span>{{end}}</p>
-        <a href="/" class="rss-a">← Timeline</a>
+        <a href="{{.TimelineURL}}" class="rss-a">← Timeline</a>
       </div>
     </div>
   </header>

templates/day.html

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
         <p class="handle">{{.Handle}}</p>
         <p class="pcount"><strong>{{.Total}}</strong> posts</p>
         <p class="pbio">{{.Bio}}{{if .BioAlt}}<br><span class="ml">{{.BioAlt}}</span>{{end}}</p>
-        <a href="/" class="rss-a">← Timeline</a>
+        <a href="{{.TimelineURL}}" class="rss-a">← Timeline</a>
       </div>
     </div>
   </header>

templates/grid.html

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
         <p class="handle">{{.Handle}}</p>
         <p class="pcount"><strong>{{.Total}}</strong> posts</p>
         <p class="pbio">{{.Bio}}{{if .BioAlt}}<br><span class="ml">{{.BioAlt}}</span>{{end}}</p>
-        <a href="/" class="rss-a">Timeline</a>
+        <a href="{{.TimelineURL}}" class="rss-a">Timeline</a>
         <a href="/albums/" class="rss-a">Albums</a>
         <a href="/feed.xml" class="rss-a">
           <svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 14 14" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true">

templates/timeline.html

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
         <p class="handle">{{.Handle}}</p>
         <p class="pcount"><strong>{{.Total}}</strong> posts</p>
         <p class="pbio">{{.Bio}}{{if .BioAlt}}<br><span class="ml">{{.BioAlt}}</span>{{end}}</p>
-        <a href="/grid/" class="rss-a">Grid</a>
+        <a href="{{.GridURL}}" class="rss-a">Grid</a>
         <a href="/albums/" class="rss-a">Albums</a>
         <a href="/feed.xml" class="rss-a">
           <svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 14 14" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true">