IPhoto library modification

Hello,
I have an iPhoto library with 29,000 photographs (about 132 GB).
A few months ago broke down when the logicboard was using iPhoto. As a result, the library was corrupted. I managed to recover almost all photos.
However I bought an external hard drive WD 3TB My Cloud. I also have a USB WD 2TB disk.
Help needed to find the best solution.
I want the iPhoto library was not just a file.
I want to put the photos in a folder and the library accesses that folder.
As I have a MacBook Pro and an iMac, I use the same library on 2 computers (I know I can not use the same library simultaneously).
A disc is left with the library and the other with a backup.
1 - How do I extract the pictures to a folder with geographic information and their faces, if possible)?
2 - What is the best disc to put the library and the backup (USB WD 2TB or 3TB WD My Cloud)?
thanks.

1. The iPhoto Library cannot be just a folder. End of Story.
2. You can store the Master images outside the Library but I strongly urge you not to. You get exactly zero benefit for more work and you're storing up problems for the future. For more on iPhoto and file management see this User Tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6361
3. The iPhoto Library cannot be on a NAS. It must be on a disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and not on a network connection - so that means award connection to a USB, Firewire or Thunderbolt disk.

Similar Messages

IPhoto library empty after upgrading to iPhoto 9.6

HI,
I have noticed this problem mentioned by others numerous times with no solution that has worked for me. Has a better fix been found other than recopying all of the files in the 'old masters' list into a new library, effectively losing previously created albums, etc.? Is anyone at Apple actually working this issue since it seems to be pretty widespread and apparently directly related to a bug in iPhoto 9.6?.
OK, first, i have no back up iPhoto library. I had one previously but my secondary external drive got full and I had to wipe it to rearrange a bunch of data. Had planned on re-backing it up when I opened iPhoto and uploaded some new photos from my phone, but this event happened and now I am out of luck...
My iPhoto library is stored on an external drive (Wester Digital my Passport for Mac) and has worked fine until yesterday when I plugged my iPhone 6+ in to upload photos and sync with iTunes. Upon booting up iPhoto, I got a notification that I needed to upgrade my library. I clicked on the upgrade function and was then notified that a mistake was found and a repair was necessary. The repair was ongoing when iPhoto froze and entire system failed, giving note that startup disk was nearly full. After doing system restart and opening iPhoto, I found all photos gone from iPhoto window. iPhoto is using the correct library and after looking at all internal files in iPhoto library, I found all photos had been moved to "old masters, old thumbnails, old previews". Files are below:
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/1970/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/1998/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/1999/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/2000/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/2001/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/2002/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/2003/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/2004/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/2005/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/AlbumData.xml
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Apple%20TV%20Photo%20Cache/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Attachments/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Auto%20Import/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Backup/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/com.apple.iPhoto.plist
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Contents/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Data/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Data.noindex/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Database/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iLifeShared/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Info.plist
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iPhotoAux.db
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iPhotoAux.db.bak
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iPhotoLock.data
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iPhotoMain.db
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iPhotoMain.db.bak
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/iPod%20Photo%20Cache/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Library.cache
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Library.data
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Library.iPhoto
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Library6.iPhoto
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Library6.iPhoto_2.bak
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Masters/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Modified/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Old%20Masters/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Old%20Previews/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Old%20Thumbnails/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Originals/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Previews/
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/ProjectDBVersion.plist
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Projects.db
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/ThemeCache
file:///Volumes/War%20Drive/iPhoto%20Library/Thumbnails/
Size of iPhoto library is still over 500 gigs, so data is there apparently. I immediately backed iPhoto library up, so at least this data has been salvaged, but I still can't access my photos. I have used iPhoto's rebuild functions sequentially all the way to full rebuild, with no photos being found. I then used iPhoto library manager app's rebuild function, and it also revealed no photos.
So, what can I do to sort this out? Needless to say, with 500+ gigs of photos, I am concerned. I am hesitant to do the manual rebuild using the 'old masters' option since I will lose all of my previously organized albums. Is waiting for Apple to issue a fix that will actually restore lost data only a dream or would that feasibly happen? Thanks in advance for any and all help that can be offered.

and....
Here is the step by step method to recover your photos into a new Library....
Please read the warning below first.....
The current emergency only workaround fix for this issue when the user hasn't made or doesnt have access to any backups, is as follows....
Quit iPhoto
In Finder, Select iPhoto Library
Control Click on iPhoto Library and choose Show Package
Drag Masters or Old Masters folder to either desktop or external HD if not enough space on System Drive
Delete or preferably move iPhoto Library file to new location so at a later date one can recover the library again if needed..
Restart Mac
Launch iPhoto... (It should then create a new Library automatically...)
Drag and drop the Masters or Old Masters folder(s) onto iPhoto's icon... or use the menu option in iPhoto to import photos and point to the Masters or Old Masters folders saved out previously.
Be patient............
Photos will then be re-added to iPhoto... and added to the new library...
Note: If you have both Masters and Old Masters folders then add them one at a time, letting iPhoto import and index all the photos from one folder before adding another....
Important Warning!!!: All modifications and folder structures/albums from the original library will be lost.... but at least the original photos are rescued... and a new library is created that should be free of issues with the current iPhoto/Yosemite combination.

Can 2 Macs sync photos in iPhoto Library?

Hi everyone,
I have 2 Macs (iMac and MacBook both got 10.5.6 and iPhoto 09)
and I'm just wondering if I can sync photos in iPhotos on both Macs.
What I want to do is I just transfer photos from my camera to only one Mac
and then somehow 2 Macs have same photos.
Normally 2 Macs are connected wirelessly night time,
so somehow they can sync iPhoto Library automatically.
Like syncing contacts between iPhone and Mac...
Is there any way? or I'm just lazy...
Thank you,
Hiro

Since I recently purchased an iMac to go along with my MacBook Pro, I am now having this same dilemma. So far, the options seem to be cloud based syncs, local syncs, and local sharing.
Right away, local sharing is out for me since I want both computer to effectively be duplicates of one-another. In other words, I want my transition from working on one computer to the next to be nearly transparent.
For local sync, I am trying out ChronoSync as I have constantly heard it recommended, but there seems to be a major issue. When you open and close an iPhoto library, regardless of whether you change any content, it changes the modification date. Thus, if I were to load new pics on my MacBook, then open my iMac iPhoto and realize they weren't there, then sync (assuming a bi-directional sync setup), I would actually overwrite the MacBook because the package file on the iMac shows as newer. Bam, data lost. These package files Apple loves to use sure look elegant, but are causing problems all over the syncing world. Luckily, if you have Time Machine running, you can at least experiment with all of this with a relative degree of safety. The other nit-picky downside to local sync is that you have to establish a connection between the two computers to sync, meaning they both need to be on, and at least one needs file sharing active, which is a security concern.
The next option seems to be cloud-based sync. Dropbox is popular, but 2GB doesn't come close to my needs and when you start to get into the pay-for service, the capabilities look less impressive. Currently I am trying SugarSync. SugarSync looks like the end-all, be-all of sync/back-up, until you read the known issues. Again, the package files used for things like iPhoto (and other great apps like LicenseKeeper, 1Password, etc) are not supported. I am guessing it is for similar reasons--i.e. no ability to resolve which package is really the newest, regardless of the modification date. As a side-note, I find it a bit irritating that these companies advertise as if all these capabilities work, and worse, charge for a service that is incomplete. What Mac user doesn't want to at least sync iTunes and iPhoto? That's why we buy these softwares, after all. Anyway, I digress.
There is always iDisk too, if you are willing to pay for MobileMe. Thus far I am not really impressed with the performance of iDisk and everything I read suggests that iDisk's performance really takes a dive when working with--you guessed it--package files. Apple's left hand is clearly not talking to their right.
Notably, when setting up my new iMac, I was able to just copy over the whole iTunes and iPhoto library and they work just fine on the new mac. Thus, I think local sync at least has more promise right now (since most cloud-based syncs are based on incremental change for bandwidth purposes).
This all begs the question--with Time Machine's phenomenal success, why not expand that service into a backup/sync capable program. It makes total sense--time machine backs up every few minutes and is accessible via things like AirPort Extreme, or a host of the newer NASs that support TimeMachine. Moreover, TimeMachine supports all of Apples file conventions and is a language any Mac with Leopard forward understands. In other words, it would be great to have a single TimeMachine that worked for both my computers, keeping each one backed up and in sync, without the need to have two instantiations of TimeMachine. I realize this is not perfect, as many people keep different software setups or amounts of data on different computers, but nonetheless, I think that would be a killer upgrade that would move even more people into the Mac arena, or move more people with one Mac to invest in two. But, that's just my 2¢.

I have a few hundred duplicates in my iPhoto library, but the file sizes are different. So one is 1.3mb and one is 567kb. I want to delete the smaller ones, but short of comparing each duplicate, is there a way to do this?

I have a few hundred duplicates in my iPhoto library, but the file sizes are different. So one is 1.3mb and one is 567kb. I want to delete the smaller ones, but short of comparing each duplicate, is there a way to do this? I've been looking at Duplicate Annhilator but I don't think it can do it.
Thanks!

I just ran a test with iPhoto Library Manager, Duplicate Annihilator, iPhoto Duplicate Cleaner, Duplifinder and Photodedupo. I imported a folder of 5 photos into a test library 3 times, allowing iPhoto to import duplicates. I then ran the 5 photos thru resizer to reduce their jpeg compression but all other aspects of the file the same.
None of the duplicate removal apps found set that was reduced in the file resizer. That's probably due to the fact that the file creation date was being used as a criteria and the resized photo would have a different file creation date even though the Image Capture date was the same.
They all found the 3 regular duplicates and some of them would mark two and leave the 3rd unmarked. iPhoto Duplicate Cleaner can sort the found duplicates by file size but if the file was edited to get the reduced file size it might not be found as it would have a different file creation/modification date.
iPhoto Library Manage was able to find all duplicates and mark them as such if the file names were the same the the filename option was selected. Otherwise it also missed the modified, resized version. It allowed one to select the one photo to save before going to work on the library.
So if a photo has been reduced in image quality or pixel size it will not be considered a duplicate.
OT

Your photo library was not found. Do you want to find your iPhoto Library?

Your photo library was not found. Do you want to find your iPhoto Library?
Do you want to create or find?
This is the message I get when I try to open iphoto.
1. this is the first time since I've used iphoto that this has happened.
2. I would like to know why.
3. I am not sure which choice to make.
4. recent changes involving photos would be deleting several photos....I used a program called Grand Perspective and began to delete photos from there
5. although I'm interested in fixing this problem, I would like to learn more about 'libraries' and the way iphoto works. Previous to owning a Mac, I used Picasa with my pc and I don't remember it using as much space on my hard drive. iphoto has a large number of duplicated photos of which I've been unable to resolve easily and it is approx. 60 G of space. I would like to have access to my images (30,000) through external hard drives but not necessarily have them all on my mac. I believe that is what Picasa does. I'm using the new Picasa for Mac but want to continue to use iphoto as well.
If I did not form this question well enough, please let me know how to clarify. I'm trying to remedy this while answering a million Why? why? Why? questions from my 4 year old!
Thank you.
iphoto 7.1.5

I would like to learn more about 'libraries'
Step one is to learn about iPhoto - it is not a photo viewer like Picasa - it is a photo manager and uses an SQL database - the content and structure of this database are critical (as with any database application) to the operation of iPhoto - any changes made to either the content or structure of the database using external programs including (especially) the finder can corrupt the database and cause you to lose data
recent changes involving photos would be deleting several photos....I used a program called Grand Perspective and began to delete photos from there
This is how you destroyed your iPhoto library and made it unusable
As to space - the iPhoto database contains at a minimum a copy of the original photo (in the default and recommended operating environment) and a small thumbnail. When any modification to the photo is made a modified version is created so there might be three versions (no duplicates) of a photo within the iPhoto library - none of them are extraneous and none of them can be removed without corrupting the iPhoto library
Once a photo is imported into iPhoto (assuming default settings which are strongly recommended) the original source photo outside of iPhoto can be archived, deleted or otherwise handles - iPhoto has no further need for it.
The iPhoto library can be located on an external hard drive so long as that hard drive is always available when iPhoto is running
In general it is not advised to run two different photo organizers against the same photos - so if you use both Picasa and iPhoto you are likely to create future problems (although Google claims it is possible - just remember that you can not successfully make any change of any sort to any photo with the iPhoto library using Picasa or any other program - if you only use Picasa to look at photos you may be ok - if you never make any mistakes
As to your immediate problem - you have destroyed you iPhoto library by deleting files from it. If you want to use iPhoto you will have to start over - find the originals folder within the iPhoto library and launch iPhoto while depressing the option (alt) key and create a new library - import the photos from the originals folder into iPhoto and do not go inside the iPhoto library or modify the contents of the iPhoto library in the future.
LN
Message was edited by: LarryHN

Aperture / Iphoto library looks empty.

I installed the latest Aperture version 3.6, and when i tried to open, it ask me to rebuild the library for the latest version with iphoto, i did everything it asked and after all when i open aperture or iphoto they don't show anything, they don't have any pictures. One important thing is that the file size of the library, thats stored on an external drive, is really big, 4.6gb so i think my photos are still there.
I tried rebuilding it, repairing permissions and all that and its still the same, what else can i do?
thank you for your help

Does it mean that I will lose all my versions, ratings etc with my old photos? I have 400Gt+ library with lots of modifications and I would be a catastrophe it they are blown away ;(
Are you seeing the same library corruption as omar.msk after trying to upgrade the library? An apparently empty iPhoto library, and the original image files in the "Old Masters" folder instead of the "Masters" folder?
Then it is the same bug. Recreating he iPhoto Library by importing the Old Masters into a new empty library will only rescue the photos, but not your work - edits, rating, albums, ...
Copy the Old Masters to an external drive for save keeping, also the Old Previews and Old Thumbnails. Then try first to restore your iPhoto library from your last backup you made before the upgrade. (iPhoto '11: Restoring from Time Machine with iPhoto '11 (9.2 or later) and OS X Lion 10.7.2 (or later)). Then add any newer photos from the "Old.." folders, that have not been part of the backup.

Is the iPhoto library supposed to be located in the iCloud Drive folder?

27" iMac (2011) Yosemite / iCloud Drive
Is the iphoto library / database file supposed to be in the iCloud Drive? I expect it to normally be found in the Pictures folder under the active user. If it is not supposed to be there how did it get moved there. The iPhoto library is also locked and is over 200 Gigabytes in size. (see attached image)
My theory is that someone tried to move it to the iCloud Drive, without understanding the limitation.

As long as the user has purchased adequate disk space for the iCloud Drive, they can move their photo library to it. It can be anywhere so long as one modifies iPhoto so it knows where to find it.

"Referenced" iPhoto Library becoming bloated...?

Hello,
My iPhoto library is "referenced" (ie. iPhoto does not copy the images when importing) to my RAW image library which is manually organized outside the iPhoto library. I do zero edits, etc. to the images within iPhoto (I do all editing via Adobe Camera RAW and Photoshop).
At the same time, I've only just created a new iPhoto library (again, a referenced library) and have just completed importing 8+ gigs of shoots from this year (all RAW images). Again, I have done zero edits on these images and haven't even opened them in Adobe Camera RAW or Photoshop.
Yet, this referenced iPhoto library is now sitting on my HD at a size of 3GB. I understand it still stores the JPG previews in the iPhoto library, but 3GB? As well, when I open the library (via "Show Package Contents") I see a large number of "modified" images (as well as the original JPG previews and aliases to the linked images).
First off, any ideas why I have so many "modified" images when I haven't done any modifications? And second, any ideas why my library is 3GB in size when it's only a referenced library?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kristin.

Do you have auto-rotate on your cameras? If so, this is just a flag, the files are not rotated. However, on import, iPhoto sees the flag and reads it as an instruction to rotate the image, which it does - hence a modified version of the pic.
Solution? Rotate before importing or turn off auto-rotate on your cameras.
Regards
TD

HT5037 iPhoto Library Upgrader Not Working Properly

I followed the instructions, but when i clicked 'continue' in the Library Upgrader to upgrade my older iPhoto library, the original message about how my iPhoto library needs to be upgraded popped up

What version of iPhot do you ave hat is gving you this message?
You say
am trying to upgrade the iPhoto library to transfer it to my new MacBook Air.
Instead move the libray to the MBA and upgrade it there using the version of iPhotot that is there - you can not upgrade it on the old system with the old version of iPhoto
And the library upgrader does not upgrade the library - it modifies version 7 and earlier libraries so that the new version of iPhoto can upgrade them successfully
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
LN

How to import iPhoto library?

Sorry, it just took a while to work.
Message was edited by: theskyisblue

I have moved to AP from iPhoto shortly.
What I did:
1. imported the whole iPhoto library into AP without copying the files - they stayed in the iPhoto library a were just referenced to in the AP library
2. in the AP library I got rid of the photos I did not need any more - in my case I deleted all the modified files and left only the originals in the library - but you can do what you want: all the Originals in the AP library have a keyword "Original from iPhoto" or similiar, you will see
3. when having in the AP library the photos I wanted to keep only (with the original hierarchy etc.) I consolidated the masters in the AP library with the copy option checked - this copied the files referenced to in AP library physically to that library
4. now you have your files (only those you want to keep) twice on your HDD - once in the AP library, once in the iPhoto library - I basically deleted all the photos from iPhoto, then imported some of them (now I use iPhoto for slideshows only) once again into iPhoto, without copying them into iPhoto library - so now it works the other way around - files are stored in the AP library, modifications are done in AP as versions and iPhoto has some events but references the files from the AP library and does not store them.
Was it helpful?
Tonden
P.S. the last step in my case was to move all masters from AP library to an external HDD but this depends on your startegy

Cannot locate iPhoto library

I want to reindex my photo library but cannot locate it. I can use it in the normal way to edit, print etc but over the years I have switched between iPhoto, Elements, and Aperture so have photos all over the place. File-Reveal in Finder shows the location as /Users/my home folder/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Masters/photo ref details. If I try to go to that location I get as far as /Users/my home folder/Pictures. When I click on Pictures all I get is a folder icon and some info - "Type - Package, Size 7.44 Gb, Last modified 30 Nov 2011" (I last did some modifications on Dec 15. If I double click I get a terminal window with the heading "Pictures - Bash - 80x24. The Last Login (today's date and time) followed by"mcIntosh-3:Pictures" then my name.
I thought I would go back to iPhoto 11 as it seemed to be much simpler than the others but now I am not so sure. Any help would be appreciated.
Geoffrey

Trouble is I cannot open /Users/my home folder/Pictures and iPhoto Help says I need to if I want to restore. I can "Show Package Details" which shows that the library is there but I don't think that is the same as opening the file.
Sounds to me like your Pictures Folder is no longer a folder but become a package? If so, post on the forum for your version of the OS and someone will give you a Terminal command to undo that.
Regards
TD

IPhoto Library Explainations

Good Day,
I'm trying to understand how iPhoto works, specifically how it goes about creating the files and directories in the Library.
In the Library I have 3 large directories: Data, Modified, Originals. Originals I understand (they are the original un-edited versions of my photos). Modified I also understand (they are the modified versions of my photos). What is the Data directory?
I do have a question in regards to the 'Modified' folder. Why the heck does Apple maintain changes like this? I crop every single photo I take, thus I end up having a modified folder containing a copy of every single photo, and my iPhoto library doubles in size. When I was on a PC using Picasa it just created an .ini file that remembered the changes that were made. I suppose that method does result in slower image manipulation since the program has to reference the file then apply the modifications, but I'd be willing to live with that to cut my photo library size in half. There has got to be a better way to manage these changes.
Can anyone provide suggestions?

In the Library I have 3 large directories: Data, Modified, Originals. Originals I understand (they are the original un-edited versions of my photos). Modified I also understand (they are the modified versions of my photos). What is the Data directory?
The data file contains the thunbnails of the photos used for display
and the iPhoto6.library contains the structure of the data base, albums, books, etc
I do have a question in regards to the 'Modified' folder. Why the heck does Apple maintain changes like this? There has got to be a better way to manage these changes.
That is the way iPhoto works. This is a user forum and we can (often) explain how things work and sometimes provide workarounds for things. NO ONE here designed iPhoto or has any ability to modify it in any way - it is what it is - if you want to discuss your personal opinions of Apples decisions, contact them - iPhoto menu ==> Provide iPhoto feedback
I'd guess that the rational behind this structure is several fold
1 - iPhoto ALWAYS maintains the original so you can revert to it at any time
2 - iPhoto is designed to handle up to 250,000 photos and provide rapid response ON a wide variety of different chips both power PC and intel
3 - iPhoto does non destructive editing so you are never more than one step form the original
I'm not a software designer but I bet that MUCH though was put into the methods used and I know that they work very well - and disk is CHEAP
Even though you believe that you could do it better, you choice comes down to use what is there, use something else or build a better mousetrap and put iPhoto out of the photo business
I use iPhoto
LN

IPhoto Library seems far too large

Hi,
When I first loaded my images into iPhoto I thought what I wanted was to preserve the original file structure i.e. I keep all my images in a 'Digital Photos' folder, then broken down by year and date. So when I imported the library to iPhoto I unchecked +Copy Files To iPhoto Library.+
My iPhoto library seems just as large as my Digital Photos folder. I think now rather than have a separate folder, I'd rather just store the photos in iPhoto and half the disk space. So my two questions are:
1) If I have a 'referenced library' of aliases which appears to be the case, why is the iPhoto library package so large regardless?
2) If it were easier to use a managed library (no need for separate photos folder) how could I move all of my photos into iPhoto easily without having to erase my whole library, loosing my events and tags?
Thanks for your help!

So when I imported the library to iPhoto I unchecked Copy Files To iPhoto Library.
As you probably know from reading this forum this is not a recommended way to use iPhoto - there are many drawbacks and over time it will create problems for you
1) If I have a 'referenced library' of aliases which appears to be the case, why is the iPhoto library package so large regardless?
the iPhoto library contains an original of the photo (in you case this is just an alias since you are not copying items to the iPhoto library) in the originals folder, a thumbnail (very small) of the photo in the data folder, a copy of the latest modified photo in the modified folder if any edits or modifications have been made to the photo plus a database structure description file (library6.iPhoto) and some other support files - usually small
SInce your iPhoto library is large I assume that you have edited, rotated, cropped or otherwise modified many of your photos.
2) If it were easier to use a managed library (no need for separate photos folder) how could I move all of my photos into iPhoto easily without having to erase my whole library, loosing my events and tags?
This is the recommended method of operation
TO go from a referenced library which you now have to to a managed library many people have been successful using Alias herder -http://www.rorohiko.com/aliasherder.html
Back up your iPhoto library in case of problems and run alias herder against the library - is will pull the oritinal photos into the library originals folder replacing the aliases and you will be fine if everything goes smoothly
And keep on backing up - it is important for any computer data
And strongly consider getting Old Toad's automator script and regularly backing up the database file, library6.iPhoto in addition to your regular full library backups
LN

HT1198 Shared iPhoto library file permissions are corrupted.

I am using the alternative option mentioned in the technote. The iPhoto library is located in /Users/Shared.
When my wife adds photos to iPhoto from her account, the files have a permission set of 640 (rw-------) on the file system.
When I add photos from my account, the files have a 666 (rw-rw-rw-) permission set.
I found that by using the iPhoto 'Examine and repair iPhoto Library file permissions' process it fixes the issue..although I'd really like to find the main cause of her files have a 640 permission set.

It may be too early to be confident, however I changed the permissions as follows: Note: the iPhoto Libray resides on iMac A.
old
iMac A: Users/Shared/Pictures me: Read & Write, staff: Read Only, everyone: no access
new
iMac A: Users/Shared/Pictures me: Read & Write, staff: Read & Write, everyone: Read & Write
I have successfully:
iMac A: Opened the iPhoto Library under my wife's account, then
iMac A: Opened the iPhoto Library under my account, then
iMac B: Opened the iPhoto Library under my account on another Mac on our network and made library modifications, then
iMac A: Opened the iPhoto Library under my wife's account.
In each case, iPhoto did not go into "examining the Library, nor did it need to repair permissions". The Library and iPhoto closed promptly without errors or inconsistencies.
I will keep my fingers crossed since it is hard to confidently trouble shoot without a higher level of understanding of Unix permissions and the details of the iPhoto Library.

Smart Update iPhoto Library on Macbook

Dears,
I've two Macs (one iMac and one Macbook). I will import my photos and modify them in my iMac. But I want to make a copy on my Macbook while I am away from my iMac (Just like sync the photos to iPod). I won't do any modifications on the copy of Macbook. Can I do that? Thanks.
Regards,

ghostwolf:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. What you'll need to do is use a backup application like LaCie's free SilverKeeper or Synk Standard to backup the iMac library to your MB library. It would be a one way backup. After the first backup any incremental backups would be very fast as either application will only copy those new and/or changed files. Connect the to Mac via a LAN so you have access to both libraries.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

IPhoto library modification

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