Duplicate Photos and iPhoto Library Sharing

Question

My first question is about sharing my iPhoto library.  I would like to buy a Time Capsule to back up all of my computers.  I've been told not to use that to store all of my pictures, only to use it for backups. I wish there were an easy way to share my iPhoto library between users on the same computer, and combine libraries between computures.  If you know of any easy solution to this please let me know.  Most of my pictures are on my iMac with one account.  My macbook pro has two accounts set up.  I'd like to be able to put them all in the same place, or at least select many to have in just one account for all users to access. Is there an easy way to do that? Could I connect a USB hard drive to my Time Capsule soly for iPhoto? My other question is, when I put pictures in my account iPhoto, and then put the same pictures into my wife's account on the same computer (because she'd like to see them also,edit them ect.) am I using twice as much space on my hard drive?

Answer 1

I wish there were an easy way to share my iPhoto library between users on the same computer,
For iPhoto 09 (version 8.0.2) and later:
What you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to the Users / Shared Folder
(You can also use an external HD set to ignore permissions, a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.
and combine libraries between computures.
You can merge Libraries with the paid version ($20) of iPhoto Library Manager
Could I connect a USB hard drive to my Time Capsule soly for iPhoto?
Yes... but.
Would this be a wired or wireless connection to the Library? WIred is fine. Wireless is fine for viewing.
However:  A strong warning: If you're trying to edit the Library (that is, make albums, move photos around, keyword, make books or slideshows etc.) or edit individual photos in it via Wireless be very careful. Dropouts are a common fact of wireless networking, and should one occur while the app is writing to the database then your Library will be damaged. Simply, I would not do this with my Libraries.
when I put pictures in my account iPhoto, and then put the same pictures into my wife's account on the same computer (because she'd like to see them also,edit them ect.) am I using twice as much space on my hard drive?
Yes.
Regards
TD