You got some good replies and I personally am enamored by LocalSend, it is worth checking it out.

However, there is a simple way if a) you use whatsapp and b) the devices involved have access to whatsapp.
This involves not just sending files but you can send text and whatever whatsapp supports and you’ll have a history of these chats should you need to have them later again. Probably possible with other platforms but I use whatsapp so that is what I setup for information transfer to myself.
The thing you want to do is create a chat group, add a friend for a very brief moment, remove said friend again after they accepted, enjoy your private group where you can dump any and all info into and pick up from wherever you have whatsapp available. The trick is to add a friend for a couple of seconds. If you create a group you are automatically in it but you cannot use it until you add someone else, then it becomes active and use-able. The fact that you end up alone in that group does not make it unavailable again. Weird but it works.

+1 Love LocalSend!

Used to mess around with multiple Apache Proxy Servers. When I left that job I found Docker and (amongst other things) NPM and I swear, I stared at the screen in disbelief on how easy the setup and config was. All that time we wasted on Apache, the issues, the upgrades, the nightmare in setting it all up…

If I were to do that job again I would not hesitate to use NPM 100% and stop wasting my time with that Apache Proxy mess.

Ok, thanks. I think that the combo Immich and icloudpd seems to be a way forward for now as that combo seems to be able to download iCloud files to local (my server) and delete them from iCloud. Once on my server I can move them to Immich and that should just about be it. Famous last words, I know, but I think it will be fine.

Thanks!

That is a good method it seems. So Immich has a feature to backup iCloud/Photos files and use these images. If so then deleting is the only thing left. Did you ever consider using icloudpd to do the transfer of files and have that also delete the files in iCloud? That seems like a solution where you are no longer required to manually delete the files anymore.

Seems so! Thanks!

Understood.
And please accept my belated sympathy for your endeavor with your mom’s Library of Congress sized photo album vault, that must have been tiring.

Exactly as I had it in my head atm!
This setup is very clear to me and doable. Thanks for all your help and suggestions!

Aha! I’m starting to get the picture. icloudpd to download to my server and Immich (or something like that) to use these downloaded images.

Oh boy, this is not going to be a 1-click whambalam fix is it? 😃

Ah well, gives me something to do and look into, it can be considered fun as well of course!

Seems Immich is quite popular and also seems like something I could start to use.
If only we could point the Photos app to Immich or have Immich download and remove images which are older and could be moved to Immich.

Immich seems a real good option! And I am starting to believe that moving pictures from iCloud to another solution to free up space might have to involve another type of system/service unfortunately. Also seems that the Photos app on the iPhone has no options to use something else as storage, it uses local storage and iCloud storage.

Thanks!

Ok, I understand. How did you manage the pictures taken on phones after the move to ente? Perhaps once in a while bulk transfer them manually? Or perhaps tell the camera app to start using ente (if such a thing is even possible)?

Thanks, this could be a real contender in my search!

Nice, seems viable!
Does immich also take care of taking the pictures from iCloud and then remove them?

I was considering nextcloud but was not sure if it would fit my needs, hence I asked the people here as I have seen a lot of people talk about nextcloud so I wanted to see if their experiences fit my needs.

Is nextcloud taking the pictures from iCloud and then delete them or dou you need to instruct nextcloud to do this or do you need to do that part manually?

This is an interesting one. Seems this one has has the backend and frontend covered. Does ente take the photos from iCloud and then remove them to free up space on iCloud?

Does this chain need another service to make the photos ‘usable’ for all the family members? I am not seeking just a safe place to store photos I will delete from iCloud, these photos are (ideally) also still available to view on the phones of all family members.

Thanks for the suggestions! Like you said in another reply, there does seem to be other options that might be simpler. But still, good to know these tools you mention!