How do I best share an iPhoto library to several users on a Lion Server?

I am considering setting up a Lion Server to use for our family of five. The one thing I struggle to understand from searching for information here, and throughout the Internet is: Can I set up a Lion server to have shared libraries for iTunes and iPhoto, and what is the best way to set it up? I would also like to understand if such a shared setup would create any issues with reduced functionality and/or performance?
Today we share libraries across several accounts on one computer, and that works mostly fine, although with some restrictions (only one account can have iPhoto open at a time, which is not much of an issue if on same computer; iTunes can share music but not Apps, ...)

I followed Apple's support team's instruction to create iPhoto on the new external hard drive (My Passport) - and then drag and drop the existing iPhoto library onto it from the Master file.
Don't know who told you that but it would be difficult to be more wrong.
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
3. Hold down the option (or alt) key while launching iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new location. From that point on this will be the default location of your library.
4. Test the library and when you're sure all is well, trash the one on your internal HD to free up space.
Regards
TD

Similar Messages

How to share administrator iPhoto library with other users on same iMac?

How to share administrator iPhoto library with other users on same iMac?

This is the part I'm referring to:
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.
The library stays in the Pictures folder for this.

How do I share one Iphoto library with other User accounts on the same iMac

I have created a shared Iphoto Library. When I add this to one of the user accounts, it copies all the pictures instead of sharing the same library. The result is that it uses memory.
Is it possible to create a shared library that is shared by all the users without actually copy all the pictures to each users Iphoto library?

Hi MikaelK,
SHARING IPHOTO LIBRARIES
Sharing libraries between users on the same local network
You can also share a library on the same machine between users the same way.
Sharing libraries between users on the same machine...
-both users must have sharing enabled in their iPhoto Preferences
-both users must be logged in and have iPhoto running
-Remember that you can only view the other library. You can't edit the photos or play the saved slideshows or view the made books or burn them to CD or DVD. The books and slideshows will show up as an album. You can play that album as an "on the fly" slideshow. You can drag images from the sharing library to your library in the source column to import them to your library. You can then edit, add to albums, books, slideshow, etc.
Sharing links from Apple....
Sharing your photos between computers
About shared photos
Turning off photo sharing
Looking for shared photos
SHARING ONE IPHOTO LIBRARY BETWEEN USERS ON SAME MACHINE
You can try one of these three methods:
1- Use iPhoto Library Manager-the paid version
The documentation page will give instructions on how it is done.
2- Sharing one iPhoto library between several users on one machine
3- Share an iPhoto Library in tiger Using ACL's
4- I have also read about ShareAlike
There is no other info on the site about how it works.
I strongly urge anyone wanting to try any of the methods for sharing one iPhoto Library folder among more than one user to backup all iPhoto Library folders before attemptin anything.

HT1198 If I share an iPhoto library between multiple users, will the Faces, Events, and Places be automatically usable by all users, or will each user have to tag all the photos (e.g. if a user tags a face, will a different user have to do it in their own

If I share an iPhoto library between multiple users, will the Faces, Events, and Places be automatically usable by all users, or will each user have to tag all the photos (e.g. if a user tags a face, will a different user have to do it in their own iPhoto application??

Have you read this Apple document regarding sharing a library with multiple users: iPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users?
OT

How Do I Share My Iphoto Library with another USer

I have iPhoto5 on iMacG5. I share the computer with my wife and she has a seperate log in as a seperate user. My question is how to I share my iPhoto Library and albums with her on her user page?
iMacG5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

The article states "Make sure you have read and write permissions for the folder and then apply this setting to all enclosed items."
That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm giving EVERYBODY full read and write permission by "Ignoring Ownership" on an entire drive. Incidentally, this can also be done on a partition.
An example would be you would be able to edit a photo that you have downloaded i your user but not the other user.<<<</div>
My wife and I have been doing that on a regular basis for several years and have never had an issue.
Read the last paragraph.<<<</div>
You misunderstood the wording. I'm NOT using the "Shared" folder. I've created something comparable to a really really big floppy!

How do I remove an imported iPhoto library at multiple users

There seem to be different ways of sharing an iPhoto library among multiple users on a single Mac and I guess I didn't select the best one ...
My wife and I both have an account on our Mac (I am administrator).
Originally, only on my account we viewed our photos, but my wife wanted to have the same iPhoto access via her account.Makes sense!
Via 'system preferences > share' I marked the picture folder in which the iPhoto library is stored as a 'shared folder'.
Then in my wifes account, I started iPhoto and I imported the iPhoto library file in this shared folder (and 'yes', I unchecked the option in the preferences menu to avoid copying photos on import ;-)
Well, for the next hours or so, the system started to import the photos ... although my photo library contains more then 10.000 pictures (!!) the status bar during import indicated a shear amount of ±260.000 pictures to be imported (as it turns out it includes the 'faces' as pictures).
To make a long story short - how do I restore iPhoto on my wifes account by e.g. removing/undoing the imported library. I am a bit hesitant in removing the library since it is the library stored in our shared folder and I don't want to delete that library file. I 'just' want it to turn back to the original 'empty' iPhoto on my Wife's account and share our library in a different way.
By the way, although the iPhoto library/events are a mess on my wifes account, it still looks good on my account.
Thanks.
D.

Trash the Library in your wife's account.
Never import one Library to another. Every version and thumbnail is imported like a distinct photo, you lose all your Albums, Keywords etc., the link between Original and Previews is destroyed, the non-destructive editing feature is ruined and so on. In summary: it's mess.
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.

Can I share my iPhoto library with other users accounts on my computer?

My wife and I both have our own user account on the computer. Right now all the photos are on my account. If we put the iPhoto library in users/shared will this allow us both to access the photos?
Thanks.

Yes, this is exactly how I use iPhoto on my system.
You do need to update the permissions on the iPhoto directory after it's moved to the Shared folder. the default permissions will only permit your account to fully access the files, your wife's account will get errors or not see thumbnails correctly when accessing the pictures from iPhoto in her account.
After moving the iPhoto Library into Shared (and with iPhoto closed), Get Info on the iPhoto Library folder and change the Others access to Read+Write. Let it apply to all enclosed folders, also. Then hold down the Option key while starting iPhoto and choose the Shared version of the folder as your Library. Repeat the iPhoto launch w/option key on the other account as well and each user will access the same set of pictures, albums, keywords, etc. Just make sure you don't open iPhoto from both accounts at the same time. Close iPhoto before walking away from the computer or letting the other person logon.

How To Share An iTunes Library Among Several Users

I want to migrate my iTunes library to an external HD, to free some space in the iMac, and be able to share and add files in the same library among the family members in my iMac.

Niel's instructions don't cover you 100%. You want to keep things on a different drive and there won't be a "shared" folder there. That's only on your main drive. You also have to migrate media and/or your library to a different drive using a special process or you will end up breaking all your music links.
You need to clearly state what you want to share. You can share just media or you can share your whole library structure. Sharing only media is safest but if you share a common media pool you will all have to keep each other appraised of additions (and deletions, because those too will affect everybody) from the pool. You have to be pretty trusting and coordinated on this. Alternatively you can make it so others can copy your media but you will each have your own copy of the file so if somebody else wants to change the name on a track it doesn't do it to the copy you use too. Of course this takes up the most space but is the safest. Which migration procedure to do will depend upon your answers to this section.
Finally, I hope you have a backup plan implemented on this. Nobody will be happy when that external drive fails and it all disappears.

HT1198 Can you share your iphoto library with two users? and can they use there own apple id for photo stream?

My wife and i have two iphones and one mac mini, we basically want to share our photos and music but also have our individual settings, so I have set up two user accounts, i have managed to share itunes successfully however iphoto'11 will not seem to let us both use it without it needing 'repairing'? any help out there?

You'll need to put the Library on an external disk or Disk Image set to ignore owner ship and permissions.
Regards
TD

Share iPhoto library amoung multiple users

Hi,
I have a new G5 (with iPhoto 5.0.4).
My machine has two user accounts. I would like to have both users have access to the SAME set of pictures - both users should have FULL access (the ability to add/delete photos, modify picture metadata, etc.).
Is there an easy way to do this?
Thanks!

Hi bit,
I have links for you to check out, whether the solutions work 100% I don't know.
Sharing Libraries
Sharing libraries between computers on same local Network
Sharing libraries between users on the same machine...
-both users must have sharing enabled in their iPhoto Preferences
-both users must be logged in and have iPhoto running
Remember that you can only view the other library. You can't edit the photos or play the saved slideshows or view the made books or burn them to Cd or DVD. The books and slideshows will show up as an album. You can play that album as an "on the fly" slideshow. You can drag images from the sharing library to your library in the source column to import them to your library. You can then edit, add to albums, books, slideshow, etc.
Sharing one library between users on same machine....
Download iPhoto Library Manager (pay for it if you deccide to use it for this purpose)
iPhoto Library Manager
iPhoto Library Manager documentation
this page will show you everything you can do with iPhoto Library Manager.
On the documentation page, click the link on the left for "sharing libraries"
Or you can go here and see if you would like to do it this way:
Sharing one iPhoto library between several users on one machine
Sharing Links
Sharing your photos between computers
About shared photos
Turning off photo sharing
Looking for shared photos

Sharing single iPhoto library between 2 users on a single computer

Hello,
I am currently using iPhoto 5 on a Mac Mini with 2 total users on the computer.
I know that it is easy to share iPhoto pictures over a server with other computers, but does anyone know how to share a single library between 2 users on the same computer?
I would like my wife and I to share a single library of pictures so that we can each upload pics from our digital camera of our family and friends and both have access to them. Currently, we each have to have separate libraries and it is difficult to share photos even between us. If this is not possible on iPhoto 5 or 6, this would be a great upgrade for the next version.
By the way, I was able to work a similar problem out with music out so that all users share a single iTunes library of songs by placing the library in the "shared" folder, but this is not possible with the iPhoto library.
Thanks for your help!
Mac Mini - G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hi mconnor,
Here are all the links I have for sharing an iPhoto Library.
I think you would be interested in the ACL link for your situation. Hope it works for you.
SHARING IPHOTO LIBRARIES
Sharing libraries between users on the same local network
You can also share a library on the same machine between users the same way.
Sharing libraries between users on the same machine...
-both users must have sharing enabled in their iPhoto Preferences
-both users must be logged in and have iPhoto running
-Remember that you can only view the other library. You can't edit the photos or play the saved slideshows or view the made books or burn them to CD or DVD. The books and slideshows will show up as an album. You can play that album as an "on the fly" slideshow. You can drag images from the sharing library to your library in the source column to import them to your library. You can then edit, add to albums, books, slideshow, etc.
Sharing links from Apple....
Sharing your photos between computers
About shared photos
Turning off photo sharing
Looking for shared photos
SHARING ONE IPHOTO LIBRARY BETWEEN USERS ON SAME MACHINE
You can try one of these three methods:
1- Use iPhoto Library Manager-the paid version
The documentation page will give instructions on how it is done.
2- Sharing one iPhoto library between several users on one machine
3- Share an iPhoto Library in tiger Using ACL's
4- I have also read about ShareAlike
There is no other info on the site about how it works.
I strongly urge anyone wanting to try any of the methods for sharing one iPhoto Library folder among more than one user to backup all iPhoto Library folders before attemptin anything.

Any improvements in sharing an iPhoto Library between multiple users?

It is possible and Apple Approved to share an iPhoto Library between multiple users, but the Library must be stored on a drive or disk image that ignores permissions:
http://tech.kateva.org/2008/10/apple-supports-multi-user-iphoto.html
This doesn't work for me. Has Apple changed anything with iLife '09 to make it easier to share a Library? For example, have they changed from the prior Package format?
Message was edited by: jfaughnan

Alternatives to a trip to the Terminal:
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. The problem here is that OS X works very hard to keep your data safe and secure from the other users. You're trying to beat what's built in to the system. So, to beat the system
Quit iPhoto in both accounts
Move the iPhoto Library Folder to an external HD set to ignore permissions. You could also use a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.
In each account in turn: Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting dialogue, select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new library location. 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.
Lastly: This method seems a little clunky at first, but works very well. Most importantly, it uses the System to do the job for you.
Create a new Account on your Mac, call it Media. Create an iPhoto Library there. (BTW: This will work for iTunes too.)
Enable Sharing on the Library:(Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other accounts. In those accounts, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. The Library will appear in the other source pane.
This means that both users will be able to see the pics. If you want to use a pic then simply drag it from the shared Library to your own in the iPhoto Window. This means that each user can have their own edits.
If you want to add photos to the Library: Log into the Media account for that purpose.
To make it all seamless: Set your Mac to log into the Media Account automatically. Set iPhoto to launch on log-in. Then switch to your own account using Fast User Switching.
Net result: a Library that's permanently available to all users but also protected. Each user can have their own versions of the pics if they want.
No partitioning, no permissions issues. Uses no extra disk space. What's not to like?
Regards
TD

Move iPhoto library from one user to another?

How can I move (transfer) an iphoto library from one user to another on an iMac running 10.6.8 or alternatively allow one user to work with another user's iPhoto? Both users are on the same computer.

hi
fast you open your old user and copy the iPhoto library on disk partition or any external disk.
next log in your another account and paste the iPhoto library file on users>(acc. name)> Picture
after that when you open your iPhoto then hold the OPTION button and and choose the specified path (iPhoto library ) file
i hope solved your problem

Sharing Itunes Library with several users on the same computer

Hi,
I'm trying to share the iTunes library on a SP2 system. I placed the Itunes folder on a partition and setted iTunes to use this folder in each user account but...
When one add musics to the library, thoses musics are not visible once switched to another user account.
How to really share the same library with several user accounts one the same machine ?
Thanks

Note that Otto42's post is from March 2006. This is way before iTunes 7, which allows you to move the iTunes folder.
His steps will work but are much too involved and unneeded.
Rather than using TweakUI (and possibly messing up something), just move the entire iTunes folder to a shared directory and hold Shift when starting iTunes, then select Choose library and go to the iTunes folder.
All changes made by any user will be to all users.
Note that only one user at a time will be able to access iTunes.

How to share an iPhoto library with an iPad?

Hi everyone. Just wondering how do you share an iPhoto library with an ipad over a network? I want to use my ipad to browse photos when I'm at home over my network since I can't fit all my photos onto my ipad. I can't seem to figure it out. Help is appreciated!

You can not - they have nothing in common except the name - you can share photos using PhotoStream - you can not sare an iPhoto library
LN

How do I best share an iPhoto library to several users on a Lion Server?

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