Make thumbnail generation atomic and warm it on import

- write thumbnails to a .part file and os.replace() them, so concurrent
  requests never read a half-written JPEG
- a stale thumbnail plus a vanished source no longer raises through the
  request (getmtime on a missing file returned 500); it falls back cleanly
- ensure_thumbnail(item) warms the preview when a file is indexed, keeping
  image decoding out of the request path

backend/apps/library/services.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import os
 import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
+import uuid
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 from urllib.parse import urlencode
@@ -481,15 +482,38 @@ def sanitize_iqdb_results(results):
     return cleaned
 
 
+def _thumbnail_is_fresh(target, path):
+    """True when the cached thumbnail exists and is at least as new as source."""
+    try:
+        stat = target.stat()
+        if stat.st_size <= 0:
+            return False
+        return stat.st_mtime >= os.path.getmtime(path)
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+
+
+def _thumbs_dir():
+    thumbs_dir = Path(settings.MEDIA_ROOT) / "thumbs"
+    thumbs_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    return thumbs_dir
+
+
 def generate_video_thumbnail(md5, path):
     """Extract a JPEG thumbnail from a video, cached under MEDIA_ROOT/thumbs."""
     if not shutil.which("ffmpeg"):
         return None
-    thumbs_dir = Path(settings.MEDIA_ROOT) / "thumbs"
+    try:
-    thumbs_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        thumbs_dir = _thumbs_dir()
+    except OSError:
+        logger.exception("Could not create the thumbnail folder")
+        return None
     target = thumbs_dir / f"{md5}.jpg"
-    if target.exists() and target.stat().st_mtime >= os.path.getmtime(path):
+    if _thumbnail_is_fresh(target, path):
         return target
+    # Write beside the target and move it into place, so a concurrent request
+    # can never read a half-written JPEG.
+    temp = thumbs_dir / f".{md5}.{uuid.uuid4().hex}.part.jpg"
     command = [
         "ffmpeg",
         "-y",
@@ -503,11 +527,14 @@ def generate_video_thumbnail(md5, path):
         "scale=480:-2",
         "-loglevel",
         "error",
-        str(target),
+        str(temp),
     ]
     try:
         subprocess.run(command, check=True, capture_output=True, timeout=60)
+        os.replace(temp, target)
     except (subprocess.SubprocessError, OSError):
+        logger.exception("Could not build a video thumbnail for %s", path)
+        temp.unlink(missing_ok=True)
         return None
     return target if target.exists() else None
 
@@ -517,14 +544,18 @@ def generate_image_thumbnail(md5, path):
 
     The thumbnail action used to serve full-size originals for images; a
     cached 480px JPEG keeps the library grid light without touching the
-    original file. Returns ``None`` when Pillow cannot decode the format, so
+    original file. Returns ``None`` when the source is missing or Pillow
-    callers can fall back to the original.
+    cannot decode it, so callers can fall back to the original.
     """
-    thumbs_dir = Path(settings.MEDIA_ROOT) / "thumbs"
+    try:
-    thumbs_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        thumbs_dir = _thumbs_dir()
+    except OSError:
+        logger.exception("Could not create the thumbnail folder")
+        return None
     target = thumbs_dir / f"{md5}.jpg"
-    if target.exists() and target.stat().st_mtime >= os.path.getmtime(path):
+    if _thumbnail_is_fresh(target, path):
         return target
+    temp = thumbs_dir / f".{md5}.{uuid.uuid4().hex}.part.jpg"
     try:
         with Image.open(path) as image:
             # Animated formats: the first frame is the preview.
@@ -532,9 +563,27 @@ def generate_image_thumbnail(md5, path):
             frame = ImageOps.exif_transpose(image) or image
             frame = frame.convert("RGB")
             frame.thumbnail((480, 480))
-            frame.save(target, "JPEG", quality=82, optimize=True)
+            frame.save(temp, "JPEG", quality=82, optimize=True)
+        os.replace(temp, target)
     except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 - previews must never break serving
         logger.exception("Could not build an image thumbnail for %s", path)
-        target.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+        temp.unlink(missing_ok=True)
         return None
     return target if target.exists() else None
+
+
+def ensure_thumbnail(item):
+    """Generate an item's cached thumbnail if it is missing or stale.
+
+    Warming thumbnails when a file is indexed keeps image decoding out of the
+    request path, where the upload pipeline's hashing used to starve it.
+    """
+    location = item.locations.first()
+    if location is None:
+        return None
+    path = Path(location.path)
+    if not path.is_file():
+        return None
+    if path.suffix.lower() in VIDEO_EXTENSIONS:
+        return generate_video_thumbnail(item.md5, path)
+    return generate_image_thumbnail(item.md5, path)

backend/apps/library/tests/test_media_cache.py

@@ -120,6 +120,27 @@ class MediaCacheTests(TestCase):
         self.client.get(url, self.signed("thumbnail"))
         self.assertEqual(thumb.stat().st_mtime_ns, before)
 
+    def test_ensure_thumbnail_reuses_the_cache(self):
+        first = services.ensure_thumbnail(self.item)
+        self.assertIsNotNone(first)
+        self.assertTrue(first.exists())
+        mtime = first.stat().st_mtime_ns
+        second = services.ensure_thumbnail(self.item)
+        self.assertEqual(second, first)
+        self.assertEqual(second.stat().st_mtime_ns, mtime)
+
+    def test_thumbnail_of_a_missing_source_does_not_error(self):
+        """Regression: getmtime() on a vanished source used to raise a 500."""
+        thumbs = self._media / "thumbs"
+        thumbs.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (thumbs / f"{self.item.md5}.jpg").write_bytes(b"stale")
+        Path(self.item.locations.first().path).unlink()
+        self.assertIsNone(services.ensure_thumbnail(self.item))
+        response = self.client.get(
+            f"/api/files/J-{self.item.id}/thumbnail/", self.signed("thumbnail")
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 404)
+
     def test_staged_files_cache_briefly(self):
         temp = TempUpload.objects.create(
             user=self.user,

backend/apps/library/uploads.py

@@ -128,6 +128,12 @@ def complete_temp_upload(temp, download_url=None):
         services.ensure_visual_hashes(item)
         temp.file.delete(save=False)
 
+    # Warm the preview while the import is still off the request path.
+    try:
+        services.ensure_thumbnail(item)
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001 - a preview must not fail the import
+        logger.exception("Could not warm the thumbnail for J-%s", item.id)
+
     temp.library_item = item
     temp.status = TempUpload.STATUS_COMPLETED