Inspired by projects like [teddit](https://codeberg.org/teddit/teddit), [nitter](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter) and [many others](#similar-projects).
Browse any movie info without being tracked or bombarded by annoying ads.
- No connection to IMDb
All requests go through the backend; client never talks to IMDb except for a bunch of requests to `m.media-amazon.com` for images.
- No JavaScript required
Just a few linesof code(~30) to save theme preference, which itself is optional.
- Modern interface
Modern interface with curated colors supporting both dark and light themes.
- Responsive design
Be it your small mobile or big computer screen, it's fully responsive.
- Lightweight
_[Up movie page](https://imdb.com/title/tt1049413/)_
| | libremdb | IMDb |
| --------------- | -------- | ------ |
| no. of requests | ~35 | ~280 |
| data consumed | 1.35MB | 7.75MB |
---
## FAQs
- Why is it so slow?
Whenever you request info about a movie/show on libremdb, 4 trips are made(2 between your browser and libremdb's server, and 2 between libremdb's server and IMDb's server) instead of the usual 2 trips when you visit a website. For this reason there's a noticable delay. This is a bit of inconvenience you'll have to face should you wish to use this website.
- It doesn't have all routes.
I think most of the people just check IMDb to get a quick glimpse of a movie/show. That's why there is just one route for now. However, I will try to implement other important routes if time allows. Keep an eye on [To-Do](#to-do) section.
- Why is it connecting to `m.media-amazon.com`?
For now, images are directly served from amazon. If I have enough time in the future, I'll implement a way to serve the images from libremdb instead.
- Will amazon track me then?
They may log your IP address. I'd recommend using a VPN for mitigating this risk.
- Why not just use IMDb?
Refer to the [features section](#features) above.
- Why didn't you use other databases like [TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/) or [OMDb](https://www.omdbapi.com/)?
IMDb simply has superior dataset compared to all other alternatives. With that being said, I'd encourage you to check out those alternatives too.
- Why did you deploy it on heroku? Why not just buy your own domain name?
It's just a proof-of-concept for now. However, if you'd like to do so, you are very welcome.
---
## Privacy
In short: libremdb doesn't collect any data at all.
- Data you directly provide: None.
- Data you passively provide: Heroku might log some things(like IP address). So, consider hosting your own instance or using a VPN.
- Data stored in your browser: To remember theme preferences, the website stores a key named 'theme' in Local Storage provided by your browser. Apart from that, there is nothing stored in your browser.
---
## To-Do
### soon
- [ ] add advanced search route
- [ ] add did you know and reviews on movie info page
- [ ] implement routes for reviews, quotes, goofs, trivia and crazy credits
### at a later stage
- [ ] use redis
- [ ] implement a better installation method
- [ ] serve images from libremdb itself
- [ ] add a way to see trailer and other videos
- [ ] implement other trivial routes
---
## Installation
1. Install Node.js and Git.
for Node.js, visit [their website](https://nodejs.org/en/).
for Git, run `sudo apt install git` if you're on a Debain-based distro. Else visit [their website](https://git-scm.com/).
2. Clone and set up the repo.
```bash
git clone https://github.com/zyachel/libremdb.git
cd libremdb
cp config.env.template config.env # you can make necessary changes
# if you use npm, change 'pnpm' to 'npm run' here as well as in package.json
pnpm install
pnpm start
```
libremdb will start running at http://localhost:3000.
---
## similar projects
- [Teddit](https://codeberg.org/teddit/teddit)
Teddit is an alternative Reddit front-end focused on privacy.
- [Nitter](https://github.com/zedeus/nitter)
Nitter is a free and open source alternative Twitter front-end focused on privacy.
