Zone-Minder (Security Camera Station Software) Events Browser
zmBroswe (zm - Event Browser) is a free and Open-Source helper application to be used in tandem with a Zone-Minder installation on a local area network. It allows one to view all the events recorded by Zone-Minder on a local area network without having to log into the Zone-Minder web interface. It uses zmBrowse generated thumbnails from the recorded event videos to display the events in a grid format. zmBroswe is primarily written for Windows 10/11 computers, but it can be used on Linux GUI Desktops using Wine, and on probably on MacOS (it can be most probably be used by using Wine and Rosetta).
- Install ZoneMinder on your server.
-
- ZoneMinder Installation - Official Installation Guide
-
- On ZoneMinder Options page go to Config tab. a. Set the following options: - EVENT_IMAGE_DIGITS: 5
- On ZoneMinder Options page go to Storage tab. a. Note down the following option values: - Storage: Default - Path (Should be something like /var/cache/zoneminder/events)
- You can share this path using Samba or NFS. Sharing with Samba has been tested with zmBrowse to work ok.
user01@someserver:~$ sudo ls -lart /var/cache/zoneminder/events
total 20
drwxr-xr-x 5 www-data www-data 12288 Jan 29 20:07 ..
lrwxrwxrwx 1 www-data www-data 1 Jan 29 21:47 IPCAM -> 1
drwxr-xr-x 3 www-data www-data 4096 Jan 29 21:47 .
drwxr-xr-x 73 www-data www-data 4096 May 5 01:10 1
user01@someserver:~$ sudo cat /etc/samba/smb.conf | grep -A6 -i '\[ZM_EVENTS\]'
[ZM_Events]
comment = Zoneminder Events
path = /var/cache/zoneminder/events
valid users = @users
create mask = 0660
directory mask = 0771
read only = yes
user01@someserver:~$
user01@someserver:~$ sudo tree /var/cache/zoneminder/events -L 2
/var/cache/zoneminder/events
├── 1
│ ├── 2023-10-25
│ ├── 2023-11-09
│ ├── 2023-11-10
│ ├── 2023-11-11
│ ├── 2025-02-28
│ ├── 2025-03-01
│ ├── 2025-03-02
│ ├── 2025-03-03
│ ├── 2025-03-04
│ ├── 2025-03-05
│ ├── 2025-03-06
│ ├── 2025-03-07
│ ├── 2025-03-08
│ ├── 2025-03-09
│ ├── 2025-03-10
│ ├── 2025-03-11
│ ├── 2025-03-12
│ ├── 2025-03-13
│ ├── 2025-03-14
│ ├── 2025-03-15
│ ├── 2025-03-16
│ ├── 2025-03-17
│ ├── 2025-03-18
│ ├── 2025-03-19
│ ├── 2025-03-20
│ ├── 2025-03-21
│ ├── 2025-03-22
│ ├── 2025-03-23
│ ├── 2025-03-24
│ ├── 2025-03-25
│ ├── 2025-03-26
│ ├── 2025-03-27
│ ├── 2025-03-28
│ ├── 2025-03-29
│ ├── 2025-03-30
│ ├── 2025-03-31
│ ├── 2025-04-01
│ ├── 2025-04-02
│ ├── 2025-04-03
│ ├── 2025-04-04
│ ├── 2025-04-05
│ ├── 2025-04-06
│ ├── 2025-04-07
│ ├── 2025-04-08
│ ├── 2025-04-09
│ ├── 2025-04-10
│ ├── 2025-04-11
│ ├── 2025-04-12
│ ├── 2025-04-13
│ ├── 2025-04-14
│ ├── 2025-04-15
│ ├── 2025-04-16
│ ├── 2025-04-17
│ ├── 2025-04-18
│ ├── 2025-04-19
│ ├── 2025-04-20
│ ├── 2025-04-21
│ ├── 2025-04-22
│ ├── 2025-04-23
│ ├── 2025-04-24
│ ├── 2025-04-25
│ ├── 2025-04-26
│ ├── 2025-04-27
│ ├── 2025-04-28
│ ├── 2025-04-29
│ ├── 2025-04-30
│ ├── 2025-05-01
│ ├── 2025-05-02
│ ├── 2025-05-03
│ ├── 2025-05-04
│ └── 2025-05-05
└── IPCAM -> 1
74 directories, 0 files
user01@someserver:~$
user01@someserver:~$ sudo tree /var/cache/zoneminder/events/1/2025-05-05 -L 1
/var/cache/zoneminder/events/1/2025-05-05
├── 78782
├── 78783
├── 78784
├── 78785
├── 78786
├── 78787
├── 78788
├── 78789
├── 78790
├── 78791
├── 78792
├── 78793
├── 78794
├── 78795
├── 78796
├── 78797
├── 78798
├── 78799
├── 78800
├── 78801
├── 78802
├── 78803
├── 78804
├── 78805
├── 78806
├── 78807
├── 78808
├── 78809
├── 78810
├── 78811
├── 78812
├── 78813
├── 78814
├── 78815
├── 78816
├── 78817
├── 78818
├── 78819
├── 78820
├── 78821
├── 78822
├── 78823
├── 78824
├── 78825
├── 78826
├── 78827
├── 78828
├── 78829
├── 78830
├── 78831
├── 78832
├── 78833
├── 78834
└── 78835
55 directories, 0 files
user01@someserver:~$
- Install zmBrowse on your Windows 10/11 PC or Linux GUI/Desktop (with Wine https://www.winehq.org/ )
- Download the latest installer named "zmBrowse-Installer-win-*.exe" from Release Page Link
- Run the installer and follow the on screen instructions.
- Once installed, run the zmBrowse application.
- Click on the "Settings" button and enter the following details:
- ZM_SERVER EVENTS_PATH: Path to the events folder on your ZoneMinder server. This should be the path you noted down in step 3 above.
- If ZoneMinder server is on local area network, then you will need to save its connection user name and password in Windows Credential Manager.
- On Linux if using Wine, if your Zone-Minder is on Local Area Network, then you can map the network drive first.
- Save Settings and Exit zmBrowse.
- Restart zmBroswe application, your settings should now take effect.
- Hammad Rauf
- MIT License (MIT), Copyright (c) 2025 Hammad Rauf rauf.hammad@gmail.com